SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images As the song goes, "War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." ( Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield , 1970). That seems to be what the equity and bond markets are saying, in a week when both were down. You might be thinking, "If this decline was a reaction to our war with Iran, then why were gold and silver down and not up?" I wish I had a good answer to th...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images As the song goes, "War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." ( Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield , 1970). That seems to be what the equity and bond markets are saying, in a week when both were down. You might be thinking, "If this decline was a reaction to our war with Iran, then why were gold and silver down and not up?" I wish I had a good answer to that, but I don't. What I can do, however, is examine the market action layer by layer and group by group. That will provide some clarity, if not a full answer. My key takeaway from last week is that the bull market is still intact, but each passing week seems to get weaker and weaker. S&P 500 Last 4 Weeks The chart below shows how weak the market has been over the past 4 weeks. If the missile strikes in the Middle East weren't enough to send investors scattering, the bombshell employment report on Friday surely was. A loss of 92,000 jobs in February got everyone's attention. author compilation Zoom Out to 12 Months The two red bars on the right side of this chart highlight the market weakness we've experienced since the end of January. It's too early to call this a durable trend, but it is a little unsettling to look at. We humans are always looking for patterns, and this chart offers something for everyone. Is the pattern in the green bars in the middle or in the red bars at either end? You can decide for yourself. author compilation S&P 500 Drawdowns This chart offers yet another view of the market. I like this chart because it highlights the 'buy the dip' behavior of investors ever since we hit the most recent bottom last April. Some might interpret this as a bullish pattern, with a solid bid just below the ATH. It's obvious that the bid is there, but is that bullishness or complacency? We have gone 10 months without so much as a 5% pullback. One day that streak will end. author compilation A Look at the Bull Run Since 2022 This chart shows the S&P 500's 88% run since the...
Hiroshi Watanabe/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction International stocks tracked by the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex US Index Fund ETF ( VEU ) have modestly outperformed the S&P 500 so far in 2026, benefiting from cheaper valuations relative to the leading U.S. benchmark. With energy prices surging and an eventual normalization likely to take months, if not years, economic growth outlooks a...
Hiroshi Watanabe/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction International stocks tracked by the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex US Index Fund ETF ( VEU ) have modestly outperformed the S&P 500 so far in 2026, benefiting from cheaper valuations relative to the leading U.S. benchmark. With energy prices surging and an eventual normalization likely to take months, if not years, economic growth outlooks around the world will likely be slashed, while inflation is set to creep back up. In essence, I believe 2026 will see a return of stagflation, a period more reminiscent of the 1970s when oil prices jumped following the OPEC oil embargo. The good news is that newer technologies such as renewable energy, electric cars, and the ability to do business online will blunt the impact of higher energy costs. As such, I think the economy-wide impact from a surge in fossil fuel prices is likely to be more limited, allowing for an eventual recovery to start in H2 2026 and into 2027. I believe VEU offers an attractive way for investors to benefit from this recovery, ranking it a Buy. My bullish outlook is underpinned by: A total return outlook of about 8.76%, with a third of gains coming in the form of dividends, achieved with a conservative 0.51x payout ratio. Modest Middle East exposure of only 2.7%, indicating a limited impact on earnings even if the war in Iran lasts longer than expected. A very low 0.04% expense ratio, making VEU an ideal pick for long-term buy-and-hold passive investors. Limited Middle East Exposure With war raging in Iran and missiles and drones flying across the Middle East, more conservative investors will be relieved to see that VEU's largest exposure is to Europe, emerging markets, and the Pacific. Exposure to the Middle East is quite modest, at about 2.7%. 0.8% of that is to Israel, with Israel-focused ETFs such as the VanEck Israel ETF ( ISRA ) doing quite well in 2026, as hopes of a long-term decline in geopolitical tensions outweigh a near-term hit to econ...
Foreign Minister Wang Yi faced global media on Sunday morning to outline Beijing’s positions on key issues, ranging from the expanding crisis in Iran to China’s deepening dispute with Japan. The annual briefing, held as part of the annual “two sessions” , came as China sought to project its leadership and influence amid mounting global instability and manage its strategic rivalry with the US. This...
