Angola plans a $1.4 billion debt-for-health swap this year, the finance ministry said in a borrowing plan. The swap would allow part of the country’s commercial debt to be restructured in exchange for spending commitments on public health, the ministry said in the plan presented on Tuesday. It didn’t give further details.
Angola plans a $1.4 billion debt-for-health swap this year, the finance ministry said in a borrowing plan. The swap would allow part of the country’s commercial debt to be restructured in exchange for spending commitments on public health, the ministry said in the plan presented on Tuesday. It didn’t give further details.
GM Shares Surge 7% After Surpassing Q4 Estimates, Raising Guidance, Planning $6B Stock Buyback General Motors exceeded Wall Street’s fourth-quarter earnings expectations and forecast another year of “strong financial performance” in 2026. While revenue fell slightly short, the company announced a 20% dividend increase and a new $6 billion stock buyback program, according to CNBC and GM . GM report...
GM Shares Surge 7% After Surpassing Q4 Estimates, Raising Guidance, Planning $6B Stock Buyback General Motors exceeded Wall Street’s fourth-quarter earnings expectations and forecast another year of “strong financial performance” in 2026. While revenue fell slightly short, the company announced a 20% dividend increase and a new $6 billion stock buyback program, according to CNBC and GM . GM reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.51, beating estimates of $2.20, though revenue of $45.29 billion missed expectations. Shares rose about 7% in early trading. For 2026, GM projects net income of $10.3 billion to $11.7 billion, adjusted EBIT of $13 billion to $15 billion, and earnings per share between $11 and $13. These forecasts reflect continued investment of $10 billion to $12 billion as the company reevaluates its shift toward electric vehicles. CEO Mary Barra said GM expects North American profit margins of 8% to 10% this year, up from 6.8% in 2025. She added that GM remains “in a strong position to return capital to shareholders.” In 2025, GM posted net income of $2.7 billion and adjusted EBIT of $12.7 billion, both down sharply from 2024. Revenue fell 1.3% to $185.02 billion. The company reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $3.3 billion, driven largely by more than $7.2 billion in special charges tied to EV cutbacks, legal issues, restructuring in China, and the shutdown of Cruise. Barra said GM’s smaller Detroit headquarters is expected to save “hundreds of millions of dollars” each year. The report says that the new buyback and dividend increase to 18 cents per share continue GM’s effort to reduce shares outstanding, which fell to 904 million at the end of 2025. North America remained GM’s strongest region, though profits declined 28.1% to $10.45 billion. International operations improved, while losses in China narrowed. CFO Paul Jacobson said U.S. tariffs cost GM $3.1 billion in 2025. Barra said the company is “hopeful” the U.S. and South Korea will finalize a...
Gerville/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Oppenheimer on Tuesday reshuffled its ratings across several large-cap industrial names, upgrading W.W. Grainger ( GWW ) and TE Connectivity ( TEL ) while moving Emerson Electric ( EMR ) and Ametek ( AME ) to a more neutral stance as their shares approach valuation targets. In a research note dated Jan. 27, analyst Christopher Glynn said the changes were...
Gerville/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Oppenheimer on Tuesday reshuffled its ratings across several large-cap industrial names, upgrading W.W. Grainger ( GWW ) and TE Connectivity ( TEL ) while moving Emerson Electric ( EMR ) and Ametek ( AME ) to a more neutral stance as their shares approach valuation targets. In a research note dated Jan. 27, analyst Christopher Glynn said the changes were not driven by expectations around fourth-quarter earnings, but rather by relative valuation, growth visibility and longer-term earnings trajectories across the group. Emerson ( EMR ) and Ametek ( AME ) were downgraded to Perform from Outperform after strong share price appreciation brought both stocks close to Oppenheimer’s prior price targets. Glynn said Emerson’s ( EMR ) valuation now reflects investor confidence in its consistent organic growth, with the company delivering roughly 20 consecutive quarters of positive organic expansion. Ametek ( AME ), meanwhile, is trading at about 26 times Oppenheimer’s 2027 earnings estimate, a level the firm views as well within its historical valuation range. While Oppenheimer sees room for modest additional multiple expansion at Emerson ( EMR ) over time, the firm said upside appears limited in the near term given the company’s back-half-weighted fiscal 2026 growth profile. Price targets for both Emerson ( EMR ) and Ametek ( AME ) were removed in line with the firm’s convention for Perform-rated stocks. Upgrading W.W. Grainger, TE Connectivity By contrast, Oppenheimer upgraded W.W. Grainger ( GWW ) to Outperform and set a 12- to 18-month price target of $1,250, implying roughly 25 times projected 2027 earnings. Glynn highlighted Grainger’s ( GWW ) ability to consistently outgrow the U.S. maintenance, repair and operations market by 4% to 5% annually, supported by share gains, pricing power and expanding use of artificial intelligence across its operations. The firm expects pricing to contribute meaningfully to Grainger’s results in ...
