When you’re building at breakneck speed, hiring a trusted team is crucial for an early-stage startup. Bland CEO and co-founder Isaiah Granet has tactical advice on how the company managed to find hidden talent in unlikely places.
When you’re building at breakneck speed, hiring a trusted team is crucial for an early-stage startup. Bland CEO and co-founder Isaiah Granet has tactical advice on how the company managed to find hidden talent in unlikely places.
Today's biggest winners and losers in the stock market. On this episode of Stock Movers: - Corebridge Financial and Equitable Holdings to combine in an all-stock merger, valuing the combined company at approximately $22 billion. - Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google must pay damages to a 20-year-old woman who said her addiction to social media caused her mental health struggles, a jury ...
Today's biggest winners and losers in the stock market. On this episode of Stock Movers: - Corebridge Financial and Equitable Holdings to combine in an all-stock merger, valuing the combined company at approximately $22 billion. - Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google must pay damages to a 20-year-old woman who said her addiction to social media caused her mental health struggles, a jury concluded in a landmark decision that could signal hefty risks for the companies as they fight thousands of similar claims. - Pony AI Inc. delivered its first profitable quarter ever, bolstered by a windfall from an early investment, rather than its main robotaxi business. (Source: Bloomberg)
Earnings Call Insights: Worthington Steel (WS) Q3 2026 Management View Geoffrey Gilmore, CEO, President & Director, highlighted the proposed acquisition of Kloeckner as "the largest in our history and a meaningful strategic step for the company." Gilmore stated, "The combination of our two organizations will create a larger, more diversified metals processing platform with meaningful opportunities...
Earnings Call Insights: Worthington Steel (WS) Q3 2026 Management View Geoffrey Gilmore, CEO, President & Director, highlighted the proposed acquisition of Kloeckner as "the largest in our history and a meaningful strategic step for the company." Gilmore stated, "The combination of our two organizations will create a larger, more diversified metals processing platform with meaningful opportunities to generate value and capture synergies through Worthington's proprietary base business improvement program that we call the transformation." He reported continued progress on the Kloeckner acquisition, with regulatory approvals underway and expressed confidence in meeting the 57.5% minimum threshold for the tender offer, targeting closure in the second half of the calendar year. Gilmore pointed to "direct shipments in Q3 to the Detroit 3 increased by approximately 13%, significantly outpacing the reported 3% growth in Detroit 3 production for the quarter." He also noted ongoing momentum in the automotive market and strategic wins in agriculture and construction, with cautious optimism for a more robust market later in 2026. The CEO emphasized ongoing investments in electrical steel, reporting that "we have shifted some production to our new facility and are shipping from both locations," with "more than 60% of the increased capacity sold for the facility." He acknowledged OEM delays affecting the ramp-up of the traction motor lamination facility in Mexico, now expecting to reach 75% capacity by fiscal 2029 based on current contracts. Gilmore described company-wide transformation through lean flow models and artificial intelligence, indicating that projects have "led to 60% fewer coils held in our work in process day and an overall reduction of 6 days of inventory over the past 26 months." He projected further advances with predictive AI tools for operational efficiency. Timothy Adams, VP & CFO, stated, "Our third quarter was a disciplined quarter in a more challenging env...
Earnings Call Insights: Enerpac Tool Group (EPAC) Q2 2026 Management View Paul Sternlieb, CEO, reported "product sales accelerated growing 6% organically year-over-year," which is the strongest product growth since Q4 2023. He highlighted favorable trends in U.S. manufacturing and improving distributor sentiment, with "overall product order rates growing mid-single digits and gains in each of our ...
