Key PointsShares of this leader in its niche tanked immediately after reporting its first-quarter results, but the stock has still outpaced the S&P 500 this year.
Key PointsShares of this leader in its niche tanked immediately after reporting its first-quarter results, but the stock has still outpaced the S&P 500 this year.
Maksim Labkouski/iStock via Getty Images QXO Inc. ( QXO ) on Sunday said it has agreed to acquire TopBuild Corp. ( BLD ) in a transaction valued at about $17 billion, a move that would broaden its presence across several building products categories in North America. The deal has been approved by both companies’ boards and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending shareholder appr...
Maksim Labkouski/iStock via Getty Images QXO Inc. ( QXO ) on Sunday said it has agreed to acquire TopBuild Corp. ( BLD ) in a transaction valued at about $17 billion, a move that would broaden its presence across several building products categories in North America. The deal has been approved by both companies’ boards and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending shareholder approval and other customary conditions. TopBuild is a major distributor and installer of insulation and related products. QXO said combining its roofing, waterproofing and lumber-related operations with TopBuild’s insulation business would create a larger company with a broader product mix and higher-margin service offerings. The acquisition follows QXO’s recent purchase of Kodiak Building Partners for about $2.25 billion, which closed earlier this month. After the TopBuild transaction, QXO said it expects to compete in an addressable market of more than $300 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, TopBuild shareholders may elect to receive either $505 in cash or 20.2 shares of QXO stock for each TopBuild share, subject to proration so that approximately 45% of the total consideration is paid in cash and 55% in QXO shares. The offer values TopBuild shares at a 19.8% premium to the company’s 60-day volume-weighted average price and a 23.1% premium to its April 17 closing price, according to the companies. TopBuild generated about $6.2 billion in 2025 net sales and about $1.14 billion in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for acquisitions completed during the year, the release said. QXO said it expects roughly $300 million in synergies from the integration by 2030. Following completion of the transaction, QXO said the combined company would have about 28,000 employees, 1,150 locations across the U.S. and Canada, and a fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles. More on QXO QXO Inc.: A $30 Billion Dream Still Waiting For Execution Mar Vis...
Revered investor Warren Buffett has probably never bought a cryptocurrency, yet his admonishment to "be greedy when others are fearful" is perpetually relevant for crypto investors, especially right now. The crypto fear and greed index, a composite score between zero (maximum fear) and 100 (maximum greed), is at 45 in mid-April. That's in the fear zone, just below neutral, but barely two months ag...
Revered investor Warren Buffett has probably never bought a cryptocurrency, yet his admonishment to "be greedy when others are fearful" is perpetually relevant for crypto investors, especially right now. The crypto fear and greed index, a composite score between zero (maximum fear) and 100 (maximum greed), is at 45 in mid-April. That's in the fear zone, just below neutral, but barely two months ago, it was at an all-time low of 5 as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) briefly cratered below $61,000; so the warning light is presently off, but it's unlikely to stay that way for more than a day or two at a stretch, if its recent behavior is any indication at all. Now, between the Strait of Hormuz crisis pushing oil past $100 a barrel and threatening a global energy crisis and recession, the market appears to be feeling a bit bolder than the conditions imply that it should. Ethereum , (CRYPTO: ETH) Solana , XRP , and other crypto majors are taking these risks in stride. Continue reading
AlexLMX/iStock via Getty Images Iran will not participate in a second round of talks with the United States, according to Iranian state media, which said Tehran objected to what it described as excessive and unrealistic demands from Washington. The reported decision casts doubt on efforts to revive diplomacy after recent high-level contacts between the two countries in Pakistan, where negotiators ...
