Andrii Dodonov/iStock via Getty Images Pantheon Macroeconomics is predicting the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by 75 basis points beginning in December, pushing back against market expectations of a potential rate hike before year-end. In its latest US Chartbook, the research firm forecasts an initial 25 basis point cut in December 2026, followed by two additional cuts in the first half of 2027. This outlook stands in stark contrast to futures markets, which currently see a 50% chance of the Federal Open Market Committee hiking rates before December. “The Committee has shown it is very responsive to small rises in unemployment, and fiscal policy is unlikely to lend a helping hand this time,” the report said. "In addition, we think [incoming Fed chair] Mr. Warsh will try to steer the Committee to take a more forward-looking approach to setting monetary policy. High inflation will be less worrying once the near-term momentum has faded later this year." Pantheon’s rate cut call hinges on its expectation that core PCE inflation will fall to 3.0% by year-end, down from the current 3.2%. The firm points to slowing wage growth, with the Atlanta Fed’s Wage Growth Tracker showing year-over-year growth decelerating to 3.6% in April from 4.1% in March. However, the near-term picture remains challenging. Headline CPI inflation jumped to 3.8% in April and is expected to hit 4.1% in May as higher gas ( UNG ) ( BOIL ) prices work through the economy. The economists note that real incomes will drop this summer as tax refunds fade while energy ( USO ) ( BNO ) costs remain elevated. GDP growth is forecast to slow to 1% in both Q2 and Q3, down from 2.0% in Q1, with the unemployment rate expected to rise steadily to 4.7% by December from 4.3% in April. Pantheon Macroeconomics More on the U.S. Economy Real Yields Near 20-Year Highs As Energy Shock Continues Bond Bloodbath Worsens On Inflation, Lax Fed, And Flood Of New Debt; Mortgage Rates Hit 6.75% Irrational Exuberance Again...

PM Images Year-ahead business inflation expectations increased 2.4% in May, up a tick from the 2.3% increase expected in April, according to a survey the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta released on Wednesday. The firms surveyed reported a mean 3.7% price increase over the past 12 months and a mean 4.1% expected price increase over the next 12 months. When asked about their use of AI, some three-quarters of respondents reported some use of AI technologies, with more than two-thirds using generative AI alone. They also reported they expect a positive impact on sales volume per employee due to AI tools and a slight reduction in employment in certain task types due to AI, the Atlanta Fed said. Unit cost expectations still higher than prepandemic level in May (Atlanta Fed) More on the US Economy Why Oil Price Spikes Cause Recessions But High Prices Don't Pending home sales rise more than expected in April Warsh scheduled to be sworn in as Fed chair at the White House on Friday

Proper Ladies is being compared to Derry Girls for its portrayal of a wild but relatable girl gang. Its creator opens up about trying to reshape the way Black and Muslim characters are used in TV It’s not every comedy that dares to feature a character trying to strangle herself with her own hijab. Yet the BBC’s Proper Ladies has caused a storm on social media thanks to its chaotic energy and sharply observed teenage dynamics, drawing comparisons to shows such as Derry Girls and Some Girls. “We saw our first fan edit and it had 100,000 likes,” says writer Sabrina Ali. “It feels like we made it.” Set in a faith school, Proper Ladies is a 10-minute short that follows four schoolgirls in detention, where friendships, rivalries and acts of rebellion unfold. Absurd, quick-witted and fast, it leans into the heightened logic of teenage life – where the smallest things escalate quickly and everything feels urgent. In one scene, a student delivers a dramatic monologue about setting off the fire alarm to conceal the fact that she used the staff toilets to defecate. Continue reading...

