Panuwat Dangsungnoen/iStock via Getty Images Being bullish right now feels somewhat contrarian again. At least, that's what the latest AAII sentiment survey data suggests. AAII Sentiment Survey Here is what I find interesting about this survey. There seems to be a lag for sentiment to catch up with the markets. For example, the table above shows that bearishness was still dominant between the April 1 and April 15 data points, even though the market had already started to move off the March 30 lows: Guidance Terminal By April 15, the SPY was already up double digits. However, with this example, I am not saying the setup today is clean. In fact, this week, the main thing keeping me from getting too comfortable in my sleep is the long end of the U.S. Treasury curve. Overall, I see a large disconnect between the 2-year yield, which is currently sitting around 4.09%, while the Fed funds rate remains in the 3.50% to 3.75% range. How is new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh going to build a rate cut case with the 2-year yield over 4%? This is why I am now paying close attention (again) to the geopolitical side of the story. To be clear, I haven't checked the news on the Middle East conflict lately, as I've been busy researching and buying AI bottleneck themes. However, I do not believe the timing of President Trump’s comments about U.S.-Iran negotiations being in the “final stages” was at a random point in time. In this piece, I discuss why and what I am doing about it. What's Keeping Me Up at Night Lately By far, the No. 1 factor I’m closely monitoring right now is the long end of the U.S. Treasury curve. Earlier this week, the U.S. 30-year Treasury yield rose to about 5.18%, the highest in 19 years! To my relief, it has declined to 5.08% since last Tuesday, but I'm not sure if the peak is behind us. Why? Well, from a technical perspective, the chart looks anything but encouraging, with a clear uptrend since the 2020 lows. Seeking Alpha | US 30Y Treasury Yield The chart that really m...

“An ongoing culture war”: AI is driving up the cost of key gaming components as Big Tech leaves the gaming industry, once an inseparable ally, in the dust.

I think the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEARCA: VGT) is the poster child for why investors should let winners run. If you were able to hold this ETF through the sizable volatility that comes with a concentrated technology sector investment, you would have earned a 24.09% annualized return over the trailing 10 years. The ETF ... Vanguard’s 8-for-1 Split Made VGT Look Cheaper. For Retirees Sitting on Decades of Tech Gains, the Passive Income Math Just Got More Interesting.

法国禁止以色列国家安全部长入境 2026-05-23 20:28:09 来源： 同花顺7x24快讯 分享 法国外交部长巴罗23日在社交媒体发文说，自即日起，以色列国家安全部长本-格维尔被禁止进入法国领土。巴罗还呼吁欧盟也对本-格维尔采取制裁措施。(新华社)

koto_feja/E+ via Getty Images Investment Thesis The US government announced a landmark $2B sovereign funding scheme that will see the US Commerce Dept. invest $2B worth of grants and equity throughout America’s quantum computing industry. The news, confirmed by the DoC (US Commerce Dept.) via NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), a non-regulatory federal agency within the DoC, serves as one of the single biggest catalysts for America’s quantum computing industry. The US DoC’s $2B venture fund will be distributed among 9 American companies in exchange for equity. 7 of 9 beneficiaries are pure-play quantum computing companies that solely operate in the quantum computing ecosystem. Rigetti Computing ( RGTI ) and D-Wave Quantum ( QBTS ) are two of the pure-play beneficiaries of the US DoC’s $2B quantum venture grant. Of the two companies, I believe D-Wave Computing’s shares look relatively more appealing than Rigetti Computing’s. I maintain my Buy rating on D-Wave Computing while also maintaining my Hold rating on Rigetti Computing. What Uncle Sam’s $2B Investment Means For Quantum? The news about the US govt.’s sovereign investment into the quantum ecosystem was first reported by the WSJ and later confirmed by the NIST agency . After reading the NIST’s official announcement, I concluded that the US Govt. has three broad-based objectives it aims to achieve by investing in America’s quantum industry. I borrowed excerpts from the announcement that I believe are quite self-explanatory: to accelerate solving the most critical technology challenges in the race to develop utility scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers. to strengthening American leadership in emerging technologies by investing directly in advanced manufacturing, research, and microelectronics innovation. In my opinion, these investments signal to just about every global stakeholder in emerging and breakthrough technologies that the US govt. is seriously looking at America’s quantum industry a...

