It's a stellar time to be an investor on Wall Street. With rumors swirling of a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran, the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and growth-stock-propelled Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) screamed to new all-time highs. The iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) needs less than a 1% up day to join its peers. In several respects, the stock market is...
It's a stellar time to be an investor on Wall Street. With rumors swirling of a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran, the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and growth-stock-propelled Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) screamed to new all-time highs. The iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) needs less than a 1% up day to join its peers. In several respects, the stock market is firing on all cylinders. S&P 500 companies are buying back stock at a record pace, corporate earnings are blowing past Wall Street's consensus expectations (as a whole), and the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is fueling growth and excitement among professional and retail investors. But things may not be as perfect as the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite have made them appear. Arguably, nothing poses a greater threat to the stock market right now than inflation . Continue reading
Landing on the right Social Security filing age isn't easy. Not only do you have a wide range of choices, but each option has huge implications for your monthly benefits . If you claim Social Security on time -- meaning, at full retirement age -- you'll get the monthly benefit you're entitled to based on your personal wage history. Full retirement age is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later. Image...
Landing on the right Social Security filing age isn't easy. Not only do you have a wide range of choices, but each option has huge implications for your monthly benefits . If you claim Social Security on time -- meaning, at full retirement age -- you'll get the monthly benefit you're entitled to based on your personal wage history. Full retirement age is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Kenya plans taxes on mobile phones and banking fees to help raise nearly $1 billion in revenue in an effort to trim the nation’s fiscal deficit to its lowest in a decade and tackle debt challenges. Mobile phone imports would attract a 25% excise duty, while banking and transaction service fees would be subjected to a levy, according to the proposals published on the National Assembly website . The...
Kenya plans taxes on mobile phones and banking fees to help raise nearly $1 billion in revenue in an effort to trim the nation’s fiscal deficit to its lowest in a decade and tackle debt challenges. Mobile phone imports would attract a 25% excise duty, while banking and transaction service fees would be subjected to a levy, according to the proposals published on the National Assembly website . The raft of tax proposals in the finance bill are expected to yield 120.3 billion shillings ($931 million), according to the Treasury. Lawmakers have until the end of June to review the measures. In 2024, the government tried but failed to introduce $2.7 billion worth of measures after Gen Z anti-government protests that left at least 60 people dead. In the following year, it stepped down significantly to just $232 million. President William Ruto ’s government is seeking a record revenue haul of 2.99 trillion shillings in the coming budget year in which it expects to spend 4.79 trillion shillings. That will help trim the fiscal deficit to 5.3% of gross domestic product, the lowest in at least a decade, from an estimated 6.4% in the current period ending June. To secure fresh International Monetary Fund financing, Kenya is required not only to boost revenue collection but also to cut wasteful spending and reduce the fiscal deficit. Kenya is at high risk of debt distress according to the IMF. Read more: Kenya Risks Return to Deadly Protests With $1 Billion Tax Plan Sign up here for the daily Next Africa newsletter and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple , Spotify or anywhere you listen
Spirit Airlines helped turn flying into a fee-based nightmare. Now it’s gone, and fuel prices are soaring Forgive me for not mourning last week’s demise of Spirit Airlines, the company responsible for making flying absolutely terrible. Due to rising expenses and billions of dollars in debt, Spirit shut down abruptly last Saturday, stranding thousands of customers who were unaware that an entire bu...
Spirit Airlines helped turn flying into a fee-based nightmare. Now it’s gone, and fuel prices are soaring Forgive me for not mourning last week’s demise of Spirit Airlines, the company responsible for making flying absolutely terrible. Due to rising expenses and billions of dollars in debt, Spirit shut down abruptly last Saturday, stranding thousands of customers who were unaware that an entire business meant to transport them through the sky was about to shutter for good. Spirit was struggling for years , but it all got so much worse thanks to the soaring cost of jet fuel caused by the war in Iran and the crisis in the strait of Hormuz that halted the shipment of oil. It was bad enough being the country’s most ridiculed mode of conveyance outside of the Segway. But now it costs even more to suck that badly. Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist Continue reading...
Florida agreement grants US president control of licensing and merchandising at renamed airport, analysts say It was a week in which one prominent name in aviation, Spirit Airlines, disappeared , killed in the company’s own admission by high fuel prices resulting from Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Within days, however, another moniker was already flying high in industry circles: the president’s own....