格隆汇5月20日丨伊朗议会议长卡利巴夫：我们必须让敌人感到绝望，以便在谈判中迫使他们接受我们人民的正当要求。

Key Points The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF provides exposure to large-cap technology giants while the State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF targets the small-cap segment. The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF offers a lower expense ratio of 0.07% compared to the 0.15% fee for the State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF. The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF has historically delivered higher total returns over the last five years though it experienced a deeper maximum drawdown during that span. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard Admiral Funds - Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF › The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VOOG) provides low-cost exposure to large-cap growth giants, while the State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:SLYG) offers targeted access to the small-cap segment. This comparison highlights the fundamental differences between investing in established market leaders and emerging smaller companies. The Vanguard fund focuses on large-cap growth engines, while the State Street fund seeks expansion potential among smaller enterprises, creating distinct profiles for risk and total return. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric SLYG VOOG Issuer SPDR Vanguard Expense ratio 0.15% 0.07% 1-yr return (as of May 18, 2026) 21.70% 31.50% Dividend yield 0.70% 0.47% Beta 1.06 1.17 AUM ~$4.6 billion ~$24.2 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield. Investors could find the Vanguard fund more affordable, as its expense ratio is 0.07% versus 0.15% for the State Street fund. The Vanguard fund also offers a significantly higher AUM for active traders. Performance & risk comparison Metric SLYG VOOG Max drawdown (5 yr) (29.20%) (32.70%) Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return) $1,324 $2,104 What's inside The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF concentrates on large-cap ...

國家主席習近平與訪華的俄羅斯總統普京舉行雙邊會談。習近平宣布，兩國同意延長《中俄睦鄰友好合作條約》。普京就說與習近平「一日不見、如隔三秋」，又邀請習近平明年訪俄。 國家主席習近平與俄羅斯總統普京周三在北京人民大會堂，與雙方代表舉行大範圍會談。習近平宣布，兩國同意延長《中俄睦鄰友好合作條約》。 國家主席習近平說：「中俄雙方要全力落實好我和普京總統達成的共識，充分把握歷史機遇，推動兩國的互信根基越扎越牢，合作成色越來越足，友誼之路越走越寬。」 普京就稱，俄中新時代全面戰略協作夥伴關係展現堅韌和穩固。 俄羅斯總統普京表示：「俄中新時代全面戰略協作夥伴關係是國際關係的典範，在當今世界，這一關係基於平等、睦鄰友好。我們的目標是俄中兩國人民的福祉與繁榮，這些堅實的基礎使我們的關係得以發展。」 中俄元首亦談及中東局勢。習近平指出，中東海灣地區局勢正處於戰和轉換的關鍵節點，全面止戰刻不容緩，中方希望為緩局降溫、止戰促和作出貢獻。 而在之前的小範圍會談，習近平稱普京為老朋友，並指出中俄關係逐步達到當前的高水平，得益於堅定不移的信念、相互信任與戰略協作，以及積極拓展多元化合作，以及共同維護國際公平正義。 而普京則引用中國諺語，表達再次訪華的感受。 普京稱：「尊敬的主席先生，習近平先生，親愛的朋友，用一句中國諺語來形容很恰當。據我們所知，中國有句俗話『一日不見，如隔三秋』，我們非常高興見到您。」 普京又指，在雙方共同努力下，俄中關係達到空前的高水平，俄方願同中方繼續加強多邊協作，支持中國辦好11月在深圳舉辦的亞太經合組織(APEC)領導人非正式會議，推動國際秩序更加公正合理。普京又邀請習近平明年訪問俄羅斯。

The Daily: Can NVDA Earnings Overwhelm Rising Yields? tastylive

Driving sims were overtaken by open world fantasy adventures, but new upgrades show how much joy there is in the genre I have spent the last week careening around Japan in a Porsche 911, seeing the sights, racing other cars and occasionally veering off the road to plummet through an ancient bamboo forest. You all know what’s coming next … this wasn’t in real life, folks – it was in Forza Horizon 6 , the latest instalment in Microsoft’s series of open world driving games set in authentic-looking, real-world locations. Reviewing this game (which is out now on Xbox and PC, and coming to PS5 later in the year) has reminded me of the sheer fun and exhilaration that driving games can provide. It’s easy to forget, but this was the biggest genre in town from the 1990s to the early 2000s. Consoles were sold on how good their racing games were: the original PlayStation had Ridge Racer, the Sega Saturn had Daytona USA. Later came the dirt-track thrills of Colin McRae Rally, the chaotic destruction of Burnout, the sophisticated realism of Gran Turismo. They were the bestsellers of the era, showcasing the future of real-time 3D visuals. Continue reading...

