The chances of accelerating U.S. inflation are growing with each passing day as the war in the Middle East continues, with the average price of gasoline nationwide spiking to almost $4 a gallon as of Thursday. But there’s another thing American consumers and investors should feel nervous about: the prospect of deflation.
The chances of accelerating U.S. inflation are growing with each passing day as the war in the Middle East continues, with the average price of gasoline nationwide spiking to almost $4 a gallon as of Thursday. But there’s another thing American consumers and investors should feel nervous about: the prospect of deflation.
Announcement comes after IOPC said it was examining force’s response to allegations made in 2014 and 2015 A police force under investigation over its handling of sexual abuse claims against the self-professed misogynist Andrew Tate has reopened an inquiry into allegations against him. Hertfordshire police said they had made the decision to reinvestigate alleged rape and sexual assault offences in ...
Announcement comes after IOPC said it was examining force’s response to allegations made in 2014 and 2015 A police force under investigation over its handling of sexual abuse claims against the self-professed misogynist Andrew Tate has reopened an inquiry into allegations against him. Hertfordshire police said they had made the decision to reinvestigate alleged rape and sexual assault offences in the light of previous failures in 2014 and 2015. Continue reading...
Tom Werner/DigitalVision via Getty Images One company that I have been bearish about for over a year now is Mettler-Toledo International Inc. ( MTD ). Even though the company continues to see an increase in revenue, profits, and cash flows, my issue with it has been primarily because of its lofty valuation. So far, that bearishness has paid off. Since I last reaffirmed the company as a ‘sell’ cand...
Tom Werner/DigitalVision via Getty Images One company that I have been bearish about for over a year now is Mettler-Toledo International Inc. ( MTD ). Even though the company continues to see an increase in revenue, profits, and cash flows, my issue with it has been primarily because of its lofty valuation. So far, that bearishness has paid off. Since I last reaffirmed the company as a ‘sell’ candidate back in October of last year, shares are down 7.3% while the market is flat. And since I originally rated it a ‘sell’ in January of that year, the stock has fallen 10.4%. Over that same window of time, the S&P 500 is up 11%. From a purely fundamental standpoint, the company is actually doing well right now. Yes, there have been some mixed financial figures. But on the whole, it is growing. I would say, based on where we are, it is getting closer to an upgrade to a ‘hold.’ But I'm not ready to pull the trigger on that just yet. I would like to see the stock fall another 10% or so at least or see a meaningful improvement in profitability before upgrading it. Taking A Fresh Look At Mettler-Toledo International Operationally, Mettler-Toledo International strikes me as an intriguing business. Management describes the enterprise as a supplier of precision instruments and services. It is a truly global company, with only 42% of revenue coming from North America and South America combined last year. Another 29% comes from Europe, with the rest coming from Asia and various countries across the globe. In total, the company sells its products in more than 140 countries, and it has a direct presence in around 40 of those. To really understand the company, though, we need to dig a bit deeper. And this involves touching briefly on each of its operating segments and the markets that it serves. Management specifies in their annual report the wide array of solutions that they make available for customers. For instance, around 56% of revenue last year came from laboratory instruments. ...
asbe/iStock via Getty Images This market brief examines a sharp sell-off in crypto-linked equities on March 24, with Circle ( CRCL ) plunging approximately 20% and Coinbase ( COIN ) dropping roughly 10%. The primary trigger was a restrictive new draft of the CLARITY Act that would ban passive yield on stablecoins, striking at the heart of the DeFi-versus-traditional-banking battle. At stake is a q...
