For investors seeking a steady, passive stream of income, the energy midstream sector is a good option. While oil and gas prices can be volatile, pipeline stocks largely function as energy toll roads and tend to have predictable cash flows through long-term transportation contracts. As a result, they pay out strong and stable distributions. Let's look at three pipeline master limited partnerships ...
For investors seeking a steady, passive stream of income, the energy midstream sector is a good option. While oil and gas prices can be volatile, pipeline stocks largely function as energy toll roads and tend to have predictable cash flows through long-term transportation contracts. As a result, they pay out strong and stable distributions. Let's look at three pipeline master limited partnerships (MLPs) I've been buying this month. 1. Energy Transfer Energy Transfer (ET +1.02%) offers a great combination of an attractive yield, currently sitting at 7.1%, and solid growth opportunities. The company has cleaned up its balance sheet and has a strong distribution coverage ratio, which came in at nearly 1.8 times last quarter. Meanwhile, it is looking to grow its distribution at a 3% to 5% yearly pace moving forward. Expand NYSE : ET Energy Transfer Today's Change ( 1.02 %) $ 0.19 Current Price $ 18.75 Key Data Points Market Cap $65B Day's Range $ 18.49 - $ 18.83 52wk Range $ 14.60 - $ 19.30 Volume 17M Avg Vol 16M Gross Margin 12.27 % Dividend Yield 7.07 % The company also has one of the best backlogs of growth projects in the sector, given its strong position in the Permian Basin, which has some of the cheapest natural gas in the U.S. Energy Transfer is currently building two large natural gas pipeline projects to take natural gas away from the basin, with one taking natural gas into the Arizona and New Mexico markets and the other into Texas. It also has numerous projects tied to artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the utilities that serve them. For investors looking for a combination of yield and growth, this is a stock to own. Notably, it is also one of the cheapest stocks in the sector, trading at a forward enterprise value-to-EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) multiple (the most common way to value pipeline stocks) of just 8.6 times. 2. Enterprise Products Partners For investors seeking a safe stock with a solid yield...
Key Points Energy Transfer offers a great combination of growth and a high yield. Enterprise Products Partners is an attractive sleep-well-at-night stock. Genesis is a deleveraging and turnaround story. 10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer › For investors seeking a steady, passive stream of income, the energy midstream sector is a good option. While oil and gas prices can be volatile, pip...
Key Points Energy Transfer offers a great combination of growth and a high yield. Enterprise Products Partners is an attractive sleep-well-at-night stock. Genesis is a deleveraging and turnaround story. 10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer › For investors seeking a steady, passive stream of income, the energy midstream sector is a good option. While oil and gas prices can be volatile, pipeline stocks largely function as energy toll roads and tend to have predictable cash flows through long-term transportation contracts. As a result, they pay out strong and stable distributions. Let's look at three pipeline master limited partnerships (MLPs) I've been buying this month. 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 » 1. Energy Transfer Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) offers a great combination of an attractive yield, currently sitting at 7.1%, and solid growth opportunities. The company has cleaned up its balance sheet and has a strong distribution coverage ratio, which came in at nearly 1.8 times last quarter. Meanwhile, it is looking to grow its distribution at a 3% to 5% yearly pace moving forward. The company also has one of the best backlogs of growth projects in the sector, given its strong position in the Permian Basin, which has some of the cheapest natural gas in the U.S. Energy Transfer is currently building two large natural gas pipeline projects to take natural gas away from the basin, with one taking natural gas into the Arizona and New Mexico markets and the other into Texas. It also has numerous projects tied to artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the utilities that serve them. For investors looking for a combination of yield and growth, this is a stock to own. Notably, it is also one of the cheapest stocks in the sector, trading at a forward enterprise value-to-EBITDA ...
‘The US version of TikTok is valued at about $14bn, according to JD Vance, meaning the fee taken by the government is closer to 70% of the deal.’ Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images · Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly poised to be paid $10bn by investors as part of a deal to create a US-controlled version of TikTok. The $10bn, c...
