With GOP Help, House Dems Force Vote To Give Another $1.3 Billion To Ukraine In a rebellion defying the priorities of Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democrats have teamed up with two Republicans and an independent in a parliamentary maneuver that will force a vote on a bill that would give another $1.3 billion in military aid and other assistance to Ukraine , as that country continues to lose territo...
With GOP Help, House Dems Force Vote To Give Another $1.3 Billion To Ukraine In a rebellion defying the priorities of Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democrats have teamed up with two Republicans and an independent in a parliamentary maneuver that will force a vote on a bill that would give another $1.3 billion in military aid and other assistance to Ukraine , as that country continues to lose territory in its war with Russia. "We look forward to seeing the House pass this bill quickly and encourage the Senate to take it up without delay. The brave men and women of Ukraine are waiting," said NY Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the author of the bill. A view, by Zelensky’s former press secretary whose interview went out on Tucker Carlson show last night. https://t.co/kkKP5HxnCQ — Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) May 12, 2026 All 215 House Democrats signed a discharge petition, a means by which representatives can bypass House leadership's agenda-setting role and compel a vote on a bill. Seldom used over House history, discharge petitions are showing their potency in a House ruled by a narrow majority, as is the case today. Most famously, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna used the maneuver last year to compel a vote on forcing the release of the Epstein investigation files. For this Ukraine bill, the Democrats were joined by two Republicans -- Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon -- along with California independent Kevin Kiley, who earlier this year left the GOP. Kiley's signature on the petition pushed to the required 218. "Recent Ukrainian gains have created an opportunity for peace, but the collapse of the recent ceasefire shows that leverage is needed for diplomacy to succeed," he said in a statement. That will force Johnson to bring a vote to the floor on the Ukraine Support Act, which has three major thrusts: Reaffirming US support for both Ukraine and NATO, and enact...
The new government in Budapest has already made an impact in Brussels. At home, the new prime minister is so far doing and saying the right things The transformative impact of Péter Magyar’s historic election victory over Viktor Orbán is already being felt in Brussels. On Monday, two days after Mr Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, his new pro-EU government lifted the veto which ...
The new government in Budapest has already made an impact in Brussels. At home, the new prime minister is so far doing and saying the right things The transformative impact of Péter Magyar’s historic election victory over Viktor Orbán is already being felt in Brussels. On Monday, two days after Mr Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, his new pro-EU government lifted the veto which for over a year has prevented the EU imposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers. This followed a similar breakthrough on a long-delayed £78bn loan to Ukraine, which Mr Orbán had also blocked. At a critical geopolitical moment, the end of an era in Budapest is freeing the EU to act in defence of its interests and values. Mr Magyar, who inherits a struggling economy stifled by years of cronyism and corruption, will hope and expect that the benefits of rapprochement cut both ways. In total, around £17bn of EU development funds to Hungary remain off-limits, following Mr Orbán’s refusal to address multiple transgressions of EU law. Agreement on the disbursement of around £10bn needs to be reached by the end of August. Continue reading...
Just_Super/iStock via Getty Images Investment Overview The stock of Sagimet Biosciences Inc. ( SGMT ) is up >30% on a one-month basis and >135% on a one-year basis, trading at ~$7.3 per share, which implies a market cap valuation of ~$450m. Shares remain down >50% since the San Mateo, California-based biotech completed its IPO in July 2023, however, raising ~$85m at $16 per share. The story here r...
Just_Super/iStock via Getty Images Investment Overview The stock of Sagimet Biosciences Inc. ( SGMT ) is up >30% on a one-month basis and >135% on a one-year basis, trading at ~$7.3 per share, which implies a market cap valuation of ~$450m. Shares remain down >50% since the San Mateo, California-based biotech completed its IPO in July 2023, however, raising ~$85m at $16 per share. The story here revolves mainly around lead drug candidate denifanstat, which the company describes as "a novel fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor with a differentiated method of action with the potential to target multiple underserved diseases." The drug is in development for the treatment of acne, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and select forms of cancer. MASH Promise Reignited By Partnership With Rival? In its 2025 annual report/ 10-K filing , Sagimet notes: The critical role of FASN overactivity in MASH makes it an attractive target for drug therapy. Our FASN inhibitor, denifanstat, targets multiple drivers of MASH by reducing steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Denifanstat met all primary and multiple secondary endpoints in the Phase 2b FASCINATE-2 clinical trial evaluating denifanstat in 168 biopsy-confirmed MASH patients with stage F2 or F3 fibrosis compared to placebo at week 52. We announced topline results in January 2024 and published the trial results in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology in October 2024. Denifanstat also demonstrated anti-fibrotic activity, including in patients with advanced fibrosis, as seen in the F3 modified intention to treat ("MITT") population and qF4 patients (qF4 patients are artificial intelligence ("AI")-defined F4, based on the second harmonic generation (SGH) HistoIndex platform, which may encompass late stage F3 as well as F4 patients): We may therefore ask the question, why is there no Phase 3 study ongoing based on such a promising readout? Meanwhile, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals' ( MDGL ) Rezdiffra (resmetirom) w...