Four is a magical age. Children are on their way out of the “threenager” stage, growing in confidence and independence but still needing help and support from parents and friends. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Four was the age at which many seasoned parents told me that “things get a little easier”, and I’ve found this is slightly true now that my daughters are almost four and seven. In my experience, it’s also when children start to enjoy activities that adults also enjoy. While I’ve spent many long hours role-playing schools, babies and cooking with my children, I definitely prefer joining them in a puzzle or game. Most children are well out of the naps and nappies stage and are growing in physical confidence too, which may be on a bike, scooter or skates. They can also do a lot more independently or with their friends. The best gifts allow them to do this, such as puzzles, magnet sets or craft kits, along with those that encourage creativity and independence, such as a mud kitchen and electronic pets. How I selected I’ve selected the best gifts for four-year-olds from my own experience with toys that have really lasted, and that my children keep going back to. But I also sourced more opinions, both from other parents and from several parenting experts. My youngest daughter is three and a half, so some of her friends (aged three and four) also came to our house to try some of the toys included below. The best gifts and toys for four-year-olds Colour in the world Packed with puzzles, colouring and stickers, this beautiful book comes from the world of Oliver Jeffers, who also wrote the bestselling book Lost and Found. That was a regular favourite with both my children, and this activity book is perfectly suited to small (and big) minds. A great gift if you’re looking for something a little different. Here We Are Activity Book Suitable for: 3+ Reach for the stars If you ...

bgwalker When Walmart ( WMT ) posts quarterly results on Thursday, investors will keep a close eye on the big-box retailer’s guidance amid an uncertain macro environment. Wall Street expects the retail giant to post EPS of $0.66, implying a rise of 8.2%, while revenue is expected to grow 5.6% to $174.84B during the quarter. Walmart’s earnings report could often be considered a signal on the broader U.S. consumer health at a time when retail companies are facing challenges to attract consumers amid a weak spending environment. Additionally, the industry has also faced the brunt of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump last year. Earlier in February, Walmart’s current fiscal-year earnings outlook that fell short of Wall Street’s expectations disappointed investors. “If Walmart doesn’t lower guidance thanks to gas prices hitting some level of sales, at the very least expect Walmart to be conservative with guidance,” noted Seeking Alpha analyst Brian Gilmartin. Even though Walmart noted pressure on households below the $50K annual earnings level, its hold on upper-income customers opting for speedy deliveries has helped it to maintain its market share. The company’s e-commerce business, along with investment in timely technology and loyalty programs, gave it an edge over rivals. Seeking Alpha analysts and Seeking Alpha’s Quant ratings are cautious and rated the stock a Hold. In contrast, Wall Street analysts consider it a Strong Buy. “We continue to view WMT as well-positioned in the current macro, with a reasonable (and potentially beatable) FY27 outlook as the company continues to build on momentum seen throughout FY26,” said Piper Sandler analyst Peter Keith. Truist said while rising fuel prices may create some margin pressure due to mix shifts and supply chain costs, the brokerage expects these increases to be “manageable” and generally offset by rapid growth from higher-margin revenue streams like advertising and membership. Recently, Morgan Stanley issued a po...