Florida agreement grants US president control of licensing and merchandising at renamed airport, analysts say It was a week in which one prominent name in aviation, Spirit Airlines, disappeared , killed in the company’s own admission by high fuel prices resulting from Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Within days, however, another moniker was already flying high in industry circles: the president’s own. Continue reading...
At the city’s Great Exhibition of 1904, 57 Somali men, women and children cooked, weaved and danced for visitors It was, the posters said, a rare chance to see a “little known but interesting people”: a live display of 57 Somali men, women and children who cooked, weaved and danced for the entertainment of hundreds of thousands of Edwardians who flocked to Yorkshire to see them. More than 120 year...
At the city’s Great Exhibition of 1904, 57 Somali men, women and children cooked, weaved and danced for visitors It was, the posters said, a rare chance to see a “little known but interesting people”: a live display of 57 Somali men, women and children who cooked, weaved and danced for the entertainment of hundreds of thousands of Edwardians who flocked to Yorkshire to see them. More than 120 years later, this controversial – and, in its time, incredibly popular – show will be revisited in a new exhibition in Bradford that will put Britain’s colonial legacy under the spotlight. Continue reading...
Africa is leading a change in news consumption habits – and transforming the lives of current affairs enthusiasts Last year Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa posted a TikTok video about South African peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She explained an argument that had erupted between the South African and Rwandan presidents, then listed roles different South African groups would play in a war...
Africa is leading a change in news consumption habits – and transforming the lives of current affairs enthusiasts Last year Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa posted a TikTok video about South African peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She explained an argument that had erupted between the South African and Rwandan presidents, then listed roles different South African groups would play in a war with Rwanda: the Sotho strategists, the Xhosa negotiators, the Afrikaner muscle. The video went viral and she racked up 100,000 followers in three days. This breakout video enabled Jaxa to pivot from being a marketing and restaurant entrepreneur to a “professional yapper and current affairs enthusiast”, part of a group of content creators explaining the news to young South Africans who, like many of their global peers, are eschewing traditional news in favour of social media. Continue reading...
If you are a retirement-focused investor staring at Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) after both stocks have torn higher, the question is simple: Which one belongs in a portfolio built to preserve capital and compound steadily? Both semiconductor stocks have ridden the AI wave hard. Arm is up nearly 90% year to date (YTD) ... ARM vs. INTC: Which AI-Era Semiconductor Stock Will Rewa...
If you are a retirement-focused investor staring at Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) after both stocks have torn higher, the question is simple: Which one belongs in a portfolio built to preserve capital and compound steadily? Both semiconductor stocks have ridden the AI wave hard. Arm is up nearly 90% year to date (YTD) ... ARM vs. INTC: Which AI-Era Semiconductor Stock Will Reward Patient Investors?
Andreessen Horowitz closed its fifth crypto fund with a thesis that sounds like science fiction: autonomous AI agents holding crypto wallets, earning income, paying for compute and operating as independent economic actors within five years. The Self-Sustaining Agent Thesis The pitch described agents generating value “by creating services, by writing software, by creating content, by ... AI Agents ...
Andreessen Horowitz closed its fifth crypto fund with a thesis that sounds like science fiction: autonomous AI agents holding crypto wallets, earning income, paying for compute and operating as independent economic actors within five years. The Self-Sustaining Agent Thesis The pitch described agents generating value “by creating services, by writing software, by creating content, by ... AI Agents as Independent Economic Actors Is ‘Not a Stretch’ for 5-Year Timeline, According to Andreessen Horow
China and France must respect each other’s core interests, particularly the one-China principle, and strengthen a strategic partnership “free from external interference”, top diplomat Wang Yi said during talks with a senior adviser to the French president on Friday. Wang, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held talks in Beijing with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adv...
China and France must respect each other’s core interests, particularly the one-China principle, and strengthen a strategic partnership “free from external interference”, top diplomat Wang Yi said during talks with a senior adviser to the French president on Friday. Wang, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held talks in Beijing with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang said the...
alengo/iStock via Getty Images My dividend growth [DG] watchlist contains more than 700 stocks with a streak of at least 5 consecutive years of dividend increases. With so many stocks, I use different screens every month to find interesting candidates. I assess the quality of DG stocks using 9F Quality Scores , a new quality scoring system that rates DG stocks on a 10-point scale across 9 weighted...
