Nick Moss , Derrick Joad and John Wilkinson respond to an article by Sacha Hilhorst on why voters are turning to the party Sacha Hilhorst is right to highlight the fact that many Reform UK voters are disillusioned with the political status quo because their lives are ever less secure ( I’ve interviewed Reform UK voters – and they’re much more progressive than you might think, 18 May ). The issue at the heart of rightwing populism is an existential one: taking back control, as daily life feels insecure and out of control. But the essence of what Reform and the rest do is to swerve the causes of, and solutions to, this lack of security. Instead of looking at housing, welfare, rising prices, failing healthcare and, consequentially, failing health, they talk of control over borders. The Reform project is to offer a racial solution to a class problem. It is not alone in this. Substituting race for class has been part of the agenda of the Labour party and the Tories whenever they have come under pressure. But bussing asylum seekers out of hotels or tightening border controls changes nothing. If we go back to those communities that fought to “empty the hotels” they are no more secure now and still just as poor. Continue reading...

Two quotes in your article (Schools are ‘pipeline’ to joblessness for many people, says ex-Labour adviser, 21 May) struck a chord with me: “a joyless education system that focused too heavily on passing exams” and “the level of vitriol and hatred these young people used when talking about schools”. I worked on the government’s Youth Opportunities Programme and Youth Training Scheme several years ago, and latterly on the Youth Offending Scheme as a volunteer for more than 20 years – and the quotes did not surprise me in the least. It was bad enough in secondary modern schools, where the majority of children took no exams at all. In the comprehensives and latterly in the academies, every effort is made to show off the school through its exam results, watched at a distance by those students with little or nothing to show for about 10 years of schooling. As an adviser, after being assigned a school I always asked the headteacher if I could shadow a pupil for a day, and by the end of the day I was quite prepared to misbehave. Lecture after lecture with little attempt to involve students in a meaningful way. It was just like being at university. Perhaps the trainers of teachers should scrap their notes and practise a more interactive process that school teachers could copy and would better suit the kind of students that this report is focusing on. In my first job as a teacher at a secondary modern school, the head asked me if I would run a building construction course, at a time when children could leave at Christmas and Easter. All my group stayed on until the summer. It was interactive, but it would have been a lot better if I had been trained to work that way. David Selby Derby Youth unemployment is very real, even in relatively affluent areas of north London. My son had no difficulty finding a weekend job at Greggs while he was at college in 2023, aged 17. However, after leaving college, it took several months for him to finally secure a job in hospitality. I was heav...

Prof Mark R Sanderson says the council is Britain’s most effective instrument of soft power and should be funded properly, not hollowed out The hollowing out of the British Council across Europe should alarm anyone who cares about the UK’s standing in the world ( Soft power sell-off: anger as British Council announces sale of historic Madrid building, 22 May ). For decades, it has been one of Britain’s most effective instruments of soft power, teaching English, supporting cultural and scientific exchange, and building long‑term goodwill that no advertising campaign could buy. The proposed sale or downsizing of long‑established teaching centres with the huge loss of dedicated skilled staff in Madrid, Milan and Naples would be an irreparable loss. These buildings were acquired when city‑centre property was affordable; replacing them would be impossible at anything like the same cost. We have already seen the disappearance of the council’s excellent libraries in Paris, Rome, Athens and Lisbon – collections built up over many decades and once central to Britain’s cultural presence in Europe. Continue reading...

China’s top court and prosecutors’ new anticorruption rules, described by some legal observers as the country’s toughest yet, took effect on May 1, 2026. Photo: IC China’s top judicial authorities have clarified how courts should calculate bribes concealed in discounted stock and equity transactions, as Beijing moves to crack down on increasingly sophisticated forms of corruption tied to future investment gains. An article recently published in People’s Judicature, a journal affiliated with the Supreme People’s Court, provided an authoritative interpretation of a new judicial guideline jointly issued by the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. The rules, which took effect May 1, have been described by some Chinese legal scholars as among the country’s toughest new anticorruption standards.