deberarr Wall Street's major averages were mixed on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 (SP500) and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP:IND) advancing despite new tariff threats. Investors also turned their focus on important tech companies reporting this week, including Microsoft ( MSFT ), Meta ( META ), Tesla ( TSLA ), and Apple ( AAPL ). The benchmark S&P 500 ( SP500 ) was last +0.4% in late morning trade, while ...
deberarr Wall Street's major averages were mixed on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 (SP500) and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP:IND) advancing despite new tariff threats. Investors also turned their focus on important tech companies reporting this week, including Microsoft ( MSFT ), Meta ( META ), Tesla ( TSLA ), and Apple ( AAPL ). The benchmark S&P 500 ( SP500 ) was last +0.4% in late morning trade, while the Nasdaq ( COMP:IND ) was +0.9%, and the blue-chip Dow ( DJI ) was -1%. “Performance disparities in technology ( XLK ) aren’t limited to geography as they’re equally prevalent across U.S. market cap ranges; it ranks as second-worst performer among large-caps YTD while it’s outperforming 3% in small-cap space; conversely, communication services ( XLC ) shows opposite: S&P 500 ( SP500 ) sector leads its parent index by 1.3%, whereas the S&P SmallCap 600 ( SP600 ) version lags small-cap benchmark by 5.7%,” said Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Schwab Center for Financial Research. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would be slapping 25% tariffs on South Korean autos, lumber, pharmaceuticals, and other goods, up from 15%. On the other hand, a U.S.-India trade deal was confirmed on Tuesday, which would gradually cut tariffs on most imports. In addition, gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) continues reaching new highs, touching almost $5,100 on Tuesday. “Everyone asks why gold is hitting records. Simple: central banks don’t trust their own money anymore. When the issuers run for gold, you should probably pay attention,” said Marc-André Fongern, former Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs investment banker. Over in the bond market, the 10-year yield ( US10Y ) was 1 basis point lower to 4.21%, while the short-end 2-year yield ( US2Y ) slipped 2 basis points to 3.58%. On interest rates, the Federal Reserve is expected to keep rates the same at 3.5%-3.75% during its Jan. 27-28 meeting. According to the CME FedWatch Tool , 97.2% of investors are sure of it. More on the ma...
In this article AMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The exterior of an Amazon Fresh grocery store is seen on December 12, 2024 in Federal Way, Washington. David Ryder | Getty Images Amazon said Tuesday it plans to sunset its Fresh and Go brick-and-mortar chains, marking a major pivot in the company's grocery strategy. "After a careful evaluation of the business and how we can best...
In this article AMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The exterior of an Amazon Fresh grocery store is seen on December 12, 2024 in Federal Way, Washington. David Ryder | Getty Images Amazon said Tuesday it plans to sunset its Fresh and Go brick-and-mortar chains, marking a major pivot in the company's grocery strategy. "After a careful evaluation of the business and how we can best serve customers, we've made the difficult decision to close our Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, converting various locations into Whole Foods Market stores," the company wrote in a blog post. Amazon said the closures are part of an effort to prioritize investments, noting it still plans to roll out other brick-and-mortar concepts, including "a mass physical store format." This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
nemke/E+ via Getty Images Article Thesis UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ( UNH ) reported its most recent earnings results on Tuesday morning. The company's profits were in line with estimates, but revenues missed the analyst consensus, and UNH's revenue guidance for the current year is considerably lower than what many had expected. Shares slumped by more than 15% initially, which seems like an o...
