Gui Fang A former nationally recognized anti-corruption expert in southwestern China’s Guizhou province has been placed under investigation, marking the latest downfall in a sweeping regional anti-graft campaign that has recently ensnared multiple senior female officials. Gui Fang, the former director of the case review office at the Guizhou Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supe...
Gui Fang A former nationally recognized anti-corruption expert in southwestern China’s Guizhou province has been placed under investigation, marking the latest downfall in a sweeping regional anti-graft campaign that has recently ensnared multiple senior female officials. Gui Fang, the former director of the case review office at the Guizhou Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, is facing an official probe, the commission announced on its website on Friday, April 17.
France and Greece are set to renew their defense pact next week as the European nations seek to further shore up their deterrence strategy. The two countries plan to renew their defense agreement — first signed in 2021 — for another five years, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity as the details are not final yet. French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Athens n...
France and Greece are set to renew their defense pact next week as the European nations seek to further shore up their deterrence strategy. The two countries plan to renew their defense agreement — first signed in 2021 — for another five years, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity as the details are not final yet. French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Athens next week following a summit of European Union leaders in Cyprus. Macron will meet with Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to ratify the renewal of the defense pact, while the two sides are also set to sign agreements on further boosting cooperation in areas including foreign policy, civil protection and the economy, one of the people said. The issue of boosting defense capabilities has become much more critical since Greece and France signed their first agreement on the matter five years ago. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war in Iran, have become existential challenges to the European Union, especially amid growing uncertainty over transatlantic ties and threats by the US that it could leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . The defense pact due to be agreed by Macron and Mitsotakis next week will also include a new clause stipulating that the pact will be automatically renewed going forward, one of the people said.
Two liquefied natural gas tankers appear to be attempting to enter the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, which — if they succeed — would mark a significant shift in the Middle East energy crisis. The Al Hamra and Mraweh vessels, both owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., are passing Oman and heading to the eastern side of the strait, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The m...
Two liquefied natural gas tankers appear to be attempting to enter the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, which — if they succeed — would mark a significant shift in the Middle East energy crisis. The Al Hamra and Mraweh vessels, both owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., are passing Oman and heading to the eastern side of the strait, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The movements were observed before Iran said Friday that Hormuz is now open for commercial traffic. No LNG tanker has entered the Gulf and no loaded LNG vessel has exited since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran in late February, ship data show. The effective closure of the waterway has choked off about a fifth of global supplies of the fuel, sending prices higher and causing shortages across emerging Asian markets. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Hormuz is “completely open” to commercial shipping for the duration of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The announcement will raise hopes that LNG flows can resume from the region, though significant uncertainty remains. Read More: Oil Slump Deepens After Iran’s Araghchi Says Hormuz Strait Open
Getty Images Since the Iran war began, the market has behaved like it usually does in a real-time stress test: it paid up for protection first, then began to withdraw that payment once the worst-case path didn’t continuously intensify. The clearest message is that the “war hedge” complex (oil, energy equities, even gold) has stopped acting like the only game in town, while broad equities, particul...
Getty Images Since the Iran war began, the market has behaved like it usually does in a real-time stress test: it paid up for protection first, then began to withdraw that payment once the worst-case path didn’t continuously intensify. The clearest message is that the “war hedge” complex (oil, energy equities, even gold) has stopped acting like the only game in town, while broad equities, particularly tech/growth, have resumed leadership. That doesn’t mean the war is irrelevant. It means the marginal buyer is no longer willing to pay an ever-rising premium for it. My approach here is simple: don't argue the headlines. Watch what stops working. When the hedge stops working, the next money is often made in the reversal, owning what the hedge was suppressing, until the tape tells you the war premium is back. 1) The Setup: Shock hedges worked, then they didn’t In the rearview, the market clearly treated the conflict as a real constraint. Oil and energy are still massively positive on the longer windows: crude is up big over 6M and YTD, and energy equities have held strong returns as well. That’s the signature of a market that initially priced disruption risk into the commodity complex and into the sectors most levered to it. Source: Seeking Alpha But the more important information is what’s happening now. Over the last month and week, crude is down, and XLE has softened on a 1M basis even though it remains strong over 6M/YTD. At the same time, risk is reappearing in places it typically doesn’t if the market believes it’s entering a durable oil shock regime: QQQ and XLK are strong over 1M, SPY is firm, and even higher-beta expressions ( ARKK ) and cyclically sensitive segments ( KRE ) show meaningful 1M strength. Source: Seeking Alpha That combination, “crisis winners rolling over short-term while broad risk strengthens,” is the market’s way of saying: the shock was real, but the premium is being monatized. 2) The Lie Detector: Crude's reaction function In geopolitical e...
