Phimprapha Kitaiamphaisan/iStock via Getty Images When I think about Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF ( SCHB ), I think of a benchmark in the US large-cap market. And when I think about the US large-cap market, today I think … “What a mess!” Yes, because there are 3 big reasons to be bullish, 2 fundamental and 1 technical. But also 2 great reasons to stay away from it. In my opinion, if it weren’t for...
Phimprapha Kitaiamphaisan/iStock via Getty Images When I think about Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF ( SCHB ), I think of a benchmark in the US large-cap market. And when I think about the US large-cap market, today I think … “What a mess!” Yes, because there are 3 big reasons to be bullish, 2 fundamental and 1 technical. But also 2 great reasons to stay away from it. In my opinion, if it weren’t for the last of these, I would have given a BUY rating. For now I remain on HOLD. Before explaining why … What is SCHB It is a passive ETF designed as “core” exposure to the US equity market belonging to the Large Blend, broad category. The stated benchmark is the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index, which includes about 2,500 listed U.S. companies. The stated objective is to replicate it as closely as possible. Structural implication? The strategy aims for market beta, not alpha; SCHB: Historical price trend (Seeking Alpha) What has made it widely used is its cost: 0.03%, an extremely competitive cost and practically in line with the main broad market/large-cap peers, fully offset by a 30-day SEC Yield of 1.15%. Not surprisingly, today it has an AUM above $39 billion. SCHB: Dividend metrics overview (Seeking Alpha) Composition The index it tracks uses a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted method, with sampling techniques, which produces a “winner-takes-all” type dynamic, and like other indices, the fund tends to reflect the leadership of mega caps and to participate mainly in rallies driven by Big Tech and growth. Here the top ten account for over 30% , and strong exposures can be seen to stocks such as NVIDIA Corporation ( NVDA ), Apple Inc. ( AAPL ), Microsoft Corporation ( MSFT ), Amazon.com, Inc. ( AMZN ), and Alphabet Inc. ( GOOG ) (and the other Mag 7). SCHB: Top holdings overview (Seeking Alpha) Peers In this sense, the comparison with ETFs that have the S&P 500 as a benchmark, such as the famous and widely used SPY, can be interesting. This is a tabular ...
Welcome back to Canada Daily, the newsletter on business, economics and politics from Vancouver to Montreal and beyond. If this was forwarded to you, please sign up here . In less than a week, Prime Minister Mark Carney may have a majority in Parliament. It would mark almost exactly a year since Canadians narrowly denied him one in a national election. This morning, Ontario lawmaker Marilyn Gladu ...
Welcome back to Canada Daily, the newsletter on business, economics and politics from Vancouver to Montreal and beyond. If this was forwarded to you, please sign up here . In less than a week, Prime Minister Mark Carney may have a majority in Parliament. It would mark almost exactly a year since Canadians narrowly denied him one in a national election. This morning, Ontario lawmaker Marilyn Gladu abandoned the Conservatives to cross the floor, giving Carney’s party 171 seats, one short of a bare majority. The Liberals are currently favored to win two of three byelections scheduled for Monday. If that happens, the prime minister won’t need to rely on other parties — or call a snap election — to pass much of his ambitious agenda. Gladu is the fifth member of Parliament to join the Liberals in the span of about five months . According to CBC News, the last prime minister to attract so many defectors was Jean Chrétien, the centrist Liberal who governed from 1993 to 2003. Gladu is also the fourth MP to join Carney from the Conservatives, and the former Dow Chemical executive looks like the most conservative of the lot. She briefly ran to lead the Tories in 2020 (though she dropped out before the vote), supported the controversial trucker convoy that brought Ottawa to a standstill in the winter of 2022, criticized government vaccine rules during the Covid-19 pandemic, and sought to narrow the scope of a Liberal bill banning sexual-orientation conversion therapy, arguing it would prevent people from accessing counseling. “If you were drawing up a list of Conservative MPs likely to cross the floor, I think Ms. Gladu would be near the bottom of that list,” Stewart Prest, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, told me, warning that it will be difficult for Carney to keep everyone in his big tent onside. Reconciling her politics with those on the Liberal Party’s left could prove thorny for Carney down the line. But right now, at least, Prest said ...