Just_Super/E+ via Getty Images I previously rated Palantir Technologies Inc. ( PLTR ) ( PLTR:CA ) as a Hold in February 2026, attributed to the overly expensive valuations. In this article, I shall discuss why I am cautiously upgrading the PLTR stock as a Buy here, thanks to the improved margin of safety from the prior correction/ongoing consolidation and their AI SaaS beneficiary status. PLTR Proves Why It Is Winning The AI SaaS Race PLTR 1Y Stock Price (Trading View) 1. SaaS Revolution Since my last Hold rating, PLTR has been trading sideways with the stock already consolidating near to the 50 day moving averages, thanks to the yet-to-lift SaaSpocalypse fears. The pessimism is warranted to a certain extent, as Danny Lukus, a PLTR deployment strategist declares that " SaaS is dead ." The latter is attributed to Enterprises moving away from cookie cutter SaaS offerings to seek SaaS platforms "specifically tailored" to their operations, with the aim of filling "the gaps left by their standard software" while driving improved efficiencies. The same has been touted by numerous AI foundries, including OpenAI ( OPENAI ) and Anthropic ( ANTHRO ), with their diversified offerings allowing users to build low-code application platforms with the help of AI agents and code libraries. Here is where PLTR has been able to excel, as they stand out against other typical SaaS platforms as a vertically integrated, AI operating platform across data processing, analytics, decision making, operational workflows, and feedback loops through human and/or AI agents, through: Apollo (autonomous deployment platform) , Foundry (foundational data platform), AIP ( app/agent building platform through AI builders), Ontology (Human+AI teams operating system), and Gotham (AI-driven combat platform). The use cases across different applications have been proven as well, across: the end to end supply chain management for the manufacturing sector, the military defense/strike operations and the analysis ...

Just_Super/E+ via Getty Images I previously rated Palantir Technologies Inc. ( PLTR ) ( PLTR:CA ) as a Hold in February 2026, attributed to the overly expensive valuations. In this article, I shall discuss why I am cautiously upgrading the PLTR stock as a Buy here, thanks to the improved margin of safety from the prior correction/ongoing consolidation and their AI SaaS beneficiary status. PLTR Proves Why It Is Winning The AI SaaS Race PLTR 1Y Stock Price (Trading View) 1. SaaS Revolution Since my last Hold rating, PLTR has been trading sideways with the stock already consolidating near to the 50 day moving averages, thanks to the yet-to-lift SaaSpocalypse fears. The pessimism is warranted to a certain extent, as Danny Lukus, a PLTR deployment strategist declares that " SaaS is dead ." The latter is attributed to Enterprises moving away from cookie cutter SaaS offerings to seek SaaS platforms "specifically tailored" to their operations, with the aim of filling "the gaps left by their standard software" while driving improved efficiencies. The same has been touted by numerous AI foundries, including OpenAI ( OPENAI ) and Anthropic ( ANTHRO ), with their diversified offerings allowing users to build low-code application platforms with the help of AI agents and code libraries. Here is where PLTR has been able to excel, as they stand out against other typical SaaS platforms as a vertically integrated, AI operating platform across data processing, analytics, decision making, operational workflows, and feedback loops through human and/or AI agents, through: Apollo (autonomous deployment platform) , Foundry (foundational data platform), AIP ( app/agent building platform through AI builders), Ontology (Human+AI teams operating system), and Gotham (AI-driven combat platform). The use cases across different applications have been proven as well, across: the end to end supply chain management for the manufacturing sector, the military defense/strike operations and the analysis ...

The administrator of the fire-damaged Wang Fuk Court has reassured residents that the Hong Kong government will assume responsibility for pursuing insurance claims on policies bought by the estate on behalf of owners who sell their flats to authorities under a buy-back plan. But some residents of the Tai Po estate who attended Wednesday’s Zoom briefing by Hop On Management found some of their questions regarding insurance claims remained unanswered, including how and when they were expected to receive compensation from the insurer. Addressing concerns over whether residents who accept the government’s buy-back offer might lose their rights to claim a variety of insurance benefits from China Taiping Insurance (HK) Company, Hop On said authorities would take full responsibility. Advertisement The government has earmarked HK$6.8 billion (US$870 million) to acquire flats at seven of the eight blocks of the estate damaged by the fire. The plan was later extended to the remaining block at an extra cost of HK$1 billion. “If the owners agree to resell the titles to the government, it will bear the rights to the property all-risks insurance claims,” Frankie Chan, service director at Hop On, said. Advertisement “This means the government will proactively take on all legal responsibilities and procedures, as well as the risks of uncertainty regarding compensation amounts and processing timelines.