EschCollection/DigitalVision via Getty Images By Peter C. Earle The US economy appears on stable footing for now, but inflation, borrowing costs, and other warning signs are accumulating beneath the surface. The March 2026 AIER Business Conditions Monthly (BCM) points to a mixed, still uneven economic outlook. Forward-looking data improved from the prior month, though not convincingly; measures of current activity were somewhat firmer; and lagging indicators remained the strongest of the three categories. At the same time, at least one data point in the coincident group appears unusually large relative to the surrounding series, so the month’s results should be read with some caution. Leading Indicator (50) The Leading Indicator came in at 50, with six of 12 components improving, none unchanged, and six deteriorating. Positive movement was spread across several demand-sensitive and forward-looking series. US Average Weekly Hours All Employees Manufacturing SA rose 0.2 percent. US Initial Jobless Claims SA fell 5.1 percent and counted as a positive after inversion. Conference Board US Leading Index Manufacturers’ New Orders Consumer Goods and Materials increased 0.7 percent. Conference Board US Manufacturers New Orders Nondefense Capital Goods Ex Aircraft advanced 4.1 percent, US New Privately Owned Housing Units Started by Structure Total SAAR rose 4.9 percent, and Adjusted Retail and Food Services Sales Total SA increased 1.8 percent. Those gains were offset by weakness elsewhere. The University of Michigan Consumer Expectations Index fell 8.7 percent, while Conference Board US Leading Index Stock Prices 500 Common Stocks declined 3.4 percent. Inventory to Sales Ratio Total Business eased 0.8 percent, United States Heavy Truck Sales SAAR dropped 2.4 percent, and Debit Balances in Customers Securities Margin Accounts decreased 2.6 percent. The 1-Year to 10-Year US Treasury Yield Spread widened 43.0 percent, but because that measure is one of the inverted series, it ...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Friday, May 22, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer — A. Ryals McMullian Chief Financial Officer — Diego Scaglione TAKEAWAYS Outlook Reaffirmation -- Management explicitly reaffirmed the full-year financial outlook despite higher input cost pressures and a challenging sales environment. -- Management explicitly reaffirmed the full-year financial outlook despite higher input cost pressures and a challenging sales environment. Commodities Hedging -- "We're virtually fully hedged for the balance of the year on the commodities in the program," covering core inputs but not diesel or transportation costs. -- "We're virtually fully hedged for the balance of the year on the commodities in the program," covering core inputs but not diesel or transportation costs. Packaging Cost Impact -- Higher oil prices significantly impacted resin and packaging costs, which were not anticipated at the start of the year; management has embedded these increases into guidance and is pursuing productivity and packaging configuration changes to mitigate increases. -- Higher oil prices significantly impacted resin and packaging costs, which were not anticipated at the start of the year; management has embedded these increases into guidance and is pursuing productivity and packaging configuration changes to mitigate increases. Dividend Reset and Capital Allocation -- The recent dividend reset "freeing up around about $100 million of cash" is prioritized for deleveraging, with a target leverage below 3x by the end of fiscal 2027 while maintaining brand investments. -- The recent dividend reset "freeing up around about $100 million of cash" is prioritized for deleveraging, with a target leverage below 3x by the end of fiscal 2027 while maintaining brand investments. Nature's Own Relaunch -- A nationwide relaunch of the core Nature's Own brand was completed, introducing a cleanest-label reformulation, non-GMO certification, and ...

