Micron Technology (MU 6.94%) has been a winning stock in recent times thanks to its key role in the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. The company's shares have soared more than 300% over the past year as customers rush to Micron's memory and storage products. The company confirmed this trend in the latest quarter, with AI demand fueling record revenue and free cash flow. And Micron expects ...
Micron Technology (MU 6.94%) has been a winning stock in recent times thanks to its key role in the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. The company's shares have soared more than 300% over the past year as customers rush to Micron's memory and storage products. The company confirmed this trend in the latest quarter, with AI demand fueling record revenue and free cash flow. And Micron expects the momentum to continue. Now the key question is: Will stock performance follow? Analysts expect the shares to decline by about 4% from their level as of the March 2 market close over the coming 12 months. But I think Wall Street is wrong about this top AI player. Here's why. The need for memory As mentioned, Micron offers something that is in great need today and should continue to be a necessity in the future: memory. AI workloads will require plenty of it as the AI story shifts into the phase of inference, or the actual process AI goes through to solve complex problems. Today, cloud companies are building out their infrastructure to meet current and future demand from customers that need training, inference power, and more. And this should equal demand for Micron's products over the coming years. AI chip giant Nvidia has predicted that AI infrastructure spending could reach $4 trillion by the end of the decade. That could be good news for Micron. As mentioned, in the latest quarter Micron's revenue jumped more than 56% to $13 billion -- and the company predicts more growth in the coming quarter, with a forecast of more than $18 billion in revenue. Micron also expects gross margin of 67%, showing high profitability on sales. Expand NASDAQ : MU Micron Technology Today's Change ( -6.94 %) $ -28.64 Current Price $ 384.03 Key Data Points Market Cap $464B Day's Range $ 374.64 - $ 390.11 52wk Range $ 61.54 - $ 455.50 Volume 937K Avg Vol 33M Gross Margin 45.53 % Dividend Yield 0.11 % More records on the horizon? "We anticipate substantial new records in revenue, gross margin, E...
molchanovdmitry/iStock via Getty Images To compensate for a 2% drop in North American ski passes this year and adverse skiing conditions in many of its Western U.S. slopes, Vail Resorts ( MTN ) is giving Gen Zers a 20% discount on a full-priced Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass for the 2026/2027 ski season. The demographic, which is defined as individuals between the ages of 13 and 28, makes up 26% of...
molchanovdmitry/iStock via Getty Images To compensate for a 2% drop in North American ski passes this year and adverse skiing conditions in many of its Western U.S. slopes, Vail Resorts ( MTN ) is giving Gen Zers a 20% discount on a full-priced Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass for the 2026/2027 ski season. The demographic, which is defined as individuals between the ages of 13 and 28, makes up 26% of skiers at Vail Resort ( MTN ) slopes and has been gradually declining from its 2020-2021 peak. "The future of the sport depends on the next generation of skiers and riders, and it is our responsibility to create a more accessible pathway for them well into young adulthood," said Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts. An adult Epic Pass will cost 3.6% more this year at $1,089, while an Epic Pass for skiers and snowboarders between the ages of 13 and 30 will cost $869. An Epic Pass offers season-long access to Vail Resorts’ slopes in the U.S. and Canada, as well as 20% off on-mountain dining. The company is also offering a return of Epic Friend Tickets for the 2026/2027 season, giving Epic Pass Holders 10 friend tickets for 50%-off lift tickets and 25% off child lift ticket prices. With consumers cutting back on discretionary spending, fewer Canadians visiting U.S. sites, and a dearth of meaningful snowfall during the early part of the ski season all undermining demand, Vail Resorts ( MTN ) is pulling out all the stops to lure skiers back to the slopes. The company is implementing dynamic pricing strategies, offering discounts on seasonal passes, and enabling purchasers of lift tickets to apply up to $175 to a future pass purchase. The company also bumped up its marketing budget, reflected in a wider loss in the fiscal first quarter.
Key Points Conflict in the Mideast drove gold prices higher at first, but they're falling today. War can be inflationary, but it might also convince the Federal Reserve not to lower interest rates. 10 stocks we like better than Newmont › Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) stock tumbled 7.3% through noon ET Tuesday on a confluence of confusing factors. As you've probably heard, there's war in the Mide...