5月15日，媒体报道反映漳州市龙海区浮宫镇、白水镇部分杨梅收购点存在违规使用添加剂浸泡杨梅的问题。漳州市立即启动应急响应，成立工作专班，第一时间组织多部门赶赴浮宫镇、白水镇开展联合执法，迅速调查处置，对媒体暗访涉及的杨梅收购点逐一核查，发现实际涉事收购点共5家，查扣问题杨梅225公斤和一批违规添加剂，并立案调查。持续溯源，追查违法行为，追回问题杨梅540公斤，查扣违规添加剂20.1公斤，行政立案12起，刑事立案2起、刑事拘留5人。对查处的问题杨梅和查扣的违规添加剂，已全部销毁。（新华社）

bgwalker/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Introduction After dealing with Home Depot ( HD ), it is now Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s ( LOW ) turn. This is a stock I had been at first neutral on, upgrading it to a Buy in late November, when I ran a head-to-head comparison between Home Depot and Lowe's and showed why the latter was better positioned than the former, scoring both stocks across five macro themes (housing turnover, home prices, mortgage rates, home improvement spending, and consumer sentiment). Until mid-February, this call was highly correct, as it returned over 24% in just a few months. But things have capitulated since then, and the stock has not been part of the broader AI-driven April rally. So, while it is true that relative to HD , LOW has done better, the same is not true when we compare it to the market. Data by YCharts The Housing Market It is almost impossible to understand a company such as Lowe's and its reports without being aware of what is happening in the housing market . Over the past year, the macro setup has not truly changed, and existing home sales are near a multi-decade low. Mortgage rates are also above 6.6%, which is a level that acts as a weight on housing turnover since it creates a lock-in effect for all those households that don't really need to move. realtor However, when people start being "stuck" in their existing homes for too long, a favorable tailwind for a company such as Lowe's could materialize. People who are not financially incentivized to move can invest in home renovation and home improvement, keeping maintenance and repair spending at healthy, if not growing, levels. This impacts Pro contractors, whom Lowe's has been targeting as its real customer cohort that it wants to add (the ADG and FBM acquisitions go in this direction). If this will be true, we should see Lowe's report big-ticket volume growth. Lowe's Q1 2026 Earnings Review Lowe's Q1 2026 report shows that the company grew its net sales by 10.5% to $23.1B,...

USO260520P00131000 互動股市圖表 | USO May 2026 131.000 put 股市 Yahoo 財經

Socket, a cybersecurity startup that sells technology to help safeguard open-source code against hackers, has raised a new round of funding that values the company at $1 billion. Josh Kushner’s Thrive Capital led the $60 million financing round in the startup, Socket is set to announce Wednesday. Existing investors Andreessen Horowitz and Abstract Ventures participated alongside new backer Capital One Ventures. Founded in 2020, Socket’s services have gained new relevance thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence coding tools from Anthropic PBC, OpenAI and Cursor. These companies developed AI systems to streamline work for software engineers by training models on repositories of open-source code online, increasing the urgency of any security vulnerabilities in that code. Anthropic and Cursor are also Socket customers. “It’s like the perfect storm for Socket,” said founder and Chief Executive Officer Feross Aboukhadijeh. “You couldn’t ask for a better moment in terms of what our product does and what the market needs.” In March, Socket was one of several security companies that warned a malicious actor had replaced a popular open-source software package called Axios npm with dangerous code. Researchers at Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Microsoft Corp. attributed the attack to hackers linked to North Korea — a group Microsoft dubs Sapphire Sleet. Socket flagged the code as malicious in six minutes and kept clients from downloading it, Aboukhadijeh said. Thrive decided to lead the funding round after hearing OpenAI, Anthropic and Cursor discuss Socket. “T​​​​​hese companies were very nervous about the risks of coding tools falling into the wrong hands,” said Philip Clark, a partner at Thrive Capital. “They mentioned independently to us that Socket was the tool that they were thinking about as a part of that response.” Socket works by tracking and testing new open-source code put into repositories. Apart from selling its products directly, the company hopes to sign deals...

