In this article MMC Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 9, 2026. Benoit Tessier | Reuters Global insurers, brokers and shipping companies are concerned about an environmental catastrophe if an oil tanker sinks in the Persian Gulf. It's ...
In this article MMC Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 9, 2026. Benoit Tessier | Reuters Global insurers, brokers and shipping companies are concerned about an environmental catastrophe if an oil tanker sinks in the Persian Gulf. It's a massive risk in a region that stretches from Kuwait to Qatar — an area of glittering high-rise buildings, posh beachfront resorts and booming commercial centers. Its incredible wealth and shift toward tourism is a dramatic change from the late 1980s, when a tanker war between Iraq and Iran threatened the oil trade in the Persian Gulf. What the region doesn't have is the kind of sophisticated oil clean-up industry and technology that is readily available in the United States, according to a risk advisor who asked not to be named. That expensive pollution risk has not yet been addressed by the global insurance market, which doesn't have the data to calculate business disruption claims should a massive oil spill contaminate destination beaches. Pollution is offered under marine insurance, which also includes coverage for ships' hulls, machinery and cargo. Expensive coverage Hull, machinery and cargo coverage has remained available to shipping companies, even after missiles began flying. But it was expensive — 4-6 times more than the previous week, according to Marsh and Howden Group, two leading global insurance brokers. Still, sources tell CNBC that President Trump's commitment to insure tankers and get commerce moving helped reassure the market that the U.S. government would provide appropriate supports. But the Development Finance Corporation's rolling $20 billion reinsurance facility, for now, is only intended as a backstop for hull, machinery and cargo — with no mention of essential pollution coverage. The DFC told CNBC Monday more details would soon be available about ...
The Federal Aviation Administration approved eight pilot programs that will allow a handful of companies, including Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation, and Wisk to start widespread electric aircraft testing as early as this summer. The three-year program, which will span 26 states, is designed to ensure U.S. companies lead the way in next-gen aircraft used for personal travel, regio...
The Federal Aviation Administration approved eight pilot programs that will allow a handful of companies, including Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation, and Wisk to start widespread electric aircraft testing as early as this summer. The three-year program, which will span 26 states, is designed to ensure U.S. companies lead the way in next-gen aircraft used for personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, and emergency medicine, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in remarks Monday. The pilot program, known as the Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program, was announced last year through an executive order by President Donald Trump in an effort to speed up development of the futuristic aircraft. Numerous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) companies have emerged in recent years with promises of launching urban air taxis and other regional electric aircraft. However, getting those aircraft into commercial operation takes years and hundreds of millions of dollars. The FAA must certify any new aircraft, which is a multi-year process. The pilot program will allow these companies to test their eVTOL aircraft even though they have not received full regulatory certification. That kind of accelerated timeline could bolster the efforts, and share prices, of many eVTOL companies such as Archer, Beta, and Joby that have gone public in recent years. Beta Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark said being selected for the program will allow the company to start aircraft operations one year earlier than anticipated. The company’s stock price popped nearly 12% Monday. Archer and Joby, which are also publicly traded, saw stock jumps as well. Techcrunch event Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days...
Noe Gonzalez/iStock via Getty Images The Trade Desk, Inc. ( TTD ) had a wild week with rumors of a big AI ad deal and the CEO buying a massive amount of shares. The digital ad platform spent most of 2025 recalibrating the business without much to show for the business with decelerating growth rates. My investment thesis is far more Bullish on the stock trading at the yearly lows, though the CEO in...
