UK, France Lead 30-Nation Military Push To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz Submitted by Michael Kern of OilPrice.com , The UK is hosting (yesterday and today) a two-day multinational conference convening military planners from more than 30 countries as Britain and France renew efforts to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. The two-day conference takes place just after U.S. President Donald Trump late on Tuesday...
UK, France Lead 30-Nation Military Push To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz Submitted by Michael Kern of OilPrice.com , The UK is hosting (yesterday and today) a two-day multinational conference convening military planners from more than 30 countries as Britain and France renew efforts to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. The two-day conference takes place just after U.S. President Donald Trump late on Tuesday extended the U.S.-Iran ceasefire until negotiations with Iran conclude “one way or the other.” President Trump has also ordered that the U.S. blockade at the Strait of Hormuz remains in place. Hopes of U.S.-Iran negotiations resuming as early as Wednesday were dashed after reports emerged that the trip of U.S. Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan, which hosted the previous round of failed talks, has been put on hold . As of early Wednesday, there were no signs that the talks could resume soon. The U.S. is keeping the naval blockade outside the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has called a “siege” and a violation of the ceasefire. The UK, which early this month hosted the first such meeting , said that this week’s conference is part of the UK and French leadership of a multinational coalition to reopen the Strait. “The sessions will advance military plans to reopen the Strait, as soon as conditions permit, following a sustainable ceasefire agreement,” the UK government said in a statement. “The task, today and tomorrow, is to translate the diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait and support a lasting ceasefire,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey said ahead of the conference. “International trade, energy security and the stability of the global economy depend on freedom of navigation,” the UK official added. “By building on our common purpose, strengthening multinational coordination and planning for effective collective action, we can help reopen the Strait, stabilise the global economy and protect our people.” Tyler Durden Thu, 04/...
undefined China’s market regulator has fined seven major e-commerce platforms a combined 3.6 billion yuan ($527 million) after an investigation found they allowed unverified “ghost takeout” merchants to operate on their networks in violation of the country’s food safety rules. The unprecedented penalties expose a sprawling black market where unlicensed virtual storefronts hijacked consumer orders ...
undefined China’s market regulator has fined seven major e-commerce platforms a combined 3.6 billion yuan ($527 million) after an investigation found they allowed unverified “ghost takeout” merchants to operate on their networks in violation of the country’s food safety rules. The unprecedented penalties expose a sprawling black market where unlicensed virtual storefronts hijacked consumer orders and outsourced food production to the cheapest bidders, underscoring the severe food safety risks fueled by cutthroat competition among e-commerce platforms.
(RTTNews) - Marvell Technology, Inc. (MRVL), a provider of infrastructure semiconductor solutions, announced the acquisition of Polariton Technologies, a developer of plasmonics-based silicon photonics devices, to strengthen its optical technology portfolio.
(RTTNews) - Marvell Technology, Inc. (MRVL), a provider of infrastructure semiconductor solutions, announced the acquisition of Polariton Technologies, a developer of plasmonics-based silicon photonics devices, to strengthen its optical technology portfolio.
The S&P Global France Composite PMI fell to 47.6 in April from 48.8 in March, below market forecasts of 48.6, flash estimates showed. France’s S&P Global Manufacturing PMI rose to 52.8 from 50 in March, defying market expectations of 49.5, according to preliminary estimates. Services PMI in France decreased to 46.50 points in April from 48.80 points last month. More on France U.S. Tariffs: A New T...
The S&P Global France Composite PMI fell to 47.6 in April from 48.8 in March, below market forecasts of 48.6, flash estimates showed. France’s S&P Global Manufacturing PMI rose to 52.8 from 50 in March, defying market expectations of 49.5, according to preliminary estimates. Services PMI in France decreased to 46.50 points in April from 48.80 points last month. More on France U.S. Tariffs: A New Trade War? European equities mixed as geopolitical tensions linger France sees €4B-€6B impact from Iran crisis amid rising yields, finance minister says Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on iShares MSCI France ETF Dividend scorecard for iShares MSCI France ETF
For the new Before the European Bell wrap, click here European stocks fluctuated after a three-day retreat, with traders weighing higher oil prices and conflicting headlines on the Iran ceasefire against positive results from L’Oreal SA and Nestle SA. The Stoxx Europe 600 index was little changed at the close. ASML Holding NV retreated 2.1% , after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said it wi...
