Baris-Ozer/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis So far, markets have acted erratically, creating acute moments of volatile confusion for investors. For markets, trigger points have been plentiful, starting from concerns about the AI bubble bursting, private credit shocks, and most recently, the Iran war amplifying Middle East tensions. Then, today’s news from President Trump about the U.S. an...
Baris-Ozer/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis So far, markets have acted erratically, creating acute moments of volatile confusion for investors. For markets, trigger points have been plentiful, starting from concerns about the AI bubble bursting, private credit shocks, and most recently, the Iran war amplifying Middle East tensions. Then, today’s news from President Trump about the U.S. and Iran holding productive negotiations again brings another dimension of confusion for investors about how to hold a sustainable view in the markets that is concretely investable for their portfolios. Thankfully, investors can look towards certain pockets of the market that have resisted bearish views. This resistance is especially evident in Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ), which is actually up as the Iran war progresses. The turnaround in Bitcoin is the clearest sign that market liquidity is returning to support the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) at current ~6400-6600 levels. There still needs to be work done on further improving the overall fundamental narrative for markets, but so far, the S&P 500 appears to be in an area of strong support driven by the improving liquidity narrative portrayed by Bitcoin’s strength. I am currently bullish on Bitcoin as well as the broader markets led by the S&P 500. Plenty Of Bearish Concern - War The Latest One At the end of last year, I had issued my market outlook to readers on the SA platform as to why I believed that markets would be riding through a storm but would eventually emerge victorious as CY26 progressed towards my target of 7500. Investors can also read my last coverage on Bitcoin . Through Q1 we have witnessed plenty of bearish triggers toss markets around, yet keep the S&P 500 within a very tight range around the ~6600 level. So far, there were two main concerns that kept the downward pressure on markets. The first trigger is the fear of AI bubbles growing, the burgeoning demand for AI capex, and the big question of when investors will see the "...
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is down -20% year-to-date and news today that OpenAI flagged its dependence on Microsoft as a key business risk in a document resembling an IPO prospectus. OpenAI stated that Microsoft provides a substantial portion of its financing and computing resources, and warned that any alteration or termination of the partnership could negatively impact ... What OpenAI’s IPO Risk Di...
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is down -20% year-to-date and news today that OpenAI flagged its dependence on Microsoft as a key business risk in a document resembling an IPO prospectus. OpenAI stated that Microsoft provides a substantial portion of its financing and computing resources, and warned that any alteration or termination of the partnership could negatively impact ... What OpenAI’s IPO Risk Disclosure Really Tells Us About Microsoft’s Position
Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) added to its impressive list of partnerships when it recently struck a deal with ride-share leader Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) . The deal will help the electric vehicle (EV) maker fund its autonomous driving ambitions. Under the agreement, Uber will invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian, including $300 million immediately after the deal clears regulatory approval...
Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) added to its impressive list of partnerships when it recently struck a deal with ride-share leader Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) . The deal will help the electric vehicle (EV) maker fund its autonomous driving ambitions. Under the agreement, Uber will invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian, including $300 million immediately after the deal clears regulatory approval. As part of the agreement, Uber will buy 10,000 autonomous versions of Rivian's R2 vehicles with an option to purchase 40,000 more starting in 2030. The R2 robotaxis will be available exclusively through Uber and are expected to be available in San Francisco and Miami in 2028. Rivian is still currently developing its autonomous driving capabilities and expects to have hands-free navigation similar to Tesla's FSD supervised technology by the end of the year. It now looks like it plans to reach full autonomous level 4 driving by 2028, given the deal's timeline. Continue reading
Top prediction market sites usher in new guardrails after senators introduced bill that could limit booming industry Kalshi and Polymarket , the two biggest prediction market sites, rushed to institute new industry guardrails and add new surveillance tools on Monday after two key senators announced legislation that could severely curtail the industry’s prospects. Kalshi said it would ban political...
Top prediction market sites usher in new guardrails after senators introduced bill that could limit booming industry Kalshi and Polymarket , the two biggest prediction market sites, rushed to institute new industry guardrails and add new surveillance tools on Monday after two key senators announced legislation that could severely curtail the industry’s prospects. Kalshi said it would ban political candidates from trading on their own campaigns, and it would pre-emptively block anyone involved in college or professional sports from trading contracts related to the sports they play or are employed by. Continue reading...
