matejmo/iStock via Getty Images Iran-driven risks are reshaping EM debt markets. EMBX reduced Gulf exposure as valuations failed to reflect rising conflict risk and shifted toward resilient Latam and SSA commodity exporters. The VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF ( EMBX ) was up 1.20% in February, compared to 1.34% for its benchmark, the 50% J.P. Morgan Government Bond Index - Emerging Markets Globa...
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images Iran-driven risks are reshaping EM debt markets. EMBX reduced Gulf exposure as valuations failed to reflect rising conflict risk and shifted toward resilient Latam and SSA commodity exporters. The VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF ( EMBX ) was up 1.20% in February, compared to 1.34% for its benchmark, the 50% J.P. Morgan Government Bond Index - Emerging Markets Global Diversified (GBI-EM) and 50% J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI) and 1.10% for the Global Agg and 2.74% for Treasuries. Year to date (YTD), EMBX is up 3.42% compared to 2.78% for its benchmark. We reduced Gulf and local currency exposure before the Iran events, looking to increase both on weakness. That game plan is more intact in EM local currency than in Gulf bonds, which, as we said above, didn’t get cheaper and potentially got riskier. Local currency exposure is at 45%, carry is 6.49%, yield to worst (YTW) is 7.41%, and duration is 5.17. Average Annual Total Returns * (%) (In USD) Month End As of February 28, 2026 1 Mo 3 Mo YTD 1 Yr 3 Yrs 5 Yrs 10 Yrs EMBX (NAV) 1.20 4.90 3.43 18.86 11.41 4.89 5.74 EMBX (Market Price) 1.46 4.88 3.72 19.06 11.47 4.92 5.76 50% GBI-EM/50% EMBI 1.34 3.92 2.79 16.69 10.75 2.82 4.30 Click to enlarge Average Annual Total Returns * (%) (In USD) Quarter End As of December 31, 2025 1 Mo 3 Mo YTD 1 Yr 3 Yrs 5 Yrs 10 Yrs EMBX (NAV) 1.41 3.15 19.04 19.04 10.84 3.87 5.49 EMBX (Share Price) 1.12 3.03 18.91 18.91 10.80 3.85 5.48 50% GBI-EM/50% EMBI 1.11 3.32 16.80 16.80 10.08 1.50 4.20 Click to enlarge * Returns less than one year are not annualized. The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance may be lower or higher than performance data quoted. Please call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com for per...
Stocks retreated across the world as oil prices kept rising amid widening disruptions to crude transport operations in the Middle East. A gauge of global bonds erased its 2026 advance. Mounting strain in the private credit market also weighed on sentiment as Morgan Stanley and Cliffwater capped withdrawals from their multibillion-dollar private credit funds. The industry has been hit by a wave of ...
Stocks retreated across the world as oil prices kept rising amid widening disruptions to crude transport operations in the Middle East. A gauge of global bonds erased its 2026 advance. Mounting strain in the private credit market also weighed on sentiment as Morgan Stanley and Cliffwater capped withdrawals from their multibillion-dollar private credit funds. The industry has been hit by a wave of redemption requests amid growing worries over the quality of loans. The Opening Trade has everything you need to know as markets open across Europe. With analysis you won't find anywhere else, we break down the biggest stories of the day and speak to top guests who have skin in the game. Hosted by Anna Edwards, Lizzy Burden and Tom Mackenzie. (Source: Bloomberg)
The European Union’s economic heavyweights are urging the bloc to reduce its dependency on foreign payments systems and accelerate the digital euro’s rollout as they seek to boost Europe’s productivity and growth. “Given the urgency of sovereignty issues in the field of payments, we strongly call the commission to prepare and swiftly issue an ambitious and encompassing EU-strategy promoting strate...