nemke/E+ via Getty Images Article Thesis UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ( UNH ) reported its most recent earnings results on Tuesday morning. The company's profits were in line with estimates, but revenues missed the analyst consensus, and UNH's revenue guidance for the current year is considerably lower than what many had expected. Shares slumped by more than 15% initially, which seems like an overreaction to me -- while UNH isn't a low-risk stock, it could generate attractive returns in the long run from the current level. Past Coverage I have written about UnitedHealth Group here on Seeking Alpha in the past, most recently in October, when I covered the company's Q3 report. I noted that risks were elevated, but that there were also positives in the company's recent performance, such as solid customer growth. With one quarter having passed since my last article on UNH, and with the market reacting very heavily to the company's Q4 report, it is time for me to cover UnitedHealth again today. What Happened? UnitedHealth Group released its Q4 earnings results on Tuesday morning, before the market opened. These were the headline results : UnitedHealth Group Q4 results (Seeking Alpha) We see that the company hit the consensus earnings per share estimate, which isn't great, but far from bad. The company missed the revenue consensus by around 0.5% -- far from ideal, but to me, this doesn't seem dramatic, either. And yet, at the time of writing, shares trade down by 16% -- a move that would destroy around $50 billion in market capitalization if it holds throughout the day. This may be partially explained by a weaker-than-expected revenue guide -- more on that later -- but to me, this huge price reaction still seems overblown. UnitedHealth's Q4: Well-Known Bad Trends Starting with UNH's top line, we see that year-over-year growth came in at 12%, which is relatively in line with the performance from the previous two quarters and better than the ~10% revenue increase in Q1 2...
As the fourth-quarter 2025 earnings season begins for the auto sector, investors are closely watching U.S. auto giants Tesla TSLA and Ford F to determine which stock is better positioned ahead of results. Tesla is scheduled to report earnings tomorrow, while Ford will release its quarterly results on Feb. 10. Q4 Earnings Whispers for TSLA & F The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TSLA’s to-be-reported ...
As the fourth-quarter 2025 earnings season begins for the auto sector, investors are closely watching U.S. auto giants Tesla TSLA and Ford F to determine which stock is better positioned ahead of results. Tesla is scheduled to report earnings tomorrow, while Ford will release its quarterly results on Feb. 10. Q4 Earnings Whispers for TSLA & F The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TSLA’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at 45 cents per share and $25.1 billion, respectively. In the trailing four quarters, the company missed EPS estimates on three occasions and beat on the other, with the average negative earnings surprise being 11.1%. The consensus mark for F’s EPS and automotive revenues is 17 cents and $41 billion, respectively. Ford’s earnings surprise history is solid. In the past four quarters, the company beat the estimates each time. While our proprietary model predicts an earnings beat for Ford, it does not conclusively predict one for Tesla. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Tesla carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and has an Earnings ESP of +1.11%. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Ford has an Earnings ESP of +10.85% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Factors to Shape Tesla & Ford’s Upcoming Results In the fourth quarter of 2025, Tesla sold 418,227 vehicles (comprising 406,585 Model 3/Y and 11,642 other models), down 16% from the corresponding quarter of 2024. The deliveries also lagged our model estimate of 448,384 units. Withdrawal of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit and intense competition from Chinese EV makers weighed on Tesla’s sales in the fourth quarter of 2025. In the fourth quarter of...
Rwanda takes legal action against UK over axed migrant deal 11 minutes ago Share Save Joshua Nevett Political reporter Share Save PA Media The Rwandan government has launched legal action against the UK to seek payments it claims it is owed under a scrapped migrant deal between the two countries. Rwanda has filed a case with the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, arguing the UK has ...
