Bond investors are increasingly betting on flexible funds that can buy whatever they like as lofty credit market valuations leave little margin for error. Unconstrained funds have enjoyed a revival after taking a beating during the inflation shock of 2022. In the US, nontraditional bond funds have grown about 6% in size this year, and 18% since the end of 2024, according to Morningstar data. In Eu...
Bond investors are increasingly betting on flexible funds that can buy whatever they like as lofty credit market valuations leave little margin for error. Unconstrained funds have enjoyed a revival after taking a beating during the inflation shock of 2022. In the US, nontraditional bond funds have grown about 6% in size this year, and 18% since the end of 2024, according to Morningstar data. In Europe, assets in global flexible bond funds have grown almost 10% this year. One of the world’s largest managers is tapping the demand with a new so-called go-anywhere fund: Pacific Investment Management Co ’s latest offering can invest in just about anything rather than being tied to an index. It is designed for the “more complex global backdrop,” Andrew Balls , one of Pimco’s portfolio managers, wrote last week when it was launched to international investors. The increasing size of this buyer base comes as tight valuations in the credit market — now almost fully recovered from the impact of the Iran war — leave investors more vulnerable to sudden selloffs. Money managers with the freedom to buy any bond, often with a focus on corporate debt, are becoming more alluring than those offering cheaper index-trackers, which may hold undesirable assets purely to mirror the market. Read more: Go-Anywhere Bond Funds Stage a Comeback as Bold Bets Pay Off The risk was underscored Wednesday, when credit-default swap spreads widened after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was over. The cost of protecting against defaults rose from near post-financial crisis lows in Europe and the US. Iain Stealey , who helps run an unconstrained bond fund for JPMorgan Chase & Co’s money management arm, said he was uncertain whether the latest flare-up in the Middle East was “just a skirmish” but the volatility bolstered his case for owning what he wants. “We’re in a world where there is going to be the odd hiccup out there,” said Stealey, international chief investment officer for f...
SmileStudioAP/iStock via Getty Images High-Quality Dividend Stock Investable Universe On September 1, 2024, I started tracking an investable universe of what I believe to be 50 high-quality dividend growth stocks. You can find out more about the formation of this investable universe in the original article . The goal for this investable universe is to identify high-quality companies and track them...
SmileStudioAP/iStock via Getty Images High-Quality Dividend Stock Investable Universe On September 1, 2024, I started tracking an investable universe of what I believe to be 50 high-quality dividend growth stocks. You can find out more about the formation of this investable universe in the original article . The goal for this investable universe is to identify high-quality companies and track them to identify opportune entry points. As share prices swing up and down and business fundamentals change daily, my custom tracking tool updates the valuation ratings for each stock and helps me figure out where to focus my attention. The investable universe started the year strong, outperforming the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust ( SPY ) in January and February, then between March and May it struggled, but the tide has turned in June. Year-to-date through month-end June, the universe is up 8.69%, while SPY is up 10.10% . For additional perspective, I compare the universe to the Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF ( SCHD ); the fund has enjoyed a very strong run in 2026; through month-end June, it is up 17.50% and outperforming SPY and my universe. Here are cumulative returns since 1/1/25: Investable Universe: +20.15 %. SPY: +28.81 %. SCHD: +19.05%. The universe as a whole is performing well but still trailing SPY, however several individual companies within the universe have enjoyed a strong run during the last 18 months. Here are the top 10 performers from the universe since inception: Lam Research Corporation ( LRCX ) +504.21% KLA Corporation ( KLAC ) +383.35% Applied Materials, Inc. ( AMAT ) +349.36% Amphenol ( APH ) 155.89% Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. ( MPWR ) +135.03% Eli Lilly ( LLY ) 56.82% Mueller Industries ( MLI ) 56.30% NetEase ( NTES ) +47.33% Lincoln Electric ( LECO ) +43.57% Ross Stores, Inc. ( ROST ) +42.13% Below is an update for this investable universe as of July 8, 2026. Investable Universe Let's start with a snapshot of the full investable universe, inc...
