Sergii/iStock via Getty Images Main Thesis & Background The purpose of this article is to evaluate the Schwab International Equity ETF ( SCHF ) as an investment option at its current market price. This fund is managed by the Charles Schwab Corporation ( SCHW ), and its objective is "to track as closely as possible, before fees and the total return of the FTSE Developed ex US Index". I highlighted ...
Sergii/iStock via Getty Images Main Thesis & Background The purpose of this article is to evaluate the Schwab International Equity ETF ( SCHF ) as an investment option at its current market price. This fund is managed by the Charles Schwab Corporation ( SCHW ), and its objective is "to track as closely as possible, before fees and the total return of the FTSE Developed ex US Index". I highlighted SCHF as a smart investment option roughly four months ago. I continued to harp on non-US developed markets as ways to diversify and this outlook was certainly vindicated since then. While the S&P 500 has risen during the interim, SCHF's gain has easily surpassed it: Fund Performance (Seeking Alpha) It is clear that SCHF - and many developed market funds - have quite a bit of momentum right now. With 2026 off to a fast start, I wanted to take another look at this CEF to see if a "buy" rating continues to make sense. After a thorough review, I believe it does because many of the catalysts that helped SCHF pump out a double-digit gain are still in place today. These include a relatively cheaper valuation (compared to US equities), a declining US dollar (USD), and strong earnings expectations across Europe and Japan for the year ahead. I will tackle each of these attributes in detail below. Non-US Equities Have The Value Edge The first point is very straight forward and it relates to valuation. This really speaks to how wide the spread was in the past between the US (as measured by the S&P 500) and the developed and emerging market (EM) worlds. What I mean is, we have seen both developed and EM out-perform the US over the past year. In some cases in a very big way. Yet, they still hold a sizable "advantage" (meaning cheaper) in terms of valuation compared to the US: Relative P/E Ratios (Forward P/E) (World Bank) As you can see from the graphic, the US has seen its forward P/E come down slightly off its highest levels, while the forward P/E for the two other indices have risen. ...
Key Points Though BigBear.ai trades at a seemingly attractive valuation, its financial performance makes it a questionable investment. Palantir is going from strength to strength thanks to the rapid adoption of its AI solutions by commercial customers. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI) has lately been popular among investors looking to buy artificial int...
Key Points Though BigBear.ai trades at a seemingly attractive valuation, its financial performance makes it a questionable investment. Palantir is going from strength to strength thanks to the rapid adoption of its AI solutions by commercial customers. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI) has lately been popular among investors looking to buy artificial intelligence (AI) software stocks at reasonable valuations. That's not too surprising, as the company seems to be following Palantir Technologies' (NASDAQ: PLTR) playbook in the generative AI software market. Palantir initially made its name by supplying analytics solutions to U.S. intelligence agencies and the Defense Department, and its software platforms are still being used by the U.S. Army and the Air Force, as well as Homeland Security, among others. But nearly three years ago, it launched its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) for both commercial and government customers, and since then, its growth has surged, and the stock price has exploded. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » As a result, it's now trading at exorbitant valuations. Given that BigBear.ai is also targeting both government and commercial customers with a generative AI software platform, it is easy to understand why it, too, has caught investors' attention. The stock has appreciated by 142% over the past three years. However, a closer look at their respective businesses suggests that Palantir is the better long-term bet of the two for investors. Image source: Getty Images. The commercial segment has bolstered Palantir's growth Palantir's pivot to seek more of its growth among corporate customers is reaping rich rewards. In the third quarter of 2025, its commercial revenue spiked by 73% year over year to $548 million. Its government revenue rose by 55%. Overall, its top ...
scaliger/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Archrock ( AROC ) is approaching a 52-week high as its share price flirts with the $30/share level. At face value, the rapid rise in share price begins to make the company appear to fairly valued on an EV:EBITDA basis. However, the company has previously made two acquisitions in 2025 to boost the company’s baseline EBITDA generation. These acquisitions are n...