‘The US version of TikTok is valued at about $14bn, according to JD Vance, meaning the fee taken by the government is closer to 70% of the deal.’ Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images · Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly poised to be paid $10bn by investors as part of a deal to create a US-controlled version of TikTok. The $10bn, considered by the US government as a sort of transaction fee, will be paid by the administration-friendly investors who took control of TikTok’s US operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, according to reporting that first appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The investors in the popular social media app include software company Oracle; MGX, an investment firm based in the United Arab Emirates; and private equity business Silver Lake. These entities, along with other backers, paid $2.5bn to the US treasury when the deal closed in January and are set to make further payments in the unusual arrangement until the total hits $10bn. Trump has previously said that the US will get a “tremendous fee-plus – I call it a fee-plus – just for making the deal and I don’t want to throw that out the window”. The president signed an executive order in September approving the deal, amid bipartisan concerns that TikTok’s Chinese ownership posed a national security threat given the platform’s popularity among Americans. “It’s owned by Americans, and very sophisticated Americans,” Trump said at the signing of the order. “This is going to be American operated all the way.” A government taking a transactional fee for a deal between private businesses is exceptionally rare and the $10bn amount appears much larger than the roughly 1% slice that investment bankers take in such circumstances. JD Vance has said the US version of TikTok is valued at about $14bn, meaning the fee taken by the government is closer to 70% of the deal. Under the agreement, TikTok will be able to fully operate i...
Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly poised to be paid $10bn by investors as part of a deal to create a US-controlled version of TikTok. The $10bn, considered by the US government as a sort of transaction fee, will be paid by the administration-friendly investors who took control of TikTok’s US operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, according to reporting that first appeared...
Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly poised to be paid $10bn by investors as part of a deal to create a US-controlled version of TikTok. The $10bn, considered by the US government as a sort of transaction fee, will be paid by the administration-friendly investors who took control of TikTok’s US operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, according to reporting that first appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The investors in the popular social media app include software company Oracle; MGX, an investment firm based in the United Arab Emirates; and private equity business Silver Lake. These entities, along with other backers, paid $2.5bn to the US treasury when the deal closed in January and are set to make further payments in the unusual arrangement until the total hits $10bn. Trump has previously said that the US will get a “tremendous fee-plus – I call it a fee-plus – just for making the deal and I don’t want to throw that out the window”. The president signed an executive order in September approving the deal, amid bipartisan concerns that TikTok’s Chinese ownership posed a national security threat given the platform’s popularity among Americans. “It’s owned by Americans, and very sophisticated Americans,” Trump said at the signing of the order. “This is going to be American operated all the way.” A government taking a transactional fee for a deal between private businesses is exceptionally rare and the $10bn amount appears much larger than the roughly 1% slice that investment bankers take in such circumstances. JD Vance has said the US version of TikTok is valued at about $14bn, meaning the fee taken by the government is closer to 70% of the deal. Under the agreement, TikTok will be able to fully operate in the US although investors will have to share profits with ByteDance. The transaction fee is the latest unusual involvement the Trump administration has taken in the private sector, including taking stakes in companies such as Intel and USA Ra...
As the fourth-quarter earnings season winds down, investors are turning their attention to updated quant ratings following the latest round of corporate results. The quant scores provide a snapshot of how companies rank across key factors such as valuation, growth, profitability, momentum, and revisions after reporting their quarterly performance. Below is a snapshot of small-cap technology compan...
