Key Points Opera's growth has exceeded expectations, driven primarily by better monetization of its web browser. The company is poised to deliver robust growth -- and could even exceed its guidance in 2026. The strong outlook over the next couple of years suggests that the stock is primed for solid gains. 10 stocks we like better than Opera › Opera (NASDAQ: OPRA) may not be a household name in the...
Key Points Opera's growth has exceeded expectations, driven primarily by better monetization of its web browser. The company is poised to deliver robust growth -- and could even exceed its guidance in 2026. The strong outlook over the next couple of years suggests that the stock is primed for solid gains. 10 stocks we like better than Opera › Opera (NASDAQ: OPRA) may not be a household name in the technology industry, but a closer look at the Oslo, Norway-based company's recent results and guidance will tell us that it is probably one of the best stocks you can buy right now. Known for its web browser, Opera has been clocking healthy growth rates due to the improving monetization of its user base. More importantly, the stock trades at an attractive valuation, which makes it an ideal bet for investors looking to buy a value stock right now. 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 » Let's say you have $100 in investible cash after clearing your bills, saving for difficult times, and paying off high-interest loans. You could consider putting that money into Opera stock. Here's why. Opera is growing at a steady pace There is nothing flashy about Opera's growth like some of the artificial intelligence (AI)-focused companies in the technology sector have been reporting. The company's revenue in 2025 increased by 28% to almost $615 million. Its adjusted earnings also increased by a fairly healthy 17% during the year to $1.12 per share. Opera gets 65% of its revenue from the advertising business. The good news is that this area has been in good health, primarily driven by an increase in Opera's advertising partners across the company's browsing platforms. Apart from in-browser advertising, Opera has been witnessing robust growth in revenue from what it calls "user intent query." In simpler words, Op...
The “Finalissima” football match between Spain and Argentina, scheduled to be held in Qatar later this month, has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East. The contest between the current European champions, Spain, and Copa América winners Argentina was scheduled for 27 March at the Lusail Stadium near Doha, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final, won by Argentina. Uefa, European footb...
The “Finalissima” football match between Spain and Argentina, scheduled to be held in Qatar later this month, has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East. The contest between the current European champions, Spain, and Copa América winners Argentina was scheduled for 27 March at the Lusail Stadium near Doha, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final, won by Argentina. Uefa, European football’s governing body, said they held discussions with organising authorities in Qatar and concluded that the match could not take place due to the “current political situation” in the region. “It is a source of great disappointment to Uefa and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar,” said a statement released on Sunday. Uefa added that they explored other feasible alternatives but they proved to be “unacceptable” to the Argentinian Football Association (AFA). Uefa first offered to stage the match at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium, with a 50:50 split of supporters for both team. A second option was to stage the Finalissima over two legs – at the Bernabéu on 27 March and the second leg in Buenos Aires during an international window before the next Euros and Copa América. However, the AFA rejected both options. Uefa added that Argentina made a counter offer to play the game after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates. The cancellation is a major blow to the contest between the European and South American champions, which was relaunched as the Finalissima in 2022. Argentina beat Italy 3-0 at Wembley to win the first edition. On Saturday, Formula One cancelled April’s grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia because of the ongoing war. MotoGP, meanwhile, has postponed this season’s Qatar Grand Prix from April to November.
Ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Adam Smith criticized President Trump’s conduct and strategy in the war with Iran. Smith argued the administration lacks a clear endgame, saying bombing has escalated regional violence without changing Iran’s behavior. Watch, on Bloomberg This Weekend with hosts David Gura and Christina Ruffini. (Source: Bloomberg)
Ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Adam Smith criticized President Trump’s conduct and strategy in the war with Iran. Smith argued the administration lacks a clear endgame, saying bombing has escalated regional violence without changing Iran’s behavior. Watch, on Bloomberg This Weekend with hosts David Gura and Christina Ruffini. (Source: Bloomberg)
I hope you don’t mind me saying that you are looking very nice today. Ugh, no, sorry, start again. I have been thinking a lot about compliments – why, how, good and bad ones – because of Barbara from Stroud, whose vox pop went viral when she was asked how to make someone’s day better. “If I see someone and I like their shoes, dress, hat, I say so,” she said. That this quite ordinary comment, albei...
