winhorse/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images In October of 2025, I wanted to see if maybe it was time to upgrade ACCO Brands ( ACCO ) once more. Exceptionally, I find it to be an interesting business. It is a diverse player of items that cater to not only consumers, but to businesses as well. Examples include gaming and computer accessories, learning and creative products such as Five Star and Mead...
winhorse/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images In October of 2025, I wanted to see if maybe it was time to upgrade ACCO Brands ( ACCO ) once more. Exceptionally, I find it to be an interesting business. It is a diverse player of items that cater to not only consumers, but to businesses as well. Examples include gaming and computer accessories, learning and creative products such as Five Star and Mead, and certain stapling, laminating, shredding, filing, organization, and storage products. The list goes on, but you get the idea. Unfortunately, I made the tough decision back in May of 2025 to downgrade the stock from a ‘buy’ to a ‘hold. This was because of continued deterioration from a fundamental standpoint. I was also worried about the economy more broadly, especially in light of tariffs. Back in October, I decided to reaffirm the company as a ‘hold’ even though the stock was priced at incredibly low multiples. This is because fundamentals continued to worsen. Since then, the stock has jumped 10.6%, while the S&P 500 is up 4.4%. But since I originally downgraded it, it's outperforming a bit less than this, rising 22.7% while the market is up 18.7%. The business continues to see weakness, even though management is working hard to cut costs. And until we see the picture bottom out, I believe that maintaining it as a ‘hold’ strikes the right balance between how cheap the stock is and how much worse its fundamentals have gotten. I sincerely hope that I can change my rating of the company soon. The good news is that earnings are just around the corner. Before the market opens on March 9th, management will be announcing financial results for the final quarter of the company's 2025 fiscal year. But unfortunately, revenue is expected to decline while adjusted net profits should follow suit. Hopefully, management will come out with some really stellar news that justifies an upgrade. But for now, I think that maintaining my current rating on it is appropriate. Sticking to my gu...
Bedell Frazier Investment Counselling LLC increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 488.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,646 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 11,327 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms co...
Bedell Frazier Investment Counselling LLC increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 488.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,646 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 11,327 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms comprises about 2.1% of Bedell Frazier Investment Counselling LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Bedell Frazier Investment Counselling LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $10,021,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Get Meta Platforms alerts: Sign Up Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in META. Westchester Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Bare Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $59,000. Finally, Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 64.8% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 89 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Meta Platforms news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 56,571 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $644.70, for a total value of $36,471,323.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CTO...
Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA - Free Report) by 71.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 911 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock after selling 2,277 shares during the quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC's h...
Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA - Free Report) by 71.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 911 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock after selling 2,277 shares during the quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC's holdings in Tesla were worth $405,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Chapman Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Tesla in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Tesla during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Tesla in the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. ESL Trust Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Tesla by 1,900.0% in the 2nd quarter. ESL Trust Services LLC now owns 100 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Tesla in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.20% of the company's stock. Get Tesla alerts: Sign Up Key Stories Impacting Tesla Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Tesla news, Director James R. Murdoch sold 60,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $445.40, for a total transaction of $26,724,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 577,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $257,009,607.40. This trade represents a 9.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hy...
Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA increased its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 280,031 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 2,030 shares during the period. Apple comprises 3.0% ...
Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA increased its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 280,031 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 2,030 shares during the period. Apple comprises 3.0% of Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA's investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA's holdings in Apple were worth $71,304,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Get Apple alerts: Sign Up Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. American Alpha Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. American Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 1,151 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $293,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the third quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,537 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $2,174,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Tacita Capital Inc boosted its holdings in Apple by 0.8% in the third quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 5,718 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $1,456,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Aspetuck Financial Management LLC grew its stake in Apple by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Aspetuck Financial Management LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $4,507,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baker Boyer National Bank raised its position in Apple by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Baker Boyer National Bank now owns 18,011 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $3,695,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. 67.73% of the ...
Iran's president defies U.S. demands while apologizing for strikes on neighbors toggle caption Vahid Salemi/AP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's president said Saturday that a demand by the United States for an unconditional surrender is a "dream that they should take to their grave." President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television. He also apol...
Iran's president defies U.S. demands while apologizing for strikes on neighbors toggle caption Vahid Salemi/AP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's president said Saturday that a demand by the United States for an unconditional surrender is a "dream that they should take to their grave." President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television. He also apologized for Iran's attacks on regional countries, saying that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks. He blamed the killing of the country's supreme leader and other top officials for what sounded like a loss of command and control in the armed forces in recent days. The comments came as intense Iranian fire targeted the Gulf Arab states early Saturday as Israel and the United States kept up their airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic. There were repeated attacks Saturday morning on Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Sponsor Message U.S. says more intense bombing lies ahead There was no foreseeable end to the fighting. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel after Trump said he would not negotiate with Iran without its "unconditional surrender" and U.S. officials warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign they said would be the most intense yet in the weeklong conflict. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a television interview on Friday that the "biggest bombing campaign" of the war was still to come. Iran's U.N. ambassador said the country would "take all necessary measures" to defend itself. Associated Press video showed explosions flashing and smoke rising over western Tehran as Israel said it had begun a broad wave of strikes. The U.S. and Israel have battered Iran with strikes, targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. The stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted, as the U.S. has at times sug...