Foreign Minister Wang Yi faced global media on Sunday morning to outline Beijing’s positions on key issues, ranging from the expanding crisis in Iran to China’s deepening dispute with Japan. The annual briefing, held as part of the annual “two sessions” , came as China sought to project its leadership and influence amid mounting global instability and manage its strategic rivalry with the US. This year, the top Chinese diplomat fielded 21 questions in a briefing that lasted nearly 90 minutes. Advertisement Here are some key takeaways. ‘Big year’ for US-China relations Wang offered a rather positive outlook for US-China relations , just weeks before US President Donald Trump is expected to make a landmark visit to China. Advertisement He said Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping had brought the bilateral relationship “back to an even keel after ups and downs”. Wang added that this year would be a “big year” for ties with high-level exchanges on the agenda.
Fintel reports that on March 6, 2026, JP Morgan initiated coverage of Customers Bancorp, Inc. - Corporate Bond (NYSE:CUBB) with a Overweight recommendation. Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 32.39% Upside As of February 25, 2026, the average one-year price target for Customers Bancorp, Inc. - Corporate Bond is $30.72/share. The forecasts range from a low of $23.83 to a high of $36.29. The average pr...
Fintel reports that on March 6, 2026, JP Morgan initiated coverage of Customers Bancorp, Inc. - Corporate Bond (NYSE:CUBB) with a Overweight recommendation. Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 32.39% Upside As of February 25, 2026, the average one-year price target for Customers Bancorp, Inc. - Corporate Bond is $30.72/share. The forecasts range from a low of $23.83 to a high of $36.29. The average price target represents an increase of 32.39% from its latest reported closing price of $23.20 / share. See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside. The projected annual revenue for Customers Bancorp, Inc. - Corporate Bond is 902MM, an increase of 25.24%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 6.29. What is the Fund Sentiment? There are 2 funds or institutions reporting positions in Customers Bancorp, Inc. - Corporate Bond. This is unchanged over the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to CUBB is 0.35%, an increase of 13.02%. Total shares owned by institutions decreased in the last three months by 0.00% to 89K shares. What are Other Shareholders Doing? TUNAX - Transamerica Unconstrained Bond A holds 49K shares. No change in the last quarter. Iat Reinsurance Co holds 40K shares. No change in the last quarter. Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds. Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits. Click to Learn More This story originally appeared on Fintel. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Earlier this week, Broadcom Inc. reported fiscal Q1 2026 results with sales rising to US$19.31 billion and net income reaching US$7.35 billion, while also affirming a US$0.65 quarterly dividend, completing a prior US$10.25 billion buyback and authorizing up to an additional US$10 billion in share repurchases through 2026. Alongside this, Broadcom highlighted very rapid growth in AI semiconductor r...
Earlier this week, Broadcom Inc. reported fiscal Q1 2026 results with sales rising to US$19.31 billion and net income reaching US$7.35 billion, while also affirming a US$0.65 quarterly dividend, completing a prior US$10.25 billion buyback and authorizing up to an additional US$10 billion in share repurchases through 2026. Alongside this, Broadcom highlighted very rapid growth in AI semiconductor revenue, unveiled shipments of an industry-first 2nm custom compute SoC, and launched VMware Telco Cloud Platform 9, underscoring its expanding role in AI infrastructure and telecom cloud workloads. Next, we’ll examine how Broadcom’s confident guidance for approximately US$22 billion in Q2 revenue reshapes its existing AI-led investment narrative. Find . Advertisement Broadcom Investment Narrative Recap To own Broadcom, you need to believe its AI-centric chip and networking franchises can offset softer legacy semis and the execution risk in VMware-heavy software. The latest Q1 beat and robust Q2 revenue guidance of about US$22 billion reinforce AI as the key near term catalyst, but they also heighten the importance of customer concentration risk in a handful of hyperscalers, which remains the biggest swing factor for future results. Among the new developments, the board’s authorization of up to an additional US$10 billion in share repurchases through 2026 stands out. Coupled with US$10.25 billion of buybacks just completed and a maintained US$0.65 dividend, it underlines how management is leaning on capital returns alongside AI growth as part of the investment case, while investors weigh how durable those AI-driven cash flows really are. Yet behind the upbeat AI story, investors should also understand how reliant Broadcom has become on a small group of hyperscale customers and what happens if their spending plans... Broadcom's narrative projects $119.6 billion revenue and $50.8 billion earnings by 2028. This requires 25.9% yearly revenue growth and a $32.0 billion earnings i...