Rwanda takes legal action against UK over axed migrant deal 11 minutes ago Share Save Joshua Nevett Political reporter Share Save PA Media The Rwandan government has launched legal action against the UK to seek payments it claims it is owed under a scrapped migrant deal between the two countries. Rwanda has filed a case with the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, arguing the UK has failed to honour commitments made in a deal to send some asylum seekers to the African nation. Under the deal, which was signed by the previous Conservative government, the UK agreed to make payments to Rwanda to host asylum seekers and support its economy. But after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer axed the deal in 2024, the Home Office said £220m in "scheduled future payments will not have to be paid" to Rwanda. The BBC has asked the Home Office for comment. The prime minister's spokesman said the government would "robustly defend our position to protect British taxpayers". "The Rwanda scheme was a complete disaster," the spokesman told reporters. "It wasted £700m of taxpayer cash to return just four volunteers." The Rwandan government has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment. But the country's ministry of foreign affairs pointed us towards an article about the arbitration proceedings in the New Times, a Rwandan newspaper. The article says the arbitration "concerns the performance of specific commitments under the treaty". The previous Conservative government spent some £700m on the Rwanda policy, which was intended to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. Only four volunteers arrived in Rwanda when the deal was in force and Sir Keir said the plan was "dead and buried", shortly after Labour won the 2024 general election. The deal included a break clause, which said "each party may terminate this agreement by giving notice to the other party in writing". The £700m included £290m of payments to Rwanda. In December 2024, the Home Office s...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Jan. 27, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET Call participants Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer — John Ketchum Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — Mike Dunne Chief Executive Officer, Florida Power and Light Company — Armando Pimentel President, Florida Power and Light Company — Scott Borys President and Chief Executive Officer, NextEra Energy Resourc...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Jan. 27, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET Call participants Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer — John Ketchum Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — Mike Dunne Chief Executive Officer, Florida Power and Light Company — Armando Pimentel President, Florida Power and Light Company — Scott Borys President and Chief Executive Officer, NextEra Energy Resources — Brian Bolster Executive Vice President — Mark Hickson Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Adjusted EPS -- $3.71, up over 8%, and finished above the communicated top end of the guidance range. -- $3.71, up over 8%, and finished above the communicated top end of the guidance range. Target compound annual EPS growth -- 8% plus through 2032, with the same growth rate targeted through 2035, all off the 2025 base. -- 8% plus through 2032, with the same growth rate targeted through 2035, all off the 2025 base. FPL capital investment -- $8.9 billion for the year, including $2.1 billion in Q4, backing planned infrastructure growth. -- $8.9 billion for the year, including $2.1 billion in Q4, backing planned infrastructure growth. FPL four-year rate agreement -- Approved with a midpoint allowed ROE of 10.95%, equity ratio of 59%, and rate stabilization and large load tariff provisions. -- Approved with a midpoint allowed ROE of 10.95%, equity ratio of 59%, and rate stabilization and large load tariff provisions. FPL customer cost control -- FPL’s non-fuel O&M is more than 71% below industry average, supporting customer rates that are over 30% below the national average. -- FPL’s non-fuel O&M is more than 71% below industry average, supporting customer rates that are over 30% below the national average. FPL retail sales growth -- 1.7% increase for the year on a weather-normalized basis, mainly from customer growth exceeding 90,000 new accounts. -- 1.7% increase for the year on a weather-normalized basis, mainly from customer growth exceeding ...
IMSA provided accommodation so Ars could attend its symposium and the Rolex 24. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—The annual 24 hour race that kicks off the American racing season took place this past weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Each year, the crowd gets bigger and bigger, drawn in large part by the hybrid prototypes that contest the GTP class for overa...
