Stefonlinton/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I began covering Fastenal Company ( FAST ) in 2021. What I first thought of as being just another boring industrial supply company ended up showing up as a highly disciplined, innovative, and technology-driven supply chain juggernaut. Since it’s my first article about Fastenal and I know not many are familiar with the name, it's only fair that I prese...
Stefonlinton/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I began covering Fastenal Company ( FAST ) in 2021. What I first thought of as being just another boring industrial supply company ended up showing up as a highly disciplined, innovative, and technology-driven supply chain juggernaut. Since it’s my first article about Fastenal and I know not many are familiar with the name, it's only fair that I present what the company does. I could just summarize it with their motto: “great people, close to your business, empowered by technology”, but I’ll briefly explain it. Fastenal is the largest fastener supplier in North America. They sell a broad range of industrial and construction supplies (e.g., threaded fasteners, bolts, screws, wire rope, metal framing systems, cutting tools, safety products etc.) through a global network of locations utilizing diverse technologies such as vending devices, bin stock devices, and eBusiness (e-commerce sales, mostly to traditional customer base as supplement to other channels). The large majority of their transactions are business-to-business. First conceived in the early 2000s, the vending machines used to store fasteners, MRO items, tools, and multiple other products, through what is called Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI), are the backbone of the company’s ability to outperform its peers. Fastenal founder Bob Kierlin's genius was recognizing that something as boring as a bolt, sold with extreme reliability and convenience at an industrial scale, could build an extraordinary business. Instead of a factory worker stopping production to go find a bolt, the right fastener is always stocked right on the factory floor and automatically reordered when inventory runs low. Fastenal FMI (Fastenal IR) I view FAST as a bullish long-term investment, one of the finest industrial compounders in the market, driven by its market share gains, digital transformation, and potential for accelerated growth in 2026. However, at current prices, the valuation leav...
"Bloomberg Markets" follows the market moves across every global asset class and discusses the biggest issues for Wall Street. Today's guests, Atlantic Council's Senior Fellow Ellen Wald, Founding and Managing Partner of Lucosky Brookman, Joseph Lucosky, and Co-CEO of Hamilton Lane Erik Hirsch. (Source: Bloomberg)
"Bloomberg Markets" follows the market moves across every global asset class and discusses the biggest issues for Wall Street. Today's guests, Atlantic Council's Senior Fellow Ellen Wald, Founding and Managing Partner of Lucosky Brookman, Joseph Lucosky, and Co-CEO of Hamilton Lane Erik Hirsch. (Source: Bloomberg)
The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA 2.04%) stands out for its lower expense ratio and broader stock coverage, while the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR 1.64%) offers a marginally higher yield and a narrower focus on financial services and industrials. Both SCHA and IJR aim to capture the U.S. small-cap space, but they differ in cost, sector composition, and number of holdings. This comparison ...
The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA 2.04%) stands out for its lower expense ratio and broader stock coverage, while the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR 1.64%) offers a marginally higher yield and a narrower focus on financial services and industrials. Both SCHA and IJR aim to capture the U.S. small-cap space, but they differ in cost, sector composition, and number of holdings. This comparison looks at recent performance, risk, and portfolio makeup to help investors weigh which approach may better suit their goals. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric SCHA IJR Issuer Schwab iShares Expense ratio 0.04% 0.06% 1-yr return (as of 2026-03-11) 25.3% 18.9% Dividend yield 1.2% 1.4% Beta 1.3 1.2 AUM $20.1 billion $92.2 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. SCHA is slightly more affordable than IJR, with a 0.04% expense ratio versus 0.06%, and IJR pays a modestly higher dividend yield at 1.4% compared to SCHA’s 1.2%. Expand NYSEMKT : IJR iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF Today's Change ( -1.64 %) $ -2.04 Current Price $ 122.48 Key Data Points Day's Range $ 122.21 - $ 123.46 52wk Range $ 89.22 - $ 133.52 Volume 7.3M Performance & risk comparison Metric SCHA IJR Max drawdown (5 y) (30.79%) (28.02%) Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,125 $1,083 Expand NYSEMKT : SCHA Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab U.s. Small-Cap ETF Today's Change ( -2.04 %) $ -0.60 Current Price $ 28.84 Key Data Points Day's Range $ 28.77 - $ 29.10 52wk Range $ 20.04 - $ 31.25 Volume 4M What's inside IJR tracks a well-known S&P index and holds 649 U.S. small-cap stocks, with its largest weights in financial services (17%), industrials (16%), and consumer cyclicals (15%). Its top holdings are Solstice Advanced Materials (SOLS 3.84%), Interdigital (IDCC 1.35%), and Moog Inc Class A (MOG-A), each making up less than 1% of the fund, and it has an established track record with 25.8...
