Joe Yates , Prof Philip J Landrigan , Prof Jennifer Kirwan and Prof Jamie Davies respond to an article on doubts raised about studies on microplastics in the human body While it may be a belated Christmas present for the petrochemical industry, your article ( ‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body, 13 January ) was less surprising to the scientific community,...
Joe Yates , Prof Philip J Landrigan , Prof Jennifer Kirwan and Prof Jamie Davies respond to an article on doubts raised about studies on microplastics in the human body While it may be a belated Christmas present for the petrochemical industry, your article ( ‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body, 13 January ) was less surprising to the scientific community, where constructive debate around microplastic detection in humans has been ongoing for some time. Such debate is entirely normal – and essential – for scientific inquiry. New and novel methods must be tried, tested, critiqued, improved and tried again. Science is incremental and gradual – unlike the uncapped production and pollution of plastics, which contain thousands of hazardous chemicals. Decades of robust evidence demonstrates the harms that these inflict on people and planet. Continue reading...
Alderman Gregory Jones KC responds to an article by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett about her beloved untrendy cafe and subsequent letters on the subject Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s lament for the untrendy cafe reflects a view held by some that the operators of cafes on Hampstead Heath should never change ( I’m sick of avocado toast – I just want to keep my local, untrendy cafe, 12 January ). It is a position...
Alderman Gregory Jones KC responds to an article by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett about her beloved untrendy cafe and subsequent letters on the subject Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s lament for the untrendy cafe reflects a view held by some that the operators of cafes on Hampstead Heath should never change ( I’m sick of avocado toast – I just want to keep my local, untrendy cafe, 12 January ). It is a position rooted more in nostalgia than in the practical realities of managing public assets – and it overlooks several inconvenient facts. The long-standing reliance on short-term arrangements limited the cafes’ ability to invest in buildings, facilities and staff. This had to change. Moving to longer leases is not about change for its own sake, but about providing stability: enabling investment, fair pay and a sustainable future for customers. Continue reading...
Responding to a letter by Kathy Dalwood, Jennifer Gale says women have heard of Stuart Broad and Tracy Zussman commends sporting analogies. Plus a letter from Colin Prower Kathy Dalwood complains of articles “that make use of male sporting analogies” ( Letters, 18 January ). I think most female Guardian readers, unlike her, will have heard of Stuart Broad – we tend to be well informed in general, ...
Responding to a letter by Kathy Dalwood, Jennifer Gale says women have heard of Stuart Broad and Tracy Zussman commends sporting analogies. Plus a letter from Colin Prower Kathy Dalwood complains of articles “that make use of male sporting analogies” ( Letters, 18 January ). I think most female Guardian readers, unlike her, will have heard of Stuart Broad – we tend to be well informed in general, not just about other women. I have been attending men’s cricket matches for at least 40 years; apart from in the rowdy “party” stands, there are usually almost as many women as men in the crowd. Jennifer Gale Bideford, Devon • I am a female Guardian reader who knows who Stuart Broad is and understood the analogy of someone choosing not to walk. Some of us quite like analogies, sporting or otherwise, and don’t consider them to be akin to “blokey, pub-style chat”. I hope this example hasn’t pushed any readers over the edge – or should that be the outside edge? Tracy Zussman Hove, East Sussex Continue reading...
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 rose Wednesday following President Donald Trump's address at the World Economic Forum, where he eased investor concerns by saying the U.S. wouldn't use force to acquire Greenland. "We had a remarkable resurgence [this morning]," said Ji...
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 rose Wednesday following President Donald Trump's address at the World Economic Forum, where he eased investor concerns by saying the U.S. wouldn't use force to acquire Greenland. "We had a remarkable resurgence [this morning]," said Jim Cramer, but he added the rally is being led by "the wrong tech," pointing to Micron , which is heavily tied to the price of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). The current shortage of DRAM chips used in consumer electronics has driven prices higher. "I just want people to understand that this is where the hot money is going," said Jim. The Club does not own stocks in the category, something Jim says he's "soul-searching" on and will address at our January Monthly Meeting on Thursday. 2. Shares of Advanced Micro Devices soared nearly 9% to roughly $252 per share. Jim said he wouldn't chase the rally; patience is key. The Club waited for a break in Alphabet 's upward march — Tuesday's sell-off — before adding to the position . "AMD I like because of the fact that it is a competitor to Nvidia and has decent chips," Jim said. "But, I'm not going to come in and buy because that is a total lack of discipline." On the flip side, Jim said Johnson & Johnson is a buy. The health-care company is down on Tuesday after issuing guidance in its latest earnings report that exceeded Street estimates. (We don't currently own AMD or J & J in the portfolio.) 3. Procter & Gamble reports earnings on Thursday before the opening bell. The consumer goods company warned investors in December that sales dropped sharply in October and November. We're focused on December's numbers and management's outlook, which could be revised modestly lower. Like Nike under new CEO Elliot Hill, we're betting that P & G's new leader, Shailesh Jejurikar, can turn things around. 4. Stocks covered in Wednesday's rapi...
