Tremors in the software debt market were still top of mind for industry heavyweights speaking at the Bloomberg Global Credit Forum in New York on Wednesday. Na Wei , global head of leveraged finance at Barclays Plc , said that her firm is advising borrowers to “prepare for war, but hope for peace” when it comes to an upcoming maturity wall for software companies. Anxieties around private credit ex...
Tremors in the software debt market were still top of mind for industry heavyweights speaking at the Bloomberg Global Credit Forum in New York on Wednesday. Na Wei , global head of leveraged finance at Barclays Plc , said that her firm is advising borrowers to “prepare for war, but hope for peace” when it comes to an upcoming maturity wall for software companies. Anxieties around private credit exposure to software and the potential for artificial intelligence to upend the sector ushered in the market’s first major stress test this year. Those worries have already been hamstringing borrowers looking to refinance. Susan Kasser , head of private debt at Neuberger Berman , said that some private equity sponsors that specialize in software are already trying to get ahead of those concerns. “Expertise in software is a defining quality for them,” she said. “They are using this time wisely to create AI strategies on both the defense and offense.” Panelists agreed direct lenders are being more selective this year, with Wei saying she thinks private credit is “bidding to lose” in some cases. However, Christina Lee , a managing director at Oaktree Capital Management, sees some of the best opportunities in “very boring middle market companies” from the “old-world economy” because they face little risk of AI displacement. Lee added Oaktree has been less aggressive on data center financing than some of its peers as tens of billions of dollars in high-yield debt have gone toward funding the AI boom. “We’re not saying its a bad industry, we’re saying we need to be selective,” she said. “We’re watching it carefully and just knowing where we stand its hard to say, ‘hey, let’s be aggressive.’” In what she described as a risk-off environment, Kasser said it was important to focus on forward-looking indicators, rather than backward metric, such as defaults in the private markets. For instance, she suggested looking at payment-in-kind, which is a component of many software loans. “There...
Antonio Bordunovi Nvidia ( NVDA ), Arm ( ARM ), and Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) are the “key headliners” at this year's Computex after the trio made several surprising and positive announcements, Bank of America said. For Nvidia, the CPU opportunity it has is probably “understated,” Bank of America analysts said, citing the belief that CPU volumes could be even higher than GPU volumes as agentic A...
Antonio Bordunovi Nvidia ( NVDA ), Arm ( ARM ), and Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) are the “key headliners” at this year's Computex after the trio made several surprising and positive announcements, Bank of America said. For Nvidia, the CPU opportunity it has is probably “understated,” Bank of America analysts said, citing the belief that CPU volumes could be even higher than GPU volumes as agentic AI continues to become more widely adopted. “As agentic AI spreads to PCs, devices need to be entirely re-engineered to support local and cloud access capabilities which Vera CPU enables in a highly productive and low [total cost of ownership] manner,” the analysts wrote in a note to clients. For Marvell, the company's optics portfolio is strong and could help bring together disaggregated compute and memory systems to improve flexibility and performance, the analysts said. “MRVL believes it has the broadest optics portfolio agnostic to any trend (i.e., EAM, MRM, microLED) building on a strong franchise of coherent modules/DSPs (scale-across/long distances) where 2nm-based 1.6T solutions debut this year, PAM4 DSPs and misc. analog components for scale-out network fabric, and ethernet switches (announced 102.4TB/s switch purpose built for AI),” the analysts wrote. “NVLink fusion helps proliferate MRVL connectivity to other platforms.” Arm re-emphasized its AGI CPUs will help agentic AI infrastructure and reiterated its belief that it has twice the performance per rack when compared to x86 deployments from companies such as Intel ( INTC ) and AMD ( AMD ). “ARM announced [Oracle Cloud Infrastructure] has joined the AGI CPU ecosystem while NVIDIA RTX Spark is validation that ARM-based silicon can power premium AI PCs,” the analysts noted. Other takeaways from the event include that CPUs are moving towards a 1:1 ratio with GPUs (thoughts that were said by both Intel and Nvidia), with Intel working to boost its AI infrastructure. Qualcomm ( QCOM ) also said that it expects to have ...
The Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VUG) provides large-cap growth exposure at a lower cost, while the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VBK) offers broader diversification among smaller, potentially high-growth firms. Both funds seek to capture growth-oriented equities but target vastly different market capitalizations. While VUG tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index, focusing on establishe...
The Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VUG) provides large-cap growth exposure at a lower cost, while the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VBK) offers broader diversification among smaller, potentially high-growth firms. Both funds seek to capture growth-oriented equities but target vastly different market capitalizations. While VUG tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index, focusing on established giants, VBK follows the CRSP US Small Cap Growth Index, reaching for younger companies that may have more room for expansion but carry different risk profiles. Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield. Continue reading
marchmeena29/iStock via Getty Images Income-focused investors often look beyond high dividend yields and focus instead on companies that have consistently increased shareholder payouts over time. Dividend growth can signal improving cash flow, disciplined capital allocation, and management confidence in long-term business performance. Seeking Alpha’s Dividend Growth Grades evaluate companies based...
marchmeena29/iStock via Getty Images Income-focused investors often look beyond high dividend yields and focus instead on companies that have consistently increased shareholder payouts over time. Dividend growth can signal improving cash flow, disciplined capital allocation, and management confidence in long-term business performance. Seeking Alpha’s Dividend Growth Grades evaluate companies based on the consistency and magnitude of their dividend increases, using a grading scale from A+ to F. Stocks with grades of B- or higher are generally considered attractive for dividend growth investors, while grades of D+ or below are viewed less favorably. The list highlights stocks trading under $10 per share across a wide range of sectors, including energy, consumer goods, telecommunications, utilities, industrials, and financial services. The list showcases both international and U.S.-listed companies that combine relatively low share prices with varying levels of dividend growth strength. Leading the rankings is Alvopetro Energy ( ALVOF ), which earned the highest possible A+ Dividend Growth Grade, reflecting particularly strong dividend expansion trends. Beverage giant Ambev ( ABEV ) follows with a B grade, while BB Seguridade Participações ( BBSEY ) and Dutch telecom company Koninklijke KPN ( KKPNY ) each hold solid B- grades. The broader list includes companies tied to consumer spending, infrastructure, utilities, and renewable energy. Arcos Dorados Holdings ( ARCO ), B3 S.A. ( BOLSY ), Fortum ( FOJCY ), and Ultrapar Participações ( UGP ) all carry C grades, indicating more moderate dividend growth profiles. Rounding out the list are travel retail operator Avolta ( DUFRY ) with a C- grade and wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems ( VWDRY ), which holds a D+ grade, placing it near the lower end of the dividend growth rankings. The list reflects the diversity of lower-priced dividend-paying stocks available globally, while also highlighting the significant varia...
We might recast political strategist James Carville’s wish to be “reincarnated as the bond markets,” because they’re so powerful, as tech stocks instead. As this very enjoyable new Bloomberg Money newsletter points out (welcome to the world!), the S&P has grown by 11% this year, and a big fat 80% of that has come from just 10 stocks, seven of which are semiconductor companies. Well, over here in t...
