aprott/iStock via Getty Images By Lynn Song , Chief Economist, Greater China Taiwan's growth beats all forecasts again 1Q26 GDP growth accelerated to 13.69% YoY, up from 12.65% YoY in 4Q25, bucking expectations for a slight moderation of growth. This rate of growth beat the entire range of forecasts once again. Unsurprisingly, external demand continued to be the main driver of growth, contributing...
aprott/iStock via Getty Images By Lynn Song , Chief Economist, Greater China Taiwan's growth beats all forecasts again 1Q26 GDP growth accelerated to 13.69% YoY, up from 12.65% YoY in 4Q25, bucking expectations for a slight moderation of growth. This rate of growth beat the entire range of forecasts once again. Unsurprisingly, external demand continued to be the main driver of growth, contributing 9.62pp to growth. While this came in a little lower than 4Q25's 11.9pp contribution, it nonetheless remains the clear primary driver of Taiwan's economic growth in the first quarter. The direct contribution from exports was little changed at 24.01pp, but higher imports at 14.39pp cut into the growth contribution somewhat. We believe there is a strong case for this momentum to carry forward into the second quarter, given the continued strength of recent export orders data, which suggests that export demand will remain strong in the months ahead. This year, Taiwan has benefited from rising tech product prices as the AI boom continues. As a producer of the most advanced chips, Taiwan has been able to maintain strong pricing power despite rising input costs. This price effect, combined with robust demand volumes, has helped push Taiwan’s economic performance consistently above market forecasts. On the domestic demand side, we saw a solid 4.07pp contribution from domestic demand, supported by private final consumption rising to 2.23pp, the highest since 1Q24. This comes on the back of recently accelerating retail sales growth. Decent performance in government spending (0.46) and gross capital formation (1.38) also supported domestic demand in the first quarter. Strong start to the year adds upside risk (again) to our forecasts We recently upgraded our Taiwan 2026 full-year forecast to 8.2% YoY on the back of consistently outperforming exports, in what we wrote was a risky forecast upgrade amid the Iran War uncertainty. Higher energy prices haven't had much impact so far on the ...
InterDigital press release ( IDCC ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $2.57 beats by $0.05 . Revenue of $205.4M (-2.4% Y/Y) beats by $8.5M . Annualized recurring revenue increased 13% year-over-year from $502.9 million to $567.2 million Smartphone ARR increased 18% year-over-year to an all-time high of $491.8 million Company reaffirms full year 2026 guidance: (in millions, except per share data) Q2 2026 Full Ye...
InterDigital press release ( IDCC ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $2.57 beats by $0.05 . Revenue of $205.4M (-2.4% Y/Y) beats by $8.5M . Annualized recurring revenue increased 13% year-over-year from $502.9 million to $567.2 million Smartphone ARR increased 18% year-over-year to an all-time high of $491.8 million Company reaffirms full year 2026 guidance: (in millions, except per share data) Q2 2026 Full Year 2026 Revenue $139 - $143 vs. $159.88M consensus $675 - $775 vs. $704.70M consensus Adjusted EBITDA 1 $67 - $73 $381 - $477 Diluted EPS $0.80 - $0.97 $5.77 - $8.51 Non-GAAP EPS 3 $1.41 - $1.60 vs. $2.13 consensus $8.74 - $11.84 vs. $9.85 consensus Click to enlarge More on InterDigital InterDigital: Good Results Already Priced In InterDigital, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation InterDigital, Inc. (IDCC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript InterDigital Q1 2026 Earnings Preview InterDigital renews license agreement with Sony
Hispanolistic March Core PCE Price Index: +0.3% M/M vs. +0.3% consensus and +0.4% prior, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday. +3.2% Y/Y vs. +3.2% consensus and +3.0% in February. PCE Price Index: +0.7% M/M vs. +0.7% consensus and +0.4% prior. +3.5% Y/Y vs. +3.5% consensus and +2.8% in February. Personal outlays: +0.9% M/M vs. +0.9% consensus and +0.6% prior (r...
