Google to pay $68m to settle lawsuit claiming it recorded private conversations 18 minutes ago Share Save Laura Cress Technology reporter Share Save Getty Images Google has agreed to pay $68m (£51m) to settle a lawsuit claiming it secretly listened to people's private conversations through their phones. Users accused Google Assistant - a virtual assistant present on many Android devices - of recor...
Google to pay $68m to settle lawsuit claiming it recorded private conversations 18 minutes ago Share Save Laura Cress Technology reporter Share Save Getty Images Google has agreed to pay $68m (£51m) to settle a lawsuit claiming it secretly listened to people's private conversations through their phones. Users accused Google Assistant - a virtual assistant present on many Android devices - of recording private conversations after it was inadvertently triggered on their devices. They claimed the recordings were then shared with advertisers in order to send them targeted advertising. The BBC has contacted Google for comment. But in a filing seeking to settle the case, it denied wrongdoing and said it was seeking to avoid litigation. Google Assistant is designed to wait in standby mode until it hears a particular phrase - typically "Hey Google" - which activates it. The phone then records what it hears and sends the recording to Google's servers where it can be analysed. People use it for various reasons, ranging from simple questions about the weather to interacting with smart devices like lights and televisions. The firm says it does not send audio anywhere while it is in standby mode. But the lawsuit claimed Google Assistant would sometimes turn on by mistake - the phone thinking someone had said its activation phrase when they had not - and recorded conversations intended to be private. They alleged the recordings were then sent to advertisers for the purpose of creating targeted advertising. Class action
This fund is a perfect example of buying the haystack instead of seeking the needle. Which fund would I buy and never sell? Well, that's a hard question to answer, but right now, I think a solid candidate would be the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI +0.56%). It's an exchange-traded fund (ETF), which means it's a fund that trades like a stock. It's also an index fund, and it includes not just ...
This fund is a perfect example of buying the haystack instead of seeking the needle. Which fund would I buy and never sell? Well, that's a hard question to answer, but right now, I think a solid candidate would be the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI +0.56%). It's an exchange-traded fund (ETF), which means it's a fund that trades like a stock. It's also an index fund, and it includes not just the 500 big American companies in the S&P 500 index but just about all of the U.S. stock market -- more than 3,500 stocks. Buying into this index fund will quickly have you invested in just about all of the U.S. stock market. So if you're bullish on America's economic future, you should be bullish on the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. Expand NYSEMKT : VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Today's Change ( 0.56 %) $ 1.90 Current Price $ 342.46 Key Data Points Day's Range $ 340.85 - $ 342.68 52wk Range $ 236.42 - $ 343.67 Volume 128K Here are some reasons I like this fund: I like its broad scope. Remember, after all, that in some years, small companies will outperform big ones, and in other years, the opposite will be true. An S&P 500 index fund is great, but it only invests you in big and huge companies, ignoring small-cap stocks and many mid-cap ones, as well. This fund represents much more of the overall U.S. stock market. Recently, about 9% of the ETF's assets were in small companies, and about 20% in mid-sized ones. Remember, after all, that in some years, small companies will outperform big ones, and in other years, the opposite will be true. An S&P 500 index fund is great, but it only invests you in big and huge companies, ignoring small-cap stocks and many mid-cap ones, as well. This fund represents much more of the overall U.S. stock market. Recently, about 9% of the ETF's assets were in small companies, and about 20% in mid-sized ones. It still puts a lot of weight into huge tech stocks. This includes the "Magnificent Seven," all of which are among the top 10 holdin...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Ole G. Rosgaard Chief Financial Officer — Lawrence Allen Hilsheimer Chief Accounting Officer — Bill D’Onofrio Takeaways Adjusted EBITDA -- $214 million, up $44 million year over year, with margin rising 300 basis points to 15.4%. -- $214 million, up $44 million year over year, with mar...