Editorial: Meta Cuts 10% Workforce, TSMC Trims Bonuses 조선일보

格隆汇5月25日｜日本执政党自民党5月21日成立了一个新的议员联盟“国力研究会”。在日本国会众参两院的共417名自民党籍议员中，有347人加入。日本共同社的报道指出，这一联盟背后的真实意图是强化高市早苗在自民党内的根基，力争在明年9月总裁任满后实现“无投票连任”——但很多人其实是“被迫站队”，因为“不想太显眼”而不得不随大流，对于支持高市的态度并不一致。高市能否借此实现连任存疑。

LPL Financial LPLA witnessed an increase in total brokerage and advisory assets in April 2026. Total client assets were $2.48 trillion, rising 6.1% from the previous month and 38.6% year over year. Of the total assets, brokerage assets were $995 billion, while advisory assets totaled $1.48 trillion. Brokerage assets increased 5.2% from March 2026 and 22.9% year over year. Advisory assets grew 6.6% from the previous month and 51.5% from April 2025. Total organic net new assets (NNAs) were $3.1 billion. NNAs were $8.1 billion and $6.1 billion in March 2026 and April 2025, respectively. LPL Financial reported $55.5 billion of total client cash balance in April 2026, down 6.1% from the prior month but up 7.1% from April 2025. Of the total client cash balance, $37.6 billion was insured cash, $14.7 billion was deposit cash, and the remaining was money-market sweep and client cash balance. Our Take on LPL Financial LPL Financial’s solid advisor productivity and recruiting efforts will likely continue to support advisory revenues. The company is expected to keep expanding inorganically, which will help diversify operations. However, uncertainty about the performance of the capital markets and elevated operating expenses are concerns. Over the past six months, LPLA shares have lost 19.2% against the industry’s growth of 3.1%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Currently, LPL Financial carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Performance of LPLA’s Peers In April 2026, Charles Schwab’s SCHW total client assets were $12.61 trillion, up 27% from April 2025 and 7% on a sequential basis. SCHW’s core NNAs were $7.2 billion in April 2026, up 167% year over year but down 91% sequentially. Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.’s IBKR Electronic Brokerage segment, which deals with the clearance and settlement of trades for individual and institutional clients globally, reported a year-over-year rise in client Daily ...

AGNC (AGNC 0.54%), one of the largest mortgage real estate investment trusts (mREITs) in the U.S., pays a forward dividend yield of 14.1%. That massive dividend often attracts a lot of attention from income-driven investors, but is it a stable long-term investment? Let's review its net interest spread and why that metric matters much more than its dividend yield. How does AGNC make money? As an mREIT, AGNC only buys mortgages and mortgage-backed securities (MBS). To mitigate its risk, AGNC allocates 89% of its $94.7 billion portfolio to Agency MBS assets, which are backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae. That government support should shield it from another housing market meltdown. AGNC collects interest on those investments and distributes at least 90% of its taxable income as dividends to maintain a lower tax rate. To generate more cash for future MBS purchases, it sells its own MBS to counterparties and agrees to repurchase them at a set price plus interest on a future date. Those counterparties hold the MBS as collateral, but the accumulated interest is still paid back to AGNC. The company refers to these sales as "repo transactions". For this strategy to work, AGNC must earn enough interest from its long-term MBS to cover its purchases of short-term MBS. In other words, the Fed's short-term rates must remain lower than its long-term rates. If the yield curve inverts (short-term yields exceed long-term yields) when the economy is distressed, its net interest spread -- or the gap between the average yield AGNC earns on its MBS and the average costs of funding those purchases -- will decline. Expand NASDAQ : AGNC AGNC Investment Corp. Today's Change ( -0.54 %) $ -0.06 Current Price $ 10.21 Key Data Points Market Cap $12B Day's Range $ 10.19 - $ 10.34 52wk Range $ 8.79 - $ 12.19 Volume 358.3K Avg Vol 18.2M Gross Margin 100.00 % Dividend Yield 14.10 % What happened to AGNC over the past few years? AGNC posted a net interest spread of 1.92% in 2025, compare...