IMSA provided accommodation so Ars could attend its symposium and the Rolex 24. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—The annual 24 hour race that kicks off the American racing season took place this past weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Each year, the crowd gets bigger and bigger, drawn in large part by the hybrid prototypes that contest the GTP class for overall victory. After Formula 1, these are some of the most complex, sophisticated race cars ever to turn a wheel—and it doesn't hurt that they look extremely cool too. But yet again, endurance racing wants to offer more than just entertainment. A large number of automotive technologies or safety features that we mostly take for granted today made their way into road cars from the race track . Seatbelts, rear view mirrors, turbocharged engines, aerodynamics, direct-injection engines, dual-clutch gearboxes, and more owe their existence to competition. Although, truth be told, direct examples of racing technology transfer in the mid-21st century seem less common than the intangible benefits gained when a bunch of motorsports-trained engineers have lunch every day with their road car colleagues. That is starting to change, though, but now the domain is in simulation. Vast amounts of data are generated during the course of a race—each of the 11 GTP cars that raced at Daytona collects 1,600 different channels of data from onboard sensors, with nearly as many on the GTD machines that are based on road-going cars like Porsche's 911 or Chevrolet's Corvette. With 60 cars running for 24 hours—and that's just the first race of the year—that's a heck of a lot of high-quality data being generated, and now IMSA wants to leverage that to help automotive and technology companies develop better simulation tools, with the creation of IMSA Labs. Read full article Comments
According to TheStreet, Alphabet (GOOGL), the parent company of Google, became just the fourth company in history to reach a $4 trillion valuation. Alphabet, fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) optimization, joined Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple as one of only four companies to reach this mark in recent years. Reuters noted that Alphabet recently surpassed Apple in market cap for the first time si...
According to TheStreet, Alphabet (GOOGL), the parent company of Google, became just the fourth company in history to reach a $4 trillion valuation. Alphabet, fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) optimization, joined Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple as one of only four companies to reach this mark in recent years. Reuters noted that Alphabet recently surpassed Apple in market cap for the first time since 2019 and that the stock surged by 65% in 2025. When a company experiences substantial growth, there are often concerns that its price could pull back. So with the stock rising significantly in 2025, this raises an important question for the average investor. Is it too late to invest in Google stock? GOBankingRates consulted experts to gather insights into investing in Google, based on recent market performance, the stock’s potential and how the AI boom could impact the outlook for 2026. The Upside of Google Stock “Alphabet had a massive run in 2025, with its stock up more than 60%,” said Rich Pleeth, an AI expert and the co-founder of Finmile. “They smashed their revenues, cloud demand and AI is growing exponentially, particularly with Nano-Banana and Gemini 3.5.” He believes that, even though the stock has risen significantly, there could be a new ceiling in 2026 due to the AI-related boom. With Google Cloud growing at 34%, Pleeth believes that the stock price could go up another 20% in 2026. “Looking at analyst targets that are already at the $385 to $415 range, which would put Alphabet at a $5 trillion market cap by the end of 2026,” he said. Pleeth expects Google to keep growing its dominance over the year with the introduction of new glasses hardware. Read More: Self-Made Millionaires Suggest 5 Stocks You Should Never Sell Check Out: 6 Safe Accounts Proven To Grow Your Money Up To 13x Faster Google Stock Is Worth Holding Right Now Jack Fu, an AI-based investing expert and the CEO of Draco Evolution, believes Google is a company worth holding in the midterm to lon...
There might be massive upside ahead for these drugmakers. The healthcare sector lagged broader equities last year. Novo Nordisk (NVO 2.00%) and Merck (MRK +0.45%), two pharmaceutical leaders, were among the underperformers. But here's the good news: There are solid reasons to think the two leading drugmakers will do much better this year. Here is why Novo Nordisk and Merck could rebound in 2026. 1...
