J Studios Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, predicts inflation will remain stubbornly elevated at 3-4% through the end of the year, far exceeding the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. In an interview with CNBC, Boockvar suggested that any rate cut by Fed Chair Kevin Walsh would be “more symbolic than anything” given persistent price pressures, noting that recent ...
J Studios Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, predicts inflation will remain stubbornly elevated at 3-4% through the end of the year, far exceeding the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. In an interview with CNBC, Boockvar suggested that any rate cut by Fed Chair Kevin Walsh would be “more symbolic than anything” given persistent price pressures, noting that recent economic data showed a “very hot PPI for February” and “much higher than expected import prices.” Boockvar expressed cautious optimism that the ceasefire with Iran will hold, calling the de-escalation “a big deal” driven by mounting economic pain from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. While price shocks have been global, he warned that the U.S. may soon face “volume shocks” if shipping lanes remain blocked. “I think at the end of the day, the Iranians want to get this done,” Boockvar said, adding that failure to reach a deal would only “sow the seeds of their own demise economically” as supply chains are redrawn around them. Even with a resolution to the conflict, Boockvar believes the global economy has entered a sustained commodity bull market that will prevent any return to the “prewar environment.” He anticipates widespread global stockpiling and the creation of strategic reserves across nations, which will “keep a bid under inflation and interest rates” and effectively tie the hands of central banks for the foreseeable future. The persistent inflation creates significant friction throughout the economy, particularly for low-to-middle-income consumers who remain in “their own sort of personal recession” compared to upper-income spenders. Small businesses facing intense cost pressures are responding by reducing hiring, which Boockvar says prevents the economy from breaking out of its roughly 2% growth rate. On equities, Boockvar suggested that the initial GenAI technology trade driven by hyperscalers has “exhausted itself” due to slowing cash flows, though he remains ...
Strikes that killed more than 200 people spark outrage amid global efforts to salvage truce Middle East crisis – live updates Israel’s devastating bombardment of Lebanon in the hours after a US-Iranian ceasefire was announced has been widely condemned amid global efforts to salvage the truce. More than 200 people were killed by Israeli bombing including strikes with heavy munitions on densely popu...
Strikes that killed more than 200 people spark outrage amid global efforts to salvage truce Middle East crisis – live updates Israel’s devastating bombardment of Lebanon in the hours after a US-Iranian ceasefire was announced has been widely condemned amid global efforts to salvage the truce. More than 200 people were killed by Israeli bombing including strikes with heavy munitions on densely populated areas, which drew outrage from the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international humanitarian organisations. Continue reading...
The near-total shutdown of the internet in Iran is the world’s longest nationwide blackout since the Arab Spring in the early 2010s. The Iranian government blocked access to the web shortly after the US and Israel launched strikes against the country in late February. This cut off many Iranians’ ability to communicate with the outside world. It followed an earlier shutdown in January during anti-r...
The near-total shutdown of the internet in Iran is the world’s longest nationwide blackout since the Arab Spring in the early 2010s. The Iranian government blocked access to the web shortly after the US and Israel launched strikes against the country in late February. This cut off many Iranians’ ability to communicate with the outside world. It followed an earlier shutdown in January during anti-regime protests. Some citizens have bypassed the censorship by using Starlink, Elon Musk ’s satellite internet service. Starlink is illegal in Iran, but receivers have been smuggled into the country in recent years and sold on the black market. Using such tools is risky; if caught, people could face capital punishment, according to Iranian rights activists. The weekslong duration of the current web shutdown is second only to the six-month blackout imposed in Libya in 2011, when Muammar Qaddafi’s government cut internet access to suppress growing dissent. What’s happened to the internet in Iran? Iran’s telecommunications industry is almost entirely state-owned, giving the government total control over voice and data traffic carried via the country’s terrestrial infrastructure. The latest wartime web blackout that began on Feb. 28 has surpassed the length of the shutdowns imposed during the Iran-Israel conflict in 2025 and the anti-government protests in 2026, 2022 and 2019. Connectivity has been hovering at about 1% of pre-war levels, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. Under a tiered access system, many government employees have been “white-listed” and are still able to use the worldwide internet during times of war or unrest, according to activists. State-run media is able to broadcast and post on social media despite the blackout. The Iranian regime has used these platforms as their main tool of communication during the war. While the US and Iran have agreed a ceasefire, it’s unclear whether there’ll be an easing of the web restrictions any time soon. An Iran...