asbe/iStock via Getty Images This market brief examines a sharp sell-off in crypto-linked equities on March 24, with Circle ( CRCL ) plunging approximately 20% and Coinbase ( COIN ) dropping roughly 10%. The primary trigger was a restrictive new draft of the CLARITY Act that would ban passive yield on stablecoins, striking at the heart of the DeFi-versus-traditional-banking battle. At stake is a question that extends well beyond two stock tickers: whether stablecoins will be allowed to compete with bank deposits, or be confined to payment rails. Tuesday's open brought a swift blow to crypto-linked equities. Circle tumbled approximately 20%, marking its worst single-day loss on record, while Coinbase shed roughly 10%, dropping to the $178 level. The sell-off erased billions in combined market capitalization and snapped a fierce rally for Circle, which had surged roughly 160% from a February low near $56 to approximately $132 before the crash. Primary Cause: The Stablecoin ( SBC-USD ) Yield Showdown The catalyst was a newly surfaced draft of the CLARITY Act , the pending U.S. crypto market structure bill. The latest language would prohibit platforms from offering yield, directly or indirectly, on passive stablecoin balances , banning any structure deemed "economically equivalent to interest." This is the frontline of a deeper battle between DeFi and traditional banking. Currently, Circle earns interest on USDC's ( USDC-USD ) reserve assets and shares that income with partners like Coinbase, which funds user rewards programs. The new CLARITY Act language would kill this pass-through model entirely. The incentive structure is clear: Traditional banks view yield-bearing stablecoins as an existential threat to their deposit business and are leveraging their lobbying power to ensure the legislation bans it. The crypto industry sees balance-based yield as one of the most compelling adoption drivers. Removing it would make stablecoins significantly less attractive to both re...
The president says ICE agents are being stationed at airports to help reduce long wait times. Here's a look at what they're authorized to do. (Image credit: Nam Y. Huh)
The president says ICE agents are being stationed at airports to help reduce long wait times. Here's a look at what they're authorized to do. (Image credit: Nam Y. Huh)
Apple stock has been struggling this year, including a current run of four straight weekly declines, but recent analyst reports tout iPhone loyalty and the release of a new MacBook as reasons to be optimistic. Shares rose 1.1% to $255.39 on Thursday following a bullish research note from Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. Analyst Brian White maintained a Buy rating on Apple with a $315 price target, rep...
Apple stock has been struggling this year, including a current run of four straight weekly declines, but recent analyst reports tout iPhone loyalty and the release of a new MacBook as reasons to be optimistic. Shares rose 1.1% to $255.39 on Thursday following a bullish research note from Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. Analyst Brian White maintained a Buy rating on Apple with a $315 price target, representing 25% upside compared with Wednesday’s closing price of $252.62. White’s price target is also 9% above Apple stock’s all-time high of $288.62 from Dec. 3, 2025.
Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro cut a relaxed figure Thursday as he returned to a federal court in New York for his second appearance since his capture by US forces in an extraordinary nighttime raid. During the one-hour hearing, the judge indicated he would not dismiss the case over Maduro and his wife’s apparent inability to afford their legal bill without aid from the Venezuelan gove...
Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro cut a relaxed figure Thursday as he returned to a federal court in New York for his second appearance since his capture by US forces in an extraordinary nighttime raid. During the one-hour hearing, the judge indicated he would not dismiss the case over Maduro and his wife’s apparent inability to afford their legal bill without aid from the Venezuelan government. The former leader, 63, and wife Cilia Flores have been held in a Brooklyn jail for almost...
DNY59/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 Fund performance Invesco Rochester® Municipal Opportunities Fund Class A shares at net asset value (NAV) underperformed its style-specific index, the Custom Invesco Rochester Municipal Opportunities Index. 2 Seeking attractive opportunities through collaborative management Invesco Municipal Bond team uses a collaborative management approach. Relying on...
