Digital banking platform Nu Holdings (NU +2.71%) has already proven it can acquire customers at scale. With more than 120 million users across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, raw customer numbers are no longer the story. The next chapter depends on something more important: How much value Nu Holdings can extract from each customer, without taking on excessive risk. That's where monetization quality ...
Digital banking platform Nu Holdings (NU +2.71%) has already proven it can acquire customers at scale. With more than 120 million users across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, raw customer numbers are no longer the story. The next chapter depends on something more important: How much value Nu Holdings can extract from each customer, without taking on excessive risk. That's where monetization quality comes in. From customer growth to revenue depth For years, Nu Holdings' headline metric was customer expansion. Millions joined the platform each quarter, attracted by no-fee accounts and simple digital onboarding. Now management has made a subtle but significant shift. Future growth, particularly in Brazil, will rely less on adding users and more on deepening relationships. That shift already shows up in the numbers. Average revenue per active customer (ARPAC) has climbed above $12 per month, while mature cohorts generate nearly $27 per month. This gap highlights Nu Holdings's opportunity. The company doesn't need to double its user base to grow meaningfully. It needs to increase product adoption within its existing base. But how it achieves that matters. Expand NYSE : NU Nu Holdings Today's Change ( 2.71 %) $ 0.40 Current Price $ 15.16 Key Data Points Market Cap $72B Day's Range $ 14.81 - $ 15.35 52wk Range $ 9.01 - $ 18.98 Volume 1.4M Avg Vol 49M Two paths to higher monetization There are two main ways Nu Holdings can increase revenue per user. The first path is straightforward: expand unsecured lending. Higher credit limits and more personal loans drive interest income quickly. This boosts revenue and risk. The second path is more durable: diversify into investments, insurance, payments, deposits, and other financial services. These products deepen engagement while reducing reliance on credit spreads alone. The distinction is critical. If monetization growth comes primarily from riskier lending, earnings become more cyclical and sensitive to macro conditions. If it come...
Key Points At this point, monetization matters more than user growth. Diversification should reduce risk for the digital bank. Deposits should also strengthen the model. 10 stocks we like better than Nu Holdings › Digital banking platform Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) has already proven it can acquire customers at scale. With more than 120 million users across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, raw customer n...
Key Points At this point, monetization matters more than user growth. Diversification should reduce risk for the digital bank. Deposits should also strengthen the model. 10 stocks we like better than Nu Holdings › Digital banking platform Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) has already proven it can acquire customers at scale. With more than 120 million users across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, raw customer numbers are no longer the story. The next chapter depends on something more important: How much value Nu Holdings can extract from each customer, without taking on excessive risk. That's where monetization quality comes in. 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 » From customer growth to revenue depth For years, Nu Holdings' headline metric was customer expansion. Millions joined the platform each quarter, attracted by no-fee accounts and simple digital onboarding. Now management has made a subtle but significant shift. Future growth, particularly in Brazil, will rely less on adding users and more on deepening relationships. That shift already shows up in the numbers. Average revenue per active customer (ARPAC) has climbed above $12 per month, while mature cohorts generate nearly $27 per month. This gap highlights Nu Holdings's opportunity. The company doesn't need to double its user base to grow meaningfully. It needs to increase product adoption within its existing base. But how it achieves that matters. Two paths to higher monetization There are two main ways Nu Holdings can increase revenue per user. The first path is straightforward: expand unsecured lending. Higher credit limits and more personal loans drive interest income quickly. This boosts revenue and risk. The second path is more durable: diversify into investments, insurance, payments, deposits, and other financial services. These produ...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images BTIG’s Jonathan Krinsky is signaling that investors should shift from a defensive to an offensive positioning strategy as the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) rebounds from recent lows. “A low has been made, and we should be playing offense more than defense,” the chief market technician wrote in a note to clients as the equity benchmark climbed above 6,800, rising as muc...