Among the underlying components of the S&P 500 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in RTX Corp (Symbol: RTX), where a total of 21,783 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 2.2 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 49.1% of RTX
Among the underlying components of the S&P 500 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in RTX Corp (Symbol: RTX), where a total of 21,783 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 2.2 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 49.1% of RTX
Looking at options trading activity among components of the S&P 500 index, there is noteworthy activity today in Northrop Grumman Corp (Symbol: NOC), where a total volume of 5,444 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approxim
Looking at options trading activity among components of the S&P 500 index, there is noteworthy activity today in Northrop Grumman Corp (Symbol: NOC), where a total volume of 5,444 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approxim
Humanoid robot makers in China accounted for the vast majority of the roughly 13,000 units shipped globally last year, far outstripping US companies like Tesla Inc. and Figure AI in sheer volume, according to research firm Omdia. The Chinese startup Shanghai AgiBot Innovation Technology Co. shipped an estimated 5,168 robots last year, topping the list of humanoid producers, followed by Unitree Rob...
Humanoid robot makers in China accounted for the vast majority of the roughly 13,000 units shipped globally last year, far outstripping US companies like Tesla Inc. and Figure AI in sheer volume, according to research firm Omdia. The Chinese startup Shanghai AgiBot Innovation Technology Co. shipped an estimated 5,168 robots last year, topping the list of humanoid producers, followed by Unitree Robotics and UBTech Robotics Corp. The industry’s global sales more than quintupled from 2024, according to Omdia’s figures. These are early days in the humanoid competition, but the market is expected to soar in the decades ahead. China’s leadership now may help the country as the number of robots is projected to surge to 648 million in 2050, according to research from Citigroup Inc. “Chinese vendors are setting benchmarks in large-scale production,” Omdia said. The integration of artificial intelligence, which enabled robots to perform complex tasks, increased adoption of such machines in areas from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and customer service, according to the report, saying robot firms are heavily investing in cutting-edge AI models. Chinese humanoid robots are cheaper than Western-made models, with Unitree offering an entry-level model for just $6,000 and AgiBot asking about $14,000 for a scaled-down version. By comparison, Tesla’s Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has previously given a price range of $20,000 to $30,000 for the company’s Optimus humanoid robots, which haven’t yet reached full-scale production. AgiBot’s global profile rose after the company was name-checked by Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang during his keynote address at this week’s CES trade show in Las Vegas. Last year, Unitree’s dancing droids charmed a nationwide audience during the country’s Spring Festival Gala, setting off an explosion in humanoid robot development and investment. China’s favorable policies and infrastructure support like training centers have helped boost productio...
Data Centers Were 40% Of PJM Capacity Costs In Last Auction: Market Monitor Submitted by Ethan Howland of Utility Dive Data center load accounted for $6.5 billion, or 40%, of the $16.4 billion in costs from the PJM Interconnection’s December capacity auction, according to the grid operator’s independent market monitor. About $6.2 billion of those costs is related to data centers that haven’t been ...
Data Centers Were 40% Of PJM Capacity Costs In Last Auction: Market Monitor Submitted by Ethan Howland of Utility Dive Data center load accounted for $6.5 billion, or 40%, of the $16.4 billion in costs from the PJM Interconnection’s December capacity auction, according to the grid operator’s independent market monitor. About $6.2 billion of those costs is related to data centers that haven’t been built but could come online by PJM’s 2027/28 delivery year that begins on June 1, 2027, Monitoring Analytics, the market monitor, said in a report released Monday. In PJM’s last three base capacity auctions, costs related to data center forecasts above existing data center loads totaled $21.3 billion, or 45% of the $47.2 billion in the cost of the cleared capacity, according to the report. The market monitor’s report highlights how data center load forecasts have affected PJM’s last three capacity auctions, which set price records and sparked political backlash in some states. “The extreme uncertainty in the load forecasts based on uncertainty about the addition of large data center loads is also unique and unprecedented and raises questions about the meaning of clearing a capacity auction based on those forecasts,” Monitoring Analytics said. Increasingly, utilities, state regulators and grid operators like PJM have been working to develop more accurate data center load forecasts amid concerns they may be overstated . In its last base capacity auction, PJM fell 6,516.6 MW short of meeting its reliability target. However, PJM’s demand forecast for the auction was based on an estimate released a year ago. The grid operator is set to issue a new load forecast this month that could be significantly lower, partly based on stricter vetting of potential large loads, Stu Bresler, executive vice president for market services and strategy at PJM, said Dec. 17 after the auction results were announced. Also, PJM’s board is expected to propose reforms , possibly this month, to the way t...