We might recast political strategist James Carville’s wish to be “reincarnated as the bond markets,” because they’re so powerful, as tech stocks instead. As this very enjoyable new Bloomberg Money newsletter points out (welcome to the world!), the S&P has grown by 11% this year, and a big fat 80% of that has come from just 10 stocks, seven of which are semiconductor companies. Well, over here in the UK, big tech is getting a bit of a jolt. Today, in a world first, the Competition and Markets Authority has rebuked Google and said that it must give publishers, including news organisations, more control over how it uses their material in AI search summaries. Meanwhile, the House of Commons’ science and technology committee today urged the government to break off the £330 million contract the NHS has with Palantir, arguing that the health service is in danger of becoming too dependent on it and there’s a “clear mismatch” with British values. This is just weeks after the London mayor Sadiq Khan blocked Palantir from getting a £50 million contract to help the Metropolitan Police with its investigations. First of all, that Google judgment. The CMA wants publishers to be able to “block” how their content is used and will also be “actively monitoring” how Google uses Gemini: “Google must also allow publishers to control the use of their content for training AI services and must not retaliate against publishers that use these controls,” it ruled. Accordingly, Google is going to test how it allows a “subset of website owners” in the UK to manage how their links and content appear in generative AI search features before rolling out globally. The growth of Google Gemini is the subject of Parmy Olson’s latest column . Up to now, those AI search results have sat atop the usual list of blue links returned when you and I plug in our Google search. But soon, we won’t even be offered that list of links. This has implications for the advertising revenue that made Google big; but it als...
Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Wednesday's key moments. 1. Stocks fell on Wednesday as crude oil climbed back above $95 a barrel following renewed airstrikes between the U.S. and Iran. "Every time oil spikes, interest rates go up, and we have a bad market," Jim said. Financials were the worst-performin...
Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Wednesday's key moments. 1. Stocks fell on Wednesday as crude oil climbed back above $95 a barrel following renewed airstrikes between the U.S. and Iran. "Every time oil spikes, interest rates go up, and we have a bad market," Jim said. Financials were the worst-performing sector, as higher bond yields pressured rate-sensitive stocks and revived concerns about private credit. Artificial intelligence and technology names also weighed on the broader market. Jim noted that if the S & P 500 is going to extend its winning streak to 10 straight sessions, technology stocks will need to reverse course and help lead the market higher. 2. Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike declined more than 2% and 4%, respectively. Palo Alto delivered a strong beat-and-raise quarter Tuesday evening, but the stock still pulled back — a familiar post-earnings pattern. Jim is "urging people to hold on," while noting the stock could be down 7% to 8% in the near term. On "Mad Money" Tuesday night, CEO Nikesh Arora reinforced the idea that AI is accelerating demand for cybersecurity . CrowdStrike reports earnings on Wednesday evening, and Jim said the company continues to benefit from a surge in customer demand tied to emerging AI-driven threats. "The deluge of orders that he's gotten since Mythos ... does matter," Jim said. Both are Club stocks. 3. We initiated a new position in chipmaker Intel on Wednesday, reflecting our belief that demand for central processing units (CPUs) will continue to grow as AI workloads shift from training to inference and agentic computing. Jim stressed that investors should start small rather than chase the stock higher. "I don't want everyone to buy everything here. I want to have more as it comes down," he said. We also remain bullish on custom chip designer Broadcom despite taking some profits after the stock hit an all-time high on Tuesd...
Apple big annual conference, where the tech company unveils its new products, is next week, but one analyst doesn’t think it will push up the stock. David Vogt of UBS gave his heads-up Wednesday about Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts Monday at the company’s headquarters in Silicon Valley. Shareholders expect Apple to release new artificial-intelligence features after years of ...
Apple big annual conference, where the tech company unveils its new products, is next week, but one analyst doesn’t think it will push up the stock. David Vogt of UBS gave his heads-up Wednesday about Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts Monday at the company’s headquarters in Silicon Valley. Shareholders expect Apple to release new artificial-intelligence features after years of lagging behind its rivals on AI.
Snubbed By SpaceX, Jefferies Now Helping Traders Short World's Biggest IPO Two weeks ago, when the SpaceX IPO prospectus landed, we observed, that " Goldman is lead left; and pretty much every other bank is on the cover." Goldman is lead left; and pretty much every other bank is on the cover. They need that to sell it to retail https://t.co/9JogVIxo1i pic.twitter.com/nSnvx6tWqs — zerohedge (@zeroh...
