Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed display their copies of signed agreements as they participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and some of its Middle East neighbors, in a strategic realignment of Middle Eastern countries against Iran, on the...
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed display their copies of signed agreements as they participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and some of its Middle East neighbors, in a strategic realignment of Middle Eastern countries against Iran, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., September 15, 2020. Tom Brenner | Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has asked countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey to join the Abraham Accords en masse to normalize relations with Israel as part of an agreement with Iran. Trump said he spoke on Saturday to leaders of those countries, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have already signed the accords, a set of agreements to normalize relations with Israel. "I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He cited "all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together." Trump said those countries would be honored to have Iran as part of the accords once a deal to end the war is reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's post. Trump said one or two of the countries he spoke with may have a reason for not joining but most should be "ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be." Trump also said negotiations with Iran were "proceeding nicely" but gave no indication a deal was imminent. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to expand the accords that he brokered durin...
Key Takeaways Taiwan Semiconductor stands as the dominant manufacturer of cutting-edge processors, producing chips for artificial intelligence accelerators, mobile devices, and high-performance computing systems The foundry giant anticipates approximately 30% revenue expansion in 2026, with AI accelerator sales representing a high-teens proportion of 2025 total revenue ASML produces the essential ...
Key Takeaways Taiwan Semiconductor stands as the dominant manufacturer of cutting-edge processors, producing chips for artificial intelligence accelerators, mobile devices, and high-performance computing systems The foundry giant anticipates approximately 30% revenue expansion in 2026, with AI accelerator sales representing a high-teens proportion of 2025 total revenue ASML produces the essential lithography equipment semiconductor manufacturers require for advanced chip fabrication, delivering €8.8 billion in first-quarter 2026 net sales The Dutch equipment maker upgraded its 2026 revenue projection to €36–€40 billion range with anticipated gross margins between 51–53% Taiwan Semiconductor provides immediate exposure to AI processor manufacturing; ASML delivers wider, less direct participation across the entire chip sector Taiwan Semiconductor produces the planet’s most sophisticated processors. ASML manufactures the equipment that enables their fabrication. These two corporations occupy pivotal positions in the artificial intelligence chip expansion, yet they represent distinctly different investment propositions. Taiwan Semiconductor: Immediate AI Processor Market Access TSMC operates as the manufacturing partner for AI accelerators designed by the industry’s largest chip architects. The corporation projects 2026 revenue expansion approaching 30% measured in U.S. currency. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, TSM Artificial intelligence accelerators represented a high-teens percentage of Taiwan Semiconductor’s complete 2025 revenue. This category encompasses AI graphics processing units, application-specific integrated circuits, and high-bandwidth memory controllers deployed in data center environments. During its first-quarter 2025 financial results presentation, Taiwan Semiconductor indicated that AI accelerator revenue would likely double throughout 2025. This expansion stems from diverse customers and processor varieties, not merely a single pr...
A trim caravan sits in an idyllic garden in the grounds of a former gatehouse. Its cosy interior is decked with a cornucopia of crafts: pastel-coloured bunting, felt embroidery, a bright rag rug, plumply immaculate cushions. On the sideboard is a small display of pristine china. It feels like a glamping retreat or a chi-chi refuge from the Chelsea flower show. But look more closely at the china, a...