As the fourth-quarter earnings season winds down, investors are turning their attention to updated quant ratings following the latest round of corporate results. The quant scores provide a snapshot of how companies rank across key factors such as valuation, growth, profitability, momentum, and revisions after reporting their quarterly performance. Below is a snapshot of small-cap technology companies with market capitalizations between $30 million and $2 billion, highlighting those with the highest and lowest quant ratings after the earnings season, underscoring the stocks that strengthened their fundamentals as well as those that lagged. Top-quant rated stocks: Ichor Holdings ( ICHR ), Quant rating: 4.97 , Strong Buy RF Industries ( RFIL ), Quant rating: 4.93 , Strong Buy Coda Octopus Group ( CODA ), Quant rating: 4.92 , Strong Buy Amtech Systems ( ASYS ), Quant rating: 4.90 , Strong Buy Mitek Systems ( MITK ), Quant rating: 4.86 , Strong Buy Bottom quant rated stocks: Blaize ( BZAI ), Quant rating: 1.01 , Strong Sell reAlpha Tech ( AIRE ), Quant rating: 1.01 , Strong Sell Similarweb ( SMWB ), Quant rating: 1.03 , Strong Sell PAR Technology ( PAR ), Quant rating: 1.04 , Strong Sell Sequans Communications ( SQNS ), Quant rating: 1.04 , Strong Sell More on State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF Technology's Hidden Opportunity Map: What Systematic Pattern Analysis Reveals Across Market Regimes (Technical Analysis) Software Likely Bottomed Last Week: 3 Companies I'm Buying SaaS: Is There Opportunity In The Destruction? Energy surges to the top as long-only investors rebalance portfolios: BofA Research Tech sector volatility creates ‘interesting time to step in’ – Evercore’s Mahaney
Bayern Munich came from behind and finished the match with nine players in a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, allowing Borussia Dortmund to close to within nine points of the Bundesliga leaders. Luis Díaz, who scored the equaliser following Aleix García’s opener, was sent off in the 84th minute for a second yellow card. Nicolas Jackson had received a red card in the 42nd minute. Leverkuse...
Bayern Munich came from behind and finished the match with nine players in a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, allowing Borussia Dortmund to close to within nine points of the Bundesliga leaders. Luis Díaz, who scored the equaliser following Aleix García’s opener, was sent off in the 84th minute for a second yellow card. Nicolas Jackson had received a red card in the 42nd minute. Leverkusen took the lead in the sixth minute after Montrell Culbreath stole the ball off Díaz and fed it to Patrik Schick, who set up García on the edge of the box. The midfielder slotted home with a deflected shot. The hosts defended well to contain Bayern, and frustration showed when Jackson was sent off before halftime for a late challenge on Martin Terrier. Bayern played with third-choice goalkeeper Sven Ulreich because Manuel Neuer has a calf issue and backup Jonas Urbig was concussed in the 6-1 win over Atalanta midweek in the Champions League. Ulreich denied an effort from Schick in a one-on-one situation at the hour mark just before Harry Kane came on. Back from a calf injury, Kane played for the first time since 28 February after scoring eight goals in his past four Bundesliga games. He fired the ball into an empty net in the 62nd minute but it was disallowed for blocking the goalkeeper’s clearance with a hand in the buildup. Díaz leveled in the 69th with a low shot from Michael Olise’s precise setup. The Colombia winger later received a second yellow card for diving and Bayern was down to nine men with six minutes left to play. The hosts could not snatch the win despite pushing hard until the end as Jonas Hofmann had a goal ruled out deep in stoppage time. Bayern haven’t won at Leverkusen in the league since October 2021. Dortmund were in total control throughout the first half and Augsburg was lucky to trail by just one goal at halftime. Karim Adeyemi broke the deadlock in the 13th and had several other chances, hitting the woodwork twice. Luca Reggiani made it 2-0 in the...
"You set things in motion but you can't control how they end up," Sir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London, warns of the consequences of the US military strikes and the perilous paths ahead - on "Bloomberg This Weekend." (Source: Bloomberg)
"You set things in motion but you can't control how they end up," Sir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London, warns of the consequences of the US military strikes and the perilous paths ahead - on "Bloomberg This Weekend." (Source: Bloomberg)
mbbirdy/E+ via Getty Images Wall Street ended the week lower as investors weighed fresh inflation data and persistent volatility in energy markets, with Brent crude topping $100 amid U.S.–Iran tensions. Inflation data showed that the consumer price index rose 0.3% month-over-month in February, accelerating from a 0.2% increase in January and matching economists’ expectations. The oil and gas secto...