Hispanolistic March Core PCE Price Index: +0.3% M/M vs. +0.3% consensus and +0.4% prior, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday. +3.2% Y/Y vs. +3.2% consensus and +3.0% in February. PCE Price Index: +0.7% M/M vs. +0.7% consensus and +0.4% prior. +3.5% Y/Y vs. +3.5% consensus and +2.8% in February. Personal outlays: +0.9% M/M vs. +0.9% consensus and +0.6% prior (revised from +0.5%). Personal income: +0.6% M/M vs. +0.3% consensus and 0.0% prior (revised from -0.1%). Developing… Check back for updates. More on Inflation Fed chair nominee Warsh's inflation strategy could backfire - BofA NY Fed's Williams sees some positive signs on the inflation front Hormuz disruption fuels COVID-like inflation, Bisserie warns—CNBC interview
Hong Kong homebuyers snapped up most of the new flats released on Thursday, with developers beginning to ramp up new construction amid sustained housing demand. All 120 units at the One Victoria Cove I in Hung Hom, jointly developed by Henderson Land Development, Hysan Development and Empire Group, were sold by 5.20pm, according to agents. Meanwhile, New World Development (NWD) and MTR Corp’s Pavi...
Hong Kong homebuyers snapped up most of the new flats released on Thursday, with developers beginning to ramp up new construction amid sustained housing demand. All 120 units at the One Victoria Cove I in Hung Hom, jointly developed by Henderson Land Development, Hysan Development and Empire Group, were sold by 5.20pm, according to agents. Meanwhile, New World Development (NWD) and MTR Corp’s Pavilia Farm III above Tai Wai MTR station found buyers for 19 of the 45 units as of 6.50pm. Most recent...
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2026 / By Kristin Wyman What you should know: The future of automotive cannot be delivered by any single company - it requires a deeply collaborative ecosystem that brings together automakers, tier-one ...
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2026 / By Kristin Wyman What you should know: The future of automotive cannot be delivered by any single company - it requires a deeply collaborative ecosystem that brings together automakers, tier-one ...
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images With the earnings season underway, the Fed's unchanged policy rate stance at yesterday's FOMC meeting turned it into a non-event for the stock markets. And that, in a nutshell, is a good indication of how to approach macro investing right now. De-emphasize it. In favor of individual stock picking. To explain why, here I first look at the details of the lates...
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images With the earnings season underway, the Fed's unchanged policy rate stance at yesterday's FOMC meeting turned it into a non-event for the stock markets. And that, in a nutshell, is a good indication of how to approach macro investing right now. De-emphasize it. In favor of individual stock picking. To explain why, here I first look at the details of the latest FOMC statement, which explains the current macroeconomic scenario. Next, the possible interest rate trajectory over 2026 is explored, which underlines the economic context. This is followed by the market response to the statement, which indicates how the stock markets already feel about current conditions, finally leading to conclusions on investing ideas. The FOMC statement highlights uncertainty There's little change to the Fed's observations on the real economy in the latest FOMC statement, but it does highlight inflation risks and economic uncertainty more than it did in March. The details are as below. "Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace" In its opening remark, the Fed continues to be positive on overall economic activity. The only difference is that it replaces the phrase "Available indicators" in March with "Recent indicators" now. The content of this remark is at odds with the recently released third estimate for GDP growth in Q4 2025, which came in at just 0.5%, a sharp drop from the advance estimate of 1.4%. At the same time, GDP grew at around the trend level of 2.1% for the full year 2025. It also outpaced the Fed's projection of a 1.7% increase, which can explain its positive verdict on economic activity. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis "Job gains have remained low, on average, and the unemployment rate has been little changed in recent months" The Fed's observation of the labor market, too, remains essentially unchanged. The only difference is that it now sees job gains as low "on average", a caveat that w...
Leestat/iStock via Getty Images By Paolo Pizzoli , Senior Economist, Italy, Greece The preliminary estimate of Italy's GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026 turned out slightly stronger than expected. According to the Istat release, GDP was up 0.16% on the quarter, while both we and consensus were pointing to 0.1%. The streamlined press release – which, at the preliminary estimate stage, omits t...
