Whether Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) has been a good past investment largely comes down to timing and perspective. The stock has more than doubled over the past year, but it's down around 60% over the past five years. However, after reporting solid fiscal Q2 results after the bell on April 30, the stock is seeing strong momentum. Let's take a closer look at its results and prospects to see whether Roku's s...
Whether Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) has been a good past investment largely comes down to timing and perspective. The stock has more than doubled over the past year, but it's down around 60% over the past five years. However, after reporting solid fiscal Q2 results after the bell on April 30, the stock is seeing strong momentum. Let's take a closer look at its results and prospects to see whether Roku's stock can continue its momentum. Despite Roku's association with its streaming devices, these devices essentially serve as loss leaders and are a gateway to its streaming operating system, where its real business is selling advertising and streaming subscriptions. Continue reading
Iraq Offers Huge Discounts Up To $33 Per Barrel For Oil Shipments Via Hormuz By Charles Kennedy of OilPrice.com OPEC’s second-largest producer, Iraq, is offering huge discounts of up to $33.40 per barrel off the official selling prices for its crude that has to move through the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq’s oil production and exports have been severely crippled due to the hostilities in the Middle East...
Iraq Offers Huge Discounts Up To $33 Per Barrel For Oil Shipments Via Hormuz By Charles Kennedy of OilPrice.com OPEC’s second-largest producer, Iraq, is offering huge discounts of up to $33.40 per barrel off the official selling prices for its crude that has to move through the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq’s oil production and exports have been severely crippled due to the hostilities in the Middle East and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is the only way to move Iraqi Basrah crude grades. Iraq was one of the first Gulf producers to slash upstream production and now exports a small part of its crude via a pipeline to the Turkish Mediterranean coast. But its key export port at Basrah, which handled the bulk of exports prior to the war, is constrained due to the unpassable Strait of Hormuz. Iraq has shipped some cargoes eastward out of the Strait thanks to bilateral agreements with Iran’s forces, but tankers now have to move empty westward of the Strait and travel deep into the Persian Gulf to load from Basrah. Port of Basra The inbound movement at the Strait of Hormuz is at a standstill, and renewed tensions, blockades, the U.S. Project Freedom to guide ships, the Iranian threats to said project, and Iranian expansion of the area of control at Hormuz are further complicating tanker movement west into the Persian Gulf. Iraq is now offering a discount of $33.40 per barrel off the official selling price of its flagship Basrah Medium crude loading from Basrah on the Gulf in May, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing a May 3 notice by Iraqi state oil marketing company SOMO. Basrah Medium that would be loaded between May 1 and 10 would be priced at a discount of $33.40 a barrel below the OSP, and at a $26-per-barrel discount between May 11 and 31, according to the notice seen by Bloomberg. Basrah Heavy for loading in May is being offered to buyers at $30 below the OSP. If a buyer agrees to some of the offers, SOMO’s notice says that “force majeure shall n...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) is deploying artificial intelligence and advanced computing to dramatically speed up how it analyzes underground oil data, cutting processing times from months to just days, a senior executive said. Speaking at an energy conference in Houston, exploration chief John Ardill said the company is applying machine learning techniques to qu...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) is deploying artificial intelligence and advanced computing to dramatically speed up how it analyzes underground oil data, cutting processing times from months to just days, a senior executive said. Speaking at an energy conference in Houston, exploration chief John Ardill said the company is applying machine learning techniques to quickly sort seismic data and highlight the most promising drilling targets, allowing geologists to focus on the highest-value prospects, Reuters reported Tuesday. The technology is already supporting Exxon’s operations in Guyana, where the company leads a consortium producing more than 900,000 barrels of oil a day. It is also being used to reassess older discoveries that were once considered too costly to develop, as improved tools make them more viable. Expanding playbook Exxon ( XOM ) plans to complete new seismic surveys this year in offshore Trinidad and Tobago and rapidly evaluate the results. The company believes the geology there could resemble other deepwater regions like Guyana and Angola, offering similar potential. Ardill also pointed to countries with stable policies and efficient permitting as key to accelerating development, while noting that resource-rich nations such as Venezuela would require more favorable business conditions before attracting renewed investment. Preparing for supply shocks The company is also positioning its portfolio to handle geopolitical disruptions, including tensions affecting Middle East oil flows. Exxon ( XOM ) relies on a diversified global supply base and sees assets in the Permian Basin and Guyana as especially important when supply from the region is constrained. With break-even costs below $30 per barrel in those core areas, Exxon ( XOM ) is setting a high bar for new projects. More challenging regions like Alaska will need technological advances to bring costs down and compete economically. More on Exxon Mobil Exxon Mobil: A R...
