Xavier Lorenzo/iStock via Getty Images Rescue itself? Too great? How’s that for a counterintuitive combination of words in a headline! But I’m completely serious. And PLTK seems to also be on this same page. On 4/6/26, it announced that it’s exploring “ strategic alternatives .” That usually means it’s looking for somebody to acquire it. Nice. The company announced a big loss and that it suspended...
Xavier Lorenzo/iStock via Getty Images Rescue itself? Too great? How’s that for a counterintuitive combination of words in a headline! But I’m completely serious. And PLTK seems to also be on this same page. On 4/6/26, it announced that it’s exploring “ strategic alternatives .” That usually means it’s looking for somebody to acquire it. Nice. The company announced a big loss and that it suspended its cash dividend during the 2/26/26 earnings cal l. So now, disappointed shareholders can bank on an M&A rescue. I, too, am hoping for better times. I wrote up PLTK on 4/13/25 and said “Buy.” That aged dismally. The stock, since then, is down about 40%. The S&P 500 is up about 32%. I had high hopes for PLTK’s SuperPlay acquisition. Wait a minute… The purchase I supported turned out better than expected. Yet the stock is in the dumpster and I penned a headline that uses the word “rescue.” Obviously, there’s a lot to unpack here. So let’s get to it… A (Very) Quick Introduction To PLTK This company makes video games. These are simple low-stakes games. They don’t require players to commit lots of time to develop skills, master complex strategies, etc. They’re designed to be played on mobile devices. And they’re free to download. Game proprietors like PLTK make money by selling ads within the games and/or through in-app purchases. With the latter, users pay small fees to advance to higher levels. In the past, PLTK often expanded its game portfolio by making acquisitions. And that leads us to the big one — the SuperPlay acquisition completed on 11/20/24 . Besides adding two big gaming hits ( Dice Dreams and Domino Dreams ) to the PLTK portfolio, the purchase announcement said the deal also… adds a talented development team known for delivering successful games. Together, Playtika and SuperPlay are well-positioned to deliver exceptional gaming experiences to players worldwide. Not every acquirer correctly judges the talents of people who come aboard through an acquisition. But P...
Clearwater Paper ( CLW ) on Thursday announced the restructuring at its Cypress Bend, Arkansas facility, cutting ~20% of salaried and hourly roles. The company also plans to operate the Arkansas facility at about half of its production capability. “We are faced with a supply driven downturn in our industry that is pressing margins and cash flows. We’ve made this difficult decision to improve our o...
Clearwater Paper ( CLW ) on Thursday announced the restructuring at its Cypress Bend, Arkansas facility, cutting ~20% of salaried and hourly roles. The company also plans to operate the Arkansas facility at about half of its production capability. “We are faced with a supply driven downturn in our industry that is pressing margins and cash flows. We’ve made this difficult decision to improve our operating rates and reduce costs,” said CEO Arsen Kitch. The company expects $8M–$12M in annualized cost savings from these actions, with no impact on shipment volumes. More on Clearwater Paper Clearwater Paper signals $70M pricing headwind for 2026 as industry supply pressures persist Clearwater Paper Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Clearwater Paper
JHVEPhoto CarMax ( KMX ) has appointed two new directors to its board, one of whom was nominated by an activist investor and one of the company’s largest shareholders. Auto exec Jim Kessler and Starboard Value nominee William Cobb were added to the CarMax ( KMX ) board at Thursday’s annual meeting of shareholders. Cobb is currently the CEO of home warranty company Frontdoor ( FTDR ) “The addition ...
JHVEPhoto CarMax ( KMX ) has appointed two new directors to its board, one of whom was nominated by an activist investor and one of the company’s largest shareholders. Auto exec Jim Kessler and Starboard Value nominee William Cobb were added to the CarMax ( KMX ) board at Thursday’s annual meeting of shareholders. Cobb is currently the CEO of home warranty company Frontdoor ( FTDR ) “The addition of Bill and Jim brings valuable auto industry and consumer expertise to the Board,” said Tom Folliard, interim executive chair of the Board. “The Board is committed to regular refreshment, and we believe these additions will strengthen the experience of our Board and support long-term value creation for our shareholders.” With the addition of Cobb and as a result of “constructive engagement” with the company, Starboard said it has withdrawn its nominations to the board of directors. After acquiring a $350M stake in the auto dealership, Starboard Value urged the company to take disciplined measures to increase its long-term potential and improve governance. To achieve this, Starboard nominated Cobb and CEO Jeff Smith to its board of directors. In response , CarMax ( KMX ) said it has been taking the “necessary steps to ensure that this business delivers on its potential and is responsive to shareholders,” confirming its engagement with Starboard. After trading sideways for more than a month, CarMax ( KMX ) shares have closed higher for five consecutive days, gaining another 2.4% on Thursday. More on CarMax CarMax: Starboard Value's Letter Highlights Important Topics CarMax: Downgrade To Sell On Unjustified Valuation Multiple Wholesale used car prices jump to more than a two-year high in March CarMax's new CEO sets priorities for future growth Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on CarMax
When it comes to what you can gamble on these days, all bets are off. On prediction markets — platforms where people bet against each other on the outcomes of real-world events — traders are wagering on the chances of a major meteor striking Earth before 2030, whether President Donald Trump will be impeached this year, and who the next James Bond will be. As demand soars for the ability to bet on ...
