Tony Pulis explains why getting to Wembley is not just special for any manager, it is still hugely important for players, fans and all the staff at any club.
Tony Pulis explains why getting to Wembley is not just special for any manager, it is still hugely important for players, fans and all the staff at any club.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Pakistan’s capital on Friday night for a possible second round of peace talks with the US, according to officials in Islamabad familiar with the matter. A US logistics and security team is already in Islamabad to prepare for the talks, the officials said in a message to reporters, asking not to be identified because the discussions a...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Pakistan’s capital on Friday night for a possible second round of peace talks with the US, according to officials in Islamabad familiar with the matter. A US logistics and security team is already in Islamabad to prepare for the talks, the officials said in a message to reporters, asking not to be identified because the discussions aren’t public. A second round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad is expected, the officials said, without saying when the negotiations would take place. The US and Iran were set to hold peace talks in the Pakistani capital earlier this week. President Donald Trump canceled plans to send Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad on Tuesday after extending a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely. A US Embassy spokesman in Islamabad declined to comment, while the Iranian Embassy didn’t immediately respond.
In this article AAPL GOOGL META Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT US President Donald Trump during a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered a stark warning to the U.K., threatening to impose steep tariffs on the country unles...
In this article AAPL GOOGL META Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT US President Donald Trump during a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered a stark warning to the U.K., threatening to impose steep tariffs on the country unless it drops its digital services tax on U.S. tech companies. The tax, which was first introduced in 2020, is a 2% levy on the revenues of search engines, social media services and online marketplaces that derive value from U.K. users. This includes several U.S. companies like Alphabet 's Google, Meta and Apple . Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump criticized those he said were seeking to make an "easy buck" by targeting American companies. "We have been looking at it, and we can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the U.K., so they better be careful," Trump said. "If they don't drop the tax, we'll probably put a big tariff on the U.K.," he added, without providing a specific figure. CNBC has contacted the U.K.'s Department for Business and Trade and is awaiting a response. Britain's ruling Labor government has previously defended the tax, which it sees as an important fiscal measure given it raised revenues of around £800 million ($1.08 billion) in the 2024-2025 financial year. The measure went unchanged when the U.S. and U.K. agreed to a trade deal in May last year, although Trump told Sky News earlier in the month that the terms of the agreement " can always be changed ." Trump's comments follow a series of publicly critical remarks about U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in recent weeks, reviving trans-Atlantic trade tensions ahead of a four-day U.S. state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The king and queen are scheduled to travel to the U.S. on Monday and are expected to meet Trump at the White House. Choose CNBC as your preferre...
VV Shots/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Tesla ( TSLA ) ( TSLA:CA ) is such a polarizing stock, and its Q1 earnings report reminded us why. The earnings results showed that the company is making progress with its ambitious goals, which the bulls will point to. However, that progress is happening more slowly than the market wants it to. Also, the immediate results look good this quarter, but that...
VV Shots/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Tesla ( TSLA ) ( TSLA:CA ) is such a polarizing stock, and its Q1 earnings report reminded us why. The earnings results showed that the company is making progress with its ambitious goals, which the bulls will point to. However, that progress is happening more slowly than the market wants it to. Also, the immediate results look good this quarter, but that doesn't mean the rest of the year will look rosy. Tesla hit investors with its CapEx forecast of $25 billion for this year. That's already higher than last quarter's forecast of over $20 billion. Not only that, but FCF is expected to be negative this year. On one side, you'll have people saying a $1.4T market cap company that expects negative free cash flow is ridiculous. And you'll hear the usual high P/E ratio argument. On the other side, the bull case is strong. Tesla truly does have lots of upside potential if things go right. But that's a big "if." Right now, the market isn't super excited to wait and find out, sending shares 3.56% lower. I'm not waiting either. I last wrote about Tesla on January 29 after its Q4 results, and my conclusion stated the following: Tesla is in an awkward spot right now. Its short-term financials are suffering. Meanwhile, its long-term projects are trending in the right direction, which can hold the stock up, but it's just a bit too early to come to any conclusions with confidence. Now, we're left with a high-priced stock where the future is still uncertain and where the post-earnings price action is underwhelming. My opinion is pretty much the same now. Shares have fallen 12% since my last piece. With the expectation of negative FCF this year, robotaxi and Optimus rollouts that are taking too long to play out, and an unexciting core business, I remain on the sidelines with a Hold rating. Tesla's Q1 Results Revenue grew 15.8% year-over-year to $22.387 billion, ahead of the $22.2 billion consensus, and adjusted EPS of $0.41 grew 52% and bea...