AlexLMX/iStock via Getty Images Iran will not participate in a second round of talks with the United States, according to Iranian state media, which said Tehran objected to what it described as excessive and unrealistic demands from Washington. The reported decision casts doubt on efforts to revive diplomacy after recent high-level contacts between the two countries in Pakistan, where negotiators had sought to ease tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, regional security issues and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media cites shifting U.S. positions Iran’s official IRNA news agency said repeated changes in U.S. positions, contradictory public statements and unreasonable requests had blocked progress in the negotiations. Iranian officials have recently criticized Washington’s “maximalist” stance, particularly over uranium enrichment and broader security demands. U.S. still signals interest in diplomacy Despite Tehran’s announcement, President Donald Trump said U.S. negotiators were prepared to continue talks and planned to travel to Pakistan for another round of meetings. The White House has publicly maintained that diplomacy remains possible, even as Trump has paired that message with renewed threats of military action if no agreement is reached. Markets watching Strait of Hormuz The diplomatic setback comes as investors monitor disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments. Any prolonged impasse between Washington and Tehran could intensify concerns over energy supplies and regional stability. More on Brent Futures, Crude Oil Futures, etc. The Trade Driving The S&P 500 Higher May Not Last The Year's Most Positive Signal Rallies Markets, But Iran Risk Favors Select Sectors S&P 500 Snapshot: The 7,000 Era Begins Amid Triple Record Highs Energy secretary says $3 gasoline may not return until 2027 BlackRock turns more cautious on Europe as energy shock dulls market appeal
Key PointsElser Financial Planning acquired 26,983,101 shares of Merchants Bancorp in the first quarter; the estimated trade size was $1.10 billion based on quarterly average pricing.
Key PointsElser Financial Planning acquired 26,983,101 shares of Merchants Bancorp in the first quarter; the estimated trade size was $1.10 billion based on quarterly average pricing.
QXO Inc. said it’s acquiring insulation company TopBuild Corp. for about $17 billion, making QXO the second-largest publicly traded building products distributor in North America. QXO’s offer values TopBuild at $505 per share , a 23% premium to the stock’s closing price of $410.31 on Friday. QXO plans to pay 45% of the aggregate transaction value in cash and offer 20.2 shares of its common stock f...
QXO Inc. said it’s acquiring insulation company TopBuild Corp. for about $17 billion, making QXO the second-largest publicly traded building products distributor in North America. QXO’s offer values TopBuild at $505 per share , a 23% premium to the stock’s closing price of $410.31 on Friday. QXO plans to pay 45% of the aggregate transaction value in cash and offer 20.2 shares of its common stock for the remainder. The transaction , which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, would follow QXO’s acquisitions of Beacon Roofing Supply Inc. in 2025 and Kodiak Building Partners this year. Beacon was QXO’s first acquisition, marking Chief Executive Officer Brad Jacobs ’ first step in a plan to turn QXO into a $50 billion-revenue company within a decade. It also tried to buy GMS Inc., which Home Depot Inc. acquired. Greenwich, Connecticut-based QXO has been on a fundraising spree to boost acquisitions. In January, the company said it’s raising another $1.8 billion from investors including Apollo Global Management Inc. and Temasek Holdings Pte. Read More: QXO Set to Buy Kodiak Building Partners for $2.25 Billion QXO said in a statement it expects the combination of distribution of its products including roofing, waterproofing and lumber-related building materials with TopBuild’s insulation business to create a “higher-margin business with expansive value-added offerings for customers.” TopBuild will be our most significant acquisition yet, making QXO the second largest publicly traded building products distributor in North America, with more than $18 billion of combined company revenue and more than $2 billion of combined company adjusted EBITDA,” Jacobs said in the statement. After the acquisition, QXO will have some 28,000 employees, 1,150 locations across the US and Canada.
Senior Cabinet ministers on Sunday rallied around UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is teetering over his decision to give Britain’s most important diplomatic job to Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer will face restive lawmakers in Parliament on Monday to fight for his job after the explosive revelation that Mandelson was appointed...
Senior Cabinet ministers on Sunday rallied around UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is teetering over his decision to give Britain’s most important diplomatic job to Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer will face restive lawmakers in Parliament on Monday to fight for his job after the explosive revelation that Mandelson was appointed ambassador to the United States despite failing security checks. Starmer says he is “furious” that...
JasonDoiy HP ( HPQ ) shares rallied earlier this week on a report that Nvidia ( NVDA ) was in talks to acquire a PC maker, a rumor that Nvidia later denied. We asked Seeking Alpha analysts IWA Research and Gary Alexander if they thought HP was an attractive takeover target. IWA Research : HPQ is attractive from several points of view, which is why it wouldn't be impossible to see them garner the a...