Bloomberg News White House Correspondent Kate Sullivan joined David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss the most recent updates on Iran, including President Trump canceling his weekend plans to stay in DC. (Source: Bloomberg)

格隆汇5月23日｜丹麦看守首相弗雷德里克森：将于周日开始下一轮联盟谈判。

In this article NVDA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., speaks during a Bloomberg Television interview on the sidelines of the Dell Technologies World Annual Convention event in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Monday, May 18, 2026. Photographer: Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Saturday that his forecast of a $200 billion market for CPUs includes China, signaling Nvidia still sees significant long-term demand in the market amid ongoing U.S.-China technology tensions. Central processing units have taken center stage as companies and businesses gravitate towards agentic AI — systems that perform autonomous functions — broadening demand beyond graphics processing units, or GPUs, that are used to train large models. Huang on Wednesday aimed to assure investors that the world's most valuable company can keep up its blockbuster growth with the help of a broad base of customers and that new products will help it beat the $1 trillion in sales it has forecast for its flagship AI chips. During an earnings call on Wednesday, Huang said Nvidia's new "Vera" central processors give it access to a new $200 billion market. Speaking to reporters upon arrival in Taipei on Saturday and asked if that forecast included China, he said: "I would think so." H200 chips Nvidia has received licenses from the U.S. government to sell its H200 chips but has not received approval from Chinese officials who are fostering China's own chip suppliers. U.S. President Donald Trump's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this month produced no immediate breakthrough for Nvidia to sell H200 chips. Huang was also there as part of the U.S. delegation. Reuters reported last week that the U.S. has cleared around 10 Chinese firms to buy Nvidia's second-most powerful AI chip, the H200, but not a single delivery has been made so far. "H200 has been licensed to ship ...

炸魚薯條是英國傳統美食，但當地的炸魚薯條店近年經營壓力不斷增加。有店主為了留住食客，想盡辦法控制成本、降低售價。 金黃酥脆的炸漿包裹鮮嫩魚肉，配上即炸的薯條就成為英國最具代表性的傳統美食炸魚薯條。不過這份「國民美食」如今價格越來越不「親民」。 倫敦這間炸魚薯條店2011年開業時，一份炸黑線鱈配薯條只售約6英鎊，折合約63港元，現在一份套餐售價高達逾15英鎊，即約165港元。 有顧客稱若再加價，可能不再來吃。 一名炸魚薯條店常客稱︰「如果超過20英鎊，那我就不來了，因為如果只有一個人吃還好，但如果你有兩三個孩子和一個老婆，那可是一筆不小的開銷。」 老闆就表示，自俄烏戰事爆發後，能源價格上漲，令他經營成本急增，但每次加價又會流失客人，正經歷前所未有的壓力。 炸魚薯條店創辦人卡魯拉指出︰「眾所周知自俄烏戰爭以來物價飛漲，我們的天然氣和電費比以前貴約三倍，我們不能把所有成本都轉嫁給顧客，我們必須自己承擔一部分成本，否則我們很容易就能提高價格，然而每次提價，我們都會失去顧客。」 炸魚薯條的主要食材價格亦飆升。為了保護海洋生態，巴倫支海鱈魚捕撈配額大幅縮減，從2019年100萬公噸，降至今年28.5萬公噸，供應緊張令鱈魚價格上漲。 為了留住顧客，不少店舖作出調整，除了傳統鱈魚和黑線鱈外，這間炸魚薯條店還會選用價格相對便宜的魚，又推出分量較小的套餐，以降成本、避免售價太貴。 英國炸魚薯條行業協會表示，由於經營壓力不斷增加，全國炸魚薯條店近年已從逾3萬間，銳減到9,000間。英國政府表示，明白大眾對炸魚薯條店的重視，承諾啟動紓困方案，保住這個「國寶級」美食。