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Ole G. Rosgaard Chief Financial Officer — Lawrence Allen Hilsheimer Chief Accounting Officer — Bill D’Onofrio Takeaways Adjusted EBITDA -- $214 million, up $44 million year over year, with margin rising 300 basis points to 15.4%. -- $214 million, up $44 million year over year, with margin rising 300 basis points to 15.4%. Adjusted Free Cash Flow -- $110 million, up from $59 million in the prior year’s comparable quarter. -- $110 million, up from $59 million in the prior year’s comparable quarter. Adjusted EPS -- $1.19 versus $0.83 in the previous year’s period. -- $1.19 versus $0.83 in the previous year’s period. Run Rate Cost Savings -- $10 million achieved toward a $15 million to $25 million full-year goal and $100 million total commitment relative to 2024 baseline. -- $10 million achieved toward a $15 million to $25 million full-year goal and $100 million total commitment relative to 2024 baseline. Low-End Full-Year Guidance Increased -- Adjusted EBITDA raised to at least $725 million from $710 million, and adjusted free cash flow guidance to $280 million from $245 million. -- Adjusted EBITDA raised to at least $725 million from $710 million, and adjusted free cash flow guidance to $280 million from $245 million. Customized Polymer Solutions Adjusted EBITDA -- $53 million, up $19 million year over year, driven by volume growth, favorable product mix, and value-over-volume pricing. -- $53 million, up $19 million year over year, driven by volume growth, favorable product mix, and value-over-volume pricing. Sustainable Fiber Solutions Adjusted EBITDA -- $80 million, up from $50 million in the prior year, with margin rising to 13.3% from 8.5%. -- $80 million, up from $50 million in the prior year, with margin rising to 13.3% from 8.5%. Integrated Solutions Adjusted EBITDA -- $17 million, up slightly year over year, attributed to strong closures volumes an...
Stellar 2Y Trasury Auction: Surge In Indirects & Bid-To-Cover; Second Lowest Dealers On Record The first coupon auction of the week just took place, and it could not have gone any better. According to the US Treasury, $69BN of 2 Year paper was just sold at a high yield of 3.580%, up from the 3.499% in December, and stopped through the When Issued 3.594% by 1.4bps, the biggest stop through since Au...
Stellar 2Y Trasury Auction: Surge In Indirects & Bid-To-Cover; Second Lowest Dealers On Record The first coupon auction of the week just took place, and it could not have gone any better. According to the US Treasury, $69BN of 2 Year paper was just sold at a high yield of 3.580%, up from the 3.499% in December, and stopped through the When Issued 3.594% by 1.4bps, the biggest stop through since August. The bid to cover jumped to 2.750, up from 2.543 and the highest since Nov 2024 (the six-auction average was 2.61). The internals were even stronger: Indirects took down 64.4%, a big jump from 53.2% in December and the highest since March 2025. And with Directs awarded 28.3%, Dealers were left with just 7.3%, the second lowest on record (only Feb 2025 was lower). Overall, this was a stellar auction and clearly there were no jitters head of Wednesday's FOMC decision, where prevailing consensus is that the Fed will be more hawkish. Ahead of the auction, the UBS desk thought 2s looked to be locally cheap on outright terms and that the recent flattening had also introduced some value, albeit marginal, on the curve. The market is rallying on the follow. Tyler Durden Mon, 01/26/2026 - 13:35
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Mitch Waycaster Chief Financial Officer — Kevin Chapman President — Jim Mabry Chief Credit Officer — David Meredith Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Net Income -- $44.7 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, was reported for the quarter. -- $4...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Mitch Waycaster Chief Financial Officer — Kevin Chapman President — Jim Mabry Chief Credit Officer — David Meredith Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Net Income -- $44.7 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, was reported for the quarter. -- $44.7 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, was reported for the quarter. Net Interest Income -- $135.5 million, increasing $1.9 million sequentially, driven by loan growth and lower deposit costs. -- $135.5 million, increasing $1.9 million sequentially, driven by loan growth and lower deposit costs. Loan Growth -- Total loans grew by $257 million quarter over quarter, with production of $572 million and pay-offs of $471 million. -- Total loans grew by $257 million quarter over quarter, with production of $572 million and pay-offs of $471 million. Deposit Growth -- Total deposits increased by $63 million, while interest-bearing deposits rose $189 million; all brokered deposits ($127 million) were paid off and not held at year-end. -- Total deposits increased by $63 million, while interest-bearing deposits rose $189 million; all brokered deposits ($127 million) were paid off and not held at year-end. Deposit Cost -- Total deposit cost decreased by 16 basis points to 2.35% during the quarter. -- Total deposit cost decreased by 16 basis points to 2.35% during the quarter. Non-Interest Income -- Decreased $55.1 million from Q3 due to the prior quarter's $53.3 million one-time pre-tax gain from the sale of the insurance agency; adjusted non-interest income fell $1.7 million sequentially, mainly from seasonal mortgage declines. -- Decreased $55.1 million from Q3 due to the prior quarter's $53.3 million one-time pre-tax gain from the sale of the insurance agency; adjusted non-interest income fell $1.7 million sequentially, mainly from seasonal mortgage declines. Non-Interest Expense ...