Key Points Caterpillar is largely known for its giant earth-moving equipment. The company's equipment is likely to be in high demand in 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Caterpillar › Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) is an iconic company with a huge portfolio of earth-moving products. In 2025, the company generated $67.6 billion in sales and $19.06 in adjusted earnings per share. The future is likely to ...
Key Points Caterpillar is largely known for its giant earth-moving equipment. The company's equipment is likely to be in high demand in 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Caterpillar › Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) is an iconic company with a huge portfolio of earth-moving products. In 2025, the company generated $67.6 billion in sales and $19.06 in adjusted earnings per share. The future is likely to be bright, as well, with the company's $51 billion backlog sitting at record levels. Here are three reasons to buy Caterpillar stock in 2026. 1. Caterpillar is benefiting from reshoring efforts Caterpillar's equipment gets used to build everything from roads to buildings, and a lot in between. Over the past several years, companies have made a material effort to build in their home markets rather than manufacturing abroad and importing finished products. This so-called reshoring move generally requires the construction of new factories and other assets. 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 » Notably, spending on manufacturing plants in the United States has increased by more than 40% since 2020. While this spending isn't quite as "hot" as it was a couple of years ago, it is still running at an elevated pace, and that should translate into strong demand for Caterpillar's products. For example, Caterpillar's sales to construction industries were up 11% worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2025. 2. Data centers are a new and growing category The hot construction topic of the day, however, is data centers. The emergence of artificial intelligence as a major new technology has dramatically increased the need for data centers. Spending on data centers has increased by nearly 350% since 2020. To be fair, construction spending on data centers is just a fraction of the spending on manufacturing. Still, data...
Is Putin About To Deal His Long-Awaited Deathblow To The EU Economy Authored by Andrew Korybko, He just ordered that some of Russia’s LNG exports to the EU be redirected to Asia, and if the EU doesn’t coerce Zelensky into giving him giving him more of what he wants in Ukraine, then there’d be no reason for him to not cut off Russia’s exports to them entirely for catalyzing a full-blown crisis. The...
Is Putin About To Deal His Long-Awaited Deathblow To The EU Economy Authored by Andrew Korybko, He just ordered that some of Russia’s LNG exports to the EU be redirected to Asia, and if the EU doesn’t coerce Zelensky into giving him giving him more of what he wants in Ukraine, then there’d be no reason for him to not cut off Russia’s exports to them entirely for catalyzing a full-blown crisis. The EU agreed late last year to end Russian LNG imports by 31 December 2026 and pipeline gas imports by 30 September 2027, with the possibility of extending the deadline till 31 October 2027 in case storage levels are below their required filling levels. This was done because “ The US Weaponized Russophobic Paranoia & Energy Geopolitics To Capture Control Of Europe ”, ergo why it encouraged this decision so as to then monopolize the bloc’s energy market in tandem with its Qatari ally, another LNG superpower. Everything changed with the Third Gulf War , which began with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran and has since seen Iran retaliate against all of the Gulf Kingdoms on the basis that the US infrastructure on their territories is being used in attacks against the Islamic Republic. The Strait of Hormuz is now effectively closed and the Gulf Kingdoms are scaling back energy production due to nearly reaching their storage capacity. Importantly, Qatar is also shutting down its gas liquefication , which will take weeks to restart. It’s for these reasons that an energy crisis is expected which might surpass the one during COVID and even the 1973 Arab oil embargo in terms of its global disruption. With Gulf oil and gas pretty much out of the picture for now, the only realistic recourse for stabilizing the market is to return Russian resources thereto, which contextualizes why the US just temporarily waived sanctions on India’s purchase of Russian oil. The EU might also ramp up its gas imports from Russia ahead of its self-imposed deadlines. With the impending global energy crisis in ...
halbergman/E+ via Getty Images Shares of Saul Centers ( BFS ) have been a poor performer over the past year, losing about 5% of their value. Shares have been weighed down by its DC-area focus, as that local economy faces more challenges than the national one given reductions in the federal government’s workforce. However, its own development activities are performing in line with my expectations, ...