Source: Bloomberg, 0:00

Octavio Parra/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Summary I believe Pop Mart ( POPMF ) is a one-hit wonder with the Labubu character and the consumer craze for this figurine has already peaked in summer 2025. Falling prices in the secondary market for the figurine, a collapse in online searches for Labubu and most importantly slowing revenue lead me to believe the stock has further room to fall with no catalysts. Given that EBITDA forecasts are only calling for mid-teens growth over the next three years, following triple-digit growth in 2025, optimism is not high that the company can return to its previous periods of explosive growth even as Pop Mart tries to diversify into other IP and into other businesses such as movies and theme parks. I have a SELL rating on the stock. Company background Pop Mart International is listed in Hong Kong under ticker 9992 and in the US OTC under code POPMF. Pop Mart produces designer figurines that are sold in blind boxes where the specific toy is not revealed until the box is opened. The products were initially first sold in China but have since then branched out globally. In the US, each box sells for about $20 . The figurines are sold in stand-alone stores, pop-up stores, and vending machines. As of the end of 2025, Pop Mart operated 630 stores globally in addition to having an online outlet. Popular Pop Mart characters are designed by very select artists and such characters include Molly, Dimoo and Labubu. The Labubu character is the primary driver of sales. In addition to self-developed characters and IP, Pop Mart collaborates with other studios such as Disney and Warner Brothers to create crossover character figurines. Outside of toys, the company is expanding into other products such as movies based on company IP, plushies, larger sized toys, accessories and home furnishings. Labubu (Pop Mart) Labubu (Pop Mart) Harry Potter cross over (Pop Mart) Pop Mart's share price surged in 2025 by 2.3x due to the rising popularity of its d...

Key Points ServiceNow stock has tumbled off its highs over fears of competition from AI. The sell-off comes as the company's Now Assist AI product is seeing rapid adoption. ServiceNow processes 7 trillion transactions annually, underscoring a valuable edge in data. 10 stocks we like better than ServiceNow › ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) has been one of the hardest-hit names in this year's rotation out of software. Shares are down about 60% from their prior highs as investors worry that artificial intelligence (AI) could disrupt enterprise software. But the company's first-quarter results were solid, and management continues to frame ServiceNow as the operating system that will control, secure, and monitor AI agents. While there are uncertainties about the long-term impact of AI on the software market, I think Wall Street is likely underestimating ServiceNow's value to enterprises. 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 » Demand for ServiceNow's AI product is growing rapidly There's no mistaking ServiceNow's momentum heading into 2026. In the first quarter, subscription revenue grew 19% year over year to nearly $3.7 billion on a constant-currency basis. That beat expectations and led management to raise its full-year outlook. ServiceNow now expects full-year subscription revenue (adjusted for currency changes) to increase 20.5% to 21%. These strong results partly reflect the demand for Now Assist. The company's flagship AI product is generating $1 billion in annual revenue and is on track to reach $1.5 billion by year-end. That growth matters because it speaks to ServiceNow's competitive position. Now Assist is being integrated into ServiceNow's automation engine, Action Fabric, effectively turning Now Assist into the AI brain behind tasks across the platform. In 2025, 91% of net new annual contrac...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Scott Pomeroy Chief Financial Officer — Brooke Turk Chief Executive Officer, DroneNerds — Jeremy Schneiderman Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Revenue Guidance -- Management expects full-year sales of approximately $160 million or greater, representing what they state is a meaningful step up due to the full inclusion of DroneNerds' operations. -- Management expects full-year sales of approximately $160 million or greater, representing what they state is a meaningful step up due to the full inclusion of DroneNerds' operations. Gross Margin Projection -- Company projects gross margins for the year in the 19%-21% range, explicitly guiding for margin expansion alongside revenue growth. -- Company projects gross margins for the year in the 19%-21% range, explicitly guiding for margin expansion alongside revenue growth. EBITDA Margin Expectation -- EBITDA margins are projected between 9%-10% for the year, with management indicating further improvement as the year progresses. -- EBITDA margins are projected between 9%-10% for the year, with management indicating further improvement as the year progresses. Cash Position -- Ended the reporting period with $15.2 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, providing liquidity alongside undrawn capacity on a $20 million asset-based lending facility. -- Ended the reporting period with $15.2 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, providing liquidity alongside undrawn capacity on a $20 million asset-based lending facility. Asset-Based Lending Usage -- Company drew $4.8 million on a $20 million JPMorgan facility, with over $8 million in borrowing base remaining. -- Company drew $4.8 million on a $20 million JPMorgan facility, with over $8 million in borrowing base remaining. EBITDA Improvement -- CFO Turk reported negative EBITDA improved from negative $10 mil...