JasonDoiy HP ( HPQ ) shares rallied earlier this week on a report that Nvidia ( NVDA ) was in talks to acquire a PC maker, a rumor that Nvidia later denied. We asked Seeking Alpha analysts IWA Research and Gary Alexander if they thought HP was an attractive takeover target. IWA Research : HPQ is attractive from several points of view, which is why it wouldn't be impossible to see them garner the attention of a buyer. The company's foundation remains very solid, with stable and strong cash flow. It's been able to quickly respond to the initial tariff headwinds through supply chain optimizations, proving its ability to navigate what is otherwise a very tough market while still delivering stable FCF that allowed them to return double-digit combined (dividend plus buybacks) yields. In the longer term, there's plenty of upside potential from a new, inevitable hardware replacement cycle, and their AI PC investments could help them capture even more market share. Even without an acquisition, HPQ's attractive valuation and strong foundation are major reasons why I rated the company Strong Buy in March. Although Nvidia ( NVDA ) denied being in talks, HPQ's valuation remains very compelling, to the point where there could be multiple other buyers that would show interest. First, there could be particular interest from private equity or investment firms such as Blackstone ( BX ), KKR ( KKR ), or even Silver Lake, which took Dell ( DELL ) private over a decade ago before taking them public again, a clear display of what private equity can do in this space and highlighting the fact that they're paying attention to it. I also wouldn't rule out the possibility of seeing a giant like Samsung ( SSNLF ), which sold their printer business to HP about nine years ago, or Qualcomm ( QCOM ) showing interest. HP's position in the PC market and particularly the enterprise space remains very strong, with potential for monumental synergies in case a major hardware producer acquires them. Gary...
DNY59/iStock via Getty Images A growing number of Americans are withdrawing money from their 401(k) retirement accounts before retirement age as rising living costs and tighter household budgets force difficult financial choices, the New York Times reported Saturday. Six percent of Vanguard retirement plan participants took hardship withdrawals in 2025, up from 4.8% in 2024 and 3.6% in 2023. Vangu...
DNY59/iStock via Getty Images A growing number of Americans are withdrawing money from their 401(k) retirement accounts before retirement age as rising living costs and tighter household budgets force difficult financial choices, the New York Times reported Saturday. Six percent of Vanguard retirement plan participants took hardship withdrawals in 2025, up from 4.8% in 2024 and 3.6% in 2023. Vanguard said the rate is roughly triple pre-pandemic levels. The median withdrawal last year was $1,900. Fidelity and Charles Schwab also reported increases. The trend comes as many households grapple with higher prices for groceries, housing, utilities and transportation, along with elevated borrowing costs. According to Intuit Credit Karma, more than half of Americans either made or planned early withdrawals from retirement accounts in 2025 or 2026 because of affordability concerns. Hardship withdrawals are generally allowed only for qualifying needs such as medical bills, preventing eviction or foreclosure, or certain home-related expenses. In many cases, workers under age 59½ still owe income taxes plus a 10% early-withdrawal penalty. Recent law changes have made access easier. The 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act removed the requirement that many workers first take a 401(k) loan before requesting a hardship withdrawal. The SECURE 2.0 Act later allowed penalty-free withdrawals of up to $1,000 annually for some emergency expenses if repayment rules are met. Financial advisers warn that repeated early withdrawals can significantly reduce long-term retirement savings by shrinking balances that would otherwise compound over time. The increase in withdrawals also highlights a broader retirement savings gap, with many workers already behind on preparing for retirement. More news and analysis Parnassus Core Equity Fund Q1 2026 Commentary RF Industries: Better Margins, Better Demand, Better Stock VCR: Consumer Discretionary Sector Dashboard For April Energy secretary says $3 gasoline may...
Technology sector leaders across software and semiconductors are approaching a potential inflection point, as BTIG Chief Market Technician Jonathan Krinsky outlines a contrarian shift favoring software over chip stocks. Extreme Valuation Gap Signals Reversal Setup Krinsky said the spread between software stocks in the S&P 1500 and semiconductor stocks in the SOX index has reached an unprecedented ...
Technology sector leaders across software and semiconductors are approaching a potential inflection point, as BTIG Chief Market Technician Jonathan Krinsky outlines a contrarian shift favoring software over chip stocks. Extreme Valuation Gap Signals Reversal Setup Krinsky said the spread between software stocks in the S&P 1500 and semiconductor stocks in the SOX index has reached an unprecedented level, with the ratio falling 43% below its 200-day moving average. The software stocks in the S&P 1
For many middle-class households, electricity is starting to feel like one of the most unpredictable parts of the monthly budget. People say their bills are climbing even when their usage stays the same, or even drops. One frustrated homeowner took...
For many middle-class households, electricity is starting to feel like one of the most unpredictable parts of the monthly budget. People say their bills are climbing even when their usage stays the same, or even drops. One frustrated homeowner took...