A trim caravan sits in an idyllic garden in the grounds of a former gatehouse. Its cosy interior is decked with a cornucopia of crafts: pastel-coloured bunting, felt embroidery, a bright rag rug, plumply immaculate cushions. On the sideboard is a small display of pristine china. It feels like a glamping retreat or a chi-chi refuge from the Chelsea flower show. But look more closely at the china, and you’ll see that it’s decorated with Sun newspaper headlines venomously fulminating against Gypsy and Traveller encampments. “STAMP ON THE CAMPS” screams one. Another depicts a blazing caravan from the infamous 2011 Dale Farm eviction, which ended a 10-year standoff between Basildon council and Traveller families, who had bought a former scrap yard on green belt land and set up their caravans on it. It all forms part of Criminal: An Untold Story of Homelessness, Resistance and Survival, a compact yet punchy assemblage of installations, collaborations and infographics that hits you in the gut like a nimble flyweight boxer. Set largely alfresco in the garden of London’s Museum of Homelessness, it explores how homeless people and nomadic communities have been criminalised and marginalised over the last 400 years. View image in fullscreen Better solutions … inside the Museum of Homelessness. Photograph: Lydia Lange The festive bunting here is delicately printed with extracts of state proscriptions relating to nomadic communities, beginning with the Egyptians Act of 1530 (Romany people, who originally migrated from the Indian subcontinent, were mistaken for “Egyptians”, the etymological origin of the word “Gypsy”) and ending with the 2022 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which strengthened police powers to deal with public order and trespass offences regarding “unauthorised” encampments. Hand-stitched felt embroidery extends the theme, with charming naïf tableaux of caravans through the ages. There are cushions spelling out “Home Sweet Home”, overlaid with yet more fe...
The artificial intelligence boom has kicked off one of the largest infrastructure races since the early internet era. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) GPUs are selling faster than they can be packaged. High-bandwidth memory has become scarce enough that companies like Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) and SK hynix are effectively sold out months in advance. Utilities from Virginia to ... IREN’s CEO Just Said 11 W...
The artificial intelligence boom has kicked off one of the largest infrastructure races since the early internet era. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) GPUs are selling faster than they can be packaged. High-bandwidth memory has become scarce enough that companies like Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) and SK hynix are effectively sold out months in advance. Utilities from Virginia to ... IREN’s CEO Just Said 11 Words that Delivered the AI Boom a Brutal Reality Check
Apple has begun imposing ID checks on UK iPhone users - Abdul Saboor/Reuters Meta has urged Labour to enforce age verification checks directly on iPhone and Android smartphones amid a possible UK ban on child users. Executives from the US tech giant have met with senior government officials and Ofcom in recent days to lay out its approach to child safety as it braces for the results of a consultat...
Apple has begun imposing ID checks on UK iPhone users - Abdul Saboor/Reuters Meta has urged Labour to enforce age verification checks directly on iPhone and Android smartphones amid a possible UK ban on child users. Executives from the US tech giant have met with senior government officials and Ofcom in recent days to lay out its approach to child safety as it braces for the results of a consultation that could ban under-16s from social media. During the meeting, Meta executives, including Antigone Davis, global head of safety, are understood to have argued that any age checks should be handled on a smartphone operating system rather than by the likes of Meta. Under the proposal, these could then provide a signal that can be double-checked by Meta’s apps, Instagram and Facebook, using its own verification systems. Major technology companies are expected to submit formal responses to the consultation on whether children should be allowed on social media, which closes on Tuesday. So far, it has received 70,000 responses. The technology industry has long argued that ID-checking apps create potential privacy risks. There have also been concerns from tech giants that Australia’s social media ban for under-16s has pushed teenagers onto unregulated services with fewer checks. Kanishka Narayan, the online safety minister, is this week planning to travel to Australia for talks with counterparts about the effectiveness of its ban on under-16s. Facebook has previously insisted that having an age gate built into Apple or Google’s smartphone operating system would allow more effective checks that could be applied across a range of potentially unsuitable apps, rather than just on a handful of big tech giants. Meta has introduced “teen accounts” on its apps intended to place under-18s into age-appropriate experiences. In a blog post earlier this month, Meta said imposing age checks directly on to smartphones or at an app store level would be a “simpler policy approach” and argued ...
The Greenbrier Companies GBX is facing significant challenges that are impacting its financial stability. Weak liquidity and challenging macro-economic scenarios are major headwinds hurting the company’s prospects, making it an unattractive choice for investors’ portfolios. Let’s delve deeper GBX: Key Risks to Watch Southward Earnings Estimate Revision: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026...