↗️ Levi Strauss (LEVI): Shares jumped 11% after the apparel maker said its turnaround is working, and upgraded its guidance. ↘️ Blue Owl (OWL): One of its biggest private-credit funds was downgraded by ratings company Moody's because of investors asking to pull out a big share of their money.
↗️ Levi Strauss (LEVI): Shares jumped 11% after the apparel maker said its turnaround is working, and upgraded its guidance. ↘️ Blue Owl (OWL): One of its biggest private-credit funds was downgraded by ratings company Moody's because of investors asking to pull out a big share of their money.
Boeing (NYSE: BA) stock has significant potential, backed by a $682 billion backlog, including more than $560 billion at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The backlog supports future growth, and with the company set to ramp up deliveries of its key narrow-body 737 MAX aircraft this year, its turnaround is underway. That said, the stock has notably underperformed the S&P 500 index since its earnings rep...
Boeing (NYSE: BA) stock has significant potential, backed by a $682 billion backlog, including more than $560 billion at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The backlog supports future growth, and with the company set to ramp up deliveries of its key narrow-body 737 MAX aircraft this year, its turnaround is underway. That said, the stock has notably underperformed the S&P 500 index since its earnings report on Jan. 27. Potential is one thing, and realizing it is another. There's no doubt that if Boeing executes well on its backlog, its stock could move meaningfully higher. Let's put it this way: Before the high-profile 737 MAX crashes (which led to its grounding) occurred in late 2018 and the spring of 2019, Boeing was a business generating $13.7 billion in free cash flow (FCF). Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
TERMSIRISAKUL/iStock via Getty Images April 7th was a really interesting day for shareholders of The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. ( GBX ). Even though the company reported revenue and earnings per share that fell short of analysts’ expectations for the second quarter of the company's 2026 fiscal year, the stock price really didn't change all that much. That's not to say that the firm hasn't seen som...
TERMSIRISAKUL/iStock via Getty Images April 7th was a really interesting day for shareholders of The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. ( GBX ). Even though the company reported revenue and earnings per share that fell short of analysts’ expectations for the second quarter of the company's 2026 fiscal year, the stock price really didn't change all that much. That's not to say that the firm hasn't seen some volatility over the last couple of years now. In fact, the business is down 27.5% since I called it a Buy back in early December of 2024. Over that same window of time, the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) is up 11.6%. This weakness can be attributed to a plunge in revenue, profits, and cash flows as industry conditions deteriorate. Short-term, I expect economic conditions to worsen, pushing financial performance even lower for the business. And honestly, management has those same expectations. Long term, however, I feel optimistic about the company. There are some structural reasons why growth should continue, even if it does mean that the short-term picture looks like a train wreck. Taking the long-term stance, I firmly believe that calling the company a soft Buy makes sense here. A Rough Quarter Author - SEC EDGAR Data Pretty much no matter how you look at it, the second quarter of the 2026 fiscal year was a difficult time for The Greenbrier Companies. Revenue for the company came in at $587.5 million. That happened to be 22.9% below the $762.1 million that the business reported a year earlier. It also ended up being $76.2 million below what analysts were hoping to see . This drop in revenue came as a result of weakness across both operating segments. The most significant of these is its Manufacturing segment, which builds and sells freight rail cars and component parts throughout North America and Europe. It also is involved in sustainable conversions and railcar maintenance activities, with examples being wheel and axle services. Author - SEC EDGAR Data Author - SEC EDGAR Data Acco...
May WTI crude oil (CLK26 ) on Wednesday closed down -18.54 (-16.41%), and May RBOB gasoline (RBK26 ) closed down -0.2993 (-9.06%). Crude oil and gasoline prices plummeted on Wednesday, with crude posting a 1.5-week low and gasoline posting a 2-week low. Crude prices plunged on Wednesday after the US...