I hope you don’t mind me saying that you are looking very nice today. Ugh, no, sorry, start again. I have been thinking a lot about compliments – why, how, good and bad ones – because of Barbara from Stroud, whose vox pop went viral when she was asked how to make someone’s day better. “If I see someone and I like their shoes, dress, hat, I say so,” she said. That this quite ordinary comment, albeit from a clearly delightful woman, got millions of views and compliments in return (including from former England goalie Mary Earps) suggests an understandable longing for nano acts of niceness. Missing the point entirely (though maybe not, since I’m writing about it) is the marketing department at Marks & Spencer, which has just appointed Gillian Anderson “chief compliments officer”. Her job description? “To spread joy and positivity, and to compliment M&S customers and employees.” What this piece of corporate whimsy means is suggested by a cursed mini-ad in which the actor, radiating powerful if professional “Will this do?” energy, compliments a woman, or rather her M&S outfit (“I love that dress”), as she strides past her. I guess she has had sillier roles, but I absolutely hate it; it’s the opposite of Barbara from Stroud, somehow. Part of what distinguishes a great compliment from a stranger from one that washes ineffectively over you (or worse, feels intrusive, or icky) is sincerity: a proper compliment can’t be a contractual deliverable, or given with an ulterior motive. Another is specificity. “You’re beautiful” is OK (well, from the right person); “You have a very well-turned ankle” (a real example, not directed at me) hits harder. The comedian Milo McCabe has made an art form of delivering highly specific compliments as the suave, smoking-jacketed surrealist Troy Hawke. “You have a marvellous weight distribution between your feet”; “You have the head of a composer”; “You look like a benign motorcycle club version of Father Christmas.” There is a real quality of no...
When Nick went camping in the summer with friends, he would set up his tent 100 metres away from the group. “It became a bit that I did,” says Nick. As early as his teenage years, he learned to use humour to cope with what was immediately a social problem: the “cacophony” of his snoring. It wasn’t until 2019, at 37 years of age, that he learned it was also a medical problem. When a visit to the do...
When Nick went camping in the summer with friends, he would set up his tent 100 metres away from the group. “It became a bit that I did,” says Nick. As early as his teenage years, he learned to use humour to cope with what was immediately a social problem: the “cacophony” of his snoring. It wasn’t until 2019, at 37 years of age, that he learned it was also a medical problem. When a visit to the doctor revealed an “alarming” blood pressure number, despite his active life and healthy diet, Nick began to connect the dots with other symptoms he had been experiencing including frequent “uncontrollable” daytime tiredness, which led to micro sleeps in meetings and on public transport. When Nick, who requested his first name only be used, underwent a sleep test, he noticed a device, with a long tube attached to a mask, next to the bed. It was a Cpap machine – standing for continuous positive airway pressure, which uses mild pressure to keep breathing airways open during sleep. View image in fullscreen After years of undiagnosed sleep apnoea Nick says his first night of uninterrupted sleep ‘was just completely revelatory’ The attendant explained that the study was purely observational. The machine was there only in case symptoms became so severe it was needed to prevent liability issues. A shame, Nick remembers thinking before he fell asleep, as he was curious to try it. An hour later the lights came on, as did the mask. The attendant explained that from his desk 30 paces away, they did not need microphones to assess what was happening. Nick was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnoea – a condition that occurs when the throat muscles relax too much during sleep, resulting in episodes of shallow breathing or breathing stopping. “Snoring to sleep apnoea is a bit of a continuum,” says Dr Linda Schachter, a sleep and respiratory physician and a member of the Sleep Health Foundation board. “Snoring is the partial upper airway obstruction, and as the obstruction gets worse,...
The other day I pulled into the parking lot of a client’s offices and in the spot next to me was a woman sitting in her car blasting music. She caught me looking and rolled down her window and said, “I’ll be inside in a minute … Just enjoying my last few moments of freedom!” Is this way we want to live? No, it’s not. Elon Musk recently predicted work will be optional. “It’ll be like playing sports...
The other day I pulled into the parking lot of a client’s offices and in the spot next to me was a woman sitting in her car blasting music. She caught me looking and rolled down her window and said, “I’ll be inside in a minute … Just enjoying my last few moments of freedom!” Is this way we want to live? No, it’s not. Elon Musk recently predicted work will be optional. “It’ll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that,” he said. Sounds nice. We may well be at the beginning of a change never before seen by humans, mainly because it will be so fast. In just a few short years, it’s clear that AI will be replacing millions, maybe hundreds of millions, of jobs. According to Musk, “Anything digital, anyone sitting at a computer producing files, that’s what goes first.” People are terrified about losing their jobs. But should we be? Let’s assume that AI does have the effect that some like Musk are predicting. Millions of jobs are replaced by agents. Countless office workers are upended by bots placing orders, reconciling accounts, sending out emails, replying to messages, applying cash receipts, writing proposals, creating invoices and doing all the other things that office workers have been doing for more than century. Let’s also assume that Musk’s other prediction comes true: because of the abundance created by AI, there will be some type of universal income. According to Musk, and others, companies will be so productive and so profitable, governments will simply tax a greater share of corporate earnings and then redistribute those taxes back to the people. Putting aside the very real human ability to screw up such a concept and turn any fair system into an unfair one, the assumption is that most people will have enough income to afford both necessities and luxuries without having to work. Let me repeat: without having to work. No getting up early and commuting on public transit. No sitting in front of a monitor for 10 hours a day or dealing with co-wor...
During the global soul-searching that followed the rupture of Covid-19 lockdowns, one idea for how we might live better suddenly seemed plausible: the four-day work week. The model is simple but somewhat counterintuitive. Employees work fewer hours for the same salary while getting the same amount of (or even more) work done. Advocates say this is made possible by reducing meeting times, streamlin...