Earnings Call Insights: Enerpac Tool Group (EPAC) Q2 2026 Management View Paul Sternlieb, CEO, reported "product sales accelerated growing 6% organically year-over-year," which is the strongest product growth since Q4 2023. He highlighted favorable trends in U.S. manufacturing and improving distributor sentiment, with "overall product order rates growing mid-single digits and gains in each of our 3 geographic regions." Sternlieb announced a restructuring of the EMEA Hydratight service operation, stating it will "support our strategic transition toward higher-margin service business and profitable growth objectives." The company also secured a "5-year contract award with a major oil and gas company operating in the U.K. North Sea," valued at several million dollars annually. CFO Darren Kozik stated, "Enerpac's second quarter revenue of $155 million expanded 2% on an organic basis. IT&S sales increased 1% organically as a 6% gain in product sales was offset by a 17% decline in service revenue." He added, "adjusted SG&A declined to 26.4% of revenue compared with 28.3% in the year ago period." Sternlieb highlighted innovation progress, detailing new product launches at ConExpo, including the "Intelli Lift 2.0 wireless gantry controller" and other additions such as the Battery Split Flow Pump and Lightweight Toe Jack. Outlook Kozik indicated, "we have narrowed the guidance range for fiscal 2026. We are now guiding to a full year net sales range of $635 million to $650 million that represents organic sales growth of 1% to 3%." Adjusted EBITDA is projected at $158 million to $163 million and adjusted EPS at $1.85 to $1.92. Free cash flow guidance remains at $100 million to $110 million. Management expects "solid product growth in the mid-single-digit range or even a bit better," but this is offset by "projected service contraction in the low to mid-teens range." Kozik added, "we expect to see sequential improvement [in gross margin] into Q3 and then into Q4... coming off o...
alexsl Shares of ADMA Biologics ( ADMA ) declined for the fifth straight session as Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded the plasma-derived drug developer, noting that the company’s response to the recent short report from Culper Research fell short of investor expectations. Analyst Kristen Kluska cut her rating to Neutral from Overweight even as ADMA ( ADMA ) refuted the short report in a statement on We...
alexsl Shares of ADMA Biologics ( ADMA ) declined for the fifth straight session as Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded the plasma-derived drug developer, noting that the company’s response to the recent short report from Culper Research fell short of investor expectations. Analyst Kristen Kluska cut her rating to Neutral from Overweight even as ADMA ( ADMA ) refuted the short report in a statement on Wednesday, arguing that Culper Research has made its conclusions based on speculative claims from “unidentified and unreliable sources.” The downgrade came after Kluska met with ADMA investors who, according to the analyst, were disappointed by the company’s response and its lack of direct communication, attributed to a quiet period by its management. “While the company did put out a statement, we were hoping to have more specific feedback addressing the direct claims in the report. It would have increased our comfort if the company addressed all the individual items with a stronger defense,” Kluska wrote. "We were hoping to have enough of a response from management to put this to rest but didn't receive that,” she added. More on ADMA Biologics ADMA Biologics, Inc. (ADMA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript ADMA Biologics: Business Update And My Price Target ADMA Biologics, Inc. (ADMA) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Transcript ADMA Biologics says short report contains misleading, inaccurate statements ADMA Biologics announces $125M accelerated share repurchase with JPmorgan
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images The ProShares UltraShort Silver ETF ( ZSL ) is an inverse leveraged strategy designed to provide investors with exposure to -2x the daily performance of the price of silver. Following a year-long bull run and a rocky start to 2026, I believe investors are questioning whether the price level at which silver sits can be supported or if the price of silver has...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images The ProShares UltraShort Silver ETF ( ZSL ) is an inverse leveraged strategy designed to provide investors with exposure to -2x the daily performance of the price of silver. Following a year-long bull run and a rocky start to 2026, I believe investors are questioning whether the price level at which silver sits can be supported or if the price of silver has expanded too far, too fast. With precious metals generally seen as a store of value during periods of heightened inflation, particularly during periods of military mobilization, I believe investors are taking precaution in supporting the price of silver following the major price rally, decoupling the safe-haven theme. As a result of this, I believe silver may undergo a steady price normalization period, resulting in continued price moderation down. While ZSL can produce positive returns for investors during a price decline in silver, inverse leveraged funds tend to exhibit significant NAV erosion over time and may overexpose investors to substantial risk. Given these factors, I am recommending ZSL with a "Hold" rating for active traders seeking to gain daily exposure to silver’s potential price decline. Silver price chart (TradingView) Investment Theme Silver experienced a major price run in 2025, increasing by nearly 4x at its January 2026 peak of $121.64/oz, before pulling back by 40% at the current level. There may be multiple factors that are playing into the pricing of silver: Iranian war mobilization: precious metals used as a store of value. Substantial price run: investors taking profits. Inflation hedge: potentially higher headline inflation rate for 2026 driven by oil prices. The dilemma faced is that the price of silver very well may have front run the economic and geopolitical challenges, presenting early excitement running up to the Iranian war and the sharp increase in oil prices. The issue is that now that we have a war that may last longer than expected and...