VV Shots/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Tesla ( TSLA ) ( TSLA:CA ) is such a polarizing stock, and its Q1 earnings report reminded us why. The earnings results showed that the company is making progress with its ambitious goals, which the bulls will point to. However, that progress is happening more slowly than the market wants it to. Also, the immediate results look good this quarter, but that...
VV Shots/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Tesla ( TSLA ) ( TSLA:CA ) is such a polarizing stock, and its Q1 earnings report reminded us why. The earnings results showed that the company is making progress with its ambitious goals, which the bulls will point to. However, that progress is happening more slowly than the market wants it to. Also, the immediate results look good this quarter, but that doesn't mean the rest of the year will look rosy. Tesla hit investors with its CapEx forecast of $25 billion for this year. That's already higher than last quarter's forecast of over $20 billion. Not only that, but FCF is expected to be negative this year. On one side, you'll have people saying a $1.4T market cap company that expects negative free cash flow is ridiculous. And you'll hear the usual high P/E ratio argument. On the other side, the bull case is strong. Tesla truly does have lots of upside potential if things go right. But that's a big "if." Right now, the market isn't super excited to wait and find out, sending shares 3.56% lower. I'm not waiting either. I last wrote about Tesla on January 29 after its Q4 results, and my conclusion stated the following: Tesla is in an awkward spot right now. Its short-term financials are suffering. Meanwhile, its long-term projects are trending in the right direction, which can hold the stock up, but it's just a bit too early to come to any conclusions with confidence. Now, we're left with a high-priced stock where the future is still uncertain and where the post-earnings price action is underwhelming. My opinion is pretty much the same now. Shares have fallen 12% since my last piece. With the expectation of negative FCF this year, robotaxi and Optimus rollouts that are taking too long to play out, and an unexciting core business, I remain on the sidelines with a Hold rating. Tesla's Q1 Results Revenue grew 15.8% year-over-year to $22.387 billion, ahead of the $22.2 billion consensus, and adjusted EPS of $0.41 grew 52% and bea...
zimmytws/iStock via Getty Images Introduction Is your portfolio prepared for higher inflation? Some may be reading this and saying that we've had higher inflation for a while now. While inflation has been higher than normal the last few years, the ongoing war is likely to drive inflation higher for at least a little while longer. In previous articles, I've been optimistic about us seeing multiple ...
zimmytws/iStock via Getty Images Introduction Is your portfolio prepared for higher inflation? Some may be reading this and saying that we've had higher inflation for a while now. While inflation has been higher than normal the last few years, the ongoing war is likely to drive inflation higher for at least a little while longer. In previous articles, I've been optimistic about us seeing multiple rate cuts in 2026. Now, not so much due to the uncertainty surrounding the conflict with Iran. Since the war started, oil prices have spiked, resulting in higher gas prices. And now is the perfect time to position your portfolio for higher inflation by investing in quality dividend-paying stocks and funds. While the market continues to trade like the war is over and inflation is dead, uncertainty still remains high. But there are some quality dividend payers still trading at attractive prices. And these two high yielders I discuss today will benefit should a deal with Iran fail to materialize. In this article, I discuss two covered call ETFs I like and why income-focused investors should consider them. Inflation Likely to Continue Rising Negotiations are still ongoing between the U.S. and Iran. While this is happening, inflation is likely to continue rising incrementally in the coming months. Especially if a deal falls through. In March, inflation increased 0.2% month over month. While inflation is much lower than the 2022/23 highs, it still sits well above the Fed's 2% target. In my opinion, it's going to take a while for inflation to get to 2%, at least another year or two. Bureau of Labor Statistics If the war continues, I believe we can see inflation hit 4% by year's end. As if consumers weren't hurting already, rising gas prices and slowing growth could finally push us into a recession. I know many have been calling for a recession for a few years now, myself included, but a weakening labor market & increasing inflation are ingredients for a potential downturn. Somethi...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images PACCAR ( PCAR ) is set to report earnings next week, which prompts a look at the business. The stock has been on a great run in the last twelve months and is brushing up against its 2024 highs. With PMIs having inflected positively and easy compares in trucking, it makes sense why the stock has lifted. The largest question is whether or not it can con...