Tailed in Moscow | Martin Kettle on music | John Crace has it all covered | Changing duvet covers | Reform UK characters Dan Sabbagh reports that a former British defence attache to Moscow said he was tailed every time he left the British embassy ( Why a Chinese ‘mega embassy’ is not such a worry for British spies. 18 January ). A British spy in Moscow in the 1960s told me how, after offering his ...
Tailed in Moscow | Martin Kettle on music | John Crace has it all covered | Changing duvet covers | Reform UK characters Dan Sabbagh reports that a former British defence attache to Moscow said he was tailed every time he left the British embassy ( Why a Chinese ‘mega embassy’ is not such a worry for British spies. 18 January ). A British spy in Moscow in the 1960s told me how, after offering his bus fare one morning, the driver said it had already been paid. As the driver pointed to a fellow passenger, the Briton and the Russian tasked with tailing him exchanged knowing glances. Richard Norton-Taylor London • Following the letters ( 15 January and 18 January ) in praise of Martin Kettle’s excellent political writing, I’d like to add my appreciation for his superb reviews of classical music. He shows great knowledge and insight into both areas – a real renaissance man. I hope that he will still provide the odd music review in his well-earned retirement. Rebecca Gumbrell-McCormick St Albans Continue reading...
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not deploy US military might to acquire Greenland as tensions mounted over his repeated threats to acquire the world’s largest island, by force if necessary. His much-anticipated appearance at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss town of Davos turned the normally cosy gathering of billionaires and elite pundits into one of the ...
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not deploy US military might to acquire Greenland as tensions mounted over his repeated threats to acquire the world’s largest island, by force if necessary. His much-anticipated appearance at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss town of Davos turned the normally cosy gathering of billionaires and elite pundits into one of the world’s hottest geopolitical ticket. But Trump left little doubt he still had his eye on “our big...
Singer-songwriters each receive five nominations at British music industry’s flagship awards – where Jarvis Cocker will return 30 years after Michael Jackson incident Olivia Dean and Lola Young have cemented their breakthroughs to the front rank of British pop by topping the nominations for the 2026 Brit awards. The singer-songwriters earned five nominations each. Dean is nominated for artist and ...
Singer-songwriters each receive five nominations at British music industry’s flagship awards – where Jarvis Cocker will return 30 years after Michael Jackson incident Olivia Dean and Lola Young have cemented their breakthroughs to the front rank of British pop by topping the nominations for the 2026 Brit awards. The singer-songwriters earned five nominations each. Dean is nominated for artist and album of the year, pop act, and has two chances at winning song of the year for Man I Need and Rein Me In, the latter thanks to a guest spot with Sam Fender. Continue reading...
UFP Technologies (NASDAQ: UFPT) is proof that niche-leading stocks remain a great stocked pond for investors to fish in when looking for multibaggers . UFP is a contract development and manufacturing organization focused on designing and making custom, single-use, polymer-based medical devices and packaging. While this may sound somewhat unassuming, the stock's results have been brilliant. Over th...
UFP Technologies (NASDAQ: UFPT) is proof that niche-leading stocks remain a great stocked pond for investors to fish in when looking for multibaggers . UFP is a contract development and manufacturing organization focused on designing and making custom, single-use, polymer-based medical devices and packaging. While this may sound somewhat unassuming, the stock's results have been brilliant. Over the last decade, UFP has been a 12-bagger, and since its initial public offering in 1993, the stock has been a 44-bagger. Despite this incredible run, UFP's market cap remains only $2 billion -- and that makes it my favorite small-cap gem with 10-bagger potential. While UFP may be a small cap, it counts 26 of the 30 top medical original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as customers. The company works alongside these OEMs, handpicking which product ideas it would like to develop, prototype, and manufacture with its equipment. The beauty of this model is that UFP can choose the highest-margin opportunities to pursue. Thanks to UFP's exclusive access to several medical-grade specialty materials and numerous patents, the OEMs are incentivized to make a reasonable offer or risk not finding a great alternative. Continue reading
Check out some of the biggest movers in midday trading. Lucid — The electric vehicle manufacturer's shares surged about 14%. Rockwell Automation announced a collaboration with Lucid, using its enterprise software product to support the car maker's growing manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia. Rockwell shares were up 2% in midday trading. Halliburton — Shares of the oil services company advanced ...