The Greenbrier Companies GBX is facing significant challenges that are impacting its financial stability. Weak liquidity and challenging macro-economic scenarios are major headwinds hurting the company’s prospects, making it an unattractive choice for investors’ portfolios. Let’s delve deeper GBX: Key Risks to Watch Southward Earnings Estimate Revision: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings has been revised 27.3% downward over the past 60 days. For fiscal 2027, the consensus mark for earnings has been revised 13.6% downward over the same time frame. The unfavorable estimate revision indicates brokers’ lack of confidence in the stock. Dim Price Performance: The company’s price trend reveals that its shares have declined 17.6% over the past three months, underperforming the Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry’s 6.5% fall and the S&P 500’s 8.9% increase. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Weak Zacks Rank: GBX currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Bearish Industry Rank: The industry to which Greenbrier belongs currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 211 (out of 243). Such an unfavorable rank places it in the bottom 13% of Zacks Industries. Studies show that 50% of a stock’s price movement is directly related to the performance of the industry group to which it belongs. A mediocre stock within a strong group is likely to outperform a robust stock in a weak industry. Hence, reckoning the industry’s performance becomes imperative. Headwinds: GBX is being pressured by mounting liquidity concerns, as the company’s current ratio declined sharply from 2.34 in fiscal 2024 to 0.66 in fiscal 2025. Although a slight improvement to 0.71 was recorded by the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2026, the ratio remained below the critical threshold of 1. A current ratio below 1 is generally considered undesirable, as it indicates that the company is not holding sufficient cash to meet its short-term obligations. The company is also being affected ...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images Power demand in the U.S. is surging, and so are the related infrastructure investment needs. In this environment, companies making up the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLU ) will be able to redeploy more capital and grow their earnings faster than historically. Regulated utilities is one of the most effective ways to gain exposure to two powerful...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images Power demand in the U.S. is surging, and so are the related infrastructure investment needs. In this environment, companies making up the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLU ) will be able to redeploy more capital and grow their earnings faster than historically. Regulated utilities is one of the most effective ways to gain exposure to two powerful, long-term trends: rapid data center expansion and industrial reshoring. On top of this, increasing partnerships with private equity positions utilities to generate developer/operator premiums and churn their capital faster. This will enable the utilities to grow their earnings faster than historically. Despite the short-term inflation-related risks, I am bullish on the sector and see it as a longer-term strategic bet. Power Demand And Investment Needs Are Surging The US power sector is expected to require substantial and sustained capital investments over the next two to three decades to fund rising electricity needs. Investments could total $1.4 trillion from 2025 to 2030. After decades of relatively stable electricity demand, the United States is now experiencing a surge in power consumption due to electrification, artificial intelligence–driven data center expansion, and a resurgence in industrial reshoring of manufacturing. Deloitte estimates data centers will require 44 gigawatts (GW) of additional power by 2030. Electric vehicles, the adoption of electric heat pumps for heating and cooling, and the electrification of industrial processes could contribute to further growth, potentially adding up to 20 GW of demand. According to S&P Global Outlook, electricity demand across the US is expected to grow between 1.9% and 2.7% per year from 2024 to 2034. Power demand growth projection (U.S. National Power Demand Study) To meet this surging demand, a lot of new power generation capacity as well as transmission and distribution infrastructure will have to be added. Renewable...
IREN Limited IREN and Cipher Digital Inc. CIFR are key players in the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure market that offer next-generation data center infrastructure targeting high-performance computing (HPC), AI workloads and scalable computing. IREN Limited is one of the world’s largest and lowest-cost bitcoin miners that operate next-generation data centers using renewable energy, whil...