Shareholders of Simmons First National Corp (Symbol: SFNC) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 4.3% annualized dividend yield can sell the February covered call at the $22.50 strike and collect the premium based on the 75 cents bid, which annualizes to an additional 55.2% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 59.4% a...
Shareholders of Simmons First National Corp (Symbol: SFNC) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 4.3% annualized dividend yield can sell the February covered call at the $22.50 strike and collect the premium based on the 75 cents bid, which annualizes to an additional 55.2% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 59.4% annualized rate in the scenario where the stock is not called away. Any upside above $22.50 would be lost if the stock rises there and is called away, but SFNC shares would have to climb 13.3% from current levels for that to happen, meaning that in the scenario where the stock is called, the shareholder has earned a 17.1% return from this trading level, in addition to any dividends collected before the stock was called. In general, dividend amounts are not always predictable and tend to follow the ups and downs of profitability at each company. In the case of Simmons First National Corp, looking at the dividend history chart for SFNC below can help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue, and in turn whether it is a reasonable expectation to expect a 4.3% annualized dividend yield. Below is a chart showing SFNC's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $22.50 strike highlighted in red: The chart above, and the stock's historical volatility, can be a helpful guide in combination with fundamental analysis to judge whether selling the February covered call at the $22.50 strike gives good reward for the risk of having given away the upside beyond $22.50. (Do most options expire worthless? This and six other common options myths debunked). We calculate the trailing twelve month volatility for Simmons First National Corp (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $19.80) to be 28%. For other call options contract ideas at the various different available expirations, visit the SFNC Stock Options page of StockOp...
(RTTNews) - CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) shares rose 9.40%, trading at $101.71, up $8.72, following the company's announcement of an expanded collaboration with Nvidia aimed at accelerating the buildout of large-scale AI factories. The rally followed news that the two companies are strengthening their long-standing partnership to rapidly scale AI-focused data center capacity and deploy next-generation N...
(RTTNews) - CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) shares rose 9.40%, trading at $101.71, up $8.72, following the company's announcement of an expanded collaboration with Nvidia aimed at accelerating the buildout of large-scale AI factories. The rally followed news that the two companies are strengthening their long-standing partnership to rapidly scale AI-focused data center capacity and deploy next-generation Nvidia technologies across CoreWeave's cloud platform. Investor enthusiasm was driven by expectations that the deeper alliance would boost CoreWeave's growth prospects as demand for AI computing infrastructure continues to surge. The collaboration is expected to support significant expansion of power and data center capacity over the coming years, reinforcing CoreWeave's position as a key AI cloud provider. On the day of the announcement, CRWV opened near $94.00, climbed to an intraday high around $103.00, and traded well above its previous close of approximately $92.99. The stock trades on the NasdaqGS. Trading volume exceeded the stock's average daily volume, reflecting a strong market reaction to the partnership news. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Shareholders of MKS Inc. (Symbol: MKSI) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 0.4% annualized dividend yield can sell the July covered call at the $300 strike and collect the premium based on the $11.30 bid, which annualizes to an additional 11.1% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 11.5% annualized rate in the scena...