Trump Says Admin Investigating Deaths, Disappearances Of US Scientists Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to look into reports of multiple U.S. scientists who have either died or gone missing in recent months. “I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half,” he told reporters, adding that “I just left a meeting on that ...
Trump Says Admin Investigating Deaths, Disappearances Of US Scientists Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to look into reports of multiple U.S. scientists who have either died or gone missing in recent months. “I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half,” he told reporters, adding that “I just left a meeting on that subject.” The reports, he added, are serious, because “some of them were very important people, and we’re going to look at it over the next short period.” The president provided an update a day after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the Trump administration is investigating. A reporter asked Leavitt about 10 scientists who died or disappeared over the past several years, with some of them having access to nuclear or aerospace material. “I haven’t spoken to our relevant agencies about it. I will certainly do that, and we’ll get you an answer. If true, of course, that’s definitely something I think this government and administration would deem worth looking into,” she said in response. At least one House lawmaker, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), asked the FBI to investigate the reports. “The disappearance of multiple scientists and military personnel with ties to advanced research is deeply concerning. I’ve already requested FBI involvement, and we will keep pressing for answers,” Burlison wrote in a post on X in late March. Another, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), also called for an investigation into the disappearances. “The numbers seem very high in these certain areas of research. I think we’d better be paying attention, and I don’t think we should trust our government,” he told the Daily Mail in March. Burchett also made reference to the disappearance of a former Air Force general, William McCasland, who vanished from his New Mexico home without his phone or glasses in February. Media reports said that a colleague of his, Monica Reza, a rocket sc...
Aluminum prices sank in London after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open for cargoes to transit, a move that would allow the metal to be exported out of key producers Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Three month aluminum futures on the London Metal Exchange fell by as much as 5.7% on the news, last trading at $ 3,540 a ton as of 2:44 p.m. London time. Prices for the lightwei...
Aluminum prices sank in London after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open for cargoes to transit, a move that would allow the metal to be exported out of key producers Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Three month aluminum futures on the London Metal Exchange fell by as much as 5.7% on the news, last trading at $ 3,540 a ton as of 2:44 p.m. London time. Prices for the lightweight metal — used in everything from cars to beer cans — had surged to their highest in more than three years as exports from the region were shut off, as the Iran war brought shipping through the crucial Strait of Hormuz to a near halt. Roughly a 10th of global aluminum output comes from the Middle East. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X, also sending prices from oil to natural gas tumbling. Smelters have also been unable to import raw materials such as alumina, increasing the likelihood of plants ‘going cold’ and so having to shutter for an extended period of time.
On April 16, 2026, True Vision MN disclosed a new position in the iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (NASDAQ:BLCR) , acquiring 81,599 shares in an estimated $3.50 million trade based on quarterly average pricing. According to a recent SEC filing dated April 16, 2026, True Vision MN initiated a new position in the iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (NASDAQ:BLCR) by purchasing 81,599 shares. The estim...