The Egyptian FA lodges a complaint with Fifa and demands an investigation into "double standards" of officiating in the controversial defeat by Argentina.
The Egyptian FA lodges a complaint with Fifa and demands an investigation into "double standards" of officiating in the controversial defeat by Argentina.
Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket: Energy stocks — Shares of energy companies were boosted as U.S. oil prices surged after President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is over. Diamondback Energy jumped more than 3%. APA Corporation and Occidental Petroleum were rising more than 2.5%. Chevron was up more than 2% in premarket trading, while Exxon Mobil rose 1.5%. Cru...
Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket: Energy stocks — Shares of energy companies were boosted as U.S. oil prices surged after President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is over. Diamondback Energy jumped more than 3%. APA Corporation and Occidental Petroleum were rising more than 2.5%. Chevron was up more than 2% in premarket trading, while Exxon Mobil rose 1.5%. Cruise lines, airlines — Meanwhile, companies that are exposed heavily to fuel prices fell as oil rose. Carnival Corporation was off 3.5%, while Norwegian Cruise Line tumbled 3%. United Airlines also fell 3%, while Delta Air Lines declined nearly 2%. SpaceX — The stock bucked the sell-off trend in premarket trading on Wednesday as it rose just under 0.5%, rebounding slightly from it's more than 6.5% decline on Tuesday. SpaceX at Tuesday's close fell below its IPO first-trade price of $150. Memory stocks — The sell-off in the sector continued on Wednesday, with names across the board lower. Sandisk was off more than 5.5%, while Western Digital fell 5%. Micron Technology declined 4.5%, and Seagate Technology was lower by 3.5%. Bath & Body Works — The retailer fell more than 4% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to sell from neutral. Analysts at the bank said the company's expansion into third-party distribution could cannibalize its own retail business. Estee Lauder — The beauty manufacturer declined 2% after it revealed in a regulatory filing that it's estimated costs for its restructuring plans now total $1.75 billion. Previous estimates from the company estimated the costs to be around $1.55 billion. Rivian Automotive — Shares of the electric vehicle manufacturer were off nearly 4% after the stock suffered its worst day since February 2024 on Tuesday. Rivian declined 18% after the company announced a public offering of 75 million shares of its stock to raise capital.
Monty Rakusen/DigitalVision via Getty Images My portfolio analysis strategy has been to group individual investment selections together by a singular overriding investment goal, and the ‘bucket’ approach works well. My buckets are titled Cash and Equivalents, Bonds and 3rd Party Trusts (preferred stocks backed by bonds), Equities Bought Primarily for Capital Gains, and Equities Bought Primarily fo...
Monty Rakusen/DigitalVision via Getty Images My portfolio analysis strategy has been to group individual investment selections together by a singular overriding investment goal, and the ‘bucket’ approach works well. My buckets are titled Cash and Equivalents, Bonds and 3rd Party Trusts (preferred stocks backed by bonds), Equities Bought Primarily for Capital Gains, and Equities Bought Primarily for Income. While simplistic, this analysis helps in focusing on the goal of the investment, as it is prudent to analyze the performance of an oil and gas royalty MLP, like Dorchester Minerals ( DMLP ), which focuses on generating income, to other income selections rather than to a selection bought primarily for capital gains, such as Microsoft ( MSFT ). TransDigm Group ( TDG ) has been a core holding in the Capital Gains bucket since it was first discovered in early 2021. SA has published 2 previous commentaries on TDG - TransDigm: A Macbeth Inflation Fighter With Unique Business Model in May 2021 and TransDigm: Unique Business Model Drives Profit Margins in Dec 2025. According to SA calculations, since May 2021, TDG has generated a total return of 169% vs the S&P 500’s total return of 82%, and since Dec 19, 2025 has rewarded shareholders with a 4.8% total return vs S&P 600 at 9.6%. Who is TransDigm? TransDigm Group is an industrial manufacturer supplying highly engineered and proprietary components for aerospace applications. TDG manufactures a wide assortment of parts for aircrafts, such as pumps, ignition systems, actuators, flight controls, seatbelts, and cabin equipment. According to their website , almost all commercial and military aircraft platforms in the skies today contain TDG manufactured parts. Taking a page out of the Warren Buffet ( BRK.B ) playbook, TransDigm is structured as a holding company with 55 independent operated business units. The holding company level determines broader issues, such as acquisitions, capital investments, and leverage. TransDigm foc...