Key Points Conflict in the Mideast drove gold prices higher at first, but they're falling today. War can be inflationary, but it might also convince the Federal Reserve not to lower interest rates. 10 stocks we like better than Newmont › Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) stock tumbled 7.3% through noon ET Tuesday on a confluence of confusing factors. As you've probably heard, there's war in the Mideast. Ordinarily, investors flee to gold and silver as safe havens in troubled times, and at first, that's what seemed to be happening this time, too. Problem is, gold and silver prices decided to tank today, and they're taking the stock price of this gold miner down with them. (Newmont also mines silver.) 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 » Gold and silver prices fall Gold prices closed February around $5,278 per ounce, according to data from TradingEconomics.com. Prices spiked after U.S. and Israeli forces began striking Iran over the weekend, rising as high as $5,416 early Monday before starting to fade. At last report, gold was trading at $5,101 per ounce, down 4% from yesterday's close. The story on silver is similar -- but worse. Silver's price closed at $93.73 per ounce at the end of February before moving higher, topping $96.10 Monday. Today, silver is down 7.4% to $82.42 per ounce. Is Newmont stock a sell? Why is this happening? Well, the U.S. dollar -- also a safe haven -- is strengthening. Thus, it takes fewer dollars to buy an ounce of gold or silver. The natural result is falling prices for precious metals. War can also be inflationary -- which should be good for precious metal prices. But if inflation spooks the Fed into holding interest rates steady, this could lower inflation long term -- or so the thinking goes. Personally, I expect gold and silver prices to react to war worrie...
Newmont Corporation (NEM 8.17%) stock tumbled 7.3% through noon ET Tuesday on a confluence of confusing factors. As you've probably heard, there's war in the Mideast. Ordinarily, investors flee to gold and silver as safe havens in troubled times, and at first, that's what seemed to be happening this time, too. Problem is, gold and silver prices decided to tank today, and they're taking the stock p...
Newmont Corporation (NEM 8.17%) stock tumbled 7.3% through noon ET Tuesday on a confluence of confusing factors. As you've probably heard, there's war in the Mideast. Ordinarily, investors flee to gold and silver as safe havens in troubled times, and at first, that's what seemed to be happening this time, too. Problem is, gold and silver prices decided to tank today, and they're taking the stock price of this gold miner down with them. (Newmont also mines silver.) Gold and silver prices fall Gold prices closed February around $5,278 per ounce, according to data from TradingEconomics.com. Prices spiked after U.S. and Israeli forces began striking Iran over the weekend, rising as high as $5,416 early Monday before starting to fade. At last report, gold was trading at $5,101 per ounce, down 4% from yesterday's close. The story on silver is similar -- but worse. Silver's price closed at $93.73 per ounce at the end of February before moving higher, topping $96.10 Monday. Today, silver is down 7.4% to $82.42 per ounce. Expand NYSE : NEM Newmont Today's Change ( -8.17 %) $ -10.50 Current Price $ 117.97 Key Data Points Market Cap $140B Day's Range $ 115.92 - $ 120.91 52wk Range $ 41.93 - $ 134.88 Volume 537K Avg Vol 9.6M Gross Margin 49.78 % Dividend Yield 0.78 % Is Newmont stock a sell? Why is this happening? Well, the U.S. dollar -- also a safe haven -- is strengthening. Thus, it takes fewer dollars to buy an ounce of gold or silver. The natural result is falling prices for precious metals. War can also be inflationary -- which should be good for precious metal prices. But if inflation spooks the Fed into holding interest rates steady, this could lower inflation long term -- or so the thinking goes. Personally, I expect gold and silver prices to react to war worries the way they usually do. I think the general price trend will be up, not down. With Newmont stock trading for a cheap 20 times earnings, the stock looks like a buy to me.
Key Points Kontoor's Wrangler brand delivered strong Q4 results. Its Helly Hansen acquisition appears to be paying off. It trades at a forward P/E of just 12. 10 stocks we like better than Kontoor Brands › On a down day for the market due to uncertainty from the war in Iran, Kontoor Brands (NYSE: KTB) was a rare winner after it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Kontoor, which w...