scaliger/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Archrock ( AROC ) is approaching a 52-week high as its share price flirts with the $30/share level. At face value, the rapid rise in share price begins to make the company appear to fairly valued on an EV:EBITDA basis. However, the company has previously made two acquisitions in 2025 to boost the company’s baseline EBITDA generation. These acquisitions are not fully baked into trailing 12-month metrics, allowing for easy year-over-year comparison beats. Additionally, the steady cadence of growth investments and contract escalators position AROC for another record year in 2026. When factoring these already built-in benefits, AROC continues to be attractively valued. Combining a discounted valuation with a growing dividend, we have a sound investment idea. To round out the thesis, the growing demand fundamentals for natural gas compression gives AROC strong long-term tailwinds. For these reasons, I continue to rate AROC as a BUY. Updates From Prior Coverage I last covered AROC in March of 2025, shortly after the company had acquired competitor TOPS. Since then, the company has also acquired a smaller peer , Natural Gas Compression Systems. The results of these acquisitions have been quite evident, allowing the company to steadily improve EBITDA projections throughout the year. In fact, the company projects to close out 2025 at approximately $845m, up from $770m when 2025 guidance was first announced. EBITDA Growth (AROC Investor Presentation) This 10% improvement in EBTIDA has also been coupled with two dividend raises. The company now pays out a quarterly dividend of 0.22/share, giving the company a 3% yield. The yield here is modest, but the company has made the effort to grow the dividend along with the business. The most recent dividend raise represents the sixth such raise in the last two years. This performance gives strong undertones of a solid dividend growth idea, so let’s discuss the growth of the underlying business i...
Key Points Make sure you're not giving up free money for your 401(k). Choose the right 401(k) type and investments. Pay attention to fees so they don't erode your returns. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Saving in a 401(k) could be one of the best financial decisions you'll ever make. You'll need money in retirement to supplement your Social Security. So the l...
Key Points Make sure you're not giving up free money for your 401(k). Choose the right 401(k) type and investments. Pay attention to fees so they don't erode your returns. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Saving in a 401(k) could be one of the best financial decisions you'll ever make. You'll need money in retirement to supplement your Social Security. So the larger a 401(k) balance you have, the more comfortable life might be later on. Whether you're new to funding a 401(k) plan or have been saving in one for years, you should know that the right moves could help your savings take off. Here are a few things you can do to set your 401(k) up for success this year. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » 1. Claim your company match in full A 401(k) match is money you should make every effort not to give up. Find out what your workplace match entails this year and try your best to snag it in full. If you give up any portion of your company match, remember that you're not just saying no to that principal amount. You're also losing out on the opportunity to grow it into a larger sum over time. Say you forgo $1,500 in matching dollars this year. If your 401(k) gives you an 8% annual return, which is a bit below the stock market's average, and you're 25 years from retirement, saying no to that $1,500 really means shorting yourself on over $10,000 when you factor in lost gains. 2. Choose the type of 401(k) that's best for your situation Many companies these days offer both a traditional and Roth 401(k) plan. Contribution limits for both accounts are the same, but the difference lies in how they're taxed. With a traditional 401(k), your money goes in tax-free, but withdrawals are taxed in retirement. With a Roth 401(k), your money goes in on an after-tax basis, but withdrawals in retirement aren't taxed. Roth 401(k)s also don't force savers to t...
An Abu Dhabi royal signed a secret deal with the Trump family to buy a stake in their cryptocurrency venture, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter. Emissaries of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan inked a deal with Eric Trump to purchase a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, four days before Donald Trump’s inauguration la...