China and Russia issued strong warnings over the US Golden Dome missile defence system and military deployments in the region in their latest joint statement, just days after a summit between Beijing and Washington aimed at stabilising Sino-American ties. The two countries accused the United States of posing “a clear threat to strategic stability” through its Golden Dome project in a joint statement issued after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit on Wednesday. The implementation of the Golden Dome project – a multilayer missile defence system initiated by US President Donald Trump – would have “serious negative consequences for international security”, according to the joint statement released by the Kremlin. Advertisement The statement is part of broader efforts by Beijing and Moscow to strengthen strategic coordination amid evolving relations between China, the United States and Russia The statement came days after Trump’s visit to Beijing, where he and Xi agreed to establish a “constructive relationship of strategic stability”. In the joint statement, Beijing and Moscow warned against provocations by certain countries with nuclear weapons, without directly naming the US. The two also agreed to maintain communication on nuclear arms control issues.

Immad Akhund, CEO and co-founder of the startup Mercury. Courtesy: Mercury Technologies Mercury, a fintech firm that provides banking services to startups, has raised $200 million in funding at a $5.2 billion valuation, CNBC has learned exclusively. That valuation is 49% higher than the San Francisco-based company's previous funding round just 14 months ago, bucking the downturn facing much of the fintech sector. The Series D round was led by venture firm TCV — backer of other well-known fintech firms, including Revolut and Nubank — and included existing investors Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and Coatue, Mercury CEO Immad Akhund told CNBC. Mercury has emerged in recent years as one of a select group of fintech firms, like the larger payments startups Ramp and Stripe , that have continued to thrive after the collapse of the inflated valuations of the pandemic era. Mercury, with more than 300,000 customers, including a third of early-stage U.S. startups, has been profitable for the past four years and recently hit $650 million in annualized revenue, Akhund said. While generative AI has hurt many startups created before the arrival of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022, it has also fueled the formation of new companies — a trend that Mercury, which opens accounts for businesses at their earliest stage, has directly benefited from, according to Akhund. "We've seen a lot of growth, especially recently, and a lot of that comes down to AI being a big enabler for entrepreneurship," he said. "We're seeing a lot of people doing AI startups, but also non-AI companies where they're using AI to build an app really easily or build products and websites really quickly." The fundraising comes weeks after Mercury disclosed it received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to become a federally regulated bank, part of a wave of fintech and crypto firms seeking entry to the traditional banking system dominated by established lenders. Building Mercu...

NEW YORK, NY, May 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Speed is the invisible tax on retail investing. While institutional algorithms execute in milliseconds, individual investors click buttons, refresh charts, and watch prices move against them. New research commissioned by AriseAlpha quantifies the damage: 81% of retail investors believe their lack of execution speed has cost them real money over the past 12 months. Today, AriseAlpha launches a platform built to erase that disadvantage. The company's new AI trading bot ecosystem operates across four major asset classes — cryptocurrencies, stocks, funds, and forex — with execution speeds averaging under 200 milliseconds from signal to order. The platform includes a dedicated AI stock trading bot, an AI crypto trading bot, and automated strategies for exchange-traded funds and currency pairs. "We asked retail investors what holds them back," said an AriseAlpha spokesperson. "They didn't say lack of knowledge. They didn't say bad strategies. They said speed. By the time they see an opportunity and click a button, the moment has passed. Our AI trading bot removes that delay entirely. It sees. It decides. It executes. All before a human can blink." Market Data: The Retail Speed Gap AriseAlpha analyzed execution timing across 15,000 manually placed trades by retail investors in Q1 2026. The findings reveal a consistent pattern: From the moment a clear trading signal appears (e.g., a breakout above resistance or a bullish divergence on RSI), the average retail investor takes 47 seconds to act. In that time, markets move. Slippage accumulates. Profits shrink or turn to losses. Institutional algorithms, by contrast, act in under 10 milliseconds. The AriseAlpha AI trading bot bridges this gap by operating at 200 milliseconds — not institutional grade, but faster than any human and fast enough to capture the majority of available alpha. The data also showed that speed disadvantages compound. Investors who missed entries by even five...