May WTI crude oil (CLK26 ) on Wednesday closed down -18.54 (-16.41%), and May RBOB gasoline (RBK26 ) closed down -0.2993 (-9.06%). Crude oil and gasoline prices plummeted on Wednesday, with crude posting a 1.5-week low and gasoline posting a 2-week low. Crude prices plunged on Wednesday after the US...
May Nymex natural gas (NGK26 ) on Wednesday closed down -0.146 (-5.09%). Nat-gas prices tumbled to a 7.5-month nearest-futures low on Wednesday and settled sharply lower. Above-normal US weather forecasts that reduce nat-gas heating demand are weighing on nat-gas prices. The Commodity Weather Group said that above-average temperatures are expected...
May Nymex natural gas (NGK26 ) on Wednesday closed down -0.146 (-5.09%). Nat-gas prices tumbled to a 7.5-month nearest-futures low on Wednesday and settled sharply lower. Above-normal US weather forecasts that reduce nat-gas heating demand are weighing on nat-gas prices. The Commodity Weather Group said that above-average temperatures are expected...
Control of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the central fault line in US-Iran negotiations, with US President Donald Trump appearing to recast an earlier off-the-cuff idea into a more formal proposal that seeks to bridge Tehran’s push for dominance and Washington’s insistence on open passage. Following his Tuesday announcement of a two-week ceasefire, Trump on Wednesday told the American Broadc...
Control of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the central fault line in US-Iran negotiations, with US President Donald Trump appearing to recast an earlier off-the-cuff idea into a more formal proposal that seeks to bridge Tehran’s push for dominance and Washington’s insistence on open passage. Following his Tuesday announcement of a two-week ceasefire, Trump on Wednesday told the American Broadcasting Company that his administration may seek a “joint venture” with Iran to safeguard the global...
Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21st, 2026. Oscar Molina | CNBC OpenAI plans to reserve a portion of shares for individual investors in what's expected to be a blockbuster initial public offering . Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar told CNBC that the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence giant started testi...
Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21st, 2026. Oscar Molina | CNBC OpenAI plans to reserve a portion of shares for individual investors in what's expected to be a blockbuster initial public offering . Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar told CNBC that the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence giant started testing the waters with retail in its latest funding round and saw "really strong demand" from individuals. OpenAI will "for sure" hold a slice for retail when it goes public, Friar told CNBC on Wednesday. "AI needs to garner trust in everything that we do. That is part of why retail particularly speaks to me," Friar said. "It has to be that everyone partakes, that it isn't just that a very small group, and everyone else gets left behind." She pointed to her time as CFO of Square, now known as Block , where the fintech company offered a direct selling program to small business owners and sellers in its IPO. She also highlighted OpenAI cofounder Elon Musk 's model with Tesla and SpaceX . SpaceX is expected to go public as soon as June and is reportedly holding almost 30% of its shares for retail buyers . "Everybody wants to own part of a rocket company — I hope everyone wants to own part of ChatGPT. It helps when you're a consumer brand," Friar said. Read more CNBC tech news AI's next bottleneck: Why even the best chips made in the U.S. take a round trip to Taiwan Meta debuts new AI model, attempting to catch Google, OpenAI after spending billions Alibaba launches data center with 10,000 of its own chips as China ramps up AI push Google CEO Sundar Pichai says 'AI shift' opens opportunities to invest in startups OpenAI set out to raise $1 billion from individual investors through private placements with banks like JP Morgan , Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs in its recent round. The company ended up raising three times that amount in the largest private placement those banks have ...
TORONTO, April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firan Technology Group Corporation (TSX: FTG) (OTCQX: FTGFF) today announced financial results for first quarter of 2026.
TORONTO, April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firan Technology Group Corporation (TSX: FTG) (OTCQX: FTGFF) today announced financial results for first quarter of 2026.
Arsenal's Kai Havertz scores in stoppage-time to secure a 1-0 victory for the Gunners against Sporting CP, in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg.
Arsenal's Kai Havertz scores in stoppage-time to secure a 1-0 victory for the Gunners against Sporting CP, in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg.