Gold has entered 2026 on a steadier footing after last year’s record rally, with prices largely flat year-to-date as limited risk catalysts keep the market rangebound. Shifting expectations for U.S. monetary policy have been a key headwind. Hopes for aggressive rate cuts have faded amid resilient data and sticky inflation, reinforcing a higher-for-longer outlook that has weighed on gold despite on...
Gold has entered 2026 on a steadier footing after last year’s record rally, with prices largely flat year-to-date as limited risk catalysts keep the market rangebound. Shifting expectations for U.S. monetary policy have been a key headwind. Hopes for aggressive rate cuts have faded amid resilient data and sticky inflation, reinforcing a higher-for-longer outlook that has weighed on gold despite ongoing central bank demand. A clearer shift toward rate cuts or a resurgence in macro uncertainty could re-ignite investor demand. Gold equities have also seen more uneven performance, with select large-cap miners outperforming, but gains driven more by company-specific factors than a broader rise in the metal. Spot gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) is up 0.8% year-to-date. In comparison, top-performing large-cap gold stocks have delivered double-digit returns. Below is a curated list of the top 10 gold stocks so far this year: Allied Gold ( AAUC ) +35.71% YTD Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation ( HYMC ) +35.34% YTD Aura Minerals ( AUGO ) +29.80% YTD Montage Gold ( MAUTF ) +27.59% YTD Pan American Silver ( PAASF ) +21.21% YTD West African Resources ( WFRSF ) +14.14% YTD Skeena Resources ( SKE ) 14.02% YTD Compañía de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. ( BVN ) +13.98% YTD Centerra Gold ( CGAU ) +13.92% YTD SSR Mining ( SSRM ) +10.72% YTD Below is a curated list of the biggest decliners in gold stocks so far this year: Capricorn Metals ( CRNLF ) -31.90% YTD Harmony Gold Mining ( HMY ) -29.25% YTD Northern Star Resources ( NESRF ) -28.06% YTD Vault Minerals ( REDLF ) -24.25% YTD Emerald Resources ( EOGSF ) -23.79% YTD DRDGOLD ( DRDGF ) -20.61% YTD Genesis Minerals ( GSISF ) -19.39% YTD Gold Fields ( GFIOF ) -15.09% YTD Regis Resources ( RGRNF ) -15.06% YTD Westgold Resources ( WGXRF ) -14.57% YTD Here are some Gold and Gold Miner ETFs: (NYSEARCA: GLD ), ( IAU ), ( SGOL ), ( OUNZ ), ( BAR ), ( NYSEARCA: GDX ), ( GDXJ ), ( NUGT ), ( RING ), and ( DUST ). More on SPDR Gold Shares ETF, Westgold Resources ...
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has pushed to shut down betting on college sports on prediction markets like Kalshi. Instead, Kalshi has turned college basketball’s marquee tournament, March Madness, into the most popular category on the platform. Through the first weekend of the men’s and women’s NCAA championships, Kalshi users have swapped more than $800 million of contracts tied t...
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has pushed to shut down betting on college sports on prediction markets like Kalshi. Instead, Kalshi has turned college basketball’s marquee tournament, March Madness, into the most popular category on the platform. Through the first weekend of the men’s and women’s NCAA championships, Kalshi users have swapped more than $800 million of contracts tied to the games, nearly doubling the amount wagered on the entirety of last year’s three-week long tournaments, according to the company’s data. The startup has even offered $1 billion in prize money to anyone who correctly predicts the outcome of all 63 games in the men’s tournament. Failing that, the leading entry in Kalshi’s “perfect bracket challenge” will take home $1 million. The tournament has helped push Kalshi to yet another record week of trading volume and illustrates how prediction markets have turned into a mainstream way to bet on sports, gaining fast on more traditional gambling companies. Kalshi’s haul — and another $200 million of trading last week on its main rival, Polymarket — put prediction markets on track to compete with state regulated sportsbooks, which are expected to draw $3.3 billion in legal wagers on March Madness, according the American Gaming Association. Some professional US sports leagues have already established ties with the nascent industry. Just last week, Major League Baseball announced an exclusive partnership with Polymarket, for example. But the NCAA has not backed away from its strident opposition to this new form of sports betting. Last week, the organization’s president, Charlie Baker, wrote a letter to the federal agency that oversees prediction markets, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and reiterated an earlier call for a “temporary suspension” of trading on college sports. The CFTC recently issued new guidance for prediction markets, but it has not publicly responded to Baker’s requests. “Sport integrity is paramount for ...