EschCollection/DigitalVision via Getty Images Geopolitical volatility is not only increasing investor demand for infrastructure assets; it is urgently reshaping where and how capital is deployed. As energy security, supply chain resilience, and digital sovereignty rise up policy agendas, infrastructure investments that expand capacity and relieve bottlenecks are becoming critical. We believe infra...
EschCollection/DigitalVision via Getty Images Geopolitical volatility is not only increasing investor demand for infrastructure assets; it is urgently reshaping where and how capital is deployed. As energy security, supply chain resilience, and digital sovereignty rise up policy agendas, infrastructure investments that expand capacity and relieve bottlenecks are becoming critical. We believe infrastructure investments allow investors to prioritize three key objectives to support portfolios: 1. Harvest higher inflation Geopolitical events create inflation through disruption to energy markets and supply chains. Infrastructure assets, which benefit from price rises and higher barriers to entry, can add positive inflation sensitivity into portfolios to protect real returns when inflation volatility episodes occur. Many infrastructure revenues have the benefit of being linked, directly or indirectly, to inflation. These assets typically have high gross margin cost structures and can more efficiently harvest rising prices without the cost pressures faced by other industries. Regulatory regimes also often allow cost pass-through as well as concession agreements including inflation escalators and, in many cases, contracted assets have direct CPI adjustments to revenue. However, there are differences in the inflation sensitivity of different infrastructure strategies, which make portfolio construction and manager selection important. For instance, operating assets have in-place physical networks and facilities which allow them to generate revenue without reliance on raw materials. For these assets, rising prices of construction inputs limits new capacity and the competitive positioning of the assets can strengthen. In contrast, the returns of greenfield development strategies can be highly sensitive to input costs rising during the development process and are more vulnerable to rising costs in supply chains. 2. Withstand growth shock A defining feature of infrastructure is t...
Siempreverde22/iStock Editorial via Getty Images By Paolo Pizzoli , Senior Economist, Italy, Greece The release of March confidence data – collected over the first 15 days of March – was expected to reflect the widespread impact of the US-Israel attack on Iran and its consequences on energy goods. Data shows that this was true only for consumer and retail business confidence; among manufacturers, ...
Siempreverde22/iStock Editorial via Getty Images By Paolo Pizzoli , Senior Economist, Italy, Greece The release of March confidence data – collected over the first 15 days of March – was expected to reflect the widespread impact of the US-Israel attack on Iran and its consequences on energy goods. Data shows that this was true only for consumer and retail business confidence; among manufacturers, service providers, and construction businesses, instead, confidence inched marginally up. Confidence takes a hit among consumers and retailers Consumer confidence lost almost five points in March, reaching the lowest level since October 2023. The deterioration is widespread among subcomponents and particularly pronounced in assessments of Italy’s current economic conditions and near‑term outlook. In line with this, expectations for future unemployment have increased markedly, reaching their highest level since December 2024. Unsurprisingly, against such an uncertain backdrop, consumers report a lower propensity to purchase durable goods and an increasing inclination to save. Consumers have quickly felt the impact of the war on fuel prices at the pump – the average price of petrol increased by 10 cents and that of diesel by 15 cents per litre over the first half of March. Coming at a time when a gradual recovery in purchasing power was still underway, this shock is likely to keep the savings rate close to recent highs in the short term, continuing to weigh on private consumption. The concurrent fall in retailer confidence to the lowest level since February 2024 looks fully consistent with this picture, and reflects a sharp deceleration in current sales, while expectations for future orders have so far remained largely unaffected. Confidence marginally up in manufacturing, services, and construction The resilience in confidence in the other business sectors is somewhat surprising, given the long-standing vulnerability to external oil and gas shocks. Manufacturers report sligh...
