(RTTNews) - Investor sentiments on Tuesday will be directly responding to the Middle East conflict and early trends on the U.S. Futures suggest that Wall Street might open moderately lower. Oil crisis is deepening, as US-Israeli conflict on Iran escalates, sending shockwaves through global energy markets. Israeli military continue to pound Iran with air strikes, while Tehran has declared that it i...
(RTTNews) - Investor sentiments on Tuesday will be directly responding to the Middle East conflict and early trends on the U.S. Futures suggest that Wall Street might open moderately lower. Oil crisis is deepening, as US-Israeli conflict on Iran escalates, sending shockwaves through global energy markets. Israeli military continue to pound Iran with air strikes, while Tehran has declared that it is prepared for a long war. Asian shares finished positive, while European shares are trading higher. As of 7.35 am ET, the Dow futures were losing 59.00 points, the S&P 500 futures were down 10.00 points and the Nasdaq 100 futures were sliding 17.00 points. The U.S. major averages closed higher on Monday. The Nasdaq jumped 308.27 points or 1.4 percent to 22,695.95, the S&P 500 advanced 55.96 points or 0.8 percent to 6,795.99 and the Dow climbed 239.25 points or 0.5 percent to 47,740.80. On the economic front, the Existing Home Sales for November will be released at 10.00 am ET. The consensus is 3.88 million, while it was up 3.91 million last month. Three-year Treasury Note Acution will be held at 1.00 pm ET. Eight week and 4-week Treasury Bill acution will be held 11.00 am ET. Treasury Buyback Results are scheduled at 2.00 pm ET. The major averages surged in the final hour of trading, closing not far off their highs. The Nasdaq jumped 308.27 points or 1.4 percent to 22,695.95, the S&P 500 advanced 55.96 points or 0.8 percent to 6,795.99 and the Dow climbed 239.25 points or 0.5 percent to 47,740.80. Asian stocks rallied on Tuesday. China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.65 percent to 4,123.14. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 2.17 percent to 25,959.90. Japanese markets ended sharply higher. The Nikkei average soared 2.88 percent to 54,248.39, with semiconductor-related stocks doing well. Australian markets advanced. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 ended up 1.09 percent at 8,692.60, giving up some early gains. The broader All Ordinaries index added 1.14 percent to close at 8,92...
MarkRubens/iStock via Getty Images Eve Holdings ( EVEX ) is in a strategic partnership with Alt Air and Skyports Infrastructure to accelerate the rollout of electric vertical take-off and landing services across New South Wales and Queensland. The collaboration aims to design a phased commercialization roadmap covering vertiport infrastructure, route planning, airspace integration, ground operatio...
MarkRubens/iStock via Getty Images Eve Holdings ( EVEX ) is in a strategic partnership with Alt Air and Skyports Infrastructure to accelerate the rollout of electric vertical take-off and landing services across New South Wales and Queensland. The collaboration aims to design a phased commercialization roadmap covering vertiport infrastructure, route planning, airspace integration, ground operations, and passenger experience, with an eye toward showcasing high-visibility operations ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Eve Holdings ( EVEX ), Alt Air, and Skyports will assess priority routes linking major population centers, commercial districts, and tourism hubs across Sydney, South East Queensland, and surrounding regions. Early concepts include high-demand corridors such as Western Sydney International Airport to downtown Sydney. As part of the collaboration, Skyports will lead the evaluation and development of vertiport sites along key urban and regional corridors, while Alt Air brings existing bases on Sydney Harbour, Palm Beach, and other airport assets to anchor the network. Together, the partners will prioritize routes linking Western Sydney International Airport, central Sydney, South East Queensland, and key tourism hubs, positioning Australia as a potential global leader in sustainable urban air mobility. The initiative is framed around building a safe, efficient, low-emission ecosystem that integrates seamlessly with existing transport modes and supports high-tempo eVTOL operations. Looking ahead, Eve Holding plans to leverage its growing backlog of eVTOL commitments, ongoing 2026 flight-test program (targeting about 300 flights), and Embraer-backed industrial base to move toward certification and scaled production. The company is pursuing a dual-track strategy that couples aircraft sales with ecosystem offerings such as Eve TechCare support and the Eve Vector urban air traffic management platform, aimed at helping helicopter operators ...
