Paraguayan President Santiago Peña tapped economist Oscar Lovera as finance minister, a week after his long-serving predecessor resigned over a contentious civil-servant pension reform. Lovera will have the “mission of improving the efficiency of public spending and supporting growth, hand in hand with the private sector, for the benefit of all Paraguayans” Peña said Wednesday in an X post . “I wa...
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña tapped economist Oscar Lovera as finance minister, a week after his long-serving predecessor resigned over a contentious civil-servant pension reform. Lovera will have the “mission of improving the efficiency of public spending and supporting growth, hand in hand with the private sector, for the benefit of all Paraguayans” Peña said Wednesday in an X post . “I want an agile state that ensures the conditions for the country to continue developing.” The economist, who already held a senior position at the finance ministry, replaces Juan José Galeano , who took charge as interim minister after Carlos Fernández left the post on March 31. The previous month, Peña had demanded better results from his cabinet as his administration heads into the second half of its five-year term. Since taking office in August 2023, Peña secured congressional approval for a series of economic reforms, including a pension regulator and improvements to tax collection. However, lawmakers may have limited appetite for further measures that could anger voters ahead of October’s municipal elections, where city halls in key cities such as the capital Asunción and Ciudad del Este are in play, and presidential primaries in 2027. Fernández, who led Peña’s economic team since the start of the administration, had sparred with ruling Colorado Party lawmakers over a heavily watered-down version of the government’s pension reform bill, which passed last month. He also drew criticism after announcing austerity measures aimed at meeting the government’s 1.5% fiscal deficit target amid falling tax revenue. Lovera inherits not only a delicate fiscal situation, but also payment negotiations with pharmaceutical and construction companies, which local media say are owed more than $1.1 billion by the government. Paraguay, a landlocked country of 6.1 million people, is one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. After expanding 6.6% in 2025, the central bank sees growt...
Sean Pavone CBRE Equity Research boosted Q1 and full-year estimates on the Macau casino sector after the strong start to the year. Notably, Macau gross gaming revenue was up 14.2% year over year in Q1. Analyst John DeCree said that despite strong fundamentals, the sector remains out of favor due to a lack of conviction in the sustainability of growth, as well as margin concerns due to opex inflati...
Sean Pavone CBRE Equity Research boosted Q1 and full-year estimates on the Macau casino sector after the strong start to the year. Notably, Macau gross gaming revenue was up 14.2% year over year in Q1. Analyst John DeCree said that despite strong fundamentals, the sector remains out of favor due to a lack of conviction in the sustainability of growth, as well as margin concerns due to opex inflation and the elevated competitive environment. DeCree noted that consensus estimates now account for GGR to decelerate to +3.5% for the remainder of the year. "We believe this deceleration is unlikely. China is targeting 4.5%-5.0% GDP growth, and we expect Macau GGR to grow faster than GDP as the Chinese consumer continues to benefit from targeted stimulus," wrote DeCree. Within the sector, the firm prefers Melco Resorts & Entertainment ( MLCO ). The casino stock is seen as oversold after disappointing Q4 results that showed higher-than-expected opex around key events, the conclusion of the strategic review in Manila that resulted in no action, and the announcement of higher trademark fees payable by City of Dreams Macau beginning in FY26. However, DeCree and his team remain confident the company will maintain its focus on profitable growth and see an opportunity for MLCO shares to rerate higher as deleveraging accelerates this year. CBRE maintained its Buy rating on MLCO and price target of $10. More on Melco Resorts & Entertainment Melco Resorts: Macau Growth Creates Upside (Rating Upgrade) Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (MLCO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Macau gaming revenue tops estimates for March Macau gaming revenue looks solid in March - Jefferies
May WTI crude oil (CLK26 ) today is down -17.10 (-15.14%), and May RBOB gasoline (RBK26 ) is down -0.3070 (-9.29%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are falling sharply today, with crude sliding to a 1.5-week low and gasoline falling to a 2-week low. Crude prices plunged today after the...
May WTI crude oil (CLK26 ) today is down -17.10 (-15.14%), and May RBOB gasoline (RBK26 ) is down -0.3070 (-9.29%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are falling sharply today, with crude sliding to a 1.5-week low and gasoline falling to a 2-week low. Crude prices plunged today after the...
A voter casts their ballot inside the new Chicago Board of Elections 'Super Site' located at 175 N. State Street during the Illinois Primary Election in the Loop on March 17, 2026, as Illinois holds its General Primary Election, where registered party members select nominees for major races including U.S. Senate, in, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, U.S. House seats, stat...
A voter casts their ballot inside the new Chicago Board of Elections 'Super Site' located at 175 N. State Street during the Illinois Primary Election in the Loop on March 17, 2026, as Illinois holds its General Primary Election, where registered party members select nominees for major races including U.S. Senate, in, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, U.S. House seats, state legislature, Cook County offices, and various judicial positions ahead of the November 3 general election. Jacek Boczarski | Anadolu | Getty Images Democrats romped to a 20-point victory in a race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat, while Republicans won a special election for a House seat in Georgia by a far less comfortable margin than in 2024. The pair of Tuesday elections underscore strong headwinds for President Donald Trump and his Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which could shift the balance of power in Washington and loosen Trump's grip on power. Democratic-backed Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor won a 10-year term on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, defeating conservative Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar by roughly 20 points, according to the Associated Press tally. The race was far more subdued than last year's Supreme Court contest in Wisconsin, which turned into the most expensive state supreme court race in history after Tesla owner Elon Musk injected huge sums of money behind the Republican-backed conservative candidate, who lost. Read more CNBC politics coverage Trump praises Hungary PM Viktor Orbán after Vance calls him at Budapest rally Bill Gates interview about Jeffrey Epstein by House Oversight set for June 10 House Democrats call on federal regulator to crack down on offshore prediction market war bets Taylor's 20-point margin of victory is nearly double that of Justice Susan Crawford in 2025, who defeated Musk-backed Brad Schimel by about 10 points. The win cements a 5-2 majority for liberals on the Wisconsin high court. Meanwhile in Georgi...