The star’s fame, reckoning and resurrection are examined in this nuanced three-parter. It speaks to those who were closest to Jackson but can a story of such wild extremes really be told from the middle ground? In what way, exactly, is Michael Jackson an “American tragedy”? Does the tragedy to which the title of this three-part BBC documentary refers concern the downfall of the most famous man on ...
The star’s fame, reckoning and resurrection are examined in this nuanced three-parter. It speaks to those who were closest to Jackson but can a story of such wild extremes really be told from the middle ground? In what way, exactly, is Michael Jackson an “American tragedy”? Does the tragedy to which the title of this three-part BBC documentary refers concern the downfall of the most famous man on the planet into financial ruin, addiction and disgrace? Or does it belong to the children who alleged – and continue to allege – that Jackson sexually abused them? Is it about the bottomless need of a child star who craved the love of an abusive father so desperately he tried to fill the void with the adulation of millions of fans? Is it the sacrifice of a genius at the altar of the brutal music industry? Or is it an American tragedy about race? As far as Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy is concerned, it’s all of the above, and then some. “The tragedy was that this man who got more attention than any human being was still so utterly lonely,” says Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Jackson’s former spiritual adviser. For childhood friend Michelle Breger, seeing Jackson whiten his skin in the late 1980s was “heartbreaking – Michael was trying to erase something off his face”. For prosecutor Ron Zonen, the tragedy is that the might of the Jackson machine won out over justice: “I felt it was remarkably obvious that he was molesting children.” Continue reading...
Taiwan’s economy defied all expectations to post a staggering 8.7% real GDP growth in 2025. This unprecedented expansion was driven by a boom in semiconductor sales, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) fueling a current account surplus of nearly 20% of GDP. The tech giant is so dominant that it now accounts for more than 44% of Taiwan’s stock exchange weighted index.
Taiwan’s economy defied all expectations to post a staggering 8.7% real GDP growth in 2025. This unprecedented expansion was driven by a boom in semiconductor sales, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) fueling a current account surplus of nearly 20% of GDP. The tech giant is so dominant that it now accounts for more than 44% of Taiwan’s stock exchange weighted index.
The New Financial Iron Curtain: Taxes, Capital Controls, & The War On Your Wealth Authored by Chris Macintosh via InternationalMan.com, There is a term called “gating” in the fund management world. It refers to blocking investors from redeeming their funds. Funds do this sometimes as a precaution … and other times when they are in the poo. Well, governments are the same. When they are in the poo, ...
The New Financial Iron Curtain: Taxes, Capital Controls, & The War On Your Wealth Authored by Chris Macintosh via InternationalMan.com, There is a term called “gating” in the fund management world. It refers to blocking investors from redeeming their funds. Funds do this sometimes as a precaution … and other times when they are in the poo. Well, governments are the same. When they are in the poo, they also resort to their version of gating. It’s just called taxes. I’ve always loved the Dutchies. Growing up in South Africa with the Afrikaners — descendants of the Dutch — I can tell you that as a group they are fantastic: hard working, ethical, and very down to earth. It is with sadness, therefore, that I have to acknowledge that their government is thoroughly cocked-up, and they themselves are already behind a financial iron curtain. They recently approved a 36% unrealised capital gains tax. It has since been put back for consideration, but this is not the point. The point is that when governments get into the proverbial isht, this is precisely what happens. You’ll know this because we’ve been talking about it for donkey’s years in these missives. Along with California and many blue states, the Canadians and Aussies are also toying with the idea. It’s been trial-ballooned (usually how they go about these things) in all of the above-mentioned places, but the Dutchies just approved it. Some of you may recall how we don’t like ETFs which use futures contracts. The reason is that you are mathematically 100% going to lose money if you hold them over time. Why? Because volatility will erode you. Every time you roll the futures contracts you get shredded if there’s been any volatility. And inevitably there will be volatility. In any event, what’s going to happen with the Dutchies is kinda similar. Let me explain with some basic maths. Let’s get on our bicycles for a minute and pretend we’re Dutch, and we invest $1,000 into a stock. Year 1: Because we’re geniuses, our stock ...