Fears that a 100-metre-wide asteroid could be on course to collide with the moon appear to have been misplaced, according to new observations. Discovered in December 2024, asteroid 2024 YR4 was briefly considered the “most dangerous asteroid” in decades after scientists initially estimated it had a 3.1% chance of colliding with the Earth in 2032. Closer observations quickly ruled out a “city kille...
Fears that a 100-metre-wide asteroid could be on course to collide with the moon appear to have been misplaced, according to new observations. Discovered in December 2024, asteroid 2024 YR4 was briefly considered the “most dangerous asteroid” in decades after scientists initially estimated it had a 3.1% chance of colliding with the Earth in 2032. Closer observations quickly ruled out a “city killer” scenario, but instead astronomers calculated there was a 4.3% chance that the moon lay in the path of impact. Although there would not be any danger to the Earth, lunar debris kicked up during a collision could interfere with satellites used for navigation and communications. But new observations appear to have eliminated this risk, showing that the asteroid will safely pass the moon at a distance of more than 20,000km (12,427 miles). “It would’ve been a very interesting science experiment but probably, given the small risk of debris, it wouldn’t be one we’d want to try out,” said Colin Snodgrass, a professor of planetary astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. “Some of us in the scientific community might be a little disappointed.” As the asteroid hurtled away from the Earth, fading from view, astronomers had not expected to be able to nail down the asteroids trajectory until 2028, when it came back into the Earth’s line of sight. However, an international team of scientists identified two five-hour windows in February, when they believed the James Webb Space Telescope could detect and track the asteroid, which is four billion times fainter than the faintest star visible to the unaided eye. “[Asteroid] 2024 YR4 is exceedingly faint right now, reflecting about as much light as an almond at the distance of the moon,” said Dr Andy Rivkin, of Johns Hopkins University, and Prof Julien de Wit, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who co-led the observations. “Webb is the only observatory that could hope to make these measurements, as it is the only one with the require...
The war in Iran could be over in a week or drag on for months. Old tankers may start to make their way through the Strait of Hormuz next week. Or, they could be bottled up indefinitely. The International Energy Agency may release 400 million barrels of oil to ease the terrifying chance the global ... Does Iran War Show Ford And GM Turned In The Wrong Direction?
The war in Iran could be over in a week or drag on for months. Old tankers may start to make their way through the Strait of Hormuz next week. Or, they could be bottled up indefinitely. The International Energy Agency may release 400 million barrels of oil to ease the terrifying chance the global ... Does Iran War Show Ford And GM Turned In The Wrong Direction?
Heating oil suppliers are “blatantly profiteering” from the conflict in the Middle East by doubling the price they charge households, an MP has told the competition watchdog. Harriet Cross, a Conservative MP for the Scottish seat of Gordon and Buchan, called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate sudden price hikes. She has also written to the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, ...
Heating oil suppliers are “blatantly profiteering” from the conflict in the Middle East by doubling the price they charge households, an MP has told the competition watchdog. Harriet Cross, a Conservative MP for the Scottish seat of Gordon and Buchan, called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate sudden price hikes. She has also written to the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, asking the government to support households struggling with unexpected increases in their energy bills. An estimated 1.7m households in the UK, mostly in rural areas that are not connected to the mains gas network, rely on heating oil to warm their homes, cook food and provide hot water. Consumers have seen prices for heating oil almost treble since the start of the war in Iran, at a time of great volatility in global oil markets, while some households have been told by their suppliers that they cannot guarantee the cost or timing of an oil delivery. The cost of heating oil is not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap and it can vary between suppliers and in different parts of the country. Heating oil is typically a form of kerosene, meaning prices are linked to the cost of jet fuel, which is more reliant on Gulf suppliers than other petroleum products. Heating oil is the primary heating source for two-thirds of homes in Northern Ireland, about 10% of households in Wales and 5% of homes in Scotland. However, Cross said 45% of homes in Aberdeenshire, including in her constituency of Gordon and Buchan, are not connected to the mains gas network and are therefore reliant on heating oils or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Cross said she had been contacted by several constituents in rural areas who are facing sudden and unexpected price hikes, with the cost of 700 litres of heating oil doubling from £500 before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran to more than £1,000, while delivery times have also been extended. The MP said many of those affected by the cost increases were “...