On April 16, 2026, True Vision MN disclosed a new position in the iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (NASDAQ:BLCR) , acquiring 81,599 shares in an estimated $3.50 million trade based on quarterly average pricing. According to a recent SEC filing dated April 16, 2026, True Vision MN initiated a new position in the iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (NASDAQ:BLCR) by purchasing 81,599 shares. The estimated value of the trade is $3.50 million, calculated using the average price for the first quarter of 2026. The fund reported a quarter-end position value increase of $3.35 million, reflecting both the acquisition and market price changes. The iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF seeks to deliver total return by actively investing in a diversified basket of large-cap U.S. equities. The fund employs a blend of fundamental and quantitative approaches to security selection, aiming to outperform traditional passive benchmarks. Its structure provides investors with exposure to leading U.S. companies while maintaining flexibility to adjust allocations in response to evolving market conditions. Continue reading
Despite an up and down year for the timepiece trade, the vibe at the industry’s biggest show was upbeat. Even goofy. Chris Rovzar reports from Geneva. (Source: Bloomberg)
Despite an up and down year for the timepiece trade, the vibe at the industry’s biggest show was upbeat. Even goofy. Chris Rovzar reports from Geneva. (Source: Bloomberg)
US stocks rallied Friday after Iran said it would open the Strait of Hormuz following the truce between Israel and Lebanon, promising to ease an oil shock that has shadowed the global economic outlook ever since President Donald Trump started the war seven weeks ago. The S&P 500 Index climbed 0.8% after the opening bell Friday, hitting another record in the process. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index...
US stocks rallied Friday after Iran said it would open the Strait of Hormuz following the truce between Israel and Lebanon, promising to ease an oil shock that has shadowed the global economic outlook ever since President Donald Trump started the war seven weeks ago. The S&P 500 Index climbed 0.8% after the opening bell Friday, hitting another record in the process. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index gained 0.7%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose rose 1.4%. The VIX dropped, oil fell and bond yields tumbled as traders wagered the Federal Reserve will be able to resume cutting interest rates before the year is out. The gains came after Iran Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi said all commercial ships can now pass through the Strait of Hormuz, an oil choke point which Iran intends to open given the ceasefire in Lebanon. The move, subsequently confirmed by Trump , fanned optimism that US and Iran will be able to strike a deal to conclude the conflict. Trump Says Iran Deal Getting Closer as Lebanon Truce Starts (1) “It’s refreshing that this is the first Friday trading session in well over a month where there isn’t this underlying fear heading into the weekend, which is another sign that this market correction has likely run its course,” said Paul Stanley, chief investment officer at Granite Bay Wealth Management . Stocks have been on a tear this month, with the S&P 500 rising every day but one. The Nasdaq 100 is is headed for its 13th straight day of gains, which would mark its longest winning streak since 2013. “The equity market went from oversold to overbought in no time,” said Michael O’Rourke , chief market strategist at JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC . It took the S&P 500 just 11 days to flip into overbought territory Thursday, as measured by the 14-day relative strength index. That has only been outpaced by a faster rally in 1982. The speed of the turnaround has some strategists concerned that prices no longer factor in the downside risk of h...
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip killed more than 38,000 women and girls between October 2023 and the end of 2025, a UN report published on Friday showed. Palestinian health authorities put the estimated total death toll by the end of 2025 at just over 71,000, rising to more than 72,000 by mid-April as Israel continued sporadic attacks despite a ceasefire with the Islamist group Hamas. According ...
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip killed more than 38,000 women and girls between October 2023 and the end of 2025, a UN report published on Friday showed. Palestinian health authorities put the estimated total death toll by the end of 2025 at just over 71,000, rising to more than 72,000 by mid-April as Israel continued sporadic attacks despite a ceasefire with the Islamist group Hamas. According to the analysis by UN Women, this means over half of all the victims in Gaza by the end of 2025 were...
US natural gas futures fluctuated between slight gains and losses, paring an earlier rise as Iran’s foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open.” The news sent oil prices plunging, triggering immediate financial outflows from baskets of energy products that include the US gas contract. The tandem price move happened despite near-term supply and demand for US gas remaining funda...