Snubbed By SpaceX, Jefferies Now Helping Traders Short World's Biggest IPO Two weeks ago, when the SpaceX IPO prospectus landed, we observed, that " Goldman is lead left; and pretty much every other bank is on the cover." Goldman is lead left; and pretty much every other bank is on the cover. They need that to sell it to retail https://t.co/9JogVIxo1i pic.twitter.com/nSnvx6tWqs — zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 20, 2026 Yet one bank was missing: middle-market specialist (with a penchant for junk bonds and lack of due diligence on private credit deals ), Jefferies . Whether it was shunned due to prior bad blood between Elon and bank execs, or something else happened behind the scenes, we don't know but Jefferies bankers did not take it well. And now, SpaceX bears and some of Jefferies’ own bosses see the snub that as a unique opportunity to gang up against an IPO that some say could be in for a major reckoning once the stock prices. According to Bloomberg, hedge funds that aren’t sold on Elon Musk’s rockets-to-tweets empire are hitting up Jefferies to see if it can arrange bets against SpaceX’s shares once they go public in one of the most highly anticipated initial public offerings ever. Jefferies, which is the biggest US investment bank not named on the S-1 cover, is now uniquely situated to arrange those trades. While Wall Street firms routinely help clients take positions on all sides of a company’s shares, their lawyers can get nervous when one desk pitches a stock’s prospects to the masses while another helps clients bet against it. And that’s not to mention how Musk would react if one of the 23 banks he hired for his SpaceX’s debut helps set up big bearish trades. Jefferies is not among them. And it is now seeking creative ways to make up for the loss in underwriter revenue. Banks have clamored for a piece of the IPO with a record valuation of at least $1.8 trillion. Bloomberg reported that Goldman CEO David Solomon reached out to Musk personally by sliding into hi...
George Santos has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the controversy over possible insider trading on prediction markets, as concerns become increasingly widespread about potential illicit bets on the platforms. Alleged trading by Santos, a former congressman who was expelled from the US House in 2023, is being investigated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission , according to a person famil...
George Santos has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the controversy over possible insider trading on prediction markets, as concerns become increasingly widespread about potential illicit bets on the platforms. Alleged trading by Santos, a former congressman who was expelled from the US House in 2023, is being investigated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission , according to a person familiar with the matter. The regulator is looking at wagers he placed on whether he would attend the State of the Union address in February. Prediction markets — which allow customers to bet on just about anything — have surged over the past year and a half. That has prompted investigations by US authorities and led to two high-profile cases over alleged illicit wagers. The probe into Santos’ trading stems from wagers made earlier this year, when users on Kalshi were placing bets on who would attend the State of the Union. Around the time, Santos said in a social media post that he was “going to be there,” but did not attend, writing in a follow-up post that watching the speech from an airport television “was not part of the plan.” NPR, which reported earlier on Santos’ trades and the CFTC investigation, said the Justice Department is also probing the matter. A spokesperson for Kalshi declined to comment. Santos didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Probes by authorities can end without charges or enforcement actions being taken. Prediction markets are overseen in the US by the CFTC, which views the platforms as derivatives exchanges. Kalshi and its chief rival Polymarket say they are opposed to insider trading and actively policing the markets. Kalshi has suspended and fined congressional hopefuls for betting on their own races in Minnesota, Texas and Virginia. Polymarket has also referred cases to the authorities and two of their customers were charged earlier this year, including a Google software engineer accused of betting on search results and a US solder a...
Navitas Semiconductor (NASDAQ:NVTS) shares surged roughly 26% on Wednesday after the company highlighted its participation in Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD)'s partner ecosystem at a major industry event in Taipei, drawing investor attention to its role in next-generation AI data center...
Navitas Semiconductor (NASDAQ:NVTS) shares surged roughly 26% on Wednesday after the company highlighted its participation in Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD)'s partner ecosystem at a major industry event in Taipei, drawing investor attention to its role in next-generation AI data center...
A large new investor in BP Plc topped up its holding after the shock firing of the oil major’s chairman last week, betting that the boardroom drama won’t derail the company’s strategic approach. GQG Partners LLC says it took a stake of more than 290 million shares valued at about $2.4 billion in BP in the first quarter. The firm, which had about $162 billion under management at the end of March, a...