mbbirdy/E+ via Getty Images Wall Street ended the week lower as investors weighed fresh inflation data and persistent volatility in energy markets, with Brent crude topping $100 amid U.S.–Iran tensions. Inflation data showed that the consumer price index rose 0.3% month-over-month in February, accelerating from a 0.2% increase in January and matching economists’ expectations. The oil and gas sector, meanwhile, remained highly volatile as the ongoing U.S.–Iran conflict kept the Strait of Hormuz at the center of market attention. Brent crude settled above $100 per barrel on Thursday, marking its first close at that level in roughly three and a half years. For the week, the S&P ( SP500 ) lost -1.6%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( COMP:IND ) dipped -1.3%, and the blue-chip Dow ( DJI ) fell -2.0% . Here's what caught investor attention this week: Oracle ( ORCL ) jumped after the company reported strong quarterly results, including 44% year-over-year growth in total cloud revenue and 84% growth in its cloud infrastructure segment. The surge was driven largely by demand for AI computing capacity and large infrastructure contracts tied to training and running AI models. Investor Bill Ackman filed to list his hedge fund firm Pershing Square ( PSHZF ) on the New York Stock Exchange. The transaction will involve a dual listing structure where Pershing Square’s common shares and the shares of its closed-end fund, Pershing Square USA ( PSUS ) will both trade on the NYSE. UiPath ( PATH ) plunged on Thursday despite beating estimates with its Q4 results. Q4 adjusted EPS of $0.30 topped estimates by $0.05, while revenue rose 13.5% Y/Y to $481.1M, exceeding forecasts by $16.3M. For Q1 FY2027, UiPath expects revenue of $395M–$400M (vs. $393.36M consensus), ARR of $1.894B–$1.899B, and non-GAAP operating income of about $80M. Hims & Hers ( HIMS ) saw its stock surge about 41% after the company announced a partnership with Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) , the maker of blockbuster weight-...
Broadcom (AVGO 4.11%) is probably the least well-known trillion-dollar company. It burst onto the scene just recently, but I think it could be headed much higher. It's currently the eighth-largest company in the world by market capitalization, but after what its CEO said about its growth trajectory, it could end up in the top five before we know it. So, what did Broadcom's CEO say about demand? Le...
Broadcom (AVGO 4.11%) is probably the least well-known trillion-dollar company. It burst onto the scene just recently, but I think it could be headed much higher. It's currently the eighth-largest company in the world by market capitalization, but after what its CEO said about its growth trajectory, it could end up in the top five before we know it. So, what did Broadcom's CEO say about demand? Let's take a look. Broadcom's AI chip business is exploding Broadcom does a lot of different things as a company. It has a virtual desktop business through its acquisition of VMware, mainframe hardware and software, cybersecurity, and many other business units. But those aren't the focus of investors. Instead, everyone is focusing on its AI semiconductor business, and for good reason. The company has two primary AI semiconductor products: custom AI chips and connectivity switches. While connectivity switches are critical for data center operation, the big winner investors are focusing on is the chip business. This segment is going head-to-head with Nvidia, which is no easy task. But it's winning. Expand NASDAQ : AVGO Broadcom Today's Change ( -4.11 %) $ -13.81 Current Price $ 322.16 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.5T Day's Range $ 321.43 - $ 338.28 52wk Range $ 138.10 - $ 414.61 Volume 1.5M Avg Vol 30M Gross Margin 64.96 % Dividend Yield 0.75 % Instead of offering a GPU that excels in many computing applications, Broadcom is designing application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). These chips are specifically designed to handle one workload. ASICs are nothing new, but their usage in AI is. Broadcom has partnered directly with AI hyperscalers to design a chip that fits their needs, which cuts down on costs for the end user because it isn't paying for capabilities that it won't use with a GPU. GPUs aren't going away forever because their flexibility is necessary in many applications. Still, Broadcom's custom AI chips could start to take market share from Nvidia as they prove t...
Key Points Broadcom believes its AI chip business will generate $100 billion in revenue by the end of 2027. That would be a huge milestone, but Broadcom's stock hasn't priced in this massive potential yet. 10 stocks we like better than Broadcom › Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) is probably the least well-known trillion-dollar company. It burst onto the scene just recently, but I think it could be headed m...