Noe Gonzalez/iStock via Getty Images The Trade Desk, Inc. ( TTD ) had a wild week with rumors of a big AI ad deal and the CEO buying a massive amount of shares. The digital ad platform spent most of 2025 recalibrating the business without much to show for the business with decelerating growth rates. My investment thesis is far more Bullish on the stock trading at the yearly lows, though the CEO insider transaction likely suggests a big AI ad deal is unlikely in the near term. Source: Finviz Massive Insider Purchase CEO Jeff Green just bought a massive amount of shares to start March. He bought 6 million shares for ~$148 million. Source: Finviz The CEO has famously sold a ton of shares over the last couple of years, including $114 million worth when last January when the stock traded at $120+. The executive averted a 75% loss during the period and now owns shares that would reach $720+ million on a rally back to the prior levels where Mr. Green sold near the top. Mr. Green pinned this article highlighting his reasoning with buying $148 million worth of shares. The CEO primarily sees Wall Street as wrong about the view of Amazon ( AMZN ) on the advertising market while seeing the ad TAM growing due to agentic AI and the market eventually coming back to TTD after realizing walled-garden markets like Amazon don't work. Source: The Current OpenAI Rumor The biggest rumor or the week was OpenAI ( OPENAI ) looking to work with TTD to help sell advertising on the AI platform. The AI leader is looking to expand monetization of ChatGPT in the U.S. via selling ads to logged-in adult users. The company has apparently reached $25 billion in annual run-rate revenues and Sam Altman is looking for a way to monetize usage at a higher rate to cut mounting losses. OpenAI recently raised $110 billion in a capital raise with a post-market valuation of $840 billion. Unfortunately, an executive with knowledge of a pending game changing ad deal with OpenAI can't purchase shares, especially ...
On Saturday, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management CEO Ross Gerber warned that California's spike in gasoline costs hits drivers unevenly, arguing the pain is avoidable for people who switch to an electric vehicle and pointing shoppers toward Rivian and Kia as alternatives to Tesla. His push to ditch the pump comes as tesla FSD limitations have also been on his mind, after describing how ...
On Saturday, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management CEO Ross Gerber warned that California's spike in gasoline costs hits drivers unevenly, arguing the pain is avoidable for people who switch to an electric vehicle and pointing shoppers toward Rivian and Kia as alternatives to Tesla. His push to ditch the pump comes as tesla FSD limitations have also been on his mind, after describing how direct sunlight can disrupt the system even when other parts of the software perform well. In a post on X, Gerber framed EV ownership as a straightforward way to sidestep fuel spending, saying this is an opportune moment to buy if drivers still feel locked into paying for gas. In the same post, he said he would steer buyers who do not want a Tesla toward Rivian or Kia. Not if you drive an EV like a large portion of the state. This would be the time to buy an EV if you haven't figured out paying for gas is not necessary. I suggest a Rivian or Kia for those who don't want to buy a tesla. $rivn $tsla https://t.co/a0HrOlr84X Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a ‘Groundbreaking Step for the Creator Economy' — Investors Can Still Get In at $0.85/Share Put professional stock research to work in a single ETF — explore Motley Fool Asset Management's factor-based funds. Why Rising Gas Prices Demand Electric Solutions Gerber's comment was posted alongside a Los Angeles Times item dated March 7 about California being hit harder than other states as gas prices climb. His takeaway was that the financial squeeze is largely optional for households that can make an EV work. That consumer math is only part of the EV pitch, though, because the ownership experience is also shaped by software and driver-assist reliability. Last month, Gerber described using Tesla's FSD version 14.2.2.4 around West Los Angeles, including a drive through busy streets near Westwood during an Iranian protest. He said the ride went smoothly in that area, but the trip home exposed a different problem: the system strug...
Investigation Suggests US Navy Likely Behind Attack That Killed 150 Schoolgirls In Iran It's looking more and more like the US Navy was responsible for killing more than 150 Iranian schoolgirls in the first hours of Operation Epic Fury, according to separate analyses of new video performed by research firm Bellingcat and the New York Times, who each tapped weapons experts to study the footage. The...
Investigation Suggests US Navy Likely Behind Attack That Killed 150 Schoolgirls In Iran It's looking more and more like the US Navy was responsible for killing more than 150 Iranian schoolgirls in the first hours of Operation Epic Fury, according to separate analyses of new video performed by research firm Bellingcat and the New York Times, who each tapped weapons experts to study the footage. Their conclusions contradict President Trump's casual accusation that inaccurate Iranian weapons were to blame . Excavators dig more than 100 graves for schoolgirls believed to have been killed by US Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles on Feb 28 The strike occurred in the southern city of Minab on the morning of Saturday February 28 -- Saturday is a school day in Iran. Iran reports that 175 people were killed, mostly children, at the girls' elementary school near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base. While some, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton, reflexively blamed Iran for having a school near a military installation , others were quick to point out that US military bases around the world are peppered with schools, to say nothing of the fact that the United States and Israel had launched a Pearl Harbor-style surprise attack amid ongoing negotiations. Yet, the Pentagon may have relied on exceedingly obsolete intelligence , as witnesses say the school was located on a site previously used by the IRGC -- some 15 years ago . The new video captures a Tomahawk cruise missile hitting a reported medical clinic on an Iranian naval base next to the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls' School, with geolocation showing smoke already rising from the facility which taught 6- to 12-year-olds . Israel notably does not have Tomahawks, but the US Navy launches them from ships , and the service has posted multiple videos of cruise missiles being fired from destroyers during the war on Iran. Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician working with Bellingcat, c...