A large new investor in BP Plc topped up its holding after the shock firing of the oil major’s chairman last week, betting that the boardroom drama won’t derail the company’s strategic approach. GQG Partners LLC says it took a stake of more than 290 million shares valued at about $2.4 billion in BP in the first quarter. The firm, which had about $162 billion under management at the end of March, added to that over the past week, according to portfolio manager Brian Kersmanc . The holding makes GQG a top-10 investor, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, alongside the likes of BlackRock Inc. , Elliott Investment Management , and Vanguard Group . Read More: BP’s High-Stakes Reboot Descended Into an Ugly Boardroom Drama Kersmanc said he spoke with BP’s leadership before and after the unexpected firing of Chairman Albert Manifold and supports the direction in which new Chief Executive Officer Meg O’Neill has been moving the business. BP was trading at about 546 pence a share on Wednesday afternoon in London, bringing it back to around the level from before Manifold was ousted. “Whatever issues you have from board miscues, that’s priced into the stock,” Kersmanc said. “And the direction they’re heading now is a strong one.” GQG previously held BP stock but sold its holdings because of concerns around BP’s prior renewable energy strategy, Kersmanc said. O’Neill cementing BP’s focus on fossil fuels has added to the attractiveness of the company’s shares, he said. Read More: BP’s New CEO Moves to Reshape Company, Overhaul Leadership While Kersmanc acknowledged the role played by Manifold, he said much of his impact was in hiring O’Neill.
MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images National Employment Report ADP The precursor to the BLS jobs report landed with some strength on Wednesday morning as ADP assessed that the pace of hiring had sped up to a more than one-year high. U.S. private employment is estimated to have grown by 122,000 in the month of May, the highest monthly total since January 2025. The strong result adds to ...
MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images National Employment Report ADP The precursor to the BLS jobs report landed with some strength on Wednesday morning as ADP assessed that the pace of hiring had sped up to a more than one-year high. U.S. private employment is estimated to have grown by 122,000 in the month of May, the highest monthly total since January 2025. The strong result adds to a series of solid readings that began in February of this year. As such, momentum is clearly headed in the positive direction. The 3-month average of private sector job growth was 96,000 in May, the highest since February 2025. ADP The details of the May report pointed to some of the usual suspects as the reason for the gains. The service sector continued to be the main provider of job growth, adding 114,000 in May. This report seemed to feature a more broad-based view, with 6/7 sub-sectors in positive territory. Education & health services was the strongest, as has been the case for the last year, at 57,000 jobs added, but trade, transport & utilities was a solid second at 36,000 jobs added. The goods sector was considerably weaker, with just 8,000 jobs added. The manufacturing sub-sector did manage to be positive in May but only added 3,000 (unfortunately, offset by mining down -3,000). Construction was the largest sub-sector, adding 8,000. A surprising trend that looks to have continued in May is that small businesses have shown a solid demand for labor in recent months, despite headwinds from tariffs and rising operating costs. In May, small firms added 67,000 (with the smallest segment adding 49,000), equal to mid-sized and large firm job growth combined. Overall, the details of the May report are broadly consistent with labor market trends seen over the past year. The service sector remains the main driver of growth, the goods sector continues to expand modestly, and small businesses are exhibiting unusual strength. The notable change is the clear improvement in the o...
Over recent months, a striking pattern has emerged: major capital allocators are positioning around AI-driven biology and longevity. According to a Polymarket post on X, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) founder Brian Armstrong’s longevity startup NewLimit has tripled in value to $3.1 billion. That post sparked a viral reply thread from podcast host Mgoes (@m_goes_distance), cataloging billionaire and ... Mo...