An Abu Dhabi royal signed a secret deal with the Trump family to buy a stake in their cryptocurrency venture, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter. Emissaries of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan inked a deal with Eric Trump to purchase a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, four days before Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, according to the WSJ. The first installment was $250 million, of which $187 million was directed to Trump family entities, the paper said. At least $31 million was set to go to entities linked with the family of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder and the US special envoy to the Middle East. Another $31 million went to an entity tied to the crypto venture’s other co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro, the WSJ said. A World Liberty spokesman told WSJ the investment was to ensure the company continued to grow, and that Trump and Witkoff had no involvement in the deal. A White House spokesperson told the paper that Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children. The WSJ cited a person familiar with Tahnoon’s investment that the sheikh and a few co-investors completed a deal in World Liberty after reviewing it for some months. The Wall Street Journal said the remaining $250 million was due by July 15, 2025, and it couldn’t determine how the funds may have been distributed. Tahnoon is the United Arab Emirates national security adviser, a deputy ruler of the emirate and was handed charge in 2023 of the $1 trillion Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Read more: Abu Dhabi Shakeup May Hand Crown Prince More Dealmaking Clout
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that disgraced former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should testify in the US Congress over what he knows about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. Asked on the final day of a visit this week to China and Japan whether King Charles’ brother should answer US lawmakers’ questions about his knowledge of the American financier’s wrong...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that disgraced former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should testify in the US Congress over what he knows about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. Asked on the final day of a visit this week to China and Japan whether King Charles’ brother should answer US lawmakers’ questions about his knowledge of the American financier’s wrongdoing, Starmer replied “yes”. “I’ve always said anybody that [has] got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that,” he told reporters. Advertisement “Because you can’t be victim-centred if you are not prepared to do that,” the British leader said, noting Epstein’s victims “have to be the first priority”. Starmer had previously only encouraged “anybody who has got relevant information” in such cases to testify and had said in November that Andrew doing so was a “decision for him”. Advertisement His tougher stance is likely to ratchet up the pressure on the ex-Duke of York, who was stripped of his royal titles and honours by the king late last year amid his role in the ongoing Epstein scandal. The comments come after the US Justice Department on Friday dumped more Epstein files, including newly embarrassing photos of Andrew and emails between him and the disgraced financier, who took his own life in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.
Pla2na/iStock via Getty Images I am of the opinion that the Avantis U.S. Equity ETF ( AVUS ), an actively managed exchange-traded fund offering exposure to close to 2,000 U.S. equities, might be a good choice for investors putting diversification above everything else in their asset allocation process, especially given the rather rough start to the year for traditional growth-heavy large-cap portf...
Pla2na/iStock via Getty Images I am of the opinion that the Avantis U.S. Equity ETF ( AVUS ), an actively managed exchange-traded fund offering exposure to close to 2,000 U.S. equities, might be a good choice for investors putting diversification above everything else in their asset allocation process, especially given the rather rough start to the year for traditional growth-heavy large-cap portfolios. Nevertheless, I see a few issues that make AVUS a good but hardly great vehicle, not deserving a bullish thesis to be constructed, mainly in terms of risk metrics (including its maximum drawdown, and risk-adjusted returns measured using the Sharpe and Sortino ratios). In this regard, I maintain the Hold rating I assigned to AVUS in November 2022 . AVUS Strategy And Portfolio As we know from its website , the idea at the core of AVUS' strategy is not to just offer exposure to the broad U.S. equity universe. It goes much further than that, adding factor ingredients to be a step ahead of simpler alternatives. More specifically, the ETF Invests in a broad set of U.S. companies across all market capitalizations and is designed to increase expected returns by overweighting securities we believe to be trading at lower valuations and with higher profitability ratios. And as I will illustrate in the performance analysis section, this certainly helped it to outmaneuver a few funds, including the ETF that tracks its benchmark, the Russell 3000® Index, namely the iShares Russell 3000 ETF ( IWV ), but not the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF ( IVV ). Interestingly, even though a pickier strategy might look supportive of frequent adjustments to the portfolio, the reality is a bit different. The fact is, its turnover is just 2%, so it appears even more conservative compared to the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, the iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF ( ITOT ), the iShares Russell 3000 ETF, and the Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF ( SCHB ). ETF Turnover AVUS 2% IVV 3% ITOT 3% IWV 3% SCHB 3%...