Nine episodes in, Radon Liz’s YouTube show is as laughably deranged as ever A world on the brink. Regime change in Venezuela . Greenland under threat from Donald Trump. Shadow fleet tanker seized by the US and the Brits in the North Atlantic. The Europeans battling to keep America onside in any Ukraine peace deal. A woman gunned down by ICE agents in Minneapolis. So thank God that some things neve...
Nine episodes in, Radon Liz’s YouTube show is as laughably deranged as ever A world on the brink. Regime change in Venezuela . Greenland under threat from Donald Trump. Shadow fleet tanker seized by the US and the Brits in the North Atlantic. The Europeans battling to keep America onside in any Ukraine peace deal. A woman gunned down by ICE agents in Minneapolis. So thank God that some things never change. Be grateful we still have Liz Truss. The UK’s lone fixed point. Our very own guilty secret. The prime minister we all try our best to forget we ever had if only Liz would let us. But Truss is like that Japanese soldier who only realised the second world war was over in 1974. For Liz, global events mean nothing. She will keep fighting the Great Betrayal of 2022 for as long as she still has breath. It’s all that gives her life meaning. Continue reading...
Armored vehicle and munitions maker Czechoslovak Group AS is planning to launch an initial public offering in Amsterdam as soon as next week, according to people familiar with the matter. The defense company, which is a key supplier to Ukraine’s army, and its controlling shareholder, could look to raise €3 billion to €4 billion ($4.7 billion) in the offering, the people said, asking not to be name...
Armored vehicle and munitions maker Czechoslovak Group AS is planning to launch an initial public offering in Amsterdam as soon as next week, according to people familiar with the matter. The defense company, which is a key supplier to Ukraine’s army, and its controlling shareholder, could look to raise €3 billion to €4 billion ($4.7 billion) in the offering, the people said, asking not to be named as the information is private. Some investors have indicated a willingness to buy the stock at a valuation of around €25 billion to €28 billion in early meetings with underwriters, though billionaire owner Michal Strnad has been seeking to value CSG at as much as €30 billion, the people said. The company and 33-year-old Strnad are looking to sell around a 15% stake in the offering, the people said. An intention to float may be published around next Tuesday, some of the people said. CSG’s IPO would be the latest sign of how European government commitments to increase their security spending in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rewritten dynamics of the defense business. Defense stocks in the region soared last year on the back of the spending commitments, prompting more closely held companies to consider going public as well. The exact timing and size of the deal could change, the people said. A representative for CSG declined to comment. Bloomberg reported in October that CSG could start formally marketing an IPO in Amsterdam as early as January. Reuters reported yesterday the imminent timing of the offering. Strnad is likely to sell shares in the deal, while CSG may also sell some shares to finance future acquisitions and investments, some of the people said. CSG is betting that demand for Europe to rearm and restock ammunition and equipment will outweigh any impact from an end to the conflict in Ukraine, the people said. The firm has seen revenues soar as Europe ramped up military spending and sent arms to Ukraine. Strnad said in an interview in December that...
Smart glasses maker Xreal Inc. recently raised $100 million, its chief executive officer said, adding to the firm’s coffers as competition in the category heats up. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, co-founder and CEO Chi Xu said the funding came from “supply chain partners” and other backers who he declined to disclose. The startup, which has an overall valuation above $1 billion, announ...
Smart glasses maker Xreal Inc. recently raised $100 million, its chief executive officer said, adding to the firm’s coffers as competition in the category heats up. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, co-founder and CEO Chi Xu said the funding came from “supply chain partners” and other backers who he declined to disclose. The startup, which has an overall valuation above $1 billion, announced two new sets of glasses at the CES trade show in Las Vegas this week, including an upgraded entry-level pair , and said it has extended a partnership with Alphabet Inc. ’s Google. The Chinese company and US search giant have been collaborating on a pair of smart glasses running Google’s Android XR platform that they plan to launch sometime in 2026 . The project is proceeding on schedule, Xu said in the interview. “We’re really good at building optical modules and building chips. Google, they’re really good at building AI and operating systems,” Xu said, adding that he believes the best glasses hardware will result from collaboration — not one company trying to do everything. At CES, a range of companies have showcased new wearables and AI-powered gadgets. Razer Inc. debuted concept headphones expected to launch this year, which feature built-in cameras for analyzing a user’s surroundings. Lenovo Group Ltd. ’s Motorola unit showed off a concept that took the form of a pendant necklace, also with a camera. Read More: Razer Plans $600 Million Push for ‘Untapped’ AI Gaming Demand Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan made the case in an interview with Bloomberg earlier this week that some consumers will prefer the headphone style since not everyone wears glasses — and their natural position when worn on the head still allows the cameras to maintain an eye-level perspective. “I just met him a couple days ago, and we talked a little about that,” Xu said of Tan, adding that he’s confident glasses are the best solution. Xreal has faced mounting competition from tech giants including Meta Pla...