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images BTIG’s Jonathan Krinsky is signaling that investors should shift from a defensive to an offensive positioning strategy as the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) rebounds from recent lows. “A low has been made, and we should be playing offense more than defense,” the chief market technician wrote in a note to clients as the equity benchmark climbed above 6,800, rising as much as 1% on Wednesday. The recovery comes after the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) experienced a 2.5% intraday drop on Tuesday, with better-than-expected labor market data and an expansion in services activity helping to stabilize the index. According to Krinsky, the gauge has now climbed above a key technical level that makes it likely bearish bettors will get caught unawares when stocks bounce back on any new dips. The upbeat economic data helped offset worries around the continuing conflict between Iran and the U.S. in the Middle East. In the strategist’s view, several sectors appear to have found a floor as the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) reclaims key support levels. “We see bottoms in airlines ( JETS ), consumer ( XLP ), ( XLY ), banks ( KBE ), ( KRE ), ( KBWB ), crypto ( BTC-USD ), ( ETH-USD ), software ( IGPT ), ( XSW ), ( IGV ), and China ( MCHI ), ( GXC ), ( FXI ), while energy ( XLE ) and staples ( XLP ) look like tactical tops,” Krinsky wrote. Energy stocks ( XLE ), ( AMLP ), ( VDE ) have widened their 2026 rally to 24% amid concerns over the conflict, while industrial stocks ( XLI ), ( VIS ), ( FXR ), ( IYJ ) have fallen as much as 2.5% across three sessions due to rising oil prices ( CL1:COM ), ( CO1:COM ). Despite the recent bullish signals, the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) has had a listless performance since October, according to the technician’s analysis. While the index climbed above 7,000 points for the first time in late January, it had trimmed those gains by the end of the session, and traders continue watching to see if the gauge can close above that milestone. Krinsky’s bullish outlook...
miodrag ignjatovic/E+ via Getty Images Background The stock of Dexcom Inc. ( DXCM ), a medical equipment firm with a pioneering influence in the terrain of biosensing technology, appears to have garnered some positive interest from the market since I last explored it in mid-December 2025 . If I may remind investors, when I’d reviewed the stock back then, it wasn’t having its finest hour, down by d...
miodrag ignjatovic/E+ via Getty Images Background The stock of Dexcom Inc. ( DXCM ), a medical equipment firm with a pioneering influence in the terrain of biosensing technology, appears to have garnered some positive interest from the market since I last explored it in mid-December 2025 . If I may remind investors, when I’d reviewed the stock back then, it wasn’t having its finest hour, down by double digits on a YTD basis, and underperforming other medical equipment stocks and the US equity benchmark by quite a large margin. Since publication, it is in a healthier state, up by double digits, when the S&P500 has barely moved, and other medical device stocks have witnessed a contraction (on average). YCharts Now after three months of a respectable performance, I expect DXCM to kick on even further. Here are three key themes supporting our bullish stance. Gross Margin Inflection On The Cards One underappreciated reason why I feel DXCM could potentially gain more favorable interest is because its long-suffering gross margin profile is poised to witness an inflection point this year. As you can see from the image below, gross margins have been on a relentless slump across the past 5 years and dropped to 60% last year. YCharts This was driven by an inefficient supply chain, higher replacement costs, and lower production yields. While there were some one-off effects that won’t be reflected this, management has taken steps to resolve some of the structural drawbacks by pivoting to new suppliers , reestablishing more efficient shipping routes (thus likely driving lower freight costs), and driving higher manufacturing efficiencies. Some of these benefits were felt in the final quarter of last year, but FY26 is the year when one will finally see DXCM’s gross margins start trending higher across the whole year, with management now budgeting for +200bps worth of gross margin improvements for the year as a whole. Q4 Presentation I don’t expect gross margin progression to halt a...
Google is moving forward with a series of Play Store changes after settling a years-long legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over anticompetitive concerns. The tech giant on Wednesday said it will drop its Play Store commissions to 20% on in-app purchases, with another 5% tacked on if app developers choose to use Google’s billing system. It’s also making it easier for users to install alte...