ABM Industries (ABM) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.83 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.87 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.87 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -4.92%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this provider of cleaning and other maintenance services fo...
ABM Industries (ABM) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.83 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.87 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.87 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -4.92%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this provider of cleaning and other maintenance services for commercial buildings, hospitals and airports would post earnings of $1.1 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.88, delivering a surprise of -20%. Over the last four quarters, the company has not been able to surpass consensus EPS estimates. ABM Industries, which belongs to the Zacks Business - Services industry, posted revenues of $2.24 billion for the quarter ended January 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.27%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.11 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. ABM Industries shares have added about 2.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of 0.7%. What's Next for ABM Industries? While ABM Industries has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks ...
Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.09 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate . This compares to earnings of $0.04 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.03 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.03, delivering no surprise. Over...
Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.09 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate . This compares to earnings of $0.04 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.03 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.03, delivering no surprise. Over the last four quarters, the company has not been able to surpass consensus EPS estimates. Custom Truck One Source, which belongs to the Zacks Automotive - Original Equipment industry, posted revenues of $528.18 million for the quarter ended December 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.2%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $520.74 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Custom Truck One Source shares have added about 10.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of 0.7%. What's Next for Custom Truck One Source? While Custom Truck One Source has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this ear...
In this article UBER Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Kseniya Ovchinnikova | Moment | Getty Images Warris Bokhari received an unexpected tax form in early February, just as the 2026 tax season was ramping up . Uber Technologies , the ride-hailing company, mailed him a Form 1099-K listing about $2,317 in gross income earned through dozens of transactions in November and December, acc...
In this article UBER Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Kseniya Ovchinnikova | Moment | Getty Images Warris Bokhari received an unexpected tax form in early February, just as the 2026 tax season was ramping up . Uber Technologies , the ride-hailing company, mailed him a Form 1099-K listing about $2,317 in gross income earned through dozens of transactions in November and December, according to a tax form reviewed by CNBC. But Bokhari, a 46-year-old Los Angeles resident, has never driven for Uber, nor been a courier, merchant or contractor for the company, he said. He spent weeks trying to track down answers. Uber ultimately confirmed to Bokhari that, after an investigation, it had "found signs of identity theft," according to a message from Uber support reviewed by CNBC. Someone else had used Bokhari's personal information to drive for Uber and earn income — and leave the real Bokhari, in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service, responsible for taxes on that "phantom income," he said. It's like "a terrible reverse lottery," said Bokhari, who is the CEO of health care technology firm Claimable. "Your identity can be used by someone else for their gains, and you're left with bills and debts that you try to undo." Employment identity theft on the rise Employment-related identity theft happens when someone uses your personal information, commonly a Social Security number, to get hired for jobs and earn income illegally. In many cases, the victim doesn't know their identity has been stolen until they receive tax forms from companies they didn't work for. This issue is a growing problem in the U.S. About 31,450 people reported employment or wage-related identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission through the first three quarters of 2025 — a 61% rise from the same time period in 2021, according to federal data. The FTC doesn't break out data between employment and wage-related identity scams . "Mysterious 1099s" aren't a new issue, but they have become "sl...
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview The US equity market continued to press forward in the fourth quarter, with the S&P 500 Index posting a 2.66% return. The markets did not experience a late-quarter "Santa Claus" rally, but advanced on strong earnings and two additional US Fed rate cuts. However, not everything was perfect. The US faced the longest federal government shutdown in its h...
