"The Discombobulator": Trump Admits Secret Weapon Used In US Operation To Capture Maduro Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump has revealed that U.S. forces used a secret weapon to disable Venezuelan military equipment in the Jan. 3 operation that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. “The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Tru...
"The Discombobulator": Trump Admits Secret Weapon Used In US Operation To Capture Maduro Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump has revealed that U.S. forces used a secret weapon to disable Venezuelan military equipment in the Jan. 3 operation that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. “The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post published on Jan. 24. Trump said the weapon disabled Venezuelan equipment during the operation, enabling U.S. forces to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. “They never got their rockets off. They had Russian and Chinese rockets, and they never got one off. We came in, they pressed buttons, and nothing worked. They were all set for us,” he said. The president did not explain how the weapon worked or how it was deployed. This comment from the president fits with the alleged eye-witness account, as we previously posted : Security Guard : At one point, they launched something—I don't know how to describe it... it was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move . In a Fox News interview aired on Jan. 3, Trump said the special operations forces who conducted the raid “rehearsed and practiced like nobody’s ever seen,” and had built a model version of the location they operated in. He said Maduro “was in a house that was more like a fortress than a house.” “It had steel doors. It had what they call the safety space, where it’s, you know, solid steel all around,” Trump told the news outlet. “He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that. We were prepared.” At least 32 Cuban officers deployed to assist Maduro in Venezuela were killed in the U.S. attack , ...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — J. Powell Brown Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — R. Andrew Watts TAKEAWAYS Total Revenues -- $1.606 billion, representing 35.4% growth. -- $1.606 billion, representing 35.4% growth. Organic Revenue Growth (Consolidated) -- 3.5% organic growth; Ret...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — J. Powell Brown Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — R. Andrew Watts TAKEAWAYS Total Revenues -- $1.606 billion, representing 35.4% growth. -- $1.606 billion, representing 35.4% growth. Organic Revenue Growth (Consolidated) -- 3.5% organic growth; Retail contributed 2.7% and Specialty Distribution delivered 4.6%. -- 3.5% organic growth; Retail contributed 2.7% and Specialty Distribution delivered 4.6%. Adjusted EBITDAC Margin -- 36.6%, up 170 basis points. -- 36.6%, up 170 basis points. Adjusted Earnings Per Share -- $1.05, reflecting an increase of over 15%. -- $1.05, reflecting an increase of over 15%. Acquisition Activity -- 7 acquisitions completed, including Accession, with estimated annual revenues of $1.7 billion. -- 7 acquisitions completed, including Accession, with estimated annual revenues of $1.7 billion. Accession Contribution -- For August and September, generated $285 million in revenue with margins aligned to expectations but slightly below full-year guidance due to seasonality. -- For August and September, generated $285 million in revenue with margins aligned to expectations but slightly below full-year guidance due to seasonality. Contingent Commissions -- Increased $46 million, $12 million from Accession. -- Increased $46 million, $12 million from Accession. Specialty Distribution Segment -- Total revenues up 30%; margin declined 110 basis points to 43.9%, primarily due to addition of Accession with lower margins. -- Total revenues up 30%; margin declined 110 basis points to 43.9%, primarily due to addition of Accession with lower margins. Retail Segment Margin -- Increased 150 basis points to 28%; driven by cost management and Accession, partially offset by Quintes' seasonality. -- Increased 150 basis points to 28%; driven by cost management and Accession, partially offset by Quintes' seasonality. D...
UK loses measles elimination status The UK has lost its measles elimination status, the World Health Organization has announced. The move was based on the spread of cases in 2024 when there were nearly 3,000 cases in England and Wales. Elimination status means there is no sustained transmission so this decision was largely expected, given the scale of the outbreaks in 2024. There were close to 1,0...
UK loses measles elimination status The UK has lost its measles elimination status, the World Health Organization has announced. The move was based on the spread of cases in 2024 when there were nearly 3,000 cases in England and Wales. Elimination status means there is no sustained transmission so this decision was largely expected, given the scale of the outbreaks in 2024. There were close to 1,000 cases last year as well. The move is also a reflection of the fact vaccination rates are below the 95% threshold required to achieve herd immunity - when enough people in a community are vaccinated against a disease, making it hard for the pathogen to spread.
