Welcome to Bloomberg’s Retail Monitor . Every Friday we’ll deliver you clear insights on industry trends, headwinds and emerging opportunities. Sign up now if you’re not already on the list. We’ve got some good news for a change! At least for Levi Strauss . But bad news for H&M : The company’s struggles continue. An international Cartier auction could generate millions of dollars , a toilet paper ...
Welcome to Bloomberg’s Retail Monitor . Every Friday we’ll deliver you clear insights on industry trends, headwinds and emerging opportunities. Sign up now if you’re not already on the list. We’ve got some good news for a change! At least for Levi Strauss . But bad news for H&M : The company’s struggles continue. An international Cartier auction could generate millions of dollars , a toilet paper warehouse fire may cause a disruption in the US and a Danish bakery deal might happen. Lots of possibilities. Read on for more. — Tonya Garcia Market Snapshot Levi Strauss & Co. $22.76 +4.4% H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB $176.70 +1.7% Kimberly-Clark Corp. $97.96 +1.0% Fast Retailing Co Ltd. $75,540.00 +12% PepsiCo Inc. $157.49 +1.7% Market data as of 09:05 AM ET. Data is subject to provider delays. Levi is putting all its parts to good use There is no shortage of brands if you’re in the market for a pair of jeans. Standing out in a sea of denim is hard, but Levi Strauss is doing just that. The company raised its outlook for the year , reporting strong demand. Shoppers are also making purchases in Levi stores and on the website, with the company ringing up about half of sales in those channels. You may recall that Nike tried to prioritize sales through its direct-to-consumer platforms, only to change course after the intended growth didn’t materialize. So the fact that Levi is finding a way to make this work is worth noting. It also speaks to Levi successfully maintaining a top position in the denim category that it helped pioneer . “We like Levi’s premium denim share leadership,” wrote TD Cowen analysts led by Oliver Chen in a note to clients. Analysts highlighted the company’s focus on “continued product and lifestyle innovation.” In addition to new styles, the company is getting a boost from the popular series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette that’s been credited with helping Calvin Klein’s results . People are really into the ’90s looks on the show and it’s...
supakitmod/iStock via Getty Images Introduction LyondellBasell ( LYB ) has been a great winner since I first started to cover the chemical firm which has appreciated a total of 36% since my first Buy rating and over 10% since my last review. LYB and its other peer Dow ( DOW ) have seen huge financial stress over the past couple of years and the tide seems to be finally turning. I’ll dive into why ...
supakitmod/iStock via Getty Images Introduction LyondellBasell ( LYB ) has been a great winner since I first started to cover the chemical firm which has appreciated a total of 36% since my first Buy rating and over 10% since my last review. LYB and its other peer Dow ( DOW ) have seen huge financial stress over the past couple of years and the tide seems to be finally turning. I’ll dive into why I believe the firm could continue to win. Current Dynamics The main bullish argument has been based on the conflict in the Middle East, as this instability has created immense volatility in the energy and feedstock markets that have put a priority on US-based chemical companies. See, as companies outside of North America produce ethylene and propylene, they rely on naphtha, in which the price is correlated with crude oil, that has been a real thorn for European and Asian manufacturers. On the other hand, LYB’s assets in North America are mainly powered by NGLs, mainly ethane, which is decoupled from crude oil prices. This essential divergence has created a massive margin windfall for the company’s US operations as the global price for PE and PP is set by the high-cost producers in the rest of the world. Data shows that European ethylene prices reached $1.21 per kilogram due to these high energy price dynamics. Though on the NA side, prices remain significantly lower at 53 cents per kilogram, translating to pure margin capture for LYB, as for every $100 per metric ton increase in the price of PE, the company will generate around $320MM in additional annualized EBITDA. Secondly, while the firm’s European assets have faced higher costs, they have also been able to operate without Middle Eastern competition as exports have been trapped behind the Strait of Hormuz. These two dynamics have allowed LYB to implement aggressive price increases in Europe to protect margins with spot prices increasing by nearly 40%. As LYB closed its Houston refinery , that was a significant source of...
Cirrus Logic (CRUS) shines with strong earnings beats and bullish momentum, while AeroVironment faces mounting pressure from weak results and a steep downtrend.
Cirrus Logic (CRUS) shines with strong earnings beats and bullish momentum, while AeroVironment faces mounting pressure from weak results and a steep downtrend.
HOUSTON and LONDON, April 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced the internet availability of proxy materials for its 2026 annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 8 a.m. Central European Summer Time.