Leestat/iStock via Getty Images By Paolo Pizzoli , Senior Economist, Italy, Greece The preliminary estimate of Italy's GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026 turned out slightly stronger than expected. According to the Istat release, GDP was up 0.16% on the quarter, while both we and consensus were pointing to 0.1%. The streamlined press release – which, at the preliminary estimate stage, omits the detailed demand breakdown – adds that net exports provided a positive contribution to quarterly growth, whilst domestic demand (gross of inventories) acted as a drag. From the supply-side angle, value added increased over the quarter in services and contracted in industry and agriculture. As expected, the impact of a month of war was not enough to stall economic growth for the entire quarter. Don’t forget that February was the month of the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, which prompted an acceleration in foreign tourist arrivals and attendance. This might have helped push net exports via the tourism services channel. As far as the demand components are concerned, it seems reasonable to assume a negative contribution of inventories after a strong push in the fourth quarter of 2025. Looking ahead, given the protracted deadlock in the Strait of Hormuz, prospects for the second quarter are of a further deceleration of GDP growth. We are currently anticipating a flat quarter; private consumption is likely to suffer the direct impact of rising inflation on household purchasing power, while gross fixed capital formation may prove more resilient thanks to a likely acceleration in infrastructural investment as the end-June deadline of the EU-funded national recovery plan approaches. Needless to say, risks to this call are clearly tilted to the downside if the standoff in US-Iran negotiations continues. April's confidence data, which marked a widespread deterioration in confidence across the economy, was an unambiguous warning shot. Content Disclaimer This publication has bee...
A key measure of inflation used by the Federal Reserve to set interest rates posted the biggest increase in March in almost three years, marking another major hurdle for a resilient but harried U.S. economy.
A key measure of inflation used by the Federal Reserve to set interest rates posted the biggest increase in March in almost three years, marking another major hurdle for a resilient but harried U.S. economy.
The European Union ’s revamped plans to stimulate the semiconductor industry would allow the bloc’s executive arm to invest directly in manufacturing, people familiar with the draft said. The draft of the Chips Act II, expected in late May, is an attempt to improve on its 2022 predecessor . It aims to help Europe invest more in the critical technology and lessen reliance on foreign supply chains. ...
The European Union ’s revamped plans to stimulate the semiconductor industry would allow the bloc’s executive arm to invest directly in manufacturing, people familiar with the draft said. The draft of the Chips Act II, expected in late May, is an attempt to improve on its 2022 predecessor . It aims to help Europe invest more in the critical technology and lessen reliance on foreign supply chains. The proposal empowers the European Commission to invest in large, cross-border projects directly, whereas previously it was limited to funding research and approving aid from member states, the people said, asking not to be identified because the draft proposal isn’t yet public. The commission-backed projects would still be public-private partnerships, the people said. The new version of the act will also aim to increase development of tech crucial for chipmaking, including machinery, materials and circuit boards, the people said. The rules could still change before they’re published and will need to go through multiple rounds of negotiations between EU governments and members of the European Parliament before being passed. The process can take several months. A representative for the commission didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the risks of Europe’s reliance on global supply chains. The EU put the Chips Act forward as a way to stimulate local chip production and reduce the risk of disruption to local industries. At the time, the bloc said incentives for semiconductor projects could reach €86 billion ($101 billion) through a combination of state aid and corporate investments. It aimed to make it easier for countries to get authorization to spend money on manufacturing and draw in companies willing to build infrastructure in Europe. Read More: Global Chips Battle Intensifies With $81 Billion Subsidy Surge The goal was to double the EU’s market share in global chip production to 20% by 2030. But after a number of proposed proje...
designer491 Initial jobless claims for the week ended April 25 dropped to 189 K from 215K in the previous week (revised from 214K) and trailed the 213K consensus, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday. More on the U.S. Economy The Yen Recovers On Verbal Intervention Wall Street Lunch Fed Special: Powell Doesn't Go Gently Into That Good Night Middle East Turmoil Fue...
designer491 Initial jobless claims for the week ended April 25 dropped to 189 K from 215K in the previous week (revised from 214K) and trailed the 213K consensus, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday. More on the U.S. Economy The Yen Recovers On Verbal Intervention Wall Street Lunch Fed Special: Powell Doesn't Go Gently Into That Good Night Middle East Turmoil Fuels Inflation Fears, Testing Fed's Patience Bessent criticizes Powell's plan to stay on Fed board after chair term - report Trump has surprisingly mild reaction to Powell staying at Fed
Earnings Call Insights: CBIZ (CBZ) Q1 2026 Management View “We entered 2026 with a clear plan, and our overall first quarter performance was in line with our expectations,” said (President, CEO & Director Jerry Grisko), adding, “Our organic growth improved throughout the quarter and is up sequentially compared to the fourth quarter.” “With our solid start to the year, we are reaffirming our revenu...