Brandon Bell/Getty Images News Less than a month before its initial public offering, SpaceX ( SPCX ) launched the largest and most powerful rocket in history in a largely successful test flight that continued halfway across the globe in an hour-long journey on Friday. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he’s taking the company public next month. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through the hourlong spaceflight that stretched halfway around the world. The spacecraft reached its final destination—the Indian Ocean—despite some engine trouble, before erupting in flames upon impact. That last part was not unexpected, according to SpaceX. Musk called it “an epic” launch and landing. “You scored a goal for humanity,” he told his team via X. It’s the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA’s Artemis program. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman flew in for the launch, saying Starship is now one step closer to the moon. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX’s third-generation Starship — a souped-up version dubbed V3 — soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. There was no fireball this time until the very end. The spacecraft plummeted upright into the Indian Ocean under seemingly full control, then toppled over and ignited. While the liftoff itself went well, not all of the engines fired as the booster attempted a controlled return. The spacecraft also had to make do with fewer engines, but kept heading eastward 120 miles (194 kilometers) up. A pair of...

格隆汇5月23日｜法国外交部长表示，自今日起，以色列警察部长伊塔马尔·本-格维尔被禁止进入法国领土。他已要求欧盟对以色列警察部长本-格维尔实施制裁。

hernan4429/iStock via Getty Images The world has not changed much since my last weekend "buy list" article several weeks ago. The Iran conflict is still just "a few days away" from ending. The Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed. Artificial intelligence is still overwhelmingly in the driver's seat of the stock market and economy. The biggest difference came from the April CPI report, which showed inflation making a nasty resurgence. That has triggered a corresponding spike in interest rates across the curve. This hasn't yet caused a selloff in stocks, but if it rates go much higher, it would be surprising if stocks didn't sell off in response. Then again, with capex-fueled earnings growth as strong as it is right now, maybe it is rational that stocks are largely ignoring the spike in inflation and interest rates. Here's my modest agenda for this week: An chart-guided exploration of the resurgence in inflation and interest rates as well as a look at how stocks have ignored it so far. Some commentary on my 3-stock and 3-ETF buy list, which focuses primarily on two growth megatrends. Onward! Inflation & Interest Rates Rebound With A Vengeance Without exaggeration, the fate of the US and world economies lies in a 25-mile-wide strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. As long as the strait stays closed to tanker and container ship traffic, inflationary pressures and upward pressure on inflation will persist. That only gets truer over time as oil inventories are depleted. Daily Chartbook The willingness of both sides in this conflict to resist the other's pressure to capitulate has been surprising. Both sides seem to think that the other will soon cave and agree to the other's demands. The phrase "between a rock and a hard place" feels apt. The inflationary response to the closure of Hormuz has been swift and bigger than expected. To be clear, though, this inflationary spike has been overwhelmingly driven by higher oil prices. Everything else is up only modestly s...

Melius Research raised the firm's price target on AMD (AMD) to $540 from $500 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. While stating that "nothing really emerged as incrementally good from Trump going to China," the analyst feels "incrementally good" about memory and AI semiconductor makers, raising long-term estimates and targets for all of the firm's Buy-rated "bottleneck stocks, including Micron (MU), Sandisk (SNDK), AMD, Intel (INTC), and Marvell (MRVL), as well as Hold-rated Qualcomm (QCOM). The firm continues to believe that semis take market cap, or at least upside, from traditional software companies and non-semis in the Mag 7 long-term, the analyst added.

New Zealand intends to spend about NZ$1.6 billion (US$936 million) on drones, ship maintenance and naval upgrades to bolster the island nation’s maritime security at a time of increasing concern about supply routes. Defence Minister Chris Penk said on Saturday that the government would invest in two types of drones: one for the southwest Pacific to provide long-duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and the other a polar-capable vehicle that could operate from naval vessels in the Southern Ocean. “New Zealand’s prosperity and security depend on the sea,” Penk said in a statement. Recent events have served as a reminder of how quickly disruptions to international shipping routes can affect economies and supply chains Defence Minister Chris Penk “Recent events have served as a reminder of how quickly disruptions to international shipping routes can affect economies and supply chains across the globe. The oceans are not a barrier to danger, but a vital national interest that must be actively secured.” Advertisement New Zealand will hand down its annual budget next week. The government plans to lift defence spending to about two per cent of gross domestic product from around one per cent at present in response to rising geopolitical tensions. Advertisement Penk, who served in both the New Zealand and Australian navies, said earlier this month that the government was open to expanding its frigate fleet from the current two vessels.

