Getty Images Thesis Summary Everyone thinks this market is being driven by AI, but they are wrong. In truth, I’d argue there are three key reasons why stocks keep heading higher. Increased fiscal stimulus, liquidity, and, ironically, the war in Iran have all converged to create very favorable market conditions. While everyone looks at AI, investors are overlooking that QE is back and that new, enhanced SLR legislation is driving up bank lending and re-accelerating the economy. AI is just the outlet of all these underlying tailwinds. Understanding these dynamics is key in order to really assess how long this bull market is going to run and when exactly stocks will turn. Let’s break it down. The Market Isn’t Trading Fundamentals Yes, the Shiller PE ratio is back at record highs. Shiller PE (Multpl.com) And yes, AI-related stocks now account for close to 40% of the market . And yet the Nasdaq continues pushing higher. Because the market isn’t trading fundamentals, it hasn’t for a while; it's trading on liquidity, And liquidity has been inconspicuously increasing. While everyone talks about Kevin Warsh and upcoming Fed cuts, they are overlooking what the Treasury, Fed, and banks are doing right now The Treasury (and Fed) Is Quietly Injecting Liquidity Most investors never pay attention to the TGA, but they should. TGA (FRED) This is the government’s balance sheet, and it gives us a good idea of how much money is being pushed into the economy in terms of fiscal stimulus. Earlier this month, Treasury borrowing estimates were revised higher due to tariff reimbursements. Reportedly, the government needs to reimburse roughly $175 billion tied to tariff programs and related adjustments. That’s all the money going into the economy, paired with tax cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill, which came into effect in April. But the reason this is truly stimulating is that it is being supported by the Fed. Fed Balance Sheet (FRED) Since January, the Fed has unofficially begun expanding it...

Capital World Investors (NASDAQ: MU) holds 42.2M shares, 3.7% stake Stock Titan

Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 8 a.m. ET Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email pr@fool.com Continue reading

Erik Isakson/DigitalVision via Getty Images Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (TSX: BIPC:CA )(NYSE: BIPC ) shares have struggled recently amid news that the company may abandon the corporation/partnership unit share structure. This has caused the corporation shares to become undervalued versus the partnership shares, creating a unique buying opportunity in the corporation shares. (Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation trades on both the TSX and NYSE but reports in USD.) All currencies are in USD unless indicated otherwise. Introduction Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation is a Brookfield-sponsored entity that invests in various infrastructure-related assets around the world. Most of its assets are owned in North and South America, but it also has exposure to Europe, Asia, and Australia. Investor presentation Up until 2020, owning shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (TSX: BIP.UN:CA )(NYSE: BIP ) was the only way for investors to put their money to work into the company. This came with a certain amount of tax headaches -- especially for U.S.-based investors -- and so BIP introduced a new corporate class of shares that pay dividends, rather than distributions. BIPC is a Canadian corporation, headquartered in Toronto, while BIP is a Bermuda-based limited partnership. Economically, the shares are identical. They represent the same ownership stake in the same assets. But for many investors in a taxable account, buying shares of the corporation would result in a higher after-tax income. The distinction between the two entities will become important a little later on in this analysis. The company's assets can be split into four different categories, including: Transport - includes rail, toll roads, and diversified terminals. Utilities - includes regulated transmission and commercial/residential distribution assets. Midstream - includes various energy transportation, storage, and processing assets. Data - includes data transmission, distribution, and storage as...

Iran war is the bigger story, but the bond market is primed to deliver a kick if any extreme positions arise from a formal race It is a mistake to think every twitch in the price of UK government debt is caused by the latest instalment in the great Labour leadership meltdown. Waiting for Wes is not the only drama in town for your average bond vigilante. Resolution, or not, to the Iran conflict is still the bigger story. Those vigilantes will not be ignoring events in Westminster, obviously. It’s just that there is not yet much to chew on in terms of what it means for fixed-income investors’ daily diet of expectations for inflation, interest rates, growth, borrowing and so on. Continue reading...