Shareholders of MKS Inc. (Symbol: MKSI) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 0.4% annualized dividend yield can sell the July covered call at the $300 strike and collect the premium based on the $11.30 bid, which annualizes to an additional 11.1% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 11.5% annualized rate in the scenario where the stock is not called away. Any upside above $300 would be lost if the stock rises there and is called away, but MKSI shares would have to climb 38.2% from current levels for that to occur, meaning that in the scenario where the stock is called, the shareholder has earned a 43.4% return from this trading level, in addition to any dividends collected before the stock was called. In general, dividend amounts are not always predictable and tend to follow the ups and downs of profitability at each company. In the case of MKS Inc., looking at the dividend history chart for MKSI below can help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue, and in turn whether it is a reasonable expectation to expect a 0.4% annualized dividend yield. Below is a chart showing MKSI's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $300 strike highlighted in red: The chart above, and the stock's historical volatility, can be a helpful guide in combination with fundamental analysis to judge whether selling the July covered call at the $300 strike gives good reward for the risk of having given away the upside beyond $300. (Do most options expire worthless? This and six other common options myths debunked). We calculate the trailing twelve month volatility for MKS Inc. (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $217.77) to be 63%. For other call options contract ideas at the various different available expirations, visit the MKSI Stock Options page of StockOptionsChannel.com. In mid-afternoon trading on Monday, the put volume among S&...
da-kuk Shares of Micron Technology ( MU ) fell about 2% on Monday following a report that Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) is nearing an Nvidia ( NVDA ) certification for its HBM4 AI memory chips. Nvidia ( NVDA ) uses high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, chips for its AI accelerators. South Korean company SK hynix ( HXSC.F ) is a major supplier of HBM chips to Nvidia and competes with compatriot Samsung an...
da-kuk Shares of Micron Technology ( MU ) fell about 2% on Monday following a report that Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) is nearing an Nvidia ( NVDA ) certification for its HBM4 AI memory chips. Nvidia ( NVDA ) uses high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, chips for its AI accelerators. South Korean company SK hynix ( HXSC.F ) is a major supplier of HBM chips to Nvidia and competes with compatriot Samsung and American company Micron. Driven by the demand from data centers and AI-related infrastructure, memory and storage makers have seen their stocks surge in the past one year. Last week, Samsung reportedly noted that rumors were inaccurate that it implemented an 80% price increase across its memory products. Earlier this month, it was reported that Samsung and SK hynix are looking to raise prices for server memory by up to 70% in the first quarter, as a surging demand in AI impacts global supply. Samsung and SK hynix are among the largest memory chipmaking companies. In November 2025, it was reported that memory suppliers like Samsung, SK hynix and Micron were already facing shortages of older dynamic RAM, or DRAM, products after reducing production to focus on HBM. Other memory product-making companies like Sandisk ( SNDK ), Seagate Technology ( STX ), and Western Digital ( WDC ) have also seen their stocks soar. In the past one year, Western Digital's stock has surged about 278%, while Seagate has jumped 235%. Shares of Sandisk, which was spun off from Western Digital in February last year, have skyrocketed around 1,037% in the past six months. On Monday, Seagate's stock jumped about 6%, Western Digital climbed around 3%, and Sandisk rose nearly 1%. More on tech stocks Micron: In The Middle Of An AI Super‑Upcycle Seagate: Outlandish Valuation With Little Upside Micron: This Party Is Just Getting Started Samsung nears Nvidia certification for HBM4 AI memory - report AI boom is shifting power to memory makers, Jefferies says
Shareholders of Amalgamated Financial Corp (Symbol: AMAL) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 1.8% annualized dividend yield can sell the March covered call at the $40 strike and collect the premium based on the $2.50 bid, which annualizes to an additional 45.2% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 47% annualized ra...