teppakorn tongboonto/iStock via Getty Images I have covered the Dorian LPG ( LPG ) before , where I outlined the investment thesis in detail and explained why I considered it an interesting buy. Since then, and despite increasing the dividend slower than expected initially, the stock has returned more than 80%. Despite the fact that the Iran conflict has sent VLGC rates ballistic and still conside...
teppakorn tongboonto/iStock via Getty Images I have covered the Dorian LPG ( LPG ) before , where I outlined the investment thesis in detail and explained why I considered it an interesting buy. Since then, and despite increasing the dividend slower than expected initially, the stock has returned more than 80%. Despite the fact that the Iran conflict has sent VLGC rates ballistic and still considering the company to be interesting, I’m downgrading it to hold. Background Dorian LPG is a liquefied petroleum gas shipping company with 22 owned eco very large gas carriers (VLGCs) and six chartered in. Investor presentation In March the company took delivery of its newbuild which was previously expected by Q3 2026 as commented in the previous article. This is a huge positive as current rates are really elevated and will already contribute in Q2 earnings. Fearnleys VLGC rates have been quite elevated during all the year, and the last few weeks have seen an important move higher as tonnage availability is limited. Fearnleys commented: The market continues to tighten, underpinned by a scarcity of available vessels from end May/early June onwards. Based on current BLPG 3 levels, modern conventionally fueled VLGCs are now generating round‑trip earnings of approximately USD 130,000 per day, marking the strongest market returns since the latter part of 2023. Owners and trader relets are increasingly testing higher ideas, with ideas shown up to USD 260 per tonne HC on Pmax ship. Given the absence of meaningful tonnage availability through at least 10 June, downside risk to freight remains limited. VLGC carriers may be the shipping segment most benefited from the Strait of Hormuz closure due to the combination of two factors. The US had plenty of idle export capacity paired with record inventories: Investor presentation Investor presentation This bodes well for the sector as US exports are more ton mile intensive than Middle Eastern exports, especially if ships take the cape of go...
Disclosure made at preliminary hearing for civil case in which four women accuse the influencer and his brother of rape Andrew Tate sought written assurances from prosecutors that he would not be arrested if he returned to the UK for a civil case in which he is accused of rape, a court has heard. Lawyers for the influencer and self-described misogynist, who has been charged with ten criminal offen...
Disclosure made at preliminary hearing for civil case in which four women accuse the influencer and his brother of rape Andrew Tate sought written assurances from prosecutors that he would not be arrested if he returned to the UK for a civil case in which he is accused of rape, a court has heard. Lawyers for the influencer and self-described misogynist, who has been charged with ten criminal offences and is under investigation by various forces, made the submission last year. Continue reading...
LewisTsePuiLung Texas Capital sees upside for Melco Resorts & Entertainment ( MLCO ) based on the unique corporate optionality setup. Analyst David Bain pointed to Melco's ( MLCO ) free cash flow and capital structure. He noted that the parent company could purchase Melco's ( MLCO ) float at a 56% premium to Friday’s closing price for about one turn of leverage. In addition, Bain said half of Melc...
LewisTsePuiLung Texas Capital sees upside for Melco Resorts & Entertainment ( MLCO ) based on the unique corporate optionality setup. Analyst David Bain pointed to Melco's ( MLCO ) free cash flow and capital structure. He noted that the parent company could purchase Melco's ( MLCO ) float at a 56% premium to Friday’s closing price for about one turn of leverage. In addition, Bain said half of Melco's ( MLCO ) go-forward net free cash flow could be used to create a ~9% dividend yield, with the other half going toward debt paydown. Another option would be for Melco ( MLCO ) to initiate an accelerated share repurchase program or aggressively repurchase shares under its $710M buyback authorization. "While we are not privy to any near-term event, we believe MLCO’s unique corporate optionality is not lost on management and should be acknowledged in valuation," wrote Bain. Texas Capital has a Buy rating on MLCO and a price target of $11.50. The PT reps more than 100% upside from the current trading level. Shares of Melco ( MLCO ) are down more than 27% on a year-to-date basis. More on Melco Resorts & Entertainment Melco Resorts: Q1 2026 Earnings Confirms Our Bullish Case Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (MLCO) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Macau gaming revenue rises 5.5% in April, still up double digits for the year Melco Resorts & Entertainment Q1 2026 Earnings Preview
Washington’s spending spree endangers the global status of the dollar as a reliable safe haven, according to Eurizon SLJ Capital ’s Stephen Jen. Continued US fiscal imprudence and a return to “quantitative easing could jeopardize the global standing of the US Treasuries and undermine the left side of the dollar smile,” the firm’s CEO Jen and economist and portfolio manager Joana Freire wrote in a ...