halbergman/E+ via Getty Images Shares of Saul Centers ( BFS ) have been a poor performer over the past year, losing about 5% of their value. Shares have been weighed down by its DC-area focus, as that local economy faces more challenges than the national one given reductions in the federal government’s workforce. However, its own development activities are performing in line with my expectations, which should provide incremental cash flow. This view led me to upgrade shares to a “buy” in October , and that call has played out with Saul gaining 10% since then. With updated financials and shares approaching my $36 price target, now is a good time to revisit Saul. Seeking Alpha DC Faces Macro Pressure Over the past few months, there has been considerable debate about the labor market’s health, potential for economic growth this year, etc. Irrespective of the national economic environment, certain regions will always do a bit better or a bit worse depending on the drivers of their economies. This is particularly relevant when analyzing companies with smaller geographic footprints. While we can debate the trajectory of the national labor market, it is indisputably clear that the DC area labor market is weak. As you can see below, the economy has shed over 50k jobs in the past year. St. Louis Federal Reserve While nothing like the COVID-era job losses, we are now seeing a level of job loss that is comparable to that seen during the severe 2007-2009 recession. Of course, this is primarily driven by cuts in the federal workforce, including the deferred resignation program that led to mass separations on September 30 th . With private sector labor demand softening, the ability of workers who took this severance package to find new work has likely been limited, though some of this drop also likely reflects pulled-forward retirement activity. I struggle to see the federal government growing its civil workforce meaningfully over the duration of the Trump presidency, and that wi...
Shares of Interactive Brokers (IBKR 2.00%) took a 6% hit this week. For recent buyers, the sudden drop might feel like whiplash. But zooming out tells a vastly different story. Long-term investors are sitting comfortably on massive gains. The electronic brokerage firm is up more than 200% over the last three years, easily crushing the broader market's returns. With this context, does a 6% pullback...
Shares of Interactive Brokers (IBKR 2.00%) took a 6% hit this week. For recent buyers, the sudden drop might feel like whiplash. But zooming out tells a vastly different story. Long-term investors are sitting comfortably on massive gains. The electronic brokerage firm is up more than 200% over the last three years, easily crushing the broader market's returns. With this context, does a 6% pullback offer a rare entry point into a compounding machine, or is the stock finally running out of steam after a massive multi-year run? At a market capitalization of roughly $113 billion as of this writing and a price-to-earnings ratio of 30, expectations are high. But I think it can live up to those expectations over the long haul. A relentless asset-gathering machine Scanning the latest primary disclosures reveals a clear, decisive mechanism behind this stock's remarkable three-year run: Interactive Brokers is vacuuming up accounts at a blistering pace. In its February 2026 monthly metrics update, the company reported 4.646 million client accounts, representing a 31% year-over-year increase. This sustained pace builds on a record-breaking 2025, when the company added over 1 million net new accounts in a single year for the first time in its history. More importantly, total client equity in February -- the lifeblood of any brokerage -- jumped 40% year over year to hit $820 billion. This marks a notable acceleration from the 37% year-over-year growth rate the company posted at the end of 2025, when client equity sat at $780 billion. This is the decisive variable for investors. While trading volumes can fluctuate with market volatility, the steady accumulation of customer accounts and client equity provides a steady (and growing) foundation for future revenue. This influx of new money doesn't just sit idle. It directly feeds the company's highly automated brokerage, which leads to the second half of the bull case for the stock. An automated cost structure The defining trait of In...
Key Points Interactive Brokers has been an incredibly fast-growing asset-gathering machine, crossing 4.6 million client accounts in February. With an elite 79% pretax profit margin, the company turns incremental account growth into outsize bottom-line gains. The stock isn't cheap. But it's probably worth paying up for. 10 stocks we like better than Interactive Brokers Group › Shares of Interactive...