Get Into Cryptocurrency Trading Today AAPL Chart | TradingView AAPL Momentum Shift: The Signals Smart Money Is Watching In the high-stakes world of investing, Apple Inc. (AAPL) once again finds itself at a pivotal junction. While the iconic company remains a cornerstone of countless portfolios, recent market maneuvers signal a fascinating dance between risk and opportunity that could shape its nea...
Get Into Cryptocurrency Trading Today AAPL Chart | TradingView AAPL Momentum Shift: The Signals Smart Money Is Watching In the high-stakes world of investing, Apple Inc. (AAPL) once again finds itself at a pivotal junction. While the iconic company remains a cornerstone of countless portfolios, recent market maneuvers signal a fascinating dance between risk and opportunity that could shape its near-term trajectory. For those who think Apple’s celebrated innovations alone dictate its stock movements, think again. Below the surface, a complex web of technical signals, macroeconomic influences, and strategic alliances is weaving a narrative that could redefine expectations. And amidst this whirlwind, the allure of AAPL has never been more electrifying. Apple's current price sits at approximately $248.04, following a trajectory that has sparked debates across trading desks. With the Relative Strength Index (RSI) plummeting to a strikingly low 22.27, AAPL teeters on the edge of being deemed "strongly oversold." This condition might typically provoke a buying frenzy, but a deeper dive reveals an unfolding drama far more intricate. Smart investors are using AI-powered analysis tools to spot these patterns early, adding another layer to this financial theater. Market Context: A Broader Picture The landscape is painted with the broad strokes of a Risk-On environment, driven by rising indices like SPY and QQQ. This sentiment often signals an investor willingness to embrace risk, providing fertile ground for growth-oriented stocks like AAPL. Simultaneously, a weaker US Dollar presents a favorable exchange backdrop for Apple’s multinational revenue streams, enhancing its appeal. Yet, the macroeconomic undercurrent whispers caution. Declining bond yields might traditionally buoy growth stocks, but the tale is not that straightforward this time. With every tick of the ticker, investors question whether these conditions will sustain the lofty valuations or precipitate a cold marke...
hapabapa Citi started off coverage on Dutch Bros ( BROS ) with a Buy rating. The firm sees strong underlying brand fundamentals for the chain and discrete near-term drivers that can drive comparable sales upside. "We believe BROS has proven its portability across the US, and, beyond a multi-year brand funnel tailwind (driven by footprint expansion and a fast-growing marketing budget), other key SS...
hapabapa Citi started off coverage on Dutch Bros ( BROS ) with a Buy rating. The firm sees strong underlying brand fundamentals for the chain and discrete near-term drivers that can drive comparable sales upside. "We believe BROS has proven its portability across the US, and, beyond a multi-year brand funnel tailwind (driven by footprint expansion and a fast-growing marketing budget), other key SSS levers are set to layer into the story in the coming 12-24 months (food, throughput efforts, MOAP)," updated analyst Jon Tower. Looking at the long-term setup, Tower and his team believe the on-trend BROS concept is well positioned to win market share despite the firm's overall muted view of the coffee-away-from-home market. It was noted that potential tailwinds in the BROS model outweigh potential headwinds. Citi set a price target of $82 on Dutch Bros ( BROS ). Shares of BROS were down 1.1% in early trading on Monday to $60.23 vs. the 52-week range of $47.16 to $86.88. Short interest on the restaurant stock stands at 9.7% of the total float. More on Dutch Bros Dutch Bros: A High-Growth Coffee Chain With Long-Term Upside Still Brewing Dutch Bros: One Of My Favorite Non-Tech Growth Plays Currently Dutch Bros: An Undervalued Growth Opportunity Dutch Bros adds Clutch Coffee as its first notable M&A deal Dutch Bros is tipped by Apptopia to extend its streak of topping sales expectations
In this article GOOGL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Todd Haselton | CNBC Google agreed to pay $68 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated assistant spied inappropriately on smartphone users, violating their privacy. A preliminary class action settlement was filed late Friday night in the San Jose, California federal court, and requires approval by U.S....