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview The US equity market continued to press forward in the fourth quarter, with the S&P 500 Index posting a 2.66% return. The markets did not experience a late-quarter "Santa Claus" rally, but advanced on strong earnings and two additional US Fed rate cuts. However, not everything was perfect. The US faced the longest federal government shutdown in its history, and concerns about unemployment and low consumer sentiment were top of mind for many Americans. Looking at the S&P 500 Index's 2.66% gain from a style perspective, value beat growth for the quarter, in a notable shift. The S&P 500 Value Index rose 3.20% compared to the S&P 500 Growth Index's gain of 2.21%. High-beta names rose 6.71%, far outpacing quality 2.75%, while momentum fell -1.16% for the quarter. Only two S&P 500 Index sectors, health care (+11.7%) and communication services (+7.3%), outpaced the overall market. Financials (+2.0%), energy (+1.5%), information technology (+1.4%), materials (+1.1%), consumer discretionary (+0.7%), and industrials (+0.9%) each posted gains. The consumer staples sector (+0.0%) was up for the quarter by one basis point, while utilities (-1.4%) and real estate (-2.9%) finished in negative territory. The ICE BofA All US Convertible Index advanced 1.97% in the fourth quarter, capping off a strong 2025 calendar year (+17.98%). During the quarter, convertibles captured most of the equity market's upside, with the S&P 500 Index returning 2.66%. For the full year, convertibles outpaced the S&P 500's 17.88% return. The US high-yield bond market, as represented by the Bloomberg US Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index, returned 1.31% in the fourth quarter. High-yield spreads closed the quarter one basis point tighter at +266. Investment-grade spreads widened by 4 basis points to close 2025 at +78. Single-B issuers (+1.6%) led returns across credit qualities, followed by the BB cohort (+1.5%). The CCC component of the market trailed...
Key Points Regulation can quietly reshape economics. Global scale brings geopolitical exposure. Culture is a long-term asset -- if protected. 10 stocks we like better than Interactive Brokers Group › Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) has built one of the most structurally efficient brokerage platforms in the world. Its automation reduces operating friction. Its global infrastructure lets clients ...
Key Points Regulation can quietly reshape economics. Global scale brings geopolitical exposure. Culture is a long-term asset -- if protected. 10 stocks we like better than Interactive Brokers Group › Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) has built one of the most structurally efficient brokerage platforms in the world. Its automation reduces operating friction. Its global infrastructure lets clients move capital across more than 160 markets, and its disciplined capital management supports consistently high margins. But structural strength does not eliminate structural risk. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Unlike interest rate swings or trading volume cycles, structural risks move slowly. They rarely show up in a single quarter. Instead, they accumulate quietly, through regulation, geopolitics, and institutional evolution. For long-term investors, these are the risks that matter most. Regulatory tightening and capital intensity Interactive Brokers' model depends on leverage, liquidity, and regulatory approval across jurisdictions. Its margin lending business, client cash management, and clearing operations all operate within a regulatory framework. If margin requirements tighten -- particularly in the U.S., Europe, or Asia -- client leverage would decline. That directly reduces margin interest income, one of Interactive Brokers' most profitable revenue streams. If capital requirements increase, the company may need to hold more equity relative to risk-weighted assets. That would not necessarily reduce earnings, but it could compress return on equity, one of the metrics that makes the company attractive to investors. In addition, expanded reporting and compliance obligations can raise fixed costs. Even an automated platform must invest continuously in legal, monitoring, and system updat...
Diversity Wars: Pro-Palestine Watermelon Mural Triggers Black Community In Richmond Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, In Richmond, Virginia, a pro-Palestine mural has sparked massive backlash from Black residents, who have taken offense to the watermelon in the image, suggesting it recalls degrading stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. The mural, splashed across a building at the intersecti...