Google is moving forward with a series of Play Store changes after settling a years-long legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over anticompetitive concerns. The tech giant on Wednesday said it will drop its Play Store commissions to 20% on in-app purchases, with another 5% tacked on if app developers choose to use Google’s billing system. It’s also making it easier for users to install alternative app stores through a new optional program called the Registered App Stores program. “With these updates, we have also resolved our disputes worldwide with Epic Games,” Google said in a company blog post. The changes are part of a new settlement between the two tech rivals that will allow Epic Games to bring Fortnite back to the Google Play Store globally, while also investing in its own alternative app store, the Epic Games Store for Android. As part of the agreement, Google’s Registered App Stores program will offer a more streamlined installation flow for users who want to install apps from outside of Google Play. One of Epic’s concerns was that the process for sideloading apps involved scary warnings to users about the danger of non-Play Store apps. Of course, users should be wary — sideloaded apps are a well-known security risk. But some third parties, like Epic Games, wanted to run their own legitimate (and secure) app stores without the scare tactics. That program will allow this, as approved stores will need to meet certain quality and safety requirements, Google notes. The program is coming to markets beyond the U.S. first. Once the settlement is approved by the court, it will launch stateside as well. Another notable change is the adjustment to the Play Store commission structure. Like Apple, Google’s default commission has been 30%, with a reduced fee of 15% for recurring subscriptions. Now, it will go even lower: the new “service fee” will be 20% for in-app purchases on new installs and 10% for recurring subscriptions. However, this fee does not include t...
Google is moving forward with a series of Play Store changes after settling a years-long legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over anticompetitive concerns. The tech giant on Wednesday said it will drop its Play Store commissions to 20% on in-app purchases, with another 5% tacked on if app developers choose to use Google’s billing system. It’s also making it easier for users to install alte...
Google is moving forward with a series of Play Store changes after settling a years-long legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over anticompetitive concerns. The tech giant on Wednesday said it will drop its Play Store commissions to 20% on in-app purchases, with another 5% tacked on if app developers choose to use Google’s billing system. It’s also making it easier for users to install alternative app stores through a new optional program called the Registered App Stores program. “With these updates, we have also resolved our disputes worldwide with Epic Games,” Google said in a company blog post. The changes are part of a new settlement between the two tech rivals that will allow Epic Games to bring Fortnite back to the Google Play Store globally, while also investing in its own alternative app store, the Epic Games Store for Android. As part of the agreement, Google’s Registered App Stores program will offer a more streamlined installation flow for users who want to install apps from outside of Google Play. One of Epic’s concerns was that the process for sideloading apps involved scary warnings to users about the danger of non-Play Store apps. Of course, users should be wary — sideloaded apps are a well-known security risk. But some third parties, like Epic Games, wanted to run their own legitimate (and secure) app stores without the scare tactics. That program will allow this, as approved stores will need to meet certain quality and safety requirements, Google notes. The program is coming to markets beyond the U.S. first. Once the settlement is approved by the court, it will launch stateside as well. Another notable change is the adjustment to the Play Store commission structure. Like Apple, Google’s default commission has been 30%, with a reduced fee of 15% for recurring subscriptions. Now, it will go even lower: the new “service fee” will be 20% for in-app purchases on new installs and 10% for recurring subscriptions. However, this fee does not include t...
Riding the wave of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven momentum, Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR and NVIDIA Corporation NVDA delivered strong revenue growth and profitability in their latest quarterly results, cementing their status as two of the most sought-after stocks on Wall Street. But which one is more attractively valued, making it the more compelling option for investors? Let’s take a clos...
Riding the wave of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven momentum, Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR and NVIDIA Corporation NVDA delivered strong revenue growth and profitability in their latest quarterly results, cementing their status as two of the most sought-after stocks on Wall Street. But which one is more attractively valued, making it the more compelling option for investors? Let’s take a closer look. Reasons to Be Bullish on Palantir Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) gained significant popularity among both U.S. commercial clients and the government, as it helps in seamlessly integrating AI and large language models across highly complex data infrastructures. Strong demand for AIP helped Palantir’s U.S. commercial segment revenue jump 137% year over year and 28% quarter over quarter to $507 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, per investors.palantir.com. Government revenues climbed 66% year over year and 17% sequentially to $570 million in the said period. Total revenues for the quarter were $1.4 billion, up 70% year over year and 19% sequentially. Palantir continues to generate profits, reporting GAAP net income of $609 million, which translates to a 43% margin. The company expects steady improvement in GAAP net income throughout 2026. The company also anticipates total revenues to increase to $7.182-$7.198 billion in 2026 from $4.475 billion in 2025. This revenue growth seems attainable, supported by U.S. commercial clients’ remaining deal value reaching $4.38 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 145% year over year and 21% sequentially. Palantir generated adjusted free cash flow of $791 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, representing a free cash flow margin of 56%. That exceptionally strong margin provides the company significant flexibility to reduce debt, reinvest in growth and reward shareholders. It’s worth noting that Palantir’s Gotham and Foundry platforms face less competition, supporting more predictable cash flows going fo...