From the principled and the populist to the outright eccentric, Thailand goes to the polls on February 8 with its main prime ministerial candidates wielding lofty promises to turn the country’s flagging fortunes around. Here are the main contenders and some of their policies. Leader of People’s Party and prime ministerial candidate Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut attends an election campaign in Bangkok,...
From the principled and the populist to the outright eccentric, Thailand goes to the polls on February 8 with its main prime ministerial candidates wielding lofty promises to turn the country’s flagging fortunes around. Here are the main contenders and some of their policies. Leader of People’s Party and prime ministerial candidate Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut attends an election campaign in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday. Photo: AP Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut – People’s Party Better known as “Teng”, the former tech executive took over leadership of the People’s Party in 2024 aged just 37. He leads them into the election as the most popular candidate to govern the country, with his youth-facing reformist party tipped to just about win the most seats. Advertisement More introverted than his banned predecessors, Teng has gradually found his voice in opposition and on the campaign hustings. His time in charge of Thailand’s largest party has seen him face criticism from his own supporters for dropping incendiary – yet core – issues such as reform of the royal defamation law. But others praise his steady, pragmatic leadership of a still-new party that has faced extreme resistance from the conservative establishment. Courts have banned its founders and top-billing politicians, while dissolving the party twice in its nine-year history. For the first time in a decade, conservative senators will be unable to take part in a vote for prime minister after the election. If he wins somewhere approaching 200 seats, Teng could be in pole position to form the government and win a lower house vote of the prime ministership. Advertisement His party is the only one pressing for root-and-branch reform targeting the military, police, schools and an economic system that skews in favour of the kingdom’s dominant monopolies.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a cooling technology that can plunge a liquid cooling medium from room temperature to sub-zero levels in less than half a minute. This leap in thermal engineering offered a promising heat management solution for energy-hungry data centres that were mushrooming across China and the United States, they said. By harnessing the unique behaviour of ammonium thiocyanate ...
Chinese scientists have unveiled a cooling technology that can plunge a liquid cooling medium from room temperature to sub-zero levels in less than half a minute. This leap in thermal engineering offered a promising heat management solution for energy-hungry data centres that were mushrooming across China and the United States, they said. By harnessing the unique behaviour of ammonium thiocyanate in water under pressure, the team created a liquid cooling system that mimics squeezing a “wet sponge” – when releasing pressure, it triggers rapid redissolution of salt, absorbing massive amounts of heat almost instantly. Advertisement In experiments, a saturated solution cooled by 30 degrees Celsius (54 Fahrenheit) within seconds at room temperature, and in hotter environments, the drop exceeded 50 degrees. The cooling process could have applications in energy-hungry data centres. Photo: Handout This ultra-fast, high-capacity cooling cycle could transform how artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure manages heat.
Khanchit Khirisutchalual/iStock via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund ( HIO ), I issued a sell rating due to the inconsistent dividend coverage and poor NAV growth. Since then, the share price has declined and severely underperformed traditional market indices. Since my last coverage, HIO has released an updated annual report for 2025, which...
Khanchit Khirisutchalual/iStock via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund ( HIO ), I issued a sell rating due to the inconsistent dividend coverage and poor NAV growth. Since then, the share price has declined and severely underperformed traditional market indices. Since my last coverage, HIO has released an updated annual report for 2025, which prompted me to revisit the fund's value proposition now that we've crossed into the new year. Unfortunately, the fund still has structural flaws that are impacting its ability to provide NAV growth over a longer time frame. Looking at the performance over the last twelve months, we can see that HIO's share price has declined by about 4.2%. The fund has failed to participate in the positive market momentum over the last few quarters. When including all distributions that were paid out to shareholders, the total return jumps up above 7% over the same time frame. HIO now provides investors with a starting dividend yield of 11.3%. However, I remain cautious about the overall sustainability of distributions going forward. Data by YCharts After reviewing the latest annual report for 2025, it appears that HIO is struggling to consistently generate earnings that can outpace the distributions being paid. Assuming interest rates continue to trend downward over the next twelve months, I think it's possible that HIO's net investment income will also decline, as the fund will be able to collect less income from its investments. Lastly, HIO continues to trade at one of the highest price-to-NAV valuations over the last decade. The problem is that HIO's recent performance doesn't justify this premium, so it is not a good time to accumulate. Fund Strategy According to the latest fact sheet , HIO has total assets of $380.9M that are spread across a diverse range of income-producing securities. The fund has a listed expense ratio of 0.98%, but this is a bit inflated by the inclusion of other...