Paramount Skydance Corp. reaffirmed its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. for $30 a share in cash, insisting its hostile bid is superior to one from Netflix Inc. after multiple rejections. Michelle Davis reports on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
Paramount Skydance Corp. reaffirmed its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. for $30 a share in cash, insisting its hostile bid is superior to one from Netflix Inc. after multiple rejections. Michelle Davis reports on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
Earnings season kicks off next week, led by the big banks and followed by their smaller brethren – the regionals. Our CNBC Pro friends Josh Brown and Sean Russo wrote a great piece about two regional banks ready to move in 2026 in PNC and Fifth Third Bancorp – I concur wholeheartedly and think there's an even bigger play in the sector. Technically speaking, the patterns we see forming in the regio...
Earnings season kicks off next week, led by the big banks and followed by their smaller brethren – the regionals. Our CNBC Pro friends Josh Brown and Sean Russo wrote a great piece about two regional banks ready to move in 2026 in PNC and Fifth Third Bancorp – I concur wholeheartedly and think there's an even bigger play in the sector. Technically speaking, the patterns we see forming in the regional banks are quite similar to recovery trends we saw in the overall market as we recouped from 2022's drop in 2023 only to truly breakout and run higher in 2024. The SPDR S & P Regional Banking Index (KRE) has almost made a full recovery from the 2022 bear market. Despite a solid performance last year, the regionals continue to lag and are just starting to get out of the 2023 crisis created by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. To kick off 2026, the regionals are starting to make their move. While the KRE is a safer and more diversified way of playing the sector — and seems poised for a breakout as seen in this five-year weekly chart above — I think there is more reward to pick the winners in this sector individually. My pick is Regions Financial (RF) . Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Regions is one of the dominant players in the fastest growing area of the U.S. — the southeast. Fundamentally, they have surpassed EPS expectations the past six quarters thanks to consistent growth in net interest income and rising profits. They, like the entire financial sector, continue to have a strong tailwind behind them. With less regulatory red tape there has been more M & A activity in the sector and Regions themselves at a $25 billion valuation could be a desirable dance partner for a larger bank looking to make deep inroads into the southeast. Technically, the risk/reward setup is appetizing. Let's look at the charts on multiple time frames to demonstrate. On a one-year daily chart, we broke out to new 52-week highs after clearing a strong resistance area at the $27 level. While a p...
In this article JPM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Various Halliburton equipment being stored at the equipment yard in Alvarado, Texas. Cooper Neill | Reuters Fresh off a bumper 2025, retail investors are rushing back into the market with a focus on energy stocks. Everyday traders bought at the second-highest level in almost eight months at the start of 2026's trading year, accord...
In this article JPM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Various Halliburton equipment being stored at the equipment yard in Alvarado, Texas. Cooper Neill | Reuters Fresh off a bumper 2025, retail investors are rushing back into the market with a focus on energy stocks. Everyday traders bought at the second-highest level in almost eight months at the start of 2026's trading year, according to a JPMorgan report released Wednesday. Oil -related stocks were a particularly hot pick for mom-and-pop investors following the U.S.' weekend strike on Venezuela , data shows. "Retail investors favored some of the companies that can immediately profit from the potential return of Venezuelan heavy crude to the [U.S] or those needed to rebuild the country's decaying oil infrastructure," Arun Jain, JPMorgan's quant analyst, told clients. Net daily retail inflows into Halliburton spiked to the highest level since early 2022, according to market research firm VandaTrack. Flows into Chevron — which Wall Street quickly crowned a key beneficiary of the military intervention — hit highs going back to summer, the firm found. Beyond those stocks, JPMorgan found surging retail inflows into fellow oil industry stalwarts such as Baker Hughes and SLB as investors wondered what's next for the global industry. Venezuela sits on the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, but output has dropped significantly from its peak in the late 1990s. President Donald Trump said the South American country would ship up to 50 million barrels of oil to U.S. following the strike. American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and brought them to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. To be sure, it's not yet clear if these big bets from average-Joe traders in the wake of the Venezuela action will pay off long term. Halliburton, SLB and Baker Hughes shares have jumped this week, while Chevron has whipsawed following a big Monday rally. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart ic...