During the global soul-searching that followed the rupture of Covid-19 lockdowns, one idea for how we might live better suddenly seemed plausible: the four-day work week. The model is simple but somewhat counterintuitive. Employees work fewer hours for the same salary while getting the same amount of (or even more) work done. Advocates say this is made possible by reducing meeting times, streamlining workflows and prioritising work more efficiently. But despite the hype and the reports of successful trials, the four-day week remains niche. Last year Bupa and Unilever walked away from trials of reduced work hours, citing the four-day model as “rigid”. Last month Launceston city council scrapped plans to become the first Australian government body to introduce a four-day work week after backlash from the business sector. Yet, after failing to have the four-day work week seriously considered in last year’s productivity roundtable, the Australian Council of Trade Unions has again called for a right for workers to request a four-day work week. So, given that the majority of full-time workers are still working five days a week, whatever happened to this much promised work-life-balance nirvana? “It’s certainly not dead, the conversation has become more mature” says Debbie Bailey, the co-chief executive of 4 Day Week Global, a not-for-profit research body that advocates for reduced working hours. “Under the surface there are organisations, industries and governments all over the world that are moving in the direction of reduced work hours,” she says. “It’s now less about the clickbait headline and more about how can companies implement reduced work hours safely in a variety of ways.” At Versa, an AI tech company with 38 employees, all staff have taken Wednesdays off since 2018. That makes it the first Australian company to adopt the four-day work week, according t the chief executive, Kath Blackman. double quotation mark We need to be giving the time saved by AI back to our...
The broadcaster, writer and former television judge on being useless at school, how ‘great parents’ instilled her self-confidence, and dealing with sexism Born in Cape Town in 1940, Prue Leith is a restaurateur, chef, broadcaster and writer. She made her name with her Michelin-starred restaurant Leiths and founded Leiths School of Food and Wine in 1975, which she sold in 1995. Her career spans mor...
The broadcaster, writer and former television judge on being useless at school, how ‘great parents’ instilled her self-confidence, and dealing with sexism Born in Cape Town in 1940, Prue Leith is a restaurateur, chef, broadcaster and writer. She made her name with her Michelin-starred restaurant Leiths and founded Leiths School of Food and Wine in 1975, which she sold in 1995. Her career spans more than 16 cookery books, eight novels and a memoir published in 2013. After first appearing on television in the 1970s, she later served as a judge on Great British Menu for 11 years and judged The Great British Bake Off for nine years. Her new book, Being Old and Learning to Love It , is out now. This was taken when I won businesswoman of the year. The chairman of British Rail, Sir Peter Parker, had been nominating me for 10 years. The board didn’t think I was the right candidate, even though my business was growing all the time. The two previous winners both went bust and they didn’t want the award to be seen as a kiss of death. They gave it to me because I didn’t have any debt. I never spent money – my chefs would get furious with me. They’d ask for a new fridge or fancy oven and I would always reply: “When we can afford it, we will!” Continue reading...
The Quapaw Nation is the only US Native community to carry out a cleanup of one of the country’s worst sites of environmental contamination They call this land the Laue. In the late 1800s, part of these 200 acres of grassland inside the Quapaw Nation were allotted to tribal citizen Charley Quapaw Blackhawk. After forcing dozens of tribes into Indian territory before the civil war, the US governmen...
The Quapaw Nation is the only US Native community to carry out a cleanup of one of the country’s worst sites of environmental contamination They call this land the Laue. In the late 1800s, part of these 200 acres of grassland inside the Quapaw Nation were allotted to tribal citizen Charley Quapaw Blackhawk. After forcing dozens of tribes into Indian territory before the civil war, the US government then parceled out reservations and property to individual members. It was part of the government’s attempt to “civilize” Native Americans by turning them into private, not communal , landholders and yeoman farmers in the model of Thomas Jefferson’s ideal citizen . Yet, for the last century, little grew on the Laue. Half of it was buried beneath towering mounds of toxic rock known as chat piles. The waste rock, laced with chemicals, was left after miners extracted millions of tons of lead and zinc from the Tri-State Mining District , where the valuable ores stretched across Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma between 1891 and the 1970s. By 1983, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had designated 40 sq miles that include nearly all the Quapaw Nation as the Tar Creek Superfund site , joining the EPA’s list of the most contaminated places in the country. Informally called a “megasite”, Tar Creek remains one of the largest and most complex environmental disasters in the country. Continue reading...
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. But screening is not universal, and charities are divided over whether it should be extended. What do those living with the disease think? Almost seven years into his retirement, David Bulteel should be enjoying the fruits of his 40-year career in the City. On paper, he has the lot: a tidy pension, delightful grandkids, a big house i...