Diversity Wars: Pro-Palestine Watermelon Mural Triggers Black Community In Richmond Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, In Richmond, Virginia, a pro-Palestine mural has sparked massive backlash from Black residents, who have taken offense to the watermelon in the image, suggesting it recalls degrading stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. The mural, splashed across a building at the intersection of Brookland Park Boulevard and North Avenue in Richmond’s Northside—a historically Black neighborhood now facing gentrification—depicts a darker-skinned Palestinian woman holding a slice of watermelon. The seeds are cleverly arranged to spell out “Free Palestine,” with olives and a keffiyeh adding to the symbolism. Painted by Los Angeles-based artist Lauren YS, the piece was intended as a show of defiance against what supporters call Israeli occupation. Artist Defends Watermelon Imagery On Palestine Mural In Black Community pic.twitter.com/wVNDaNibZt — Danny Polishchuk (@Dannyjokes) March 7, 2026 Dr. Faedah Totah, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, explained the watermelon’s role in Palestinian activism. “The Palestinian flag has four colors, red, white, black, and green, which also happens to be the color of a slice of a watermelon,” Totah said. “So, what ends up happening when you ban the flag is that people become creative in finding different ways to express their national identity.” The symbol dates back to 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza, banning the Palestinian flag and forcing activists to get inventive. But in this American context, the choice has landed like a lead balloon. Jonathan Davis, former president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters and the Battery Park Civic Association, remarked “I was taken aback because of the imagery that it represents, a watermelon up to the mouth of a Black woman,” Davis said. “So to me, understanding the history of our people and what happened during the Jim Crow era and how those images were use...
Honeywell Aerospace Inc. has begun its inaugural US investment-grade bond sale, targeting as much as $16 billion as it prepares for a planned spinoff. The deal in as many as nine parts has maturities of two to 40 years, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak publicly. Initial price talk for the longest-tenored note is for a ...
Honeywell Aerospace Inc. has begun its inaugural US investment-grade bond sale, targeting as much as $16 billion as it prepares for a planned spinoff. The deal in as many as nine parts has maturities of two to 40 years, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak publicly. Initial price talk for the longest-tenored note is for a spread of as much as 1.35 percentage points above Treasuries, the person added. The private offering was disclosed last week by parent Honeywell International Inc. , with the size poised to be one of the biggest US investment-grade deals of 2026. Fixed-income investor calls were held Monday. Syndicate desks are looking for roughly $60 billion of investment-grade issuance this week, after March began with $50.6 billion of supply even as geopolitical tensions tied to the Iran war kept primary activity subdued. Each of the past two Mondays have seen no high-grade deals. Honeywell, in February 2025 , laid out plans to break up into three companies after pressure from activists. Solstice Advanced Materials Inc. was spun off in October, with the aerospace unit targeted for separation in the third quarter of 2026. The aerospace business has secured $4 billion of revolving credit facilities. Fitch Ratings has assigned an A- grade to Honeywell Aerospace, while Moody’s Ratings put the firm at A3 and S&P Global Ratings issued a BBB+ grade. Helping run the bond sale are Bank of America Corp., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo & Co., the person said. Honeywell last week also announced an offer to repurchase as much as $3.75 billion of dollar bonds and €1.25 billion ($1.45 billion) of euro notes.
Rivian Automotive's upcoming R2 model could capitalize on an electric vehicle demand rebound in the U.S., according to TD Cowen. The bank upgraded the electric vehicle manufacturer to buy from hold. Analyst Itay Michaeli also lifted his price target to $20 from $17, which points to a 26% gain from Monday's close. Michaeli said his upgrade follows a recent deep-dive on demand trends for Rivian's ne...
Rivian Automotive's upcoming R2 model could capitalize on an electric vehicle demand rebound in the U.S., according to TD Cowen. The bank upgraded the electric vehicle manufacturer to buy from hold. Analyst Itay Michaeli also lifted his price target to $20 from $17, which points to a 26% gain from Monday's close. Michaeli said his upgrade follows a recent deep-dive on demand trends for Rivian's new R2 SUV model. Rivian's R2 model, which starts at $45,000, is less expensive and smaller than the company's R1S SUV, which offers a starting price of $80,000. While the R2 looks visually similar to the R1S, it only has five seats, or two fewer. RIVN 1Y mountain RIVN 1Y chart "We see full scale R2 demand at 212-335k units, suggesting upside to '27 consensus. With the shares down ~20% YTD, we like the risk/reward into the R2 launch," Michaeli wrote. The analyst said the R2 launch is consistent with his thesis around a looming U.S. electric vehicle demand comeback. "Our recently introduced (March 2026) R2 demand model suggests potential full-scale demand above the current consensus, leaving us more optimistic," he said. "With the R2 launching in H1 2026, the vehicle will have an added advantage of being an early mover on next-gen EVs with L3/L4 hardware." Shares of Rivian Automotive have sunk 19% this year, but are up 45% over the past 12 months.