When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important? Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about TSMC (TSM) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommend...
When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important? Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about TSMC (TSM) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage. TSMC currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.22, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 18 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.22 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy. Of the 18 recommendations that derive the current ABR, 15 are Strong Buy and two are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 83.3% and 11.1% of all recommendations. Brokerage Recommendation Trends for TSM Broker Rating Breakdown Chart for TSM Check price target & stock forecast for TSMC here>>> The ABR suggests buying TSMC, but making an investment decision solely on the basis of this information might not be a good idea. According to several studies, brokerage recommendations have little to no success guiding investors to choose stocks with the most potential for price appreciation. Are you wondering why? The vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover often results in a strong positive bias of their analysts in rating it. Our research shows that for every "Strong Sell" recommendation, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations. This means that the interests of these institutions are not always aligned with those of retail investors, giving little insight into the direction of a stock's future price movement. It would therefore be best to use this information to validate your own analysis or a tool that has proven to be highly effective at predicting stock price movements. Zacks Rank, our proprietary stock rating tool with...
Images By Tang Ming Tung/DigitalVision via Getty Images February CPI came in right at expectations. The headline rate rose 0.27% last month, slightly higher than January’s climb. The core rate—excluding food and energy—added 0.22%, slightly less than the January increase. Compared to a year ago, headline CPI is now 2.46%, near the lowest since early 2021. Core CPI is +2.46%, the lowest since March...
Images By Tang Ming Tung/DigitalVision via Getty Images February CPI came in right at expectations. The headline rate rose 0.27% last month, slightly higher than January’s climb. The core rate—excluding food and energy—added 0.22%, slightly less than the January increase. Compared to a year ago, headline CPI is now 2.46%, near the lowest since early 2021. Core CPI is +2.46%, the lowest since March 2021. Of course, all of these numbers came before the Iran war. In fact, gasoline CPI was solidly in the red YoY last month—that will surely change when March consumer prices are tabulated. In terms of the market response, Bond yields rose to morning highs immediately after the 8:30 a.m. ET data crossed, causing equity futures to dip toward session lows. WTI crude oil ( CL1:COM) held in the upper-$80s per barrel—close to unchanged compared to 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. Digging into the report, core goods CPI rose just 0.1%, suggesting that tariff passthrough impacts were modest, though apparel inflation tagged a multi-year high in February. The cost of new cars was flat, while used vehicles featured a 0.4% drop, per the CPI report (the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index was materially higher in February, however). Core services CPI was rather steady, up 0.3% last month. Shelter prices gained 0.2%, while hotel inflation was very hot during a month that featured cold weather across the eastern third of the United States. Likewise, CPI airfare soared 7.1% YoY in February. February CPI Close to Expectations Christian Fromhertz 2.4% CPI YoY holds near the lowest since early 2021 Trading Economics Core CPI YoY at 2.5% holds at the lowest since March 2021 Trading Economics Supercore CPI Rate Fell in February Zero Hedge CPI M/M By Category Greg Daco Electricity CPI Fell Last Month Liz Ann Sonders Core CPI Inflation Drifted Lower Through February WSJ, Nick Timiraos Inflation May Spike to 3.5% Soon Daily Shot U.S. Inflation is Sub-2% When Assuming Real-Time Shelter Pricing WisdomTree Funds Br...
The recommendations of Wall Street analysts are often relied on by investors when deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock. Media reports about these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts changing their ratings often affect a stock's price. Do they really matter, though? Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see ...
The recommendations of Wall Street analysts are often relied on by investors when deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock. Media reports about these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts changing their ratings often affect a stock's price. Do they really matter, though? Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Nvidia (NVDA). Nvidia currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.18, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 50 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.18 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy. Of the 50 recommendations that derive the current ABR, 45 are Strong Buy and three are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 90% and 6% of all recommendations. Brokerage Recommendation Trends for NVDA Broker Rating Breakdown Chart for NVDA Check price target & stock forecast for Nvidia here>>> While the ABR calls for buying Nvidia, it may not be wise to make an investment decision solely based on this information. Several studies have shown limited to no success of brokerage recommendations in guiding investors to pick stocks with the best price increase potential. Are you wondering why? The vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover often results in a strong positive bias of their analysts in rating it. Our research shows that for every "Strong Sell" recommendation, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations. In other words, their interests aren't always aligned with retail investors, rarely indicating where the price of a stock could actually be heading. Therefore, the best use of this information could be validating your own research or an indicator that has proven to be highly successful in predicting a stock's price movement. Zacks Rank, our proprietary stock rating tool with an impressive externa...