Family caregivers often experience financial strain and career setbacks.

Hychko Oleksandr/iStock via Getty Images Enovix Corporation ( ENVX ) is a company that I have continued to watch. I had concerns when I last reviewed the stock and gave it a hold rating. Here we are nearly a year later, and the stock is down 20%. It seems that my concerns still exist within the company. Yet there continues to be a lot of potential. The company has continued to struggle with its execution. It has continued to miss deadlines and estimates; it has also had issues with its technology and the production side of the business. It seems to be one hiccup after another for the company. It still does not have any products in the market. It has recently had concerns around performance with one of its potential larger partners. It is not hard to see the potential for the company. The battery market for electronic products is a large market. Enovix is trying to establish itself within that market. We are talking about large-scale items, such as phones and, recently, drones. The market opportunity is massive if it can prove its technology and product. This is what gets bulls excited. Due to the strong potential and, on the opposite side, the continued misses, the company trades with a lot of volatility. The chart shows the volatility in the stock price, with a 52-week high of $16.49 and a low of $4.62. Seeking Alpha Execution problems were the largest concern for me previously, and it seems to be the same almost a year later. It sums up investing in Enovix: the company has a contract with a large cell phone OEM, and things look great, but then they fail to execute. Great potential, but questions continue about execution. Despite this continued failure in its execution, there is still a lot of potential for the stock. It has a large contract in place and is looking to expand into other markets, such as drones, that might require less specialization and time. Financial Performance The company reported revenues of $7.6 million, which is up 49% from the prior year. Su...

Cn0ra/iStock via Getty Images Transcript Oscar Pulido: Over the past few decades, the retirement system has undergone a quiet but profound shift. What was once built around pensions and predictable income has increasingly moved toward individual savings and market-based outcomes. At the same time, people are living longer, markets are more complex, and the decisions investors face, from how to invest to how to spend, have become more consequential. Today, the conversation is starting to move beyond how much people save to a broader question: how those savings are invested, managed, and ultimately turned into income that can last through retirement. So how is the retirement system evolving, and what should investors understand about this next phase? Welcome to The Bid, where we break down what's happening in the markets and explore the forces changing the economy and finance. I'm Oscar Pulido. Today, I’m joined by Nick Nefouse, Global Head of Retirement Solutions in the multi-asset strategies and solutions group at BlackRock. Together, we'll explore the key trends shaping retirement today, how the system is adapting to meet new challenges, and what it all means for investors planning for the future. Nick, thank you so much for joining us on The Bid. Nick Nefouse: Thanks for having me, Oscar. Oscar Pulido: Nick, this is your first time on the Bid, but it's not the first time that we've talked about retirement, so it's good to hear from a different perspective. Your team actually runs the portfolios that many people saving and investing for retirement use, way they access the capital markets. So, I'm wondering from your perspective, when you look at the retirement landscape today and all the changes that are going on in markets, in demographics, in the way that retirement plans are structured, what are some of the key shifts that you're focused on? Nick Nefouse: Thanks, Oscar. There's a couple of key shifts that we tend to follow. First of all is the decline of the tra...