Check out some of the biggest movers in midday trading. Lucid — The electric vehicle manufacturer's shares surged about 14%. Rockwell Automation announced a collaboration with Lucid, using its enterprise software product to support the car maker's growing manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia. Rockwell shares were up 2% in midday trading. Halliburton — Shares of the oil services company advanced more than 4%. Fourth-quarter adjusted earnings came in at 69 cents a share, topping the LSEG consensus call for 55 cents per share. Halliburton's revenues also surpassed estimates. Chip stocks — Chip plays rebounded, lifting the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) more than 1% in midday trading after a selloff on Tuesday. Nvidia gained about 1%, as did Lam Research . Advanced Micro Devices and Micron Technology each climbed more than 5%. Teledyne Technologies — The industrial conglomerate jumped 8% and hit a 52-week high after its fourth-quarter financial results beat Wall Street's expectations. Teledyne Technologies reported adjusted earnings of $6.30 per share, versus the $5.83 a share anticipated from analysts polled by FactSet. Revenue was $1.61 billion, compared to the $1.57 billion consensus estimate. The company also gave solid full-year guidance and said it was repurchasing $400 million shares. Intel — The semiconductor company saw shares pop more than 8%, heading for a second straight winning day. Analysts on Wall Street have been warming up to Intel in the new year. KeyBanc said in a report on Tuesday, "We are looking for better 4Q25 results and slightly higher 1Q26 guidance," highlighting strong server CPU demand. Netflix — Shares of the streaming giant slid 4% and touched a new 52-week low after the company posted weak first-quarter guidance . Netflix sees first quarter earnings coming in at 76 cents and revenue of $12.157 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet were looking for 81 cents a share in earnings on revenue of $12.19 billion. The company's forecast for operati...
DKosig Recent analyst actions include Accenture ( ACN ) receiving an upgrade as bookings rebound and GenAI demand accelerates, while lululemon ( LULU ) was upgraded to Hold amid CEO transition hopes despite shaky fundamentals. On the downgrade side, AMD ( AMD ) faces valuation concerns despite strong AI sentiment, and Netflix ( NFLX ) continues its slide as analysts argue the stock price must adju...
DKosig Recent analyst actions include Accenture ( ACN ) receiving an upgrade as bookings rebound and GenAI demand accelerates, while lululemon ( LULU ) was upgraded to Hold amid CEO transition hopes despite shaky fundamentals. On the downgrade side, AMD ( AMD ) faces valuation concerns despite strong AI sentiment, and Netflix ( NFLX ) continues its slide as analysts argue the stock price must adjust to reality. Upgrades Accenture ( ACN ): Upgrade Hold to Buy by Redfox Capital Ideas . The analyst upgraded based on a massive bookings rebound, with new bookings up 12% year-over-year to $20.9 billion, and GenAI bookings now exceeding 10% of total bookings. “Bookings have recovered nicely, the mix has improved, and GenAI bookings are becoming a more tangible growth driver. With valuation still undemanding relative to the market, I believe the risk-reward has turned positive. … ACN still trades near its 10-year low, at a ~10% discount to the S&P 500, but the operating data has clearly shown a solid recovery.” lululemon athletica ( LULU ): Upgrade Sell to Hold by Bay Area Ideas . The analyst sees improved risk/reward due to upcoming CEO transition and aggressive international expansion plans, despite continued fundamental weakness. “While lululemon’s fundamentals are currently weaker than desired, there are some good reasons for investors to be hopeful. … A CEO transition is not an easy thing per se, and some headwinds like tariffs will be hard to mitigate in the near term. Therefore, a cautious stance right now will likely pay off, and I believe investors should avoid jumping the gun.” Downgrades Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ): Downgrade Buy to Hold by Oliver Rodzianko. The analyst cites extreme market valuations and warns that the AI capex cycle is near peak sentiment, suggesting now is the time to trim positions rather than add exposure. “When I look at AMD, I see a genuinely remarkable company and CEO. But I also see a crowd of market participants that have projected t...