Kenstocker/iStock via Getty Images It’s rare to see a decades-old company take a completely different path in the process of creating a new product. It’s even more surprising when, at a quick glance, that new product appears to be a competitor to the company’s primary customers. With the launch of its new AGI CPU chip, however, Arm Holdings ( ARM ) has done all of that. Rather than simply providin...
Kenstocker/iStock via Getty Images It’s rare to see a decades-old company take a completely different path in the process of creating a new product. It’s even more surprising when, at a quick glance, that new product appears to be a competitor to the company’s primary customers. With the launch of its new AGI CPU chip, however, Arm Holdings ( ARM ) has done all of that. Rather than simply providing the architectural design IP for a new processor - as it has traditionally done - the company is taking its own design into production and will be selling the chip to companies such as Meta ( META ), OpenAI ( OPENAI ), SK Telecom ( SKM ), and more. While that does represent a bit of a competitive challenge to traditional Arm licensee customers such as Broadcom ( AVGO ), Nvidia ( NVDA ) and others, Arm was quick to point out - and rightfully so - that the market opportunity for AI-focused silicon is so large and so diverse that there’s plenty of room for all. This first Arm chip, in fact, was developed along with Meta - yet another Arm chip design licensee - and is intended to work alongside Meta’s own custom AI accelerators (the recently announced MTIA chips). Meta recognized that it needed a large number of CPU cores to help efficiently run agentic AI workflows and found the new Arm AGI CPU to be a perfect fit for its requirements. Similarly, other customers are also finding that the unique capabilities and low-power draw per core of these Arm CPUs fit the unique demands of their environments - particularly in comparison to x86-based options. In fact, one of the reasons Arm chose to take this strategic right turn and follow the path of product creation is because the company recognized that many of these kinds of situations exist. But if you look at the development from a bigger-picture perspective, it’s also the next logical step in the company’s multi-year process of driving higher value creation and helping build more complete solutions. Several years back, Arm extende...
(RTTNews) - Shares of GrafTech International Ltd. (EAF) are moving up about 14 percent on Thursday morning trading, after the company announced an increase in graphite electrode prices by a minimum of $600 to $1,200 per metric ton, depending on region, effective immediately on un
(RTTNews) - Shares of GrafTech International Ltd. (EAF) are moving up about 14 percent on Thursday morning trading, after the company announced an increase in graphite electrode prices by a minimum of $600 to $1,200 per metric ton, depending on region, effective immediately on un
GlobalFoundries ( GFS ) filed lawsuits in the U.S. ITC and a Texas federal court accusing Tower Semiconductor ( TSEM ) of patent infringement. The complaints allege Tower unlawfully used GF’s semiconductor manufacturing technologies without licensing. GF claims infringement of 11 U.S. patents tied to critical chip technologies for mobile, automotive, aerospace, and communications sectors. The comp...