Shareholders of Amalgamated Financial Corp (Symbol: AMAL) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 1.8% annualized dividend yield can sell the March covered call at the $40 strike and collect the premium based on the $2.50 bid, which annualizes to an additional 45.2% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 47% annualized rate in the scenario where the stock is not called away. Any upside above $40 would be lost if the stock rises there and is called away, but AMAL shares would have to advance 5% from current levels for that to occur, meaning that in the scenario where the stock is called, the shareholder has earned a 11.6% return from this trading level, in addition to any dividends collected before the stock was called. In general, dividend amounts are not always predictable and tend to follow the ups and downs of profitability at each company. In the case of Amalgamated Financial Corp, looking at the dividend history chart for AMAL below can help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue, and in turn whether it is a reasonable expectation to expect a 1.8% annualized dividend yield. Below is a chart showing AMAL's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $40 strike highlighted in red: The chart above, and the stock's historical volatility, can be a helpful guide in combination with fundamental analysis to judge whether selling the March covered call at the $40 strike gives good reward for the risk of having given away the upside beyond $40. (Do most options expire worthless? This and six other common options myths debunked). We calculate the trailing twelve month volatility for Amalgamated Financial Corp (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $38.02) to be 33%. For other call options contract ideas at the various different available expirations, visit the AMAL Stock Options page of StockOptionsChannel.com. In mid-aftern...
Among the underlying components of the S&P 500 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in United Parcel Service Inc (Symbol: UPS), where a total of 34,662 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 3.5 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 76.6% of UPS's average daily trading volume over the past month of 4.5 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen ...
Among the underlying components of the S&P 500 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in United Parcel Service Inc (Symbol: UPS), where a total of 34,662 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 3.5 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 76.6% of UPS's average daily trading volume over the past month of 4.5 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $110 strike call option expiring February 20, 2026 , with 6,488 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 648,800 underlying shares of UPS. Below is a chart showing UPS's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $110 strike highlighted in orange: The Trade Desk Inc (Symbol: TTD) saw options trading volume of 67,255 contracts, representing approximately 6.7 million underlying shares or approximately 68.2% of TTD's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 9.9 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $30 strike put option expiring February 20, 2026, with 3,028 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 302,800 underlying shares of TTD. Below is a chart showing TTD's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $30 strike highlighted in orange: And Ares Management Corp (Symbol: ARES) options are showing a volume of 10,999 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 1.1 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 67% of ARES's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 1.6 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $140 strike put option expiring January 15, 2027, with 3,069 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 306,900 underlying shares of ARES. Below is a chart showing ARES's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $140 strike highlighted in orange: For the various different available expirations for UPS options, TTD options, or ARES options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com. Today's Most Active Call & Put O...
Shareholders of Phillips 66 (Symbol: PSX) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 3.4% annualized dividend yield can sell the January 2028 covered call at the $200 strike and collect the premium based on the $6.80 bid, which annualizes to an additional 2.4% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 5.8% annualized rate in th...
Shareholders of Phillips 66 (Symbol: PSX) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 3.4% annualized dividend yield can sell the January 2028 covered call at the $200 strike and collect the premium based on the $6.80 bid, which annualizes to an additional 2.4% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the), for a total of 5.8% annualized rate in the scenario where the stock is not called away. Any upside above $200 would be lost if the stock rises there and is called away, but PSX shares would have to advance 42.2% from current levels for that to happen, meaning that in the scenario where the stock is called, the shareholder has earned a 47.1% return from this trading level, in addition to any dividends collected before the stock was called. In general, dividend amounts are not always predictable and tend to follow the ups and downs of profitability at each company. In the case of Phillips 66, looking at the dividend history chart for PSX below can help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue, and in turn whether it is a reasonable expectation to expect a 3.4% annualized dividend yield. Below is a chart showing PSX's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $200 strike highlighted in red: The chart above, and the stock's historical volatility, can be a helpful guide in combination with fundamental analysis to judge whether selling the January 2028 covered call at the $200 strike gives good reward for the risk of having given away the upside beyond $200. (Do most options expire worthless? This and six other common options myths debunked). We calculate the trailing twelve month volatility for Phillips 66 (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $140.69) to be 37%. For other call options contract ideas at the various different available expirations, visit the PSX Stock Options page of StockOptionsChannel.com. In mid-afternoon trading on Monday, the...