IREN Limited IREN and Cipher Digital Inc. CIFR are key players in the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure market that offer next-generation data center infrastructure targeting high-performance computing (HPC), AI workloads and scalable computing. IREN Limited is one of the world’s largest and lowest-cost bitcoin miners that operate next-generation data centers using renewable energy, while Cipher Digital focuses on HPC data centers designed for AI workloads. Currently, IREN and CIFR have an opportunity to capitalize on the emerging AI space as the need for AI compute infrastructure is witnessing a CAGR of 23.8%, per a report by MarketsAndMarkets. With this strong industry growth forecast, the question remains: Which stock has more upside potential? Let’s break down their fundamentals, growth prospects, market challenges and valuation to determine which offers a more compelling investment case. The Case for IREN Stock IREN’s recent financial results reflect its ongoing shift toward AI cloud services. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, AI Cloud Services revenues were $33.6 million compared with $17.3 million in the previous quarter, reflecting sequential growth of 94.2%. Here, strong AI infrastructure demand and rising contracted capacity are expected to continue supporting growth in IREN's AI cloud business. IREN’s recent partnership with NVIDIA to strengthen its AI cloud business is a key positive. The company signed a $3.4 billion, five-year AI cloud contract with NVIDIA to deploy Blackwell GPUs across 60 megawatts of air-cooled capacity at its Childress campus in Texas. The above-mentioned contract should contribute around $700 million in annual recurring revenues (ARR) and support future growth in AI cloud revenues. However, IREN is seeing near-term pressure on revenues as it moves away from Bitcoin mining and focuses more on AI cloud services. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, total revenues fell 21.6% from the previous quarter. Management said tha...
Divers who helped in the dramatic rescue of a young Thai football team in 2018 have joined efforts to free seven people who have been trapped for five days inside a remote, flooded cave in central Laos. The group entered the cave in Xaysomboun province on Wednesday to hunt for wildlife and search for gold, reports suggest. Heavy rain led to landslides, which blocked the cave entrance. Laos’s commu...
Divers who helped in the dramatic rescue of a young Thai football team in 2018 have joined efforts to free seven people who have been trapped for five days inside a remote, flooded cave in central Laos. The group entered the cave in Xaysomboun province on Wednesday to hunt for wildlife and search for gold, reports suggest. Heavy rain led to landslides, which blocked the cave entrance. Laos’s communist government, which tightly controls the country’s media, could not be reached for comment. Footage released by Thai volunteer rescue groups who have travelled to the site showed personnel crawling and climbing through dark, narrow passageways, parts of which were almost completely inundated with muddy waters. Rescuers said a tunnel leading into the cave was only 60cm tall. Experts outside the cave were focused on pumping water out of the passageways, while those inside were fitting rope for rescuers to follow, said Kengkard Bongkawong, the head of operations for Metta Tham Rescue, a Thai rescue group. “The route is not complicated but the problem is the space. It’s so narrow that we have to crawl and tilt to pass through; also the rocks are really sharp,” Kengkard said. 1:20 Rescue team enters flooded cave in Laos in effort to free seven people – video He said rescuers had not received any signs of life but he believed the men were still alive, as a survivor who managed to escape had informed them of a location deeper inside the cave that was above water level. “I’m confident that they are still alive because there is still air in the cave,” said Kengkard, who was part of the diving team in the Tham Luang cave rescue, when 12 young footballers and their coach were brought to safety after more than two weeks in a flooded cave in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. Rescuers managed to reach a location 40 metres away from the area where they suspected the group may be sheltering but were unable to continue on Sunday night as persistent rains had brought sediment into the passa...
hyejin kang/iStock via Getty Images 3-Year Morningstar Rating™ **** **** Class A Institutional Class Click to enlarge The Morningstar Rating is for the indicated share classes only as of 03/31/26; other classes may have different performance characteristics. The Morningstar ratings for the overall, three-, five- and ten-year periods for Class A shares are 3 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars and 3 stars and ...