Each year, retirees eagerly await news of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). COLAs help to ensure that retirees don’t lose buying power over time. Since prices go up steadily, Social Security benefits also need to increase too because otherwise checks would purchase less each year. The official announcement regarding the 2027 COLA is a ... March 18th Is The Date Social Security Retirees Need to...
Each year, retirees eagerly await news of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). COLAs help to ensure that retirees don’t lose buying power over time. Since prices go up steadily, Social Security benefits also need to increase too because otherwise checks would purchase less each year. The official announcement regarding the 2027 COLA is a ... March 18th Is The Date Social Security Retirees Need to Watch If They Care About COLA
Authorities in Northern Ireland have identified “multiple” potential victims of a former police officer who is accused of rape and other sexual offences. The office of the police ombudsman said on Tuesday it was allocating all available resources to the case given its “impact, scale and complexity”. Ombudsman investigators arrested the former officer in December 2025 on suspicion of committing mor...
Authorities in Northern Ireland have identified “multiple” potential victims of a former police officer who is accused of rape and other sexual offences. The office of the police ombudsman said on Tuesday it was allocating all available resources to the case given its “impact, scale and complexity”. Ombudsman investigators arrested the former officer in December 2025 on suspicion of committing more than 10 offences, including rape, while serving in the police between 2000 and 2009. “We have identified multiple potential victims, together with a substantial number of witnesses,” Hugh Hume, the ombudsman chief executive, said in a statement. “We have also seized a large volume of material, including a significant amount of digital evidence, during a search operation.” Hume said the investigation’s scope meant other cases could be affected. “As the victim impact, scale and complexity of the investigation have become clear, we are now working to ensure that this investigation is carried out in the most timely manner possible. We are, therefore, allocating all available resources to ensure it will be victim-centred, effective and efficient. Our resources are finite and this means that the timeliness of our other casework may be affected.” The ombudsman needed to balance the demands of this “complex and expanding investigation” with other cases, said Hume. “If we do not prioritise now, in the long term we risk compromising the service we provide to complainants and victims, and public confidence in this office and the PSNI,” he said. Under the terms of the Good Friday agreement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland replaced the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 2001. Hume said news of the widening investigation could be distressing for anyone who had been affected or harmed, or who had been harmed by a similar experience. “We would like to reassure victims that they are not to blame and if they choose to contact us, we will listen, we will investigate and we will do so indep...
(RTTNews) - Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM), the oil and gas major, Tuesday announced that it is changing the company's legal domicile from New Jersey to Texas. The company feels Texas' legal and regulatory environment, including its modernized business statutes and the Texas Business Court, are designed to resolve complex disputes efficiently. When corporate decisions are challenged, Texas courts a...
(RTTNews) - Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM), the oil and gas major, Tuesday announced that it is changing the company's legal domicile from New Jersey to Texas. The company feels Texas' legal and regulatory environment, including its modernized business statutes and the Texas Business Court, are designed to resolve complex disputes efficiently. When corporate decisions are challenged, Texas courts are required to apply clear, statute-based standards, which support sound decision-making. "Aligning our legal home with our operating home, in a state that understands our business and has a stake in the company's success, is important.", commented Darren Woods, ExxonMobil chief executive officer. Further, the energy firm assured that the proposed redomiciliation will not affect business operations, management, strategy, assets, or employee locations and nor will it reduce shareholder rights. ExxonMobil has no plans to adopt elective provisions under Texas law that would diminish shareholder rights currently in place, the company added. In pre-market activity, XOM shares were trading at $148.78, down 1.10% on the New York Stock Exchange. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Investors betting on a hawkish response to rising oil prices could be misreading the Federal Reserve, according to Bank of America Corp., which warns that supply shocks can also result in periods of stable interest rates and even deep cuts. While the two-year Treasury yield has moved in lock-step with surging oil prices since the start of the Iran war, reflecting expectations of higher borrowing c...