What happened According to its SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Starboard Value LP initiated a new position in Fluor Corporation (FLR 1.18%), acquiring 5,191,327 shares during the fourth quarter. The quarter-end position value increased by $205.73 million, capturing both the trade and price changes over the reporting period. What else to know This was a new position for Starboard Value LP; the ...
What happened According to its SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Starboard Value LP initiated a new position in Fluor Corporation (FLR 1.18%), acquiring 5,191,327 shares during the fourth quarter. The quarter-end position value increased by $205.73 million, capturing both the trade and price changes over the reporting period. What else to know This was a new position for Starboard Value LP; the stake accounted for 3.9% of its 13F reportable AUM as of December 31, 2025. Top holdings after the filing: NASDAQ: QRVO: $634.74 million (12.0% of AUM) NYSE: KVUE: $471.06 million (8.9% of AUM) NYSE: AQN: $390.46 million (7.4% of AUM) NYSE: BILL: $383.14 million (7.3% of AUM) NASDAQ: MTCH: $367.96 million (7.0% of AUM) As of February 17, 2026, shares of Fluor Corporation were priced at $48.57, up 22.2% over the past year, with one-year alpha versus the S&P 500 at (0.00) percentage points. Company Overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $15.50 billion Net Income (TTM) $-350.00 million Price (as of market close 2/17/26) $48.57 One-Year Price Change 22.19% Company Snapshot Fluor Corporation is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, with a focus on delivering complex projects for energy, infrastructure, and government clients. It provides engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services, project management, fabrication, modularization, and asset integrity solutions across energy, infrastructure, and government sectors. The company operates a project-based business model, generating revenue through large-scale contracts in energy transition, urban infrastructure, and mission-critical government projects. Fluor Corporation serves a global client base including oil, gas, and petrochemical companies, infrastructure and advanced technology firms, life sciences, mining, and U.S. government agencies. What this transaction means for investors Engineering and construction companies typically operate within extended investment cycles influenced by energy...
In its Beige Book survey of regional business contacts, the Federal Reserve reported that in many districts “sales were dampened by economic uncertainty, increased price sensitivity and lower-income consumers pulling back on spending.” Molly Smith has more on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
In its Beige Book survey of regional business contacts, the Federal Reserve reported that in many districts “sales were dampened by economic uncertainty, increased price sensitivity and lower-income consumers pulling back on spending.” Molly Smith has more on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
Tesla received a tip of the hat from major Wall Street firm Bank of America on Wednesday, as it reinitiated coverage on Tesla shares with a bullish stance that comes with a ‘Buy’ rating and a $460 price target. In a new note that marks a sharp reversal from its neutral position earlier in 2025, the bank declared Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology the “leading consumer autonomy solution.” A...
Tesla received a tip of the hat from major Wall Street firm Bank of America on Wednesday, as it reinitiated coverage on Tesla shares with a bullish stance that comes with a ‘Buy’ rating and a $460 price target. In a new note that marks a sharp reversal from its neutral position earlier in 2025, the bank declared Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology the “leading consumer autonomy solution.” Analysts highlighted Tesla’s camera-only architecture, known as Tesla Vision, as a strategic masterstroke. While technically more challenging than the multi-sensor setups favored by rivals, the vision-based approach is dramatically cheaper to produce and maintain. This cost edge, combined with Tesla’s rapidly expanding real-world data engine, positions the company to scale robotaxis far more profitably than competitors, BofA argues in the new note: Advertisement “Tesla is at the forefront of autonomous driving, supported by a camera-only approach that is technically harder but much cheaper than the multi-sensor systems widely used in the industry. This strategy should allow Tesla to scale more profitably compared to Robotaxi competitors, helped by a growing data engine from its existing fleet.” The bank now attributes roughly 52% of Tesla’s total valuation to its Robotaxi ambitions. It also flagged meaningful upside from the Optimus humanoid robot program and the fast-growing energy storage business, suggesting the auto segment’s recent headwinds, including expired incentives, are being eclipsed by these higher-margin opportunities. Tesla’s own data underscores exactly why Wall Street is waking up to FSD’s potential. According to Tesla’s official safety reporting page, the FSD Supervised fleet has now surpassed 8.4 billion cumulative miles driven. Advertisement That total ballooned from just 6 million miles in 2021 to 80 million in 2022, 670 million in 2023, 2.25 billion in 2024, and a staggering 4.25 billion in 2025 alone. In the first 50 days of 2026, owners added another ...