Earnings Call Insights: CBIZ (CBZ) Q1 2026 Management View “We entered 2026 with a clear plan, and our overall first quarter performance was in line with our expectations,” said (President, CEO & Director Jerry Grisko), adding, “Our organic growth improved throughout the quarter and is up sequentially compared to the fourth quarter.” “With our solid start to the year, we are reaffirming our revenue, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow targets while increasing our adjusted EPS outlook,” said (CEO Grisko), and he quantified integration-related headwinds: “We estimate that these temporary factors reduced reported organic revenue growth by approximately 200 basis points in the first quarter.” “With Peter's appointment as Chief Information and Technology Officer and President of CBIZ Technology, we're making a deliberate convergence, one leader, one platform, one road map,” said (CEO Grisko). “Just last week, we began the full rollout of our latest internal capabilities company-wide, moving from primarily AI-assisted workflows to more advanced agentic-based AI solutions,” said (Senior VP, Chief Strategy Officer & National Leader of Technology Peter Scavuzzo), and he added an example: “For year 1, our AI-based data extraction workflow is producing 20% efficiency with our anticipation in subsequent years that this efficiency will grow to 40%.” “We are on track to achieve our target of increasing offshore hours from approximately 6% in 2025 to 10% in 2026,” said (CEO Grisko), adding, “Over the next several years… we plan to expand hours completed outside the U.S. to more than 20%.” “Consolidated revenue increased 1.3% year-over-year to $849 million, with organic revenue growth of 1%,” said (Senior VP & CFO Brad Lakhia), and he added, “Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $2.50 compared to $2.33 in the first quarter of last year.” Outlook “We continue to expect revenue to be between $2.8 billion and $2.9 billion, representing 2% to 5% year-over-year growth,” said (CFO Lakh...
ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited ( NYSE: ASA ) said on Thursday its board has reauthorized a share repurchase program allowing the fund to buy back up to 5% of its outstanding common shares over the next year. The program will run from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027, and repurchases may be made on the open market when shares trade at a discount to net asset value, the company said. The fu...
ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited ( NYSE: ASA ) said on Thursday its board has reauthorized a share repurchase program allowing the fund to buy back up to 5% of its outstanding common shares over the next year. The program will run from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027, and repurchases may be made on the open market when shares trade at a discount to net asset value, the company said. The fund said buybacks will be opportunistic and there is no guarantee they will enhance shareholder value or support the share price. ASA +1.61% premarket to $63.00 . Source: Press Release More on ASA Gold and Precious Metals CEF Insights: ASA - Opportunity In Junior Gold Mining Companies Dividend scorecard for ASA Gold and Precious Metals
Graham Holdings press release ( GHC ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $16.79 beats by $3.68 . Revenue of $1.24B (+6.0% Y/Y) misses by $20M . More on Graham Holdings Graham Holdings: Deeply Undervalued Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Graham Holdings Historical earnings data for Graham Holdings Dividend scorecard for Graham Holdings Financial information for Graham Holdings
Graham Holdings press release ( GHC ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $16.79 beats by $3.68 . Revenue of $1.24B (+6.0% Y/Y) misses by $20M . More on Graham Holdings Graham Holdings: Deeply Undervalued Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Graham Holdings Historical earnings data for Graham Holdings Dividend scorecard for Graham Holdings Financial information for Graham Holdings
The post Best Online Brokers in Canada by Margaret Jackson appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. Finding the right online broker in Canada can significantly impact your journey as an investor. The ideal platform balances competitive fee structures, intuitive usability, broad access to both Canadian and U.S. equities and support for tax-advantaged accounts...