High of 26.5C recorded in Kew Gardens in south-west London, but rain and cooler conditions are on the way Many across the UK witnessed soaring temperatures as the country recorded its warmest day of the year so far – and one of the hottest April days in the last 80 years. Temperatures reached a high of 26.5C (79.7F) in Kew Gardens, south-west London, on Wednesday, the Met Office said. It was the h...
High of 26.5C recorded in Kew Gardens in south-west London, but rain and cooler conditions are on the way Many across the UK witnessed soaring temperatures as the country recorded its warmest day of the year so far – and one of the hottest April days in the last 80 years. Temperatures reached a high of 26.5C (79.7F) in Kew Gardens, south-west London, on Wednesday, the Met Office said. It was the hottest day recorded in the first half of April since 1946, according to the forecaster. Continue reading...
In this article PSKY Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A general view of Paramount Pictures Studios and its iconic water tower in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Feb. 27, 2026. Mario Anzuoni | Reuters Jeff Shell is leaving his position as president of Paramount Skydance Corp. after a lawsuit accused him of Securities and Exchange Commission violations. The company said it did not find...
In this article PSKY Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A general view of Paramount Pictures Studios and its iconic water tower in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Feb. 27, 2026. Mario Anzuoni | Reuters Jeff Shell is leaving his position as president of Paramount Skydance Corp. after a lawsuit accused him of Securities and Exchange Commission violations. The company said it did not find an SEC violation. Paramount added in a statement that the claims were "baseless" and said Shell is taking "forceful legal action." "Consistent with Mr. Shell's commitment to prioritizing PSKY's success, he has elected to transition from his positions as President of PSKY and a member of PSKY's Board of Directors to focus on this lawsuit," the company said in its statement. "PSKY is grateful for Mr. Shell's many contributions and to have relied on him as a valued advisor." Shell did not immediately respond for comment. His future at Paramount has been in question since the company beat Netflix in a bidding war in February to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery . The acquisition of WBD will bring in many new executives, and Shell, who was not involved in deal talks, didn't have a defined role at a combined company, CNBC reported last month . Shell came under scrutiny after gambler and whistleblower R.J. Cipriani filed a $150 million lawsuit alleging him of sharing confidential information in violation of SEC rules. Shell previously left his role as NBCUniversal CEO in 2023 after he admitted to having an "inappropriate relationship" with an employee. — CNBC's Alex Sherman contributed to this report. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
↗️ Levi Strauss (LEVI): Shares jumped 12% after the apparel maker said its turnaround is working, and upgraded its guidance. 🔎 Blue Owl (OWL): One of its biggest private-credit funds was downgraded by ratings company Moody's because of investors asking to pull out a big share of their money.
↗️ Levi Strauss (LEVI): Shares jumped 12% after the apparel maker said its turnaround is working, and upgraded its guidance. 🔎 Blue Owl (OWL): One of its biggest private-credit funds was downgraded by ratings company Moody's because of investors asking to pull out a big share of their money.
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF ( DGRO ) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends. DGRO is the cleanest expression of the U.S. dividend growth segment available in an ETF wrapper with 403 names, an 8 bp expense ratio, and a Morningstar Gold Medalist rating. I am ini...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF ( DGRO ) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends. DGRO is the cleanest expression of the U.S. dividend growth segment available in an ETF wrapper with 403 names, an 8 bp expense ratio, and a Morningstar Gold Medalist rating. I am initiating DGRO on Seeking Alpha as a Buy . The fund is attractive on quality and construction, but room for multiple expansion is compressed without meaningful rate cuts or a sustained value factor rally, and I do not view either of these within the base case. What pushes this from a price-sensitive Hold to a Buy is the portfolio's allocated overweight to financials, which I view as the strongest sector in the market right now. I am willing to pay a higher multiple to access quality dividend growth with that sector tilt baked in. DGRO tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index , a rules based subset of the broader Morningstar US Market Index. There are three features that make it different from its competitors and affect its tradability. First, there is a five year consecutive dividend growth requirement, which is looser than the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF ( VIG ) with a ten year screen, which allows DGRO to pick up faster growing dividend yielding companies faster. Second, the payout ratio is capped at 75%, which is essentially a sustainability filter that screens out late stage compounding companies whose dividend growth is funded by stretching the balance sheet versus FCF expanding. Lastly, DGRO participates in dividend-dollar weighting with 3% per name cap. DGRO does not do market cap weighting. This is defensive, but not super defensive. This is a choice that makes DGRO behave like a value sleeve versus pure growth sleeve, and is the reason Exxon Mobil Corporation ( XOM ) sits at the top of the book at 3.34% instead of something like Apple Inc. ( ...
These are two of the best manufacturing companies in the world, but only one is the better semiconductor stock to buy in this comparison. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of April 5, 2026. The video was published on April 7, 2026. Continue reading
These are two of the best manufacturing companies in the world, but only one is the better semiconductor stock to buy in this comparison. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of April 5, 2026. The video was published on April 7, 2026. Continue reading