Traditional safe havens — Treasuries, the yen, the Swiss franc, and gold — have offered investors no refuge this week. The dollar, whose haven status has been increasingly called into question, is among the few major assets to have rallied . The moves show how quickly market dynamics can turn upside down, with assets once viewed as dependable shelters suddenly losing their appeal given changing ex...
Traditional safe havens — Treasuries, the yen, the Swiss franc, and gold — have offered investors no refuge this week. The dollar, whose haven status has been increasingly called into question, is among the few major assets to have rallied . The moves show how quickly market dynamics can turn upside down, with assets once viewed as dependable shelters suddenly losing their appeal given changing expectations around central bank policy and economic growth, plus the whims of traders. “Risk-off is not what it used to be,” Christoph Rieger , Head of Rates & Credit Research at Commerzbank AG, said. “‘Safe Assets’ don’t work as a hedge in a crisis where all policy options call for more supply and against lower rates. Some market moves make sense, others don’t.” Here’s a closer look at why the usual shelters failed this past week: Treasuries US government debt is supposed to be the world’s safest asset in times of turmoil. But inflationary threats from soaring oil and gas prices usurped that demand. Yields on 10-year bonds have jumped 20 basis points this week, heading for their biggest jump since April’s tariff drama. It’s a dramatic reversal from last month when they notched their sharpest drop in a year. The inflation threat means traders also expect fewer interest rate cuts. Swaps now price between one and two quarter-point reductions compared to as many as three a week ago. Gold Gold hasn’t fared well. Bullion has fallen 3.5% this week, weighed down by a stronger dollar and expectations of higher interest rates. The metal, which pays no interest, usually becomes more attractive when rates are low. A similar dynamic played out following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Energy prices surged, along with interest rate expectations and the greenback — and gold consequently weakened in the months following. That period has become the playbook for some traders. The metal’s about 54% rally since mid-August has also turned it into a speculative hotbed, with exceptional volatility....
Earnings Call Insights: Owlet, Inc. (OWLT) Q4 2025 Management View Jonathan Harris, CEO & President, highlighted, "2025 was truly a monumental and transformative year for Owlet, marked by significant growth and expanding our leadership and scale in pediatric health monitoring." He identified three pivotal achievements: the successful launch of the Owlet360 subscription service, surpassing 110,000 ...
Earnings Call Insights: Owlet, Inc. (OWLT) Q4 2025 Management View Jonathan Harris, CEO & President, highlighted, "2025 was truly a monumental and transformative year for Owlet, marked by significant growth and expanding our leadership and scale in pediatric health monitoring." He identified three pivotal achievements: the successful launch of the Owlet360 subscription service, surpassing 110,000 paying subscribers; the introduction of the Dream Sight camera with onboard AI; and record annual revenue, gross margin, and adjusted EBITDA despite tariff challenges. He announced the international launch of Owlet360, regulatory clearances for Dream Sock sales in India and Israel, and a focus on expanding subscription offerings and AI-driven features to increase customer lifetime value (LTV). Harris stated, "Owlet expanded our share of total dollars spent on baby monitors to 41% in Q4 2025, up 24% versus Q4 2024 and another record high for market share since we started tracking Circana data." Harris also outlined strategic priorities for 2026: driving global Dream Sock adoption, expanding the subscription platform, growing healthcare channels, and launching the Owlet OnCall Telehealth Platform. He noted, "We will launch the Owlet OnCall telehealth platform utilizing Dream Sock and Owlet360 to capitalize on this opportunity." Amanda Crawford, CFO, said, "Q4 revenue was $26.6 million, up 29.6% year-over-year. Revenue strength was driven by broad-based growth across the Dream product suite and Owlet360 subscription." Outlook Crawford stated, "For the first quarter of 2026, we expect revenue in the range of $20 million to $21 million, gross margins of 50% to 52% and adjusted EBITDA of negative $2.5 million to negative $1.5 million." For full year 2026, she provided, "We expect revenue in the range of $126 million to $130 million, representing growth of 19% to 23% over 2025." Crawford added, "For full year 2026, we expect gross margins in the range of 49% to 52% and adjusted EB...
Earnings Call Insights: OptimizeRx Corporation (OPRX) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Stephen Silvestro reported, "We delivered a strong fourth quarter, exceeding both consensus estimates and our internal expectations. Revenue for the fourth quarter was $32.2 million, and adjusted EBITDA was $12 million." He highlighted full-year 2025 revenue of $109.4 million and adjusted EBITDA of $24.3 million. Sil...