Key Points AGNC is one of the market’s highest-yielding mREITs. Its stabilizing net interest spreads suggest those dividends are sustainable. 10 stocks we like better than AGNC Investment Corp. › AGNC (NASDAQ: AGNC), one of the largest mortgage real estate investment trusts (mREITs) in the U.S., pays a forward dividend yield of 14.1%. That massive dividend often attracts a lot of attention from income-driven investors, but is it a stable long-term investment? Let's review its net interest spread and why that metric matters much more than its dividend yield. How does AGNC make money? As an mREIT, AGNC only buys mortgages and mortgage-backed securities (MBS). To mitigate its risk, AGNC allocates 89% of its $94.7 billion portfolio to Agency MBS assets, which are backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae. That government support should shield it from another housing market meltdown. 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 » AGNC collects interest on those investments and distributes at least 90% of its taxable income as dividends to maintain a lower tax rate. To generate more cash for future MBS purchases, it sells its own MBS to counterparties and agrees to repurchase them at a set price plus interest on a future date. Those counterparties hold the MBS as collateral, but the accumulated interest is still paid back to AGNC. The company refers to these sales as "repo transactions". For this strategy to work, AGNC must earn enough interest from its long-term MBS to cover its purchases of short-term MBS. In other words, the Fed's short-term rates must remain lower than its long-term rates. If the yield curve inverts (short-term yields exceed long-term yields) when the economy is distressed, its net interest spread -- or the gap between the average yield AGNC earns on its MBS and the average ...

Key Points Enbridge and Enterprise Products have long histories of dividend growth. All three midstream stocks saw volume growth in the first quarter. Energy Transfer has a dividend yield of around 6.5%. 10 stocks we like better than Enterprise Products Partners › The data center and artificial intelligence (AI) boom has profoundly shifted the growth trajectory for midstream energy companies. AI data centers require immense, uninterrupted power, and tech hyperscalers are increasingly turning to natural gas to guarantee 24/7 reliability where the electrical grid is constrained. Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD), Enbridge (NYSE: ENB), and Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) are benefiting from this trend and all three of these energy stocks are up at least 19% so far this year. 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 » Great dividend yields All three have high-yield dividends that yield more than four times that of the average S&P 500 dividend. Enterprise Products Partners has increased its dividend for 28 consecutive years, including a 2.8% raise this year to $0.55 per quarterly share. The yield, at its current share price, is around 5.58%. It is covered 1.8x by its distributable cash flow (DCF), leaving room for continued increases. In December, Enbridge raised its quarterly dividend by 3% to 0.97 Canadian dollars per share, the 31st consecutive year of increases. The yield, at its current share price, is 4.87%. The company is forecasting yearly DCF of $5.30 to $6.10, meaning that the DCF payout ratio will be between 60% and 70%. Energy Transfer has the highest-yielding dividend of the trio, at around 6.6% at its current share price. It has raised its dividend for 18 consecutive quarters since a difficult 50% distribution cut in late 2020. In April, it raised its quarterly distribution by more...

The Boeing Company BA and Lockheed Martin LMT are two of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the United States, and both play a critical role in supplying military equipment, aircraft, and advanced technology systems to the U.S. government and allied nations. Their businesses are heavily tied to defense spending, long-term government contracts and innovation in aerospace engineering. Boeing is widely recognized for its commercial aircraft operations, though it also maintains a significant defense and space business that benefits from both airline demand and government contracts. In contrast, Lockheed Martin is heavily concentrated on defense and government programs, focusing on fighter jets, missile systems, and space technologies. Its long-term defense contracts provide greater earnings stability and visibility, supported by steady global military spending. Investor interest in aircraft companies with defense exposure has reached all-time highs due to rising global defense spending, geopolitical tensions and consistent improvements in commercial aviation. Let's compare Boeing and Lockheed Martin fundamentals to determine which stock appears better positioned at present. Factors in Favor of BA Stock Boeing remains one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the United States in terms of revenues, orders and deliveries, particularly in the commercial aerospace industry. Thanks to the steadily growing demand trend in commercial aerospace, BA, being a prominent jet manufacturer, has been witnessing solid delivery and order activities lately. Keeping up with this trend, the Boeing Commercial Airplanes segment registered 10% year-over-year growth in its delivery count for the first quarter of 2026, which resulted in a 13% surge in this unit’s revenues. Thanks to its diverse defense product portfolio and established footprint in the space technology industry, Boeing witnesses a solid inflow of contracts. Impressively, during the first quarter of 2026, the ...