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. But screening is not universal, and charities are divided over whether it should be extended. What do those living with the disease think? Almost seven years into his retirement, David Bulteel should be enjoying the fruits of his 40-year career in the City. On paper, he has the lot: a tidy pension, delightful grandkids, a big house in the Buckinghamshire commuter belt. He’s naturally upbeat and driven, which he says was in part a reaction to the trauma of losing his right arm in a motorbike crash at 21. He was so energetic and enthusiastic in the office that his nickname was “Tigger”. “My philosophy has always been that there’s no such thing as a problem that you can’t solve,” Bulteel, 70, tells me from his home, where he’s wearing two jumpers on one of the coldest days of the winter. “The reality now is that I’ve been living under a shadow for 13 years, which has had a huge impact not just on me but on my whole family.” Continue reading...
It was already dark when I boarded the train home. I was 19 and making the half-hour journey back from drama school one evening, travelling on my own. At first, I was completely alone in the carriage – until an older man hopped on. He could have had any seat on the train but chose the one next to me. I was in the window seat and he slumped uncomfortably close to me in the aisle seat, blocking my e...
It was already dark when I boarded the train home. I was 19 and making the half-hour journey back from drama school one evening, travelling on my own. At first, I was completely alone in the carriage – until an older man hopped on. He could have had any seat on the train but chose the one next to me. I was in the window seat and he slumped uncomfortably close to me in the aisle seat, blocking my exit. Completely focused on me, he told me he loved my hair, admired my clothes, asked me where I was from and then started to rub his hand up and down my thigh. Scared, I tried to stand up, but he pushed his hand down hard on my leg to stop me, his other hand moving to my shoulder. As absolute panic began to wash over me, I saw a young man walking down the aisle. That young man plonked himself opposite me and cheerfully said: “Hey, Mandy, how are you? I haven’t seen you in forever – how’s uni?” My name is Alison, not Mandy, and I attended drama school, not university. Just as I was thinking there was a second lunatic on the train, I registered that the young man was smiling and nodding encouragingly as he spoke. Then the lightbulb went off. I realised what he was doing – throwing me a life raft. I stammered a reply and we had a ludicrous, made-up conversation about university. As the conversation continued, the hand was withdrawn from my leg and I felt the man next to me move away a little. Eventually, he got up and walked to the other end of the carriage, leaving me to chat with my pretend schoolmate. As that happened, the train pulled up at my station. Seizing the opportunity, I leapt up and ran off the train, without stopping to thank that young man. I have a vivid memory of watching the train pull away from the platform, with only the two men on it – the one who had assaulted me, and the one who rescued me. I waved and mouthed “Thank you!” but I don’t think the young man saw me. In this day and age, I would have pressed the emergency button for help. But this was many d...
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions interrogates the truth of proverbs, adages, aphorisms and bons mots • This week’s replies: which are more like life, novels or films? From what I can see, travelling in many cases has zero effect on a person’s outlook and prejudices. If that were not so, then high-flying politicians of all stripes would be among the most broa...
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions interrogates the truth of proverbs, adages, aphorisms and bons mots • This week’s replies: which are more like life, novels or films? From what I can see, travelling in many cases has zero effect on a person’s outlook and prejudices. If that were not so, then high-flying politicians of all stripes would be among the most broad-minded people on the planet as they constantly jet from city to city. I can think of several proverbs that are extremely true, or at least seem so, such as “A stitch in time saves nine”, or “Many a mickle makes a muckle”, which it patently does – or especially the universally true, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. But what other proverbs or quotes or apparently clever soundbites are untrue, for at least some of the time? “Fine words butter no parsnips”? And how do questionable assertions become sayings in the first place? Neil Ashby, Powys Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com by Thursday after publication . A selection will be published next Sunday. Continue reading...
Most films are limited in how they display thought – often just through the facial expressions and actions of actors. Most novels, though, describe in great detail characters’ inner thoughts. So films, in a way, are more mysterious, because you don’t exactly know what people are thinking. So doesn’t that make them in fact more realistic? Ash Ahmed, by email Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com...
Most films are limited in how they display thought – often just through the facial expressions and actions of actors. Most novels, though, describe in great detail characters’ inner thoughts. So films, in a way, are more mysterious, because you don’t exactly know what people are thinking. So doesn’t that make them in fact more realistic? Ash Ahmed, by email Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com. Readers reply I’ve watched so many films and read so many books that I’ve lost all contact with what real life is. I just play scenes from the movies. Last Thursday, I menaced the librarian by threatening “I’ll be back” and today I stunned the congregation in church by shouting “You can’t handle the truth!” I’m sure this is going to get me in trouble at some point. But if they throw me in jail, I’ll just tunnel my way out, hidden by a poster of Rita Hayworth. Charismata I’m telling you now that not all actors are thinking what you think they’re thinking. Fact. cheytz Life is like a Sally Rooney or Jonathan Franzen novel. Full of annoying, neurotic people. RayG63 To be honest, I don’t want any fiction, film or print, to be too like real life. I have enough real life to deal with daily. To me, the point of fiction is that it’s fiction and something different in some way from my reality. Unfixable Neither. Most like life is the Samuel Beckett play Waiting for Godot, where nothing happens, twice. Ben McPherson, Oslo, Norway, by email Erm … well, to be devil’s advocate for a moment: Lord of the Rings the novel is less like life than La Règle du Jeu, but Normal People the novel is a lot more like life than Avengers Assemble. The question assumes that there is a thing called a novel, that works in one way, and a thing called a film, which works another way. There are loads and loads of different types of novels and films, and they all create worlds and stories in a bewildering multiplicity of ways. Some set out to be realistic: some set out to be unrealistic; and most fall somew...
