Mohamad Faizal Bin Ramli/iStock via Getty Images Last summer, I believed that AMETEK, Inc. ( AME ) was continuing with M&A to complement modest organic growth. The high-quality and niche industrial player announced the acquisition of FARO Technologies, which is a much larger and somewhat unusual deal for Ametek. Ever since, shares have risen by a third, vastly outperforming the wider market, as a ...
Mohamad Faizal Bin Ramli/iStock via Getty Images Last summer, I believed that AMETEK, Inc. ( AME ) was continuing with M&A to complement modest organic growth. The high-quality and niche industrial player announced the acquisition of FARO Technologies, which is a much larger and somewhat unusual deal for Ametek. Ever since, shares have risen by a third, vastly outperforming the wider market, as a premium player is awarded more premium valuations here. Trading at a 30 times earnings multiple, or 3% and change earnings yield, does not compete with risk-free rates. However, the long-term track record of compounded earnings growth is what counts, making shares not necessarily overextended, although valued at too much of a premium to see imminent appeal. Other interesting IPOs are discussed more extensively at Value In Corporate Events . Powering On Recently, investors in Ametek have seen quite some good news. In February, Ametek announced a 10% increase in the quarterly dividend, now paid at $0.34 per share, for an annual payout of $1.36 per share. This hike followed the announcement of a bolt-on deal of LKC in February, used for effective diagnosis and management of ophthalmic conditions, yet unfortunately, no financial details have been announced. Reported sales rose by nearly 7% to $7.40 billion, as fourth-quarter sales rose by 13% to $2.0 billion, as the growth acceleration was driven by the purchase of Faro. Electronic Instruments sales rose by nearly 6% to $4.92 billion, with Electromechanical sales up nearly 9% to $2.48 billion. The company grew operating margins by similar percentages, with net earnings up just over 7% to $1.48 billion. Such earnings growth and minimal share buybacks made GAAP earnings rise some forty-seven cents to $6.42 per share. Adjusted earnings rose by sixty cents to $7.43 per share, with the majority of the reconciliation driven by amortization charges, as these numbers look quite fair. Net debt is reported at $1.82 billion, trailing adju...
Hong Kong authorities have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven flood forecasting and alert system capable of three-dimensional simulations, aimed at enabling more timely pre-emptive measures and emergency responses to flooding. The technology is the latest addition to the existing territory-wide flood risk visualisation system, which was deployed during Super Typhoon Ragasa last year....
Hong Kong authorities have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven flood forecasting and alert system capable of three-dimensional simulations, aimed at enabling more timely pre-emptive measures and emergency responses to flooding. The technology is the latest addition to the existing territory-wide flood risk visualisation system, which was deployed during Super Typhoon Ragasa last year. “This is to foster Hong Kong as a future-facing and climate-resilient city,” Ringo Mok Wing-cheong,...
Growth investor Cathie Wood was surprisingly quiet last week, as the market raced to new highs. She lightened her stake on a pair of positions across her Ark Invest ETFs on Monday. She didn't make any trades on Tuesday or Wednesday. She pared back on a single holding on Thursday. It wasn't until Friday that Wood actually bought something, and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) was one of just two existing pos...
Growth investor Cathie Wood was surprisingly quiet last week, as the market raced to new highs. She lightened her stake on a pair of positions across her Ark Invest ETFs on Monday. She didn't make any trades on Tuesday or Wednesday. She pared back on a single holding on Thursday. It wasn't until Friday that Wood actually bought something, and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) was one of just two existing positions that she added to on the final trading day of last week. With Netflix shares plummeting nearly 10% on an otherwise buoyant trading day, Friday's price action stands out. Many aggressive growth investors prefer to buy stocks on the way up, but Wood doesn't usually behave like a momentum investor. Ark Invest often adds to positions on down days, even though the other stock she bought on Friday was a biotech soaring nearly 30% by the closing bell. Is Wood's contrarian stance on Netflix the right call? Let's take a look at some of the reasons why she could be wrong. I'll follow up with some reasons why investing in Netflix might be a smart thing to do. Continue reading
AST SpaceMobile Inc. shares plunged in early trading on Monday after Blue Origin ’s flagship New Glenn rocket failed to correctly place a payload it was carrying for the Texas-based satellite networking company into its intended orbit. Shares of AST, which is building out a network to deliver connectivity from orbit directly to mobile phones, fell 14% before markets opened in New York. If the loss...