There might be massive upside ahead for these drugmakers. The healthcare sector lagged broader equities last year. Novo Nordisk (NVO 2.00%) and Merck (MRK +0.45%), two pharmaceutical leaders, were among the underperformers. But here's the good news: There are solid reasons to think the two leading drugmakers will do much better this year. Here is why Novo Nordisk and Merck could rebound in 2026. 1. Novo Nordisk Last year, Novo Nordisk lost market share to its biggest competitor in the all-important weight management drug market. The company also experienced some clinical setbacks. However, the Denmark-based drugmaker could perform much better in 2026. First, Novo Nordisk has earned important label expansions for some of its products. Wegovy is now approved for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. An oral version of Wegovy became the first of its kind to receive approval for weight management. This product could help Novo Nordisk gain back some momentum in its main therapeutic area. Second, the healthcare leader could see some brand-new approvals hit the market. Novo Nordisk is awaiting regulatory approval for CagriSema, its next-gen anti-obesity drug that performed even better than semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) in late-stage clinical trials. Third, Novo Nordisk could also experience important clinical progress. For instance, the company's Amycretin is undergoing phase 3 studies in obesity. Expand NYSE : NVO Novo Nordisk Today's Change ( -2.00 %) $ -1.28 Current Price $ 62.70 Key Data Points Market Cap $216B Day's Range $ 62.49 - $ 63.48 52wk Range $ 43.08 - $ 93.80 Volume 136K Avg Vol 21M Gross Margin 81.93 % Dividend Yield 2.70 % It has both oral and subcutaneous formulations in late-stage trials. Amid all that, Novo Nordisk should report stronger financial results. That's why the company's outlook looks much better this year, and the stock could rebound. 2. Merck Merck's rebound has already started. The pharmaceutical gia...
For trucking, the stakes are exponentially higher. A fully loaded tractor-trailer at highway speed needs the length of a football field to stop under ideal conditions. At 55 miles per hour, looking down at a phone for five seconds means traveling 306 feet completely blind. Among younger drivers, the numbers are even more alarming. 55% of Gen Z and Millennial drivers acknowledge texting while drivi...
For trucking, the stakes are exponentially higher. A fully loaded tractor-trailer at highway speed needs the length of a football field to stop under ideal conditions. At 55 miles per hour, looking down at a phone for five seconds means traveling 306 feet completely blind. Among younger drivers, the numbers are even more alarming. 55% of Gen Z and Millennial drivers acknowledge texting while driving, compared to 33% of Boomers. Seven percent of drivers ages 15 to 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted, the highest proportion of any age group. The trend lines are moving in the wrong direction. The percentage of drivers observed manipulating handheld electronic devices while driving increased 36 percent between 2014 and 2023, from 2.2 percent to 3.0 percent. Nearly half of American drivers now admit to texting while driving, according to a 2024 survey by The Zebra. That’s a 31 percent increase from just three years earlier. Those numbers are almost certainly understated. NHTSA’s own analysis suggests the true annual death toll from distracted driving may exceed 10,000, roughly 29 percent of all traffic fatalities, because distraction is notoriously underreported at crash scenes. Dead drivers don’t confess to scrolling Instagram. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,275 people killed in distraction-affected crashes in 2023. An estimated 324,819 were injured. Police documented nearly 782,000 distraction-related crashes that year alone, representing 13 percent of all reported collisions. The camera saw everything. And now she wants the courts to unsee it. We’re living through a distracted driving epidemic, and it’s getting worse, not better. The footage went viral. Millions watched a nurse practitioner bury her face in her phone while piloting two tons of metal down a rural two-lane road before drifting into a mailbox and coming to rest against someone’s property. Now, in January 2026, she’s suing Turo, Meta, YouTube, and Reddit...
As the financial world approaches the one-year anniversary of the most volatile period in recent defense-tech history, investors remain haunted by the specter of "Black Monday" in February 2025. On February 24, 2025, shares of Palantir Technologies (NYSE: PLTR) plummeted 10.5% in a single trading session, wiping out billions in market capitalization and sending shockwaves through the Artificial In...
As the financial world approaches the one-year anniversary of the most volatile period in recent defense-tech history, investors remain haunted by the specter of "Black Monday" in February 2025. On February 24, 2025, shares of Palantir Technologies (NYSE: PLTR) plummeted 10.5% in a single trading session, wiping out billions in market capitalization and sending shockwaves through the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software sectors. The crash, which was triggered by a sudden and aggressive shift in U.S. government spending priorities, marked the end of the "AI honeymoon" and forced a brutal recalibration of how the market values companies dependent on federal contracts. This 10.5% decline was more than a momentary dip; it represented a fundamental pivot in investor sentiment. In the weeks leading up to the plunge, Palantir had reached record highs on a wave of enthusiasm for its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). However, the abrupt introduction of austerity measures at the Pentagon proved that even the most innovative "AI darlings" are not immune to the realities of fiscal discipline. Today, on January 27, 2026, as the market prepares for Palantir’s upcoming Q4 earnings report, the lessons of that February crash continue to dictate the company’s strategic maneuvers and its standing among institutional investors. The catalyst for the late February 2025 plunge was a leaked internal memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, first reported by the Washington Post. The directive ordered military leaders to draft plans for an immediate 8% annual reduction in the U.S. defense budget over a five-year period—a total cut of approximately $250 billion. This "efficiency mandate" was designed to satisfy the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by figures like Elon Musk, who sought to trim "bureaucratic bloat" in favor of streamlined, outcome-oriented programs. For Palantir, which derived nearly 45% of its 2024 revenue from government contracts, the ...