With the right strategy, you can grow your savings nicely this year. Saving in a 401(k) could be one of the best financial decisions you'll ever make. You'll need money in retirement to supplement your Social Security. So the larger a 401(k) balance you have, the more comfortable life might be later on. Whether you're new to funding a 401(k) plan or have been saving in one for years, you should kn...
With the right strategy, you can grow your savings nicely this year. Saving in a 401(k) could be one of the best financial decisions you'll ever make. You'll need money in retirement to supplement your Social Security. So the larger a 401(k) balance you have, the more comfortable life might be later on. Whether you're new to funding a 401(k) plan or have been saving in one for years, you should know that the right moves could help your savings take off. Here are a few things you can do to set your 401(k) up for success this year. 1. Claim your company match in full A 401(k) match is money you should make every effort not to give up. Find out what your workplace match entails this year and try your best to snag it in full. If you give up any portion of your company match, remember that you're not just saying no to that principal amount. You're also losing out on the opportunity to grow it into a larger sum over time. Say you forgo $1,500 in matching dollars this year. If your 401(k) gives you an 8% annual return, which is a bit below the stock market's average, and you're 25 years from retirement, saying no to that $1,500 really means shorting yourself on over $10,000 when you factor in lost gains. 2. Choose the type of 401(k) that's best for your situation Many companies these days offer both a traditional and Roth 401(k) plan. Contribution limits for both accounts are the same, but the difference lies in how they're taxed. With a traditional 401(k), your money goes in tax-free, but withdrawals are taxed in retirement. With a Roth 401(k), your money goes in on an after-tax basis, but withdrawals in retirement aren't taxed. Roth 401(k)s also don't force savers to take required minimum distributions. A traditional 401(k) may be your better option if you make a lot of money and are therefore in a higher tax bracket. But a Roth could make sense if you're in a lower tax bracket this year but expect to be in a higher one during retirement. 3. Make sure you're not overpayi...
This actively managed fixed income ETF targets diversified bond exposure and reported a 5.09% annualized yield in its latest filing. What happened Bouvel Investment Partners, LLC disclosed in a January 22, 2026, SEC filing that it purchased 85,742 additional shares of PIMCO Active Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (BOND 0.02%), during the fourth quarter. The estimated transaction value was $8.02 million, ...
This actively managed fixed income ETF targets diversified bond exposure and reported a 5.09% annualized yield in its latest filing. What happened Bouvel Investment Partners, LLC disclosed in a January 22, 2026, SEC filing that it purchased 85,742 additional shares of PIMCO Active Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (BOND 0.02%), during the fourth quarter. The estimated transaction value was $8.02 million, based on the mean unadjusted close for the quarter. The fund’s quarter-end position value increased by $7.94 million, a figure that incorporates both trading activity and price movements. What else to know Bouvel added to its BOND position, which now represents 6.38% of its reportable U.S. equity AUM. Top holdings after the filing: NYSE:BOND: $22.14 million (6.4% of AUM) NYSE:EVTR: $13.72 million (4.0% of AUM) NASDAQ:AVGO: $12.46 million (3.6% of AUM) NYSEMKT:CGDV: $12.25 million (3.5% of AUM) NASDAQ:NVDA: $11.82 million (3.4% of AUM) As of January 22, 2026, shares were priced at $93.46, up 8.6% over the past year; this trails the S&P 500 by 4.94 percentage points. The fund reported an annualized dividend yield of 5.09% as of January 23, 2026; BOND was 1.16% below its 52-week high. ETF overview Metric Value AUM $6.85 billion Dividend yield 5.09% Price (as of market close 1/22/26) $93.46 1-year total return 8.65% ETF snapshot Investment strategy centers on diversified exposure to fixed income instruments of varying maturities, primarily investment grade, with up to 30% allocation to high yield securities. Portfolio composition includes a broad mix of bonds, including U.S. Treasuries, agency, corporate, and mortgage-backed securities, with the flexibility to use derivatives for risk management and yield enhancement. Structured as an actively managed ETF, the fund offers daily liquidity and transparency. The PIMCO Active Bond ETF is a large, actively managed fixed income fund with $6.85 billion in assets under management. The fund seeks to deliver attractive risk-adjusted retu...