hyejin kang/iStock via Getty Images 3-Year Morningstar Rating™ **** **** Class A Institutional Class Click to enlarge The Morningstar Rating is for the indicated share classes only as of 03/31/26; other classes may have different performance characteristics. The Morningstar ratings for the overall, three-, five- and ten-year periods for Class A shares are 3 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars and 3 stars and for Institutional Class shares are 3 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars and 3 stars among 1212, 1212, 1122 and 886 Large Blend funds, respectively, and are based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure. U.S. equities transition into normalization despite geopolitical and energy risks. Fund strategy Philosophy based on belief that investment opportunities can be found where the market displays an inordinate amount of pessimism Uses a large investment universe with an aim to capitalize on out-of-favor stocks Adds insight from quantitative and fundamental research teams Expense ratio Share class No waiver (gross) With waiver (net) Institutional 0.73% 0.73% A 0.98% 0.98% Click to enlarge From the fund's most recent prospectus. Net expense ratio reflects a contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement through 12/31/2026, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the fund's board. Fund performance Institutional Class shares of Columbia Contrarian Core Fund returned -5.63% (net of fees) during the first quarter, underperforming the fund's benchmark, the Russell 1000 Index, which returned -4.18% for the same period. U.S. equities declined during the first quarter, as a late-period geopolitical shock and higher interest rates pressured growth stocks, despite resilience in value sectors. Fund performance is available online at Financial Professionals | Columbia Threadneedle Investments US . Market overview U.S. equities posted a loss during the first quarter, as gauged by the -4.18% return of the Russell 1000 Index. Stocks initially moved sideways in a range through January and Fe...
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. IFF is well-positioned to benefit from demand for a variety of consumer products containing flavors and fragrances going forward. Its disciplined approach to capital allocation is expected to drive growth in the upcoming years. The company is simplifying its portfolio, including the completed soy business divestiture and an active Food Ingredients sale proce...
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. IFF is well-positioned to benefit from demand for a variety of consumer products containing flavors and fragrances going forward. Its disciplined approach to capital allocation is expected to drive growth in the upcoming years. The company is simplifying its portfolio, including the completed soy business divestiture and an active Food Ingredients sale process, which could support deleveraging and focus investment on core businesses in the upcoming years. What Aids IFF’s Stock? Demand for Flavors & Fragrances: International Flavors is well-positioned to benefit from demand for a variety of consumer products containing flavors and fragrances going forward. Anticipated growth in emerging markets will likely be a key catalyst. Moreover, International Flavors is focused on gaining share in emerging markets. Backed by the company’s global presence, diversified business platform, broad product portfolio, and global and regional customer base, it will be able to capitalize on the expansion in flavors and fragrances markets. This is expected to help the company deliver long-term growth. Its focus on driving greater efficiencies throughout the business through costs and productivity initiatives, margin improvement and acquisition-related synergies continues to drive profits. Strategic Portfolio Actions: To drive growth, the company plans to step up its investment in high-return businesses such as Flavors, Fragrances, Health, Cultures & Food Enzymes. In May 2025, International Flavors completed the divestiture of its Pharma Solutions business unit to Roquette and its nitrocellulose business to Czechoslovak Group. At the beginning of the first quarter of 2025, the company separated its Nourish segment into the Taste and Food Ingredients segments as a part of a broader strategy to reorganize businesses around end markets. Portfolio actions remained a key part of the company’s first-quarter narrative. In March 2026, it completed the sale o...
The Czech Republic’s prime minister urged the central bank to cut interest rates, doubling down on his push for lower borrowing costs even as the country faces growing inflation risks from energy prices. “I’m calling on the governor, again, to lower rates, to lower the main rate,” premier Andrej Babis told a televised briefing after a cabinet meeting in Prague on Monday. His words come after the C...
The Czech Republic’s prime minister urged the central bank to cut interest rates, doubling down on his push for lower borrowing costs even as the country faces growing inflation risks from energy prices. “I’m calling on the governor, again, to lower rates, to lower the main rate,” premier Andrej Babis told a televised briefing after a cabinet meeting in Prague on Monday. His words come after the Czech National Bank left the benchmark at 3.5% this month. The bank’s head said policy setting was still “moderately restrictive” and that the next decision will be whether to raise rates or keep them stable. While central bankers said they won’t react to the primary impact of higher energy prices, Governor Ales Michl has pledged to do everything necessary to preserve low inflation, even if keeping rates higher for longer weighs on economic growth. But Babis, a chemicals and agriculture tycoon who returned to power last year, said there’s no reason for Czech citizens and businesses to pay higher rates than in the euro area. Securing more affordable housing through cheaper mortgages was one of his key campaign promises. A central bank spokesman said the institution doesn’t comment on statements made by politicians. Policymakers had been discussing potential rate cuts before the war in Iran erupted, but surging oil prices have dampened such considerations. An April central bank survey showed that most economists expected no rate change within one year. Still, investors started betting on monetary tightening after the Middle East conflict began and forward rate agreements now indicate expectations of more than 75 basis points of rate hikes over the next 12 months. Read More: Czech Central Bank Chief Ready to Hike If Core Price Risks Grow
Key Points The firm sold 1,067,297 shares of Telephone and Data Systems. The fund no longer holds any shares. The position represented 4.0% of the fund's AUM as of the prior quarter. 10 stocks we like better than Telephone And Data Systems › On May 15, Diameter Capital Partners LP reported in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it sold out of Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:...