$500K can be enough money to retire on. Even as early as age 50! The trick is to convert the pile of cash into cash flow that can pay the bills. I'm talking about $40,574.93 per year in dividend income on that nest egg, thanks to 8%+ average yields. These are passive payouts that show up every quarter or, in many cases, every month. Meanwhile, we keep that $500K nest egg intact. Or, better yet, gr...
$500K can be enough money to retire on. Even as early as age 50! The trick is to convert the pile of cash into cash flow that can pay the bills. I'm talking about $40,574.93 per year in dividend income on that nest egg, thanks to 8%+ average yields. These are passive payouts that show up every quarter or, in many cases, every month. Meanwhile, we keep that $500K nest egg intact. Or, better yet, grind that principal higher steadily and safely. Got more in your retirement account? Cool--more monthly dividend income for you! We'll talk specific stocks, funds and yields in a moment. First things first, let's wipe the false promises of mainstream finance from our minds. Step 1: Forget "Buy and Hope" Investing Most half-million-dollar stashes are piled into "America's ticker" SPY. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is the most popular symbol in the land. For many 401(K)'s, this is the "go to" ticker. Sad because SPY doesn't pay. It yields just 1.1%. That's $5,500 per year on $500K... poverty level stuff. When we retire, we need passive income to replace our active paychecks. SPY won't get it done. Step 2: Ditch 60/40, Too The 60/40 portfolio has been exposed as senseless. Retirees were sold a bill of goods when promised that a 60% slice of stocks and 40% of bonds would somehow be a "safe mix" that would not drop together. That can work--but not always, and that "sometimes" can really hurt! Oops. Think back to 2022 when inflation -- plus an aggressive Federal Reserve -- drop-kicked equities and fixed income before they went on a serious bull run in 2023, 2024 and into 2025 (with a brief interruption for the April "tariff tantrum.") It just goes to show that bonds are not the haven guaranteed by the 60/40 high priests. They could easily fall just as hard (or harder) than stocks in the next economic crisis. In 2022, for example, US Treasuries plunged, which resulted in the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) getting tagged. Sure, it still paid its dividend. But even including p...
Record coffee prices aren’t easing anytime soon despite a sharp drop in the commodity market for beans — a sign of how long supply chain snarls can upend food prices. Average US consumer prices for coffee were $9.459 a pound in February, reaching a new record, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . The 31% surge from a year earlier made it one of the biggest drivers of food inflation last m...
Record coffee prices aren’t easing anytime soon despite a sharp drop in the commodity market for beans — a sign of how long supply chain snarls can upend food prices. Average US consumer prices for coffee were $9.459 a pound in February, reaching a new record, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . The 31% surge from a year earlier made it one of the biggest drivers of food inflation last month, and the impact from earlier production shocks and tariffs is expected to linger. Commodity prices for America’s favorite morning beverage started surging in 2024 as poor weather hurt harvests in top growers Brazil and Vietnam. The rally intensified last year amid the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs. Futures have since plummeted, falling about 17% so far this year as supplies improve and some tariffs are lifted. But for consumers and US coffee roasters, whose supplies were locked in months ago at far higher rates, the pain is far from over. “There weren’t any magical deals to be found that were going to bring in coffee costs” at 2025 levels, said Katie Carguilo, director of coffee at Counter Culture Coffee . The specialty roaster, which sources beans globally, is paying about 20% more this year for green, unroasted beans. Tariffs are compounding the strain. Counter Culture expects a $200,000 hit from levies this year as it works through higher-cost inventories, adding to the $1.9 million cost from last year. Coffee, along with beef, remains one of the more stubborn pockets of food inflation even as broader consumer price pressures eased in February. That stickiness underscores the political sensitivity of grocery bills as the Trump administration vows to bring down costs for Americans. Many consumers haven’t turned away from coffee but are searching for more economical ways to consume it at home, while seeing the cafe experience as a treat. Median prices for a drip coffee and a cold brew in February — $3.65 and $5.58, respectively — were both up about 4% from t...