Earnings Call Insights: OptimizeRx Corporation (OPRX) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Stephen Silvestro reported, "We delivered a strong fourth quarter, exceeding both consensus estimates and our internal expectations. Revenue for the fourth quarter was $32.2 million, and adjusted EBITDA was $12 million." He highlighted full-year 2025 revenue of $109.4 million and adjusted EBITDA of $24.3 million. Silvestro explained, "Improvements in our product mix and channel partner strategy contributed to higher gross margins in 2025" and noted doubling of both adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow year-over-year. Management is responding to softness in contracted revenue and a market shift away from managed services by updating 2026 guidance and focusing more on profitability. Silvestro announced, "For 2026, we expect revenue in the range of $109 million to $114 million and adjusted EBITDA between $21 million and $25 million." The Board authorized a $10 million share repurchase program, to be financed through available cash and cash equivalents. Silvestro addressed AI, stating, "Our business has experienced minimal disruption from AI, and we do not expect to be disrupted in the future...AI may serve as a tailwind." Edward Stelmakh, Chief Financial & Strategic Officer, stated, "Gross margin increased from 68.1% in the quarter ended December 31, 2024, 74.8% in the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Year-over-year gross margin expansion is tied to a favorable solution and channel partner mix." Stelmakh continued, "Our net income came in at $5 million or $0.26 on a fully diluted basis for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to a net loss of $0.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2024." Outlook Management projects 2026 revenue between $109 million and $114 million and adjusted EBITDA between $21 million and $25 million. Stelmakh added, "Since we don't expect a similar revenue mix in 2026, our revenue phasing is likely to fall in line with historical 40% to 60% contribution between first ...
Earnings Call Insights: ESS Tech, Inc. (GWH) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Drew Buckley described 2025 as “a year of deliberate transformation,” highlighting ESS’ restructuring, commercial progress, and strengthened balance sheet. He confirmed a $9.9 million contract with Concurrent Technologies Corporation and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for a long-duration energy storage system, marking...
Earnings Call Insights: ESS Tech, Inc. (GWH) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Drew Buckley described 2025 as “a year of deliberate transformation,” highlighting ESS’ restructuring, commercial progress, and strengthened balance sheet. He confirmed a $9.9 million contract with Concurrent Technologies Corporation and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for a long-duration energy storage system, marking a key defense sector win. Project New Horizon, a 5-megawatt, 50-megawatt hour system for Salt River Project (SRP) with Google as an offtaker, was announced, with manufacturing to start in 2026 and delivery targeted for December 2027. Buckley emphasized, “This is a transformational partnership, a major Southwest utility backed by one of the world's largest energy loads.” On leadership, Kelly Goodman transitioned to Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel, Kate Suhadolnik was named permanent CFO, and Randall Selesky was appointed Chief Commercial Officer after the acquisition of VoltStorage’s assets and IP. Buckley noted, “VoltStorage gives us a further platform to continue building the strength of our leadership team.” COO Jigish Trivedi will depart, with Brian Lisiecki as interim COO. The company closed a $40 million financing with Yorkville Advisors, launched an ATM equity program raising $8.6 million, and completed a $15 million registered direct offering in January 2026. CFO Kate Suhadolnik reported, “Revenue for the full year 2025 was $1.6 million, down from $6.3 million in 2024,” reflecting the transition from legacy products to Energy Base. She stated, “Gross loss for the year was $27.7 million, an improvement of 39% compared to a loss of $45.4 million in 2024.” Operating expenses decreased 33% year-over-year to $29.7 million. Net loss for the year was $63.4 million compared to $86.2 million in 2024. Outlook CEO Buckley indicated that the focus in 2026 will be commercializing the Energy Base, with deliveries to Tier 1 customers scheduled for 2027 and 2028. He stat...
BCP Investment (BCIC) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.56 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.52 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.6 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +7.69%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this business development company would post earnings of $0...
BCP Investment (BCIC) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.56 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.52 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.6 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +7.69%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this business development company would post earnings of $0.49 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.7, delivering a surprise of +42.86%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. BCP Investment, which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, posted revenues of $17.46 million for the quarter ended December 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.38%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $14.39 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two 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. BCP Investment shares have lost about 3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 0.4%. What's Next for BCP Investment? While BCP Investment has underperformed 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 p...