Pitchaya Pingpithayakul/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I reiterate the recommendation to buy the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF ( MSOS ). This article is the continuation of my initial coverage thesis published on December 17, 2025, also with a Buy recommendation. My intention with this article is to revisit this thesis, investigate what happened, and evaluate the risk-return relati...
Pitchaya Pingpithayakul/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I reiterate the recommendation to buy the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF ( MSOS ). This article is the continuation of my initial coverage thesis published on December 17, 2025, also with a Buy recommendation. My intention with this article is to revisit this thesis, investigate what happened, and evaluate the risk-return relationship again. Context In my career writing articles for Seeking Alpha, I've been able to help many investors make better investment decisions through my articles on stocks and my weekly series on macroeconomics and hard assets. However, my recommendation to buy ETFs that track the cannabis industry amid expectations of marijuana reclassification was not assertive. Mistakes and successes are part of the daily life of an analyst and investor. As Ray Dalio would say, mistakes are more important for learning than successes, so let's study. AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF MSOS is actively managed by AdvisorShares , its expense ratio is 0.78%, and the ETF has $778 million in AUM. I chose to write about MSOS because it was the first ETF exclusively dedicated to tracking the cannabis industry. Another important detail is that the manager uses swaps since a large part of these companies' shares are traded on the over-the-counter market. The main holdings are below: Top 10 holdings (Seeking Alpha) What caused the collapse in December? Basically, the executive order came milder than the market expected. It was not a "reclassification," but rather an instruction to the Attorney General to complete the reclassification in the most expeditious manner permitted by law. Therefore, investors saw that there could be a long bureaucratic path between the executive order and the actual reclassification. The movement was quite conservative, probably so as not to disgrace the Republican Party. Additionally, nothing has been defined regarding access to credit for companies in this sector, which...
Key Points HDV charges a significantly lower expense ratio and offers a higher dividend yield than NOBL. HDV has posted stronger 1-year and 5-year total returns, with less severe drawdowns and lower beta. NOBL spreads its holdings more evenly across sectors, while HDV leans heavily into energy and consumer defensive stocks. 10 stocks we like better than iShares Trust - iShares Core High Dividend E...
Key Points HDV charges a significantly lower expense ratio and offers a higher dividend yield than NOBL. HDV has posted stronger 1-year and 5-year total returns, with less severe drawdowns and lower beta. NOBL spreads its holdings more evenly across sectors, while HDV leans heavily into energy and consumer defensive stocks. 10 stocks we like better than iShares Trust - iShares Core High Dividend ETF › The ProShares - S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NYSEMKT:NOBL) and the iShares Core High Dividend ETF (NYSEMKT:HDV) differ most on fees, dividend yield, and sector concentration, with HDV coming in cheaper and more income-focused while NOBL emphasizes equal-weighted dividend growth stocks. NOBL and HDV both target U.S. companies known for strong dividends, but approach this goal differently. While HDV focuses on high current dividend payers, this leads to distinct cost, risk, and return profiles that may appeal to different types of investors. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric NOBL HDV Issuer ProShares IShares Expense ratio 0.35% 0.08% 1-yr return (as of 2026-03-11) 8.8% 17.6% Dividend yield 2.1% 2.9% Beta 0.76 0.42 AUM $12.1 billion $13.8 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. HDV looks more affordable to hold with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared to 0.35% for NOBL, and it also offers a higher payout, yielding 2.9% versus NOBL’s 2.1% as of March 2026. Performance & risk comparison Metric NOBL HDV Max drawdown (5 y) -17.92% -15.41% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,272 $1,423 What's inside HDV holds 74 U.S. stocks and aims for high current income, leaning into consumer defensive (28%), energy (26%), and healthcare (17%) companies. Its largest positions are Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Johnson & Johnson, making up a sizable portion of the fund. With a 15-year track record and no notable quirks, HDV’s approach results in a portfolio tha...
iridi/iStock via Getty Images Foreword About Large Cap Value “A Value ranking for large cap stocks from YCharts puts together complementary strategies found during their stock research. The value ranking looks at the price of a stock relative to a number of measurements that determine intrinsic firm value. Only the largest 10% of companies based on market cap are shown in this portfolio. What it i...