An overhaul of the way police investigate rape is being put at risk by a lack of awareness in courtrooms in England and Wales, the government’s independent adviser on rape has warned. Prof Katrin Hohl said legal experts were concerned progress would stall or reverse if the conviction rate for rape dropped significantly because a new approach for investigating the cases, known as Operation Soteria,...
An overhaul of the way police investigate rape is being put at risk by a lack of awareness in courtrooms in England and Wales, the government’s independent adviser on rape has warned. Prof Katrin Hohl said legal experts were concerned progress would stall or reverse if the conviction rate for rape dropped significantly because a new approach for investigating the cases, known as Operation Soteria, was hitting outdated practices in the courts. A vote on the courts and tribunals bill on Tuesday could result in as many as 65 Labour MPs failing to support measures that will remove the right to trial by jury in some cases. Before the vote, the justice secretary, David Lammy, launched a review of how courts deal with rape and sexual assault cases, and promised that rape victims would have access to independent legal advice from later this year. Hohl said that the future of the Soteria approach, which has significantly increased the number of rape charges made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), could be jeopardised if cases failed in court. The process focuses on the suspect’s behaviour rather than looking for intrusive background information about the victim. The conviction rate for adult rate has dropped slightly, which experts argue is as a result of the CPS charging more complex cases. “The obvious, ultimate risk is if it comes to a point where it is felt that Soteria investigations have lower chances of convictions, that police and CPS could go back to as it was before,” said Hohl. “I think if we can’t change the courts, I would worry about the sustainability of the Soteria approach.” Operation Soteria launched in 2021 after the last government’s rape review following a collapse in the number of rape cases making it to trial. Under the changes, police officers are told to build cases built on suspects’ behaviour rather than relying on an examination of the credibility of witnesses, and limit the amount of intrusive material they ask for, including counselling not...
Potential US innovation in recycling electronic waste, combined with refining and processing, will allow the US to leapfrog China in critical minerals, an official at the Department of Energy said on Monday amid Washington’s aggressive attempts to counter China’s dominance in the industry. Recycling metals, materials and magnets within the US is one of the fastest ways the country can impact the c...
Potential US innovation in recycling electronic waste, combined with refining and processing, will allow the US to leapfrog China in critical minerals, an official at the Department of Energy said on Monday amid Washington’s aggressive attempts to counter China’s dominance in the industry. Recycling metals, materials and magnets within the US is one of the fastest ways the country can impact the critical minerals supply chain, and entrepreneurs across the US are “pioneering” new techniques that allow for more efficient and effective processing, Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). “New technology in this space will be a game changer … I think you will see significant gains in the output from recycled black mass and material in the coming 12 months,” Robertson said. Black mass is the powdery residue from lithium-ion batteries that contain valuable critical minerals. Advertisement Robertson, appointed in October last year as the head of the Department of Energy’s newly formed Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, also touted US progress in critical minerals refining and processing. “Our labs right now are working along with corporate partners on technologies that will enable the processing of multiple types of critical minerals within the same flow sheet. That would be game-changing,” she said, adding that the process is currently “heavily intensive”, where it’s difficult to switch from processing one type of ore body to another. 