JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images CME Group ( CME ) plans to launch Bitcoin Volatility futures on June 1, allowing investors to manage their market and portfolio positions by isolating volatility risks from price direction. "With our new Bitcoin volatility futures, traders will be able to invest or hedge against the future volatility of Bitcoin, allowing them to access a critical new lay...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images CME Group ( CME ) plans to launch Bitcoin Volatility futures on June 1, allowing investors to manage their market and portfolio positions by isolating volatility risks from price direction. "With our new Bitcoin volatility futures, traders will be able to invest or hedge against the future volatility of Bitcoin, allowing them to access a critical new layer of risk management," said Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products Giovanni Vicioso. The futures contracts will settle to the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index. Rather than tracking price, the index is derived from real-time CME Bitcoin options order books. "The launch of Bitcoin Volatility futures contracts by CME Group marks another major step forward in the maturation of Bitcoin as an asset suitable for investors of all stripes: from institutions to individuals," said Sui Chung, CEO of CF Benchmarks. More on CME CME Group Q1 Earnings Show Strength, But The Stock Still Looks Expensive CME Group Inc. (CME) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript CME Group Inc. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation CME plans tokenized cash go-live by end of 2026 while reiterating $1.695B expense outlook CME Group Q1 earnings, revenue growth fall short of consensus
Shares of Backblaze (NASDAQ: BLZE) skyrocketed on Thursday, following the cloud storage specialist's impressive Q1 2026 earnings report. The stock peaked at 9:45 a.m. ET and backed down significantly from that top spot, but it still showed a 65% gain at 3:15 p.m. ET. Image source: Getty Images. The average Wall Street analyst expected breakeven earnings on sales near $37.8 million. Instead, Backbl...
Shares of Backblaze (NASDAQ: BLZE) skyrocketed on Thursday, following the cloud storage specialist's impressive Q1 2026 earnings report. The stock peaked at 9:45 a.m. ET and backed down significantly from that top spot, but it still showed a 65% gain at 3:15 p.m. ET. Image source: Getty Images. The average Wall Street analyst expected breakeven earnings on sales near $37.8 million. Instead, Backblaze reported adjusted earnings of $0.04 per share (up from a $0.03 loss per share in the year-ago period) and top-line sales of $38.7 million. Continue reading
Earnings Call Insights: uniQure N.V. (QURE) Q1 2026 Management View "During the first quarter of 2026, uniQure remained focused on advancing AMT-130 to patients" and, following the January Type A meeting, "we acknowledge the agency's feedback" while planning a Type B FDA meeting "later this quarter" to discuss "our proposed statistical analysis plan for the 4-year data expected in the third quarte...
Earnings Call Insights: uniQure N.V. (QURE) Q1 2026 Management View "During the first quarter of 2026, uniQure remained focused on advancing AMT-130 to patients" and, following the January Type A meeting, "we acknowledge the agency's feedback" while planning a Type B FDA meeting "later this quarter" to discuss "our proposed statistical analysis plan for the 4-year data expected in the third quarter and key elements of a new clinical study" (CEO Matthew Kapusta). "Following a successful pre-submission meeting with the U.K. MHRA, we are preparing to submit a marketing authorization application in the third quarter based on the 3-year data" (CEO Kapusta). "For AMT-260 in refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, enrollment in our Phase I/IIa study is on track, and we expect to report data from the first cohort in the second quarter" (CEO Kapusta). "Regarding AMT-162 in SOD1-ALS, we announced our decision to discontinue development" (CEO Kapusta). "Revenue for the 3 months ended March 31, 2026, was $3.6 million" and "cash, cash equivalents and investment securities totaled $586.6 million"; uniQure "expect[s] that cash, cash equivalents and investment securities will be sufficient to fund operations into the second half of 2029" (CFO Christian Klemt). "We are encouraged by the path ahead in the U.K." and commercial prep is focused on "treatment center capacity and readiness," "ongoing patient engagement," and "market access readiness," including "proactive payer engagement" (Chief customer & strategy officer Kylie O'Keefe). Outlook "Key milestones include our Type B FDA meeting later in the second quarter, clinical update for AMT-260 in the second quarter, 4-year AMT-130 data analysis in the third quarter and the planned MAA submission for AMT-130 in the U.K. in the third quarter" (CEO Kapusta). "We plan to submit the marketing authorization application for AMT-130 in the third quarter of this year, supported by our 3-year clinical data analysis" (Chief medical officer D...