HOUSTON and LONDON, April 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced the internet availability of proxy materials for its 2026 annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 8 a.m. Central European Summer Time.
mustafaU/iStock via Getty Images I have for a long time been a huge proponent of value-oriented covered call ETF investing. While at its core it is very similar to what most covered call ETF investors are doing, there is this one subtle difference that completely changes the risk and return profile. The difference lies in the underlying holdings that the covered call ETFs have in their portfolios ...
mustafaU/iStock via Getty Images I have for a long time been a huge proponent of value-oriented covered call ETF investing. While at its core it is very similar to what most covered call ETF investors are doing, there is this one subtle difference that completely changes the risk and return profile. The difference lies in the underlying holdings that the covered call ETFs have in their portfolios and against which option contracts are sold. As I described in my recent piece , the majority of covered call ETF products (especially the largest tickers) are based on either the S&P 500 ( SPY ) or the Nasdaq-100 ( QQQ ) indices. As a result of this, some (not that few) investors have probably built excessive exposures to the large-cap growth factor, which is saturated with the AI-related names such as Nvidia Corporation ( NVDA ), Tesla ( TSLA ), and Broadcom ( AVGO ). Given that for most yield-seeking investors income and NAV stability are important, I doubt that excessive allocations towards the AI (growth) factor would be the smartest move to make. For this reason I have a structural preference towards covered call ETF products, which embody stronger downside protection than the SPY- or QQQ-based names. Again, the purpose of this article is not to dive into the out-of-the-money (or OTM) value-oriented ETFs (to find more details and strategy-related aspects, please refer to my article, Buy Value-Oriented Covered Call ETFs For Relaxed Passive Income ), but my top 3 examples would be: NEOS MLP & Energy Infrastructure High Income ETF ( MLPI ): based on midstream infrastructure businesses (see ticker-specific article here ). NEOS Real Estate High Income ETF ( IYRI ): based on REITs or real estate (see ticker-specific article here ). NEOS Gold High Income ETF ( IAUI ): based on gold (see ticker-specific article here ). Granted, midstream, REITs, and gold are not risk-free and still are exposed to large drawdown risks, which would not only inflict price damage but also reduce ...
Pavel Kot/iStock via Getty Images Have you ever invested in a fund of funds? While RiverNorth Opportunities Fund ( RIV ) does invest in other high-yield vehicles, it also invests in certain closed-end funds. We previously covered RIV in a September 2025 article , in which we rated it a Hold "due to its record of distribution declines and lagging performance." Fund Profile: "RiverNorth Opportunitie...
Pavel Kot/iStock via Getty Images Have you ever invested in a fund of funds? While RiverNorth Opportunities Fund ( RIV ) does invest in other high-yield vehicles, it also invests in certain closed-end funds. We previously covered RIV in a September 2025 article , in which we rated it a Hold "due to its record of distribution declines and lagging performance." Fund Profile: "RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc. seeks total return consisting of capital appreciation and current income. The Fund employs a tactical asset allocation strategy primarily comprised of closed-end funds (“CEFs”), exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”), and business development companies (“BDCs”)." (RIV site) Founded in December 2015, RIV has $324M in net assets, with 439 holdings and average daily volume of 94K, as of 12/31/25. Leverage was at 24.10%, with an expense ratio of 2.07%. Hidden Dividend Stocks Plus Holdings: As of 3/31/26, special purpose acquisition companies, "SPACs," were the biggest portfolio asset exposure, at 35%, followed by US equities, at 20%, and investment company bonds and fixed income, both at 11%. RIV also held 7% in international equities and 6% in business development companies, plus 1% in alternative investments. riv CEFs held the top allocation, at 42%, followed by SPACs, at 34%, investment company debt, at 11%, and BDCs, at 6%, as of 3/31/26. riv The fixed income portion of RIV's portfolio had an estimated duration of 1.3 years as of 12/31/25. riv Fixed income holdings contained ~54% in investment grade, 27.8% in non-rated, and 14.37% in non-investment grade securities, as of 12/31/25. cfct The US is by far RIV's portfolio's largest geographical exposure, with 70% of the equities and ~26% of the fixed income positions as of 12/31/25. cfct The top 10 holdings were topped by William Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings, at 9.42%, followed by a mix of ETFs, such as the iShares Flexible Income ETF, at 3.84%; CEFs, such as the Black...