Key Points Broadcom believes its AI chip business will generate $100 billion in revenue by the end of 2027. That would be a huge milestone, but Broadcom's stock hasn't priced in this massive potential yet. 10 stocks we like better than Broadcom › Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) is probably the least well-known trillion-dollar company. It burst onto the scene just recently, but I think it could be headed much higher. It's currently the eighth-largest company in the world by market capitalization, but after what its CEO said about its growth trajectory, it could end up in the top five before we know it. So, what did Broadcom's CEO say about demand? Let's take a look. 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 » Broadcom's AI chip business is exploding Broadcom does a lot of different things as a company. It has a virtual desktop business through its acquisition of VMware, mainframe hardware and software, cybersecurity, and many other business units. But those aren't the focus of investors. Instead, everyone is focusing on its AI semiconductor business, and for good reason. The company has two primary AI semiconductor products: custom AI chips and connectivity switches. While connectivity switches are critical for data center operation, the big winner investors are focusing on is the chip business. This segment is going head-to-head with Nvidia, which is no easy task. But it's winning. Instead of offering a GPU that excels in many computing applications, Broadcom is designing application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). These chips are specifically designed to handle one workload. ASICs are nothing new, but their usage in AI is. Broadcom has partnered directly with AI hyperscalers to design a chip that fits their needs, which cuts down on costs for the end user because it isn't paying for capabilitie...
The influential German philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas has died at the age of 96, his publisher has said. Habermas, a towering figure in the intellectual history of postwar Germany, is best known for his theory of political consensus-building. Widely considered one of most influential philosophers of the 20th century, he also helped to shape the discourse around European integration an...
The influential German philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas has died at the age of 96, his publisher has said. Habermas, a towering figure in the intellectual history of postwar Germany, is best known for his theory of political consensus-building. Widely considered one of most influential philosophers of the 20th century, he also helped to shape the discourse around European integration and the formation of the EU. In spite of his background in the neo-Marxist Frankfurt school and his reputation as a court philosopher of the Social Democratic party, his influence cut across party lines. German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, described him as “one of the most significant thinkers of our time”. “His analytical acuity shaped democratic discourse far beyond our country’s borders and served as a beacon in a stormy sea,” Merz said in a statement. “His voice will be missed”. View image in fullscreen Friedrich Merz called Habermas ‘one of the most significant thinkers of our time’. Photograph: Dpa Picture Alliance Archive/Alamy Habermas’ career, which spanned seven decades, focused on the foundations of social theory, democracy and the rule of law. His belief that the formation of public opinion was vital for democracies to survive explains why Habermas continued to write books and newspaper articles deep into old age. In a 2015 interview with the Guardian, he criticised the then chancellor Angela Merkel for “gambling away” Germany’s postwar reputation with her government’s hardline stance during the Greek debt crisis. More recently, such interventions invited criticism from younger intellectuals. In 2022, he criticised Germany’s Green party foreign minister Annalena Baerbock for her “aggressively self-confident” and “shrill” condemnations of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. His pronouncement that Israel’s war on Gaza following the 7 October Hamas attacks was “justified in principle” was met with disbelief by many p...
As the fourth-quarter earnings season winds down, investors are turning their attention to updated quant ratings following the latest round of corporate results. The quant scores provide a snapshot of how companies rank across key factors such as valuation, growth, profitability, momentum, and revisions after reporting their quarterly performance. Below is a snapshot of mid-cap technology companie...