格隆汇5月15日｜伊朗外交部：外长阿拉格奇与俄罗斯外长拉夫罗夫会晤，双方讨论并回顾了德黑兰与莫斯科在政治、能源、交通及地区合作领域的合作情况。双方还就西亚地区的最新发展及与伊朗核问题相关的谈判交换了意见。

mohd izzuan Precigen ( PGEN ) shares climbed ~12% on Thursday to approach a three-month high after the Maryland-based biotech reported better-than-expected Q1 2026 financials thanks to its newly launched cancer therapy Papzimeos. The company added $23.3M in revenue for the quarter, up $21.9M from the prior-year period, exceeding the consensus by $2.5M, driven by rising uptake of Papzimeos, an immunotherapy approved by the FDA in August. "We are thrilled with the strength of the PAPZIMEOS launch and the pace of revenue growth as we drive broad commercial success across the US,” CEO Helen Sabzevari said, adding that the company plans to seek additional opportunities for the drug in overseas markets and the pediatric population. “In the second quarter of 2026, we are seeing continued strength in revenue growth from PAPZIMEOS," CFO Harry Thomasian added. Given the sharp topline growth, Precigen’s ( PGEN ) net loss fell ~85% year over year to $7.9M. Its cash, cash equivalents, and investments, meanwhile, reached $56.7M, which Thomasian said could help the firm become cash-flow break-even by the end of this year based on its current revenue guidance and cash to be received from Papzimeos sales. Seeking Alpha analyst Sean Daly reaffirmed his Buy rating on PGEN, expecting Wall Street to finally recognize the potential of the company “with this impressive 1Q earnings call.” “This is a company that is seeing real commercial validation, and the stock is still cheap relative to its future earnings,” Daly wrote. More on Precigen Precigen: Full Commercial Validation And Room To Run Precigen, Inc. (PGEN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Precigen, Inc. (PGEN) Discusses Launch and Differentiation of PAPZIMEOS Immunotherapy for Adult RRP Transcript Precigen anticipates funding through cash flow breakeven by end of 2026 as PAPZIMEOS launch scales Precigen Q1 Earnings Preview

Details of case in which group deny abusing girls for several years restricted amid dispute with media over transparency Six men have gone on trial at Bristol crown court accused of grooming and sexually assaulting vulnerable teenage girls in the city. They were allegedly part of a large group of men who abused girls over several years. All six men deny the charges against them, which involved “multiple complainants”. Continue reading...

Earnings Call Insights: BioHarvest Sciences (BHST) Q1 2026 Management View "Revenues for the first quarter of 2026 increased 8% year-over-year to $8.5 million from $7.9 million in the same year ago quarter." (Chief Financial Officer Bar Dichter) "As we announced on April 29, in accordance with our new two-lens approach, a leadership transition was put in place to optimize the performance of the 2 businesses." (Co-Founder, CEO, Executive Chairman & President Zaki Rakib) "On Tuesday, we announced that our CDMO division signed a $1.2 million Stage 2 contract as part of this development program." (CEO Rakib) "Importantly, under the terms of the Stage 2 agreement, BioHarvest retains 20% ownership of the compositions developed, creating a long-term royalty stream." (CEO Rakib) "Yesterday, we announced the completion of Stage 1 of a multistage development program with Saffron Tech." (CEO Rakib) "In Q1, we started implementing significant changes in our marketing and sales approach, aiming at improving the profitability of the D2C business." (CEO Rakib) "At Vitafoods, I had the pleasure of having with me our new Head of Business Development, Mrs. Nedira Salzman-Frenkel, who started with us in March." (CEO Rakib) Outlook "The combination of existing projects and new ones expected to be added before the end of the year will generate a total revenue, as previously guided, between $4 million and $6 million." (CEO Rakib) "Total CDMO 2026 revenue, including intercompany VINIA production is expected to be between $12 million and $14 million." (CEO Rakib) "Total adjusted EBITDA loss for the year, as previously guided, is expected to be between $4 million and $5 million." (CEO Rakib) "Revenue guidance for 2026 for the D2C business remains ranging from $38 million to $42 million with adjusted EBITDA profit of $0.5 million to $2 million." (CEO Rakib) "While it has created a onetime decline in revenue in Q1 2026 compared to Q4 2025, we expect for the remainder of the year a quarter-ove...