RomoloTavani/iStock via Getty Images Main Thesis & Background The purpose of this article is to discuss my continued bullish take on gold both as a play for the immediate term and why I remain committed to owning it as a permanent fixture in my portfolio. I have been harping on gold quite a bit lately because I believe the macro-backdrop for this metal is exceptional. But, importantly, this is not...
RomoloTavani/iStock via Getty Images Main Thesis & Background The purpose of this article is to discuss my continued bullish take on gold both as a play for the immediate term and why I remain committed to owning it as a permanent fixture in my portfolio. I have been harping on gold quite a bit lately because I believe the macro-backdrop for this metal is exceptional. But, importantly, this is not a "new" idea for me. I have recommended it many times, and returns have been stellar as we sit near an all-time high. In fact, gold has seen a rise of over 34% just since my "buy" call in September! Prior Performance (GLD) (Seeking Alpha) It is always important to be critical of such large runs (whether higher or lower), and I wouldn't suggest otherwise here. But in doing so for this review, I came away convinced that gold still has room to move higher. Yes, such levels should give investors some pause, and, yes, I wouldn't get carried away with exposure here if you cannot tolerate some expected swings. But for those like myself who believe in the long-term story, I think that adding to gold continues to make sense, and I will explain why in detail below. Don't Let One Poor Day Scare You To begin, I want to touch on a point that is likely top-of-mind for many with respect to not just gold but the market as a whole. That is that volatility has been on the rise. This is primarily due to the US and Israeli military excursion within Iran's borders, which sent risk-on assets falling sharply on Tuesday with the exception of oil, which soared. This certainly caused some panic, and, interestingly, gold fell sharply. The major ETFs were down about 4% (on 3/3), and silver was down about twice that. I say this as "interestingly" because gold (and sometimes silver) are viewed as defensive hedges, and one might think they would have performed well under this scenario. Of course, both rebounded a bit on Wednesday (3/4), but the outlook is a bit murkier if they are going to trend lower o...
JPMorgan Limits Lending To Private Credit Groups After Marking Down Loan Collateral The barrage of negative private credit news, now that the $1.8 trillion bubble has burst, is coming hot and heavy. Following last night's report that Cliffwater, a private credit interval fund which according to Rubric Capital " is the canary in the coal mine and will be the first domino in the bank run” was the la...
JPMorgan Limits Lending To Private Credit Groups After Marking Down Loan Collateral The barrage of negative private credit news, now that the $1.8 trillion bubble has burst, is coming hot and heavy. Following last night's report that Cliffwater, a private credit interval fund which according to Rubric Capital " is the canary in the coal mine and will be the first domino in the bank run” was the latest fund to be hit with 7% in investor redemptions (and unlike BlackRock , interval funds can not gate investors), this morning the FT reported that JPMorgan has " clamped down on its lending to private credit groups, with bankers looking to cut risk as concerns mount over the credit quality of companies in their stables." According to the report, the bank informed private credit lenders that it had marked down the value of certain loans in their portfolios, which serve as the collateral the funds use to borrow from the bank. The loans that have been devalued are to software companies, which are seen as particularly vulnerable to the onset of AI and which account for the bulk of private credit loans made in recent years. The news, which hit just around 1am ET, hit S&P futures which until that point were trading at session highs. JPMorgan's decision will limit how much money the bank lends to private credit groups against those loans going forward, a sign traditional Wall Street banks are becoming increasingly nervous about the $1.8 trillion industry that has grown rapidly as non-bank lenders became top creditors to higher-risk borrowers. The move was to be expected: JPM CEO Jamie Dimon has expressed an increasingly negative view of the private credit space, and told investors at the bank’s leveraged finance conference last week that it was being more prudent in lending against software assets. Troy Rohrbaugh, co-chief executive of JPMorgan’s commercial and investment business, told analysts at a February company update that the bank was becoming more conservative compared ...