Olga Kostrova /iStock via Getty Images Since my first article about Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. ( IDR ) in February, the situation has changed as expected. Still, I find it hard to re-rate the company. My main thesis in February was based on two working engines. First was Golden Chest gold mine, which is actually already generating real cash flow and financing the whole story. They also have t...
Olga Kostrova /iStock via Getty Images Since my first article about Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. ( IDR ) in February, the situation has changed as expected. Still, I find it hard to re-rate the company. My main thesis in February was based on two working engines. First was Golden Chest gold mine, which is actually already generating real cash flow and financing the whole story. They also have the Lemhi Pass strategic mineral portfolio, which includes thorium and rare earth optionality, and to be fair, I put a lot of hope into this. However, still, it is just a ticket to a better future and cannot be really valued properly. Since then IDR has delivered what I was expecting from their first asset. 2025 had record results: revenue increased 64.6%, EPS reached $1.14, Golden Chest reserves increased 53.2%, and liquidity was around $73.3. The results were really great, and I believe they are pushing the company out of junior status. The company is a small cash flow positive gold producer with a strong balance. However, the main two catalysts that I expect to see are not proven yet. Murray Mill is under construction, and a real ramp-up from it will be most likely in 2027. Strategic mineral monetization is also just in a very early stage. New Niagara Cu-Ag rent adds another optionality layer, but for now I do not think it changed the main value. The share price since my article did not really move anywhere either, so the same valuation I had made in the previous article stands. Fundamentals did strengthen, though, but I believe the stock is already pricing this in. Golden Chest Mine Golden Chest looks a bit stronger now, especially since my first article. The 2025 results showed that this asset can operate as a real mine. In a year the company produced 12538 ounces of gold, which is 5.2% higher than a year before. Average ore was 10.14 g/t, recovering around 93%, and overall 41840 tons were refined. Given that this mine has very narrow veins, these numbers look very soli...
Nearly a month after President Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran, tensions are heating up in the region again. The United Arab Emirates said it was facing an attack from Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday, one day after the two sides exchanged fire as the U.S. attempted to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. said it had destroyed six Iranian small boats, but nonetheless said that the cea...
Nearly a month after President Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran, tensions are heating up in the region again. The United Arab Emirates said it was facing an attack from Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday, one day after the two sides exchanged fire as the U.S. attempted to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. said it had destroyed six Iranian small boats, but nonetheless said that the ceasefire was holding. A barrel of Brent Crude oil jumped 6%, but gave back some of those gains today, hovering around $110, as the U.S. defended the ceasefire, signaling that it doesn't intend to reignite the war and is still looking to "make a deal." Continue reading
Earnings Call Insights: Metallus (MTUS) Q1 2026 Management view “Demand continues to improve across our end markets, and our order book grew year-over-year, supported by overall industrial and defense demand, decreasing distribution inventory levels and onshoring,” said CEO Michael Williams. Williams said the April 2026 Section 232 tariff update “do not affect our products, which are classified as...
Earnings Call Insights: Metallus (MTUS) Q1 2026 Management view “Demand continues to improve across our end markets, and our order book grew year-over-year, supported by overall industrial and defense demand, decreasing distribution inventory levels and onshoring,” said CEO Michael Williams. Williams said the April 2026 Section 232 tariff update “do not affect our products, which are classified as primary steel,” and added, “the 50% tariff on imported primary steel, including all long bar and tube products remains in place.” On capacity and execution, Williams said the company “achieved critical milestones during the quarter, highlighted by the safe and successful reheating and rolling of the first blooms from our new bloom reheat furnace,” and noted the bloom reheat furnace “has recently demonstrated a run rate of approximately 150 tons per hour compared with approximately 100 tons per hour using our legacy assets.” He added, “We expect the bloom reheat furnace to be fully operational in early to mid-third quarter and the roller furnace to be fully operational in late third quarter.” Williams highlighted market and program developments, including, “we were recently awarded an exciting contract with a new entrant in the defense supply chain to begin producing tubing for new rocket motors related to advanced weapon systems,” and reiterated “our near-term $250 million run rate revenue expectation” for aerospace and defense. “First quarter net sales totaled $308.3 million,” CFO John Zaranec said, adding, “Net income was $5.4 million in the first quarter or $0.13 per diluted share,” and “Adjusted EBITDA was $24.6 million in the first quarter.” Outlook Zaranec guided that “second quarter shipments are sequentially expected to increase modestly in the low single digits on a percentage basis,” and said “the company expects second quarter 2026 adjusted EBITDA to be modestly higher sequentially and year-over-year.” On pricing, Zaranec said, “In bar, we implemented 2 actions ...