When it comes to what you can gamble on these days, all bets are off. On prediction markets — platforms where people bet against each other on the outcomes of real-world events — traders are wagering on the chances of a major meteor striking Earth before 2030, whether President Donald Trump will be impeached this year, and who the next James Bond will be. As demand soars for the ability to bet on almost anything, prediction markets are processing billions of dollars in volume every week. Traditional players are taking notice: a number of financial giants and sports-betting firms are getting in on the action . The relaxed regulatory environment under the Trump administration has fueled this growth and blurred the line between trading and gambling. Amid the rise of sports betting apps, novelty cryptocurrencies and meme stock speculation, prediction markets are yet another way for amateur traders to rack up losses quickly. Critics say that thin oversight also leaves markets exposed to insider advantages that can undermine their integrity. The sudden emergence of the industry in the mainstream is beginning to recast public life as a series of bets waiting to be placed. Here’s what’s important to know. How do prediction markets work? Prediction markets such as Polymarket , Kalshi and PredictIt allow people to bet on the outcome of real-world events. Traders bet either “yes” or “no” that something will or will not occur — that the Democratic Party will control the US House of Representatives after the November elections, that the Denver Nuggets will win the National Basketball Association Finals, or that Chicago will get more than 5 inches of rain this month. This is very similar to online betting, but unlike with gambling companies, there’s no “house” setting odds or taking the opposite side of your bet. When you buy a “yes” or “no” share — or an “event contract,” as the bets are known — someone else on the exchange is betting against you. The exchange matches buyers and...
Need a little ‘moon joy’? NASA just circled the moon in its record-breaking Artemis mission. Big Take guest host Stacey Vanek Smith and Bloomberg global space reporter Loren Grush talk about what it means for the future of space exploration. (Source: Bloomberg)
Need a little ‘moon joy’? NASA just circled the moon in its record-breaking Artemis mission. Big Take guest host Stacey Vanek Smith and Bloomberg global space reporter Loren Grush talk about what it means for the future of space exploration. (Source: Bloomberg)
Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are booming. They also face a widening legal battle with US states and criticism over alleged user insider trading. Here’s how they got so controversial. (Source: Bloomberg)
Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are booming. They also face a widening legal battle with US states and criticism over alleged user insider trading. Here’s how they got so controversial. (Source: Bloomberg)
U.S. stocks ended higher for a second day on Thursday as investors assessed the latest U.S.-Israel vs. Iran war developments after warnings from President Donald Trump of a major escalation if Iran did not accept the 10-point ceasefire deal. The benchmark S&P 500 ( SP500 ) ended +0.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite ( COMP:IND ) finished +0.8%, and the blue-chip Dow ( DJI ) closed +0.6%. Over in the b...
U.S. stocks ended higher for a second day on Thursday as investors assessed the latest U.S.-Israel vs. Iran war developments after warnings from President Donald Trump of a major escalation if Iran did not accept the 10-point ceasefire deal. The benchmark S&P 500 ( SP500 ) ended +0.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite ( COMP:IND ) finished +0.8%, and the blue-chip Dow ( DJI ) closed +0.6%. Over in the bond market, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield ( US10Y ) was 1 basis point lower at 4.29%, while the 2-year Treasury yield ( US2Y ) also dropped 1 basis point to 3.79%. Crude oil futures ( CL1:COM ) were higher at around $98.9, while Brent ( CO1:COM ) was also higher at $96.8 per barrel. Now, here are three things to watch out for on the last day of the week: Two companies report earnings on Friday: Lotus Technology ( LOT ) and The Children’s Place ( PLCE ). Seeking Alpha gives an earnings revision grade of B and D- for the companies, respectively. On the economic calendar, investors will receive the consumer price index, which is expected to come in at 0.9% for March and 3.3% YoY. In addition, traders will also receive the factory order and the preliminary consumer sentiment for April, which is believed to come in at 52.0, lower than the previous print. The uncertainty of a truce between the U.S., Israel, and Iran remains at the forefront of the investing world. President Donald Trump agreed to pause attacks on Iran with the condition that Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Iran alleges that the U.S. and Israel have violated the terms of the ceasefire mediated by Pakistan. Oil prices have continued to climb, although they are now off their highs. More on the markets Reinventing The Petrodollar: How U.S. Energy Dominance Is Shifting The Global Balance Of Power AAII Sentiment Survey: Pessimism Retreats Dow Jones And U.S. Stock Market Outlook - Ceasefire Uncertainty Clears And Wall Street Persists U.S. stocks gain for a second day while U.S.-Iran resolution is s...