AST SpaceMobile Inc. shares plunged in early trading on Monday after Blue Origin ’s flagship New Glenn rocket failed to correctly place a payload it was carrying for the Texas-based satellite networking company into its intended orbit. Shares of AST, which is building out a network to deliver connectivity from orbit directly to mobile phones, fell 14% before markets opened in New York. If the loss holds, it would mark the biggest intraday drop in more than two months. New Glenn was carrying a BlueBird satellite built by AST, which is seeking to have about 45 satellites in orbit by the end of the year. The company has signed contracts with Jeff Bezos -founded Blue Origin and Elon Musk ’s SpaceX to launch dozens of satellites into orbit. Sunday’s launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida marked the first time Blue Origin’s much-delayed New Glenn rocket reused a booster, and the first stage was recovered after the flight. When AST’s satellite separated from New Glenn’s second stage, it entered an “off-nominal orbit,” or the wrong orbit, Blue Origin said in a post on X. The incorrect placement was “too low to sustain operations” and the satellite will have to be de-orbited — made to burn up in the atmosphere, AST SpaceMobile said in a statement Sunday. “The silver lining is that there was only one satellite on board, whereas future New Glenn launches may have as many as eight of AST’s BlueBirds,” William Blair analyst Bryce Sandberg said in a note, adding that it will be difficult for the company to reach its goal of 45 satellites in orbit this year. The satellite launch attempt was the first of the year for AST, which started 2026 with seven satellites in orbit. Insurance will cover the cost of the lost payload, AST said.
The Strait of Hormuz should remain open, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a phone call with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, China’s state broadcaster said. More to follow...
The Strait of Hormuz should remain open, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a phone call with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, China’s state broadcaster said. More to follow...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I cover quite a few healthcare and healthtech/medtech companies. I like investing in the cheap, qualitative ones that have an appealing market share and a solid moat. Becton, Dickinson ( BDX ) may be such a company, though it's fair to say the market is torn on the issue. Half of the market views the company as a "HOLD" - the other half, mainly Wall Stre...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I cover quite a few healthcare and healthtech/medtech companies. I like investing in the cheap, qualitative ones that have an appealing market share and a solid moat. Becton, Dickinson ( BDX ) may be such a company, though it's fair to say the market is torn on the issue. Half of the market views the company as a "HOLD" - the other half, mainly Wall Street, views it as a buy. Issues specifically seem to be centered around recent results, recent changes to estimates and forecasts for the company, and the way that growth is expected to run as of 2026-2029. This seems to be the catalyst for a significant share price drop that began in February 2026. Now, this is not the first share price drop the company has seen in the last 24 months. Looking at the share price graph, it's fair to say that the company has been through a few significant declines as a result of earnings news. Of course, the main reason for the company's significant share price drop (at least the initial one) is related to the company's spin-off. This is the Waters Corporation , which saw BD's Diagnostics and bioscience segment spun off/merged in February, about 2 months ago at the time of writing this article. It was an RMT - a reverse Morris trust transaction, which I've covered in other articles (specifically on Unilever ( UL )) to create more of a pure-play life science business, leaving BD to focus on its core medtech business. In trying to combine the best of both worlds, BD shareholders were left with just south of a 40% ownership stake in the new business. I have 3 goals in this article. First, establish BD's bona fides by analyzing its current operations and future prospects. Secondly, the merger/spin-off - good idea, or bad, according to me? Third, the company's value and valuation. What's it worth, and at what share price do I believe the company to be a good investment? With that in mind, let's get going. Becton, Dickinson - Attractive fundamentals ...
Robert Way iQIYI Inc. ( IQ ) expects AI to soon generate a significant share of its films and shows from the ground up, a transformative shift that has prompted the Netflix-style ( NFLX ) streaming platform to launch the largest overhaul in its 16-year history. The company plans to convert its video app and website into more of a social media destination that hosts a variety of AI-generated conten...