Key Points Kontoor's Wrangler brand delivered strong Q4 results. Its Helly Hansen acquisition appears to be paying off. It trades at a forward P/E of just 12. 10 stocks we like better than Kontoor Brands › On a down day for the market due to uncertainty from the war in Iran, Kontoor Brands (NYSE: KTB) was a rare winner after it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Kontoor, which was previously owned by V.F. Corp, owns lifestyle and workwear brands like Wrangler, Lee, and Helly Hansen, the last of which it acquired from Canadian Tire in June 2025. 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 » Kontoor easily beat estimates on the top and bottom lines and impressed with its 2026 guidance. As of 12:35 p.m. ET, the stock was up 18.4%. Kontoor impresses in a difficult market Kontoor's revenue jumped 46% in the quarter to $1.02 billion, beating estimates at $976.2 million, with much of the increase driven by the Helly Hansen acquisition. On an organic basis, which excludes the acquisition and foreign currency changes, Kontoor reported 9.3% revenue growth. That was driven by Wrangler, whose revenue was up 12% to $561.9 million, while Lee returned to growth, up 2% to $198.1 million. Results were also strong on the bottom line as Wrangler's operating profit jumped 22% to $128.6 million. Lee fell as a result of investments in the brand, and management called 2026 a transition year for Lee. Overall, adjusted operating income of $150 million, up from 48% a year ago, and adjusted earnings per share rose 26% to $1.73, which beat expectations at $1.64. CEO Scott Baxter said, "2025 was a transformational year for Kontoor, highlighted by the acquisition of Helly Hansen, strong growth in Wrangler and disciplined execution." What's next for Kontoor Kontoor's guidance was also ahead of the Wall Stre...
On a down day for the market due to uncertainty from the war in Iran, Kontoor Brands (KTB +18.91%) was a rare winner after it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Kontoor, which was previously owned by V.F. Corp, owns lifestyle and workwear brands like Wrangler, Lee, and Helly Hansen, the last of which it acquired from Canadian Tire in June 2025. Kontoor easily beat estimates on t...
On a down day for the market due to uncertainty from the war in Iran, Kontoor Brands (KTB +18.91%) was a rare winner after it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Kontoor, which was previously owned by V.F. Corp, owns lifestyle and workwear brands like Wrangler, Lee, and Helly Hansen, the last of which it acquired from Canadian Tire in June 2025. Kontoor easily beat estimates on the top and bottom lines and impressed with its 2026 guidance. As of 12:35 p.m. ET, the stock was up 18.4%. Kontoor impresses in a difficult market Kontoor's revenue jumped 46% in the quarter to $1.02 billion, beating estimates at $976.2 million, with much of the increase driven by the Helly Hansen acquisition. On an organic basis, which excludes the acquisition and foreign currency changes, Kontoor reported 9.3% revenue growth. That was driven by Wrangler, whose revenue was up 12% to $561.9 million, while Lee returned to growth, up 2% to $198.1 million. Results were also strong on the bottom line as Wrangler's operating profit jumped 22% to $128.6 million. Lee fell as a result of investments in the brand, and management called 2026 a transition year for Lee. Overall, adjusted operating income of $150 million, up from 48% a year ago, and adjusted earnings per share rose 26% to $1.73, which beat expectations at $1.64. CEO Scott Baxter said, "2025 was a transformational year for Kontoor, highlighted by the acquisition of Helly Hansen, strong growth in Wrangler and disciplined execution." Expand NYSE : KTB Kontoor Brands Today's Change ( 18.91 %) $ 12.26 Current Price $ 77.08 Key Data Points Market Cap $3.6B Day's Range $ 70.81 - $ 79.75 52wk Range $ 50.00 - $ 87.00 Volume 1.7M Avg Vol 781K Gross Margin 46.11 % Dividend Yield 3.22 % What's next for Kontoor Kontoor's guidance was also ahead of the Wall Street view as it sees revenue of $3.4 billion-$3.45 billion, which represents growth of 9%, or 11% excluding the impact of the prior year, and compares to the consensus at $3.45 ...
Earnings Call Insights: AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) Q2 2026 Management View CEO Philip Daniele highlighted that AutoZone delivered sales growth of 8.1% for the quarter, with total same-store sales up 3.3% on a constant currency basis and domestic same-store sales rising 3.4%. Daniele noted, "Our results would not be possible without us always asking what the customer needs and how we can meet those needs...
