SARINYAPINNGAM/iStock via Getty Images This article updates my review of August 2025 in light of current holdings and recent performance. HDEF Strategy MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF ( HDEF ) was launched on 8/12/2015 and tracks the MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Index. HDEF has a portfolio of 113 companies, a 30-day SEC yield of 3.43%, a trailing 12-month yield of 3.84%, and a total expe...
SARINYAPINNGAM/iStock via Getty Images This article updates my review of August 2025 in light of current holdings and recent performance. HDEF Strategy MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF ( HDEF ) was launched on 8/12/2015 and tracks the MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Index. HDEF has a portfolio of 113 companies, a 30-day SEC yield of 3.43%, a trailing 12-month yield of 3.84%, and a total expense ratio of 0.09%. Distributions are paid quarterly. The methodology starts from the MSCI EAFE Index, a developed markets universe excluding the U.S. and Canada. As described in the prospectus by the sponsor DWS , the underlying index excludes REITs and selects stocks with… …higher dividend income and quality characteristics than average dividend yields of equities in the parent index, where such higher dividend income and quality characteristics are both sustainable and persistent. Companies with deteriorating fundamentals that may force them to reduce dividends are filtered out by quality screens. The index is weighted based on free float-adjusted market capitalization and rebalanced semi-annually. Besides the selected equities, the fund may hold derivatives, in particular futures. The portfolio turnover rate was 22% in the most recent fiscal year and 26% in the previous year. I will use as a benchmark the parent index, represented by the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF ( EFA ). HDEF Portfolio The fund is mostly invested in large and mega-cap companies (84% of asset value), with a focus on Europe (79%). The heaviest countries are Switzerland (20.8%), the U.K. (17.2%), and France (13.2%). Other countries weigh no more than 10%. Compared to the benchmark, HDEF mostly overweights Switzerland and greatly downplays Japan. HDEF top countries (chart: author; data: DWS, iShares) The portfolio has a focus on financials (27.5%) and notable exposure in healthcare (16.9%) and consumer staples (15.4%). Compared to EFA, HDEF overweight defensive sectors and energy, while it almost ignores techn...
Mitchell Caplan, CEO of Willow Wealth, discusses the evolving landscape of private market investing for individual investors. Caplan highlighted the trend of companies staying private longer, which has shifted significant wealth creation to the private phase before IPOs, citing examples like SpaceX and other mature private companies. He speaks with Romaine Bostick & Katie Greifeld on "The Close." ...
Mitchell Caplan, CEO of Willow Wealth, discusses the evolving landscape of private market investing for individual investors. Caplan highlighted the trend of companies staying private longer, which has shifted significant wealth creation to the private phase before IPOs, citing examples like SpaceX and other mature private companies. He speaks with Romaine Bostick & Katie Greifeld on "The Close." (Source: Bloomberg)
Good morning . SK Hynix prices its $26.5 billion US share listing. South Korea looks to devote its chip windfall to young people. And Tokyo bar patrons are being forced to pay cash again. Listen to the day’s top stories . Market Snapshot S&P 500 7,543.64 +0.8% Brent Crude Futures $76.04 -2.5% Meta Platforms $631.48 +4.7% Market data as of 05:05 PM ET. Data is subject to provider delays. SK Hynix p...
Good morning . SK Hynix prices its $26.5 billion US share listing. South Korea looks to devote its chip windfall to young people. And Tokyo bar patrons are being forced to pay cash again. Listen to the day’s top stories . Market Snapshot S&P 500 7,543.64 +0.8% Brent Crude Futures $76.04 -2.5% Meta Platforms $631.48 +4.7% Market data as of 05:05 PM ET. Data is subject to provider delays. SK Hynix priced its US listing at $149 per American depositary receipts, people familiar with the matter said. The potential $26.5 billion offering would top Alibaba as the largest ever first-time share sale in the US by a foreign company. Demand approached $200 billion, according to the deal term sheet. Meta Platforms unveiled a version of its most advanced artificial intelligence model, Muse Spark 1.1, that includes a new paid tier for developers , the first time it has charged businesses for access to its models. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said he’s also considering whether some of Meta’s AI infrastructure may be more valuable if rented to outsiders . The US military said it struck about 90 Iranian targets overnight to degrade the Islamic Republic’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran reported strikes on the perimeter of a nuclear power plant and two railway bridges connecting the capital to the city of Mashhad, the site of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s burial . China Climate Plan Pushes Renewables in Factories, Data Centers Read more Taiwan is bracing for Typhoon Bavi , closing Taipei schools and the stock exchange. The storm has already dropped torrential rains in China and is forecast to cross the coast of Fujian province Saturday. It may ease in intensity as it interacts with Taiwan’s landmass on its approach to mainland China, but still poses a formidable threat. Indonesia officially launched its 50% palm-diesel blend , an initiative to divert more palm oil for domestic use while reducing reliance on imported fuel. The government e...