Earnings Call Insights: HealthStream (HSTM) Q1 2026 Management view "We have a lot to go over, starting with the strong financial growth we delivered in the quarter, which included record-setting revenues of $81.2 million" (CEO Robert Frist), and "record-setting adjusted EBITDA" of "$20.1 million" (CEO Frist), alongside "Operating income" of "$7.5 million" (CFO Scott Roberts) and "Net income" of "...
Earnings Call Insights: HealthStream (HSTM) Q1 2026 Management view "We have a lot to go over, starting with the strong financial growth we delivered in the quarter, which included record-setting revenues of $81.2 million" (CEO Robert Frist), and "record-setting adjusted EBITDA" of "$20.1 million" (CEO Frist), alongside "Operating income" of "$7.5 million" (CFO Scott Roberts) and "Net income" of "$5.9 million" (CFO Roberts). "The strong performance of Q1 is allowing us to increase investment beyond our original plan" (CEO Robert Frist), including "growth initiatives related to our current products, new products on the horizon and accelerated use of AI" (CEO Frist), while "Adoption is broadening across teams" and "we are encouraged by the early productivity and quality benefits we are already seeing" (CEO Frist). "We're reaffirming our 2026 full year guidance" (CEO Robert Frist) and "continue to anticipate revenue between $323 million to $330 million, net income between $20.4 million and $22.8 million and adjusted EBITDA between $73 million and $77 million" (CEO Frist). "Together, these 2 acquisitions contributed $3.4 million in revenue in the first quarter" (CFO Scott Roberts), and "both post-acquisition integrations are progressing well" (CFO Roberts), with "Virsys12" described as "extending our reach into payer credentialing" and "myCNAjobs" as "building momentum" (CFO Roberts). "We saw strong momentum" in Competency Suite with "a 17.3% increase in revenues" (CEO Robert Frist), while CredentialStream delivered "up approximately 19%" (CEO Frist) and ShiftWizard was "up approximately 29%" (CEO Frist); CFO Scott Roberts added that "CredentialStream" grew "by 19%; ShiftWizard" grew "by 29% and Competency Suite" grew "by 17%." "I'm pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Collier" (CEO Robert Frist) "to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President" (CEO Frist), and "He will also serve as executive sponsor of the company's AI transformation" (CEO Frist). Out...
Earnings Call Insights: Transocean Ltd. (RIG) Q1 2026 Management View "Operational performance was very strong with an uptime of 98%. Adjusted EBITDA was $440 million, implying a solid margin of over 40%. Our average daily revenue in the period was $476,000, the highest in over a decade." (President, CEO & Director Keelan Adamson) "Since our February call, we have announced approximately $1.6 bill...
Earnings Call Insights: Transocean Ltd. (RIG) Q1 2026 Management View "Operational performance was very strong with an uptime of 98%. Adjusted EBITDA was $440 million, implying a solid margin of over 40%. Our average daily revenue in the period was $476,000, the highest in over a decade." (President, CEO & Director Keelan Adamson) "Since our February call, we have announced approximately $1.6 billion of backlog... increasing our backlog to over $7 billion" including a "3-year contract on the Transocean Barents with Var Energi in Norway at a rate of $450,000 per day" plus Petrobras extensions and an Eastern Med award. (President, CEO & Director Adamson) "As previously disclosed, we retired the balance of the Deepwater Titan notes, reducing debt by $358 million... consistent with our commitment to delever." (President, CEO & Director Adamson) "As of yesterday, we received a second request for additional information from the U.S. Department of Justice as a continuation of their antitrust review... we remain confident... and that we are on track to close the transaction in the second half of 2026." (President, CEO & Director Adamson) "Our performance during the first 3 months of the year exceeded our forecast and the guidance range we provided to you in February" and "contract drilling revenues of $1.08 billion reflected outstanding operations in the quarter." (Executive VP & CFO R. Vayda) Outlook "The upper end of our full year revenue range has been reduced by $50 million to $3.9 billion" and management cited "a somewhat lower probability of filling certain gaps in our 2026 contract schedule." (Executive VP & CFO Vayda) "We have increased our capital expenditure expectations for the year by $20 million" and "approximately half of this increase is related to environmental upgrades to exhaust systems on a rig operating in Norway" with the company expecting to "substantially recover the cost of this upgrade by the end of the year through specific contract provisions." (E...