Mainland state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday released a video explaining the operational capabilities of China’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship. It showed a lightweight uncrewed helicopter parked on the ship with folding rotors that appeared to be slightly smaller than the PLA’s main shipborne helicopter, the Z-20. This is the first time such a drone has been spotted on a Type 075 ship. Vessels o...
Mainland state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday released a video explaining the operational capabilities of China’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship. It showed a lightweight uncrewed helicopter parked on the ship with folding rotors that appeared to be slightly smaller than the PLA’s main shipborne helicopter, the Z-20. This is the first time such a drone has been spotted on a Type 075 ship. Vessels of the model have been used in both the South China Sea and near Taiwan Advertisement The Type 075 has a displacement of between 35,000 and 40,000 tonnes and is designed to transport landing craft, troops, armoured vehicles and helicopters. Chinese media often refer to the vessel as a helicopter carrier or light aircraft carrier. The ship can carry more than 30 helicopters and simultaneously launch and recover six. This is the first time such a drone has been spotted on a Type 075 amphibious assault ship. Photo: CCTV
Ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies (UBER) is accelerating its push into autonomous mobility as it expands partnerships with major automakers and tech companies. The company recently teamed up with Nissan (NSANY) and self-driving startup Wayve to launch robotaxis in Tokyo, while also expanding ties with Amazon’s (AMZN) Zoox to deploy autonomous vehicles on its platform. Uber stock is down 10% yea...
Ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies (UBER) is accelerating its push into autonomous mobility as it expands partnerships with major automakers and tech companies. The company recently teamed up with Nissan (NSANY) and self-driving startup Wayve to launch robotaxis in Tokyo, while also expanding ties with Amazon’s (AMZN) Zoox to deploy autonomous vehicles on its platform. Uber stock is down 10% year-to-date (YTD) and 28.3% from its 52-week high. Is Uber stock a buy as the robotaxi market begins to take shape? Uber, Nissan, and Wayve Plan Tokyo Robotaxi Pilot On March 12, Uber announced a partnership with Nissan Motor and U.K. autonomous driving startup Wayve to develop robotaxis. The company plans to begin a test program in Tokyo by late 2026. According to the agreement, Nissan will provide electric vehicles (EVs), notably the Nissan Leaf, equipped with Wayve's autonomous driving technology. These vehicles will then operate on the Uber platform, allowing customers in Tokyo to hail robotaxis directly from the Uber app. The initial rollout will be carried out by trained safety drivers inside the vehicles to ensure safe operations. Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa stated that the launch will determine if the relationship will expand beyond Japan. The Tokyo trial program will be Uber's first AV collaboration in Japan. If successful, it will be a significant step toward the company's larger worldwide robotaxi goals. Uber-Amazon's Zoox Partnership Expands U.S. Robotaxi Plans Prior to this, Uber had announced its partnership with Zoox, Amazon’s self-driving unit. In 2020, the retail and tech giant acquired Zoox for $1.2 billion to develop purpose-built driverless vehicles designed specifically for ride-hailing. These vehicles have no steering wheel or pedals and are designed for totally autonomous operation. Under the partnership agreement, Zoox robotaxis will be available through the Uber platform for eligible trips in the U.S. The company is planning the first deployments in Las ...
is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. If you’ve got strong creative instincts, the ability to authentically portray emotion, and are capable of staying true to a character’s voice throughout a scene, there’s a job listing calling for your experience. The catch: You won...
is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. If you’ve got strong creative instincts, the ability to authentically portray emotion, and are capable of staying true to a character’s voice throughout a scene, there’s a job listing calling for your experience. The catch: You won’t be performing in a theater, a film studio, or an underground performance space. You’d be using your talents to train an AI model for “one of the leading AI companies,” according to the open role posted by Handshake, a company that provides training data to OpenAI and other labs. Handshake AI is one of a handful of companies of its kind, scrambling to provide more and more niche or specific training data to AI labs in order to feed the models. AI models are often described as “jagged,” meaning they’re typically great at some surprisingly complex tasks but fail deeply at some simple ones. AI companies are trying to fix the gaps in their models’ knowledge with specialized data labeling, and companies like Handshake, Mercor, and Scale AI have adjusted accordingly, hiring professionals in a wide range of industries. Handshake’s demand for training data tripled last summer, as The Verge reported in December, and the company surpassed a $150 million run rate in November, scrambling to keep up with demand. Handshake and its competitors have touted their networks of tens of thousands (or more) professionals in white-collar industries, from chemists and doctors to lawyers and screenwriters. Many of these professionals worry they’re training AI models in a way that will make their careers obsolete even quicker than may have happened otherwise. And now the leading AI labs have come for sketch comics, improv actors, and more. “Handshake AI is inviting actors, improvisers, and performers to join a paid, collaborative improv project to work with one of the leading AI companies,” the jo...