For the new Before the European Bell wrap, click here European stocks fluctuated after a three-day retreat, with traders weighing higher oil prices and conflicting headlines on the Iran ceasefire against positive results from L’Oreal SA and Nestle SA. The Stoxx Europe 600 index was little changed at the close. ASML Holding NV retreated 2.1% , after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said it will hold off on deploying the firm’s most cutting-edge lithography machines for chip production through 2029. Concern over the ceasefire between Iran and the US and whether ships will be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz has rattled European traders so far this week. On Thursday, President Donald Trump ordered the US Navy to shoot any boat putting mines in the waterway, indicating that tensions between the two countries are still running high. Meanwhile, business activity in the euro area unexpectedly shrank for the first time since late 2024 due to a steep drop in the services sector. Investors are also tracking results in a busy week for earnings season. “Lack of progress on US-Iran negotiations may bring some reality check to equity markets after a strong rebound,” said Emmanuel Cau , head of European equity strategy at Barclays Plc. “Hard to see much more upside without more decisive progress on peace.” In other stock news, L’Oreal jumped 9% after sales rose on strong demand for haircare and fragrances. Nestle gained 5.9% after reporting resilient sales growth in the first quarter, led by strength in coffee and snacks. Nokia Oyj surged 6.3% as the Finnish mobile network equipment maker posted a profit beat that showed its push into artificial intelligence has started to pay off. Before the European Bell is a new wrap with all you need to know before the market opens, published at 7:30am CET. Click here to subscribe. The Week in Review is a look at everything that happened in European stocks through the week, including earnings, sector moves, macro drivers, policy f...
BJP7images/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Southern Copper ( SCCO ) still attracts attention as one of the strongest copper players in the market. It has many features that investors are hunting for: an integrated business model, large proven reserves, high profitability, and low production costs. On top of that, the company has active long-term development plans. However, a deeper look ...
BJP7images/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Southern Copper ( SCCO ) still attracts attention as one of the strongest copper players in the market. It has many features that investors are hunting for: an integrated business model, large proven reserves, high profitability, and low production costs. On top of that, the company has active long-term development plans. However, a deeper look at valuation reveals a few issues that indicate a stretch rather than a complete rigidity. As a result, my conclusion is more likely to be a Hold than a Buy. Company Overview Southern Copper is not just another “copper stock” but one of the largest integrated copper producers in the world. The company produces copper, molybdenum, zinc, and silver, with its main mining and smelting assets located in Peru and Mexico. This business represents a full production chain : from extracting to a substantial chunk of necessary logistics—it has it all. Southern Copper also makes finished products like cathodes. As a result, the investment case goes far beyond simply the current price of copper and is determined by a much more complex, but also higher-margin, monetization mix. In its annual presentation, the company describes itself as a producer with the largest copper reserves among listed companies: 51.1 million tons of copper reserves, 65.6 million tons of copper resources, and a production forecast of 911 thousand tons for 2026, with a long-term growth target of 1.6 million tons by 2035. Given the inputs, to clear the thing up, a precise and balanced assessment of the company’s economy is required. First of all, we need to focus on unit economics, then the quality of cash conversion, the structure of the product mix, capacity additions (such as Tía María ), and how much of this picture, at first glance, is already reflected in the current market price. Cash conversion is strong but less clean This is precisely what raises concern: the reporting is strong but not entirely unambiguou...
Earnings Call Insights: ServiceNow (NOW) Q1 2026 Management view "There's a lot of noise out there, so let's get straight to the point." (Chairman & CEO William McDermott) Management positioned ServiceNow as "the AI control tower for business reinvention" and cited "a $28 billion RPO business that's growing at 23.5% year-over-year," alongside "16 deals greater than $5 million in NNACV and 5 deals ...
