Listen on the go! A daily podcast of Wall Street Breakfast will be available by 8:00 a.m. on Seeking Alpha , iTunes , Spotify . Greggory DiSalvo/iStock via Getty Images Good morning! Here's the latest in trending: Oil & gas: Trump warns about attacks on energy infrastructure, while a growing divergence is seen for crude benchmarks. Fed latest: Policy on hold + Middle East war impacts + economic pi...
Listen on the go! A daily podcast of Wall Street Breakfast will be available by 8:00 a.m. on Seeking Alpha , iTunes , Spotify . Greggory DiSalvo/iStock via Getty Images Good morning! Here's the latest in trending: Oil & gas: Trump warns about attacks on energy infrastructure, while a growing divergence is seen for crude benchmarks. Fed latest: Policy on hold + Middle East war impacts + economic picture + Powell's plans to stay in the role . On the blockchain? The SEC has approved a Nasdaq ( NDAQ ) proposal to permit stocks to be traded and settled in tokenized form . Sovereign stress Another grim fiscal milestone is making waves as the gross federal debt of the United States topped $39,000,000,000,000. This red ink arrives a mere five months after the debt breached $38T, and just seven months after it crossed the $37T mark. The amount of borrowing is absolutely staggering, with policymakers stumbling in the dark for a fiscal solution that remains nowhere in sight. Problems: Interest rate payments have become the third-largest monthly outlay for the federal government, while legislation like the "One Big Beautiful Bill" exacerbated the problem and defense expenditures are not easily contained. Bigger yet, no one wants to touch popular entitlements like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Some say those programs even go way beyond what was originally envisioned, especially since the fastest-growing age group in the U.S. is people 65 and older, which will only become a larger voting base in the years to come. "Nearly three-quarters of U.S. federal spending goes on autopilot, without congressional review," Russ Greene, Managing Director of the Prime Mover Institute, wrote in a controversial piece called Total Boomer Luxury Communism . "Commentators often lament how divided Americans supposedly are. But is this true? What percentage of the federal budget do the two parties actually fight over? Only around 15%, it seems. In other words, Democrats and Republicans agree...
Remember Tesla’s electric vehicle business? It’s what makes Tesla money to invest in all of its artificial intelligence ambitions. With the first quarter coming to a close, Wall Street is updating EV sales numbers.
Remember Tesla’s electric vehicle business? It’s what makes Tesla money to invest in all of its artificial intelligence ambitions. With the first quarter coming to a close, Wall Street is updating EV sales numbers.
hapabapa Klarna Group ( KLAR ), the buy now, pay later lender that went public in September, lost several high-level executives recently, including its head of investor relations and M&A and its global head of litigation. The company's head of investor relations and M&A, Andrea Ferraz Estrada, left in March after six years with Klarna ( KLAR ), and D. Andrew Pietro, global head of litigation, left...
hapabapa Klarna Group ( KLAR ), the buy now, pay later lender that went public in September, lost several high-level executives recently, including its head of investor relations and M&A and its global head of litigation. The company's head of investor relations and M&A, Andrea Ferraz Estrada, left in March after six years with Klarna ( KLAR ), and D. Andrew Pietro, global head of litigation, left the company after a three-year tenure, their LinkedIn profiles said. Ferraz joined Delivery Hero as vice president of investor relations and corporate communications, while Pietro became head of litigation at Greystar. Last month, Yuri Gusev, engineering director, left after eight years at the company. Joao Tonon, head of AI and automation, departed in January, his LinkedIn post said. The departures come amid a sharp decline in the company's stock. It has dropped 67% from its $40 IPO price since it started trading on Sept. 9, 2025. On March 13, the stock gained 8.8% after Klarna ( KLAR ) chairman Michael Moritz bought 3.47M shares for ~$50M worth. IPO stocks have hit a rough patch amid volatile equity markets buffeted by economic uncertainty over tariffs and the recent Iran war. The Renaissance IPO ETF ( IPO ) has slid 18% in the past six months. More on Klarna Klarna: A High-Risk Growth Play In The Fintech Sector Klarna: Paying Attention Here Klarna: Buy The Dip In Oversold Territory As Fair Financing Takes Off Klarna grows merchant network to over 1M
hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Dollar Tree ( DLTR ) is adjusting its pricing strategy, and this could help the store boost its margins. It’s stocking more merchandise at higher price points. But this store isn’t just raising its prices, it’s also selling products in larger quantities. So, this pricing update addresses one of Dollar Tree’s main weaknesses. It’s trying to attract wealthi...
hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Dollar Tree ( DLTR ) is adjusting its pricing strategy, and this could help the store boost its margins. It’s stocking more merchandise at higher price points. But this store isn’t just raising its prices, it’s also selling products in larger quantities. So, this pricing update addresses one of Dollar Tree’s main weaknesses. It’s trying to attract wealthier shoppers who can buy products in bulk from other discount retailers. Now, those shoppers can do that at Dollar Tree as well. Dollar Tree sold Family Dollar earlier in 2025, so it released adjusted results for Q4 2025 . In the fourth quarter, the company’s adjusted revenue rose 9.0% to $5.45 billion and its Dollar Tree stores reported 5% same-store sales growth. Traffic was up 1%, so Dollar Tree’s revenue primarily rose because it sold more higher-priced merchandise. As a result, the company’s margins improved as well. Dollar Tree’s gross margin rose from 37.6% to 39.2% and its operating margin rose 200 basis points to 12.7% for the quarter. So, I’d say that Dollar Tree looks like a growth stock now. Its revenue and margins will continue to rise if it can continue to sell more merchandise for higher prices. But it’s also important to consider how the company will carry out this plan. Shoppers primarily go to this store because of its fixed-price deals, so it’s not as easy for Dollar Tree to raise prices as it is for other stores. It looks like Dollar Tree has found a new pricing strategy that works, though. Selling a Few Products For Higher Prices Could Make a Big Difference The vast majority of this store’s merchandise is still priced at $1.25. Dollar Tree’s revenue growth in the fourth quarter mostly came from changes in mix, not store-wide price increases. CEO Michael Creedon said, “The 5% comp in the quarter was ticket driven, with average unit retail increasing to approximately $1.51 versus $1.34 last year. Mix was a key driver in the quarter. Discretionary categorie...
Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 124,816 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 6,515 shares during the period. Apple comprises 2.2% of Sunbelt Securities Inc.'s holdings, ...
Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 124,816 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 6,515 shares during the period. Apple comprises 2.2% of Sunbelt Securities Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Sunbelt Securities Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $31,782,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. First National Bank of Hutchinson lifted its stake in Apple by 24.6% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC increased its position in Apple by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $13,544,000 after buying an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Apple by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $134,554,000 after buying an additional 69,207 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Apple by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $16,742,000 after buying an additional 2,695 shares during the period. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE lifted its position in shares of Apple by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $12,587,000 after buying an additional 1,155 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's...
herstockart/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images According to a report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the Swiss not-for-profit group that represents the global recording industry, revenue from recorded music worldwide rose 6.4% to $31.7B in 2025, as more people subscribed to paid music services. The report noted that revenue from paid streaming platforms grew by 8.8% a...