Earnings Call Insights: Surgery Partners (SGRY) Q1 2026 Management View “First quarter performance broadly in line with our internal expectations, reflecting improved stability across the portfolio and initial signs of recovery in areas that were pressured towards the end of 2025.” (CEO & Director J. Evans) “During the quarter, we delivered approximately $811 million of net revenue, same-facility ...
Earnings Call Insights: Surgery Partners (SGRY) Q1 2026 Management View “First quarter performance broadly in line with our internal expectations, reflecting improved stability across the portfolio and initial signs of recovery in areas that were pressured towards the end of 2025.” (CEO & Director J. Evans) “During the quarter, we delivered approximately $811 million of net revenue, same-facility revenue growth of 4.4% and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $102 million.” (CEO & Director Evans) “Same-facility case growth of 0.6% in the first quarter was modest and below our long-term growth algorithm driven by primarily temporary weather-related disruptions early in the quarter.” (CEO & Director Evans) “We continue to see favorable trends in our musculoskeletal service line with total joints performed in our ASCs growing 14.6% year-over-year.” (CEO & Director Evans) “Our portfolio consists of 73 surgical robots.” (CEO & Director Evans) “During the quarter, we recruited approximately 140 physicians with a strong concentration in orthopedics, ophthalmology, GI and other priority specialties.” (CEO & Director Evans) “During the first quarter, we opened one de novo, bringing our total openings to 9 over the trailing 12 months.” (CEO & Director Evans) “Our adjusted EBITDA margin was 12.6%, in line with our expectations for the seasonally lower margin first quarter.” (CEO & Director Evans) “We are in advanced discussions on one key opportunity in a larger surgical hospital market and are working through customary diligence and transaction considerations... we continue to target an announcement in mid-2026.” (CEO & Director Evans) “We deployed approximately $4 million on acquisitions... we did not repurchase shares during the quarter.” (Executive VP & CFO David Doherty) Outlook “We are reiterating our full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $3.35 billion to $3.45 billion and adjusted EBITDA guidance of at least $530 million.” (Executive VP & CFO Doherty) “For the second quarter, ...
A spate of AI-tinged job cuts at crypto and payments companies has brought up a curious question for analysts and investors: how does one assess whether the artificial intelligence part is real? The debate started in February after Block Inc. , the owner of Square and Cash App, announced it would cut a whopping 50% of staff, citing a secular change in how AI affects its operations. Gemini Space St...