GlobalFoundries ( GFS ) filed lawsuits in the U.S. ITC and a Texas federal court accusing Tower Semiconductor ( TSEM ) of patent infringement. The complaints allege Tower unlawfully used GF’s semiconductor manufacturing technologies without licensing. GF claims infringement of 11 U.S. patents tied to critical chip technologies for mobile, automotive, aerospace, and communications sectors. The company is seeking to block Tower’s import and sale of allegedly infringing products in the U.S. and recover lost profits. GF says Tower avoided costly R&D by exploiting its patented innovations instead of developing its own capabilities. TSEM shares down 3.3%. More on GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Tower Semiconductor Tower Semiconductor: Pure-Play Israeli Foundry In A Boom Cycle Tower Semiconductor: Buy The Story, Respect The Risks GlobalFoundries: I'm Maintaining A Neutral View After The Secondary Offering Tower Semiconductor having control of TPSCo likely means 'meaningful upside:' Wedbush Tower Semiconductor to assume full control of TPSCo’s 12-inch business, eyes fourfold capacity boost
Anton Zacon/iStock via Getty Images Artificial intelligence-dependent services and ancillaries have seen skyrocketing growth in recent years. While the AI chip market is the biggest beneficiary of this surge, local tech infrastructure like CPUs, storage, and networking is also witnessing a strong demand tailwind. A recent report by tech researcher Omdia ( TTGT ) showed that global spending on clou...
Anton Zacon/iStock via Getty Images Artificial intelligence-dependent services and ancillaries have seen skyrocketing growth in recent years. While the AI chip market is the biggest beneficiary of this surge, local tech infrastructure like CPUs, storage, and networking is also witnessing a strong demand tailwind. A recent report by tech researcher Omdia ( TTGT ) showed that global spending on cloud infrastructure services rose 29% Y/Y to $110.9B in Q4 2025. This was the sixth consecutive quarter in which the market expanded by more than 20%. “As enterprise AI adoption increasingly centers on agents, workflows, and data integration, organizations require infrastructure environments that can be effectively orchestrated, scaled, and governed. This reinforces the role of cloud platforms as the operational foundation for AI while continuing to support the migration of both traditional and emerging workloads to the cloud,” the research report said. Who’s leading the cloud infrastructure race? With a 32% market share, Amazon's ( AMZN ) AWS retained its position as the leader of the global cloud infrastructure market. It saw a growth of 24% in the fourth quarter and reported a backlog of $244B, representing sustained demand. Omdia Microsoft Azure ( MSFT ) was second on the list with a market share of 22% and Y/Y revenue growth of 39%. Google Cloud ( GOOGL ) ( GOOG ), which expanded its market share to 12%, was the third-largest cloud service provider. It recorded a Y/Y growth of 50%—the highest among its peers. At the end of Q4, Google Cloud reported a backlog of $240B, up 52% sequentially. The road ahead Going forward, spending on cloud infra is expected to see a 27% rise in 2026. The rising demand is also pushing these hyperscalers to ramp up capital spending to accelerate AI infrastructure expansion. AWS expects capital expenditure to hit about $200B in 2026, more than 50% higher than the roughly $132B spent in 2025. Microsoft reported quarterly capex of $37.5B, up nearl...
Bond and money-market funds led the latest expansion. Photo: VCG Assets under management in China’s mutual funds and private funds rose to record levels in February 2026, as investors sought refuge in lower-risk products. The gains underscore a tilt toward steady returns amid volatility in domestic equities, with fresh money flowing mainly into bond and money-market funds rather than stock portfol...
Bond and money-market funds led the latest expansion. Photo: VCG Assets under management in China’s mutual funds and private funds rose to record levels in February 2026, as investors sought refuge in lower-risk products. The gains underscore a tilt toward steady returns amid volatility in domestic equities, with fresh money flowing mainly into bond and money-market funds rather than stock portfolios. Total net assets of mutual funds climbed for an 11th straight month, reaching 38.6 trillion yuan ($5.6 trillion) at the end of February, up 2.2% from January, according to data the Asset Management Association of China released on March 25. Mutual-fund assets first topped 35 trillion yuan in July 2025 and have continued to rise since.