DaveAlan American Airlines Group ( AAL ) became the latest U.S. carrier to increase prices for checked bag fees as it looks to offset higher jet fuel prices. The Texas-based airline will increase the fee by $10 to check a first piece of luggage at the airport on domestic or short-haul international flights starting with tickets booked Thursday, bringing the price of one bag to $50. A second bag wi...
DaveAlan American Airlines Group ( AAL ) became the latest U.S. carrier to increase prices for checked bag fees as it looks to offset higher jet fuel prices. The Texas-based airline will increase the fee by $10 to check a first piece of luggage at the airport on domestic or short-haul international flights starting with tickets booked Thursday, bringing the price of one bag to $50. A second bag will cost $60 for most tickets, while a third bag will cost $200. Travelers who prepay for their first and second bags online or via the airline's mobile app will get a discount of $5, the company said , adding that customers traveling on a domestic Basic Economy ticket will be charged $55 for their first checked bag and $65 for their second checked bag for tickets purchased on May 18 and beyond. “These changes are the result of the airline’s continuing evaluation of pricing and in light of the current operating environment,” the company said. Airline stocks have been under pressure since mid‑February as escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices higher, raising concerns over fuel costs and squeezing profit margins. Recently, United Airlines ( UAL ), JetBlue ( JBLU ), and Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) have hiked their fees for checked bags. Delta also said its fuel bill will be $2B higher this quarter because of the spike in fuel costs. However, a two-week ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Iran has eased some pressure, leading to airline stocks gaining on Wednesday. More on American Airlines American Airlines: Back In The Game Airline stocks jump as U.S.-Iran ceasefire lifts oil fears DOT Sec. Duffy sees “room” for more airline M&A
Richard Drury S&P 500 earnings are set for a sixth straight quarter of double-digit growth, with consensus pointing to roughly 12% year-on-year EPS expansion in 1Q26 on about 9% sales growth, according to Wells Fargo Securities . The more notable signal, however, is not just the pace of growth but the stability of expectations heading into the season. The chart on S&P 500 first-quarter EPS revisio...
Richard Drury S&P 500 earnings are set for a sixth straight quarter of double-digit growth, with consensus pointing to roughly 12% year-on-year EPS expansion in 1Q26 on about 9% sales growth, according to Wells Fargo Securities . The more notable signal, however, is not just the pace of growth but the stability of expectations heading into the season. The chart on S&P 500 first-quarter EPS revisions over the three months into earnings shows estimates have remained broadly flat, in contrast to the typical pattern of downward revisions ahead of reporting. Wells Fargo This stands in contrast to the typical pattern, where forecasts are steadily marked down ahead of reporting, and suggests a higher degree of confidence in the earnings backdrop. At the same time, that stability at the index level masks a more uneven picture underneath. The breakdown of first-quarter EPS revisions since year-end highlights a clear split across sectors. Technology and Energy have seen upward revisions, reflecting stronger momentum and supportive fundamentals, while sectors such as Health Care, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials have faced downgrades. Wells Fargo The net effect is a steady aggregate profile, but one that is increasingly reliant on a narrower set of earnings drivers. This growing concentration leaves the earnings cycle more exposed to sector-specific dynamics, particularly within technology, which continues to carry a disproportionate share of growth expectations. While this has supported the headline numbers so far, it also raises questions about the breadth and durability of the expansion if leadership fails to broaden out. Top-down indicators, meanwhile, offer a more cautious read. The comparison of modeled versus consensus S&P 500 revenue growth for 1Q26 points to sales growth of roughly 8.5%, implying a modest shortfall relative to expectations. This suggests that while earnings estimates have held firm, underlying demand conditions may not be as strong as implied b...