During the five-year period leading up to Aug. 11, 2020, shares of Strategy (MSTR 4.49%), previously called MicroStrategy, declined 37%. In the roughly five and a half years since, they have skyrocketed 863% (as of Feb. 27). This nearly 10-fold gain, which beats the performance of every "Magnificent Seven" stock except Nvidia, has happened despite the fact that the share price is 73% below the pea...
During the five-year period leading up to Aug. 11, 2020, shares of Strategy (MSTR 4.49%), previously called MicroStrategy, declined 37%. In the roughly five and a half years since, they have skyrocketed 863% (as of Feb. 27). This nearly 10-fold gain, which beats the performance of every "Magnificent Seven" stock except Nvidia, has happened despite the fact that the share price is 73% below the peak from November 2024. That sudden shift in performance is due Strategy becaming a Bitcoin treasury company in August 2020. This is a unique situation in the world of capital markets, requiring investors to take the time to understand what factors matter most. Here are three things you should know about Strategy. Leveraging your bet on Bitcoin It's essential for investors thinking about buying Strategy shares to also be bullish on Bitcoin. If Bitcoin's price isn't higher than the company's average Bitcoin cost basis of $76,000 five or 10 years from now, then owning this business will be a losing investment. Strategy is essentially a levered bet on Bitcoin, meaning that the stock price is much more volatile than the crypto. Since Aug. 11, 2020, Bitcoin has climbed 483%, while Strategy is up the mentioned 863%. Think about the downside as well. The company says that even if Bitcoin's price fell to $8,000, a highly unlikely scenario, the value of its total Bitcoin holdings would cover net debt. Strategy financially engineers ways to opportunistically raise capital via equity, debt, and preferred offerings to buy Bitcoin and to pay interest and dividends. This is the most important part of the entire operation. There's a software business in there Strategy also has an artificial intelligence analytics business that sells software and services to help enterprises better manage and use their data. In 2025, the company collected $477 million in revenue. Having a traditional business is beneficial to Strategy, particularly if it can generate positive free cash flow to support intere...
Key Points Strategy shares provide investors with a leveraged play on Bitcoin, with amplified gains and losses. If it generates positive free cash flow, the presence of an enterprise software platform can support dividend and interest payments. Buying the stock while it's trading on a huge dip has been a lucrative move in the past. 10 stocks we like better than Strategy › During the five-year peri...
Key Points Strategy shares provide investors with a leveraged play on Bitcoin, with amplified gains and losses. If it generates positive free cash flow, the presence of an enterprise software platform can support dividend and interest payments. Buying the stock while it's trading on a huge dip has been a lucrative move in the past. 10 stocks we like better than Strategy › During the five-year period leading up to Aug. 11, 2020, shares of Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), previously called MicroStrategy, declined 37%. In the roughly five and a half years since, they have skyrocketed 863% (as of Feb. 27). This nearly 10-fold gain, which beats the performance of every "Magnificent Seven" stock except Nvidia, has happened despite the fact that the share price is 73% below the peak from November 2024. That sudden shift in performance is due Strategy becaming a Bitcoin treasury company in August 2020. This is a unique situation in the world of capital markets, requiring investors to take the time to understand what factors matter most. 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 » Here are three things you should know about Strategy. Leveraging your bet on Bitcoin It's essential for investors thinking about buying Strategy shares to also be bullish on Bitcoin. If Bitcoin's price isn't higher than the company's average Bitcoin cost basis of $76,000 five or 10 years from now, then owning this business will be a losing investment. Strategy is essentially a levered bet on Bitcoin, meaning that the stock price is much more volatile than the crypto. Since Aug. 11, 2020, Bitcoin has climbed 483%, while Strategy is up the mentioned 863%. Think about the downside as well. The company says that even if Bitcoin's price fell to $8,000, a highly unlikely scenario, the value of its total Bitcoin holdings would cover net deb...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, Mar. 5, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Mike Rosenbaum Chief Financial Officer — Jeff Cooper President and Chief Revenue Officer — John Mullen Vice President, Investor Relations — Alex Hughes Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways ARR -- $1.121 billion, up 22% year over year, or 21% on a cons...