iridi/iStock via Getty Images Foreword About Large Cap Value “A Value ranking for large cap stocks from YCharts puts together complementary strategies found during their stock research. The value ranking looks at the price of a stock relative to a number of measurements that determine intrinsic firm value. Only the largest 10% of companies based on market cap are shown in this portfolio. What it is: The Value Score is a composite score. It tells you how much you are getting in terms of profits, cash flows, assets, sales, etc. for the stock price that you pay. It is a relative measurement, so it says nothing about the overall level of the market. Rather, it answers the question: "Given the current market level, which stocks give you the most current value for your dollar of investment?" Tens are the most value, and 1s are the least. How to use it: Use it to find companies that are selling at a low price relative to their assets and profits. Limitations of the Value Score: Watch out for companies with a lot of uncertainty or bad prospects for the future (e.g., Pharma companies with expiring patents, industries on the decline, etc.). About the Ben Graham Formula The Ben Graham Formula strategy contains ultra-stable stocks that will infrequently lose money if held over a long period of time. It was developed based on a screen in Graham's book, "The Intelligent Investor." For those who have the book, it is the "Defensive Investor" screen. It selects stocks that are large in terms of sales and total assets, have a strong track record of earnings and dividend payments, have a reasonable current ratio and level of long term debt, and have a low valuation given by PE Ratios and Price to Book Value ratios.” -YCharts While over half of this collection of GASV is too pricey, or reveals somewhat skinny or no forward looking dividends, fourteen of the twenty-nine “safer” lowest-priced dogs of the GASV are buyable. Mid-March found: Hafna Ltd ( HAFN ), IRSA Inversiones ( IRS ); Wei...
Fly Aerospace (FLY +14.27%) stock soared 16.7% through 2:10 p.m. ET Thursday after the space stock announced, just last night, its return to flight. Just ahead of 9 p.m. last night, Alpha Flight 7 from Firefly's Space Launch Complex 2 at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, delivering to orbit a demonstrator payload for customer Lockheed Martin (LMT +0.98%). A successful return to space This was Firef...
Fly Aerospace (FLY +14.27%) stock soared 16.7% through 2:10 p.m. ET Thursday after the space stock announced, just last night, its return to flight. Just ahead of 9 p.m. last night, Alpha Flight 7 from Firefly's Space Launch Complex 2 at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, delivering to orbit a demonstrator payload for customer Lockheed Martin (LMT +0.98%). A successful return to space This was Firefly's first flight since its unsuccessful Alpha Flight 6 launch back in April of last year (which also carried a demonstration satellite for Lockheed). That launch failed when, just after stage separation, the rocket's first-stage booster broke apart, damaging the second-stage engine, causing the second stage to fail to achieve orbital velocity -- and causing both the rocket and the payload to fall out of orbit. Firefly has now proven it has fixed the problem that doomed Flight 6. The company also tested some improvements to the Alpha rocket, preparatory to launching a new, upgraded, and enlarged Block II version of Alpha at a later date: Alpha Flight 8. Expand NASDAQ : FLY Firefly Aerospace Today's Change ( 14.27 %) $ 2.94 Current Price $ 23.54 Key Data Points Market Cap $3.3B Day's Range $ 23.05 - $ 25.17 52wk Range $ 16.00 - $ 73.80 Volume 12M Avg Vol 3.3M Gross Margin -490.85 % What does it mean for Firefly Aerospace? A failed Flight 7 would have been bad news for Firefly, putting in question the company's ability to continue launching the only rocket it currently has in service, and delaying future launch revenue by additional months. But now Firefly's back on track, and analyst forecasts for future revenue look much more secure. In that regard, for 2026, forecasts are for Firefly to rack up $446 million in sales -- roughly triple its 2025 business. The stock still won't be profitable; analysts don't expect profits to emerge before 2027. But Firefly's business is moving up and to the right, and its trajectory looks nominal. It makes the stock would do likewise.
Key Points Buying Bitcoin directly and holding it in cold storage is the most authentic way for market participants to gain exposure. Strategy’s innovative financial tactics provide risk-seeking investors with magnified performance, both to the upside and downside. Investors bullish on each of these financial assets can own both. 10 stocks we like better than Strategy › Since the first block was m...