面对每天上千份上市公司公告该看哪些？重大事项公告动辄几十页几百页重点是啥？公告里一堆专业术语不知道算利好还是利空？请看财联社公司新闻部 《速读公告》 栏目，我们派驻全国的记者们将于公告当晚为您带来准确、快速、专业的解读。 财联社5月25日讯（记者 罗祎辰） 环保厂商 卓锦股份 （688701.SH）的一桩信披违规案历时三年，从立案到行政处罚再到刑事追责，公司实际控制人、董事长卓未龙与董事兼副总经理陈奉连最终获刑事判决，二人同步辞职，董事薛磊紧急补位“身兼数职”。 今日晚间，卓锦股份发布公告，公司于5月22日收到杭州市中级人民法院《刑事判决书》：卓未龙犯违规披露重要信息罪，判处有期徒刑一年，缓刑一年，并处罚金20万元。陈奉连犯违规披露重要信息罪，判处拘役四个月，缓刑四个月，并处罚金2万元。 据悉，这起信披违规案件最早于2023年4月被曝光，《行政处罚事先告知书》 显示，2021年下半年，卓锦股份将部分成本以保证金名义计入往来款，虚减营业成本约 2796.52万元，进而虚增利润总额 2705.67万元，分别占当期披露金额的11.47%、57.84%，导致公司2021年年报存在虚假记载。值得注意的是，2021年也是卓锦股份登陆科创板的第一年。 随后在2023年5月，上市公司公告收到《行政处罚决定书》，监管认定上市公司、实控人卓未龙、时任财务总监姚群英、时任董事会秘书胡愚以及时任董事王志宏对信披违规负责，对相关责任人给予警告并处以相应罚款。 但该事件并未就此结束，2025年末，上市公司突然公告，实控人卓未龙与时任公司董事兼副总经理陈奉连于2025年12月12日收到杭州市公安局出具的《取保候审决定书》， 公司强调他们所涉及违规披露事项与2023年的行政处罚系同一事项，卓未龙与陈奉连仍将正常履职。 此次判决下达后，卓未龙辞去董事长、总经理及法定代表人职务，陈奉连也辞去董事、副总经理相关职务。5月25日，卓锦股份召开董事会议，火速推选董事薛磊出任董事长、法定代表人，并聘任其担任总经理。履历信息显示，薛磊为1980年生人，从2006年起一直在上市公司体系内任职，与公司主要股东及高管无关联关系。

伊朗官方媒体伊朗伊斯兰共和国通讯社报道，伊朗代表团访问多哈是为了评估华盛顿履行承诺的诚意。 责任编辑：丁文武

The semiconductor sector has unquestionably been one of the market's biggest winners over the past five years. It's been fueled by huge demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, cloud computing, and high-performance chips. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH +1.56%) has become one of the largest and most successful exchange-traded funds during this stretch. The biggest factor in making this ETF a leader in the category might be its market-cap-weighting methodology. By overweighting the industry's biggest players, including Nvidia (NVDA 1.86%), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 0.69%), Intel (INTC +1.18%), and Broadcom (AVGO +0.01%), the fund has been able to capture some of the biggest gains with larger allocations. Over the past five years, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF has produced a total return of 384% (as of May 22). Almost all of that comes from share-price appreciation, with a negligible contribution from dividend income. That means someone who invested just $1,000 in the fund five years ago would today have approximately $4,840. That's an annualized return of more than 37%! Expand NASDAQ : SMH VanEck ETF Trust - VanEck Semiconductor ETF Today's Change ( 1.56 %) $ 8.88 Current Price $ 576.76 Key Data Points Day's Range $ 572.86 - $ 582.50 52wk Range $ 235.37 - $ 582.50 Volume 416.2K The big question now becomes whether that momentum can continue. AI-related spending remains robust. Earnings growth is expected to be strong for at least the next couple of years. Valuations are high but not excessive. It's likely to come down to execution. If semiconductor companies can keep up with demand, investor returns should follow.