The post Best Online Brokers in Canada by Margaret Jackson appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. Finding the right online broker in Canada can significantly impact your journey as an investor. The ideal platform balances competitive fee structures, intuitive usability, broad access to both Canadian and U.S. equities and support for tax-advantaged accounts. This guide will give you an overview of some of the best online brokers in Canada. 6 Best Online Brokers In Canada Questrade — Best for Low Fees Plus500 — Best for Multi-Asset Futures Access Interactive Brokers Canada — Best for Global Market Access Wealthsimple Trade — Best for Beginners Qtrade Direct Investing — Best for Customer Service Scotia iTrade — Best for Active Trading Table of contents [ Show ] 6 Best Online Brokers In Canada How We Chose the Best Online Brokers In Canada Best Online Brokers In Canada Questrade — Best for Low Fees Plus500 — Best for Multi-Asset Futures Access Interactive Brokers Canada — Best for Global Market Access Wealthsimple Trade — Best for Beginners Qtrade Direct Investing — Best for Customer Service Scotia iTrade — Best for Active Trading Choosing the Best Online Broker In Canada Frequently Asked Questions How We Chose the Best Online Brokers In Canada We evaluated the best online brokerages in Canada based on their cost, ease of use, quality and breadth of educational resources and customer service responsiveness. Best Online Brokers In Canada Questrade — Best for Low Fees Best For Canadian Investors Overall Rating Read Review get started securely through Questrade’s website More Details Best For Canadian Investors N/A 1 Minute Review Questrade, a low-cost Canadian online broker born in 1999, has grown up to become the largest independent fintech in Canada. It provides self-directed and managed investing and trading in diverse asset classes such as equities, bonds, forex, commodities, options, and ETFs. Competitive pricing, ease of use...
Standard Motor Products press release ( SMP ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.82 beats by $0.06 . Revenue of $451.2M (+9.1% Y/Y) beats by $22.13M . Reaffirming full-year guidance of low to mid-single digit sales growth and adjusted EBITDA margin of 11% - 12% More on Standard Motor Products Standard Motor Products: Mr. Market Continues To Undervalue This Automotive Play Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP) Q...
Standard Motor Products press release ( SMP ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.82 beats by $0.06 . Revenue of $451.2M (+9.1% Y/Y) beats by $22.13M . Reaffirming full-year guidance of low to mid-single digit sales growth and adjusted EBITDA margin of 11% - 12% More on Standard Motor Products Standard Motor Products: Mr. Market Continues To Undervalue This Automotive Play Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Standard Motor Products, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Standard Motor Products Q1 2026 Earnings Preview Standard Motor Products outlines low to mid-single-digit sales growth for 2026 while advancing Nissens integration
JHVEPhoto Mattel ( MAT ) is on watch after topping estimates with its first-quarter earnings report off revenue growth of 4.3%. The full-year outlook from Mattel ( MAT ) came in better than feared considering the run-up in resin and freight costs following the Middle East conflict, as well as ongoing tariff considerations. "We continued to execute on our capital allocation priorities, including ma...
JHVEPhoto Mattel ( MAT ) is on watch after topping estimates with its first-quarter earnings report off revenue growth of 4.3%. The full-year outlook from Mattel ( MAT ) came in better than feared considering the run-up in resin and freight costs following the Middle East conflict, as well as ongoing tariff considerations. "We continued to execute on our capital allocation priorities, including making strategic investments to accelerate growth and profitability, as well as repurchasing $200 million of shares while maintaining a strong balance sheet. We expect to achieve our full-year 2026 guidance," updated Mattel ( MAT ) CFO Paul Ruh. Morgan Stanley kept its Equal-weight rating on Mattel ( MAT ) in place. "Net, with potential downside risk to estimates from higher input costs alongside the third GM miss in a row and a 2H-weighted gross margin outlook, we think visibility to full-year achievability remains low at this point," updated analyst Megan Alexander Clapp. Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating on Mattel ( MAT ) after the report. Analyst Andrew Didora highlighted that during the early part of earnings season, leisure companies have not highlighted any type of consumer demand softness. "In our view, the key risks are higher input costs, such as resins (linked to oil prices that have nearly doubled) and transportation costs," he noted. However, Didora and his team think Mattel ( MAT ) appears to be well insulated from those higher costs. Shares of Mattel ( MAT ) were up 0.4% in premarket action on Thursday to $14.92 vs. the 52-week range of $14.10 to $22.48. More on Mattel Mattel: Time To Go Toy Shopping Mattel, Inc. (MAT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Mattel: Lackluster Execution Limits Upside (Rating Downgrade) Mattel reiterates 2026 outlook with $1.27-$1.39 adjusted EPS range while targeting ~50% adjusted gross margin Mattel Non-GAAP EPS of $0.20 beats by $0.41, revenue of $862M beats by $53.03M