alengo/iStock via Getty Images My dividend growth [DG] watchlist contains more than 700 stocks with a streak of at least 5 consecutive years of dividend increases. With so many stocks, I use different screens every month to find interesting candidates. I assess the quality of DG stocks using 9F Quality Scores , a new quality scoring system that rates DG stocks on a 10-point scale across 9 weighted factors. Each factor blends qualitative expert assessments with quantitative financial metrics. To estimate a stock’s fair value [FV], I use a valuation system based on a wisdom-of-the-crowds philosophy, referencing up to 40 independent data points or opinions on the stock's value. Since this is a monthly article series with an established format, certain parts and process descriptions are repeated. Readers familiar with Quality Assessment and Stock Valuation systems can safely skip those sections. This Month's Feature Screen This month, I‘m focusing on stocks with forward yields of at least 1%, quality scores above 7.0, and consensus upside of at least 10%. The feature screen produces 25 candidates. Quality Assessment 9F Quality Scores is my new 10-point scale quality scoring system that blends expert qualitative measures and derived quantitative metrics across nine distinct factors: Dividend Safety Dividend Track Record Financial Strength Earnings and Revenue Growth Profitability and Earnings Quality Risk-Adjusted Returns Credit Rating and Capital Structure Moat & Competitive Advantage Governance and ESG I assign different weights to each factor, prioritizing those with the most impact on long-term returns: Dividend Safety is crucial because cuts affect income and stock price. Earnings and Revenue Growth drive future dividend increases. Profitability and Earnings Quality ensure the business is reliable. Dividend Track Record signals management’s commitment. Financial Strength shows balance sheet resilience. The other factors add context but carry lower weights. To ensure...
lcva2/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Microsoft Investors Are In A Bind Now Investors in Microsoft Corporation ( MSFT ) are now caught between a rock and a hard place. Should we regard MSFT as mostly a hyperscaler? Or should we consider it a software behemoth ripe for widespread disruption? An untimely update by TCI in a report on Friday corroborated the SaaS apocalypse fears, as their investor ...
lcva2/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Microsoft Investors Are In A Bind Now Investors in Microsoft Corporation ( MSFT ) are now caught between a rock and a hard place. Should we regard MSFT as mostly a hyperscaler? Or should we consider it a software behemoth ripe for widespread disruption? An untimely update by TCI in a report on Friday corroborated the SaaS apocalypse fears, as their investor letter prominently featured the Microsoft problem: “AI could change established workflows and lead to the emergence of new productivity platforms, but we also see some risks in [cloud provider] Azure.” With that, TCI’s position in MSFT has nearly been fully sold. The stock took it on the chin yesterday, with the broader Nasdaq ( QQQ ) finishing up almost 2.4%, while the stock fell 1.3% to close the day. By no means do I really consider it a deal breaker. One fund selling out of its Microsoft position should not determine whether we should buy or sell our own. Yet, there’s no doubt that the market’s fears about Microsoft are at an all time high now. MSFT Valuations: How Much Lower Do You Want The Giant To Drop To? MSFT valuations (Koyfin) Because the confidence in its valuation is at the lowest level I’ve observed in the past five years! If MSFT’s valuation chart has any sway in our assessment, it’s at the lowest level since early 2023. At 22.7x forward earnings, the stock is teetering at the -2 standard deviation zone below its 5Y average. When we reached such levels in 2023, then the stock bottomed, and I mean, decisively. Could we again be at that pivotal moment for those who see the plausibility of a sustained recovery from here? Back in my last Microsoft writeup , I enunciated that the company has been gearing up for consumption-based pricing. Microsoft Still Minting Cash Flow MSFT estimates (TIKR) Plus, the software giant continues to print money, right? FCF margins are still printing at almost 20% as we speak. Although the recent earnings scorecard shows that there ar...
The war in Iran was supposed to derail the rally in US stocks and weigh on company outlooks. Instead a blowout earnings season is providing fresh fodder for Wall Street bulls. Corporate America has outstripped expectations by the widest margin outside the Covid-19 era since at least 2013, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data. First-quarter profits at S&P 500 companies have surged 27% so far, m...