Over recent months, a striking pattern has emerged: major capital allocators are positioning around AI-driven biology and longevity. According to a Polymarket post on X, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) founder Brian Armstrong’s longevity startup NewLimit has tripled in value to $3.1 billion. That post sparked a viral reply thread from podcast host Mgoes (@m_goes_distance), cataloging billionaire and ... Move Over AI: Jeff Bezos and NVIDIA Are Quietly Backing a New Breakthrough Industry
JuSun/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Summary Back in December, I argued that Newmont Corporation ( NEM ) was my preferred hedge against financial repression, calling it my hedge against the Fed. Since then, the stock is up 10%, but we’ve seen some consolidation in gold and gold miners over the last month. But Newmont just delivered the strongest quarter in its history, with over $3 billion in free...
JuSun/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Summary Back in December, I argued that Newmont Corporation ( NEM ) was my preferred hedge against financial repression, calling it my hedge against the Fed. Since then, the stock is up 10%, but we’ve seen some consolidation in gold and gold miners over the last month. But Newmont just delivered the strongest quarter in its history, with over $3 billion in free cash flow while continuing to return billions to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. More importantly, management expects higher production as we move beyond 2026, and I do expect higher, if not similarly elevated, gold prices ( XAUUSD:CUR ) moving forward. In short, Newmont is generating record cash flow today despite operating below its long-term production potential. Combined with a supportive outlook for gold and an attractive valuation, I continue to view NEM as one of the best ways to gain exposure to precious metals. NEM Q1: Record Earnings NEM Q1 (Investor Slides) Operating cash flow reached $3.8 billion, and Adjusted EBITDA came in at $5.2 billion, with adjusted earnings at $2.90 per share. These record numbers were also achieved during a tough operational quarter. Newmont dealt with bushfires at Boddington, extreme snowfall at Brucejack and also maintenance disruptions across several operations. But in spite of this, the company maintained its full-year production guidance and cost guidance. This was obviously aided by the high gold prices. Newmont realized an average gold price of approximately $4,900 per ounce while reporting all-in sustaining costs of just $1,029 per ounce. Gold production cycle (Investor slides) Insights From The Earnings Call The most important takeaway from the earnings call wasn't the record quarter itself but the outlook laid out by management of what comes next. We said that in 2026, we run a trough, and those are the big movers that will start to build up on the other side of the trough. Source: Earnings Call . Newmont is produ...
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle warned his Labour colleagues against pursuing redistribution of wealth without first prioritizing economic growth, as the party faces a potential tilt to the left if Keir Starmer is replaced as prime minister. Kyle is set to say that “prosperity without economic growth is impossible” in his annual speech on Wednesday night at London’s Mansion House, according to pr...
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle warned his Labour colleagues against pursuing redistribution of wealth without first prioritizing economic growth, as the party faces a potential tilt to the left if Keir Starmer is replaced as prime minister. Kyle is set to say that “prosperity without economic growth is impossible” in his annual speech on Wednesday night at London’s Mansion House, according to prepared remarks seen by Bloomberg. “Redistribution without wealth creation is a zero-sum game that results in greater poverty of ambition, poverty of opportunity and poverty of outcome,” Kyle will say. “Equality without prosperity is the equality of the graveyard.” The warning comes with Labour split over its future direction after bruising local elections last month left Starmer facing a potential leadership challenge. Wes Streeting , on the right of the party, resigned as health secretary in order to prepare for a challenge. Meanwhile, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is running for Parliament — a necessary step for him to mount a bid. Burnham is seen as a more left-wing than Starmer — he warned last year that the UK was “in hock” to the bond markets — and is the bookmakers’ favorite to take over. His decision to seek the Makerfield seat prompted investors to push up gilt yields on fears he would ramp up public spending. Since then, he has been trying to reassure investors that he would be a safe pair of hands for the UK economy, committing to the current self-imposed borrowing rules and declining to make any radical changes to spending. Kyle is the latest figure to warn the Labour Party against drifting left. Last month, former Prime Minister Tony Blair published an essay in which he said the party he once led was at risk of indulging a “perennial delusion that when we lose seats to the right the country is really signalling it wants Labour to move left.” He said policies resulting in higher spending, fuelled by higher taxation, were “dangerous.” The business secr...