Key Points The firm sold 1,067,297 shares of Telephone and Data Systems. The fund no longer holds any shares. The position represented 4.0% of the fund's AUM as of the prior quarter. 10 stocks we like better than Telephone And Data Systems › On May 15, Diameter Capital Partners LP reported in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it sold out of Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS), disposing of 1,067,297 shares. Sold 1,067,297 shares of Telephone and Data Systems; Post-trade, the fund holds zero shares The position was previously 4.0% of fund AUM as of the prior quarter What else to know Top holdings after the filing: NYSE: SPY (put): $325.2 million (30.4%) NASDAQ: SATS: $172.2 million (16.1% of AUM) NYSEMKT: IVM (put): $99.2 million (9.3% of AUM) NASDAQ: UNIT: $53.3 million (5% of AUM) NASDAQ: NBIS (1.25% cv bond): $38.5 million (3.6% of AUM) Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $2.1 billion Net income (TTM) $338.6 million) Dividend yield 0.4% Price (as of market close May 22) $39.30 Company snapshot Telephone and Data Systems is a diversified telecommunications provider with a national presence, operating through both wireless and wireline business units. Its strategy focuses on delivering reliable communications infrastructure and value-added services to sustain competitive positioning in the U.S. market. Provides wireless solutions, IoT connectivity, broadband, cloud TV, and voice services through the UScellular and TDS Telecom segments. Generates revenue primarily from wireless subscriptions, broadband and cable connections, and related device and service sales to consumers, businesses, and government clients. What this transaction means for investors The share sale represents a significant sale for Diameter Capital since the $43.4 million stake was the firm’s fifth-largest holding as of Dec. 31. Diameter’s current reportable portfolio, which includes equities, call and put options, and convertible bonds, totaled $1.1 billion as of M...
SGAPhoto/E+ via Getty Images Introduction Back when I first covered McCormick & Company ( MKC ), I called them “A Dividend Aristocrat Priced For Perfection,” rating them a Hold as the valuation left little margin of safety despite the macro uncertainty. With the stock now down nearly 30% since then to decade-lows after the Iran conflict began and the major deal being announced, I’m upgrading MKC t...
SGAPhoto/E+ via Getty Images Introduction Back when I first covered McCormick & Company ( MKC ), I called them “A Dividend Aristocrat Priced For Perfection,” rating them a Hold as the valuation left little margin of safety despite the macro uncertainty. With the stock now down nearly 30% since then to decade-lows after the Iran conflict began and the major deal being announced, I’m upgrading MKC to Buy, as the valuation now implies a much more attractive risk-reward potential, with solid re-rating potential in the long term as synergies and macro improvements unfold. Solid Start to 2026 McCormick & Company IR MKC’s Q1 report was solid overall, posting a double beat on EPS and revenue compared to the market's expectations , with a strong 16.7% YoY increase in revenue thanks to the additional 25% stake purchased in McCormick de Mexico (now owning 75%) that I highlighted previously, while still reaching a decent organic increase of 1.2%, with the 1.9% increase in price offsetting the 0.7% decline in volume. McCormick & Company IR As for the outlook, MKC now expects net sales to grow between 12% and 16% (constant currency) when including the acquisition effects or 1% to 3% organically, with Adjusted EPS growth of 1% to 4%, which is overall similar to the broader food or consumer-related industries. They also expect to mitigate the 6% impact of tariffs on their Adjusted EPS, continuing to focus on their long-term growth plans while navigating the uncertain macro landscape. McCormick & Company IR Financially, based on MKC’s latest report , we continue to see that the current assets aren't covering their current liabilities given the business model and timing of payables and receivables, with very little cash available but overall manageable long-term debt, while the recent $500 million notes issued (due in February 2029) come at a cost of only 4.15%, which is great and serves as a testament to their perceived quality, although it’s very important to note that these were u...