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images PACCAR ( PCAR ) is set to report earnings next week, which prompts a look at the business. The stock has been on a great run in the last twelve months and is brushing up against its 2024 highs. With PMIs having inflected positively and easy compares in trucking, it makes sense why the stock has lifted. The largest question is whether or not it can continue. Business Profile PACCAR is a global manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks. PACCAR has three segments: Truck, Parts, and Financial Services. While the company makes a majority of its sales from the manufacturing of heavy-duty trucks, most of the profit actually comes from the Parts and Financial Services side of the business. PACCAR has been on a real transformation journey over the years. Especially in the last five years, the company has meaningfully expanded capacity at its production facilities. The company has deployed $800 million in flexible factory investments from 2021 through 2025. Just in the last 3 years alone, capacity has increased 17%. In the age of the Trump Administration's tariffs, the scarcity value of manufacturing jobs in the United States is high, so the company's production facilities in the US, Canada, and Mexico are at an advantage versus international peers. Up until Q4 of last year, the company was immune from tariff costs. With the update of Section 232 tariffs that came through in November, the company is now subject to tariffs but at a 50% reduction versus standard rates. So, while they are not immune, they are subject to substantially fewer penalties than peers. This past February, the company hosted an Analyst Day and put forth market share targets for growth. The company is one of the dominant players in North America and Australia, with nearly 30% share in both markets. That highly consolidated industry structure drives pricing power. While the company, of course, is going to try and gain market share in every region, the biggest opportun...
"The Pulse With Francine Lacqua" is all about conversations with high profile guests in the beating heart of global business, economics, finance and politics. Based in London, we go wherever the story is, bringing you exclusive interviews and market-moving scoops. Today's guests: Wei Li, BlackRock, Global Chief Investment Strategist; Clemens Fuest, Ifo Institute, President; Clément Therme, Interna...
"The Pulse With Francine Lacqua" is all about conversations with high profile guests in the beating heart of global business, economics, finance and politics. Based in London, we go wherever the story is, bringing you exclusive interviews and market-moving scoops. Today's guests: Wei Li, BlackRock, Global Chief Investment Strategist; Clemens Fuest, Ifo Institute, President; Clément Therme, International Institute for Iranian Studies, Non-Resident Fellow; Francesca Ghiretti, RAND, Europe China Initiative Director. (Source: Bloomberg)
In this article .SPX .VIX SMH Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2026. Jeenah Moon | Reuters Something interesting is happening in the options market. The S&P 500 touched record highs Thursday morning, but the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) remained stuck near 20 and is up from five days a...
In this article .SPX .VIX SMH Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2026. Jeenah Moon | Reuters Something interesting is happening in the options market. The S&P 500 touched record highs Thursday morning, but the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) remained stuck near 20 and is up from five days ago, when the S&P traded about 100 points lower. In other words, stocks went up and so did the market's so-called fear gauge. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Cboe Volatility Index, 1 month The VIX and S&P do move in tandem about 20% of the time, but if a `VIX-up/Stocks-up' environment lingers for more than a few days it means a few things are likely happening under the surface of the market. One explanation is simply that investors are doubtful of new highs in stocks and hedging against risks like the Iran war and crude oil. If that's the case, traders should be wary of near-term pullbacks in the index as realized volatility "catches up" to VIX. Another explanation A more bullish interpretation – one that fits with what we see in options trading around earnings – is that traders are willing to buy expensive premiums in upside calls in single stocks that are making big moves higher, particularly in the semiconductors and tech names that are leading the rally. Total call premium in the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) is 25% bigger than in puts despite put volume being greater. Take one trade in chip stock Marvell Technology as an example. The stock has already doubled since earnings last month, but one trader shelled out $2.4 million to buy almost 1,700 contracts expiring June 18 at a strike of $180, looking for another 10% rally from here. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Marvell Technology, 1 month That enthusiasm is keeping options prices inflated, which could help explain why VIX is so sticky. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from th...