The S&P 500 has had a volatile year so far. However, the benchmark is up 4% in 2026 (as of April 17). And in the past three years, it has climbed a notable 72%. But there's a monster stock that continues to crush the market. Over the past three years, this business has seen its shares soar 191%. And they have risen more than 5% in 2026. Keep reading to learn what company this is and whether it bel...
The S&P 500 has had a volatile year so far. However, the benchmark is up 4% in 2026 (as of April 17). And in the past three years, it has climbed a notable 72%. But there's a monster stock that continues to crush the market. Over the past three years, this business has seen its shares soar 191%. And they have risen more than 5% in 2026. Keep reading to learn what company this is and whether it belongs in your portfolio. Continue reading
Liverpool win derby in 100th minute after difficult run ‘Five games in 15 days with mainly the same players’ Arne Slot claimed Liverpool provided the perfect answer to questions over their mentality and character as Virgil van Dijk’s 100th-minute header clinched victory in the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Liverpool opened up a seven-point gap to sixth-placed Chelsea in the rac...
Liverpool win derby in 100th minute after difficult run ‘Five games in 15 days with mainly the same players’ Arne Slot claimed Liverpool provided the perfect answer to questions over their mentality and character as Virgil van Dijk’s 100th-minute header clinched victory in the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Liverpool opened up a seven-point gap to sixth-placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification with their captain’s dramatic intervention against Everton, who were left to rue another late blow by their local rivals. David Moyes described the outcome as “cruel” and claimed Everton should have had a penalty for a push by Curtis Jones on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Continue reading...
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport, Louisiana police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 people were shot.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport, Louisiana police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 people were shot.
Elser Financial Planning disclosed a new position in Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:MBIN) on April 15, 2026, acquiring 26,983,101 shares in the first quarter. The estimated transaction value was $1.10 billion, based on quarterly average pricing. According to an SEC filing dated April 15, 2026, Elser Financial Planning acquired 26,983,101 shares of Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter. The quarter...
Elser Financial Planning disclosed a new position in Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:MBIN) on April 15, 2026, acquiring 26,983,101 shares in the first quarter. The estimated transaction value was $1.10 billion, based on quarterly average pricing. According to an SEC filing dated April 15, 2026, Elser Financial Planning acquired 26,983,101 shares of Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter. The quarter-end value of the new position was $1.18 billion, reflecting both share purchases and price movement over the period. This was a new position for Elser Financial Planning, representing 57.2% of its 13F reportable assets under management after the trade. Continue reading
Here's Why Trump's Hormuz Blockade Should Stoke 'Strait Chaos' For China The currently closed Strait of Hormuz , situated between Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and has emerged as a major flashpoint in the US-Iran war. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, off Yemen's coast, has also remained a focal point among critical maritime chokepoints, given ongoing th...
Here's Why Trump's Hormuz Blockade Should Stoke 'Strait Chaos' For China The currently closed Strait of Hormuz , situated between Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and has emerged as a major flashpoint in the US-Iran war. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, off Yemen's coast, has also remained a focal point among critical maritime chokepoints, given ongoing threats from Iran-linked Houthi rebels. While both critical chokepoints have been in sharp focus in the news cycle and among US officials, institutional research desks, intelligence analysts, observers, the OSINT community on X, and even everyday viewers watching Fox News or CNN, there is also another set of regional and transregional straits that warrant additional monitoring given their importance to global energy flows and commercial shipping. Shifting from the Hormuz chokepoint, the latest data from Bloomberg, citing AIS ship-tracking data, shows that tankers bound for China transiting from the Gulf area through the Strait of Malacca is yet another maritime chokepoint, especially for energy and trade flows into Asia. The Strait of Malacca, at its narrowest point, is only 1.7 miles wide, creating a natural bottleneck. Most of the tankers transiting the tiny but very critical strait are hauling crude and LNG bound not just for China, but also for Japan, South Korea, and other countries in the region. This strait is a key link between Hormuz and China's coastal refineries. The list of narrow maritime chokepoints through which energy products flow on tankers should be very concerning to Beijing, given the US blockade of Hormuz and its potential to serve as a pressure campaign against China ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting. Strait of Hormuz This is the most important upstream chokepoint for China's Gulf oil imports. A large share of Chinese crude from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar must exit through Hormuz first. Strait of Malacca This is China's main downstream m...