Earnings Call Insights: Concentrix Corporation (CNXC) Q1 2026 Management View President and CEO Christopher Caldwell indicated that "we continue to win the right business, drive the right revenue mix and execute on our strategy, allowing us to come within our guide for both revenue and profit." Caldwell highlighted a "61% year-over-year" increase in technology-driven wins and that "our signed annu...
Earnings Call Insights: Concentrix Corporation (CNXC) Q1 2026 Management View President and CEO Christopher Caldwell indicated that "we continue to win the right business, drive the right revenue mix and execute on our strategy, allowing us to come within our guide for both revenue and profit." Caldwell highlighted a "61% year-over-year" increase in technology-driven wins and that "our signed annual contract value for solutions, including AI, more than doubled" quarter-on-quarter. Caldwell cited closing "close to 60 enterprise iX suite deals in the quarter including our largest iX Hero contracts to date with 2 Fortune 50 companies," emphasizing proprietary AI technologies and strategic focus on high-value services and client consolidation. CFO Andre Valentine reported, "We delivered revenue of approximately $2.5 billion, an increase of 1.9% on a constant currency basis and over 5% on a reported basis." Valentine explained, "Our non-GAAP operating income was $295 million. The midpoint of the guidance range we provided on our last call... Adjusted EBITDA in the quarter was $348 million, a margin of 13.9%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.61 in line with the guidance range we provided in January." He noted a $6 million GAAP loss on the sale of two nonstrategic businesses, generating about $20 million in proceeds, and referenced cost actions expected to yield "approximately $40 million in annualized savings over and above investments in growth." Outlook Valentine stated, "For the second quarter, we expect the following: second quarter revenue of $2.46 billion to $2.485 billion... The guidance implies constant currency revenue growth for the quarter, ranging from 1% to 2%." He projected second quarter non-GAAP operating income of $290 million to $300 million, and "second quarter non-GAAP earnings per share will be expected to be $2.57 to $2.69 per share." Full-year guidance for non-GAAP metrics remains unchanged, including "between $630 million and $650 million in adjusted fr...
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has had a rough stretch heading into spring. The stock is down 5.37% over the past week, off 3.65% over the past month and has fallen 20.75% year-to-date from a Jan. 1 starting price of $472.94. It sits well below its 52-week high of $552.24, and most analysts maintain a consensus target of ... From $383 to $500: BofA’s Bold Microsoft Call Rests on Azure and Copilot Momentu...
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has had a rough stretch heading into spring. The stock is down 5.37% over the past week, off 3.65% over the past month and has fallen 20.75% year-to-date from a Jan. 1 starting price of $472.94. It sits well below its 52-week high of $552.24, and most analysts maintain a consensus target of ... From $383 to $500: BofA’s Bold Microsoft Call Rests on Azure and Copilot Momentum
Earnings Call Insights: Sanara MedTech Inc. (SMTI) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Seth Yon reported that Sanara MedTech surpassed $100 million in net revenue for the first time, achieving $103.1 million for full year 2025, representing 19% year-over-year growth. Yon noted, “Our performance demonstrates the strength of our hybrid commercial model, which includes both field sales reps and a growing net...
Earnings Call Insights: Sanara MedTech Inc. (SMTI) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Seth Yon reported that Sanara MedTech surpassed $100 million in net revenue for the first time, achieving $103.1 million for full year 2025, representing 19% year-over-year growth. Yon noted, “Our performance demonstrates the strength of our hybrid commercial model, which includes both field sales reps and a growing network of independent distributor partners.” Yon emphasized an expansion in the distributor network to over 450 contracted partners by year-end, up from more than 350 in 2024, and highlighted success in selling into over 1,450 healthcare facilities, compared to 1,300 the previous year. The CEO outlined strategic progress, including a completed wind-down of the Tissue Health Plus (THP) segment, and cited a significant Vizient contract for BIASURGE, which provides access to approximately 1,800 healthcare facilities. Yon stated, “We are entering 2026 as a focused pure-play surgical company dedicated exclusively to the operating room setting with three anchor products, two currently in the market, CellerateRx Surgical and BIASURGE and one in our pipeline, OsStic.” CFO Elizabeth Taylor reported, “Fourth quarter gross profit increased $1.6 million or 7% to $25.7 million. Fourth quarter gross margin increased approximately 175 basis points to 93% of net revenue, driven primarily by sales of soft tissue repair products and lower manufacturing costs related to CellerateRx Surgical.” Outlook Taylor reaffirmed full-year 2026 net revenue guidance at $116 million to $121 million, representing growth of approximately 13% to 17% over 2025 levels. Management expects first quarter 2026 net revenue of approximately $26.7 million to $27.2 million, translating to 14% to 16% year-over-year growth. Yon stated the company will invest in expanding the field sales team and R&D to “lay the foundation for strong, sustainable growth in 2026 and the coming years.” Financial Results Fourth quarter net rev...