Key Points The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) is one of the best-performing semiconductor ETFs over the past five years. Its market-cap-weighting strategy has allowed the fund to maintain outsized allocations to the sector's biggest winners. Investors in the fund just five years ago would have nearly quintupled their money. 10 stocks we like better than VanEck ETF Trust - VanEck Semiconductor ETF › The semiconductor sector has unquestionably been one of the market's biggest winners over the past five years. It's been fueled by huge demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, cloud computing, and high-performance chips. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: SMH) has become one of the largest and most successful exchange-traded funds during this stretch. The biggest factor in making this ETF a leader in the category might be its market-cap-weighting methodology. By overweighting the industry's biggest players, including Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), the fund has been able to capture some of the biggest gains with larger allocations. 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 » Over the past five years, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF has produced a total return of 384% (as of May 22). Almost all of that comes from share-price appreciation, with a negligible contribution from dividend income. That means someone who invested just $1,000 in the fund five years ago would today have approximately $4,840. That's an annualized return of more than 37%! The big question now becomes whether that momentum can continue. AI-related spending remains robust. Earnings growth is expected to be strong for at least the next couple of years. Valuations are high but not excessive. It's likely to come down to execution...

Veracyte’s VCYT shares have surged 65.8% over the past year, showing impressive momentum. It has significantly outperformed the industry’s 4.8% decline and the S&P 500 composite’s 33.1% gain. Presently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), the global diagnostics company continues to benefit from the robust performance of Afirma and Decipher tests. Their solid growth potential, along with strategic investments in the long-term growth drivers, is highly promising. Based in San Francisco, CA, Veracyte offers advanced genomic tests that combine deep scientific, clinical and machine-learning expertise with other capabilities. Presently, the portfolio includes Afirma (for thyroid cancer), Decipher Prostate (prostate cancer), Prosigna (breast cancer) and Decipher Bladder (bladder cancer), with additional tests in development. The company also has operations in San Diego, CA; Austin, TX; and Haifa, Israel. Key Catalysts for VCYT’s Growth The rally in the company’s share price can be linked to the strength of both Afirma and Decipher Prostate tests. In the first quarter of 2026, Afirma volumes increased about 12% year over year to approximately 17,200 tests, and revenues rose 21%. In first-quarter 2026, Decipher volume grew 24% year over year to approximately 28,000 tests and revenues increased 30%. Management also noted traction in advanced disease, with nearly 30% growth across high-risk categories, such as radical prostatectomy, biochemical recurrence and metastatic disease, in the quarter. Investors are impressed with Veracyte’s efforts to prioritize expansion into minimal residual disease and recurrence testing, broader international access through IVDs and novel products that address new clinical questions. In the first quarter, management reiterated that TrueMRD remains the next platform extension and said it is on track to launch TrueMRD for muscle-invasive bladder cancer by the end of the second quarter, initially targeting recurrence monitoring after curative-intent the...

