MengWen Guo/iStock via Getty Images When looking at large economies in the world, only a few countries have a positive economic momentum, Brazil is one of them, not the best, but a good one. Brazilian economy is improving modestly, with services and manufacturing reporting growth in the last few months. Consumer sentiment is at moderately good levels, but among the best in the world, and unemploym...
MengWen Guo/iStock via Getty Images When looking at large economies in the world, only a few countries have a positive economic momentum, Brazil is one of them, not the best, but a good one. Brazilian economy is improving modestly, with services and manufacturing reporting growth in the last few months. Consumer sentiment is at moderately good levels, but among the best in the world, and unemployment is on a long-term downward trend, which makes me view the country positively for a short-term investment. In the last three months a few negative news impacted Brazilian companies. Unemployment increased from 5.1% in December, to 6.1% in March, inflation increased from 3.8% to 4.39%, close to the upper limit of Brazilian Central Bank's tolerance band of 4.5%, inflation expectations, measured by the Focus Survey, is at 4.9%, above their threshold, and delinquencies started to rise in the country. However, I still view the long-term trend as stronger than these recent news. Additionally, one of this year’s president candidate had a conversation leak showing a possible involvement with a convicted corrupt banker, which made the Brazilian stock market to fall quickly. This made me think it could be a good entry opportunity, and, since consumer sentiment is one of Brazil's strengths relative to the rest of the world, a consumer-focused company could be a good option, such as PicPay Holdings (NASDAQ: PICS ). The Company PicPay was founded in Brazil in 2012. At the time, the concept of a payment system using QR code was a novelty. In 2015, J&F Investimentos, the same company that owns JBS, the world's largest meat producer, which is also known for major corruption investigations it faced, invested and acquired the company. In 2019 PICS shifted from a solely money transfer system to a more complete payment ecosystem, it also benefitted from accelerated digital adoption during pandemic, and in 2023, it incorporated individual clients from Banco Original, which also belongs to J&...
"Demand remains healthy in Europe’s smartphone market as shipments were boosted by the ongoing replacement wave alongside channel partners expanding their inventories," said Runar Bjorhovde, Principal Analyst at Omdia . "Even though some price hikes have occurred, combined with fewer and lower discounts than in previous years, vendors and channel partners remain far more concerned about what is to...
"Demand remains healthy in Europe’s smartphone market as shipments were boosted by the ongoing replacement wave alongside channel partners expanding their inventories," said Runar Bjorhovde, Principal Analyst at Omdia . "Even though some price hikes have occurred, combined with fewer and lower discounts than in previous years, vendors and channel partners remain far more concerned about what is to come in 2Q26. In a region where the three largest vendors hold almost 80% market share, competition is often fiercer amongst channel partners than between vendors, creating a clear rationale for the channel to frontload as a precautionary move." HONOR, ranking sixth, was the fastest-growing vendor among the largest players, with shipments increasing more than 60% compared to 1Q25. HONOR’s growth is underpinned by its portfolio being expanded further down the price-tiers. OPPO grew 9% to 1.3 million units, largely driven by its comeback in France alongside growth in Romania and Poland. With both realme and OnePlus now under its umbrella, OPPO is restructuring to optimize its portfolio and strategy with ambitions to strengthen its European position. Xiaomi retained third place despite declining 15% to 4.5 million units, as it was more immediately impacted by supply-side difficulties. However, Xiaomi’s ASP grew 21% compared with 1Q25, boosted by a record-strong Xiaomi 17 and 15T series performance, which drove year-on-year value growth despite the shipment decline. Premium sales were particularly strong in France, Germany, and Spain. Apple grew 9% to 8.8 million iPhones, driven by robust iPhone 17 series demand in addition to benefiting from a wider mid-range coverage from the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16e. Noticeably, Apple’s strong results came despite lower and fewer discounts than in previous years. Samsung was Europe’s largest vendor as it grew 3% to 12.6 million units. Effective discounting of the Galaxy A16 4G helped Samsung boost volume, offsetting declines related to the ...
Key Points The market likely recognizes Lumentum as a major beneficiary of rising AI infrastructure spending. The bigger risk may now be expectations, not the business. Insider selling matters because it may reflect concerns about valuation. 10 stocks we like better than Lumentum › Few artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure stocks have rallied as aggressively as Lumentum Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:...