08:58 What are rare earths, and why is China’s dominance facing global pushback What are rare earths, and why is China’s dominance facing global pushback Successfully reducing the US’s dependence on China for critical minerals would be a daunting task, though. Nathan Ratledge, founder and CEO of Alta Resource Technologies, a Boulder, Colorado-based firm specialising in mineral separation technologies, said at Monday’s CFR event that the problem was “wors...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares in clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ( ANF ) are falling back to earth following an impressive run-up in the 2024 calendar year. During that run-up, I warned that the shares were on watch despite the boosted guidance provided by the management team. In my coverage , I noted that the company’s sky-high expectations would eventually create ...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares in clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ( ANF ) are falling back to earth following an impressive run-up in the 2024 calendar year. During that run-up, I warned that the shares were on watch despite the boosted guidance provided by the management team. In my coverage , I noted that the company’s sky-high expectations would eventually create a drag for the company once sales growth normalized or even slowed. ANF shares have declined by about 35% since that update. This compares to a 12% gain for the broader S&P 500 ( SPY ) over the same period. In addition, the stock has declined another 30% on a YTD basis. Seeking Alpha - YTD Share Price Performance Of ANF Stock While the stock is still in the positive over the past year, share price growth is right around the flat line. Having recently released results , I remain neutral on ANF stock due in part to expected slower sales growth in its new fiscal year. ANF Stock Key Metrics At current trading multiples , ANF seems like a good value. Shares command a forward of just under 8x. This is well below the 20x+ multiple it held during its peak days back in the 2024/early 2025 calendar, when the stock was trading around the $130/share mark. Seeking Alpha - Valuation Metrics Of ANF Stock Many believe that ANF can return to this level. This includes those on Wall Street, most of whom are strongly bullish on ANF’s prospects. The average price target from this group of $120/share implies about 40% upside from current levels. This may be possible over the medium-long term, though I believe the near term will be more challenged, especially given the slowing retail environment . Seeking Alpha - Average Price Target Of ANF Stock While the broader Seeking Alpha (“SA”) analyst community would likely agree with the sentiment from Wall Street, the quants are more neutral, with a Hold rating overall. This is due primarily to the growth prospects, which have become more normalized in ...
is a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. All the smart home news, reviews, and gadgets you need to know about The rumored “HomePod with a screen” we’ve heard so much about was reportedly lined up...
is a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. All the smart home news, reviews, and gadgets you need to know about The rumored “HomePod with a screen” we’ve heard so much about was reportedly lined up for launch in 2025, and then this spring, and now, according to the latest updates, it’s on the shelf until this fall. Leaker Kosutami posted as much on X last week, and today, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman followed up with similar information, saying its robot arm-equipped cousin is now planned for launch in 2027. According to Gurman, the J490 smart home display / HomePad is waiting for Apple to finish work on its chatbot-style AI update for Siri. That was supposed to be ready by now, but it is now predicted to arrive later this year, along with the iPhone 18 Pro plus 2027 updates for iOS, macOS, and all the rest. He describes a silver aluminum-cased device with a 7-inch screen and USB-C power port running a version of tvOS 27, while new versions of the HomePod speaker and Apple TV 4K box are also waiting in the wings for that Siri update, and a smart home sensor is in the works, too.
Alan Morris/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Fueled by passive investing, the major indices in the U.S. are climbing to record-high valuations. Passive investors usually don't care about the price, but I do. I'm not willing to pay 30x earnings for the average stock, which mathematically should lead to dismal returns going forward. Finding value in the current environment requires looking in marke...