Wall Street is writing off the latest inflation report in the wake of the U.S.-Iran War's impact on energy prices. The consumer price index rose 0.3% in February from January, and 2.4% from a year ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday morning. Both seasonally adjusted figures were in line with consensus forecasts from economists surveyed by Dow Jones. But investors already see the...
Wall Street is writing off the latest inflation report in the wake of the U.S.-Iran War's impact on energy prices. The consumer price index rose 0.3% in February from January, and 2.4% from a year ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday morning. Both seasonally adjusted figures were in line with consensus forecasts from economists surveyed by Dow Jones. But investors already see the readings as obsolete, reflecting a pre-war economy. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on the final day of the month, Feb. 28. Instead, investors are gaming out what recent volatility in energy prices in the wake of the war will mean future Federal Reserve interest rate policy. "This is a welcomed number on the surface, but one that may already be outdated," said Alexandra Wilson-Elizondo, global investing chief of multi-asset solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Oil prices have whipsawed as war in the Middle East came to a head this month. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices last traded around $86 a barrel after topping $100 earlier this week. Average national prices for a gallon of gasoline passed $3.50 this week . Against that energy price turmoil, Josh Jamner, senior investment strategy analyst at ClearBridge Investments, called Wednesday's report "ho-hum" and "stale." Jamner said to expect muted reactions in financial markets to the release, typically closely monitored on Wall Street. 'Calm before the storm' This broader uncertainty around the path of inflation comes at a pivotal time for the Fed, which is debating whether to focus on keeping prices down or supporting the labor market. "The Fed now has tariffs, potential tariff refunds, higher energy prices and weakening employment to sort through in order to get any kind of clarity on what to do next," said Skyler Weinand, investing chief at Regan Capital. Weinand said to say goodbye to annual inflation readings around 2.4%, blaming energy price spikes alongside potential tariff rebates. Instead...
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) reported Q3 results with cloud infrastructure revenue up 84%. Management raised fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to $90b, above prior expectations. The company confirmed progress at its Texas AI data center campus with OpenAI and said its largest AI contracts remain on track. For investors who have watched Oracle allocate significant capital to AI and cloud infrastructure, the lates...
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) reported Q3 results with cloud infrastructure revenue up 84%. Management raised fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to $90b, above prior expectations. The company confirmed progress at its Texas AI data center campus with OpenAI and said its largest AI contracts remain on track. For investors who have watched Oracle allocate significant capital to AI and cloud infrastructure, the latest update marks a notable development in the story. The stock closed at $149.4, with a 4.7% gain over the past year and 139.3% over the past 5 years, indicating how NYSE:ORCL has already rewarded patient holders. At the same time, a return of 0.3% over the past week and 4.6% over the past month points to a more measured near term reaction as the market processes the evolving AI narrative. What stands out in this news cycle is that Oracle is combining prominent AI announcements with more specific long term revenue targets and updates on individual projects such as the Texas AI campus. For investors, the focus now turns to how these large AI deals, higher guidance, and past concerns over debt and free cash flow fit together into a more complete Oracle thesis. Stay updated on the most important news stories for by adding it to your or . Alternatively, explore our to discover new perspectives on Oracle. NYSE:ORCL Earnings & Revenue Growth as at Mar 2026 Advertisement Quick Assessment ✅ Price vs Analyst Target : At US$149.4 versus a US$250.44 analyst target, the price sits roughly 40% below consensus. : At US$149.4 versus a US$250.44 analyst target, the price sits roughly 40% below consensus. ⚖️ Simply Wall St Valuation : Oracle is described as trading close to estimated fair value, so the price looks broadly in line with the DCF model. : Oracle is described as trading close to estimated fair value, so the price looks broadly in line with the DCF model. ✅ Recent Momentum: A 4.6% gain over the last 30 days suggests the market is responding positively to the AI driven update. There...
Zoox and Uber $UBER announced a partnership Wednesday to make Zoox robotaxis available through the Uber app, the first time Amazon $AMZN's autonomous vehicle unit has agreed to offer rides on a third-party platform, the companies said. Under the multiyear agreement, Zoox vehicles will be available to Uber riders in Las Vegas starting this summer and in Los Angeles by mid-2027, according to Uber. Z...