In this article GOOGL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Todd Haselton | CNBC Google agreed to pay $68 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated assistant spied inappropriately on smartphone users, violating their privacy. A preliminary class action settlement was filed late Friday night in the San Jose, California federal court, and requires approval by U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman. Smartphone users accused Google, a unit of Alphabet, of illegally recording and disseminating private conversations after Google Assistant was triggered, in order to send them targeted advertising. Google Assistant is designed to react when people use "hot words" such as "Hey Google" or "Okay Google," similar to Apple's Siri. Users objected to receiving ads after Google Assistant misperceived what they said as hot words, known as "false accepts." Apple reached a similar $95 million settlement with smartphone users in December 2024. Google denied wrongdoing, but settled to avoid the risk, cost and uncertainty of litigation, court papers show. The Mountain View, California-based company declined to comment on Monday. The settlement covers people who bought Google devices or were subjected to false accepts since May 18, 2016, court papers show. Lawyers for plaintiffs may seek up to one-third of the settlement fund, or about $22.7 million, for legal fees.
Earnings from the Magnificent 7 tech companies start rolling in this week. Meta, Tesla and Apple will be among the most closely watched. Mandeep Singh of Bloomberg Intelligence and Momei Qu of PSP Growth talk about what to look for on Bloomberg Surveillance.
Earnings from the Magnificent 7 tech companies start rolling in this week. Meta, Tesla and Apple will be among the most closely watched. Mandeep Singh of Bloomberg Intelligence and Momei Qu of PSP Growth talk about what to look for on Bloomberg Surveillance.
Funtap/iStock via Getty Images The S&P 500 ( SPX ) experienced some geopolitical turmoil during the holiday-shortened trading week ending on Friday, 23 January 2026. The index plunged two percent on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, thanks to a one-two punch. One of the punches was delivered by President Trump's weekend announcement he would impose new tariffs on European nations opposing his initiative t...
Funtap/iStock via Getty Images The S&P 500 ( SPX ) experienced some geopolitical turmoil during the holiday-shortened trading week ending on Friday, 23 January 2026. The index plunged two percent on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, thanks to a one-two punch. One of the punches was delivered by President Trump's weekend announcement he would impose new tariffs on European nations opposing his initiative to acquire Greenland from Denmark. That action had sent European stock prices lower before contributing to the U.S. stock market's drop. The good news here, however, is that by Thursday, the dispute was resolved and stock prices recovered. The second punch was delivered by a developing crisis for Japan's economy. On Tuesday, 20 January 2026, the nation's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, announced plans for a snap election to secure a mandate for much higher government spending. That's a problem because Japan's central bank has been struggling to control inflation, which the new spending is expected to aggravate. The response by markets has been to send Japanese government bonds and its currency plunging, which has a global impact. This developing crisis has not yet been resolved. In reaction to all this and other market-moving news, the U.S. stock market rebounded, but not all the way. The S&P 500 closed out the week at 6,915.61 , down 0.35% from its previous week's close. It's not often we can point to geopolitical events as contributing anything more than noise to the trajectory of stock prices. The latest update of the alternative futures chart shows the S&P 500's trajectory is where it would be expected to be for investors focusing on the upcoming future quarter of 2026-Q2. As for why, one major reason is provided by the CME Group's FedWatch Tool , which continues to project the Fed will hold the Federal Funds Rate steady until 17 June (2026-Q2), when it anticipates a 77% probability for a quarter-point rate cut. The tool forecasts a better than 50% chance of another ...
Victor Golmer/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis BASF SE ( BASFY ) is the largest chemical company in the world. It’s a German industrial heavyweight that’s been around for over 160 years. The portfolio is massive, stretching from basic chemicals and materials to industrial solutions, surface technologies, nutrition, and crop science. Seeking Alpha From a momentum standpoint, over the past y...
