champc/iStock via Getty Images Market review Health care stocks declined during the first quarter, slightly underperforming the broader market as the escalation of the Iran conflict weighed on asset prices. Within the sector, life sciences tools and health care equipment were particularly weak as concerns around demand weighed, while large-cap pharmaceutical names benefited from their defensive pr...
champc/iStock via Getty Images Market review Health care stocks declined during the first quarter, slightly underperforming the broader market as the escalation of the Iran conflict weighed on asset prices. Within the sector, life sciences tools and health care equipment were particularly weak as concerns around demand weighed, while large-cap pharmaceutical names benefited from their defensive profile as investors sought safe havens amid rising macroeconomic uncertainty. Within the Fund For 1Q26, Nomura Healthcare Fund Institutional Class shares outperformed the Fund's benchmark, the Russell 3000 ® Healthcare Index. The biotechnology sector, the Fund's largest overweight, contributed modestly to relative performance, as favorable allocation was largely offset by negative effects from stock selection. Contributors to relative performance included Roivant Sciences Inc. ( ROIV ), Ventyx Biosciences Inc. (VTYX), and Alkermes PLC ( ALKS ). Roivant advanced due to positive clinical data and a patent settlement with Moderna Inc. ( MRNA ) over lipid nanoparticle technology. Shares of Alkermes similarly advanced, supported by continued pipeline progress and the acquisition of a peer company late in the quarter. Among detractors in the biotechnology sector, shares of GRAIL Inc. ( GRAL ) declined sharply after its National Health Service ( NHS ) multi-cancer early detection screening study showed disappointing results. UniQure N.V. ( QURE ) also detracted from performance, following an unfavorable Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meeting outcome that cast doubt on the regulatory pathway for AMT-130, its Huntington's disease gene therapy. Shares of Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. ( RIGL ) declined, driven by weaker-than-expected earnings. The pharmaceutical sector contributed to relative performance through both favorable above-benchmark allocation and positive stock selection. Shares of UCB SA ( UCBJF ) outperformed on continued strength in its BIMZELX ® franchise. AstraZeneca P...
BD Images/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis I give Kraft Heinz ( KHC ) a Hold, leaning toward a defensive Buy recommendation for income-oriented investors. Shares trade at a notable discount to the broad consumer staples sector, provide a dividend yield in excess of 6%, and produce steady cash flow. But a continued organic revenue decline, a sizable debt burden, and little clarity on volume...
BD Images/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis I give Kraft Heinz ( KHC ) a Hold, leaning toward a defensive Buy recommendation for income-oriented investors. Shares trade at a notable discount to the broad consumer staples sector, provide a dividend yield in excess of 6%, and produce steady cash flow. But a continued organic revenue decline, a sizable debt burden, and little clarity on volume recovery mean I can’t comfortably recommend it as a strong Buy. Basically, this is a dividend stock for now that’s yet to really shine from a capital appreciation standpoint. Company Overview Kraft Heinz is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies and owns well-known brands such as Heinz Ketchup, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Kraft Mac & Cheese, and many others. The company was created through the 2015 merger that was orchestrated by Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital – which came with the promise of synergy and a business with unlimited global scale. The years since have largely been marked by hard-core cost cutting, substantial goodwill impairment, and a fight to get some momentum back in the top line. Mr. Cahillane , who is relatively new as CEO, has made the assertion that he will stop the trimming and focus on putting the money back into the brands – an optimistic but unverified proposition. The company – which has three reportable segments (North America, International Developed Markets, and Emerging Markets) – trades on the NASDAQ at about $23/share in August 2019. Seeking Alpha Financial Deep Dive I will take you through the recent quarter, the first quarter of 2026, as it bears almost everything we need to know about where things stand today. Net sales totaled $6.05 billion, a modest 0.8% YoY increase. But that headline number was given a 1.9 percentage point boost from forex movements and a 0.7pp negative contribution from disposals. Back those out and organic net sales were down 0.4%. Pricing was positive at +0.8pps, reflecting the targeti...
Eoneren/E+ via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered the Allspring Global Dividend Opportunity Fund ( EOD ), I issued a hold rating due to the inconsistent dividend coverage and earnings at the time. Since then, the fund has continued to participate in the upside momentum of the market and has delivered a total return of more than 38.5%, which outpaces the S&P 500 Index over the same tim...
Eoneren/E+ via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered the Allspring Global Dividend Opportunity Fund ( EOD ), I issued a hold rating due to the inconsistent dividend coverage and earnings at the time. Since then, the fund has continued to participate in the upside momentum of the market and has delivered a total return of more than 38.5%, which outpaces the S&P 500 Index over the same time frame. The fund has released an updated annual report for its 2025 period, so I wanted to reassess its value proposition following the recent market rally. When I previously covered the fund, EOD traded at a discount to NAV of 9.8%. Although the fund has performed well, EOD still trades at a sizeable discount to NAV of 7.18%. Referring to the red line below, we can see that the fund still trades at a reasonable entry level for investors looking to accumulate shares. For instance, the fund has traded at an average discount to NAV of about 8.32% over the last five years. CEF Data The fund now offers investors a starting dividend yield of about 8.8%, while issuing those payouts on a quarterly basis. The latest reporting confirms that EOD is capable of supporting those distributions without an issue. However, the success of the fund is ultimately reliant on the continued momentum of the equity markets. If we experience a change in sentiment around technology and AI growth, EOD may find itself in the scenario of paying out more than it earns. The sentiment around AI and technology can rapidly shift and reverse a lot of the gains of the most recent quarter. Furthermore, the fund is only suitable for a specific type of investor. If you seek to maximize total returns, a more traditional ETF may be a better approach. Fund Strategy According to the latest fact sheet, EOD has total net assets of $319.8M that are spread across a blended portfolio of equities and income-producing securities. The primary objective is to generate a high current level of income, while capturing long-term...
South Korean stocks are expected to bounce back after a drop that triggered a circuit breaker, said Timothy Moe , Goldman Sachs chief Asia-Pacific regional equity strategist. “In the longer run, this will prove to be a technical correction, albeit a scary one in a longer-term bull market,” Moe said in a Bloomberg TV interview, adding that “the underlying fundamentals are still very, very strong.” ...
South Korean stocks are expected to bounce back after a drop that triggered a circuit breaker, said Timothy Moe , Goldman Sachs chief Asia-Pacific regional equity strategist. “In the longer run, this will prove to be a technical correction, albeit a scary one in a longer-term bull market,” Moe said in a Bloomberg TV interview, adding that “the underlying fundamentals are still very, very strong.” Read: Korean Stocks Tumble as AI Trades Unwind, Threatening Bull Run The Kospi plunged as much as 8.8% on Monday, leading a broader rout across Asian technology stocks. The drop comes after a sharp rally driven by artificial intelligence optimism, with many investors using leverage to chase gains in a narrow group of semiconductor and tech stocks. “There’s clearly some sign that speculative activity increased, particularly for retail investors in Korea, and especially moving into some leveraged ETFs,” Moe said. “What we’re seeing is an unwind of some of that accumulation amplified by the leverage.” Goldman last week raised its outlook for South Korean and Taiwanese stocks on expectations the AI boom will drive profits in the tech-heavy markets. Moe said on Monday that valuations in South Korean equities are very reasonable and expects underlying profits to continue to drive growth. “After the shakeout in the market, we think it will regain its footing and go to higher highs,” he said. This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.