Earnings Call Insights: Lument Finance Trust (LFT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO James Flynn stated that the U.S. economy remains resilient but noted that growth is moderating and uncertainty has increased due to evolving monetary policy, fiscal dynamics, and geopolitical risks. He highlighted that "capital market conditions have improved with increased liquidity across both securitized and warehous...
Earnings Call Insights: Lument Finance Trust (LFT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO James Flynn stated that the U.S. economy remains resilient but noted that growth is moderating and uncertainty has increased due to evolving monetary policy, fiscal dynamics, and geopolitical risks. He highlighted that "capital market conditions have improved with increased liquidity across both securitized and warehouse financing channels," but added that transaction activity is still below historical averages and the cost of capital remains elevated. Flynn emphasized active asset management and disciplined capital deployment: "Active asset management remains our top priority. We continue to work closely with borrowers to drive outcomes that preserve capital and enhance long-term value, including modifications, extensions and asset level strategies where appropriate." The CEO described several new financing arrangements, including an uncommitted master repurchase agreement with JPMorgan Chase providing up to $450 million in borrowing capacity, a new $50 million loan agreement with Northeast Bank, and the closing of the LMNT 2025-FL3 CLO transaction for $664 million with an advance rate of 88% and weighted average cost of funds of 191 basis points over SOFR. Flynn also referenced the amendment and extension of the secured corporate term loan to 2030, providing $2.3 million in additional liquidity. CFO James Briggs reported, "For the fourth quarter of '25, we reported net loss to common stockholders of $8.9 million or $0.17 per share. We also reported distributable earnings of approximately $0." Briggs highlighted, "Our Q4 net interest income was $5.3 million, a slight improvement from $5.1 million recorded in Q3. The weighted average coupon of our loan portfolio declined sequentially to 717 basis points compared to 777 basis points in the prior quarter due to lower spreads on newly acquired loans and a decline in the SOFR benchmark rate." President Greg Calvert detailed, "During the fourt...
The Kremlin is earning the most from its oil exports since just after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as it cashes in on the war in the Middle East, boosting crude flows amid soaring prices and eased sanctions. A surge in both the prices of Russia’s export grades and the level of shipments drove a second big jump in weekly income, lifting it to the highest since March 2022, shortly after Moscow’s tro...
The Kremlin is earning the most from its oil exports since just after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as it cashes in on the war in the Middle East, boosting crude flows amid soaring prices and eased sanctions. A surge in both the prices of Russia’s export grades and the level of shipments drove a second big jump in weekly income, lifting it to the highest since March 2022, shortly after Moscow’s troops poured into Ukraine. Moscow is also capitalizing on an extension and widening of a US tariff waiver that allows buyers to purchase its crude loaded before March 12. That relaxation has boosted sales to India, even as a global scramble for readily available cargoes sent Russia’s flagship Urals grade to a premium above Dated Brent at the point of delivery in the south Asian country. Russia’s oil income had been heading down before the US and Israel launched their campaign against Iran, amid tumbling global prices. Rising tensions, culminating in the attack on Iran at the end of February, reversed that decline and doubled the value of Moscow’s exports in the last three weeks, to an average $270 million a day from $135 million in January. President Vladimir Putin has warned that the windfall will be temporary , but for now Moscow’s own war chest is getting a big boost. The price gains were boosted by another small increase in flows last week, with larger cargoes loaded from the Sheskharis oil terminal at Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. A Ukrainian drone attack on the key Baltic port of Primorsk on Sunday night may reduce flows from the port in the coming week. In the latest data, Russia’s seaborne exports averaged 3.6 million barrels a day in the four weeks to March 22, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s up by about 160,000 barrels a day from the period to March 15 but still about 270,000 barrels a day below the pre-Christmas peak. The amount of crude delivered to India has rebounded in March, with ships diverting to the south Asian nation after ...
For more insights from James Foord, join The Pragmatic Investor today! Follow James Foord at The Pragmatic Investor on Seeking Alpha! This video's transcript was generated by a third party. It is not curated or reviewed and is provided for convenience and information purposes only. The accuracy and completeness of the transcript are not guaranteed. James Foord : Hi guys. This is James Foord from T...