herstockart/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images According to a report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the Swiss not-for-profit group that represents the global recording industry, revenue from recorded music worldwide rose 6.4% to $31.7B in 2025, as more people subscribed to paid music services. The report noted that revenue from paid streaming platforms grew by 8.8% and made up more than half of global revenue. When looking at revenue growth by region, Asia, MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America posted double-digit percentage gains, with LATAM growing the fastest at 17.1% from last year. Music revenue from the U.S. and Canada, the world’s largest recorded music region, rose 3.5%. The region accounted for a 38.7% share of global revenue. Europe retained its spot as the second-largest region and grew revenue by 5.6%; Australasia was up 1.5%. The IFPI report indicated that music revenue from physical formats saw an 8% growth, which includes a near 14% rise in vinyl purchases. Performance rights revenue grew for a fifth consecutive year, albeit marginally, to $2.9B. The report highlighted that with the ongoing advancement in artificial intelligence, record companies are poised to take advantage of the innovation. "Music is embracing the future, demonstrated by record company partnerships with generative AI developers who respect the rights of creators," IFPI chief executive Victoria Oakley said. "They are partners that explore how technology can be harnessed to support and enhance creativity, not replace it." IFPI also flagged concerns about the music industry being exposed to the risk of streaming fraud, which could erode away revenue from artists . "Streaming fraud is theft, plain and simple," Oakley said. "The organizations with the data, scale, and leverage to prevent this fraudulent activity, including streaming services, content aggregators, and distributors, must take decisive action." More on Spotify, Alphabet, etc. Apple Stoc...
Crypto exchange Crypto.com said it is axing around 12% of its workforce, citing a need to adapt its business to rising artificial intelligence capabilities. The Singapore-headquartered exchange is integrating AI across its entire business which has resulted in the cuts, Crypto.com said in a statement on Thursday. That equates to roughly 180 employees, according to a report by the Straits Times, wh...
Crypto exchange Crypto.com said it is axing around 12% of its workforce, citing a need to adapt its business to rising artificial intelligence capabilities. The Singapore-headquartered exchange is integrating AI across its entire business which has resulted in the cuts, Crypto.com said in a statement on Thursday. That equates to roughly 180 employees, according to a report by the Straits Times, which earlier reported the layoffs. A Crypto.com spokesperson declined to comment further. “Companies that do not make this pivot immediately will fail,” Chief Executive Officer Kris Marszalek wrote in a post on X on Thursday. “Companies that move immediately and pair the best AI tools with top-performers will achieve a level of scale and precision that was previously impossible. This is where we must go.” The lay-offs are the latest casualty of cost-cutting across the digital finance industry. Crypto exchange Gemini Space Station Inc. slashed about 25% of its workforce earlier this year, closing down its operations in the UK, Europe and Australia. Jack Dorsey ’s Block Inc . said last month that it was cutting nearly half of its workforce, in a move the company described as a bet on AI changing the future of labor productivity.
syahrir maulana/iStock via Getty Images Key Takeaways Markets: Fourth quarter results were somewhat flat relative to the first three quarters of 2025. Contributors: Stock selection in industrials and financials Detractors: Stock selection in health care and information technology Outlook: We believe that higher-quality companies with pricing power to defend their margins in the new global trade re...
syahrir maulana/iStock via Getty Images Key Takeaways Markets: Fourth quarter results were somewhat flat relative to the first three quarters of 2025. Contributors: Stock selection in industrials and financials Detractors: Stock selection in health care and information technology Outlook: We believe that higher-quality companies with pricing power to defend their margins in the new global trade regime may help temper some volatility. Performance Review For the quarter, the fund underperformed its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Growth Index. Underperformance was driven by stock selection, while sector allocations also weighed on results. Stock selection in health care weighed most on results, followed by holdings in information technology. Offsetting some of this relative underperformance were selections in industrials and financials. Top individual contributors to performance included out-of-benchmark positions in Carpenter Technology ( CRS ) and Aritizia. Overweight exposure to Enova International was also a strong relative contributor. Top detractors from performance included out-of-benchmark exposure to Doximity ( DOCS ) and overweight positions in Stride ( LRN ) and Adtalem Global Education. At the close of the quarter, the largest overweight sectors relative to the benchmark were industrials and consumer discretionary. The fund's largest sector underweights were materials and health care. Outlook We remain focused on constructing a bottom-up portfolio driven by stock selection. We are generally more cautious in our outlook and we believe that higher-quality companies with pricing power to defend their margins in the new global trade regime may help temper some volatility. Morningstar Rating™ Overall Rating as of December 31, 2025 As of 12/31/2025 the fund's Class Y and Class A shares received a 5 star overall Morningstar rating™, measuring risk-adjusted returns against 518, 496 and 389 Small Growth funds over the 3-, 5- and 10-year periods, respectively. A fund's ...