Key Points Ackman completely disposed of Alphabet, which Pershing Square had held since 2023. By contrast, the tech giant has become Berkshire's fifth-largest marketable equity position. Alphabet is showing strong, AI-fueled momentum across multiple business segments. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Bill Ackman is one of the most followed investment managers in the market today, and for g...
Key Points Ackman completely disposed of Alphabet, which Pershing Square had held since 2023. By contrast, the tech giant has become Berkshire's fifth-largest marketable equity position. Alphabet is showing strong, AI-fueled momentum across multiple business segments. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Bill Ackman is one of the most followed investment managers in the market today, and for good reason. His Pershing Square Holdings fund has produced annualized returns of 14.9% from its founding in 2004 through 2025 based on its stock price, handily beating the S&P 500 in that time. Meanwhile, Greg Abel is better known for his managerial acumen than for his investing chops. Nonetheless, he's now in charge of Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) massive $330 billion equity portfolio (with an extra $380 billion in cash on the sidelines). Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » The two found themselves on opposite sides of a trade last quarter. While Abel was adding to Berkshire's position in Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Ackman was selling the shares he'd held since 2023. Ackman completed selling all of Pershing Square's Alphabet shares in April; meanwhile, the stock is suddenly Berkshire's fifth-largest position, representing a significant bet from Abel. Which investment manager should readers follow? The full-stack artificial intelligence company Alphabet has long been a leading innovator in artificial intelligence (AI), and it now finds itself in a position where it's monetizing those efforts across multiple layers of the AI value chain. Its Google Cloud business rents compute capacity to developers, providing access to AI services that enable developers to build on top of foundation large language models. It sells access to popular AI accelerator chips, including...
Guinea , the world’s biggest bauxite producer, plans to announce reforms next month to control exports of the ore used in making aluminum as it bids to bolster prices. Bauxite shipments from Guinea, which accounts for more than a third of global production, surged by a quarter to 183 million tons in 2025, before growth accelerated further during the first three months of this year. That contribute...
Guinea , the world’s biggest bauxite producer, plans to announce reforms next month to control exports of the ore used in making aluminum as it bids to bolster prices. Bauxite shipments from Guinea, which accounts for more than a third of global production, surged by a quarter to 183 million tons in 2025, before growth accelerated further during the first three months of this year. That contributed to a market downturn, according to the West African nation’s Mines and Geology Minister Bouna Sylla, with prices slumping by almost a half from a peak early last year. “Supply mustn’t exceed demand,” Sylla told Bloomberg News in an interview. “We want to regulate the quantity to raise prices back to reasonable levels.” Bauxite is the raw material used to make alumina, which is then processed further into aluminum. Most of Guinea’s bauxite output is shipped to China. The government expects to finalize the new policy, first flagged a few months ago, in June, the minister said. Mining investors “have an interest in seeing prices rise,” Sylla added. Read more: World’s Top Bauxite Producer Guinea Seeks to Control Prices Guinea’s initiative follows moves by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe to restrict exports of cobalt and lithium, respectively, which are mainly shipped to China’s dominant battery industry. Like those countries, Guinea is also trying to boost investment in local processing plants to capture more value from its natural resources. Read more: Battery Metal Curbs Sting Chinese Miners Who Spent Big in Africa Guinea is pushing miners to build refineries capable of producing alumina, with three facilities already at the planning stage or under construction to add to the country’s single existing plant. China’s State Power Investment Corp. , Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. and a consortium headed by Singapore-registered Winning International Group are developing those refineries, which will process some of the bauxite produced at their operations in the count...