Key Points Bouvel bought 85,742 shares of BOND; estimated trade size of $8.02 million (quarterly average pricing). Quarter-end position valuation rose by $7.94 million, reflecting both trading and market price changes. The transaction equaled 2.31% of Bouvel's reportable AUM. Post-trade, Bouvel held 237,842 shares valued at $22.14 million. The position now accounts for 6.38% of the fund’s AUM, whi...
Key Points Bouvel bought 85,742 shares of BOND; estimated trade size of $8.02 million (quarterly average pricing). Quarter-end position valuation rose by $7.94 million, reflecting both trading and market price changes. The transaction equaled 2.31% of Bouvel's reportable AUM. Post-trade, Bouvel held 237,842 shares valued at $22.14 million. The position now accounts for 6.38% of the fund’s AUM, which places it within the fund's top five holdings. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › What happened Bouvel Investment Partners, LLC disclosed in a January 22, 2026, SEC filing that it purchased 85,742 additional shares of PIMCO Active Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (NYSE:BOND), during the fourth quarter. The estimated transaction value was $8.02 million, based on the mean unadjusted close for the quarter. The fund’s quarter-end position value increased by $7.94 million, a figure that incorporates both trading activity and price movements. What else to know Bouvel added to its BOND position, which now represents 6.38% of its reportable U.S. equity AUM. Top holdings after the filing: NYSE:BOND: $22.14 million (6.4% of AUM) NYSE:EVTR: $13.72 million (4.0% of AUM) NASDAQ:AVGO: $12.46 million (3.6% of AUM) NYSEMKT:CGDV: $12.25 million (3.5% of AUM) NASDAQ:NVDA: $11.82 million (3.4% of AUM) As of January 22, 2026, shares were priced at $93.46, up 8.6% over the past year; this trails the S&P 500 by 4.94 percentage points. The fund reported an annualized dividend yield of 5.09% as of January 23, 2026; BOND was 1.16% below its 52-week high. ETF overview Metric Value AUM $6.85 billion Dividend yield 5.09% Price (as of market close 1/22/26) $93.46 1-year total return 8.65% ETF snapshot Investment strategy centers on diversified exposure to fixed income instruments of varying maturities, primarily investment grade, with up to 30% allocation to high yield securities. Portfolio composition includes a broad mix of bonds, including U.S. Treasuries, agency, corporate, and ...
The Indonesian Coal Miners Association said drastic cuts in production quotas granted by the government may force some operations to shutdown, adding to the woes of the country’s already beleaguered industry. Output quotas permitted under annual work-plans, known as RKABs, are significantly below last year’s tonnage, the association said in a statement on Saturday. Cuts to individual miners vary f...