Investors betting on a hawkish response to rising oil prices could be misreading the Federal Reserve, according to Bank of America Corp., which warns that supply shocks can also result in periods of stable interest rates and even deep cuts. While the two-year Treasury yield has moved in lock-step with surging oil prices since the start of the Iran war, reflecting expectations of higher borrowing costs, US economist Aditya Bhave warns this “could be a mistake.” An energy shock isn’t necessarily hawkish, he argues, because it can create tension between the central bank’s mandates to promote stable prices and support employment. “This ‘fattens the tails’ of the policy distribution: greater risk of an extended hold, tail risks of hikes, but also larger risks of deep cuts,” he wrote on Tuesday. Shorter-dated Treasury yields have jumped as much as around 20 basis points so far this month, and traders are pricing 40 basis points of rate cuts this year, compared with more than 60 basis points before the latest conflict began. Oil prices slumped on Tuesday after breaking through $100 a barrel in the previous session. Even so, crude production cuts in the Middle East are deepening, shaving about 6% off global supply. The Strait of Hormuz chokepoint remains at a near-standstill. Read more: Global Leaders Race to Shield Their Economies From War Shocks Bhave wrote that the market reaction so far has echoes of 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. At that time, he said, the US had a lower unemployment rate and consumers were flush with stimulus cash. “We now have a soft labor market, moderately elevated inflation and more modest fiscal support,” he said. “This sets us up for a more dovish Fed response if the oil shock is persistent.”
NoDerog/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images It might be time to buy Hormel ( HRL ) soon. The short-term headwinds that hurt the company last year are mostly gone. In 2026, Hormel will focus on efficiency. This company now has a 4.79% dividend yield, but it can’t continue to increase its dividend if its earnings fall further. So, Hormel is raising prices, laying off employees, and exiting low-margin...
NoDerog/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images It might be time to buy Hormel ( HRL ) soon. The short-term headwinds that hurt the company last year are mostly gone. In 2026, Hormel will focus on efficiency. This company now has a 4.79% dividend yield, but it can’t continue to increase its dividend if its earnings fall further. So, Hormel is raising prices, laying off employees, and exiting low-margin businesses. Most recently, it announced that it was selling its Justin’s turkey business. My thesis is that Hormel’s 2026 guidance doesn’t fully reflect its efficiency gains, because some of them may not be visible until 2027. This company’s Q1 2026 results indicate that it’s giving up market share to improve its margins. Right now, other food companies are reducing their prices so they don’t lose customers. Hormel is doing the opposite right now. The company’s volume dropped 3.9% in the first quarter, but it still posted 1.3% net sales growth. And while Hormel’s retail segment reported -2.2% net sales growth, its foodservice and international segment reported 7.3% and 7.6% growth, respectively. Meanwhile, Hormel will also have higher input costs in 2026. Meat and nut prices are rising, and so are transportation costs. And the government has also placed tariffs on metal containers . The company may not be able to pass all of these input price increases onto grocery stores, which are reporting that their customers are trying to save money right now. And Hormel’s retail segment is its biggest segment. So, in the short term, Hormel’s efficiency improvements might not have a big impact on its results. Hormel’s Overall Expectations for 2026 Haven’t Changed That Much Hormel is selling its Justin’s turkey business to strengthen its margins and stabilize its revenue. It sounds like this is the main reason why the company raised its GAAP operating income guidance and its GAAP diluted EPS guidance in this report. But Hormel didn’t change its GAAP revenue guidance or its adjusted ope...
Kansas City Life Insurance press release ( KCLI ): FY GAAP EPS of -$2.14. Revenue of $485.5M (-1.1% Y/Y). More on Kansas City Life Insurance Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Kansas City Life Insurance Dividend scorecard for Kansas City Life Insurance Financial information for Kansas City Life Insurance
Kansas City Life Insurance press release ( KCLI ): FY GAAP EPS of -$2.14. Revenue of $485.5M (-1.1% Y/Y). More on Kansas City Life Insurance Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Kansas City Life Insurance Dividend scorecard for Kansas City Life Insurance Financial information for Kansas City Life Insurance
Key Points Taikang Asset Management (Hong Kong) Co Ltd reported buying 182,605 shares of Futu Holdings Limited. The quarter-end value of the new stake was $29.99 million. This new position represents 2.97% of the fund’s reportable U.S. equity assets under management at quarter-end. 10 stocks we like better than Futu › What happened According to an SEC filing dated Feb. 13, 2026, Taikang Asset Mana...