Cerebras Systems Inc. shares jumped 81% in its trading debut on the Nasdaq, after the artificial intelligence chipmaker and data center firm raised $5.55 billion in the year’s largest initial public offering. Bloomberg's Norah Mulinda is tracking the action for us. (Source: Bloomberg)

Marcio Waismann/iStock via Getty Images Since my last Alibaba Group Holding Limited ( BABA ) analysis , in which I issued a Hold rating, the stock has gained only 3.26% in price. However, since my Strong Buy rating before that, the stock is up by 36.63% in price. I am moderately bullish on BABA stock at this juncture, though the stock-specific valuation is nuanced, despite the broader obvious China-equity value opportunity in the macro. Alibaba just posted Q4 2026 earnings , and so this thesis will explore the stock's valuation amid recent fundamental developments. I will also discuss Chinese equities more broadly, as I do own China somewhat, with a plan to scale the exposure to about 10% of NAV. I see remarkable value there amid the necessity for geopolitical compromise and détente between the West and the increasingly China-led East. Q4 2026 Earnings Alibaba stock is up modestly post-earnings, as the company is looking less like typical China value and more like an AI infrastructure growth and platform strategy. That said, profit is currently being intentionally consumed by the company in favor of growth, with revenue up 3% year-over-year (11% like-for-like), but adjusted EBITA fell 84%. We can look at this with strategic clarity: future relevance is being preserved by using today's earnings as fuel. Even though net income looked strong, much of this strength is a mirage, given that management says investment gains drove much of the uplift. This is quite literally the midst of a full strategic spend cycle, with the most cutting evidence being FY26 free cash flow falling to -RMB46.61B versus RMB73.87B year-over-year. Alibaba is spending on three core fronts, namely AI/cloud, Qwen user acquisition, and user experience. FY26 capex was RMB126.1B, primarily used to buy compute and optimize consumer frequency, merchant retention, and its commerce AI interface. While ROIC is not yet disclosed, cloud is the clearest return pool, where revenue is up +38% year-over-year, ex...

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Celeste Calocane gives evidence for first time at inquiry into Valdo Calocane’s 2023 attacks The mother of the man who killed three people in an attack in Nottingham in 2023 has told an inquiry that the mental health “system is broken” and until there is a crisis “no one listens to you”. Valdo Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to a suspended hospital order in January 2024 after killing students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, a 65-year-old caretaker, on 13 June 2023, and attempting to kill three others. Continue reading...

Earnings Call Insights: American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) Q1 2026 Management View “In late April, we announced a leadership transition with Gary Delanois stepping down as our Chief Executive Officer for personal reasons and the Board appointing Craig Tagawa as our Interim CEO.” (Executive Chairman Raymond Stachowiak) “We saw meaningful growth in volumes at the Orlando PBRT facility, our Rhode Island centers and our international Gamma Knife centers.” (Executive Chairman Stachowiak) “Looking ahead, we see significant opportunity in international markets, including the development of our Guadalajara Center, which we expect to begin operations late this year.” (Executive Chairman Stachowiak) “Revenue increased approximately 15.9% year-over-year to $7.1 million, driven by strong contributions from our Rhode Island and Puebla radiation therapy centers as well as growth in proton therapy volumes.” (Interim Chief Executive Officer Craig K. Tagawa) “For the first quarter of 2026, total revenue increased 15.9% to $7.1 million compared to $6.1 million in the prior year period.” (Chief Financial Officer Frech Scott) Outlook “I'm pleased to report that we are continuing to see volumes trending positively into our second quarter as we remain extremely focused on strong execution.” (Executive Chairman Stachowiak) “We're on schedule for those 2 centers. But keep in mind, these are long-term projects.” (Executive Chairman Stachowiak) “The radiation therapy center in Bristol, Rhode Island… we're not expecting to open that facility for another 18 or 24 months.” (Executive Chairman Stachowiak) “The proton beam facility in Johnston, Rhode Island is even further out. It's about 24 to 30 months out.” (Executive Chairman Stachowiak) “No, I don't think that will have any material impact because we signed a 2-year extension for that agreement. So that revenue stream will continue from that site.” (Executive Chairman Stachowiak) Financial Results $7.1 million in Q1 revenue vs. $6.87 mi...