Shares of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) were sharply higher on Thursday, climbing as much as 4.7% to a new all-time high. As of 2:12 p.m. ET, the stock was still up 3.8%. There was a tidal wave of positive news that sent the artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker higher, all of which bodes well for Nvidia's future. Image source: The Motley Fool. Continue reading
Shares of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) were sharply higher on Thursday, climbing as much as 4.7% to a new all-time high. As of 2:12 p.m. ET, the stock was still up 3.8%. There was a tidal wave of positive news that sent the artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker higher, all of which bodes well for Nvidia's future. Image source: The Motley Fool. Continue reading
Iryna Olkhova/iStock via Getty Images Despite the increase in macro uncertainty stemming from events in the Middle East, the outlook for small regional bank First Hawaiian ( FHB ) hasn't necessarily gotten worse in recent months. In fact, it may even have improved a touch, as renewed concerns around inflation have significantly reduced the likelihood of interest rate cuts. Given its asset-sensitiv...
Iryna Olkhova/iStock via Getty Images Despite the increase in macro uncertainty stemming from events in the Middle East, the outlook for small regional bank First Hawaiian ( FHB ) hasn't necessarily gotten worse in recent months. In fact, it may even have improved a touch, as renewed concerns around inflation have significantly reduced the likelihood of interest rate cuts. Given its asset-sensitive balance sheet and dependence on net interest income, that should be good for revenue. I last covered First Hawaiian in December. Having previously been dented by the unrealized losses in its securities portfolio, I liked the fact that its capital levels were approaching their historical levels, as this had supported a return to meaningful share buybacks. Given a then valuation of less than 12x earnings, investors were basically looking at a high single-digit shareholder yield. Low single-digit organic growth would be enough to lift that to a double-digit total return. I know that's not the most explosive investment case, but the trade-off is that First Hawaiian is among the least risky banks I cover. Accordingly, I rated shares "Buy." With fresh financials and important macro developments to digest, now is a good time to see if that rating remains appropriate. I remain bullish. NIM Outlook Improves Looking back, while I liked its overall case, I wasn't all that thrilled with FHB's near-term prospects when I last wrote on it. The bank's balance sheet is asset sensitive, meaning that its assets, like loans, reprice faster to interest rate changes than its liabilities, like deposits. Accordingly, rate hikes are typically a tailwind to revenue, while cuts, which seemed likely a few months ago, are a headwind. To put a hard number on it, the bank's latest sensitivity modeling had net interest income declining by 2% following a 50bps downward shift across the yield curve. Source: First Hawaiian Q1 2026 10-Q Of course, the outlook for interest rates has changed since my last pie...
Oura CEO Tom Hale discusses the disruptive impact of AI-enabled health prediction - from short-term to long-term health outcomes - and how to get the scientific community on board. He also weighs in on how Apple and Oura users overlap. Live from the sidelines of the Spark Summit in California, he joins Caroline Hyde on "Bloomberg Tech." (Source: Bloomberg)
Oura CEO Tom Hale discusses the disruptive impact of AI-enabled health prediction - from short-term to long-term health outcomes - and how to get the scientific community on board. He also weighs in on how Apple and Oura users overlap. Live from the sidelines of the Spark Summit in California, he joins Caroline Hyde on "Bloomberg Tech." (Source: Bloomberg)
Wall Street is warming back up to Starbucks . Starbucks popped nearly 2% on Thursday after TD Cowen upgraded the stock to buy from hold, arguing the coffee giant's closely watched turnaround is moving ahead of schedule. The firm also raised its price target to $120 from $106, citing stronger same-store sales, easing cost pressures, and a clearer path to earnings growth. In a note to clients, the a...
Wall Street is warming back up to Starbucks . Starbucks popped nearly 2% on Thursday after TD Cowen upgraded the stock to buy from hold, arguing the coffee giant's closely watched turnaround is moving ahead of schedule. The firm also raised its price target to $120 from $106, citing stronger same-store sales, easing cost pressures, and a clearer path to earnings growth. In a note to clients, the analysts wrote that they "gained a greater appreciation that Starbucks is in the early innings of the North America revitalization," after a visit with CEO Brian Niccol and CFO Cathy Smith. Translation: much more to come. Indeed, following that meeting, TD Cowen raised its same-store sales forecast for 2026 through 2028 in North America to 6.1%, 5%, and 4%, up from 5.5%, 3.5%, and 3.5%, respectively. All estimates are above the Wall Street consensus figures. The analysts also increased their earnings per share estimate by about 9% to $3.94 by fiscal 2028 (ending in September 2028), up from their previous forecast of $3.52 and above the consensus $3.65. Cost cuts will support EPS growth, the firm said, as management aims for $800 million in cumulative savings by 2027. Other levers include "a high frequency pace" of menu innovation, "optimal channel of marketing," and growing the membership and frequency of its loyalty program. Under Niccol, who became CEO in September of 2024, Starbucks has been implementing "a lot of common-sense things they probably should have done a long time ago to fix the business," said Jeff Marks, director of portfolio analysis, during the Morning Meeting for Investing Club members on Thursday. "Starbucks is not done," Jim Cramer said Thursday during the meeting, adding that the stock "could trade much higher." We have a $115 price target on the stock and keep our rating at 2 , which means we'll wait for a pullback before buying more. To be sure, execution remains critical, and Starbucks still has work to do to prove that margin recovery can happen co...