As the fourth-quarter earnings season winds down, investors are turning their attention to updated quant ratings following the latest round of corporate results. The quant scores provide a snapshot of how companies rank across key factors such as valuation, growth, profitability, momentum, and revisions after reporting their quarterly performance. Below is a snapshot of mid-cap technology companies ( XLK ) with market capitalizations between $2 billion and $10 billion, highlighting those with the highest and lowest quant ratings after the earnings season, underscoring the stocks that strengthened their fundamentals as well as those that lagged. Top-quant rated stocks: Fastly ( FSLY ), Quant rating: 4.99 , Strong Buy Ultra Clean ( UCTT ), Quant rating: 4.96 , Strong Buy TTM Technologies ( TTMI ), Quant rating: 4.94 , Strong Buy Navitas Semiconductor ( NVTS ), Quant rating: 4.85 , Strong Buy Avnet ( AVT ), Quant rating: 4.73 , Strong Buy Bottom-quant rated stocks: monday.com ( MNDY ), Quant rating: 1.06 , Strong Sell Impinj ( PI ), Quant rating: 1.11 , Strong Sell Life360 ( LIF ), Quant rating: 1.16 , Strong Sell Varonis Systems ( VRNS ), Quant rating: 1.17 , Strong Sell Kyndryl ( KD ), Quant rating: 1.19 , Strong Sell More on State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF Technology's Hidden Opportunity Map: What Systematic Pattern Analysis Reveals Across Market Regimes (Technical Analysis) Software Likely Bottomed Last Week: 3 Companies I'm Buying SaaS: Is There Opportunity In The Destruction? Energy surges to the top as long-only investors rebalance portfolios: BofA Research Tech sector volatility creates ‘interesting time to step in’ – Evercore’s Mahaney
Analysts are expecting big things from Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG) in 2025. According to Wall Street consensus estimates, the hydrogen fuel specialist should boost sales by roughly 36% in 2025. And just earlier this month, Plug Power received a $1.66 billion loan guarantee from the federal government to "help finance the construction of up to six facilities across several states that will produce cl...
Analysts are expecting big things from Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG) in 2025. According to Wall Street consensus estimates, the hydrogen fuel specialist should boost sales by roughly 36% in 2025. And just earlier this month, Plug Power received a $1.66 billion loan guarantee from the federal government to "help finance the construction of up to six facilities across several states that will produce clean hydrogen utilizing the company's own electrolyzer technology." In many ways, things are looking up for the company. But the share price tells another story. Over the past year, shares have lost around 25% of their value. The past few weeks have been particularly difficult, as the stock price has fallen well under the $3 mark. Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » Is now the time to be contrarian and buy this embattled stock that's expected to have a rosy year ahead financially? Three things every Plug Power investor should know The first thing to understand is that the company's recent loan guarantee -- critical funding that will help it expand its hydrogen fuel system footprint -- was issued under the departing Biden administration. It's not clear that this loan guarantee will be continued by the new Trump administration. The reason this is so critical is that Plug Power's business is very capital intensive. The company designs and manufactures equipment that contribute to facilities that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. This reality, and the fact that hydrogen fuel systems -- Plug Power's main technological focus -- still aren't cost competitive with fossil fuel alternatives, have produced consistent losses for the company, which management has backstopped using government funding and repeated stock sales. So there are the first two things to be very mindful of now. Plug Power's recent loan guarantee win is far from guaranteed, yet the business will remain heavily reliant on such programs to st...
Oil Could Test $200; Martin Armstrong Warns Attacking Iranian Water Supplies Could Bring Out Nukes Via Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com , Legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong warned in February, “This is where the volatility starts kicking in.” What do we have? Oil, gold and silver spiking in price, and violent exchanges between Iran, the United States and many other co...
Oil Could Test $200; Martin Armstrong Warns Attacking Iranian Water Supplies Could Bring Out Nukes Via Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com , Legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong warned in February, “This is where the volatility starts kicking in.” What do we have? Oil, gold and silver spiking in price, and violent exchanges between Iran, the United States and many other countries in the Middle East. Now, water assets like desalination plants in Bahrain and Iran are being blown up. Add the worst water shortage in decades in Iran as a backdrop to constant bombing, and you have a situation that could turn very ugly, very fast . The water shortage is so bad that there has been water rationing in Tehran for months. This water rationing was part of the reason there were huge protests in Iran a few months ago. Armstrong explains: “Part of the protests (in Iran) were about water rationing. The Islamic Republic Guard were called the ‘water mafia.’ They control the water. It’s kind of like North Korea. If you want to be fed, you join the army. All food goes to the army first, and water will also go to the military first.” Remember, they are water rationing in Iran now, and they don’t have a lot left. So, what happens if the US, Israel and other Persian Gulf nations knock out what’s left of Iran’s water? What happens if Iran is completely out of water? Armstrong says: “Personally, I would ask Pakistan for a nuke. Look, you are talking about the death of a country. When you get to that point, if you’ve got a nuke, you are going to use it.” So, what happens if the dams and reservoirs are bombed and Iran is completely cut off from water? Armstrong says: “If you do that, is that a war crime because you are wiping out the average population and civilians? Would you do that? This is a mess. It’s a complete mess.” On the other side, what happens if Iran knocks out all the Persian Gulf oil refineries? Armstrong says: “ If I were Iran, I would attack all the oi...