Hong Kong’s first astronaut will operate a locally developed observatory that monitors key sources of greenhouse gas emissions on Earth during her time aboard the Tiangong space station, the research team behind the project has said. The imaging equipment could pinpoint the location and intensity of emissions, providing data that could be used to reduce carbon sources in the Greater Bay Area and elsewhere in mainland China, Professor Li Jia of Lingnan University said on Saturday. Payload specialist Lai Ka-ying is part of the three-member Shenzhou-23 team that will blast off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on Sunday and dock with the space station. Advertisement Lai, a computer data specialist, would operate the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory during her month-long stay, Li said. “She has learned how to operate these experimental instruments, and I am very confident in her,” she said. “She sent me a message [on Friday] saying she would take good care of our payload.” Advertisement The payload, which arrived at the space station earlier this month, is being hailed as the world’s first light, high-resolution, high-precision space-based observatory that measures carbon dioxide and methane emitted from Earth.

Maskot/DigitalVision via Getty Images The stock market in 2026 has been dominated by lopsided gains in the semiconductor industry. Investors have chased tremendous capex spending in AI-linked hardware stocks, but valuations are beginning to look precarious, making it more important than ever for us to emphasize valuations in rebalancing our portfolios for the rest of the year. At the moment, I heavily favor the small and mid-cap software stocks that have borne the brunt of this year’s losses. Of course we have to be careful in this space as AI does represent intensifying competition that may erode some of these businesses’ moats over the next few years. That said, companies like Workiva ( WK ) have staying power. The software company, which helps large enterprises with financial and compliance reporting, has seen its share price crash more than 40% since the start of the year. At the same time, the company continues to exhibit steady growth rates. Data by YCharts I last wrote a buy article on Workiva in March , when the stock was trading at $65 per share. While I admit that the timing of my buy call was poor, Workiva continues to be even more appealing in its relentless crash. Strong backlog growth and healthy top line trends directly defy the notion that AI is an existential threat for the company. I reiterate my buy rating here. As is the case for evaluating any software company in the turbulent year 2026, we have to begin our discussion with the SaaSpocalypse itself. Broadly speaking, I view the idea that agentic AI can outright replace all existing software systems is an incredibly oversimplified view of corporate IT structures. I’ve used both ChatGPT, and more recently experimented with Claude Cowork. I’ve been incredibly impressed at the intelligence of these agents, especially the latter’s ability to crunch through huge mounds of data and take immediate, contextual actions. But that said, agents don’t replace the systems and rules that software companies like...

格隆汇5月23日｜乌克兰总参谋部：乌克兰袭击了俄罗斯的谢什卡里斯黑海石油终端和附近的格鲁什诺瓦石油仓库。

Micron Technology, Inc. announced May 22 that it had started manufacturing 1-alpha DRAM computer memory at its Manassas, Virginia, factory. According to the microelectronics company, the new form of computer memory will also constitute a secure domestic supply for long-lifecycle RAM for U.S.-made computers. In a company statement, Micron leadership marked the start of production as a milestone in the company’s plan to invest $200 billion on domestic memory manufacturing and R&D. The company is currently building a new memory factory in New York and a second fabrication site in Idaho. "Today's achievement is an important step in Micron's $200 billion investment plan to expand memory manufacturing and R&D in the U.S.," said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology. "It reflects Micron’s enduring commitment to the customers and industries that depend on long-lifecycle memory for critical applications. We are proud to bring advanced 1α DRAM manufacturing to American soil, strengthening domestic supply for U.S. customers and the global markets we serve. We are grateful to President Trump, U.S. Secretary Lutnick, Ambassador Greer, Governor Spanberger, U.S. Senators Warner and Kaine, Virginia Speaker of the House of Delegates Scott, the Commonwealth of Virginia, General Assembly, Mayor Davis and the City of Manassas, our customers, suppliers, local partners, and communities whose continued support has made this milestone possible." "Micron’s expansion in Manassas is a major step forward for Virginia’s advanced manufacturing sector and for strengthening America’s semiconductor supply chain,” said Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger. “Reliable access to domestically produced memory is critical for a range of industries. This investment supports good-paying jobs across the Commonwealth and reinforces Virginia’s leadership in attracting the technologies and industries that drive our economy and national security.” “We are finally building memory semicondu...