The wild swings led by oil since the start of the Iran war have institutional investors turning to exotic hybrid options to trade cross-market gyrations. Oil prices swung almost $36 a barrel on March 9, the biggest one-day range on record, triggering sharp intraday reversals in assets from stocks and bonds to gold and the dollar. Implied volatility measures spiked as traders sought cover from mass...
The wild swings led by oil since the start of the Iran war have institutional investors turning to exotic hybrid options to trade cross-market gyrations. Oil prices swung almost $36 a barrel on March 9, the biggest one-day range on record, triggering sharp intraday reversals in assets from stocks and bonds to gold and the dollar. Implied volatility measures spiked as traders sought cover from massive swings. Read more: Long-Trusted Haven Trades Are Failing as Gold, Treasuries Fall Turning to bonds and gold for protection from soaring crude prices hasn’t worked as stagflation concerns have gripped markets. A protracted shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz would mean higher costs not just for oil, but also for natural gas, plastics, aluminum and fertilizer — feeding in to widespread inflation. Money managers looking for opportunities as the usual relationships break down are putting on over-the-counter cross-asset hybrid options. The unusual range of moves across rates, commodities and equities have seen significant trading activity in dual binary and contingent options. “The hybrid market has experienced a significant surge in activity, in line with heightened geopolitical risk and a flight to safety among investors,” said Antoine Porcheret , head of institutional structuring for the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Citigroup Inc. “Volumes have notably boomed as all types of investors actively put on further dual digital hedges.” Read more: Hedge Fund All-or-Nothing Trades Gain Traction in Options Market Hybrid option plays are typically structured in two ways: standard options with a condition on another asset class or dual binaries. The dual binary (or dual digital) is an all-or-nothing play: in exchange for a premium, the trade either returns 100% or nothing. While critics say it’s more akin to betting on a sporting event than traditional options trading, the reality is that such a binary payoff is extremely useful to investors focused on hitting target retur...
Over the past decade, Wall Street has steadily shortened the lifespan of its trades. Options that once lasted months now sit alongside ones that last weeks, or even a single day. Faster markets and better technology have made it possible to wager on shorter and shorter stretches of market action. Now, crypto traders are compressing that time even further — making bets that barely outlast a coffee ...
Over the past decade, Wall Street has steadily shortened the lifespan of its trades. Options that once lasted months now sit alongside ones that last weeks, or even a single day. Faster markets and better technology have made it possible to wager on shorter and shorter stretches of market action. Now, crypto traders are compressing that time even further — making bets that barely outlast a coffee break. On prediction markets platform Polymarket , you can bet on where Bitcoin will be five or 15 minutes from now. The rules are as simple as a coin flip: pick whether Bitcoin will be higher or lower when the clock runs out. Win or lose, it resets. Then do it all over again. In little over a month, five-minute bets have become some of the busiest on Polymarket’s website, with as much as $60 million changing hands every day, according to user-compiled data on Dune Analytics. With each new shortening of the clock, turnover has surged and the advantage has tilted further toward participants with the fastest systems. Polymarket’s daily crypto markets — tracking whether Bitcoin will be above or below a certain price by the end of the day — pull in far less volume, often netting less than $1 million a day. That speed has drawn waves of automated trading bots, run by both retail bettors running simple programs and more sophisticated participants with systems built for speed. While the volumes are small compared to the tens of billions of dollars traded daily on crypto exchanges, prediction market bettors are glued to their screens. Jon Lourie, founder of prediction markets research firm Polyfactual, said it was election betting that first caught his eye when he began trading on Polymarket. But when he found out that those contracts could take months to resolve, he pivoted to sports markets, before landing on 15-minute crypto bets . The speed at which such trades conclude became “addictive,” he said. “It’s like people just want to get to the resolution time faster and faster and ...
With results due this week from FedEx and retail names like Lululemon and Macy’s, we’ll likely hear more about consumers’ attitudes, as gas prices and shipping costs spike and the conflict widens in the Middle East.
With results due this week from FedEx and retail names like Lululemon and Macy’s, we’ll likely hear more about consumers’ attitudes, as gas prices and shipping costs spike and the conflict widens in the Middle East.
The Finalissima between Argentina and Spain has been cancelled because of the war in the Middle East. European champions Spain were set to play Copa America champions Argentina in Qatar on 26 March. Uefa said proposals to hold the match at Real Madrid's Bernabeu, or play a two-legged game in Madrid and Buenos Aires, were rejected by Argentina. Uefa said: "Due to the current political situation in ...
