The cost of imports into the US jumped in February by the most in nearly four years, reflecting a broad pickup in prices even before war in the Middle East. Import prices increased 1.3% from the prior month, Labor Department data showed Wednesday, boosted in part by higher prices for petroleum and natural gas. Excluding petroleum, import costs advanced 1.2%, the most since January 2022 and driven ...
The cost of imports into the US jumped in February by the most in nearly four years, reflecting a broad pickup in prices even before war in the Middle East. Import prices increased 1.3% from the prior month, Labor Department data showed Wednesday, boosted in part by higher prices for petroleum and natural gas. Excluding petroleum, import costs advanced 1.2%, the most since January 2022 and driven by higher prices for capital goods and consumer merchandise excluding automobiles. Export prices also surged, rising 1.5% in February, the most since May 2022.
tunart/E+ via Getty Images Freeport-McMoRan ( FCX ) up 2.3% pre-market Wednesday as futures prices for copper and most other industrial metals gained from optimism over the Trump administration's diplomatic push to end the Middle East war. Nickel prices jumped on the London Metal Exchange after Indonesia, which accounts for more than half the world's nickel production, approved tariffs on outbound...
tunart/E+ via Getty Images Freeport-McMoRan ( FCX ) up 2.3% pre-market Wednesday as futures prices for copper and most other industrial metals gained from optimism over the Trump administration's diplomatic push to end the Middle East war. Nickel prices jumped on the London Metal Exchange after Indonesia, which accounts for more than half the world's nickel production, approved tariffs on outbound shipments of the battery metal. Aluminum ( LMAHDS03:COM ) was the only metal that fell on the LME, trimming its gains since the war started to ~3.5%; the Middle East accounts for ~9% of production capacity for the metal, and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has constrained shipments. T he global aluminum market is expected to face a Q2 deficit of ~900K metric tons, the largest since 2019, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note, raising its LME aluminum forecast for Q2 to $3,200/ton, up from an earlier estimate of $3,100, citing Middle East disruptions and a smelter shutdown in Mozambique. However, new aluminum supply from Chinese overseas investments is set to ramp up in this year's H2, contributing to a global surplus of 1.8M tons by 2028. Potentially relevant stocks include Alcoa ( AA ), Century Aluminum ( CENX ), Constellium ( CSTM ), BHP ( BHP ), Rio Tinto ( RIO ), Vale ( VALE ), Southern Copper ( SCCO ), Glencore ( GLCNF ) ( GLNCY ) and Anglo American ( AAUKF ) ( NGLOY ). More on Freeport-McMoRan and Alcoa Freeport-McMoRan: The Drawdown Is A Gift Freeport-McMoRan: The Profit Surge Has Barely Started (Rating Upgrade) Alcoa: Valuation Concern Overshadows Aluminum Strength
The assassination this week of a labor lawyer working for Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. in downtown Johannesburg has prompted a protest from South Africa’s business fraternity. “Legal professionals, investigators, prosecutors and witnesses are increasingly exposed to intimidation and violence,” Business Against Crime South Africa, a grouping that works with the government, said in a statement on Wednesd...
The assassination this week of a labor lawyer working for Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. in downtown Johannesburg has prompted a protest from South Africa’s business fraternity. “Legal professionals, investigators, prosecutors and witnesses are increasingly exposed to intimidation and violence,” Business Against Crime South Africa, a grouping that works with the government, said in a statement on Wednesday. It is a tactic used “to shield criminal networks from accountability,” it said. Chinette Gallichan , an employee of South Africa’s biggest mining company by revenue, was shot dead on the street on Monday morning close to a state office that mediates labor matters. A spokesman for Sibanye told News24, a local news website, that she was in the city center to represent the company in a dispute with some of its employees. Her death follows the September killing of bankruptcy lawyer Bouwer van Niekerk in the boardroom of his firm in the city. That was the latest in a string of murders of insolvency practitioners, tax consultants and other professionals. Read more: Murder by Appointment: South African Lawyers Face Assassination “This is ultimately a matter that requires continued leadership from the state,” the group said. “Protecting those who uphold the law is fundamental to maintaining the rule of law and the stability of South Africa’s democratic and economic environment.” Sibanye was not immediately available for comment. Neal Froneman , who retired as Sibanye’s chief executive officer last year, is Bacsa’s chairman. The Next Africa newsletter runs every weekday. Sign up here and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple , Spotify or anywhere you listen .
Innovative Solutions and Support (ISSC) could be a solid choice for shorter-term investors looking to capitalize on the recent price trend in fundamentally sound stocks. It is one of the many stocks that passed through our shorter-term trading strategy-based screen.
Innovative Solutions and Support (ISSC) could be a solid choice for shorter-term investors looking to capitalize on the recent price trend in fundamentally sound stocks. It is one of the many stocks that passed through our shorter-term trading strategy-based screen.
jpgfactory/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Bitmine Immersion Technologies ( BMNR ) has introduced its proprietary institutional-grade Ethereum ( ETH-USD ) staking platform. The MAVAN (Made in America VAlidator Network) platform combines U.S.-based infrastructure for institutions requiring domestic validation with a globally distributed architecture to support clients worldwide. Tom Lee, chairma...