The European Union’s economic heavyweights are urging the bloc to reduce its dependency on foreign payments systems and accelerate the digital euro’s rollout as they seek to boost Europe’s productivity and growth. “Given the urgency of sovereignty issues in the field of payments, we strongly call the commission to prepare and swiftly issue an ambitious and encompassing EU-strategy promoting strategic autonomy and reducing EU dependencies in retail, wholesale and business payments,” finance ministers for the EU’s six largest economies, including Germany and France, said in a letter on Wednesday. The intervention comes as EU officials have been exploring how to weaken Europe’s reliance on US payment firms like Visa and Mastercard , which have long dominated digital payment transactions in Europe. “It’s clear that we need to have a payment digital infrastructure in Europe to allow us to make payments without any kind of dependence,” European Council President Antonio Costa told Bloomberg last month. The letter, which was also signed by Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain, calls for a faster adoption of the bloc’s long-promised savings and investment union, which they describe as an “urgent strategic necessity.” In particular, the six countries back the Markets Integration and Supervision Package, a key plank of the savings and investment union plan, which was unveiled last year by the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm. The package includes a controversial proposal to transfer supervisory and enforcement powers to an EU markets regulator, the European Securities & Markets Authority (ESMA), which is based in Paris. Noting that investors need to have better access to EU capital markets and deeper pools of capital, the finance ministers said they supported “moving toward centralized supervision for ‘the most systemic, relevant, cross-border financial market infrastructures’ while avoiding unnecessary duplication or addition costs.” It is also important that ...
Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to align with national strategies outlined in China’s latest five-year plan and transform the city’s “new positionings, functions and missions” assigned by Beijing into “tangible outcomes” to drive economic growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Thursday that he would lead the local government in fulfilling its primary responsibility to unite society i...
Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to align with national strategies outlined in China’s latest five-year plan and transform the city’s “new positionings, functions and missions” assigned by Beijing into “tangible outcomes” to drive economic growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Thursday that he would lead the local government in fulfilling its primary responsibility to unite society in proactively aligning with the 15th five-year plan, which outlines China’s economic and social development targets for 2026 to 2030. “Hong Kong must seize every opportunity to align proactively with national strategic requirements,” Lee said on social media. Advertisement “We will transform the ‘new positioning, functions, and missions’ tasked by the central government into tangible outcomes that drive high-quality economic development and improve people’s livelihoods.” His comments came as China’s top legislature, the 14th National People’s Congress, concluded its fourth session as it approved the outline of the 15th five-year plan, and passed the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law as well as the National Development Planning Law. Advertisement According to the five-year plan outline, Hong Kong has been commissioned to build a commodity trading ecosystem, a high-quality supply chain service centre and a global hub for high-end talent. Beijing has reiterated its support for Hong Kong as an international centre for finance, shipping, trade, aviation and innovation and technology, while strengthening its functions as a global offshore renminbi business hub.
Key Points Ride-hailing outfit Uber Technologies has only scratched the surface of what it could become. SpaceX isn’t the only player in the space-launch race. It’s not even the best in terms of practicality and reliability. Believe it or not, Snapchat is finding a way to grow in a social media space dominated by X, Facebook, and TikTok. Is your idle cash piling up because the market environment f...
Key Points Ride-hailing outfit Uber Technologies has only scratched the surface of what it could become. SpaceX isn’t the only player in the space-launch race. It’s not even the best in terms of practicality and reliability. Believe it or not, Snapchat is finding a way to grow in a social media space dominated by X, Facebook, and TikTok. Is your idle cash piling up because the market environment feels different than it did just a few months ago? If so, you're not crazy. Things are different. In addition to plenty of new political and international trade tensions (including further unrest in the Middle East), the top-performing growth stocks of yesteryear are no longer the market's leaders. This isn't a reason to stop investing, though. It just means you need to change your tack. Rather than looking backward, look for the names most likely to lead in the foreseeable future. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » To this end, if you've got an extra $1,000 lying around -- or any other amount -- you'd like to put to work for a while, here's a closer look at three of the best growth stocks worth adding to almost any well-diversified portfolio. 1. Uber Technologies Ride-hailing outfit Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) isn't just a clever rethinking of the planet's taxi industry. It's growing like crazy because personal mobility is undergoing a paradigm shift. Not only are younger people here and abroad decreasingly interested in owning a car, but interest in even attaining a driver's license is waning, the younger the prospective driver in question. For perspective, data from the Federal Highway Administration indicates that only about one-third of age-eligible teenagers in America currently have a driver's license, versus roughly two-thirds of this crowd 30 years ago. What gives? Sheer cost is one stumbling block. The rise of convenient alternatives is another. Not only is public...