The Finalissima between Argentina and Spain has been cancelled because of the war in the Middle East. European champions Spain were set to play Copa America champions Argentina in Qatar on 26 March. Uefa said proposals to hold the match at Real Madrid's Bernabeu, or play a two-legged game in Madrid and Buenos Aires, were rejected by Argentina. Uefa said: "Due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima cannot be played as hoped in Qatar. "Uefa explored other feasible alternatives but each ultimately proved unacceptable to the Argentinian Football Association."
Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn/iStock via Getty Images When looking to retire early on dividends ( SCHD ), the best opportunities to look for are ones that combine an attractive current yield with long-term durability and growth of that dividend. The reason this is so important is because if all you are doing is counting on a high current yield with no prospects for future growth and an uncertain sustainab...
Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn/iStock via Getty Images When looking to retire early on dividends ( SCHD ), the best opportunities to look for are ones that combine an attractive current yield with long-term durability and growth of that dividend. The reason this is so important is because if all you are doing is counting on a high current yield with no prospects for future growth and an uncertain sustainability of that payout, your purchasing power from that passive income will likely be eroded by inflation over time. However, if you invest in securities that are likely to grow their passive income over time, you stand a much better chance of withstanding the corrosive impact of inflation over time. Not only do you want investments that have that in their track record and their immediate outlook, but also you want to be invested in securities that intrinsically are resistant to inflation. In particular, ones that consist of real assets that should benefit from a trend where the dollar symbol devalues over time relative to physical things. Additionally, physical assets, especially ones that are made up of critical real estate ( VNQ ) and/or infrastructure ( PAVE ), are among the most AI-resistant investments out there, further making their case as ideal investments in the current environment for early retirees. With this in view, in this article I will detail two high-yielding dividend growth machines that I think are must-owns for those who plan to retire early. Reliable Income from AI Infrastructure The first one I am going to talk about is the Reaves Utility Income Fund ( UTG ). It currently yields around 6% and pays out its distributions monthly. One thing to like about UTG is that it does not use very much leverage, with an effective leverage ratio of 19.37%, which is on the low end compared to peers like the Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund ( UTF ), which deploys 27.71% leverage. This makes UTG less at risk of major impairments to its value during market crashes. Addi...
While the artificial intelligence revolution has minted numerous success stories, many headline-grabbing companies now carry valuations that price in years of perfect execution. The real opportunities may lie with the less glamorous players—those providing the essential building blocks of AI infrastructure, from semiconductors and memory to cloud platforms and enterprise servers. Here are five sto...
While the artificial intelligence revolution has minted numerous success stories, many headline-grabbing companies now carry valuations that price in years of perfect execution. The real opportunities may lie with the less glamorous players—those providing the essential building blocks of AI infrastructure, from semiconductors and memory to cloud platforms and enterprise servers. Here are five stocks trading at attractive valuations despite their critical roles in the AI ecosystem. Oracle’s Transformation Into an AI-Driven Cloud Giant Once dismissed as a dinosaur in the database industry, Oracle is rewriting its narrative with impressive momentum. Oracle Corporation, ORCL The company’s most recent quarterly results showed total revenue climbing 22%, while cloud revenue surged 44% and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure accelerated an impressive 84% year-over-year. Perhaps most striking was the 325% jump in remaining performance obligations to $553 billion—representing committed future revenue already in the pipeline. Management has confidently raised its fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to $90 billion. Wall Street may still be valuing Oracle through the lens of its legacy software business, but the reality is dramatically different. As the company’s revenue composition shifts increasingly toward high-margin AI cloud services, the valuation gap becomes more apparent. Should Oracle successfully monetize its massive backlog, significant upside potential remains. AMD Emerges as a Legitimate Nvidia Competitor While AMD is not Nvidia, the narrative that it’s perpetually behind is outdated. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD AMD delivered record quarterly revenue of $10.3 billion in Q4 2025, maintaining a healthy 54% gross margin. The data center division generated $5.4 billion in revenue—a 39% increase from the prior year—fueled by robust adoption of both EPYC server processors and Instinct AI accelerators. The compelling case for AMD lies in its valuation relative to peers and its di...
Key Points With a couple, where both people are eligible for Social Security, it often pays to have the higher-earning spouse delay their claim. Doing so could lead to more household income and larger survivor benefits. Having the higher earner delay isn't the only route you can take. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › In some ways, claiming Social Security can b...