US natural gas futures fluctuated between slight gains and losses, paring an earlier rise as Iran’s foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open.” The news sent oil prices plunging, triggering immediate financial outflows from baskets of energy products that include the US gas contract. The tandem price move happened despite near-term supply and demand for US gas remaining fundamentally unaffected by such geopolitical developments. Traders are also weighing a seasonal drop in production, especially in the Appalachian region, alongside mild weather and a government report Thursday that showed another larger-than-normal increase in domestic stockpiles. Futures for May delivery -1c, or -0.4%, to $2.637/mmbtu on Nymex, as of 9:28am ET The May contract’s 14-day RSI level is at 36.3, not far from the 30 oversold level Weather: Forecasts shifted slightly warmer, with above-average temperatures expected across the Southeast US and Midwest from April 22-26: Commodity Weather Group See WHUT for a map of latest 6-10 day weather forecast: NOAA Click here for two-week temperature forecasts for the U.S. Daily BNEF Gas Data: Lower-48 dry gas production on Friday ~111.1 bcf/day, or +4.0% y/y Lower-48 total gas demand on Friday ~68.3 bcf/day, or -0.6% y/y Dry gas exports to Mexico on Friday ~7.1 bcf/day, or +5.9% w/w Estimated gas flows to LNG export terminals on Friday ~19.6 bcf/day, or -1.3% w/w Gas Market News: Oil Slump Deepens After Iran’s Araghchi Says Hormuz Strait Open European Gas Prices Decline as Ceasefire Optimism Builds LNG WRAP: Asian Prices Edge Higher to $16 as Hormuz Still Shut Energy Research Daily: Latest From Bloomberg Intelligence
peshkov/iStock via Getty Images Despite strong revenue and asset growth reported for the first-quarter, The Charles Schwab Corporation's ( SCHW ) shares slumped 8% following the April 16, 2026 report, amid higher expenses and a small miss on the top line. Despite this disappointing reaction to the firm’s overall robust Q1 earnings report , Charles Schwab proved that it remained highly effective in...
peshkov/iStock via Getty Images Despite strong revenue and asset growth reported for the first-quarter, The Charles Schwab Corporation's ( SCHW ) shares slumped 8% following the April 16, 2026 report, amid higher expenses and a small miss on the top line. Despite this disappointing reaction to the firm’s overall robust Q1 earnings report , Charles Schwab proved that it remained highly effective in pulling more assets to its financial brokerage and wealth management platform. Charles Schwab not only grew its core net new assets by $140B in the first-quarter, but the brokerage is also set to expand its services by endorsing digital assets like cryptocurrencies. In addition, recent changes to margin frameworks, create an opportunity for Charles Schwab to capture a larger share of traders. I like the investment backdrop for Charles Schwab and see the company as a Strong Buy opportunity on the drop, especially with shares trading below the historical 3-year P/E ratio. Data by YCharts Previous rating I recommended Charles Schwab in January -- Expect Higher Capital Returns In 2026 -- as the financial services platform reported impressive platform profitability and grew its earnings at double-digits on a year-over-year basis. Further, Charles Schwab is growing its asset base… which I previously argued would boost the company’s earnings potential in the long run as well. Further, the brokerage is entering the market for crypto trading, opening up a potentially new avenue of revenue and income growth in the future. Charles Schwab beat EPS estimates for Q1’26 The financial brokerage powerhouse surpassed analyst consensus expectations for EPS on Thursday, due mainly to strong asset growth and a volatile stock market in Q1 that spurred trading: Charles Schwab published $1.43 per-share in normalized earnings, out-performing the average prediction by $0.03 per-share. The revenue figure came in at $6.5B, missing the analyst expectation by $30.4M. Seeking Alpha Charles Schwab benefi...