If you invested in Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) at the start of any year over the last 20 years, you'd be up on your investment five years later, every time. And this is true as well for time periods that haven't yet hit the five-year mark. For example, if you invested at the start of 2024, you'd be up right now even though the stock has pulled back more than 20% from its high. In other words, it's been ...
If you invested in Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) at the start of any year over the last 20 years, you'd be up on your investment five years later, every time. And this is true as well for time periods that haven't yet hit the five-year mark. For example, if you invested at the start of 2024, you'd be up right now even though the stock has pulled back more than 20% from its high. In other words, it's been a bad idea to bet against the stock, historically speaking. Nevertheless, there are some investors who are betting against this retail and cloud-computing giant due to economic uncertainty. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » But Amazon stock is likely still a great long-term buy for those who can tune out the noise, as I'll explain. Here's what can drive returns for Amazon Amazon's retail business is absolutely massive. The company has many moving parts, so honing in on just retail operations is challenging. But adding up online stores, physical stores, and third-party seller services, it had net sales of nearly $100 billion in the first quarter of 2025 alone. These three line items accounted for 64% of the business in the first quarter, showing just how important retail is for the company. And with its massive customer base, as well as sprawling infrastructure for logistics and shipping, I don't believe anyone will meaningfully disrupt Amazon anytime soon. To be clear, it is facing headwinds from uncertainty with tariffs. CEO Andy Jassy flatly said, "None of us know exactly where tariffs will settle or when." This lack of clarity unsettles some investors. But it's important to remember that tariffs are an industrywide headwind, meaning this situation is unlikely to disproportionately impact Amazon compared to its competitors. In other words, its shareholders can expect the company to stay the course with its retail business. And this large, unchanging part of the business ...
If financial markets can survive the United States’ war on Iran and Russia’s war against Ukraine , does this mean that financial crashes have become a thing of the past? Or have markets just not grasped the true nature of the current threats to the financial system? The latter is almost certainly the case, as former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein suggested when he said in a recent Financial Tim...
If financial markets can survive the United States’ war on Iran and Russia’s war against Ukraine , does this mean that financial crashes have become a thing of the past? Or have markets just not grasped the true nature of the current threats to the financial system? The latter is almost certainly the case, as former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein suggested when he said in a recent Financial Times interview that people had “got more complacent” about financial risks since the 2008 crisis. It is true that equity markets around the world have shown resilience so far through both US President Donald Trump’s trade wars and kinetic wars. But Blankfein’s observations reveal to those with sufficient experience and perception that one must simply look in the right place. Advertisement Financial crises rarely, if ever, recur in the same segment of the market as the last shock. The Trump administration’s triumphalist pronouncements regarding its invasion of Iran could be undercut not only by the backlash from energy prices and transport logistics but also by a brewing crisis in financial markets as debt vulnerabilities erupt on uncertainty, rising inflation and crystallising systemic threats. Advertisement Blankfein told Bloomberg on the Big Take podcast that he is worried about problems brewing in the private credit sector. This segment of the market could be the flashpoint for a bigger crisis in markets, he suggested.
In the evening of March 1, an oil tanker turned off its transponder about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of the emirate of Sharjah and disappeared into the murk of jammed signals over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint that separates the Persian Gulf from the open ocean. Ten hours later, its transponder winked back into life due north of Abu Dhabi, heading for Bahrain. Only a handful of sh...
In the evening of March 1, an oil tanker turned off its transponder about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of the emirate of Sharjah and disappeared into the murk of jammed signals over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint that separates the Persian Gulf from the open ocean. Ten hours later, its transponder winked back into life due north of Abu Dhabi, heading for Bahrain. Only a handful of ships have made the run through the straits since last Saturday, when the US and Israel launched an air assault against Iran. Tehran retaliated, firing drones and missiles at targets across the Gulf. A Bloomberg analysis of shipping data from March 1-March 6 shows that traffic of merchant ships around the Strait of Hormuz has dropped more than 85% compared to the same period last year; about a fifth of these transits appear be under automatic identification system blackouts. A week into the conflict, the impact on global trade is already significant, with major disruptions to shipping and air traffic reverberating through markets and pushing up prices for gasoline and fertilizer. More upheaval is likely, as the effects of attacks and shutdowns at some of the world’s busiest logistics hubs trickle through the global trade system. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are focal points for maritime and air freight, handling large volumes of goods in transshipment between Asia, Europe and Africa through ports, free zones and small cities of warehouses around the airports. Close to Dubai’s airport, which in normal times handles more than 1,000 flights per day, is the International Humanitarian City, a free zone for international aid supplies, and hubs for the World Health Organization and other agencies. “It’s quite unique because it’s hitting a maritime chokepoint, but also an intermodal transport hub,” said Sarah Schiffling, assistant professor of supply chain management and social responsibility at the Hanken School of Economics in Finland. “The problem with a hub and spoke system...