This is not great news for Meta, nor really any of us, considering that it will only reinforce Mark Zuckerberg’s desire to further align himself with the Trump Administration. Today, the EU Commission has announced that WhatsApp now qualifies for its “Very Large Online Platforms” (VLOP) designation, which means that Meta will have to provide more in-depth performance data and moderation insights f...
This is not great news for Meta, nor really any of us, considering that it will only reinforce Mark Zuckerberg’s desire to further align himself with the Trump Administration. Today, the EU Commission has announced that WhatsApp now qualifies for its “Very Large Online Platforms” (VLOP) designation, which means that Meta will have to provide more in-depth performance data and moderation insights for WhatsApp, along with Facebook and Instagram. The EU Commission introduced the VLOP designation back in 2022, as part of its ever-evolving Digital Services Act (DSA) legislation, which is designed to hold large online providers to a higher standard of accountability in how they deal with user data, ad transparency, and more. To qualify, a platform needs to have more than 45 million monthly active users, which WhatsApp already exceeds in Europe, though it’s thus far been able to avoid being included in this category because it’s a private messaging app, and not a social platform. But now, the EU says that evolving use of the platform has changed its designation. As per the EU Commission: “WhatsApp Channels, the feature of WhatsApp that allows recipients to disseminate information, updates and announcements to a broad audience of WhatsApp users, falls under the definition of an online platform service and is therefore already subject to the general DSA obligations that online platforms in the EU must respect. WhatsApp’s private messaging service enabling users to send text messages, voice notes, photos, videos, documents, and make voice and video calls to other users remains explicitly excluded from the application of the DSA.” So it’s the use of WhatsApp Channels specifically that’s led to this revision, which will mean that Meta now has to provide regular updates on how many EU users WhatsApp has, how many information requests its received, moderation info, rule violations, and more. “Following the designation, Meta, the provider of WhatsApp, has four months, i.e. by mid-...
England will kick off their Six Nations training camp in Spain this week without their captain, Maro Itoje, who has travelled to Nigeria for his mother’s funeral. Itoje was conspicuously absent from the official Six Nations championship launch in Edinburgh on Monday and is not expected to join up with his squad until Wednesday evening. With the tournament commencing on Thursday week every team is ...