NanoCo, the company behind security-focused OpenClaw alternative NanoClaw, has raised an oversubscribed $12 million seed round following a viral launch, its founders tell TechCrunch. The funding was led by Valley Capital Partners, and saw participation from Docker, Vercel, Monday.com, Slow Ventures and angels like Clem Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face. In a matter of weeks, NanoClaw creator Gavriel Cohen (pictured above, left) said he went from coding the project on his couch to receiving viral endorsements from Andrej Karpathy and Singapore’s foreign minister, fielding inbound interest from dozens of investors, and even a roughly $20 million acquisition offer that he and his brother and co-founder, Lazer Cohen (pictured above, right), declined. “It was under six weeks from committing the first lines of code to a term sheet,” Gavriel told TechCrunch. “There was a lot of inbound and interest,” he added. “People reaching out in DMs on X and sending emails.” He estimated that about 50 or more founders and tech executives sent DMs asking to invest. One of them was Delangue, who dropped a note: “I like what you’re doing with NanoClaw.” Gavriel then responded in kind, telling the Hugging Face CEO that he liked the company’s tiny robot, Reachy Mini, and hoped to run NanoClaw on it one day. The two programmers then started talking shop, and Cohen eventually asked Delangue if he was interested in angel investing and secured a yes. As it turns out, an active member of NanoClaw’s open source community is already working on running it on Reachy Mini, Gavriel says. As we previously reported, interest in NanoClaw skyrocketed after AI researcher Andrej Karpathy tweeted his praise for it. But the project really began to snowball after the Foreign Minister of Singapore called NanoClaw his “second brain” in a Facebook post that went viral. NanoClaw was created as a secure alternative to OpenClaw to assist the Cohen brothers with their previous startup, an AI marketing firm that used age...

Your shot at VC access, global visibility, TechCrunch coverage, and $100,000 in equity-free funding is gone in a week. Startup Battlefield 200 applications close May 27. If you’re building a breakout startup — or know a founder who is — this is the moment to act. Apply today for the opportunity to take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 13-15, alongside 200 of the world’s most promising early-stage startups. Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images The clock is ticking for early-stage founders Pre-Series A founders, consider this your final countdown reminder: the strongest startups are already entering the arena, and the application window is closing fast. If your startup has already been nominated, don’t wait to complete your application. This final week moves quickly, and last-minute submissions risk getting buried as applications surge ahead of the deadline. Know a startup that deserves the spotlight? Nominate them now so they still have time to apply before May 27. The companies that define categories rarely start polished Some of the most consequential companies in tech history didn’t launch with splashy fundraising announcements. They started with a pitch. Dropbox demoed to a room full of skeptics. Cloudflare took the stage before most people understood what edge networking meant. Discord was still a scrappy gaming startup called Hammer & Chisel. Image Credits:TechCrunch They all passed through the same crucible: Startup Battlefield 200. That’s not a coincidence — it’s a pattern. And it starts with an application. Startup Battlefield 200 has never been a competition for the most polished companies. It’s a competition for the most promising ones. Pre-launch is fine. No revenue is fine. What matters is whether what you’re building genuinely changes something — not incrementally, but meaningfully. If you or a founder you know is building something impactful, then the application itself becomes the first pitch. Apply before May 27. More than a pitch...

How one Oregon city has raised a billion dollars for climate change toggle caption Monica Samayoa/Oregon Public Broadcasting NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about how communities are moving forward on climate solutions despite significant political headwinds. As the federal government halts plans to address climate change, states, cities, regions, and even neighborhoods are trying to fill the gap, by cutting climate pollution and adapting to extreme weather. PORTLAND, Ore. — In the last seven years, the city of Portland, Ore., has built a community solar project to reduce emissions and lower energy bills for 150 low-income families. The city has distributed more than 20,000 free air conditioning units to help vulnerable households prepare for heat waves. It has funded energy efficiency retrofits for 3,100 homes. And 2,000 people have been trained in the renewable energy and construction fields. Sponsor Message These projects have all been made possible due to an innovative billion-dollar climate fund. The Portland Clean Energy Fund is a first-of-its-kind racial, social and climate justice fund aimed at helping the city's most vulnerable residents adapt to climate change while also reducing carbon emissions. A 65% majority of voters passed the measure in 2018, and in 2019, the city began levying a 1% retail sales tax on large corporations within Portland city limits — think Target, Walmart, REI. Unlike a sales tax, which is paid by the consumer, the companies pay the city a small percentage of each sale; for example, a $100 purchase means the city earns $1. Since the fund began, it has garnered about $1 billion and is projected to reach $1.6 billion by mid-2029. "It's a fund that's intended to scale up local, community-based climate solutions that address our very real climate realities, community resilience and economic resiliency," said Sam Baraso, the Portland Clean Energy Fund program manager. Portland's climate fund continues to grow, even ...