The war in Iran was supposed to derail the rally in US stocks and weigh on company outlooks. Instead a blowout earnings season is providing fresh fodder for Wall Street bulls. Corporate America has outstripped expectations by the widest margin outside the Covid-19 era since at least 2013, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data. First-quarter profits at S&P 500 companies have surged 27% so far, more than double the roughly 12% analysts had penciled in. The last time year-on-year earnings grew at that pace outside of recoveries from major shocks was over two decades ago, in 2004. “I don’t think I remember a time that sell-side consensus missed actual earnings number by so much,” said Charles-Henry Monchau , chief investment officer at Banque Syz & Co SA. He began the year positioned for international markets to outperform, but the war and AI boom prompted him to tactically shift back toward US stocks, noting that regions such as China and Europe “might not be the winners of this war.” It’s been a wake-up call for Wall Street as stocks race from record to record, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 both closed at all-time highs on Friday. Economic resilience has silenced fears of a slowdown in global growth, while concerns that massive investments in hyperscalers and adjacent industries wouldn’t translate into tangible profit growth appear equally overdone. Market forecasters have struggled to keep up. Minneapolis-based US Bank started the year forecasting that S&P 500 earnings would hit $305 in 2026. The first quarter has been so strong that the firm will need to raise its estimates for the year and probably its year-end S&P 500 target, according to Robert Haworth , senior investment strategy director at the bank’s wealth management arm. “We’re clearly low,” he said. This earnings season is shaping up to be all the more remarkable as beats have turned out to be as impressive in scope as they have been in size, with about 85% of companies surpassing analyst forecasts. That am...
Water gets all the credit. When gaming companies want to show off new graphics technology, things tend to get wet; splashing waves that are only possible with the latest physics engine, or puddles that can reflect the world around them thanks to ray tracing. But there's something special about snow. It might not be as technically impressive as water, but when it comes to creating a mood in a game,...
Water gets all the credit. When gaming companies want to show off new graphics technology, things tend to get wet; splashing waves that are only possible with the latest physics engine, or puddles that can reflect the world around them thanks to ray tracing. But there's something special about snow. It might not be as technically impressive as water, but when it comes to creating a mood in a game, snow can be very powerful. And two recent releases - Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth and Froggy Hates Snow - really capture just what snow is capable of. Let's start with the Moomins. Winter's Warmth is the second game based on the iconic Finnish fai … Read the full story at The Verge.
(Bloomberg) -- The war in Iran was supposed to derail the rally in US stocks and weigh on company outlooks. Instead a blowout earnings season is providing fresh fodder for Wall Street bulls.Most Read from BloombergTrump Wants to Make H-1B Workers More Expensive for US EmployersBillionaire Duke of Westminster to Sell £700 Million of US Real Estate AssetsOnline Mob Fuels 6,000% Stock Rally in Obscur...
(Bloomberg) -- The war in Iran was supposed to derail the rally in US stocks and weigh on company outlooks. Instead a blowout earnings season is providing fresh fodder for Wall Street bulls.Most Read from BloombergTrump Wants to Make H-1B Workers More Expensive for US EmployersBillionaire Duke of Westminster to Sell £700 Million of US Real Estate AssetsOnline Mob Fuels 6,000% Stock Rally in Obscure SpaceX RivalTrump Punts Thorniest Iran Challenges in Push to Open HormuzIran War Is Draining World
Kenneth Cheung/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Investment Thesis Even though META Platforms ( META ) declined by 15% from the time of my last coverage significantly underperforming the market year to date, I think that this makes the case for investing in the company even stronger. Meta continues its transition from a company focused on ads to an established platform making money off AI. The nu...
Kenneth Cheung/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Investment Thesis Even though META Platforms ( META ) declined by 15% from the time of my last coverage significantly underperforming the market year to date, I think that this makes the case for investing in the company even stronger. Meta continues its transition from a company focused on ads to an established platform making money off AI. The number of conversations about business AI increased 10X this year alone. The adoption of Meta AI is growing rapidly among Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp users, as well as Ray-Ban Meta hardware, while AI recommendations improved conversions, ad prices and ad impressions. In light of Q2 revenues reaching $61 billion, the implementation of AI is resulting in top-line growth. Data by YCharts $61 Billion In Q2 Revenue Following 10x Expansion In Business AI Volume Meta has released the Muse family of models and Muse Spark is the first release from Meta Superintelligence Labs. This model fuels Meta AI, for instance, engagement data for Q1-FY26 points to increases in user interaction as Instagram reel time spent rose 10% and Facebook video watch time increased 8% globally and watch time in the US and Canada rose 9% . Meta AI sessions per user grew by double-digits, and these figures indicate a shift toward content discovery. Meta uses these models to index posts faster as same-day posts are now more than 30% of recommended reels (doubled YoY). Over 0.5 billion users on Facebook and on Instagram watch AI translated videos weekly. Meta plans to scale these models that indicate a move toward personal and business agents. Moreover, Business AI conversations grew 10x YTD and over 10 million weekly conversations occur between people and business AIs. Meta plans to implement commission structures for these agents and these premium offerings for high compute versions indicate another topline path, in my view. Ad systems also integrated these models, here, conversion rates for landing page...