Titan Mining press release ( TII ): Q4 GAAP EPS of -$0.01. Revenue of $25.1M. Zinc production: 18.7 million payable pounds in Q4 2025 and 64.3 million payable pounds for the full year, up 8% from FY 2024, representing record production at Empire State Mines (“ESM”) and achieving 2025 production guidance More on Titan Mining Historical earnings data for Titan Mining Financial information for Titan ...
Titan Mining press release ( TII ): Q4 GAAP EPS of -$0.01. Revenue of $25.1M. Zinc production: 18.7 million payable pounds in Q4 2025 and 64.3 million payable pounds for the full year, up 8% from FY 2024, representing record production at Empire State Mines (“ESM”) and achieving 2025 production guidance More on Titan Mining Historical earnings data for Titan Mining Financial information for Titan Mining
The ripple effects of the war in the Middle East are hitting home hard for Filipino jeepney driver Toni Prado, whose daily earnings have been gutted by soaring fuel prices. He was one of thousands of jeepney drivers who took to the streets across the country on Thursday to protest a more than doubling of local diesel prices after global oil prices surged because of the US-Israel war on Iran “We...
The ripple effects of the war in the Middle East are hitting home hard for Filipino jeepney driver Toni Prado, whose daily earnings have been gutted by soaring fuel prices. He was one of thousands of jeepney drivers who took to the streets across the country on Thursday to protest a more than doubling of local diesel prices after global oil prices surged because of the US-Israel war on Iran “We are losing our income. What we earn just goes to paying for diesel,” said Prado. Advertisement “Before I could earn at least 1,000 pesos (US$17) for three trips, now I only take home 200 pesos,” said the father of four. “How can I support my children? How can I send my daughter to school? How do I pay for electricity, water and food?” A protester holds a slogan that reads “Oil cartel, greedy for profit” as jeepney drivers strike on the streets of Quezon City on Thursday. Photo: AP The Philippines relies heavily on Middle Eastern oil, and the surge in fuel prices is threatening to stoke inflation in the consumption-driven economy.
Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 74,672 shares of the software giant's stock after buying an additional 4,283 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 2.7% of S...
Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 74,672 shares of the software giant's stock after buying an additional 4,283 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 2.7% of Sunbelt Securities Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Sunbelt Securities Inc.'s holdings in Microsoft were worth $38,676,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 51.3% in the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of Microsoft in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft during the 3rd quarter worth about $49,000. University of Illinois Foundation bought a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, Stance Capital LLC bought a new stake in Microsoft during the 3rd quarter worth about $54,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock. Get Microsoft alerts: Sign Up Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a re...
Larimar Therapeutics press release ( LRMR ): Q4 GAAP EPS of -$0.73 misses by $0.22 . $244.5 million in pro forma cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025, with projected cash runway into the second quarter of 2027 More on Larimar Therapeutics Larimar Therapeutics: The Market Is Mispricing A Potential Standard Of Care Larimar Therapeutics, Inc. (LRMR) Presents at 44t...
Larimar Therapeutics press release ( LRMR ): Q4 GAAP EPS of -$0.73 misses by $0.22 . $244.5 million in pro forma cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025, with projected cash runway into the second quarter of 2027 More on Larimar Therapeutics Larimar Therapeutics: The Market Is Mispricing A Potential Standard Of Care Larimar Therapeutics, Inc. (LRMR) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Transcript Larimar Therapeutics, Inc. (LRMR) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference - Slideshow Larimar Therapeutics stock dips after pricing $100M share offering Larimar Therapeutics launches proposed $75 million public offering
Amazon.com (NasdaqGS:AMZN) is reported to be deepening its AI partnership with OpenAI, including plans to offer OpenAI's new Frontier product on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Microsoft is contesting whether this move breaches its long standing Azure exclusivity arrangement with OpenAI, and public signals suggest the dispute could escalate into legal action. The arrangement reportedly includes a $50b ...