Key Points The market likely recognizes Lumentum as a major beneficiary of rising AI infrastructure spending. The bigger risk may now be expectations, not the business. Insider selling matters because it may reflect concerns about valuation. 10 stocks we like better than Lumentum › Few artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure stocks have rallied as aggressively as Lumentum Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LITE) lately. In the last 12 months, the stock rose by more than 1,100%. There are real reasons for the excitement surrounding Lumentum. The company sits at the center of one of the fastest-growing parts of the AI infrastructure stack: optical networking. As AI systems become larger and more powerful, the amount of data moving between servers and chips is exploding. 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 » But before chasing the stock higher, investors may want to pay attention to one major warning sign: insider selling. The market may already understand the story well One reason Lumentum stock has rallied so aggressively is that the AI story surrounding the company has become increasingly compelling. In Lumentum, investors see a business benefiting from: Surging AI infrastructure spending Accelerating demand for optical connectivity Expanding margins Improving revenue growth Long-term exposure to next-generation AI data centers In many ways, Lumentum has become a bet on one of the most important shifts happening inside AI infrastructure -- that moving data efficiently within data centers may be just as important as processing it. As a leading company developing optical and photonic technologies that move data using light rather than traditional electrical connections, Lumentum stands to benefit from this massive AI revolution. But here's the problem. Once the market fully embraces an investment s...
Parkside Investments LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD - Free Report) by 20.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,461 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 8,445 shares during the quarter. Parkside Investments LLC's holdings in Adv...
Parkside Investments LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD - Free Report) by 20.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,461 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 8,445 shares during the quarter. Parkside Investments LLC's holdings in Advanced Micro Devices were worth $7,166,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AMD. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Advanced Micro Devices by 178.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 45,956 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $5,551,000 after acquiring an additional 29,438 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Advanced Micro Devices by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,283 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $1,001,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Advanced Micro Devices by 125.1% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,344 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $758,000 after acquiring an additional 2,970 shares during the last quarter. United Bank raised its position in shares of Advanced Micro Devices by 22.0% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 13,255 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $1,881,000 after acquiring an additional 2,392 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in Advanced Micro Devices by 361.0% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,230 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $1,310,000 after purchasing an ...
Sven Piper As U.S. kamikaze drones guided by Elon Musk’s Starlink network began to make visible gains in the war against Iran, senior SpaceX ( SPCX ) officials reportedly reached a conclusion: The Pentagon should be paying more for access to their satellite Wi-Fi network. Within weeks of the United States launching its bombing campaign, SpaceX executives met Pentagon officials and argued the mili...
Sven Piper As U.S. kamikaze drones guided by Elon Musk’s Starlink network began to make visible gains in the war against Iran, senior SpaceX ( SPCX ) officials reportedly reached a conclusion: The Pentagon should be paying more for access to their satellite Wi-Fi network. Within weeks of the United States launching its bombing campaign, SpaceX executives met Pentagon officials and argued the military had been paying about $5,000 for connection per terminal while effectively using a higher tier of service worth closer to $25,000, according to sources familiar with the matter and Pentagon documents reviewed by Reuters . The disagreement over Starlink’s use on LUCAS suicide drones - a cheap U.S. model comparable to Iran’s Shahed that can circle over a target area before diving to detonate on impact - is part of increasing tensions between SpaceX and the Pentagon over Starlink pricing in recent months, the report said, citing interviews and documents. The Pentagon, which is seeking to help Iranian citizens bypass government-imposed communications blackouts, has also been at odds with SpaceX ( SPCX ) over pricing for a plan to provide the populace direct-to-cell connections with Starlink akin to 5G service, two of the sources said. The ongoing disputes underscore how the Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX is handing Musk greater leverage over a critical layer of U.S. national security – at a time when SpaceX is seeking to boost revenue ahead of an IPO next month that could be among the biggest in history. Unlike consumer Starlink terminals available at stores including Walmart ( WMT ), SpaceX sells a military-specific version called Starshield to the Pentagon under a 2023 agreement. Starshield terminals can connect to both commercial Starlink satellites and a separate, more secure constellation, also called Starshield, the report added. Pentagon officials argued that the $25,000 price tag - a monthly fee - was designed for aircraft, not kamikaze drones that used S...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk holds a mobile phone as he arrives to attend a state banquet with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026. Evan Vucci | Reuters As U.S. kamikaze drones guided by Elon Musk's Starlink network began to make visible gains in the war against Iran, senior SpaceX officials reached a conclusion: The P...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk holds a mobile phone as he arrives to attend a state banquet with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026. Evan Vucci | Reuters As U.S. kamikaze drones guided by Elon Musk's Starlink network began to make visible gains in the war against Iran, senior SpaceX officials reached a conclusion: The Pentagon should be paying more for access to their satellite Wi-Fi network. Within weeks of the United States launching its bombing campaign, SpaceX executives met Pentagon officials and argued the military had been paying about $5,000 for connection per terminal while effectively using a higher tier of service worth closer to $25,000, according to two sources familiar with the matter and Pentagon documents reviewed by Reuters. The disagreement over Starlink's use on LUCAS suicide drones — a cheap U.S. model comparable to Iran's Shahed that can circle over a target area before diving to detonate on impact — is part of increasing tensions between SpaceX and the Pentagon over Starlink pricing in recent months, according to interviews with five people familiar with the matter and the documents. The Pentagon, which is seeking to help Iranian citizens bypass government-imposed communications blackouts, has also been at odds with SpaceX over pricing for a plan to provide the populace direct-to-cell connections with Starlink akin to 5G service, two of the sources said. The ongoing disputes, which have not previously been reported, underscore how the Pentagon's growing reliance on SpaceX is handing Musk greater leverage over a critical layer of U.S. national security — at a time when SpaceX is seeking to boost revenue ahead of an IPO next month that could be among the biggest in history. Unlike consumer Starlink terminals available at stores including Walmart , SpaceX sells a military-specific version called Starshield to the Pentagon under a 2023 agreement. Starshield terminals can...