5月23日，长桥证券就近期中国跨境证券业务监管事项作进一步说明。长桥证券表示，香港证监会与中国证监会等内地监管部门近期相继发布了关于跨境证券业务的最新监管要求，对面向内地投资者的相关服务作出了行业层面的统一规范。本次监管规则面向所有境外金融机构。长桥积极响应两地监管指引，将严格按照相关要求稳步推进合规工作。 长桥证券表示，本次监管要求清理的账户范围有限且明确，主要针对两类账户，一是使用可疑或伪造文件开立的投资账户；二是零结余不动投资账户。对于正常合规开立、有真实资产与持仓的客户账户，不在本次清理范围内。长桥坚决支持监管对虚假开户行为零容忍的态度，将严格按照监管要求处理。（证券时报·e公司）

Swiss police are investigating an alleged robbery amid reports that the four-times Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost was injured during a home invasion. The Swiss tabloid Blick reported late on Friday that the 71-year-old Frenchman sustained a head injury from intruders who forced his son to open a safe during the incident on Tuesday morning. “The perpetrators entered the residence while the occupants were present, threatened them, and forced one family member to open a safe before fleeing with the stolen goods,” the public prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “Despite the extensive search operation launched, the perpetrators have not yet been apprehended at this stage.” The police, who did not name the victim, said “several” balaclava-wearing intruders “broke into the house. Once inside, they threatened the occupants and inflicted minor head injuries upon one family member, under circumstances that remain to be established. View image in fullscreen Alain Prost’s McLaren leads teammate Ayrton Senna at Suzuka in 1989 during the Frenchman’s heyday as one of Formula One’s greatest drivers. Photograph: Tsugufumi Matsumoto/AP The perpetrators then forced another family member to open a safe before making their escape with stolen items, a precise inventory of which is currently being compiled.” Blick reported that Prost, who won four world championships between 1985-1993, was “visibly shaken by this brutal intrusion” and that he has left the home in Nyon beside Lake Geneva in the Swiss canton of Vaud.

There has been a lot of chatter in the market that investors need to be careful of memory stocks following their strong performance, despite the stocks in the sector still trading at cheap valuations. The reason for this is that historically, both the DRAM and NAND (flash) markets have been highly cyclical with very large boom and bust cycles. However, it is certainly noteworthy that renowned billionaire investor David Tepper of Appaloosa Management increased his exposure to the sector in Q1, buying shares of both Sandisk (SNDK 3.79%) and Micron Technology (MU 1.23%). Micron is Tepper's second-largest position behind Amazon, and in Q1, he increased his shares by 11%. Meanwhile, Sandisk was a new position, representing around 3% of his portfolio. In fact, it was his only new position in the quarter. Let's look at why Tepper may be attracted to memory stocks even after their strong runs. Sandisk: A NAND pure play Sandisk is the market's only pure-play NAND (flash) memory maker after being spun out of Western Digital last year. The company has benefited from surging demand related to artificial intelligence (AI) and flash memory supply constraints, which have pushed up NAND pricing. NAND is a non-volatile type of memory, which means it retains its data even when the power is turned off. It's slower than volatile DRAM, which loses its data when it is not connected to a power source. As such, NAND is used for longer-term data storage, while DRAM is used for short-term, temporary storage. The NAND market saw a huge surge during the pandemic, as people largely confined to their homes drove a big uptick in electronics sales. However, this led to a pull forward in demand, and once the pandemic was over, the flash memory market crashed to the point where companies had negative gross margins. This caused the big memory makers to cut NAND production and turn more of their resources to the DRAM market. Expand NASDAQ : SNDK Sandisk Today's Change ( -3.79 %) $ -58.49 Current Price...