Alan Morris/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Fueled by passive investing, the major indices in the U.S. are climbing to record-high valuations. Passive investors usually don't care about the price, but I do. I'm not willing to pay 30x earnings for the average stock, which mathematically should lead to dismal returns going forward. Finding value in the current environment requires looking in markets, where other investors aren't hunting. The late Charlie Munger said it best: fish where the fish are. It seems in the UK, there are still some fish and chips left. But for global investors living outside the UK, it may require researching companies you're not familiar with. One of those stocks is Greggs ( GGGSF ) ( GGGSY ) , a bakery chain that expanded into the food-to-go market many years ago. In the UK, Greggs appears to be as popular as McDonald's ( MCD ). The famous bakery chain has 2,739 shops in the country, while the fast food chain "only" has around 1,500 stores. Because Greggs is everywhere in the UK, investors fear that we may be close to peak Greggs. It's one of the reasons the shares lost more than 50% from its all-time high set in late 2021. The business itself isn't very cyclical, but in recent years, the stock had some wild mood swings. Greggs under the ticker GRG, traded in London, rose by 170% from 2018 to 2020, just to fall by more than 50% in the year thereafter. The share price then tripled in a year and fell by 50% in the following months. It then doubled, just to fall by more than 50% back to where it was the year before. For most investors, volatility equals risk. For me, it signals opportunity. Greggs underlying business didn't reflect the volatility; it's steadily moving along and over long timeframes generates higher free cash flows and earnings. Greggs: OCF, FCF, Earnings, Dividends (Gurufocus.com) You don't have to agree with me on the following analysis, but I'd suggest from now on you see volatility as what it is: your friend. The average i...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Monday closed up +0.71%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed up +0.39%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed up +1.13%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) rose +0.69%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) rose +1.14%. Stocks during the morning traded lower on an overnight spike in oil prices above $100 per barrel, but were then able to ...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Monday closed up +0.71%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed up +0.39%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed up +1.13%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) rose +0.69%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) rose +1.14%. Stocks during the morning traded lower on an overnight spike in oil prices above $100 per barrel, but were then able to recover after President Trump told CBS News in a phone interview that "I think the war is very complete, pretty much" and that the military operation is "very far" ahead of its 4-5 week timeframe. Join 200K+ Subscribers: Oil prices on Monday initially spiked above $100 per barrel after Israel on Saturday bombed 30 Iranian fuel depots. In addition, Saudi Arabia became the latest Middle East oil producer to cut production as its local storage facilities near capacity. However, oil prices fell back later in the day after G-7 finance ministers pledged to release strategic oil reserves if necessary and after President Trump seemed to indicate that the Iran war might soon end. In any case, there seems to be little chance that Iran will surrender after Iran's Assembly of Experts over the weekend appointed hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader, the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's new leader has close ties to Iran's powerful and entrenched Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). President Trump said he is "not happy" with the choice of the new leader. Stocks on Monday saw some ongoing worries about the US economy after last Friday's weak economic news that US Feb payrolls fell by -92,000 and US Jan retail sales fell by -0.2% m/m. Q4 earnings season is nearly over, with more than 95% of the S&P 500 companies having reported earnings results. Earnings have been a positive factor for stocks, with 74% of the 492 S&P 500 companies that have reported beating expectations. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, S&P earnings growth is expected to climb by +8.4% in Q4...
Devrimb/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Summary The current conflict with Iran is dominating headlines, understandably, but it is not the real threat to markets. The bigger picture is how this conflict impacts China, which is the real challenger to the U.S. hegemony. After months of “soft fighting” through tariffs and export bans, things are heating up. First with the capture of Venezuela’s Maduro,...
Devrimb/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Summary The current conflict with Iran is dominating headlines, understandably, but it is not the real threat to markets. The bigger picture is how this conflict impacts China, which is the real challenger to the U.S. hegemony. After months of “soft fighting” through tariffs and export bans, things are heating up. First with the capture of Venezuela’s Maduro, and now with the attack on Iran. This is an attack on Beijing’s global energy supply. But ultimately, the new battlefield of the war will be technological and economic. AI, semiconductors, critical materials… And unfortunately, China still has one wildcard left to play: Taiwan. Yes, Iran and oil markets are a concern, but one that will be resolved. What will remain, though, is the structural conflict between the East and the West. Forget Iran, The Real War Is With China With the recent breakout of the war in Iran, the Strait of Hormuz has essentially closed down . This has locked up 20% of the global oil supply, pushing oil to nearly $100. Investors are understandably worried, but this is ultimately a conflict that should be resolved in the not-too-distant future. And even if it doesn’t, eventually markets will be able to look past it, as long as oil normalizes, something that seems to be in everyone’s best interest. The real geopolitical issue is the increasing animosity between the United States and China. We’ve seen escalation in this arena over the past two years. First, it was tariffs and export bans, and now the U.S. is not so quietly positioning itself to control China’s energy supply. The Energy Chessboard China is the world’s largest importer of crude oil, importing around 11 million barrels per day in recent years. A large chunk of imports has historically come from sanctioned producers operating outside the Western financial system. Iran has arguably been one of the most important of these suppliers. Not only was China able to purchase discounted sanctioned Iran...