The European Central Bank will probably raise its quarterly projection for inflation next month as the Iran war keeps energy prices elevated, Chief Economist Philip Lane told Nikkei in remarks published Monday. “We are likely to make a further upward adjustment to the inflation forecast in June,” the Irish official said in the interview , which was conducted on May 19. “It is also true that oil pr...
The European Central Bank will probably raise its quarterly projection for inflation next month as the Iran war keeps energy prices elevated, Chief Economist Philip Lane told Nikkei in remarks published Monday. “We are likely to make a further upward adjustment to the inflation forecast in June,” the Irish official said in the interview , which was conducted on May 19. “It is also true that oil prices are likely to remain elevated for longer compared with our March assumptions.” The ECB currently predicts inflation for 2026 of 2.6%. Bloomberg’s most recent monthly survey of economists sees consumer prices advancing by 2.9% this year. Lane said he and his colleagues “expect indirect effects beyond energy prices,” warning that an energy shock shifting into a broader inflation problem would be a “major issue.” Markets foresee a quarter-point hike in the deposit rate to 2.25% on June 11, with Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel saying in a separate interview released Monday that she backs such a move. Lane wouldn’t be drawn, however, on the outcome of next month’s meeting. “In a world of uncertainty, we do not pre-commit,” he said, highlighting three potential rate-path scenarios already outlined by President Christine Lagarde in March. “First, if the energy supply shock is small and temporary, we can look through it.” “Second, if it is persistent but medium-sized, some interest rate response may be appropriate but it would be limited and not a full tightening cycle.” “Third, if the shock becomes large and broadens out in a non-linear way, then a stronger monetary policy response would be needed.” “We are currently assessing the magnitude of the shock,” he said. “The longer the conflict continues, the less likely the most benign scenario.” ECB Likely to Revise Its Inflation Outlook in June, Lagarde Says ECB Should Increase Interest Rates in June, Schnabel Says ECB Faces Pressure to Hike as Iran War Feeds Prices, Kocher Says ECB Hike May Be Inevitable to Keep Credibil...
England could break May heat record again with 35C possible in some areas It comes after the UK recorded its hottest May day on record as part of London reached 34.8C on Monday.
England could break May heat record again with 35C possible in some areas It comes after the UK recorded its hottest May day on record as part of London reached 34.8C on Monday.
Wall Street firms are paying two highly sought-after trainers in finance $25,000 a day to tell bankers what’s missing from their AI plans. Matthew Bloxham of Bloomberg Intelligence has more. (Source: Bloomberg)
Wall Street firms are paying two highly sought-after trainers in finance $25,000 a day to tell bankers what’s missing from their AI plans. Matthew Bloxham of Bloomberg Intelligence has more. (Source: Bloomberg)
The court of appeal will review the non-custodial sentences given to three teenage boys for the rape of two girls, Keir Starmer has announced. The boys, two of whom were 15 and one aged 14 at the time of sentencing, were given youth rehabilitation orders after the judge in the case said he wanted to “avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily” and support their reintegration into society. Th...
The court of appeal will review the non-custodial sentences given to three teenage boys for the rape of two girls, Keir Starmer has announced. The boys, two of whom were 15 and one aged 14 at the time of sentencing, were given youth rehabilitation orders after the judge in the case said he wanted to “avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily” and support their reintegration into society. The decision prompted a public outcry, with the MP Jess Phillips, the former minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, claiming the sentences were “unduly lenient” and sent a “bad message”. One of the victims said the outcome felt like a “rock straight in my face”. The office of the attorney general, Richard Hermer KC, previously said it had received multiple complaints about the judge’s decision under the unduly lenient sentences scheme. The prime minister said on Tuesday that it had been decided to refer the decision to the court of appeal, which will review the sentences to determine whether they are appropriate. Starmer said: “There are questions about the sentence. “The attorney general has power to refer a case to a court of appeal if the attorney general thinks that the sentence is too lenient. The attorney general has now exercised that power. “So I can announce that case now will go to a court of appeal … and that is clearly the right outcome.” The prime minister said the case was “really distressing” and that the courage of the girls who came forward about it was humbling. “I think it’s distressing for everybody to see, to hear about,” he said. “The courage, frankly, of the girls to come forward is humbling, but it is distressing. I find it distressing as a politician. I find it distressing as a father.” The sentences relate to the rape of two girls in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024 and January last year. In the first attack a 15-year-old girl was raped by two of the defendants, both aged 14 at the time. In the...