TwilightShow/iStock via Getty Images Investment thesis Sanara MedTech ( SMTI ) reported a surprisingly strong Q1 2026, posting 19% revenue growth, gross margins above 93%, and its first GAAP profitable quarter in years. In my view, the market had underestimated how much the discontinuation of the THP segment would improve the company’s profits, and this no longer looks like a speculative turnaround story. The core Surgical business is already profitable, and management now appears fully focused on the segment generating the best returns. So, I believe the stock still looks attractive despite the sharp post-earnings rally. High-margin business recently profitable Sanara MedTech is a small company selling wound care products used directly in the operating room that are designed to improve the wound healing and reduce infections after a surgery. Its two most important products are CellerateRX , a collagen powder used to support wound healing, and BIASURGE , an antimicrobial irrigation solution designed to clean surgical wounds during the procedure. You can see them in the following image. Sanara MedTech investor presentation The business model itself is fairly asset-light because Sanara sells through a network of independent distributors. That shows up clearly in the very high gross margins that actually reached 93% in the recent Q1 2026 . What also stands out to me is that the company is already operating profitably, with operating margins close to 10%. For me that matters because it suggests the model is already commercially viable, not just a story built around future potential or an unproven market opportunity. Data by YCharts As I mentioned, in the most recent quarter, the company reported gross margins exceeding 93%, but this was also accompanied by 19% sales growth (slightly higher than what analysts expected ), and the company achieved GAAP net profitability for the first time since Q2 2022, which was completely unexpected. Q1 2026 Estimate Actual Beat (%) Reve...

Zhanna Hapanovich/iStock via Getty Images For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the total return on the Ave Maria Value Focused Fund ( AVERX ) was 19.97%, compared to the S&P 1500® Index at -3.81% and the S&P 500® Index at -4.33%. The Fund's performance versus its benchmarks as of the end of the quarter were: Annualized FUND YEAR-TO-DATE 1 YEAR 3 YEAR 5 YEAR 10 YEAR SINCE INCEPTION¹ (1/ 1/ 84) Ave Maria Value Focused Fund ( AVERX ) Prospectus Gross/Net Expense Ratio²: 1.30%/1.26% 19.97% 17.80% 23.92% 16.53% 16.14% 9.06% S&P 1500® Index -3.81% 17.85% 17.77% 11.58% 13.84% – S&P 500® Index -4.33% 17.80% 18.32% 12.06% 14.16% 10.61% Click to enlarge Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value are historical and may fluctuate so that redemption value may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than what is quoted. Call 1-866-AVE-MARIA for the most current month-end performance. 1 Since inception is from the commencement of operations as a registered investment company on July 20, 1993. 2 The adviser has contractually agreed to limit the Fund's ordinary operating expenses to an amount not exceeding 1.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets until at least May 1, 2026. The Fund is currently rated by Morningstar at 5-stars overall in the mid-cap blend category (among 365 funds) based on risk-adjusted returns. It is also rated 5-stars for the 3-year (among 365 funds), 5-year (among 341 funds), and 10-year periods (among 263 funds). The Fund's Q1 performance was the result of share price appreciation in several portfolio holdings, across a variety of industry sectors. The Fund's best and worst performing stocks in Q1 were: Top Performers COMPANY TOTAL RETURN Texas Pacific Land Corporation ( TPL ) 65.41% Occidental Petroleum Corporation ( OXY ) 58.85% LandBridge Company, LLC ( LB ) 41.17% Chevron Corporation ( CVX ) 37.09% WaterBridge I...