Key Points Interactive Brokers has been an incredibly fast-growing asset-gathering machine, crossing 4.6 million client accounts in February. With an elite 79% pretax profit margin, the company turns incremental account growth into outsize bottom-line gains. The stock isn't cheap. But it's probably worth paying up for. 10 stocks we like better than Interactive Brokers Group › Shares of Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) took a 6% hit this week. For recent buyers, the sudden drop might feel like whiplash. But zooming out tells a vastly different story. Long-term investors are sitting comfortably on massive gains. The electronic brokerage firm is up more than 200% over the last three years, easily crushing the broader market's returns. 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 » With this context, does a 6% pullback offer a rare entry point into a compounding machine, or is the stock finally running out of steam after a massive multi-year run? At a market capitalization of roughly $113 billion as of this writing and a price-to-earnings ratio of 30, expectations are high. But I think it can live up to those expectations over the long haul. A relentless asset-gathering machine Scanning the latest primary disclosures reveals a clear, decisive mechanism behind this stock's remarkable three-year run: Interactive Brokers is vacuuming up accounts at a blistering pace. In its February 2026 monthly metrics update, the company reported 4.646 million client accounts, representing a 31% year-over-year increase. This sustained pace builds on a record-breaking 2025, when the company added over 1 million net new accounts in a single year for the first time in its history. More importantly, total client equity in February -- the lifeblood of any brokerage -- jumped 40% year over year to hit $820 billion. This m...
Never miss an important update on your stock portfolio and cut through the noise. Over 7 million investors trust Simply Wall St to stay informed where it matters for FREE. Lumentum Holdings (NasdaqGS:LITE) has been added to the S&P 500 Index. The company announced a multiyear partnership with NVIDIA that includes a US$2b investment. The NVIDIA arrangement involves a significant private placement i...
Never miss an important update on your stock portfolio and cut through the noise. Over 7 million investors trust Simply Wall St to stay informed where it matters for FREE. Lumentum Holdings (NasdaqGS:LITE) has been added to the S&P 500 Index. The company announced a multiyear partnership with NVIDIA that includes a US$2b investment. The NVIDIA arrangement involves a significant private placement in Lumentum shares. Lumentum focuses on optical and photonic products that sit at the heart of networking and data center hardware, so its new role in the S&P 500 puts a brighter spotlight on those exposure areas. The tie up with NVIDIA connects Lumentum directly to one of the key suppliers in AI computing, at a time when data center operators are investing heavily in higher bandwidth and more efficient optical links. For you as an investor, these developments raise fresh questions about how Lumentum’s revenue mix, capital structure and customer concentration could evolve from here. The rest of this article looks at what the S&P 500 inclusion and the NVIDIA partnership might mean for liquidity, risk profile and how the market could think about NasdaqGS:LITE within the broader AI infrastructure theme. Stay updated on the most important news stories for Lumentum Holdings by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Lumentum Holdings. NasdaqGS:LITE Earnings & Revenue Growth as at Mar 2026 3 things going right for Lumentum Holdings that this headline doesn't cover. The NVIDIA partnership and S&P 500 inclusion pull Lumentum more tightly into the core of AI data center build outs. NVIDIA’s US$2b investment and multibillion purchase commitment for advanced laser components directly connect Lumentum’s optics to one of the largest buyers of AI hardware. That can provide better demand visibility, priority access to future NVIDIA orders and support for Lumentum’s plan to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint with a ...
A federal judge ruled on Saturday that Kari Lake’s leadership of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) for much of last year violated federal law, invalidating a sweeping series of actions she took to cut staff and end many operations at its Voice of America (VOA) unit. In another blow to the Donald Trump administration’s attempts to diminish various government agencies, US District Judge Royc...
A federal judge ruled on Saturday that Kari Lake’s leadership of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) for much of last year violated federal law, invalidating a sweeping series of actions she took to cut staff and end many operations at its Voice of America (VOA) unit. In another blow to the Donald Trump administration’s attempts to diminish various government agencies, US District Judge Royce Lamberth granted a summary judgment in favour of plaintiffs – including VOA journalists and a union representing federal employees – who argued that Lake’s appointment as acting CEO and actions she took in that role ran afoul of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the constitution’s Appointments Clause. Lamberth ruled that Lake was ineligible to serve as acting CEO because she was not employed by USAGM when former CEO Amanda Bennett resigned in January 2025, and had not been confirmed by the Senate to any other federal post. Advertisement Lake officially joined USAGM in March as a senior adviser. A November 21 news release from the agency called her deputy CEO. The judge also rejected the administration’s argument that Lake could wield CEO authority through a delegation from previous acting CEO Victor Morales. Kari Lake officially joined the US Agency for Global Media in March as a senior adviser. Photo: AP Saturday’s decision marks at least the third time Lamberth has ruled against the Trump administration in cases involving the Voice of America. The judge in April and September halted plans that would have put many VOA employees out of work, although the April ruling was later overturned by an appeals court.