Opened in 1969, Woodhall Services on the M1 near Sheffield is Yorkshire’s oldest roadside service station. This weekend, it was also one of the country’s most expensive pit stops, with diesel priced at 185.9p a litre and petrol at 172.9p. “Do you really want to know what I think? You probably couldn’t print it,” said biker Alan Harrison, who had stopped for a coffee break in the sunshine while hea...
Opened in 1969, Woodhall Services on the M1 near Sheffield is Yorkshire’s oldest roadside service station. This weekend, it was also one of the country’s most expensive pit stops, with diesel priced at 185.9p a litre and petrol at 172.9p. “Do you really want to know what I think? You probably couldn’t print it,” said biker Alan Harrison, who had stopped for a coffee break in the sunshine while heading from Leeds to Bournemouth. View image in fullscreen Alan Harrison stopping off on his way to Bournemouth. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian “It’s daylight robbery. People are going to start seriously thinking about how often they use their car if it carries on like this.” Fuel prices have risen at their fastest rate since 2022, reaching their highest level in 18 months on Friday, since the US and Israel began airstrikes on Iran almost two weeks ago. The surge in global oil market prices has caused petrol prices to increase by an average of 7.8p to 140.6p a litre, while diesel has risen by 16.8p to 159.18p. Kevin Grieve had filled up in South Shields before setting off on a journey with his family to take part in a medieval reenactment event in Coventry. View image in fullscreen Kevin Grieve on the way to a medieval re-enactment event with family and friends. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian “I paid 171p, which is probably 20p more than it was a week ago. It’s ridiculous but I can see it going higher if the war continues for any length of time. “We had this trip planned for a while but I’m probably going to have to stop again for petrol on the way back. I’ll go off the motorway and look for somewhere cheaper.” Roger Thorpe, a wine retailer from York, was driving to Northampton to visit his parents. “I’m lucky to be able to walk to where I work. York is also very compact and great for cycling. View image in fullscreen Roger Thorpe, on his way to Northampton to visit his parents. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian “The only time I really drive is long distance...
XRP (XRP 1.28%), the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger, overcame some of its biggest challenges over the past year. Yet over the past 12 months, its price declined about 40% and remains more than 60% below its record high from last July. Some optimistic traders believe it could climb back above $2 this year, but I think three issues will hold it back. 1. Its biggest catalysts are in the rear...
XRP (XRP 1.28%), the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger, overcame some of its biggest challenges over the past year. Yet over the past 12 months, its price declined about 40% and remains more than 60% below its record high from last July. Some optimistic traders believe it could climb back above $2 this year, but I think three issues will hold it back. 1. Its biggest catalysts are in the rearview mirror In 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple, whose founders created XRP, for selling its own XRP tokens to raise capital. Last August, that lawsuit -- which caused Ripple to lose its top customers and the top crypto exchanges to delist XRP -- concluded with a lighter-than-expected fine. After that ruling, the crypto exchanges relisted XRP, and the SEC approved its first spot-price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in late 2025. That's all great news for XRP, but all of those catalysts were priced into its stock when it hit its all-time high last summer. Looking ahead, XRP arguably faces more challenges than catalysts. Expand CRYPTO : XRP XRP Today's Change ( -1.28 %) $ -0.02 Current Price $ 1.39 Key Data Points Market Cap $85B Day's Range $ 1.39 - $ 1.41 52wk Range $ 1.14 - $ 3.65 Volume 1.7B 2. It could face existential challenges XRP can't be mined like Bitcoin (BTC 1.73%), and its blockchain doesn't natively support smart contracts for the development of decentralized apps and other crypto assets like Ethereum (ETH 2.92%) and other proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains. Therefore, XRP can't really be valued by its scarcity or utility. Instead, XRP is primarily used as a "bridge currency" to settle fiat transactions on Ripple's payment platform, serving as a faster, cheaper alternative to interbank SWIFT transfers. However, stablecoins can achieve the same thing with much less volatility. 3. It faces competition from "blue chip" tokens Over the past 12 months, Bitcoin declined by 16%, while Ethereum rose by 8%. Those two "blue chip" tokens outperfo...