With a confidential S-1 filing already submitted, SpaceX stands on the cusp of one of the most anticipated initial public offerings in history. At a targeted valuation between $1.75 trillion and $2 trillion -- up sharply from recent private tenders around $800 billion -- SpaceX aims to raise around $75 billion. This would shatter records for the largest IPO ever, eclipsing Saudi Aramco's 2019 debu...
With a confidential S-1 filing already submitted, SpaceX stands on the cusp of one of the most anticipated initial public offerings in history. At a targeted valuation between $1.75 trillion and $2 trillion -- up sharply from recent private tenders around $800 billion -- SpaceX aims to raise around $75 billion. This would shatter records for the largest IPO ever, eclipsing Saudi Aramco's 2019 debut. For some, the significance of the SpaceX IPO goes beyond size. A public SpaceX unlocks liquidity for early backers, signals the maturation of commercial space exploration, and injects fresh capital into ambitious projects like Starship interplanetary travel and expanded Starlink constellations. Most importantly, it also highlights how the space economy is converging with artificial intelligence (AI), creating ripple effects for key technology partners. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) are uniquely positioned to benefit, leveraging both hardware innovation and strategic equity stakes to ride the wave of orbital expansion. Continue reading
Guido Mieth/DigitalVision via Getty Images We continue to emphasize companies with durable growth profiles, strong competitive positioning and management teams capable of navigating uncertain environments. Fund strategy An intrinsic value approach to growth investing Employs a consistent and disciplined process to identify small- and mid-cap companies that possess economic value-creation potential...
Guido Mieth/DigitalVision via Getty Images We continue to emphasize companies with durable growth profiles, strong competitive positioning and management teams capable of navigating uncertain environments. Fund strategy An intrinsic value approach to growth investing Employs a consistent and disciplined process to identify small- and mid-cap companies that possess economic value-creation potential not yet appreciated by the market Seeks attractively valued companies that have strong management, positive and innovative cultures and operate within favorable market structures in growing sectors Supported by an experienced analyst team, specialized by sector or industry, that follows an intensive bottom-up approach to stock selection Expense ratio Share class No waiver(gross) With waiver(net) Institutional 0.85% 0.82% A 1.10% 1.07% Click to enlarge From the fund's most recent prospectus. Net expense ratio reflects a contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement through 04/30/2027, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the fund's board. Fund performance Institutional Class shares of Columbia Acorn Fund returned -4.65% during the first quarter ending March 31, 2026. The fund's benchmark, the Russell 2500 Growth Index, returned -3.52% for the same period. For monthly performance information, please check online at Financial Professionals | Columbia Threadneedle Investments US . Overview and performance drivers The first quarter of 2026 proved challenging for stocks, with the Russell 2500 Growth Index declining 3.52% as markets contended with persistent inflation concerns, hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve commentary and escalating military conflict involving Iran. The combination of geopolitical instability and concerns about slowing economic momentum pressured risk assets and valuation multiples, contributing to heightened market volatility. Equity performance was negative across most sectors, with particular weakness in information technology, health care, financi...
On 5/15/26, PG&E Corp's 6.000% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock (Symbol: PCG.PRX) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.75, payable on 6/1/26. As a percentage of PCG.PRX's recent share price of $41.90, this dividend works out to approximatel
On 5/15/26, PG&E Corp's 6.000% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock (Symbol: PCG.PRX) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.75, payable on 6/1/26. As a percentage of PCG.PRX's recent share price of $41.90, this dividend works out to approximatel
At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 63 most recent 13F filings for the 03/31/2026 reporting period, and noticed that Capital One Financial Corp (Symbol: COF) was held by 21 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike, we find it
At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 63 most recent 13F filings for the 03/31/2026 reporting period, and noticed that Capital One Financial Corp (Symbol: COF) was held by 21 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike, we find it
On 5/15/26, KKR & CO Inc's 6.25% Series D Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock (Symbol: KKR.PRD) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.7812, payable on 6/1/26. As a percentage of KKR.PRD's recent share price of $43.42, this dividend works out to approxim
On 5/15/26, KKR & CO Inc's 6.25% Series D Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock (Symbol: KKR.PRD) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.7812, payable on 6/1/26. As a percentage of KKR.PRD's recent share price of $43.42, this dividend works out to approxim