Adam Wiener, Director at Clear Secure, Inc. (YOU 1.39%), disclosed the sale of 33,000 shares of Common Stock in multiple open-market transactions on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing. Transaction summary Metric Value Shares sold (direct) 33,000 Transaction value $1.5 million Post-transaction shares (direct) 132,634 Post-transaction value (direct ownership) ~$6.25 million ...
Adam Wiener, Director at Clear Secure, Inc. (YOU 1.39%), disclosed the sale of 33,000 shares of Common Stock in multiple open-market transactions on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing. Transaction summary Metric Value Shares sold (direct) 33,000 Transaction value $1.5 million Post-transaction shares (direct) 132,634 Post-transaction value (direct ownership) ~$6.25 million Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($46.22); post-transaction value based on Feb. 26, 2026 market close. Key questions How does the size of this sale compare to Adam Wiener's historical transactions? This 33,000-share disposition is the largest single sale for Mr. Wiener to date, exceeding the previous maximum of 14,000 shares and the recent-period median of 8,000 shares across six sell transactions since August 2025. This 33,000-share disposition is the largest single sale for Mr. Wiener to date, exceeding the previous maximum of 14,000 shares and the recent-period median of 8,000 shares across six sell transactions since August 2025. What proportion of Mr. Wiener's direct holdings was affected by this transaction? The sale represented 19.92% of his direct shares outstanding at the time, a higher percentage than the recent-period median per-transaction impact of 4.12%. The sale represented 19.92% of his direct shares outstanding at the time, a higher percentage than the recent-period median per-transaction impact of 4.12%. Does the transaction involve any indirect holdings, derivative securities, or option exercises? No; all shares sold were held directly, with no indirect entities or derivative transactions involved. No; all shares sold were held directly, with no indirect entities or derivative transactions involved. What is the context for this sale in terms of remaining capacity and plan mechanics? While the trade is larger than prior events, it reflects Mr. Wiener's reduced holdings. Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $866.3...
Nikada/iStock via Getty Images Blackstone Secured Lending ( BXSL ) has seen its stock dip by 28% over the last 1-year to open up a record dividend yield and heavy discount to net asset value ("NAV") per share. This comes as private credit faces a perfect storm of headwinds from fears around AI-driven disruption to software firms, compressing yields from cuts to the Fed funds rate, and broader syst...
Nikada/iStock via Getty Images Blackstone Secured Lending ( BXSL ) has seen its stock dip by 28% over the last 1-year to open up a record dividend yield and heavy discount to net asset value ("NAV") per share. This comes as private credit faces a perfect storm of headwinds from fears around AI-driven disruption to software firms, compressing yields from cuts to the Fed funds rate, and broader systemic risks posed by firms whose balance sheets have been weakened by persistent inflation and still elevated funding rates. The BDC last declared a base cash dividend of $0.77 per share , kept unchanged from its prior distribution, and $3.08 per share annulaized for an 12.86% dividend yield. The distribution has been kept stable through what's been a cascade of dividend cuts from the broader BDC industry. While this has seemingly created an extremely tough investment environment for income investors, it's also raised the profile of BDC's able to maintain coverage and positive cadence with originations while keeping credit quality in check. I last covered BXSL in November with a Buy rating. Blackstone Secured Lending Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter Presentation BXSL has maintained its quarterly base cash distribution at $0.77 per share since the third quarter of 2023, when it was raised by 3 cents. Bears would be right to flag that coverage has been on a sustained dip, with the BDC reporting fiscal 2025 fourth quarter net investment income ("NII") of $0.80 per share for coverage of 104%. This represents a compression from 106% coverage in the third quarter, but a positive improvement from coverage of just 100% in the second quarter. Total investment income came in at $358 million , up 1.4% over its year-ago comp but a miss by $1.54 million on consensus estimates. Blackstone Secured Lending Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter Presentation Blackstone Secured Lending Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter Presentation The BDC's selloff can also be attributed to its strong software exposure in the market...