Lower those expectations, Succession fans. The star plays a scientist who shrinks his wife (Elizabeth Banks) to 6in tall, in a screwball sitcom that should have been so much better I wonder what it’s like to be the go-to actor whenever anyone needs a morally questionable, sappy-looking, fundamentally weak character to play the whipped dog to someone else’s headline character? You’ll always have wo...
Lower those expectations, Succession fans. The star plays a scientist who shrinks his wife (Elizabeth Banks) to 6in tall, in a screwball sitcom that should have been so much better I wonder what it’s like to be the go-to actor whenever anyone needs a morally questionable, sappy-looking, fundamentally weak character to play the whipped dog to someone else’s headline character? You’ll always have work but … you’d have to be pretty secure in yourself, no? But all actors are, of course, so it’s probably OK to be Matthew Macfadyen, who started his career in a 1998 TV film adaptation of Wuthering Heights as Hareton Earnshaw – Heathcliff’s whipped dog – and has been giving us brilliant incarnations of beta cucks ever since. Even when he made it to Mr Darcy (opposite Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennet) it was unfortunately 10 years after Colin Firth (opposite Jennifer Ehle and coming out of a lake) had rendered all future versions redundant milksops. Most recently, of course, he gave us the greatest – oh GOD, there is no single word for Tom Wambsgans unless it is in fact “Wambsgans”, so let’s go with that – Wambsgans there will ever be, courtesy of Jesse Armstrong’s masterpiece Succession. Jeremy Strong’s intensity drew the headlines, but Macfadyen’s performance, like a worm twisting round an oiled tightrope, was endlessly clever, subtle and just as astonishing. Continue reading...
FCC Set To Vote on Easing Satellite Power Rules, Boosting SpaceX's Starlink Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Wednesday it will vote on an order to revamp satellite spectrum-sharing rules that would benefit low-Earth orbit broadband providers - and SpaceX stands to gain the most. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying...
FCC Set To Vote on Easing Satellite Power Rules, Boosting SpaceX's Starlink Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Wednesday it will vote on an order to revamp satellite spectrum-sharing rules that would benefit low-Earth orbit broadband providers - and SpaceX stands to gain the most. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites is seen over Sebastian Inlet after launching from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2025. Sam Wolfe/Reuters “By discarding last century’s satellite regulations, we could see billions of dollars in benefits for the American economy and broadband speeds many times faster than what is available today ,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement. “This overdue rethinking of space spectrum sharing rules will bring greater competition to the broadband marketplace and reduce the number of satellites needed to serve a given area.” The vote on April 30 could reshape how tens of millions of Americans, particularly those in rural communities, connect to the internet from space. The proposed order would raise the power levels that low-earth orbit (LEO) operators are permitted to use in frequency bands shared with incumbent geostationary orbit systems. For SpaceX, whose Starlink network already spans more than 10,000 satellites, the change would mean substantially faster and more reliable service. Not everyone is on board. Geostationary operators, including Viasat, SES, and DIRECTV, have opposed the move, arguing that allowing Starlink to transmit at higher power would cause damaging interference to their own networks. In a filing submitted Tuesday, DIRECTV told the agency that SpaceX’s interference studies contain “significant unresolved questions.” SpaceX has dismissed those concerns as a defense of the status quo. “The question of whether the [equivalent power flux density] framework harms consumers by unnecessarily constraining [LEO] services has been defini...
If you max out your IRA and don't have a 401(k) through your job, it can feel like you have no choice but to wait until 2027 to start saving for retirement again. But that might not actually be the case. Those who qualify for health savings accounts (HSAs) can stash thousands more away for retirement each year. But if you plan to use one of these accounts for this purpose, there are a few mistakes...
If you max out your IRA and don't have a 401(k) through your job, it can feel like you have no choice but to wait until 2027 to start saving for retirement again. But that might not actually be the case. Those who qualify for health savings accounts (HSAs) can stash thousands more away for retirement each year. But if you plan to use one of these accounts for this purpose, there are a few mistakes you definitely want to avoid. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Nvidia’s stock trades meaningfully below its 52-week high, suggesting to one analyst that it could see sustained gains if the AI trade comes back alive.
Nvidia’s stock trades meaningfully below its 52-week high, suggesting to one analyst that it could see sustained gains if the AI trade comes back alive.