Five Below, Inc. FIVE delivered strong ticket growth during fiscal 2025, reflecting improving customer spending patterns and the success of its merchandising and pricing initiatives. During the fourth quarter, comparable sales increased 15.4% year over year, supported by 8% growth in comparable ticket and 7% growth in comparable transactions, demonstrating balanced momentum between higher traffic and larger basket sizes. The company’s evolving pricing strategy played a significant role in driving ticket expansion. Five Below successfully introduced products at higher price points such as $7, $10 and $15 while continuing to maintain strong value perception among customers. Management noted that shoppers responded positively to the expanded assortment because the products delivered compelling relative value and were merchandised naturally within core shopping categories rather than being isolated. Trend-driven merchandising also supported stronger customer spending. Viral products, collectibles, beauty items, toys and licensed merchandise helped increase basket sizes across stores. The company’s enhanced ability to respond quickly to social media trends and amplify viral demand through digital marketing channels improved customer engagement and encouraged incremental purchases. Operational improvements further strengthened ticket growth. Five Below invested in better in-stock levels, improved replenishment processes and additional labor support during peak shopping periods. These efforts ensured stronger product availability and a smoother shopping experience, allowing the company to convert higher traffic efficiently into larger transactions and stronger sales productivity. Management expects ticket growth to remain an important contributor to comparable sales in fiscal 2026. The company indicated that average unit retail expansion and ticket growth trends seen during the fourth quarter are expected to continue into the first quarter, reinforcing confidence in the su...

美國國務卿魯比奧表示，美方與伊朗的談判可能有新進展，其中在霍爾木茲海峽開放問題上已經有「比較確定」的方案。在北京，外交部表示，美伊雙方應當通過對話協商，達成兼顧各方關切的解決方案，盡快重開航道。 外交部發言人毛寧稱︰「中方在伊朗局勢上的立場十分明確，這是一場本就不該發生的戰爭，也沒有任何進行下去的必要。早一點找到解決出路，對美伊雙方有利，也對地區各國和整個世界有利。近來美伊實現停火，探索通過談判解決問題，受到地區國家和國際社會的歡迎。」 毛寧指出︰「中方始終認為對話談判才是正道，武力解決沒有出路，對話的大門既然打開就不應當再次關上，應當穩住局勢的緩和勢頭，堅持政治解決的大方向，通過對話協商達成兼顧各方關切的解決方案，盡快重開航道，回應國際社會的呼聲，共同維護全球產供鏈的穩定暢通，盡快達成全面持久停火，推動中東海灣局勢，早日恢復和平穩定。自從戰事爆發以來，中方一直在為止戰奔走、為和平盡力。習近平主席鄭重提出了維護和促進中東和平穩定的四點主張，中方將繼續秉持習近平主席四點主張的精神，同國際社會一道，為和談提供更大的助力，為最終實現中東地區持久和平發揮建設性作用。」

Google rolls out AI-powered ad formats at Marketing Live Proactive financial news

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Google unveiled a suite of artificial intelligence-driven advertising products at its annual Google Marketing Live event, targeting expanded wallet share from both offline budgets and social media platforms as it moves to cement its position in the emerging agentic...

Heathrow, west London, broke the record on Monday, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s away from the south-east of England.

Intuitive Surgical’s ISRG Ion platform is increasingly emerging as a potentially meaningful growth engine, supported by accelerating procedural adoption and growing clinical validation in lung cancer care. In the first quarter of 2026, Ion procedures grew 39% year over year to 43,000, substantially outpacing overall company procedure growth and reinforcing management’s conviction that the platform can play a larger role in pulmonary diagnostics and intervention. Management reiterated that Ion’s key achievement is improving lung cancer patient survival, positioning the platform as more than just an incremental robotic product. Clinical evidence is strengthening the case. A recently published Mayo Clinic study, evaluating approximately 2,000 patients, demonstrated that Ion-supported robotic bronchoscopy achieved a 79% diagnostic yield under strict ATS/ACCP consensus definitions and an 85% sensitivity in detecting malignancy. The study demonstrated a significant shift toward earlier-stage diagnosis, with the proportion of primary lung cancers detected at an early stage increasing from 46% in 2019 to 69% in 2024. Because earlier detection is closely linked to better survival outcomes, the findings highlight Ion’s potential to meaningfully improve the lung cancer treatment pathway. Intuitive Surgical is also pursuing an integration roadmap aimed at streamlining diagnosis and staging. Management is progressing well with its rapid on-site tissue evaluation (ROSE) and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) integration. These technologies could allow physicians to move from detection to diagnosis and lymph node staging during a single anesthetic event. The Mayo study showed that 74% of patients underwent concurrent EBUS staging, highlighting the clinical value of an integrated workflow. Ion could materially expand Intuitive Surgical’s total addressable market (TAM) over the long term in the lucrative lung cancer market. By improving access to minimally invasive biopsy, accelerating...