Kevin Warsh, incoming chairman of the US Federal Reserve, during a swearing-in ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, May 22, 2026. Yuri Gripas | Bloomberg | Getty Images Divided Federal Reserve officials indicated at their last meeting that they will address persistent inflation this year with one interest rate hike. History, though, suggests that policymak...
Kevin Warsh, incoming chairman of the US Federal Reserve, during a swearing-in ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, May 22, 2026. Yuri Gripas | Bloomberg | Getty Images Divided Federal Reserve officials indicated at their last meeting that they will address persistent inflation this year with one interest rate hike. History, though, suggests that policymakers will have a hard time stopping there. In fact, there have been few instances over the past 35 years or so when the Fed has only made one rate move, be it up or down. Rather, the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee tends to move in rate cycles, where it adjusts policy multiple times over a period to meet whatever goal it seeks to accomplish. "A lot of people are talking about one rate increase. The committee does not generally do that. I mean, what's the point of that?" former St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard told CNBC on Monday. "So, usually it means a tightening cycle, and I think markets are trying to sniff that out right now." Markets will get more clues Wednesday about the Fed's policy direction when the committee releases minutes from its June 16-17 meeting . The summary will provide a glimpse behind the curtain of new Chairman Kevin Warsh's first meeting, which he characterized last month as "a good family fight" on the direction of rates. A history of cycles The last meeting featured an update on participants' views on rates and key economic metrics and a dramatically shortened statement that flatly stated, "The Committee will deliver price stability." In the "dot plot" grid of individual participants' rate expectations, the committee leaned to a hike before the end of 2026 and then one cut each in the next two years. But the FOMC's history is that it rarely makes one-off rate adjustments. In the last cycle, it cut three times in the back half of 2025. Before that, the Fed cut three times in 2024, hiked 11 times between 2022-23 and cut five times betw...
(RTTNews) - Next Hydrogen Solutions (NXH.V, NXHSF), a designer and manufacturer of advanced alkaline electrolyzers, on Wednesday said President and Chief Executive Officer Raveel Afzaal will step down from his role in Fall 2026.
(RTTNews) - Next Hydrogen Solutions (NXH.V, NXHSF), a designer and manufacturer of advanced alkaline electrolyzers, on Wednesday said President and Chief Executive Officer Raveel Afzaal will step down from his role in Fall 2026.
(RTTNews) - Wednesday, Dream Finders Homes, Inc. (DFH) announced the submission of a revised proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. in an all-cash transaction for $32.00 per share, a nearly 24 percent increase from its prior proposal submitted in May
(RTTNews) - Wednesday, Dream Finders Homes, Inc. (DFH) announced the submission of a revised proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. in an all-cash transaction for $32.00 per share, a nearly 24 percent increase from its prior proposal submitted in May
Jon Tetzlaff AerCap ( AER ) signed lease agreements with China Southern Air Logistics' cargo unit for three Boeing 777-300ERSF converted freighter aircraft. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in October 2027, followed by the second and third in Q1 and Q2 2028, respectively. "The introduction of the Boeing 777-300ERSF converted freighters marks a major milestone in the continued evolution...