Key Points Buying Bitcoin directly and holding it in cold storage is the most authentic way for market participants to gain exposure. Strategy’s innovative financial tactics provide risk-seeking investors with magnified performance, both to the upside and downside. Investors bullish on each of these financial assets can own both. 10 stocks we like better than Strategy › Since the first block was mined more than 17 years ago in January 2009, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has gone from being essentially worthless to now holding a market cap of $1.4 trillion. As it has evolved to become a globally recognized financial asset, it has crept into the world of traditional capital markets. Here's where Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) enters the picture. The Michael Saylor-led enterprise is pushing the envelope of Bitcoin-backed financial innovation. And it gives investors another level of exposure. 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 » Between Bitcoin and Strategy, what is the better investment for 2026 and beyond? Staying true to Bitcoin principles Bitcoin was created to function as a monetary network and digital asset that operates independently from the traditional financial system. As a result of this setup, the cryptocurrency's biggest proponents argue that the best action to take is to buy Bitcoin directly and transfer it to a self-custody hardware wallet that's in cold storage. That means that you have complete control over the private keys, there is no counterparty risk, and everything is offline, boosting security. This is like having physical dollars or gold in your possession. No one else has control or a claim on those things. If this is important to you, then it's best to adopt this Bitcoin playbook. By choosing this path, people can also take advantage of Bitcoin's utility. It can be transferred to...
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) +5.9% in Thursday's trading, rallying to its best level since August 2024 after Wells Fargo upgraded shares to Overweight from Underweight with a $69 price target, up from $47, while Piper Sandler raised the stock to Overweight from Neutral with a $66 PT, up from $54. Wells Fargo's Sam Margolin double upgraded Occidental ( OXY ), saying th...
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) +5.9% in Thursday's trading, rallying to its best level since August 2024 after Wells Fargo upgraded shares to Overweight from Underweight with a $69 price target, up from $47, while Piper Sandler raised the stock to Overweight from Neutral with a $66 PT, up from $54. Wells Fargo's Sam Margolin double upgraded Occidental ( OXY ), saying the stock's peer-leading oil sensitivity is "both an opportunity and a risk," but stronger Permian Basin productivity and improved capital intensity now support a more constructive setup. Margolin said his prior Sell-equivalent rating was driven by return of capital constraints due to preferred equity, which - barring a $4/share return of capital trigger - are unlikely to be redeemed until 2029, and while the constraint remains unless oil stays above $100/bbl, "the step change in capital efficiency reflected in 4Q25 earnings supports regular dividend growth and buyback opportunities in the intervening years." Oxy ( OXY ) has adjusted its Permian spending plan from $3.9B to $3.1B while maintaining production growth, which is enabled by a combination of factors including strong underlying productivity and enhanced oil recovery which dampens observable base decline, and the analyst said he believes the company can produce slightly ahead of guidance in 2026 and resume an accelerated growth trend in 2027 back to $3.5B in capital. Piper Sandler's Mark Lear views Occidental ( OXY ) as one of the best operators in the Delaware Basin that continues to deliver among the best operating performance in the basin despite some degradation in FY 2025, and noted the company's FY 2026 guidance was much more capital efficient than initial soft guidance, with ~$800M less capital to drive a similar level of production. Despite strong YTD performance, Occidental ( OXY ) trades roughly in line with large-cap peers on estimated FY 2026 strip EBITDA and FCF/EV yield and demonstrates some of the stron...
On February 17, 2026, Greenvale Capital disclosed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it sold out its entire position in Varonis Systems (VRNS +0.02%), an estimated $99.14 million trade based on previously disclosed position values. What happened According to a February 17, 2026 SEC filing, Greenvale Capital reported the sale of its entire position in Varonis Systems, a reduct...