DNY59/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 Fund performance Invesco Rochester® Municipal Opportunities Fund Class A shares at net asset value (NAV) underperformed its style-specific index, the Custom Invesco Rochester Municipal Opportunities Index. 2 Seeking attractive opportunities through collaborative management Invesco Municipal Bond team uses a collaborative management approach. Relying on our size and experience, we seek to identify the best opportunities to achieve potentially better outcomes for shareholders. 3 Analysis focused on creditworthiness Our team uses a bottom-up fundamental credit process focused on creditworthiness of individual issuers with an overlay of macroeconomic factors to capitalize on market inefficiencies. Our process has been time tested over full market cycles. Investment objective The fund seeks tax-free income. Fund facts Fund AUM ($M) 8,577.46 Portfolio managers Amy Haklisch, Julius Williams, Mark Paris, Timothy O'Reilly Class Y shares ( ORNYX ): Best among 38 High Yield Municipal Debt Funds for the 10-year period ending November 30, 2024, based on consistently strong risk-adjusted performance. Manager perspective and outlook In the fourth quarter, investment grade, high yield and taxable municipals delivered positive returns of 1.42%, 1.11% and 1.05%, with annual returns of 4.25%, 2.46% and 7.89%, respectively. 1 Despite a lengthy federal government shutdown, long-duration municipal bonds performed well during the quarter, bolstering market strength. 1 New municipal issuance reached $143 billion for the quarter and a record $584 billion for the year, surpassing last year's record $509 billion. Shifting interest rate policies, higher costs and political uncertainty likely encouraged more issuers to come to market. 1 Net flows for municipal mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were strong, totaling approximately $17.5 billion for the quarter and $52.4 billion for the year. 2 The US Federal Reserve (Fed) cut the federal f...
The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCIT) and the iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEMKT:MUB) both offer low-cost access to investment-grade bonds, but VCIT features a higher yield and greater interest rate sensitivity, while MUB brings broader diversification and lower historical drawdown risk. Both VCIT and MUB target high-quality U.S. fixed income, but with different inve...
The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCIT) and the iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEMKT:MUB) both offer low-cost access to investment-grade bonds, but VCIT features a higher yield and greater interest rate sensitivity, while MUB brings broader diversification and lower historical drawdown risk. Both VCIT and MUB target high-quality U.S. fixed income, but with different investor goals in mind: VCIT tilts toward corporate bonds for higher income potential, while MUB focuses on municipal bonds, appealing to those seeking tax advantages and diversification. This comparison highlights their structural and performance trade-offs. Continue reading
Derick Hudson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images By Zain Vawda The technology sector faced a turbulent trading session as two of its largest titans, Meta Platforms ( META ) and Alphabet (Google)( GOOGL )( GOOG ), saw their share prices under pressure. A combination of legal setbacks, internal restructuring, and shifting investor sentiment toward "AI fatigue" weighed heavily on their performance. Th...
Derick Hudson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images By Zain Vawda The technology sector faced a turbulent trading session as two of its largest titans, Meta Platforms ( META ) and Alphabet (Google)( GOOGL )( GOOG ), saw their share prices under pressure. A combination of legal setbacks, internal restructuring, and shifting investor sentiment toward "AI fatigue" weighed heavily on their performance. The Nasdaq 100 index was down around 1.1% at the time of writing, with Meta Platforms trading down around 7% on the day. Source: TradingView Overall sentiment has taken a hit today on fears that the US-Iran war will not come to an end as the two sides appear some ways off from a deal. This has weighed on market sentiment as oil prices are also up around 5%. However, both Meta and Google are also facing their own challenges. Let us take a look at these challenges individually and see what the technical picture for both companies tells us. Meta Platforms: Legal blows and workforce reshuffling META is under pressure, which is largely being fueled by a landmark legal verdict and news of further internal job cuts. The Social Media Addiction Verdict: A jury found Meta (and YouTube) liable in a high-profile case involving social media addiction. The jury ruled that Meta’s platform designs—specifically Instagram—contributed to harmful, addictive behavior in minors and that the company failed to warn users of these risks. Meta was assigned 70% of the responsibility, resulting in $6 million in damages ($3 million compensatory and $3 million punitive). While the dollar amount is nominal for a company of Meta's size, investors fear the legal precedent could open the floodgates for thousands of similar pending lawsuits. Ongoing Layoffs: Meta confirmed it is laying off several hundred more employees across divisions, including Facebook, Instagram, Reality Labs, and its sales units. While CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s "Year of Efficiency" was initially cheered by Wall Street in 2023-2024, the conti...