Amazon.com (NasdaqGS:AMZN) is reported to be deepening its AI partnership with OpenAI, including plans to offer OpenAI's new Frontier product on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Microsoft is contesting whether this move breaches its long standing Azure exclusivity arrangement with OpenAI, and public signals suggest the dispute could escalate into legal action. The arrangement reportedly includes a $50b partnership and large U.S. government AI contracts that span classified and unclassified workloads, raising the stakes for the broader cloud industry. For investors watching NasdaqGS:AMZN, this development sits against a backdrop of mixed recent share performance. The stock trades at $209.87, with a 30 day return of 5.6% and a 3 year return of 112.6%, while the year to date return is a 7.3% decline and the 5 year return is 36.0%. These figures show that AWS and AI related news can be important context for understanding where the business is drawing attention. If AWS can host key OpenAI models alongside Azure, it could influence how enterprises and government agencies choose between cloud providers. The way the legal questions are resolved, and how AI companies position themselves across multiple platforms, may affect how attractive AWS looks to customers and partners over time. Stay updated on the most important news stories for by adding it to your or . Alternatively, explore our to discover new perspectives on Amazon.com. NasdaqGS:AMZN 1-Year Stock Price Chart This potential AI partnership shift comes at a time when large investors are already active around Amazon.com, with high profile names such as Bill Ackman and Stanley Druckenmiller holding or expanding positions and others like Dan Loeb taking profits. A deepened OpenAI relationship that brings high value AI workloads onto AWS, especially through a reported US$50b arrangement and access to U.S. government contracts, reinforces why institutional investors treat Amazon as a core way to gain exposure to AI infrastructu...
MDV Edwards Shares of Accenture ( ACN ) fell about 4% premarket on Thursday despite fiscal second quarter results beating estimates, as third quarter revenue came in below expectations. The company also raised the lower end of its full fiscal year 2026 revenue and adjusted EPS outlook. Q2 Metrics For the fiscal second quarter ended Feb. 28, revenue rose 8% in U.S. dollar terms (4% in local currenc...
MDV Edwards Shares of Accenture ( ACN ) fell about 4% premarket on Thursday despite fiscal second quarter results beating estimates, as third quarter revenue came in below expectations. The company also raised the lower end of its full fiscal year 2026 revenue and adjusted EPS outlook. Q2 Metrics For the fiscal second quarter ended Feb. 28, revenue rose 8% in U.S. dollar terms (4% in local currency) year-over-year to $18.04B, while GAAP EPS climbed about 4% year-on-year to $2.93. Both top and bottom line numbers surpassed analysts' expectations. "We delivered record second quarter bookings of $22.1 billion, including a record 41 clients with quarterly bookings greater than $100 million, with revenues at the top of our guided range, while continuing to take significant share in a competitive market," said Accenture's Chair and CEO Julie Sweet. The company said new bookings for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 were $22.11B, an increase of 6% in U.S. dollars and 1% in local currency compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2025. The Irish company's Consulting revenues in the first quarter grew 7% (in U.S. dollars) year-over-year to $8.86B, while Managed Services revenues jumped 10% (in U.S. dollars) to $9.18B. Americas was the top geographic market by revenue, generating $8.90B in the fiscal second quarter, growing 4% (in U.S. dollars) year-over-year. The company had a free cash flow of $3.7B. Dividend : Accenture said it has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.63 per share for shareholders of record at the close of business on April 9. This dividend, which is payable on May 15, represents a 10% increase over the quarterly dividend rate of $1.48 per share in fiscal 2025. Stock Buyback : During the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Accenture bought back or redeemed 6.8M shares for a total of $1.7B, including 5.1M shares repurchased in the open market. Accenture’s total remaining share repurchase authority at Feb. 28 was about $4.4B. Outlook The company expects fiscal...