Key Points XRP's price has plunged more than 40% over the past 12 months. It could struggle to keep pace with Bitcoin and Ethereum. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › XRP (CRYPTO: XRP), the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger, overcame some of its biggest challenges over the past year. Yet over the past 12 months, its price declined about 40% and remains more than 60% below its record high fr...
Key Points XRP's price has plunged more than 40% over the past 12 months. It could struggle to keep pace with Bitcoin and Ethereum. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › XRP (CRYPTO: XRP), the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger, overcame some of its biggest challenges over the past year. Yet over the past 12 months, its price declined about 40% and remains more than 60% below its record high from last July. Some optimistic traders believe it could climb back above $2 this year, but I think three issues will hold it back. 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 » 1. Its biggest catalysts are in the rearview mirror In 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple, whose founders created XRP, for selling its own XRP tokens to raise capital. Last August, that lawsuit -- which caused Ripple to lose its top customers and the top crypto exchanges to delist XRP -- concluded with a lighter-than-expected fine. After that ruling, the crypto exchanges relisted XRP, and the SEC approved its first spot-price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in late 2025. That's all great news for XRP, but all of those catalysts were priced into its stock when it hit its all-time high last summer. Looking ahead, XRP arguably faces more challenges than catalysts. 2. It could face existential challenges XRP can't be mined like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), and its blockchain doesn't natively support smart contracts for the development of decentralized apps and other crypto assets like Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) and other proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains. Therefore, XRP can't really be valued by its scarcity or utility. Instead, XRP is primarily used as a "bridge currency" to settle fiat transactions on Ripple's payment platform, serving as a faster, cheaper alternative to interbank SWIFT transfers. However, stablecoins ...
Five people have been arrested in Cuba for acts of “vandalism” after a small group of protesters broke into a provincial office of the Cuban Communist party and set fire to computers and furniture. The incident, which also affected a pharmacy and another shop, took place in the town of Moron, a little more than 300 miles (500km) east of Havana. Videos shared on social media show the protesters ran...
Five people have been arrested in Cuba for acts of “vandalism” after a small group of protesters broke into a provincial office of the Cuban Communist party and set fire to computers and furniture. The incident, which also affected a pharmacy and another shop, took place in the town of Moron, a little more than 300 miles (500km) east of Havana. Videos shared on social media show the protesters ransacking the office, removing documents, equipment and furniture, and burning everything in the street. A smaller group also threw stones. “What began peacefully, after an exchange with the authorities in the area, degenerated into vandalism against the headquarters of municipal committee of the Communist party,” the state-run newspaper Invasor said. It added that five people had been arrested. Although protests are rare in Cuba, the country is enduring a US oil blockade and other intense pressure from the US president, Donald Trump, who has stated openly he would like to see regime change in Havana. Recently, people have started banging pots and pans at night in the street or at home to vent their frustration and discontent over shortages of food and medicine. Residents are also suffering frequent rolling power blackouts that can last for up to 15 hours a day. Independent media and social media posts say that Havana is at the centre of these recent nightly protests, but they are spreading to other parts of the country, too. On Friday, the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, confirmed for the first time that he was holding talks with the US government. Díaz-Canel said that no petroleum shipments have arrived in Cuba in the past three months, and blamed the US oil blockade for that. He said the island was running on a mixture of natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants. Trump has said Cuba will be next on his agenda after the Iran war and the US overthrow of Cuba’s top ally, Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, in January. Cuba relied on Venezuela for oil and Trump, who say...