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images Entertainment Palantir's ( PLTR ) stock has been losing value in recent months despite the fact that its business has continued to deliver strong results. In Q4 alone, the revenues increased by almost 70% Y/Y, and the expectations are that the growth rate will be over 60% this year. Yet the stock has not been able to recover to its November highs. This is because the...
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images Entertainment Palantir's ( PLTR ) stock has been losing value in recent months despite the fact that its business has continued to deliver strong results. In Q4 alone, the revenues increased by almost 70% Y/Y, and the expectations are that the growth rate will be over 60% this year. Yet the stock has not been able to recover to its November highs. This is because the broader AI sentiment has shifted, the software sector has been crushed by fears of agentic AI disruption, and the macro environment has gotten worse as the Iran war pushes oil prices higher and keeps the Fed from cutting rates. In addition, the company’s co-founder, Peter Thiel, has been selling hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of shares in recent months. Considering all of this and the fact that the risks that the business faces have only increased since our latest coverage on the company that we published at the beginning of this year, we decided to continue to rate Palantir as a Sell. The Sentiment Has Shifted Our latest bearish article on Palantir was published a few weeks before the company reported its Q4 results. The results themselves turned out to be quite good. The revenue during the quarter was above expectations and reached $1.4 billion, while the earnings per share also didn’t disappoint the analysts. However, the market didn’t care much about those results. The shares themselves started to lose value in November when the sentiment surrounding the AI-related stocks started to shift. We have highlighted this in our previous article from January. Then the shares took another major hit in February, right after the release of Palantir’s Q4 earnings report. During that time, Anthropic launched Claude Cowork, which is a set of AI agent tools designed to handle complex professional workflows. Following that, roughly $2 trillion was wiped from software stock valuations, while hedge funds made $24 billion shorting software stocks in a matter of weeks. The thinkin...
House Democrats Threaten Contempt For Bondi If She Doesn't Testify In Epstein Probe Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on April 8 threatened to file contempt of Congress charges against former Attorney General Pam Bondi if she doesn’t testify before the House as part of its ongoing investigation into deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Hou...
House Democrats Threaten Contempt For Bondi If She Doesn't Testify In Epstein Probe Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on April 8 threatened to file contempt of Congress charges against former Attorney General Pam Bondi if she doesn’t testify before the House as part of its ongoing investigation into deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House Oversight Committee confirmed to The Epoch Times on Wednesday that the Justice Department had said Bondi would no longer appear for a congressional deposition on April 14 “since she is no longer Attorney General and was subpoenaed in her capacity as Attorney General.” “The Committee will contact Pam Bondi’s personal counsel to discuss next steps regarding scheduling her deposition,” the committee said in a statement. Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said in a statement that if Bondi “does not come in to testify, we will begin contempt charges in Congress.” “Our bipartisan subpoena is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General or not,” Garcia said. Committee Chair James Comer (R-K.Y.) issued a subpoena to Bondi on March 17 to order her testimony regarding the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files. Democrats and several Republicans have accused her of violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act through the Justice Department’s piecemeal release of documents, and for redacting alleged co-conspirator names while leaving some victim names un-redacted. Enacted late last year with bipartisan support, the Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates that the Justice Department publicly release all non-classified records related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) moved in early March to subpoena Bondi to testify before Congress. Four other Republicans—Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), and Scott Perry (R-Pa.)—joined Democr...
The chip company’s stellar streak was under threat early Thursday until it announced a multiyear collaboration with Google to advance the next generation of artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. The stock rose 1.5% in early trading, after initially trading more than 1.5% lower in premarket trading. Intel announced it was joining Tesla and SpaceX’s Terafab project—Elon Musk’s semiconduc...
The chip company’s stellar streak was under threat early Thursday until it announced a multiyear collaboration with Google to advance the next generation of artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. The stock rose 1.5% in early trading, after initially trading more than 1.5% lower in premarket trading. Intel announced it was joining Tesla and SpaceX’s Terafab project—Elon Musk’s semiconductor production plan, which he has described as the “most epic chip building exercise in history.”