England will kick off their Six Nations training camp in Spain this week without their captain, Maro Itoje, who has travelled to Nigeria for his mother’s funeral. Itoje was conspicuously absent from the official Six Nations championship launch in Edinburgh on Monday and is not expected to join up with his squad until Wednesday evening. With the tournament commencing on Thursday week every team is scrambling to be ready for their opening games but Steve Borthwick, England’s head coach, has given the Saracens lock permission to miss the start of this week’s training block in Girona. “He is in Nigeria for the funeral of his mother and we are all deeply saddened for him,” said Borthwick, whose side open their campaign at home to Wales on Saturday week. “When I have talked to him I sense emotionally he has found it very tough, very challenging. I also sense from him that his family all going to Nigeria for the funeral is an important aspect for him. I know he will be looking forward to rejoining us after that and we look forward to having him back.” Itoje’s captaincy duties at the launch, held at the top of the Royal Mile beneath Edinburgh Castle, were undertaken by his longtime teammate Jamie George who, just two years ago, led England at Murrayfield the week after his own mother died of cancer. “We’ve spoken a lot,” said George. “The parallels are scary, really. It’s heartbreaking news. I know how much of a difficult time he’s going through. “My biggest message to him was to make sure he gives himself enough time to grieve and to process things. He’s had a good opportunity to do that and is only going to come back when he’s fully ready to give everything of himself to the squad. He’s in Nigeria at the minute but he’ll be back ready to give all of himself to the team and be successful to make the rest of his family very proud. We’re all determined to do that for him, too.” Such situations clearly put minor details like a game of rugby into perspective but this year the ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Nvidia (NVDA, Financials) has invested $2 billion in CoreWeave, expanding their partnership to accelerate the build-out of AI data centers across the United States. The investment nearly doubles Nvidia's stake, making it CoreWeave's second-largest shareholder. CoreWeave, once a cryptocurrency miner, has rebranded as an AI infrastructure provider leasing Nv...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Nvidia (NVDA, Financials) has invested $2 billion in CoreWeave, expanding their partnership to accelerate the build-out of AI data centers across the United States. The investment nearly doubles Nvidia's stake, making it CoreWeave's second-largest shareholder. CoreWeave, once a cryptocurrency miner, has rebranded as an AI infrastructure provider leasing Nvidia GPUs to technology companies. The new funding will support land purchases, power procurement, and expansion projects aimed at exceeding 5 gigawatts of capacity by 2030. Nvidia's move deepens its influence over the fast-growing neocloud market, which supplies computing power for AI development. CoreWeave said the funds will not go toward buying Nvidia chips, but rather toward research, development, and workforce growth. The deal underscores how Nvidia continues to integrate vertically across the AI supply chain while maintaining its lead as the preferred hardware platform for enterprise AI.
Earnings Call Insights: Dynex Capital (DX) Q4 2025 Management View Byron L. Boston, Co-CEO & Chairman, emphasized that Dynex continues to operate with a "performance-first mentality and with the ethical stewardship of our shareholders' capital at the core of our decision-making." He stated that the company’s adaptability and resilience have been critical to delivering "industry-beating returns for...
Earnings Call Insights: Dynex Capital (DX) Q4 2025 Management View Byron L. Boston, Co-CEO & Chairman, emphasized that Dynex continues to operate with a "performance-first mentality and with the ethical stewardship of our shareholders' capital at the core of our decision-making." He stated that the company’s adaptability and resilience have been critical to delivering "industry-beating returns for our shareholders." Smriti L. Popenoe, Co-CEO & President, highlighted a "29.4% total shareholder return" for 2025, noting this was achieved alongside significant share price performance and dividend income. She reported that Dynex's total equity market capitalization, including preferred shares, reached $3 billion, nearly tripling in 13 months. Popenoe also detailed several strategic management changes, including the appointment of Meakin Bennett as Chief Operating Officer and the expansion of the legal and investment teams. Popenoe stated, "We planned, commissioned and delivered 2 new offices in Richmond and New York City, and we have successfully made a transition to T.J. Connelly as our Chief Investment Officer. To reflect the needs of our growing strategically focused enterprise, we separated the roles of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer." Terrence Connelly, Chief Investment Officer, reported a "10.2% total economic return in the fourth quarter and 21.7% for 2025, the highest TER this decade." Connelly pointed to a clear shift in the policy environment, noting "recent actions and guidance now point toward a more stable and supportive framework for the mortgage market, creating a strong foundation for forward returns and greater confidence in the path ahead for MBS spreads." Michael Sartori, Head of Capital Markets, shared that Dynex "raised and invested over $1 billion as our price-to-book valuation rose" and in January raised "nearly $350 million" with a share count of 199.6 million as of last Thursday. Robert Colligan, COO, CFO & Secretary, stated,...