For more insights from James Foord, join The Pragmatic Investor today! Follow James Foord at The Pragmatic Investor on Seeking Alpha! This video's transcript was generated by a third party. It is not curated or reviewed and is provided for convenience and information purposes only. The accuracy and completeness of the transcript are not guaranteed. James Foord : Hi guys. This is James Foord from The Pragmatic Investor. And today, I'm going to take the chance to show you exactly how I use the Seeking Alpha platform to make my investment decisions. So, you're going to see everything that goes through my mind when I'm looking at different stocks. And basically, just what I do from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. So, let's jump right into it. Alright. So, first off, this is basically, first thing I look at every morning is the Seeking Alpha main page. Hopefully, most days, you don't see all this red up here, but nonetheless, that's not important for right now. What I like to look at most of all is, this trending section. So, both the Trending Analysis and the Trending News. I think the Trending News is a great way to get a good sense of what's happening in the market. Usually you've got the most important news items, so that's certainly pretty good. Related to that you usually see some interesting articles on the trending section that probably related to some important news. Always great to stay on top of things just to look at this little trending section. And, also, if you scroll a little bit further down, you also have another interesting trending section down here, which I also find quite useful. Here, you can see the most searched stocks on Seeking Alpha and also the most traded stocks. So, again, if something interesting is going on in markets, this is a great place to start, right? We can also see here how these stocks have moved. For example, now we can see CrowdStrike. It's gone down 10%. Oh, what's happened? We could see ImmunityBio up 12%. O...
Astera Labs rides on surging AI infrastructure demand as Scorpio, Aries, and Taurus drive growth, with hyperscaler spending and new products shaping its 2026 outlook.
Astera Labs rides on surging AI infrastructure demand as Scorpio, Aries, and Taurus drive growth, with hyperscaler spending and new products shaping its 2026 outlook.
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images U.S. large-cap energy stocks have been standout performers year-to-date, with the S&P 500 Energy sector up roughly 14%–15% in 2026, making it the best-performing group in the index as higher crude prices and supply risks tied to Iran and Venezuela support momentum. In light of this, below is a list of the top 10 large-cap energy stocks ranked by their year-to-date per...
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images U.S. large-cap energy stocks have been standout performers year-to-date, with the S&P 500 Energy sector up roughly 14%–15% in 2026, making it the best-performing group in the index as higher crude prices and supply risks tied to Iran and Venezuela support momentum. In light of this, below is a list of the top 10 large-cap energy stocks ranked by their year-to-date performance. The list includes companies in the energy sector with large market capitalizations, along with their current quant ratings. The list is topped by Venture Global ( VG ), with a YTD performance of 131.67%. Texas Pacific Land ( TPL ) and APA Corporation ( APA ) follow, with TechnipFMC ( FTI ) and Cheniere Energy ( LNG ) rounding out the top five. Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ), Valero Energy Corporation ( VLO ), and Ovintiv Inc. ( OVV ) also rank among the top performers. While most stocks on the list carry a “Hold” quant rating, Marathon Petroleum Corporation ( MPC ) stands out with a “Strong Buy” rating of 4.50. Here is the list: Venture Global, Inc. ( VG ), YTD perf: 131.67%, Quant rating: 3.32 (Hold) Texas Pacific Land Corporation ( TPL ), YTD perf: 83.79%, Quant rating: 3.26 (Hold) APA Corporation ( APA ), YTD perf: 59.57%, Quant rating: 3.42 (Hold) TechnipFMC plc ( FTI ), YTD perf: 52.60%, Quant rating: 3.46 (Hold) Cheniere Energy, Inc. ( LNG ), YTD perf: 47.74%, Quant rating: 3.25 (Hold) Occidental Petroleum Corporation ( OXY ), YTD perf: 46.67%, Quant rating: 3.39 (Hold) Valero Energy Corporation ( VLO ), YTD perf: 45.83%, Quant rating: 3.42 (Hold) Ovintiv Inc. ( OVV ), YTD perf: 45.29%, Quant rating: 3.34 (Hold) Marathon Petroleum Corporation ( MPC ), YTD perf: 42.98%, Quant rating: 4.50 (Strong Buy) Permian Resources Corporation ( PR ), YTD perf: 41.98%, Quant rating: 3.32 (Hold) Energy ETFs: ( XLE ), ( AMLP ), ( VDE ), ( XOP ), ( OIH ), and ( IXC ) More on energy stocks Oil Plunging To $50 Could Be The Next Big Catalyst For Stocks Trump Pauses Iran Strikes: ...