The Indonesian Coal Miners Association said drastic cuts in production quotas granted by the government may force some operations to shutdown, adding to the woes of the country’s already beleaguered industry. Output quotas permitted under annual work-plans, known as RKABs, are significantly below last year’s tonnage, the association said in a statement on Saturday. Cuts to individual miners vary from 40% to 70%, likely forcing some to halt if production falls below a viable level, it said in the statement. Indonesia flagged plans to slash coal output to about 600 million tons a year in a bid to boost prices for the commodity, of which it is the world’s top exporter. Coal prices have fallen for three straight years amid muted demand from top consumer China and a surge in Indonesian production to a record in 2024. The cuts come as Indonesia’s mining industry faces its toughest conditions in years, with the government looking to levy large fines on operations deemed to have breached their forestry permits. The country is also looking to apply an export levy to coal, which would further undermine profitability. The association called on the government to review the quota cuts to take into account the viability of operations, saying they could lead to massive layoffs and defaults on loans to miners. Companies may also be unable to meet their pre-agreed supply contracts, it said.
Just_Super/iStock via Getty Images Supercomputing has shifted into the mainstream, with recent AI advancements and adoption making the use of massive amounts of computational power more commonplace. The result is a thriving ecosystem that blends historical supercomputing players with their cutting-edge technology counterparts in AI, photonics and quantum computing. At SC25, 2025's largest conferen...
Just_Super/iStock via Getty Images Supercomputing has shifted into the mainstream, with recent AI advancements and adoption making the use of massive amounts of computational power more commonplace. The result is a thriving ecosystem that blends historical supercomputing players with their cutting-edge technology counterparts in AI, photonics and quantum computing. At SC25, 2025's largest conference for super- and high-performance computing, held this year in St. Louis, the compute ecosystem of the future began to take shape, with shared capability and long-term potential the twin threads tying once-disparate disciplines together. The Take As individual supercomputing functions mature and quantum computing and AI continue to improve in functionality, the next step in enterprise adoption is to determine how all these rapidly progressing pieces will work together. While AI is tackling many complex problems, the addition of quantum technology could address new classes of computing tasks, particularly as quantum computing continues to scale. Quantum computing is not part of your typical computing portfolio, but techniques like quantum annealing are finding practical applications today, and pure-play quantum approaches are pushing ever closer toward quantum advantage - the point at which quantum computers are doing things that classical computers simply cannot. Progress isn't constrained to just quantum and AI: New areas like photonic computing and improvements to underlying infrastructure are all jockeying to be part of, and enable, the future of computation. Supercomputing swings through St. Louis The 2025 edition of the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis, otherwise known as SC25, was held in St. Louis, with over 16,000 attendees and a record-breaking 559 exhibitors. The theme for the event was "HPC Ignites," with the conference focusing heavily on the emerging and expanding technologies poised to revolutionize the...
Key Points Though BigBear.ai trades at a seemingly attractive valuation, its financial performance makes it a questionable investment. Palantir is going from strength to strength thanks to the rapid adoption of its AI solutions by commercial customers. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI) has lately been popular among investors looking to buy artificial int...
Key Points Though BigBear.ai trades at a seemingly attractive valuation, its financial performance makes it a questionable investment. Palantir is going from strength to strength thanks to the rapid adoption of its AI solutions by commercial customers. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI) has lately been popular among investors looking to buy artificial intelligence (AI) software stocks at reasonable valuations. That's not too surprising, as the company seems to be following Palantir Technologies' (NASDAQ: PLTR) playbook in the generative AI software market. Palantir initially made its name by supplying analytics solutions to U.S. intelligence agencies and the Defense Department, and its software platforms are still being used by the U.S. Army and the Air Force, as well as Homeland Security, among others. But nearly three years ago, it launched its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) for both commercial and government customers, and since then, its growth has surged, and the stock price has exploded. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » As a result, it's now trading at exorbitant valuations. Given that BigBear.ai is also targeting both government and commercial customers with a generative AI software platform, it is easy to understand why it, too, has caught investors' attention. The stock has appreciated by 142% over the past three years. However, a closer look at their respective businesses suggests that Palantir is the better long-term bet of the two for investors. The commercial segment has bolstered Palantir's growth Palantir's pivot to seek more of its growth among corporate customers is reaping rich rewards. In the third quarter of 2025, its commercial revenue spiked by 73% year over year to $548 million. Its government revenue rose by 55%. Overall, its top line increased by 63% to $1....