Morocco Launches Mass Deportations To Block Europe Migration Route: EU's 'Externalization Strategy' Via Middle East Eye Since April 14, Morocco has been conducting large-scale deportation operations targeting sub-Saharan Africans migrating to Europe , reportedly arresting over 100 per day, local sources told Middle East Eye. According to Moroccan human rights groups, around 800 people were detained during coordinated raids in the forests between Fnideq and Belyounech, in the northern tip of the North African state, where many were sheltering before attempting to reach Europe. Tramway rail construction site in Morocco's city of Casablanca, via AFP The operation is still ongoing, with authorities then moving their focus to operations in and around Tangier. Witnesses have described mass arrests, beatings, racist abuse and forced transfers toward the Algerian border. Sudanese and Chadian detainees were bused south and abandoned near border zones, while people from countries including Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Guinea were deported on flights departing Casablanca. The crackdown comes as the European Union has intensified its cooperation with Morocco as part of its border externalization strategy , which is a key component of the bloc’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum set to take effect in June. The EU increasingly outsources immigration enforcement to North African nations with poor human rights records, designating over €900 million within the bloc's Global Europe development instrument to fund stricter migration control , border management and surveillance initiatives across the region. "The EU wants to restrict people’s mobility as far down the route as possible - what officials describe as stopping migration downstream ," Frey Lindsay, a journalist on Statewatch's Outsourcing Borders project, which tracks how the EU outsources migration control, told Middle East Eye. "It's about exerting border control without getting your hands dirty, basically." R...

Key Points Consumer staples companies tend to generate resilient cash flows because their products and services remain in demand across all economic environments. The strength of Dividend Kings and long-term growers comes from structural advantages. Dividend investing works best when you prioritize long-term dividend growth, rather than chasing the highest current yield. 10 stocks we like better than Procter & Gamble › If you are looking for reliable dividend growth in consumer staples, your search should rarely be about headline yield. Your search should focus on the kind of steady, compounding cash flow that can endure across entire economic cycles. Five names stand out right now, and they cover the full range of how a consumer goods dividend can compound over decades. 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 » 1. Coca-Cola The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) approved its 64th consecutive annual dividend increase in February, lifting the annual payout to $2.12 per share from $2.04. The reason this dividend has held up for more than six decades is structural. Coca-Cola sells syrup concentrate to a global network of independent bottlers, which produces high gross margins, low capital intensity, and pricing power even when consumer demand softens. The 2025 to 2026 stretch has also been one of the better periods for revenue per case, as international pricing has held up, and the company has continued to invest in away-from-home channels. The honest risk with Coca-Cola is that its volume growth in developed markets is modest, and weight-loss drugs are starting to influence beverage consumption at the margin. Neither factor has really shown up in the numbers, but both deserve to be monitored. 2. Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) declared its 69th consecutive annual dividend increase in Ap...

U.S. passengers flying from Ebola-affected countries rerouted toggle caption Michal Ruprecht for NPR Early Thursday morning, Michal Ruprecht went to Uganda's Entebbe International Airport at 2AM to catch a flight. At the airline counter, he told the agent that he was headed to Michigan. "He did this sort of double look and asked me, was I sure I was going to Michigan?" he recalls. Ruprecht, a medical student and freelance reporter, was returning home after a month-long reporting trip to Uganda, where he was working on stories for NPR. The man at the counter showed Ruprecht a memo from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "He tells me that I have to arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)," Ruprecht says, "The first thing that was going through my head was denial. I wasn't sure if this was real." Sponsor Message Ruprecht was one of the first passengers to fly under a policy announced just hours before: all Americans who have passed through Uganda, South Sudan or the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the past 21 days must fly into IAD, an airport in a Virginia suburb of Washington, DC. Two additional U.S. airport options were added Friday evening: the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The African countries, the DRC and Uganda, have been hit by a growing Ebola outbreak, which the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. Already, there are 800 suspected cases and more than 180 suspected deaths, according to the WHO. A major component of the U.S. response has been travel restrictions, on those who have recently come through affected countries: routing U.S. citizens to specified entry points, reserving the right to deny entry to permanent residents and barring most others . At the Ugandan airport, Ruprecht frantically rebooked his flights. When he arrived at Dulles airport after 20 hours of travel, he was flagged for extra scre...