India is turning to polluting fuels such as biomass, kerosene and fuel oil as war-led gas shortages weigh on households and industries across the country. “Alternative fuel options are being activated to ease pressure on liquefied petroleum gas and gas channels,” Oil Minister Hardeep Puri told Parliament on Thursday. “Kerosene is being made available through retail outlets and public distribution ...
India is turning to polluting fuels such as biomass, kerosene and fuel oil as war-led gas shortages weigh on households and industries across the country. “Alternative fuel options are being activated to ease pressure on liquefied petroleum gas and gas channels,” Oil Minister Hardeep Puri told Parliament on Thursday. “Kerosene is being made available through retail outlets and public distribution channels and fuel oil is being made available for industrial consumers.” The South Asian nation imports nearly 90% of its crude, half of its liquefied natural gas and two thirds of its LPG, most of which comes from the Middle East and travels through the Strait of Hormuz. With the narrow passage currently blocked, shortages have already affected supplies to hotels, restaurants and petrochemical plants. As the news of restaurants halting operations flooded social media platforms, Puri informed lawmakers that the hospitality industry could be allowed to use polluting fuels for a month, a move expected to free up LPG volumes for households, a priority for the government. The ministry of environment has advised state pollution control agencies to allow commercial kitchens to use pellets made of municipal waste, coal, kerosene and biomass, according to Puri. Vast swathes of the country suffer from poor air quality for most of the year. The government set out to curb the widespread consumption of polluting fuels, such as biomass and kerosene, by promoting the use of cleaner alternatives like LPG and natural gas. Thanks to those efforts, kerosene consumption fell to 408,000 tons in the year through March 2025, compared with 7.09 million tons a decade back. Supplies of natural gas, used in factories, home kitchens and power plants, have also been disrupted by the war. While households and vehicles are currently served as normal, volumes have been reduced for industrial consumers and fertilizer plants. The minister assured parliament that the country didn’t face any shortage of gaso...
US stock futures slumped before Thursday’s bell as conflict in the Middle East intensified, pushing oil prices close to $100 a barrel. S&P 500 Index futures fell 0.7% at 8:10 a.m. in New York, with the gauge set to extend declines for a third-straight session, while Nasdaq 100 Index contracts dropped 0.6% . Brent crude traded 6.9% higher to $ 98.30 , having jumped above $100 earlier in the session...
US stock futures slumped before Thursday’s bell as conflict in the Middle East intensified, pushing oil prices close to $100 a barrel. S&P 500 Index futures fell 0.7% at 8:10 a.m. in New York, with the gauge set to extend declines for a third-straight session, while Nasdaq 100 Index contracts dropped 0.6% . Brent crude traded 6.9% higher to $ 98.30 , having jumped above $100 earlier in the session. Hostilities are fast-approaching a third week, with no sign of de-escalation. Iran escalated attacks on parts of Dubai and shipping assets, driving oil prices higher and increasing concern among traders about how much longer the conflict in the Middle East will go on for. “What you’re are seeing is the market pricing a long-lasting scenario of high oil prices,” said Karen Georges , an equity fund manager at Ecofi in Paris. “The security of shipping in the region is a big concern while the release of emergency oil reserves can only provide temporary relief.” The International Energy Agency said in a monthly report that the Iran war is causing unprecedented turmoil in oil markets . Global oil supply will be slashed by 8 million barrels a day this month, or almost 250 million barrels in total, the IEA estimated. The report comes after the agency’s members agreed to release 400 million barrels from emergency reserves on Wednesday. “While Trump’s claim that we could soon see a resolution to the conflict does provide hesitancy for the bulls, the reality of the situation will undoubtedly call for higher prices as the days roll on,” said Joshua Mahony , chief market analyst at Scope Markets. Higher fuel prices that threaten to quicken inflation dampen the outlook for Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts. Oil at $140 per barrel for two months “would be enough to push parts of the global economy into a mild recession,” Ryan Sweet of Oxford Economics wrote in a note. “The correlation between fluctuations in the stock market and changes in oil prices increases during oil shocks,” he ad...