Zoox and Uber $UBER announced a partnership Wednesday to make Zoox robotaxis available through the Uber app, the first time Amazon $AMZN's autonomous vehicle unit has agreed to offer rides on a third-party platform, the companies said. Under the multiyear agreement, Zoox vehicles will be available to Uber riders in Las Vegas starting this summer and in Los Angeles by mid-2027, according to Uber. Zoox will continue to operate its own app alongside the Uber offering in both cities. "This partnership is an opportunity to continue advancing the use of autonomous mobility in daily life," Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said in a statement. "Through our collaboration, Zoox will provide a differentiated rider experience to those who already know and love the convenience of riding with Uber ." Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi described Zoox vehicles as "purpose-built from the ground up" and called Zoox's safety record and autonomous technology a fit for the partnership. Zoox's vehicles are custom-built for ride-hailing rather than adapted from conventional passenger cars. They are bidirectional, fully electric, and feature seats that face each other, according to CNBC. The vehicles can reach 75 mph but tend to run at 45 mph or less in normal operation. Zoox has logged more than one million autonomous miles and served over 300,000 riders to date, the company said. It began offering free driverless rides in Las Vegas and certain San Francisco neighborhoods last year, but has not yet offered paid rides, according to CNBC. Zoox is pursuing federal permission to put as many as 2,500 of its vehicles into commercial service on U.S. roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began accepting public comments on that request Tuesday, according to CNBC. Until now, regulators have only cleared the company to use its vehicles for research and demonstrations. For Uber , the deal extends its push to position its platform as the primary distribution channel for autonomous vehicle operators. K...
Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter that takes Verge subscribers into the smoke-filled back rooms of Washington as they become the Zyn-filled back rooms of Washington. (Although Tucker Carlson’s ALP is more popular among a certain set.) Not a Verge subscriber yet? Sign up here today! I’m not exposing myself to all these carcinogens for nothing. Do you know something that’s not in any of t...
Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter that takes Verge subscribers into the smoke-filled back rooms of Washington as they become the Zyn-filled back rooms of Washington. (Although Tucker Carlson’s ALP is more popular among a certain set.) Not a Verge subscriber yet? Sign up here today! I’m not exposing myself to all these carcinogens for nothing. Do you know something that’s not in any of those rooms? Send all tips to tina.nguyen+tips@theverge.com, or to my Signal account @tina.nguyen19. At the very least, you’ll save me a dry cleaning bill. There’s a story that I’ve been chasing for months, along with, apparently, every other political reporter in Washington covering the Trump administration: Who is responsible for the government’s racist tweets? Or more specifically: Who is the person within the Department of Homeland Security creating the memes with all the deep-cut white supremacist references? It’s a legitimate question, given the way the DHS has operated over the past year. The job of a comms officer at any institution, government or private, is to shape the public’s understanding of what their organization does — its activities, goals, intentions, and so forth. In this case, ICE and DHS enforce immigration laws, and under the Trump administration, they’ve spent the last year aggressively targeting a broad range of minorities under dubious pretexts, with the intention of removing them from America. It is, therefore, notable when this agency publishes social media posts that contain references to that other historic, WWII-era regime that aggressively targeted a broad range of minorities under dubious pretexts (except this one was in Germany). The problem is, everyone I’ve spoken to in MAGAworld content creation — comms staff, influencers, whomever — knows their identity. In off-the-record conversations, people will simply tell me their name as soon as I ask the question, as they’re familiar with the memelord’s style from interactions in the disappearing ...
Pimco Economist Tiffany Wilding talks about risks to the economy due to the Iran war. She also says headline inflation could accelerate by a percentage point. She speaks on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)
Pimco Economist Tiffany Wilding talks about risks to the economy due to the Iran war. She also says headline inflation could accelerate by a percentage point. She speaks on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)
Here are key takeaways from the US February consumer price index report released Wednesday: Both the headline and core CPI gauges came in as expected, with a 0.3% month-on-month increase in the overall measure and a 0.2% rise in the index excluding food and energy prices. The biggest monthly advance in energy costs since September helped explain the faster headline figure. On a year-on-year basis,...