Key Points Dogecoin is among the leading cryptocurrencies today, surging more than 15% in early afternoon trading. This move comes amid broadly improving sentiment following a series of geopolitical actions from the U.S. government. Here's what to make of Dogecoin's impressive daily surge, and whether it can continue moving forward. 10 stocks we like better than Dogecoin › Wednesday's market price...
Key Points Dogecoin is among the leading cryptocurrencies today, surging more than 15% in early afternoon trading. This move comes amid broadly improving sentiment following a series of geopolitical actions from the U.S. government. Here's what to make of Dogecoin's impressive daily surge, and whether it can continue moving forward. 10 stocks we like better than Dogecoin › Wednesday's market price action has been impressive to watch. That's a blanket statement for investors across nearly every asset class, with most major indexes and markets seeing a recovery rally after a rather dismal Tuesday amid rising geopolitical tensions at levels not seen in a very long time. As a major barometer of investor sentiment and broader uncertainty, Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) is one of the best-performing cryptocurrencies in today's market. Surging 15.7% over the past 24 hours (as of 2:15 p.m. ET), this top-tier meme token is signaling investors are jumping back aboard the momentum train. 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 » Let's dive into whether today's move in Dogecoin is sustainable, and whether this top meme token can continue to hold the $0.10 level. Dogecoin's incredible move today is one for the ages Indeed, today's price action in Dogecoin is reminiscent of many of the moves this meme token made immediately following the onset of the pandemic. At that point, investors were going absolutely risk-on, seeking the highest-momentum assets with the most upside to beat the market, even though most assets seemed poised to keep heading higher. Of course, the situation has shifted starkly in recent months, with recent U.S. interventions globally sparking concern that higher spending (leading to higher inflation), potential oil-related issues (also driving similar concerns), and skyrocketing uncertainty co...
Investors are boosting short positions in Blue Owl Capital Inc. , betting the stock has more room to fall despite wiping out nearly one-third of its value this year. The percentage of Blue Owl’s free float that is held short climbed to an all-time high of 14.65% this week, according to an estimate from S3 Partners LLC . That’s above the record of 14.3% in December. A different measure by S&P Globa...
Investors are boosting short positions in Blue Owl Capital Inc. , betting the stock has more room to fall despite wiping out nearly one-third of its value this year. The percentage of Blue Owl’s free float that is held short climbed to an all-time high of 14.65% this week, according to an estimate from S3 Partners LLC . That’s above the record of 14.3% in December. A different measure by S&P Global Market intelligence put short interest at 17.9% of Blue Owl’s free float as of yesterday’s close. That’s up from 14.9% the Tuesday prior. Data from EquiLend Data & Analytics show that Blue Owl shares on Wednesday were the most borrowed among US stocks — a proxy for gauging investors’ interest in placing bearish wagers on a security. More than 19 million Blue Owl shares were borrowed as of 2 p.m. in New York. “We’re seeing a clear pickup in borrow demand for Blue Owl in recent weeks,” said Nancy Allen , EquiLend’s head of data and analytics solutions. Shares borrowed are up 46% month over month, and financing rates are up 266%, she said, calling them “striking moves that point to increased demand to borrow shares and a meaningfully higher cost to do so.” Read more: A Guide to the Fault Lines in the Credit Market Blue Owl shares rose as much as 2.6% Wednesday in a broad market advance. The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Blue Owl executives have pointed to the firm’s track record of low default rates in its private debt funds and predicted the credit-quality environment will remain benign. Read more: DISTRESS WATCH: Blue Owl Shorts Jump on AI, Private Credit Fears Blue Owl’s stock is just coming out of it steepest monthly decline ever in February, which also capped a record seven-month losing streak. Blue Owl, along with several major private markets firms, has been struck by worries about overspending on artificial intelligence, the technology’s disruptive power and lending standards more broadly. The company came under scrutiny in November over...