is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo’s new console Following the initial reveal last September, Nintendo has released a new trailer d...
is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo’s new console Following the initial reveal last September, Nintendo has released a new trailer detailing which Virtual Boy games will be available to Switch Online subscribers starting on February 17th alongside revamped headsets, and which titles will launch later this year. The company also revealed some new features for the games, including the option to change the color of Virtual Boy titles which were notoriously limited to only bright red on the original hardware. Both the $99.99 Virtual Boy headset accessory and the $24.99 cardboard version require a Switch or Switch 2 console to be inserted in order to play Virtual Boy games. The lineup of games launching alongside the accessories on February 17th include Teleroboxer, Galactic Pinball, Red Alarm, Golf, Virtual Boy Wario Land, 3-D Tetris, and The Mansion of Innsmouth. Virtual Boy titles coming later in 2026 include Mario Clash, Mario’s Tennis, Jack Bros., Space Invaders Virtual Collection, Virtual Bowling, Vertical Force, and V-Tetris. Nintendo Switch Online will also feature two previously unreleased Virtual Boy games “coming later this year.” Zero Racers, and D-Hopper. Players will be able to rewind and replay Virtual Boy games through the Switch Online service and remap controls. That’s especially useful as neither headset accessory includes the original Virtual Boy’s unique controller which featured a pair of D-pads. However, as welcome as the color changing feature will be when it also launches later this year, it will only be available for the more expensive Virtual Boy headset accessory and will require you to remove its lens cover first.
William_Potter/iStock via Getty Images By James Picerno Economists have long warned that US government debt is on an unsustainable upward path. Markets, however, have downplayed the risk of fiscal strain. But in the wake of a sharp rise in Japanese bond yields in recent days, concerns about fiscal profligacy are starting to focus minds and the macro implications are resonating across international...
William_Potter/iStock via Getty Images By James Picerno Economists have long warned that US government debt is on an unsustainable upward path. Markets, however, have downplayed the risk of fiscal strain. But in the wake of a sharp rise in Japanese bond yields in recent days, concerns about fiscal profligacy are starting to focus minds and the macro implications are resonating across international markets. A key question: Will the US Treasury market start to feel the heat, too? Earlier this month, TMC Research reasoned that Treasury yields could play a bigger role with determining the overall appetite for risk this year. At the moment, key US government yields continue to trade in a range, albeit after rising moderately in recent weeks. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield, for example, after briefly trading below the 4.0% mark in late-2025, last week rose above 4.30% for the first time since August before pulling back to end yesterday’s session at 4.22%. Global investors are closely monitoring the rise in Japanese bond yields, in part because the country’s long run of ultra-low rates appears to be fading. If the rise in yields continues in Japan, the effects could reverberate around the world and affect demand for government debt in other nations. One line of reasoning is that as Japan’s yields rise, the higher rates may attract assets - particularly in Asia - that previously flowed into US Treasuries. Japan’s 10-year yield, for instance, has in recent weeks jumped above 2% for the first time in more than 25 years. If the increase continues, Japan’s government bonds will become more competitive in the global hunt for buyers - an increasingly essential challenge as government debt levels rise. Nearly 13% of the US Treasury market is held by investors in Japan and throughout Asia. If Japanese bonds attract more buyers, the shift could be a factor that raises US yields if demand on the margin falls. Red Ink Risk Although it’s debatable if the Japan factor will directl...