Key Points With a couple, where both people are eligible for Social Security, it often pays to have the higher-earning spouse delay their claim. Doing so could lead to more household income and larger survivor benefits. Having the higher earner delay isn't the only route you can take. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › In some ways, claiming Social Security can be trickier for couples than for singles. When you're single, you have to think only about your own needs. And you're dealing with only one set of benefits at a time. When you're married, you have to think about your spouse's needs as well as your own. And you may have to coordinate two different claims. 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 » Couples where both spouses are eligible for Social Security are often advised to have the higher earner delay their claim. In many cases, having the higher earner wait can result in more household income. But that's not the only option on the table. The upside of having the higher earner delay The longer you delay your Social Security claim, up until age 70, the larger your monthly checks are. You can claim Social Security as early as age 62. And if you were born in 1960 or later, you can get your monthly benefits without a reduction at 67, which is full retirement age. But for each year you delay Social Security past full retirement age, your monthly checks get a boost. That increase stays in effect for the rest of your life. From a math perspective, it generally makes sense for the higher earner in a couple to delay Social Security. And the reason is that those benefits increase by a fixed percentage (8%) for each year you delay. If you're the higher earner in your household and are therefore eligible for a $3,000 monthly Social Security benefit while your ...
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News Rising oil prices are causing markets to rethink the entire rate-cut narrative. Inflation expectations are increasing, and markets are quickly removing rate cuts from their forecast. If oil prices remain high, the next Fed chair might have little room to lower rates in 2026, especially since the market will oppose rate cuts and the committee is unlikely to suppor...
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News Rising oil prices are causing markets to rethink the entire rate-cut narrative. Inflation expectations are increasing, and markets are quickly removing rate cuts from their forecast. If oil prices remain high, the next Fed chair might have little room to lower rates in 2026, especially since the market will oppose rate cuts and the committee is unlikely to support them too. Rate Cuts Are Vanishing The market has already started to remove rate cuts from the equation. December Fed Fund Futures are now trading at 3.44%, up nearly 40 bps since the end of February. That means the market may be lucky to get one rate cut in 2026. The market may now be moving back toward the Fed’s original view, as outlined in December. At that time, the Fed projected rates ending in 2026 around 3.4%. Still, markets will eagerly await the Fed's stance now and how it has shifted amid surging oil prices, as reflected in the Summary of Economic Projections. TradingView Prior to the surge in oil prices, the market had been pricing in more rate cuts than the Fed had projected. But now that oil has surged, the market and the Fed are on the same proverbial page. Because the Fed was already at 3.4% in December, the risk here is that it moves the median dot higher, removing the 2026 rate cut from the equation. Of course, the other option would be to leave it unchanged. Surging Inflation Fears The problem is that oil prices have surged sharply, and inflation expectations have risen dramatically. In fact, 5-year breakeven inflation expectations have risen back to 2.6%, their highest level since last year. TradingView For the most part, 5-year inflation expectations have closely followed changes in oil prices over time, and the current move higher in oil doesn't align with the move in 5-year breakevens, suggesting inflation expectations are likely to rise further should oil prices remain elevated. TradingView While inflation expectations are in the upper range, it is ...
Hormuz Chokepoint Claims Next Victim: World's Largest Aluminum Smelter Cuts Capacity The world's largest single-site aluminium smelter in the Middle East cut its output by about 20% on Sunday, marking yet another troubling development for the global economy. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is no longer just an energy story - it's now spreading into industrial metals . These second- and thir...
Hormuz Chokepoint Claims Next Victim: World's Largest Aluminum Smelter Cuts Capacity The world's largest single-site aluminium smelter in the Middle East cut its output by about 20% on Sunday, marking yet another troubling development for the global economy. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is no longer just an energy story - it's now spreading into industrial metals . These second- and third-order effects could soon disrupt global supply chains and tighten aluminium availability, thus pressuring prices higher. Bloomberg reports that Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) began a controlled, safe shutdown of three reduction lines on Sunday to preserve business continuity amid heavily disrupted maritime shipping routes through the Hormuz chokepoint. This production shutdown accounts for about 19% of Alba's total output capacity of 1.62 million tons per year, representing roughly 2.2% of global aluminium production. The suspension aims to preserve its inventory of raw materials. In 2025, Gulf Cooperation Council members produced around 6.16 million tons of aluminium, or about 8.35% of global supply, according to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Alba's cutback, along with the risk of broader disruptions to the aluminium market in the Gulf, could drive aluminium prices in the London market even higher. The latest ship tracking data of the Hormuz chokepoint shows tankers anchored on both sides of the strait's entry and exit points. Traffic remains muted. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi assured the world on Saturday evening that the Hormuz waterway was open to all vessels, except those linked to the US or Israel. Tyler Durden Sun, 03/15/2026 - 09:55
Fatima Nazha slept on the street for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order. All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their kids and grandchildren fou...
Fatima Nazha slept on the street for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order. All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their kids and grandchildren found shelter near the southern coastal city of Sidon. In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced by war, just over a year since the last conflict uprooted over a million Lebanese from their homes. Advertisement That is one in every seven people in the tiny country, according to humanitarian organisation the Norwegian Refugee Council. Many do not have a place to stay, and the cash-strapped government has only been able to accommodate roughly 120,000 people as it scrambles to open shelters and bring in more supplies. Heavy rain falls over tents sheltering people displaced by Israeli air strikes in Lebanon. Photo: AP Nazha, who uses a wheelchair, said being forced from her home has been far more difficult this time than when Israel and Hezbollah were last at war more than a year ago.