JHVEPhoto In conjunction with its strong quarterly results and outlook, Oracle ( ORCL ) disclosed that it will spend $2.1B on restructuring costs in fiscal 2026, $500M more than previously stated. The IT giant said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the total estimated restructuring costs will be $2.1B. Additionally, it has already recorded $156M and $982M of restructurin...
JHVEPhoto In conjunction with its strong quarterly results and outlook, Oracle ( ORCL ) disclosed that it will spend $2.1B on restructuring costs in fiscal 2026, $500M more than previously stated. The IT giant said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the total estimated restructuring costs will be $2.1B. Additionally, it has already recorded $156M and $982M of restructuring costs in connection with the plan for the three and nine months ended Feb. 28, respectively. In December, Oracle estimated its total restructuring costs would be $1.6B. Oracle is implementing the layoffs, which are impacting thousands of employees, due in part to its immense spending on expanding data center capacity for artificial intelligence. Separately, Citi analysts said on Thursday that the quarterly results were “reassuring” and helped “refute ongoing concerns around financing/data center delays.” As such, the firm reiterated its Buy rating on Oracle and raised its price target to $320 from $310. More on Oracle Oracle: Strong Earnings, Bears Were Wrong Oracle: The Worst Spending Fears Might Be Behind After A Solid Quarter Oracle: The Bullish Reset And Long-Awaited Turning Point Is Finally Here Microsoft also shows interest in unfinished Oracle Stargate site in Abilene: report YTD performance of Oracle-related ETFs as stock climbs to 9%
JHVEPhoto In conjunction with its strong quarterly results and outlook, Oracle ( ORCL ) disclosed that it will spend $2.1B on restructuring costs in fiscal 2026, $500M more than previously stated. The IT giant said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the total estimated restructuring costs will be $2.1B. Additionally, it has already recorded $156M and $982M of restructurin...
JHVEPhoto In conjunction with its strong quarterly results and outlook, Oracle ( ORCL ) disclosed that it will spend $2.1B on restructuring costs in fiscal 2026, $500M more than previously stated. The IT giant said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the total estimated restructuring costs will be $2.1B. Additionally, it has already recorded $156M and $982M of restructuring costs in connection with the plan for the three and nine months ended Feb. 28, respectively. In December, Oracle estimated its total restructuring costs would be $1.6B. Oracle is implementing the layoffs, which are impacting thousands of employees, due in part to its immense spending on expanding data center capacity for artificial intelligence. Separately, Citi analysts said on Thursday that the quarterly results were “reassuring” and helped “refute ongoing concerns around financing/data center delays.” As such, the firm reiterated its Buy rating on Oracle and raised its price target to $320 from $310. More on Oracle Oracle: Strong Earnings, Bears Were Wrong Oracle: The Worst Spending Fears Might Be Behind After A Solid Quarter Oracle: The Bullish Reset And Long-Awaited Turning Point Is Finally Here Microsoft also shows interest in unfinished Oracle Stargate site in Abilene: report YTD performance of Oracle-related ETFs as stock climbs to 9%
Sleep Number (SNBR) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.24 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.21. This compares to earnings of $0.47 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -14.29%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this seller of beds, mattresses and bedding products would post...
Sleep Number (SNBR) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.24 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.21. This compares to earnings of $0.47 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -14.29%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this seller of beds, mattresses and bedding products would post earnings of $0.06 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.22, delivering a surprise of 266.67%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. Sleep Number , which belongs to the Zacks Furniture industry, posted revenues of $497.53 million for the quarter ended December 2022, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.47%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $491.98 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Sleep Number shares have added about 23.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.1%. What's Next for Sleep Number? While Sleep Number has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of e...