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, Mar. 5, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Mike Rosenbaum Chief Financial Officer — Jeff Cooper President and Chief Revenue Officer — John Mullen Vice President, Investor Relations — Alex Hughes Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways ARR -- $1.121 billion, up 22% year over year, or 21% on a constant currency basis. -- $1.121 billion, up 22% year over year, or 21% on a constant currency basis. Fully ramped ARR -- $1.42 billion at quarter end, continuing to outpace reported ARR growth. -- $1.42 billion at quarter end, continuing to outpace reported ARR growth. RPO -- $3.5 billion, representing 63% growth year over year. -- $3.5 billion, representing 63% growth year over year. InsuranceSuite ARR retention -- Over 99% trailing twelve months, with only a small number of $1 million-plus churn events in five years. -- Over 99% trailing twelve months, with only a small number of $1 million-plus churn events in five years. Large customer growth -- Customers with over $5 million in fully ramped ARR grew from 35 in 2021 to 96 at quarter end. -- Customers with over $5 million in fully ramped ARR grew from 35 in 2021 to 96 at quarter end. InsuranceSuite Cloud deals -- Fifteen closed, with three new customer wins and notable expansions, including major deals at Aviva UK and Tokio Marine North America. -- Fifteen closed, with three new customer wins and notable expansions, including major deals at Aviva UK and Tokio Marine North America. New product traction -- First PricingCenter deal signed; ProNavigator saw nine deals in its introductory quarter. -- First PricingCenter deal signed; ProNavigator saw nine deals in its introductory quarter. Data and analytics attach -- Twenty-five deals included one or more offerings from the data and analytics portfolio in the quarter. -- Twenty-five deals included one or more offerings from the data and analytics portfolio in the quarter. Reve...
The U.S. oil benchmark surges 8.5%, to more than $81 a barrel. Plus, Morgan Stanley shares fall after the investment bank announces layoffs. And Meta Platforms stock drops after the company responds to antitrust concerns in Europe.
The U.S. oil benchmark surges 8.5%, to more than $81 a barrel. Plus, Morgan Stanley shares fall after the investment bank announces layoffs. And Meta Platforms stock drops after the company responds to antitrust concerns in Europe.
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — Ron Vachris Chief Financial Officer — Gary Millerchip TAKEAWAYS Net Sales -- $68.24 billion, up 9.1%, driven by broad-based category strength and supported by both domestic and international locations. -- $68.24 billion, up 9.1%, driven by broad-based category strength and...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — Ron Vachris Chief Financial Officer — Gary Millerchip TAKEAWAYS Net Sales -- $68.24 billion, up 9.1%, driven by broad-based category strength and supported by both domestic and international locations. -- $68.24 billion, up 9.1%, driven by broad-based category strength and supported by both domestic and international locations. Net Income -- $2.04 billion, or $4.58 per diluted share, an increase of nearly 14% compared to $1.79 billion, or $4.02 per diluted share. -- $2.04 billion, or $4.58 per diluted share, an increase of nearly 14% compared to $1.79 billion, or $4.02 per diluted share. Comparable Sales -- Up 7.4%, or 6.7% adjusted for gas price deflation and FX; digitally enabled comparable sales rose 22.6%, or 21.7% adjusted for FX. -- Up 7.4%, or 6.7% adjusted for gas price deflation and FX; digitally enabled comparable sales rose 22.6%, or 21.7% adjusted for FX. Membership Fee Income -- $1.36 billion, up 13.6%; increase attributed about one-third to the September 2024 US/Canada fee hike, with underlying 7.5% growth excluding fee impacts and FX. -- $1.36 billion, up 13.6%; increase attributed about one-third to the September 2024 US/Canada fee hike, with underlying 7.5% growth excluding fee impacts and FX. Paid Memberships -- 40.4 million paid memberships, up 9.5%; total paid members reached 82.1 million, up 4.8%; cardholders rose 4.7% to 147.2 million. -- 40.4 million paid memberships, up 9.5%; total paid members reached 82.1 million, up 4.8%; cardholders rose 4.7% to 147.2 million. Renewal Rates -- US and Canada renewal at 92.1%, down 10 basis points sequentially; global renewal rate held flat at 89.7%. -- US and Canada renewal at 92.1%, down 10 basis points sequentially; global renewal rate held flat at 89.7%. Gross Margin -- Reported gross margin up 17 basis points; adjusted for gas deflation, up 11 basis points to 11.02%; core-on-co...