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images Entertainment Palantir's ( PLTR ) stock has been losing value in recent months despite the fact that its business has continued to deliver strong results. In Q4 alone, the revenues increased by almost 70% Y/Y, and the expectations are that the growth rate will be over 60% this year. Yet the stock has not been able to recover to its November highs. This is because the...
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images Entertainment Palantir's ( PLTR ) stock has been losing value in recent months despite the fact that its business has continued to deliver strong results. In Q4 alone, the revenues increased by almost 70% Y/Y, and the expectations are that the growth rate will be over 60% this year. Yet the stock has not been able to recover to its November highs. This is because the broader AI sentiment has shifted, the software sector has been crushed by fears of agentic AI disruption, and the macro environment has gotten worse as the Iran war pushes oil prices higher and keeps the Fed from cutting rates. In addition, the company’s co-founder, Peter Thiel, has been selling hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of shares in recent months. Considering all of this and the fact that the risks that the business faces have only increased since our latest coverage on the company that we published at the beginning of this year, we decided to continue to rate Palantir as a Sell. The Sentiment Has Shifted Our latest bearish article on Palantir was published a few weeks before the company reported its Q4 results. The results themselves turned out to be quite good. The revenue during the quarter was above expectations and reached $1.4 billion, while the earnings per share also didn’t disappoint the analysts. However, the market didn’t care much about those results. The shares themselves started to lose value in November when the sentiment surrounding the AI-related stocks started to shift. We have highlighted this in our previous article from January. Then the shares took another major hit in February, right after the release of Palantir’s Q4 earnings report. During that time, Anthropic launched Claude Cowork, which is a set of AI agent tools designed to handle complex professional workflows. Following that, roughly $2 trillion was wiped from software stock valuations, while hedge funds made $24 billion shorting software stocks in a matter of weeks. The thinkin...
TomasSereda/iStock via Getty Images G Mining Ventures ( GMINF ) said Thursday it agreed to acquire G2 Goldfields ( GUYGF ) in an all-stock deal valued at ~C$3B that effectively combines adjacent gold projects in Guyana to create a large-scale mining hub. G Mining ( GMINF ) said the transaction combines anticipated life of mine average gold production of 350K oz from its fully permitted and fully f...
TomasSereda/iStock via Getty Images G Mining Ventures ( GMINF ) said Thursday it agreed to acquire G2 Goldfields ( GUYGF ) in an all-stock deal valued at ~C$3B that effectively combines adjacent gold projects in Guyana to create a large-scale mining hub. G Mining ( GMINF ) said the transaction combines anticipated life of mine average gold production of 350K oz from its fully permitted and fully financed Oko West project and 228K oz from G2's ( GUYGF ) Oko-Ghanie Project into a single project with the potential to produce more than 500K oz on an LOM average basis. The companies expect the combined project to deliver significant near- and long-term synergies across throughput, operating costs, capital costs due to shared infrastructure, mine sequencing and permitting, with an opportunity to accelerate Oko-Ghanie’s permitting timeline by combining with the fully permitted Oko West project. Under the deal terms, G2 ( GUYGF ) shareholders will receive 0.212 G Mining ( GMINF ) shares for each share held, implying a value of C$10.84/share, representing a 72% premium to the company’s recent closing price; G2 shareholders are expected to hold 19.9% of the combined company. More on G Mining Ventures G Mining Ventures Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript G Mining Ventures: Explosive Financials With Bullish Gold And Robust Brazilian Production Financial information for G Mining Ventures
Transnational cybercrime syndicates are shifting their operations from traditional Southeast Asian havens to countries like Sri Lanka. Photo: VCG Sri Lanka deported 125 telecom fraud suspects to China following joint police sweeps, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday. The mass deportation highlights a growing trend of transnational cybercrime syndicates shifting their operati...
Transnational cybercrime syndicates are shifting their operations from traditional Southeast Asian havens to countries like Sri Lanka. Photo: VCG Sri Lanka deported 125 telecom fraud suspects to China following joint police sweeps, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday. The mass deportation highlights a growing trend of transnational cybercrime syndicates shifting their operations from traditional Southeast Asian havens to countries like Sri Lanka to evade an intensifying regional crackdown.