Alcoa Corporation AA and Ryerson Holding Corporation RYZ are prominent players in the aluminum industry, supported by global operations and diversified business portfolios. With aluminum prices remaining elevated amid global economic uncertainty and persistent trade tensions, a comparison of these industry participants is increasingly relevant for investors seeking exposure to the Zacks Metal Products - Distribution industry. Aluminum has emerged as an appealing investment opportunity in recent years, driven by rising demand for lightweight and energy-efficient electric vehicles, increased use of recycled aluminum and advancements in rechargeable batteries. Demand for the metal continues to grow as industries increasingly prioritize sustainability and operational efficiency. Moreover, the steady recovery and expansion of global air travel have prompted aircraft manufacturers to increase production, boosting demand for aluminum alloys used in fuselages and wings. Which stock currently presents the stronger investment case? A closer look at their fundamentals, growth prospects and key headwinds can help determine which company offers the more compelling opportunity for investors today. The Case for Alcoa Alcoa is benefiting from strong momentum in its Aluminum segment, driven by healthy demand across packaging, electrical and transportation end markets. The segment’s production capacity has expanded following the restart of the San Ciprián smelter in Spain, Alumar in Brazil and Lista in Norway. In the first quarter of 2026, the Aluminum segment’s third-party sales rose to $2.54 billion from $1.91 billion reported in the prior-year quarter. In May 2026, Alcoa announced a $65 million investment to expand production capabilities at its Mosjøen smelter in Norway, enabling the use of recycled aluminum in the casting process and increasing capacity by up to 75,000 metric tons. The investment will strengthen AA’s low-carbon aluminum portfolio, expand alloy flexibility and su...

PepsiCo, Inc. PEP is leaning heavily on innovation and portfolio transformation to reignite growth momentum in 2026. The company has been rolling out a broad range of new products across snacks and beverages, while refreshing core brands with improved value offerings, updated packaging and stronger marketing support. Management noted that innovation remains central to its “Hungry for Growth” strategy, with launches spanning functional snacks, better-for-you beverages and flavor extensions aimed at attracting new consumers and driving repeat purchases. Early signs suggest these efforts are beginning to gain traction, particularly in North America Foods, where volume growth returned during the first quarter. PepsiCo’s innovation pipeline is increasingly focused on health-conscious and functional categories, areas seeing faster consumer demand growth. The company highlighted strong momentum in brands such as Smartfood, SunChips and Siete, while also expanding offerings with low sugar, no artificial colors and protein-focused innovations. New launches, including Doritos Protein, Smartfood with fiber and reformulated Gatorade products, are expected to gain broader distribution through the summer as shelf resets continue across retail channels. Management indicated that many innovation launches are currently only at 40-50% ACV distribution, leaving significant room for expansion in the coming quarters. Beyond product innovation, PepsiCo is pairing its growth initiatives with aggressive productivity improvements to fund investments and strengthen execution. The company is using AI, digital ordering systems and supply-chain optimization to improve efficiency while reinvesting savings into advertising, promotions and category expansion. PepsiCo also sees major opportunities tied to global events like the World Cup, where innovation, personalized marketing and occasion-based campaigns are expected to accelerate brand engagement worldwide. With strong momentum in international...