Neal McNeil JPMorgan downgraded Bloomin Brands ( BLMN ) to an Underweight rating after having the restaurant stock slotted at Neutral. Analyst John Ivankoe warned about valuation metrics on the Outback Steakhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse businesses based on average unit volume estimates. He also noted that pricing on comparable steak cuts remains relatively high. Looking ahead, Ivankoe and his team...
Neal McNeil JPMorgan downgraded Bloomin Brands ( BLMN ) to an Underweight rating after having the restaurant stock slotted at Neutral. Analyst John Ivankoe warned about valuation metrics on the Outback Steakhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse businesses based on average unit volume estimates. He also noted that pricing on comparable steak cuts remains relatively high. Looking ahead, Ivankoe and his team see the upcoming capital cycle as a constraint as the company targets ~275 remodels at ~$400K each over the next three years. JPMorgan maintains its price target of $6.00 on Bloomin' Brands ( BLMN ), implying a multiple of ~9X F27 EPS or ~4.0X EV/EBITDA. Bloomin’ Brands ( BLMN ) operates the Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar chains. Shares of Bloomin' Brands ( BLMN ) were down 3.0% in premarket trading on Friday to $6.38 vs. the 52-week range of $5.19 to $10.70. The company is set to release its FQ1 earnings report on May 6. More on Bloomin' Brands Bloomin' Brands, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Bloomin' Brands: Traffic Is Improving, But Inflation Is Winning The War Bloomin' Brands, Inc. (BLMN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Miller Deep Value Strategy adds CRGY and BLMN among Q1 moves Bloomin' Brands outlines $50M turnaround investment and targets 0.5%-2.5% comp sales growth in 2026 while advancing Outback Steakhouse strategy
Zerbor/iStock via Getty Images HCA Healthcare ( HCA ) lost ~7% in the premarket on Friday after the largest for-profit hospital operator reported Q1 2026 results and reiterated its full-year outlook, noting that it didn’t experience a typical seasonal volume increase in Q1. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company recorded $19.1B in revenue for the quarter with ~4% YoY growth, exceeding the consensu...
Zerbor/iStock via Getty Images HCA Healthcare ( HCA ) lost ~7% in the premarket on Friday after the largest for-profit hospital operator reported Q1 2026 results and reiterated its full-year outlook, noting that it didn’t experience a typical seasonal volume increase in Q1. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company recorded $19.1B in revenue for the quarter with ~4% YoY growth, exceeding the consensus by $30M. In comparison, its adjusted EBITDA for the period reached $3.80B with a ~2% YoY rise but missed the $3.87B projected by analysts. At the end of the quarter, roughly 50.5K licensed beds were available across 189 HCA hospitals, compared to ~50.6K and 192 hospitals a year ago, and the company improved its same-facility revenue per equivalent admission by ~3% YoY during Q1. HCA’s adjusted EBITDA margin for the period reached about 20%, indicating a roughly 50 bps decline from the prior-year period, while its non-GAAP earnings per share improved ~11% YoY to $7.15, largely in line with the consensus. The company noted that it did not witness the expected seasonal volume increase in Q1, primarily due to respiratory activity. Its respiratory-related admissions and emergency room visits dropped ~42% YoY and 32% YoY, respectively, during the period, while a winter storm in January impacted volumes in certain markets. HCA reaffirmed its full-year outlook issued in January, indicating $15.55B - $16.45B in adjusted EBITDA, which fell short of the $16.01B projected by analysts. Its unchanged forecasts for revenue and adjusted EPS at $76.5B - $80.0B and $29.10 - $31.50, respectively, missed the consensus estimates of $78.67B and $30.32 at the midpoint. With HCA being one of the first hospital operators to report results, stocks to watch include its peers: Surgery Partners ( SGRY ), Tenet Healthcare ( THC ), SunLink Health Systems ( SHY ), Universal Health Services ( UHS ), Select Medical Holdings ( SEM ), Acadia Healthcare ( ACHC ), and LifeStance Health Group ( LFST ). More on...