Harry Brook hit an unbeaten 79 to guide England to a nine-wicket win against India in Bristol, to go 3-0 in the five match series and secure their first T20 series win against the tourists.
Harry Brook hit an unbeaten 79 to guide England to a nine-wicket win against India in Bristol, to go 3-0 in the five match series and secure their first T20 series win against the tourists.
MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images Every so often, I decide to make a concerted effort to better understand an industry that I did not have significant exposure to in the past. In 2023, for instance, it was the banking sector. This year, I decided it would be for-profit education. I have analyzed multiple companies in the industry. But one of them that I have not looked at until now i...
MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images Every so often, I decide to make a concerted effort to better understand an industry that I did not have significant exposure to in the past. In 2023, for instance, it was the banking sector. This year, I decided it would be for-profit education. I have analyzed multiple companies in the industry. But one of them that I have not looked at until now is Grand Canyon Education, Inc. ( LOPE ). With a market capitalization of $3.81 billion, the company is a pretty sizable player out there. It generates meaningful revenue and has achieved steady and consistent growth on the top and bottom lines. This year, it looks set to continue that expansion. This is great in and of itself. However, my one problem with the company is that it's not quite cheap enough to be all that attractive to me. I don't mean that by a long shot. In fact, I struggled with whether to rate this a ‘buy’ or ‘hold.’ But at the end of the day, I believe that taking the more cautious approach and rating it a ‘hold’ is the right move. Of course, I'm willing to admit that I could be wrong. In fact, I would prefer that I am. I always love to see companies succeed. The good news is that we will soon have a chance to see how well my thesis is playing out. I say this because, after the market closes on July 30th, management will be announcing financial results for the second quarter of the company's 2026 fiscal year. As we approach that date, analysts are optimistic about revenue and profitability both rising. But unless something major and unexpected comes out of the woodwork, I don't think that upgrading the stock is likely. Learning More About Grand Canyon Education According to the management team at Grand Canyon Education, the company operates as an education services company that serves colleges and universities. It has developed technological solutions, infrastructure and operational processes, and more, in order to provide services to institutions at scale....
Four Corners Property Trust ( FCPT ) announced the acquisition of a Gerber Collision property for $4.8M. The company highlighted the property is newly constructed and located in a strong retail corridor in Texas and corporate-operated under a net lease with approximately four years of term remaining. The firm added the transaction was priced at a 7.0% cap rate, including rent credits received at c...
Four Corners Property Trust ( FCPT ) announced the acquisition of a Gerber Collision property for $4.8M. The company highlighted the property is newly constructed and located in a strong retail corridor in Texas and corporate-operated under a net lease with approximately four years of term remaining. The firm added the transaction was priced at a 7.0% cap rate, including rent credits received at closing and exclusive of transaction costs. Source: press release More on Four Corners Property Trust Four Corners Property: Buy This Undervalued Net Lease REIT Four Corners Property Trust, Inc. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Four Corners Property Trust, Inc. (FCPT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript FCPT acquires Gerber Collision property for $3.5M FCPT signals $200M term loan deployment through Q3 as it targets 5.4x run-rate leverage
Panama7/iStock via Getty Images Bausch + Lomb ( BLCO ) said it would end development of BL1107, an eye drop for glaucoma, after the candidate missed its primary goal in a phase 2 study. BL1107 did not lead to visual function improvements after 28 days of treatment. In a smaller phase 1/2a study, improvement was seen. However, the company said it will continue to pursue the asset as a s ustained-re...