Sandi Smolker/iStock via Getty Images The Capital Group Dividend Value ETF ( CGDV ) is a core portfolio candidate, and neither a true dividend nor a true value proposition. This is a filtered version of SPY with an emphasis on quality. This blended (more tilted value, but decently growth oriented within the large cap group) active strategy has been ahead of the broader markets for a few years now....
Sandi Smolker/iStock via Getty Images The Capital Group Dividend Value ETF ( CGDV ) is a core portfolio candidate, and neither a true dividend nor a true value proposition. This is a filtered version of SPY with an emphasis on quality. This blended (more tilted value, but decently growth oriented within the large cap group) active strategy has been ahead of the broader markets for a few years now. So its recent outperformance against SPY does not raise eyebrows, as did the case of MGV I recently write about. CGDV's thesis is not about value versus growth ahead - it never has been. CGDV's Buy thesis rests on growth in quality large caps. That should hold up well in 2026 and relative performance against SPY is likely to stay intact. However, we may see a more subdued year overall in absolute return terms. Methodology and Portfolio Clarifications CGDV's name suggests dividend value. The website shows the weighted average portfolio more accurately classified as blended, but still shows a tilt toward value. The truth is that dividend-paying stocks make up the core of the portfolio and serve only as a gating variable check for entry - the quality focus likely stops there. The large cap bias is also evident and adds to the quality focus versus SPY. Classification- CGDV (CGDV Website) Valuation metrics do not show expected value characteristics. The P/E discount versus SPY is modest (~8%). The P/CF ratio is only slightly higher than the S&P 500. The P/B ratio reflects a discount but that is likely the effect of profitability focus rather than valuations. CGDV is not definitely low multiple investing - it is slightly cheaper than SPY (potentially classifiable as GARP) but still very much a growth strategy at heart. Valuation Metrics- CGDV (CGDV Website) The portfolio holds most of the tech mega-caps that are in the top 10 SPY Holdings, but the allocations hold less weight. CGDV underweights Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Nvidia significantly and reallocates weights to select gr...
Justin Paget/DigitalVision via Getty Images FirstEnergy Corp. ( FE ) is a regulated electric utility that serves approximately six million customers in the U.S. states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. This makes the company one of the largest utilities in the United States, which is evident in its $29.46 billion market capitalization. The company also boast...
Justin Paget/DigitalVision via Getty Images FirstEnergy Corp. ( FE ) is a regulated electric utility that serves approximately six million customers in the U.S. states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. This makes the company one of the largest utilities in the United States, which is evident in its $29.46 billion market capitalization. The company also boasts a very attractive 3.65% dividend yield and a reasonably attractive valuation. The company has struggled to keep up with the broader utility sector over the past year. This might be a good thing, though, as that may mean that the stock is presenting us with a buying opportunity today. Let us take a closer look at FirstEnergy and see if this high-yielding utility stock could be a good addition to our portfolios. Recent Performance And Thesis Update We previously discussed FirstEnergy on January 19, 2025. As such, approximately thirteen months have passed since we last looked at this company. There are, of course, many things that can occur during a time span of that length, and the most recent thirteen-month period was no exception to that. Indeed, there were several things that occurred, a few of which had an impact on the performance of electric utility companies such as FirstEnergy. One of the biggest things that has been affecting the stock prices of utility companies is something that many otherwise conservative investors in the utility sector might not expect. I am referring specifically to the technology industry’s aggressive attempt to build out a large number of new data centers intended to support the widespread deployment of generative artificial intelligence technology. In mid-2024, ABI Research published a report predicting that the number of colocation data centers in North America would grow at a 5.0% compound annual growth rate through 2030: ABI Research The same report predicted that the number of hyperscale data centers in operation worldwide would grow at...
The theft of two curling stones due to be used at the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics is being investigated, World Curling has confirmed. Action in Italy got under way on Wednesday night with the preliminary rounds of the inaugural mixed doubles wheelchair competition, but the drama started earlier when it was discovered the rocks were missing from the Cortina curling stadium. “Unfortunately the...