Earnings Call Insights: ServiceNow (NOW) Q1 2026 Management view "There's a lot of noise out there, so let's get straight to the point." (Chairman & CEO William McDermott) Management positioned ServiceNow as "the AI control tower for business reinvention" and cited "a $28 billion RPO business that's growing at 23.5% year-over-year," alongside "16 deals greater than $5 million in NNACV and 5 deals greater than $10 million in NNACV." (Chairman & CEO McDermott) McDermott said the Armis acquisition "closed earlier than expected," and described a combined security stack: "Armis asset visibility plus Veza's identity governance plus ServiceNow's business context, CMDB equals a unified end-to-end security stack." (Chairman & CEO McDermott) "Q1 subscription revenues were $3.671 billion, growing 19% year-over-year in constant currency." (President & CFO Gina Mastantuono) She added that results included "about a 75 basis point headwind from delayed closings of several large on-premise deals in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict in the region." (President & CFO Mastantuono) "AI Control Tower also continues to build momentum with average deal sizes more than doubling quarter-over-quarter in Q1." (President & CFO Mastantuono) She also highlighted capital return: "In Q1, we executed a $2 billion accelerated share repurchase and bought back approximately 20.2 million shares." (President & CFO Mastantuono) Outlook Management raised full-year subscription revenue guidance: "for 2026, we are raising our subscription revenues by $205 million at the midpoint to $15.735 billion to $15.775 billion." (President & CFO Mastantuono) Profitability and cash flow guidance incorporated Armis integration: "We now expect subscription gross margin of 81.5% and operating margin of 31.5%" and "We expect free cash flow margin of 35%." (President & CFO Mastantuono) Q2 guidance: "subscription revenues between $3.815 billion and $3.820 billion" and "cRPO growth of 19.5% on a constant currency bas...
The TPU 8t and TPU 8i, Google’s eighth-generation chips, will be available later this year. Nvidia shares fell 0.1% in after-hours trading after closing up 1.3% during Wednesday’s session. Although Google’s TPUs have posed the biggest challenge to Nvidia’s AI processor dominance so far, the rivalry is still a largely amicable one.
The TPU 8t and TPU 8i, Google’s eighth-generation chips, will be available later this year. Nvidia shares fell 0.1% in after-hours trading after closing up 1.3% during Wednesday’s session. Although Google’s TPUs have posed the biggest challenge to Nvidia’s AI processor dominance so far, the rivalry is still a largely amicable one.
ValentynVolkov/iStock via Getty Images Introduction I have written about Apple Hospitality REIT ( APLE ) several times previously, though my last article came in 2023 . With the company’s Q1 2026 results due early next month , I figure now would be a good time to evaluate the company. The Business Apple Hospitality REIT has a portfolio of 217 hotels, comprising 29,583 rooms across 37 markets. The ...
ValentynVolkov/iStock via Getty Images Introduction I have written about Apple Hospitality REIT ( APLE ) several times previously, though my last article came in 2023 . With the company’s Q1 2026 results due early next month , I figure now would be a good time to evaluate the company. The Business Apple Hospitality REIT has a portfolio of 217 hotels, comprising 29,583 rooms across 37 markets. The portfolio focuses on upscale, rooms-focused properties affiliated with prominent brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt. These rooms-focused properties consistently generate high margins compared to full-service properties due to leaner operational structures. The company’s portfolio spans various markets, ensuring broad exposure across multiple demand drivers, thereby reducing dependence on any single segment. APLE Feb. '26 Investor Presentation An Exceptional Balance Sheet One of the key strengths of the company lies in its balance sheet. As of 31 December 2025, the company’s net debt to EBITDA stood at just 3.4x, the second-lowest ratio among its peers. It stands behind only Host Hotels and Resorts ( HST ), which has the distinction of being the only investment-grade credit-rated REIT in the hospitality industry. In terms of liquidity, the company has $595 million in total liquidity, comprising both its cash and cash equivalents on hand and its revolving credit facility. It also has additional liquidity in the form of its properties, which are mostly unencumbered (207 of 217 properties). The company has a total outstanding debt of approximately $1.5 billion, at a weighted average interest rate of 4.7%. Its debt is fairly spread out over the next few years. While a $130 million term loan and revolving credit facility mature later this year, both are extendable by up to one year should the company wish to do so. With significant liquidity available to it and a well-balanced maturity schedule, the company is able to limit near-term refinancing risk. Apart from that, the...