Key Points Taikang Asset Management (Hong Kong) Co Ltd reported buying 182,605 shares of Futu Holdings Limited. The quarter-end value of the new stake was $29.99 million. This new position represents 2.97% of the fund’s reportable U.S. equity assets under management at quarter-end. 10 stocks we like better than Futu › What happened According to an SEC filing dated Feb. 13, 2026, Taikang Asset Management (Hong Kong) Co Ltd initiated a new position in Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:FUTU), acquiring 182,605 shares. The estimated value of this purchase is $31.34 million, based on the average closing price over the filing quarter. What else to know This is a new position for the fund and represents 2.97% of its $1.01 billion reportable U.S. equity assets as of Dec. 31, 2025. Top holdings after the filing: Tesla : $62.47 million (6.2% of AUM) Apple : $56.63 million (5.6% of AUM) Vanguard S&P 500 ETF : $52.31 million (5.2% of AUM) Alphabet Class C shares: $51.08 million (5% of AUM) Nvidia : $40.89 million (4% of AUM) As of Feb. 16, 2026, shares of Futu were priced at $146.72, up 20.4% over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 7.2 percentage points. Company overview Metric Value Market Capitalization $19.95 billion Price (as of market close 2/16/26) $146.72 Revenue (TTM) $2.67 billion Net Income (TTM) $1.26 billion Company snapshot Offers digitalized securities brokerage, margin financing, and wealth management product distribution via Futubull and Moomoo platforms. Generates revenue primarily from commissions, margin financing, fund distribution, and value-added financial services within its digital ecosystem. Serves individual and institutional investors in Hong Kong and internationally, targeting tech-savvy and cross-border clients seeking online investment solutions. Futu Holdings Limited is a leading digital financial services provider, leveraging technology to deliver brokerage and wealth management products at scale. The company’s integrated platforms, Futubull...
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter about the business of tech from Bloomberg’s journalists around the world. Today, Zheping Huang writes about the OpenClaw rush in China. Tech Across the Globe Apple delays home display: The iPhone maker is postponing a smart home display until later this year as it struggles to finish AI upgrades to its Siri digital assistant, an integral part of the n...
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter about the business of tech from Bloomberg’s journalists around the world. Today, Zheping Huang writes about the OpenClaw rush in China. Tech Across the Globe Apple delays home display: The iPhone maker is postponing a smart home display until later this year as it struggles to finish AI upgrades to its Siri digital assistant, an integral part of the new product. OpenAI’s acquisition: The maker of ChatGPT has agreed to buy Promptfoo, a startup that lets large businesses fix security issues in AI models during their development. Uber’s pitch to women: The rideshare company is going nationwide in the US with its optional feature that matches women passengers and drivers, expanding a safety measure as it seeks to resolve sexual assault complaints. Revalued OpenAI partner Nscale has raised $2 billion in funding that values the data center developer at $14.6 billion. That places the UK-based firm among Europe’s most valuable startups. The company also added former Meta executives Sheryl Sandberg and Nick Clegg as directors. AI lobsters everywhere KimiClaw. AutoClaw. QClaw. MaxClaw. The latest mania gripping China’s tech circles is “raising lobsters,” as the world’s biggest internet population dives headlong into the world of artificial intelligence agents. OpenClaw, the viral, open source tool for creating autonomous AI, has spawned a new ecosystem within China’s tech arena with a level of exuberance that eclipses Silicon Valley. No, seriously. The language of lobster husbandry — referring to the process of using what was previously known as Clawdbot to create an agent that would do complex tasks like organizing a schedule or triage email — is everywhere across the Chinese internet. Companies are starting their WeChat posts with the ???? emoji and promising their customization is the easiest way to get in on the trend. Tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba, along with AI upstarts ranging from Moonshot to MiniMax, have rolled o...