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images What is this extension to 67 for the full retirement age? The carrot keeps getting a longer stick. For many, the full retirement age [FRA] gets its last extension this year out to age 67. This is the final scheduled phase for FRA age increases, which was drafted in 1983. While the difference between 66 and 67 is a couple percent, many of us feel that we...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images What is this extension to 67 for the full retirement age? The carrot keeps getting a longer stick. For many, the full retirement age [FRA] gets its last extension this year out to age 67. This is the final scheduled phase for FRA age increases, which was drafted in 1983. While the difference between 66 and 67 is a couple percent, many of us feel that we paid into the system, and we want the full benefit. I don't blame anyone for feeling that way. Below is a table from the Social Security Administration on how much of your benefit would hypothetically be received by year. Here are the stats: From SSA.gov: ssa.gov ssa.gov This includes the wage earner and the spousal benefit [where the spouse normally gets their benefit or 1/2 the primary wage earner's, whichever is higher]. But, and a big but here, the 1/2 rule applies to the full retirement age, not any age. This makes waiting until full retirement age for the primary wage earner an even bigger incentive to maximize the total benefit for a married couple. Born after 1960? The Motley Fool The phase into the 67 year old full retirement age affects those born in 1960 or later. This is a large cohort of individuals from Gen X, primarily affecting those from the late 'baby boomers' category born 1960-1964 in the most immediate time frame. As for millennials, the next age group in line, I'd be surprised to not see another congressional act in the future to further push this out [just my speculation]. For now, this is slated to be the last bump up for all of us born 1960 or later. Should lower earners go first with the higher number being the survivor benefit? One popular practice is to have the lower wage earner claim first. However, age matters here, and many can get tripped up on this one. Survivor gets the higher of the two benefits If the higher wage earner dies first, the survivor can get a survivor benefit of up to 100% of the primary wage earner's full retirement age ben...
Images By Tang Ming Tung/DigitalVision via Getty Images One didn’t necessarily have to be a trained economist to forecast that CPI would rise in March. Over the past several weeks, gasoline prices have soared above the $4/gallon mark, and while this wasn’t reflected in the February reading , it was only a matter of time before the spike made its way into the CPI print. Heading into the release, U....
Images By Tang Ming Tung/DigitalVision via Getty Images One didn’t necessarily have to be a trained economist to forecast that CPI would rise in March. Over the past several weeks, gasoline prices have soared above the $4/gallon mark, and while this wasn’t reflected in the February reading , it was only a matter of time before the spike made its way into the CPI print. Heading into the release, U.S. equity markets have had a bit of a relief rally on the backs of a hastily made ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran. All three indexes, for example, logged outsized gains on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index ( DJI ) closing higher by over 1,000 points. This was echoed by gains in both the S&P 500 ( SPY ) and NASDAQ 100-Index ( NDX ) indexes. The strong showing also carried into the Thursday before the monthly release. Markets were calm in the pre-market trading hours just before the release. Most investors likely were not overly concerned with the reading, especially since it was already a foregone conclusion that the print would be higher due to the gasoline spike. In my view, today’s report was expected, and there were little to no surprises in the underlying data. Accordingly, I don’t expect any material changes in the forward trajectory of the Federal Reserve's (“Fed”) policy path. Here’s everything to know about the March CPI release. Where Did Prices Increase In March? Headline inflation rose 0.9% for the month in March. This translated to a twelve-month rate of 3.3%. While this was within expectations, the reading is a big jump from February. The driver? Perhaps to little surprise, gasoline was the primary culprit. During the month, gasoline jumped a whopping 21.2%. This came as the war with Iran further escalated and prices at the pump rose to recent highs. As much as I would like to say the increase is temporary, especially as a driver and commuter myself, prices will likely remain elevated through the summer months. That being said, exp...
When corrections hit the stock market, crowds tend to form around the obvious: megacap blue chips, diversified business models, and brand moats. This playbook works, but I think it may already be priced into technology stocks. The most lucrative opportunities in the Nasdaq Composite 's (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) recovery don't necessarily require identifying the safe stocks. It's finding which stocks ar...