Washington’s spending spree endangers the global status of the dollar as a reliable safe haven, according to Eurizon SLJ Capital ’s Stephen Jen. Continued US fiscal imprudence and a return to “quantitative easing could jeopardize the global standing of the US Treasuries and undermine the left side of the dollar smile,” the firm’s CEO Jen and economist and portfolio manager Joana Freire wrote in a Tuesday note. Jen is known for the “ dollar smile ” theory that he put forward more than two decades ago. The framework suggests that the greenback strengthens when the US economy is either strong or in a deep slump. For now, the left side of the smile, when the dollar rallies amid risk-off episodes, “can still be counted on,” according to the strategists. “In response to the Iran War, the markets only had a brief period of risk-off, during which the dollar also had a mild rally,” they wrote. “The size of the rally in the dollar was modest only because the markets didn’t stay scared — fearful of a recession — for that long, and the Treasuries were pricing in a bigger inflation risk than a recession risk.” A gauge of the dollar rose in March to post its best month since July, after the US attack of Iran upended global energy markets. The greenback later walked back those gains as hopes rose on the end of the conflict after a ceasefire in early April. Read More: Dollar Wraps Worst Month Since June as Haven Trade Unwinds The Federal Reserve began purchasing large amounts of US Treasuries, mortgages and even some credit exchange-traded funds in 2020 to help lower market interest rates. That era of quantitative easing ended after March 2022, when the Fed began raising rates from near zero. The Trump administration’s expansionary budget has already cast doubts on whether the US can sustain such spending. The Supreme Court decision earlier this year to strike down sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump threatens the budget deficit further. Fitch Ratings warned l...
In this article SPY QQQ SNDK Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now VIDEO 1:35 01:35 Options traders flood Micron Options Action Options traders can't get enough of semiconductor stocks. No matter how high they go or how expensive the options get, bulls just keep flooding the space. After a 700% rally the past year, traders poured into Micron options Tuesday, paying expensive pr...
In this article SPY QQQ SNDK Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now VIDEO 1:35 01:35 Options traders flood Micron Options Action Options traders can't get enough of semiconductor stocks. No matter how high they go or how expensive the options get, bulls just keep flooding the space. After a 700% rally the past year, traders poured into Micron options Tuesday, paying expensive premiums to get access to further upside in the legacy memory-chip maker that became one of the market's hottest AI trades over the past year. More than $2.8 billion of Micron options premium changed hands Tuesday as of noon Chicago time, eclipsing the dollar-amount traded in index ETFs SPY and QQQ combined. Micron accounted for 12 of the top 20 options trades in the hour after the opening bell, according to data from SpotGamma — a major feat for a stock with no big newsflow and earnings months away. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Micron, YTD Call volumes outpace puts on the stock, and call premiums dwarf the amount paid for puts. More calls were bought than sold, and more puts sold than bought on Tuesday, according to ThinkOrSwim, as implied volatility in the stock rose to 84 — roughly five times the volatility in the S&P 500. Call-buyers ranged from deep in-the-money to out-of-the-money strikes, with the biggest trades leaning toward later-dated expiries that bet on a sustained move in Micron, whose market cap surpassed $700 billion. Conviction in Micron was mirrored by traders in related names such as SanDisk and Western Digital , where call-buying dominated the action as those respective stocks hit all-time highs. In another major market cap milestone, Intel on Tuesday surpassed its dotcom value, nearing a $550 billion valuation after a 13% pop that brings its one-year run to more than 430%. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Intel, YTD Once considered a laggard in today's AI revolution, the stock is now up 110% in the past 30 days, following bullish options positioning...