A spate of AI-tinged job cuts at crypto and payments companies has brought up a curious question for analysts and investors: how does one assess whether the artificial intelligence part is real? The debate started in February after Block Inc. , the owner of Square and Cash App, announced it would cut a whopping 50% of staff, citing a secular change in how AI affects its operations. Gemini Space Station Inc. and Crypto.com made similar announcements , followed by Coinbase Global Inc. and PayPal Holdings Inc. this week. “The biggest risk now is not taking action,” Coinbase Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong posted online Tuesday. “We are adjusting early and deliberately to rebuild Coinbase to be lean, fast, and AI-native.” However, just like Block’s Jack Dorsey faced near-immediate accusations of “AI washing” — trendy term that suggests forward-thinking and hide more serious business issues — industry observers were wondering how anyone can tell what’s really going on inside these firms. Bitcoin is down about one-third since hitting a peak in October, crypto trading volumes are low and the payments industry is more competitive than ever, making it harder to earn. Companies also have their own idiosyncratic issues that a sweeping job cut announcement might help paper over. Block, for instance, went on a hiring frenzy during boom times, while PayPal has a new CEO orchestrating a turnaround . On the other hand, AI has truly been transforming the way the corporate world works, so it’s not unreasonable to believe the technology could make a big chunk of a company’s staff irrelevant overnight, especially if it had bloated staff levels in the first place. “It’s probably an 80/20 split across the industry right now between real AI efficiency gains versus trimming down from the last bull run,” said Raman Shalupau, founder of CryptoJobsList, which recently conducted a study on the topic. Shalupau’s team found that not only is AI replacing workers, but remaining workers mus...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Oil futures moved lower after U.S. officials indicated that recent Iranian strikes had not derailed a fragile cease-fire, even as American forces continue operations to support commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said some early volatility was expected but maintained that the truce remains intact. Crude prices declin...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Oil futures moved lower after U.S. officials indicated that recent Iranian strikes had not derailed a fragile cease-fire, even as American forces continue operations to support commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said some early volatility was expected but maintained that the truce remains intact. Crude prices declined on expectations that tanker traffic could begin to normalize, though analysts cautioned that the broader risk environment has not materially improved. Phil Flynn of Price Futures Group said the U.S. effort to stabilize maritime transit has lifted sentiment somewhat, but uncertainty persists in the absence of a comprehensive agreement between Washington and Tehran. He noted that recent attacks continue to underpin elevated risk premiums across energy markets, The Wall Street Journal reported. West Texas Intermediate crude ( CL1:COM ) settled 3.9% lower at $102.27 a barrel, while Brent crude ( CO1:COM ) fell 4% to $109.87. More on Brent Futures, Crude Oil Futures, etc. SPX Realized Skew Inverts As Traders Focus On Right Tail Commodities: Middle East Re-Escalation Pushes Oil Prices Higher Oil Spikes Rhyme Through Time Ken Griffin warns prolonged Hormuz closure will spark global recession U.S. gasoline stocks slide toward record lows as imports dry up: Morgan Stanley
Key PointsNBZ Investment Advisors increased its First Eagle Global Equity ETF (FEGE) stake by 78,360 shares in Q1 2026, with an estimated trade value of $3.8 million.
Key PointsNBZ Investment Advisors increased its First Eagle Global Equity ETF (FEGE) stake by 78,360 shares in Q1 2026, with an estimated trade value of $3.8 million.
From DOJ To Ballot Box: The Rise Of Lawfare Candidates Authored by Julie Kelly via RealClearInvestigations , One of the beneficiaries of Virginia’s aggressive attempt to gerrymander the state for Democratic advantage could be a former federal prosecutor whose campaign for Congress hinges on his efforts to use the law to target President Trump and his supporters. When a slim majority of Virginia vo...
From DOJ To Ballot Box: The Rise Of Lawfare Candidates Authored by Julie Kelly via RealClearInvestigations , One of the beneficiaries of Virginia’s aggressive attempt to gerrymander the state for Democratic advantage could be a former federal prosecutor whose campaign for Congress hinges on his efforts to use the law to target President Trump and his supporters. When a slim majority of Virginia voters gave the legislature authority last month to create congressional districts that could give Democrats a 10-1 advantage, J.P. Cooney cheered the outcome in a message on social media , boasting that the new district he was running in had been drawn “expressly for the purpose of standing up to Donald Trump’s and MAGA’s corruption.” Although the fate of Virginia’s 7th Congressional District remains unclear – a state judge immediately blocked the measure, and the issue is expected to end up before the Supreme Court – Cooney’s candidacy represents a small but growing wave of former prosecutors who are running on their anti-Trump bona fides. So far, at least two other former Justice Department officials are seeking office by touting their work against the president, his supporters, and his current administration. All are running as Democrats. J.P. Cooney is hoping to ride the anti-Trump credentials he accrued as a federal prosecutor to Congress. LinkedIn To their supporters, these candidates represent a principled stand against what they see as the lawless excesses of the Trump administration. To many Republicans, the entry of supposedly neutral federal prosecutors into the brass knuckle world of politics confirms their suspicions that the DOJ is filled with partisans who used their power to target the president and the MAGA movement in general. Ryan Crosswell, who is running for Congress as a Democrat in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, resigned from his position as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York last year, after the Justice Departm...