Jon Tetzlaff AerCap ( AER ) signed lease agreements with China Southern Air Logistics' cargo unit for three Boeing 777-300ERSF converted freighter aircraft. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in October 2027, followed by the second and third in Q1 and Q2 2028, respectively. "The introduction of the Boeing 777-300ERSF converted freighters marks a major milestone in the continued evolution of our fleet. These aircraft will provide strong support for our strategy to expand intercontinental routes, enabling us to deliver superior service to customers worldwide." said Li Xiao , Chairman, CSA Logistics. More on AerCap AerCap: The Underperformer Everyone May Be Mispricing AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript AerCap Holdings N.V. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Most and least shorted industrial stocks with market caps above $10B as of end-June AerCap prices $900M senior notes offering
Gearstd ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Strategy disclosed its second-quarter portfolio maneuvers on Wednesday, highlighted by a new position in memory chipmaker Micron Technology ( MU ). Although the strategy underperformed for the quarter, it believes benchmark changes, broader market participation, and continued AI infrastructure leadership create a strong setup for alpha generation in the second ...
Gearstd ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Strategy disclosed its second-quarter portfolio maneuvers on Wednesday, highlighted by a new position in memory chipmaker Micron Technology ( MU ). Although the strategy underperformed for the quarter, it believes benchmark changes, broader market participation, and continued AI infrastructure leadership create a strong setup for alpha generation in the second half of 2026. The fund managers noted that semiconductors now account for over 30% of the Russell 1000 Growth Index. ClearBridge views Micron as a strategic, differentiated play to capture upside from the ongoing artificial intelligence infrastructure boom, citing the heightened memory demands of AI data centers compared to traditional computing systems. Beyond the new stake in Micron, the strategy also scaled up several of its core holdings during the quarter, including Alphabet ( GOOGL ), network hardware provider Arista Networks ( ANET ), asset manager Blackstone ( BX ), and electric vehicle giant Tesla ( TSLA ). The strategy also exited a position in Intuit ( INTU ) due to growing concerns that AI could commoditize parts of its tax business. Additionally, it substantially trimmed exposure to Amazon.com ( AMZN ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ). Press release More on Alphabet, Micron, etc. Microsoft: All The Negativity Is My Chance To Get In On The Action (Rating Upgrade) Micron Got Its Final Warning (Rating Downgrade) Micron: Why I Believe This Memory Cycle Isn't Fully Priced In Yet Netflix, Disney, Alphabet's YouTube target 2030 and 2034 World Cup U.S. broadcast rights: report SpaceXAI's Grok continues to lose market share; Meta AI climbs to fourth in US: analysis
If you just saw that America’s retirement “magic number” jumped 15% in a single year, you probably winced at your 401(k) balance. The story behind that number is more nuanced, and more actionable, than the shock value suggests. Americans now believe they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably, up $200,000 from $1.26 million from the ... The ‘Magic Number’ To Retire Comfortably Just Rose 15%. Mos...
If you just saw that America’s retirement “magic number” jumped 15% in a single year, you probably winced at your 401(k) balance. The story behind that number is more nuanced, and more actionable, than the shock value suggests. Americans now believe they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably, up $200,000 from $1.26 million from the ... The ‘Magic Number’ To Retire Comfortably Just Rose 15%. Most Americans Aren’t Even Close.
Certara has announced a partnership with NVIDIA to enhance its AI platform for drug discovery and development by incorporating the NVIDIA BioNeMo Agent Toolkit. This collaboration aims to unify Certara's biosimulation software, regulatory expertise, and datasets with AI-driven agents that provide specialized insights for life sciences. The toolkit enables AI agents to function autonomously, comple...
Certara has announced a partnership with NVIDIA to enhance its AI platform for drug discovery and development by incorporating the NVIDIA BioNeMo Agent Toolkit. This collaboration aims to unify Certara's biosimulation software, regulatory expertise, and datasets with AI-driven agents that provide specialized insights for life sciences. The toolkit enables AI agents to function autonomously, complementing biosimulation models and scientific expertise to accelerate the drug development process...