US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Pope Leo, potentially complicating a fence-mending visit that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make this week to the Vatican. In an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Trump said the first American-born pontiff is helping Iran and also making the world less safe with his comments about the importance of not treating imm...
US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Pope Leo, potentially complicating a fence-mending visit that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make this week to the Vatican. In an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Trump said the first American-born pontiff is helping Iran and also making the world less safe with his comments about the importance of not treating immigrants with disrespect. “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a...
Earnings Call Insights: New Jersey Resources Corporation (NJR) Q2 2026 Management view “NJR reported excellent second quarter results during one of the most demanding winter periods in recent years,” Stephen D. Westhoven (President, CEO & Director) said, highlighting that New Jersey Natural Gas “experienced the highest send-out days in its history,” while “Adelphia Gateway had multiple days of ope...
Earnings Call Insights: New Jersey Resources Corporation (NJR) Q2 2026 Management view “NJR reported excellent second quarter results during one of the most demanding winter periods in recent years,” Stephen D. Westhoven (President, CEO & Director) said, highlighting that New Jersey Natural Gas “experienced the highest send-out days in its history,” while “Adelphia Gateway had multiple days of operating at maximum capacity” and “Energy Services… delivered exceptional results.” Westhoven said the company’s winter planning emphasized affordability and reliability, noting NJNG went into winter “over 87% hedged” and that hedging and supply optimization helped avoid extreme commodity spikes; he also said NJNG generated “over $93 million in gross customer savings over the winter season” under the incentive program. Westhoven pointed to growth and expansion initiatives across segments, including that “Chester Township in Morris County… is now formally included in New Jersey Natural Gas’ regulated service territory,” and for Storage & Transportation that NJR “remain[s] on track to achieve or surpass” its expectation that segment net financial earnings “more than double over the next 2 years.” In Clean Energy Ventures (CEV), Westhoven said the business has brought “33 megawatts of new capacity… into service this year,” has a project pipeline “over 1.2 gigawatts,” and is “exploring… linear generators, fuel cells and batteries” to optimize existing sites and PJM interconnections. “Fiscal 2026 second quarter consolidated net financial earnings was $221.5 million or $2.20 per share,” Roberto Bel (Senior VP, CFO & Principal Financial Officer) said, adding it reflected “strong execution across the portfolio” and “continued outperformance at energy services,” which supported a second guidance increase this fiscal year. Outlook Bel said NJR raised fiscal 2026 NFEPS guidance “by an additional $0.20 to a higher range of $3.48 to $3.62 per share,” after having raised guidance “by $0.25...
jcamilobernal QatarEnergy has informed Edison that it will cancel two more liquefied natural gas shipments, prolonging force majeure conditions through early July, the Italian utility said Tuesday. The additional cancellations bring the total number of scrapped cargoes to 12 since the onset of the U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran. Edison, which is controlled by France’s EDF, said the latest cu...
jcamilobernal QatarEnergy has informed Edison that it will cancel two more liquefied natural gas shipments, prolonging force majeure conditions through early July, the Italian utility said Tuesday. The additional cancellations bring the total number of scrapped cargoes to 12 since the onset of the U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran. Edison, which is controlled by France’s EDF, said the latest cuts add to an already significant disruption in contracted deliveries. War disruptions hit supply Qatar’s LNG exports have been under pressure after Iranian strikes earlier this year knocked out roughly 17% of the country’s production capacity, according to prior comments from QatarEnergy leadership. The outage has raised concerns about supply flows to both Europe and Asia. Based on current information, Edison now anticipates receiving about one-third less gas than its contracted volumes from QatarEnergy, before factoring in any mitigation efforts. Managing the shortfall Edison holds a long-term agreement with QatarEnergy for 6.4 billion cubic meters of gas annually, representing about 10% of Italy’s total consumption. Despite the disruption, the company said it does not expect any impact on customers, citing replacement purchases and broader portfolio adjustments. So far, Edison has secured alternative supplies for eight of the cancelled cargoes, equivalent to roughly 1 billion cubic meters of gas. Strategic implications The supply uncertainty has also affected corporate strategy. EDF has delayed a decision on whether to sell a stake in Edison, as the conflict-related disruptions complicate the utility’s outlook, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. More on StSt SPDR MSCI Europe Energy UCITS ETF