When corrections hit the stock market, crowds tend to form around the obvious: megacap blue chips, diversified business models, and brand moats. This playbook works, but I think it may already be priced into technology stocks. The most lucrative opportunities in the Nasdaq Composite 's (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) recovery don't necessarily require identifying the safe stocks. It's finding which stocks are being punished for the wrong reasons but still stand to benefit from multi-year secular artificial intelligence (AI) tailwinds at a discount. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Pakistan Under Security Lockdown As Iran Delegation Arrives For US Talks - Fighting Hasn't Ceased In Lebanon Summary: Iran makes clear Lebanon fighting must end or else Pakistan talks "meaningless" - as its delegation arrives in 'locked down' Pakistan. Trump 'optimistic' a deal within reach - also as Israel-Lebanon talks scheduled in Washington next week . US delegation headed by Vance en route to...
Pakistan Under Security Lockdown As Iran Delegation Arrives For US Talks - Fighting Hasn't Ceased In Lebanon Summary: Iran makes clear Lebanon fighting must end or else Pakistan talks "meaningless" - as its delegation arrives in 'locked down' Pakistan. Trump 'optimistic' a deal within reach - also as Israel-Lebanon talks scheduled in Washington next week . US delegation headed by Vance en route to Islamabad. Lloyd's: "The Iranians are willing to negotiate with certain countries to secure voyages, but only on a case-by-case basis ." A handful of mostly Iranian/China-linked tankers have passed in last 24 hours. After days of search and rescue, Lebanon death toll stands at over 300 following the Wednesday 'surprise' Israeli strikes . Sporadic IDF attacks continue on south and east. Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by end of April? Yes 19% · No 82% View full market & trade on Polymarket * * * Sporadic Fighting Persists in Lebanon A big question remains: will Israel and Lebanon actually formally start the ceasefire negotiations that Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered his cabinet to prepare for? Negotiations are tentatively expected to begin next week at the State Department in Washington . The massive Israeli strikes from earlier this week have threatened to derail the Iran ceasefire deal before it really gets off the ground. Senior Iranian security sources suggests should Israel strike Beirut again, the US-Iran negotiations will be terminated: Press TV For now, Israel has continued attacking Lebanon on Friday, also as Hezbollah has continued firing missiles on northern Israel. Wednesday saw some 70 rockets fired from Lebanon, after the earlier massive Israeli surprise attacks which killed over 300 Lebanese and over 1,150 wounded. There may be some ground fighting in the south too, amid ongoing IDF aerial attacks on southern Lebanon. Al Jazeera says that an Israeli airstrike hit the town of al-Tayri in southern Lebanon, and another targeted the town of Sahmar in ...
adventtr/E+ via Getty Images The tentative ceasefire between the US and Iran is holding as both governments prepare to meet for high-stakes talks in Pakistan. The foundation for a peace deal may be wobbly, but the stock market is cheering: the S&P 500 Index closed on Thursday (Apr. 9) at its highest level in five weeks. Equity factors have also rallied, though results vary widely, with momentum po...
adventtr/E+ via Getty Images The tentative ceasefire between the US and Iran is holding as both governments prepare to meet for high-stakes talks in Pakistan. The foundation for a peace deal may be wobbly, but the stock market is cheering: the S&P 500 Index closed on Thursday (Apr. 9) at its highest level in five weeks. Equity factors have also rallied, though results vary widely, with momentum posting the strongest gain based on a set of ETFs. The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF ( MTUM ) is leading the field by a wide margin for performance since the war began. The fund is the clear upside outlier, posting a 3.8% gain since the close on Feb. 27, the eve of the conflict’s start. Several other factors have rebounded, but none come close to momentum’s surge. A number of equity factors remain underwater. The biggest loser since the war began is low volatility ( USMV ), which has declined 3.6%. The broad stock market is also posting red ink for the war-regime period. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF ( SPY ), despite a sharp rally in recent days, is down 0.6% since Feb. 27. The revival of risk appetite remains precarious, hinging on the outcome of ceasefire negotiations that begin tomorrow. Markets will be keenly focused on the macroeconomic stakes, which are tied to control, stability, and predictability in the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of global energy supplies flows. At the center of these negotiations is the question of whether energy markets can avoid prolonged disruption—and whether the global economy can withstand the shock if they cannot. “This is the most effective bargaining chip that Iran has got, and will always have,” said Martin Kelly, the head of advisory at EOS Risk Group, a consulting firm. “This is going to have a huge impact on global trade and the global economy.” Original Post Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.
US inflation surged in March by the most in nearly four years as the war with Iran sent gasoline prices skyrocketing. The consumer price index rose 0.9% from February. Michael McKee reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
US inflation surged in March by the most in nearly four years as the war with Iran sent gasoline prices skyrocketing. The consumer price index rose 0.9% from February. Michael McKee reports. (Source: Bloomberg)