jpgfactory/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Bitmine Immersion Technologies ( BMNR ) has introduced its proprietary institutional-grade Ethereum ( ETH-USD ) staking platform. The MAVAN (Made in America VAlidator Network) platform combines U.S.-based infrastructure for institutions requiring domestic validation with a globally distributed architecture to support clients worldwide. Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine, said, "Because Bitmine is the largest owner of Ethereum in the world, shortly after launch, MAVAN will be the largest Ethereum staking platform in the world. We plan to expand across additional proof-of-stake networks and critical blockchain infrastructure over time, and through 2026, we'll grow our efforts in areas such as on-chain vaults, post-quantum client development, and more." As March 24, 2026, Bitmine ( BMNR ) total staked ETH stood at 3,142,643 ($6.8B at $2,148 per ETH via Coinbase). BMNR +2.9% premarket to $21.41 Source: Press Release More on Bitmine Immersion Technologies Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc. (BMNR) Shareholder/Analyst Call - Slideshow Bitmine Immersion Technologies: This Could Be The Bottom As Legislation Becomes More Likely Bitmine Vs. Sharplink: One Is A Dilution Trap, The Other Is The Better Ethereum Proxy Bitmine Immersion Technologies announces ETH holdings reach 4.661M tokens Eightco boosts OpenAI investment by $40M to $90M
CDT Equity ( CDT ) announced on Wednesday that its board of directors has approved a 1-for-25 reverse stock split of the company’s common stock. The reverse stock split will become effective on March 26, 2026, at 5:00 pm, Eastern Time, and the company’s common stock is expected to begin trading on a reverse stock split-adjusted basis on Nasdaq at market open under the existing ticker symbol, “CDT,...
CDT Equity ( CDT ) announced on Wednesday that its board of directors has approved a 1-for-25 reverse stock split of the company’s common stock. The reverse stock split will become effective on March 26, 2026, at 5:00 pm, Eastern Time, and the company’s common stock is expected to begin trading on a reverse stock split-adjusted basis on Nasdaq at market open under the existing ticker symbol, “CDT,” on March 27, 2026. As of the Effective Time, every 25 shares of the company’s issued and outstanding common stock will be combined into one share of common stock. After the effectiveness of the reverse stock split, the number of outstanding shares of common stock will be reduced to approximately 4,722,450. The company’s transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Co., will serve as the exchange agent for the reverse stock split. CDT -16.92% premarket to $0.4102. Source: Press Release More on CDT Equity Inc. Financial information for CDT Equity Inc.
Rockpoint Gas Storage ( RGSI:CA ) announced on Wednesday that it had received TSX approval to launch a normal course issuer bid for its Class A shares through the exchange and other Canadian trading systems. Under the NCIB, the company had been authorized to repurchase up to 5.32M Class A shares, or 10% of its public float, over 12 months starting March 27, 2026. The company had 53.2M shares outst...
Rockpoint Gas Storage ( RGSI:CA ) announced on Wednesday that it had received TSX approval to launch a normal course issuer bid for its Class A shares through the exchange and other Canadian trading systems. Under the NCIB, the company had been authorized to repurchase up to 5.32M Class A shares, or 10% of its public float, over 12 months starting March 27, 2026. The company had 53.2M shares outstanding as of March 23, 2026. During the NCIB, the company and counterparties had agreed to maintain one-to-one ownership ratios between its Class A shares, Class B shares, and OpCo interests, ensuring buybacks would not affect its 40% stake in the OpCos. More on Rockpoint Gas Storage Inc. Rockpoint Gas Storage: Benefiting From An Attractive Demand/Supply Situation Rockpoint announces C$427M secondary offering Historical earnings data for Rockpoint Gas Storage Inc. Dividend scorecard for Rockpoint Gas Storage Inc. Financial information for Rockpoint Gas Storage Inc.
grinvalds/iStock via Getty Images Performance assessment Micron ( MU ) has massively outperformed the broader stock market index since my last update on the stock: Performance since HA's Last Article on MU (Seeking Alpha, HA's Last Article on MU) Elevator pitch thesis Here's how I'm looking at Micron now: Micron is seeing a demand bonanza and securing a better revenue quality profile Gross margins...
grinvalds/iStock via Getty Images Performance assessment Micron ( MU ) has massively outperformed the broader stock market index since my last update on the stock: Performance since HA's Last Article on MU (Seeking Alpha, HA's Last Article on MU) Elevator pitch thesis Here's how I'm looking at Micron now: Micron is seeing a demand bonanza and securing a better revenue quality profile Gross margins are at record levels, but it may not be sustainable High greenfield capex spending elevates the risk profile A contracted valuation multiple with massive earnings growth expectations is attractive The charts say hold on, but don't buy more now Micron is seeing a demand bonanza and securing a better revenue quality profile In the semiconductors industry, AI and traditional server demand are severely constrained by a lack of adequate DRAM and NAND supply. This has led spot DRAM and NAND market prices to increase 5.5x and nearly 4x over the last 6 months. This is leading to a massive demand and price-hike bonanza for Micron in its DRAM and NAND segments: DRAM Revenue (USD mn) (Company Filings, HA Analysis) NAND Revenue (USD mn) (Company Filings, HA Analysis) The chart below showing dwindling inventory levels clearly confirms the narrative of memory chip shortages: Inventory days on revenue (Company Filings, HA Analysis) Memory is becoming increasingly more essential as compute demand increases, giving Micron a wonderful long-term demand tailwind: As AI evolves, we expect compute architectures to become more memory intensive. This is why we strongly believe that Micron is one of the biggest beneficiaries and enablers of AI. AI hasn't just increased demand for memory, it has fundamentally recast memory as a defining strategic asset in the AI era. - CEO Sanjay Mehrotra in the Q2 FY26 earnings call The current memory market shortages are expected to grow bigger for the rest of this year, with pricing projections of a further 60% increase. This is leading to an explosion in revenu...