William_Potter/iStock via Getty Images By Geoff Bysshe Critical Minerals Are Strategic Infrastructure Critical minerals are to the digital economy what crude oil was to the industrial economy: a foundational input that quietly powers nearly every strategically important industry. Artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductors, robotics, aerospace, defense systems, electrical grids, battery storage, telecommunications equipment, drones, and next-generation manufacturing all depend on reliable access to critical minerals and rare earth elements. The national security implications are equally significant. Rare earth magnets are essential for fighter jets, missile guidance systems, radar, satellites, submarines, advanced communications systems, and AI-related compute infrastructure. In many cases, economically viable substitutes are limited or nonexistent. As a result, critical minerals are no longer just commodities. They are strategic assets tied directly to technological leadership, economic strength, and military dominance. The Real Bottleneck Is Refining - Not Discovery Despite the name, rare earth elements are not especially rare geologically. The real challenge lies in the ability to extract, separate, refine, and manufacture usable materials economically and at scale. That process is difficult, capital-intensive, environmentally sensitive, and technologically complex. As a result, China currently: Mines roughly 70% of the world’s rare earth elements Controls approximately 85% of global refining capacity Manufactures nearly 90% of rare earth magnets That concentration creates a significant strategic vulnerability for the United States and its allies. The market received a reminder of that risk in 2025 when China imposed new export restrictions on several rare earth materials and related technologies following rising geopolitical tensions with the United States. The strategic vulnerability created by concentrated critical mineral supply chains may eventual...

Key PointsMercadoLibre continues to see strong user growth for its e-commerce and fintech platform.

Intel partners with McLaren Racing to power F1 and IndyCar with computing tech The Business Journals

July ICE NY cocoa (CCN26 ) today is down -188 (-4.28%), and July ICE London cocoa #7 (CAN26 ) is down -147 (-4.49%). Cocoa prices are sharply lower today and dropped to 1-week lows after the Ivory Coast boosted its cocoa delivery estimate for this season. The Ivory Coast now...

July arabica coffee (KCN26 ) today is down -5.00 (-1.78%), and July ICE robusta coffee (RMN26 ) is down -77 (-2.16%). Coffee prices are retreating today amid a stronger dollar. The dollar index ($DXY ) climbed to a 2-week high today, undercutting most commodity prices, including coffee. On Wednesday, robusta...

June WTI crude oil (CLM26 ) today is down -0.19 (-0.19%), and June RBOB gasoline (RBM26 ) is down -0.0534 (-1.48%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are under pressure today from a rally in the dollar index ($DXY ) to a 2-week high. Also, signs that OPEC+ may boost its...

The UK government gave planning permission to three offshore wind farms, which could create as much as 4 gigawatts of new capacity as Britain steps up support for renewable energy. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero granted development consent to RWE AG and Masdar ’s two Dogger Bank South offshore wind farms on Thursday, nearly two years after the application was first made. The projects each have 1.5 GW of capacity. The government also gave planning consent to the North Falls wind farm off the coast of Suffolk, which would add 1GW of capacity. RWE and Masdar’s Dogger Bank South projects were the only ones to win subsidy contracts in a government auction earlier this year, despite not having planning permission. The companies said they would now seek to reach a final investment decision in 2027. Britain continues to have some of the highest electricity prices in Europe, which has underpinned moves to develop offshore wind as part of a broader 2030 clean-power goal. The government has said investing in renewables and moving away from a gas-based electric system will ultimately lower costs, but it does mean that the high upfront expense of building wind farms is passed on to consumers in the short term.