shih-wei/iStock via Getty Images Many market commentators and conspiracy theorists are postulating that Europe might dump its rather significant holdings of US Treasuries as revenge for the US taking over Greenland. The chart below shows the number of Treasuries held by foreign countries to the nearest reporting period at the US Treasury US Treasury Europe has about $2 Trillion. These Treasuries c...
shih-wei/iStock via Getty Images Many market commentators and conspiracy theorists are postulating that Europe might dump its rather significant holdings of US Treasuries as revenge for the US taking over Greenland. The chart below shows the number of Treasuries held by foreign countries to the nearest reporting period at the US Treasury US Treasury Europe has about $2 Trillion. These Treasuries came into being as a result of Europes export income from international trade with America. It represents the dollarized monetization of decades of imports from Europe. The Europeans have sent real goods and services to America and are happy to save the income as dollars. The thousands of businesses that export to America all have an account with a US bank that in turn has an account at the Federal Reserve Bank [Fed]. In these American bank accounts, the dollars accumulate as goods and services from Europe are bought and paid for by domestic Americans. The dollars move from a domestic American's bank account to a US Bank account in the name of a European entity. The Fed groups the bank accounts under a sub-account for Europe. In theory, the European entities could spend those US dollars and buy anything offered for sale in US dollars. The dollars could re-enter the US domestic economy in return for US goods and services or assets. The point to remember is that the dollars never leave the Fed's spreadsheet. All that happens is that they change ownership in exchange for goods and services. The Fed marks accounts up and down to track the dollar's movement. US law prevents the Europeans and other foreigners from buying things for sale in US dollars and gives them little choice but to put their excess dollar holdings into a savings account and earn some interest. Foreigners are encouraged to buy US Treasuries (that accrue a coupon payment like a term deposit savings account) with their surplus dollars rather than keep the dollars in their checking account earning no interest. Sin...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET Call participants Chairman and Chief Executive Officer — Owen Thomas President — Douglas Linde Chief Financial Officer — Michael LaBelle Senior Executive Vice President — Ray Ritchey Executive Vice President, Boston Region — Bryan Koop Executive Vice President, New York Region — Hilary Spann Executive Vice President, San Fran...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET Call participants Chairman and Chief Executive Officer — Owen Thomas President — Douglas Linde Chief Financial Officer — Michael LaBelle Senior Executive Vice President — Ray Ritchey Executive Vice President, Boston Region — Bryan Koop Executive Vice President, New York Region — Hilary Spann Executive Vice President, San Francisco Region — Rodney Diehl Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Funds From Operations (FFO) -- $1.74 per share, $0.04 above prior guidance midpoint and $0.02 ahead of market consensus. -- $1.74 per share, $0.04 above prior guidance midpoint and $0.02 ahead of market consensus. Guidance Raised -- Full-year 2025 FFO guidance midpoint increased by $0.03 to a range of $6.89-$6.92 per share. -- Full-year 2025 FFO guidance midpoint increased by $0.03 to a range of $6.89-$6.92 per share. Leasing Activity -- Over 1.5 million square feet leased in the quarter, 39% higher than the same quarter in 2024 and 130% of the five-year average for Q3. -- Over 1.5 million square feet leased in the quarter, 39% higher than the same quarter in 2024 and 130% of the five-year average for Q3. Year-to-Date Leasing -- 3.8 million square feet leased, 14% higher than the first three quarters of 2024. -- 3.8 million square feet leased, 14% higher than the first three quarters of 2024. Same-Store Occupancy -- Increased by 20 basis points sequentially to 86.6% when excluding the impact of new development deliveries. -- Increased by 20 basis points sequentially to 86.6% when excluding the impact of new development deliveries. Portfolio Leasing Percentage -- Ended at 88.8% leased, a decline of 30 basis points; excluding new deliveries, leasing increased by 10 basis points to 89.2%. -- Ended at 88.8% leased, a decline of 30 basis points; excluding new deliveries, leasing increased by 10 basis points to 89.2%. Asset Sales Progress -- $57 million closed land sales, 9 asse...