On February 17, 2026, Greenvale Capital disclosed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it sold out its entire position in Varonis Systems (VRNS +0.02%), an estimated $99.14 million trade based on previously disclosed position values. What happened According to a February 17, 2026 SEC filing, Greenvale Capital reported the sale of its entire position in Varonis Systems, a reduction of 1,725,000 shares. The stake’s value at quarter-end dropped to zero, down $99.14 million from the prior period. What else to know Greenvale fully liquidated its Varonis holding, which was previously 7.8% of AUM. Top holdings after the filing: NASDAQ:RUN: $197.23 million (18.5% of AUM) NYSE:ZETA: $142.91 million (13.4% of AUM) NYSE:SN: $116.57 million (10.9% of AUM) NASDAQ:OKTA: $81.71 million (7.7% of AUM) NASDAQ:ENPH: $75.32 million (7.1% of AUM) As of February 13, 2026, Varonis shares were priced at $25.36, down 40% over the past year and well underperforming the S&P 500’s roughly 20% gain in the same period. Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $623.53 million Net Income (TTM) ($129.32 million) Price (as of market close 2/13/26) $25.36 One-Year Price Change -41.99% Company snapshot Varonis Systems offers software solutions for data security, analytics, classification, and access management, including DatAdvantage, DatAlert, Data Classification Engine, DataPrivilege, Data Transport Engine, and DatAnswers. The firm generates revenue through licensing and subscription sales of its proprietary software products, as well as related maintenance and support services. It serves enterprise IT, security, and business teams across North America, EMEA, and international markets, focusing on organizations managing sensitive and regulated data. Varonis Systems, Inc. is a technology company specializing in software that enables enterprises to manage, secure, and analyze data both on-premises and in the cloud. The company leverages advanced analytics and automation to help ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Investors are weighing whether to buy Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) ahead of the company's annual GTC AI conference on March 16. The chipmaker has shifted from a gaming focus to powering artificial intelligence, with AI-related products accounting for about 91% of revenue in the latest fiscal year and helping deliver record sales near $215 billion. GPUs, the specia...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Investors are weighing whether to buy Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) ahead of the company's annual GTC AI conference on March 16. The chipmaker has shifted from a gaming focus to powering artificial intelligence, with AI-related products accounting for about 91% of revenue in the latest fiscal year and helping deliver record sales near $215 billion. GPUs, the specialized chips that handle the heavy computations for training and running AI models, remain central to the business. Nvidia's early move into AI and continued product development have helped it keep a lead over rivals. CEO Jensen Huang is set to deliver the GTC keynote, an event that has previously included product roadmaps and new launches that move markets. At roughly 21 times forward earnings estimates, some investors may view the stock as richly valued while others see room for further growth. Shares edged lower about 1% on March 12 amid broader market weakness, but traders will watch GTC closely. If Huang's keynote delivers meaningful hardware or software updates and positive guidance, the stock could rise after GTC, depending on how investors interpret the announcements. Analysts' Take Should You Based on the one year price targets offered by 57 analysts, the average target price for NVIDIA Corp is $262.15 with a high estimate of $432.78 and a low estimate of $138.00. The average target implies a upside of +42.91% from the current price of $183.43. Based on the consensus recommendation from 65 brokerage firms, NVIDIA Corp's (NASDAQ:NVDA) average brokerage recommendation is currently 1.7, indicating a "Outperform" status. The rating scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 signifies Strong Buy, and 5 denotes Sell.
Earnings Call Insights: Lifetime Brands, Inc. (LCUT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Robert Kay highlighted the impact of "tariff escalations, retail customer disruption, consumers' reactions, the operational demands" and noted that "Lifetime was a first mover in implementing price increases across all our channels to offset the tariff cost." He credited this proactive pricing strategy and a "comprehe...
Earnings Call Insights: Lifetime Brands, Inc. (LCUT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Robert Kay highlighted the impact of "tariff escalations, retail customer disruption, consumers' reactions, the operational demands" and noted that "Lifetime was a first mover in implementing price increases across all our channels to offset the tariff cost." He credited this proactive pricing strategy and a "comprehensive cost efficiency and reduction program" for improved bottom-line performance, stating "bottom line results showed a positive year-over-year growth by the fourth quarter of 2025." Kay reported a significant recovery with Costco, noting "a portion of those programs shipped in the fourth quarter, and we performed very well with Costco in Q4. That recovery was a meaningful contributor to a strong finish." Kay discussed the Dolly brand's growth to "approximately $18 million for the year, an increase of over 150%." He also referenced continued progress on the international restructuring initiative, Project Concord, though the final phase was delayed and is "expected to be fully resolved and implemented in the first half of 2026." The relocation of the East Coast distribution center to Hagerstown, Maryland, is expected to begin operations in Q2 2026, increasing capacity by 327,000 square feet. Kay emphasized, "recovering sustainable top line growth is the priority" for 2026, shifting focus to volume growth through existing relationships and new product lines. CFO Laurence Winoker stated, "net income for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $18.2 million or $0.83 per diluted share compared to $8.9 million or $0.41 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of '24. Adjusted net income was $23 million for the fourth quarter or $1.05 per diluted share as compared to $12 million or $0.55 per diluted share in '24." Outlook Kay affirmed that detailed full-year 2026 guidance will be provided with Q1 results in mid-May, stating, "What I can tell you now is that recovering sustainable top line ...