Here are key takeaways from the US February consumer price index report released Wednesday: Both the headline and core CPI gauges came in as expected, with a 0.3% month-on-month increase in the overall measure and a 0.2% rise in the index excluding food and energy prices. The biggest monthly advance in energy costs since September helped explain the faster headline figure. On a year-on-year basis, the CPI gauges are essentially showing the tamest inflation since the cost-of-living surge began in the spring of 2021. The headline CPI was up 2.4%, a touch above last year’s low, while the core held at 2.5% — matching the lowest since 2021. Economists highlighted that the figures are a snapshot of prices before the impact of the Iran war, which has sent gasoline and other energy prices soaring. They also cautioned that the other major monthly inflation measure, the PCE , looks to be running relatively hot. Elements of the February CPI that carry through to the PCE suggest a monthly core reading of at least 0.4% — a pace inconsistent with the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual target – even before the inevitable Iran war effects to come. Shelter and services prices showed modest increases in February, while furniture and apparel prices had signs of tariff pass-through. Car insurance, which has soared over the past several years, showed the smallest year-on-year gain since 2021. Health insurance prices were also down. Treasury yields hit session highs after the release, though moves were modest. Two-year and 10-year yields were up about 3 basis points as of 9:10 a.m. in New York. S&P 500 futures were down 0.2%. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was up 0.2%. To access the full live blog, click here to read on the Terminal and here online.
For over a decade, Hino Motors Ltd. imported and sold more than 105,000 vehicles and engines with misleading or fabricated emissions data, until testing by the Environmental Protection Agency revealed the emissions-fraud scheme. The case would lead the Toyota subsidiary to plead guilty and agree to pay over $1.6 billion in fines over five years and forfeit an additional $1 billion in profits made ...
For over a decade, Hino Motors Ltd. imported and sold more than 105,000 vehicles and engines with misleading or fabricated emissions data, until testing by the Environmental Protection Agency revealed the emissions-fraud scheme. The case would lead the Toyota subsidiary to plead guilty and agree to pay over $1.6 billion in fines over five years and forfeit an additional $1 billion in profits made from the illicit sales. On Monday, the EPA touted the case in its enforcement and compliance assurance results for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025, contending in a press release that the agency closed more cases in President Donald Trump’s first year of his second term than in any year of the Biden administration. Read full article Comments
primeimages/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview The S&P 500 Index increased by 2.66% (total return, in USD) in the fourth quarter of 2025, while the Russell 2000 Index rose by 2.21% (total return, in USD). The fourth quarter demonstrated broad resilience, as the major US indices achieved widespread gains despite softening labor market data, a record government shutdown, and increasing scrutiny...
primeimages/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview The S&P 500 Index increased by 2.66% (total return, in USD) in the fourth quarter of 2025, while the Russell 2000 Index rose by 2.21% (total return, in USD). The fourth quarter demonstrated broad resilience, as the major US indices achieved widespread gains despite softening labor market data, a record government shutdown, and increasing scrutiny of heightened artificial intelligence-related expenditures. While initial concerns regarding the sustainability of the artificial intelligence growth theme and elevated valuations led to some volatility and sector rotation, this shift broadened market leadership, further underpinned by robust corporate earnings that indicated fundamental strength. Concurrently, the Federal Open Market Committee continued its path of monetary easing, which further contributed to a broadly positive market outlook. The best performing sectors within the S&P 500 were Health Care, Communication Services, and Financials, while the worst performing sectors were Real Estate, Utilities, and Consumer Staples. For the Russell 2000, the best performing sectors were Health Care, Materials, and Communication Services, while the worst performing sectors were Consumer Staples, Information Technology, and Consumer Discretionary. Standardized Total Returns for Period Ended 12/31/25 Class A Shares Class I Shares One Year 9.32% 16.06% Five Years 10.94% 12.58% Ten Years 13.55% 14.60% Click to enlarge The Standardized Total Returns are average annual total returns or cumulative total returns (only if the performance period is one year or less) as of the most recent calendar quarter end. They assume reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value. These returns reflect the maximum initial sales charge of 5.50% for Class A Shares. Because Institutional Shares do not involve a sales charge, such a charge is not applied to their Standardized Total Returns. Expense Ratios Class A Shares Class I Shares Current E...