Robert Way iQIYI Inc. ( IQ ) expects AI to soon generate a significant share of its films and shows from the ground up, a transformative shift that has prompted the Netflix-style ( NFLX ) streaming platform to launch the largest overhaul in its 16-year history. The company plans to convert its video app and website into more of a social media destination that hosts a variety of AI-generated content, founder, and CEO Gong Yu said at iQiyi’s annual content showcase in Beijing, as per Bloomberg . Gong pledged to maintain investment in professionally produced content but said a portion of the company’s capital will be reallocated to bolster iQiyi’s AI services in the short term. That includes a new social-video app executives unveiled Monday, designed to capture the mass-market appeal of OpenAI’s now-defunct Sora video generator. IQiyi also aims to release a commercially successful AI-generated film as soon as this summer. “It’s once in a decade,” Gong told an audience of producers and directors in the capital. “We have to take the tide as it comes.” IQiyi, Alibaba Group Holding ( BABA ), and Tencent Holdings ( TCEHY ) together dominate video streaming in China, though audiences are more fragmented than in the US because of short video formats. More on Netflix, iQIYI Netflix: Why The 9% Dip Is A Gift For Long-Term Investors Netflix: Market Has Completely Misunderstood Its Latest Earnings Netflix: Advertising Could Become A Real Drag On The Business SA Asks: After a post-guidance sell-off, what's next for Netflix? Earnings Scoreboard: 85% of S&P 500 early reporters beat EPS estimates as Y/Y growth hits 25 firms
Two Finnish defense technology providers are putting together plans to go public, looking to tap equity markets as Europe ramps up military spending. Savox Communications Oy AB , a provider of tactical communication systems, and Varjo Technologies Oy , a supplier of virtual reality equipment for military training backed by Nvidia Corp. , have been sounding out investors in preparation for potentia...
Two Finnish defense technology providers are putting together plans to go public, looking to tap equity markets as Europe ramps up military spending. Savox Communications Oy AB , a provider of tactical communication systems, and Varjo Technologies Oy , a supplier of virtual reality equipment for military training backed by Nvidia Corp. , have been sounding out investors in preparation for potential initial public offerings in Helsinki, according to people familiar with the matter. They’re the latest European firms supplying the defense industry to plot a stock market debut, following in the footsteps of companies like Gabler Group AG and Vincorion SE . Savox is working with advisers including Nordea Bank Abp on a stock sale that could raise around €100 million ($118 million), one of the people said. Meanwhile, Varjo has lined up banks including BNP Paribas SA and DNB Carnegie Holding AB to arrange a potentially smaller offering, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. No decisions have been made, and the details of the potential offerings could still change, the people said. Representatives for Savox, Nordea, and BNP Paribas declined to comment, DNB Carnegie did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “As a growing company, we regularly assess possible transactions that could support our growth,” Varjo’s CEO Timo Toikkanen said. “An IPO at some point in the future could be possible to support the realization of our strategy.” Varjo and its owners have not made any decisions regarding a potential offering, he said. Founded in 1982, Espoo, Finland-based Savox makes communication devices used in areas such as defense, law enforcement and fire and rescue. The privately held company also has operations in the US and Singapore and last year signed a memorandum of understanding with Nokia Oyj to explore joint solutions for defense communications. Helsinki-based Varjo was set up a decade ago by former Microsoft Corp. and Nokia e...
primeimages/iStock via Getty Images By Ashok Bhatia, Robert Dishner and Patrick Barbe Among the major central bank meetings next week, the European Central Bank's is the most in focus and consequential—especially if a policy mistake happens. While Kevin Warsh's confirmation hearing this week as the next chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve will be in focus for markets, it is the policy meetings next ...
primeimages/iStock via Getty Images By Ashok Bhatia, Robert Dishner and Patrick Barbe Among the major central bank meetings next week, the European Central Bank's is the most in focus and consequential—especially if a policy mistake happens. While Kevin Warsh's confirmation hearing this week as the next chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve will be in focus for markets, it is the policy meetings next week of five major central banks that should command most of the attention—particularly the European Central Bank's. All five meetings—the Fed, ECB, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, and Bank of Canada—provide an important window into how policymakers are thinking about and prepared to act on the Middle East conflict’s inflationary effects, but the ECB's meeting carries the greatest jeopardy. Unlike its peers, the ECB is haunted by past policy errors, and next week faces a decision where the risk of a policy mistake—hiking too early or too late—carries consequences well beyond its domestic market. Global rate markets could reprice, emerging market local currency debt could come under pressure, and the Fed and other central banks' policy paths could be further complicated by the ECB's decision. Uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz only makes that decision more complex. Hostage to Past Mistakes The ECB is somewhat unique in that its primary mandate is price stability, a hard focus that, on the first signs of the risk of rising inflation, has tended to lead it to raise its policy rates preemptively. It did this mistakenly in the summer of 2008, as the global economy was tipping into freefall, and in 2011, amid the eurozone sovereign debt crisis. More recently, the ECB has made the opposite mistake—surprisingly waiting too long to raise rates in 2022 on rising inflation provoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. No other major central bank, therefore, carries quite the same weight of self-inflicted error into its deliberations, and none is more motivated to avoid...