The theft of two curling stones due to be used at the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics is being investigated, World Curling has confirmed. Action in Italy got under way on Wednesday night with the preliminary rounds of the inaugural mixed doubles wheelchair competition, but the drama started earlier when it was discovered the rocks were missing from the Cortina curling stadium. “Unfortunately there has been a situation where two stones were stolen from the venue,” a World Curling spokesperson said to the Press Association. “The local authorities are currently investigating.” The stones were also used in the Olympic mixed doubles tournament. Spare stones from the set have been brought up to the same specifications as the rest of the rocks in play and will be used in place of the stolen granite. ParalympicsGB were made aware of the situation but it has not affected the British duo of Jo Butterfield and Jason Kean, who opened their competition with a 10-7 defeat to Estonia. The first day of official competition at the Winter Paralympics is on Saturday, with the opening ceremony taking place in Verona on Friday evening.
The actor has a blast as bride to Christian Bale’s lonely creature in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s darkly comic and gleefully bizarre reimagining of the 1935 film Did you know that “Frankenstein” isn’t the name of the monster, but the mad scientist who created him? The answer is almost certainly yes. But that’s no thanks to the 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein, which appears to have created this monstro...
The actor has a blast as bride to Christian Bale’s lonely creature in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s darkly comic and gleefully bizarre reimagining of the 1935 film Did you know that “Frankenstein” isn’t the name of the monster, but the mad scientist who created him? The answer is almost certainly yes. But that’s no thanks to the 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein, which appears to have created this monstrous misconception – because let’s face it, the idea of a middle-aged Swiss scientist getting married isn’t all that shocking. In that sensational Frankenstein sequel with Boris Karloff returning as the monster, Elsa Lanchester was his bride and Mary Shelley, a doubling that may have inspired this new riff on the monster’s other half from writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal. There’s another barnstorming performance from Jessie Buckley as the sinister spouse, leaving savage bite marks all over the scenery and on her gallant co-star Christian Bale. It’s her name, not the title, that deserves the exclamation mark.. This new monster’s-wife tale is a rackety, violent black comedy with twists of Rocky Horror and extended homages to the top-hat-and-tails sophistication of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. It’s also a gangster joyride from the roaring 20s and 30s with Mr and Mrs F-M reimagined as a kind of post-death Bonnie and Clyde. It takes as its premise the idea that Mary Shelley is an angry ghost, spewing out into the shadowy netherworld her patrician contempt for the mediocre menfolk that surrounded her in life, and longing for a suitable living woman to insinuate herself back into. Continue reading...
As the saying goes, there are many possible reasons for an insider to sell a stock, but only one reason to buy -- they expect to make money. So let's look at two noteworthy recent insider buys. On Tuesday, DENTSPLY SIRONA's Director, Gregory T. Lucier, made a $707,379 purchase of XRAY, buying 50,000 shares at a cost of $14.15 a piece. Investors can buy XRAY at a price even lower than Lucier did, w...
As the saying goes, there are many possible reasons for an insider to sell a stock, but only one reason to buy -- they expect to make money. So let's look at two noteworthy recent insider buys. On Tuesday, DENTSPLY SIRONA's Director, Gregory T. Lucier, made a $707,379 purchase of XRAY, buying 50,000 shares at a cost of $14.15 a piece. Investors can buy XRAY at a price even lower than Lucier did, with the stock trading as low as $13.43 in trading on Wednesday which is 5.1% under Lucier's purchase price. DENTSPLY SIRONA is trading up about 2% on the day Wednesday. And on Friday, Director George M. Jenkins purchased $500,000 worth of Palvella Therapeutics, purchasing 4,000 shares at a cost of $125.00 each. Before this latest buy, Jenkins made one other purchase in the past year, buying $100,797 shares for a cost of $20.20 a piece. Palvella Therapeutics is trading up about 3.5% on the day Wednesday. So far Jenkins is in the green, up about 10.2% on their purchase based on today's trading high of $137.80. VIDEO: Wednesday 3/4 Insider Buying Report: XRAY, PVLA The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.