Panama7/iStock via Getty Images Bausch + Lomb ( BLCO ) said it would end development of BL1107, an eye drop for glaucoma, after the candidate missed its primary goal in a phase 2 study. BL1107 did not lead to visual function improvements after 28 days of treatment. In a smaller phase 1/2a study, improvement was seen. However, the company said it will continue to pursue the asset as a s ustained-release implant for geographic atrophy. Trials for that indication are expected to start in 2028. More on Bausch + Lomb Bausch + Lomb Corporation (BLCO) Presents at Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript Bausch + Lomb Corporation (BLCO) Discusses Project Halo and Myopia Control Developments in Vision Care Transcript Bausch + Lomb Corporation (BLCO) Discusses Project Halo and Myopia Control Developments in Vision Care - Slideshow Most and least shorted mid- to mega-cap healthcare stocks at the end of May Jazz, AstraZeneca, Astellas: Foreign Healthcare's strongest Quant picks
US President Donald Trump’s negative portrayal of China’s achievements in renewable energy began at a White House meeting with oil executives on January 9 and was amplified at the World Economic Forum later that month. The story he told was shaped more by domestic politics than fact – a narrative that has lingered through subsequent debates over China’s alleged clean-energy “overcapacity”. While s...
US President Donald Trump’s negative portrayal of China’s achievements in renewable energy began at a White House meeting with oil executives on January 9 and was amplified at the World Economic Forum later that month. The story he told was shaped more by domestic politics than fact – a narrative that has lingered through subsequent debates over China’s alleged clean-energy “overcapacity”. While such rhetoric might rally support in the American Midwest, it does not withstand scrutiny. Trump’s...
Activist investor Donerail Group is urging the board of Beazer Homes USA Inc. to engage with potential buyers after rival homebuilder Dream Finders Homes Inc. boosted its takeover offer this week. Donerail, in a letter published Thursday, said DFH’s latest offer of $32-a-share cash bid is “a more than sufficiently attractive offer price” for Beazer’s board to grant DFH and any other credible buyer...
Activist investor Donerail Group is urging the board of Beazer Homes USA Inc. to engage with potential buyers after rival homebuilder Dream Finders Homes Inc. boosted its takeover offer this week. Donerail, in a letter published Thursday, said DFH’s latest offer of $32-a-share cash bid is “a more than sufficiently attractive offer price” for Beazer’s board to grant DFH and any other credible buyers full access to the information required to do due diligence. The investor, who said it’s one of Beazer’s largest shareholders, said it supported Beazer board’s decision in May to reject DFH’s earlier offer. “We believe the situation has fundamentally shifted,” Will Wyatt , Donerail’s managing partner, wrote in the letter. “In our view, rejecting these overtures is no longer warranted.” A representative for Beazer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Beazer rose 1.2% on Thursday in New York, giving the company a market value of about $859 million. The shares are up 55% this year amid the takeover chatter. Bloomberg News reported that Beazer received a new offer from DFH that was roughly 24% higher than a previous proposal of $25.75 a share, which it rejected. The new bid values Beazer at about $875 million. Beazer said it’s also received interest from other potential suitors. Beazer said in May that it has rejected multiple offers from DFH that it said undervalued the company and weren’t in the best interest of shareholders. Donerail said it has a cautious view that Beazer can meaningfully grow its earnings as a standalone company, particularly when weighed against risks in the current macro environment. It added that it believed Beazer was reluctant to engage with DFH because past offers were at a significant discount to the company’s book value per share of $41.83. Donerail said it was surprised to learn that Beazer has declined to offer DFH a bespoke confidentiality and standstill agreement. Beazer previously told DFH that a suitor would have to sign an ...
The dollar index (DXY00 ) fell by -0.08% on Thursday. The dollar moved lower on Thursday as strength in stocks reduced liquidity demand for the currency. Also, Thursday’s -2% fall in crude oil prices lowered inflation expectations and could prompt the Fed to ease monetary policy, a bearish factor for...
The dollar index (DXY00 ) fell by -0.08% on Thursday. The dollar moved lower on Thursday as strength in stocks reduced liquidity demand for the currency. Also, Thursday’s -2% fall in crude oil prices lowered inflation expectations and could prompt the Fed to ease monetary policy, a bearish factor for...