Victor Golmer/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis BASF SE ( BASFY ) is the largest chemical company in the world. It’s a German industrial heavyweight that’s been around for over 160 years. The portfolio is massive, stretching from basic chemicals and materials to industrial solutions, surface technologies, nutrition, and crop science. Seeking Alpha From a momentum standpoint, over the past year, BASFY’s share price has outpaced the S&P 500 ( SP500 ), even as performance over the three-, five-, and ten-year windows continues to lag by a wide margin. Seeking Alpha To me, that suggests investors are starting to see something tangible improving under the hood, but it’s also clear this is not a position for those looking for instant gratification. Nevertheless, after reviewing the BASF Group’s preliminary figures , I'm inclined to have a bullish outlook on the company’s shares backed by a strong cash flow yield, improving free cash flow, an active buyback, and a dividend yield around 4.6%. Not a Breakout, but a Base Digging into BASF’s preliminary 2025 figures , sales came in at €59.7 billion, essentially right where analysts thought they would land. Volumes edged higher as well, helping to offset pressure from unfavorable currency movements and slight price declines. While chemical operations earlier in the production process continued to face tighter profit margins, businesses further along the supply chain helped balance out those pressures. Surface Technologies, in particular, didn’t fall apart. A 4% bump in global light vehicle production was enough to keep demand pointed in roughly the right direction. The real standout here is free cash flow, which climbed to €1.3 billion. That’s nearly double the €0.7 billion posted a year earlier and well ahead of the €0.6 billion analysts were expecting. A big part of that improvement came from tighter discipline on capital spending, which was cut to €4.3 billion from €6.2 billion in 2024. Due to the flexibility that this...
Amidst the fast-paced and highly competitive business environment of today, conducting comprehensive company analysis is essential for investors and industry enthusiasts. In this article, we will delve into an extensive industry comparison, evaluating Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) in comparison to its major competitors within the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry. By analyzing crit...
Amidst the fast-paced and highly competitive business environment of today, conducting comprehensive company analysis is essential for investors and industry enthusiasts. In this article, we will delve into an extensive industry comparison, evaluating Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) in comparison to its major competitors within the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry. By analyzing critical financial metrics, market position, and growth potential, our objective is to provide valuable insights for investors and offer a deeper understanding of company's performance in the industry. Micron Technology Background Micron is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world, specializing in memory and storage chips. Its primary revenue stream comes from dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, and it also has minority exposure to not-and or NAND, flash chips. Micron serves a global customer base, selling chips into data centers, mobile phones, consumer electronics, and industrial and automotive applications. The firm is vertically integrated. Company P/E P/B P/S ROE EBITDA (in billions) Gross Profit (in billions) Revenue Growth Micron Technology Inc 37.99 7.65 10.66 9.28% $8.35 $7.65 56.65% NVIDIA Corp 46.45 38.36 24.65 29.14% $38.75 $41.85 62.49% Broadcom Inc 67.10 18.67 24.31 11.02% $9.86 $12.25 28.18% Advanced Micro Devices Inc 135.96 6.95 13.24 2.06% $2.11 $4.78 35.59% Texas Instruments Inc 35.21 10.56 10.25 8.21% $2.24 $2.72 14.24% Qualcomm Inc 31.10 7.85 3.89 -12.88% $3.51 $6.24 10.03% Analog Devices Inc 67.02 4.42 13.77 2.32% $1.47 $1.94 25.91% Marvell Technology Inc 28.25 4.84 8.94 13.84% $2.58 $1.07 36.83% NXP Semiconductors NV 28.74 5.82 4.92 6.43% $1.11 $1.79 -2.37% Monolithic Power Systems Inc 27.29 14.28 19.25 5.12% $0.21 $0.41 18.88% First Solar Inc 18.58 2.88 5.15 5.19% $0.61 $0.61 79.67% ON Semiconductor Corp 84.90 3.15 4.19 3.22% $0.44 $0.59 -11.98% Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd 114.79 18.70 31.95 7.99% $0.09 $0.18 272.08% Tower Semicon...