Earnings Call Insights: AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) Q2 2026 Management View CEO Philip Daniele highlighted that AutoZone delivered sales growth of 8.1% for the quarter, with total same-store sales up 3.3% on a constant currency basis and domestic same-store sales rising 3.4%. Daniele noted, "Our results would not be possible without us always asking what the customer needs and how we can meet those needs more efficiently day in and day out." Daniele stated that domestic DIY same-store sales increased by 1.5%, and domestic commercial sales grew 9.8% versus last year’s Q2. He acknowledged commercial sales were impacted by winter storms, especially in the last four weeks of the quarter, but stressed, "Historically, these types of winter weather patterns have had a positive impact on our summer selling season." AutoZone opened 64 stores globally this quarter, compared to 45 last year, and now plans to open approximately 350 to 360 stores for the full year. Daniele said, “We continue to be very pleased with the sales productivity we're generating out of our new stores as their sales results are exceeding our models.” CFO Jamere Jackson reported, “Total sales were $4.3 billion and were up 8.1% versus Q2 of last year. Our domestic same-store sales grew 3.4% and our international comp was up 2.5% on a constant currency basis. Total company EBIT was down 1.2%, and our EPS was down 2.3%. As Phil stated earlier, excluding our noncash $59 million LIFO charge, EBIT would have grown 7.2% and EPS would have been up 7.1%.” Outlook Management expects same SKU inflation to remain in the mid-single digits for the remainder of the fiscal year, with average ticket growth projected to rise sequentially through the third quarter and peak in the fourth quarter. Daniele said, "We continue to expect our average ticket to grow sequentially through the third fiscal quarter, which ends in May and then peak during the fourth quarter." Jackson indicated that LIFO charges are expected to continue at appr...
In trading on Tuesday, shares of Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund (Symbol: CSQ) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $18.68, changing hands as low as $18.41 per share. Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund shares are currently trading off about 1.7% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of CSQ shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, CSQ...
In trading on Tuesday, shares of Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund (Symbol: CSQ) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $18.68, changing hands as low as $18.41 per share. Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund shares are currently trading off about 1.7% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of CSQ shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, CSQ's low point in its 52 week range is $13.11 per share, with $19.83 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $18.68. Click here to find out which 9 other dividend stocks recently crossed below their 200 day moving average » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
C3.ai (NYSE: AI) was one of the world's first enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) companies. Today, it offers over 40 ready-made applications that help businesses deploy this revolutionary technology in a fast and cost-effective manner. However, the company's long-term shareholders have been on a wild ride which has, unfortunately, culminated in steep losses since its initial public offering (...
C3.ai (NYSE: AI) was one of the world's first enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) companies. Today, it offers over 40 ready-made applications that help businesses deploy this revolutionary technology in a fast and cost-effective manner. However, the company's long-term shareholders have been on a wild ride which has, unfortunately, culminated in steep losses since its initial public offering (IPO). The company went public in December 2020 at $42 per share, before quickly soaring to an all-time high of $161 during that same month. However, it has trended lower ever since, and despite some attempted recoveries along the way, it is now trading at an all-time low of around $8. It's sitting on a year-to-date loss of 36% in 2026 alone, as the company's new CEO struggles to stabilize its financial results following the departure of its founder, Thomas Siebel, last September due to health issues. But the emerging AI industry continues to boom. Could this be the ultimate chance to buy C3.ai stock at a heavy discount to its all-time high, or should investors steer clear? Continue reading
The Global X PureCap MSCI Consumer Discretionary ETF is seeing unusually high volume in afternoon trading Tuesday, with over 753,000 shares traded versus three month average volume of about 45,000. Shares of GXPD were down about 1.7% on the day. Components of that ETF with the highest volume on Tuesday were Ford Motor, trading off about 3.9% with over 45.3 million shares changing hands so far this...
The Global X PureCap MSCI Consumer Discretionary ETF is seeing unusually high volume in afternoon trading Tuesday, with over 753,000 shares traded versus three month average volume of about 45,000. Shares of GXPD were down about 1.7% on the day. Components of that ETF with the highest volume on Tuesday were Ford Motor, trading off about 3.9% with over 45.3 million shares changing hands so far this session, and Tesla, off about 2.8% on volume of over 39.3 million shares. Best Buy is the component faring the best Tuesday, up by about 6.8% on the day, while Autozone is lagging other components of the Global X PureCap MSCI Consumer Discretionary ETF, trading lower by about 5.1%. VIDEO: Tuesday's ETF with Unusual Volume: GXPD The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
aizram18/iStock via Getty Images It's not every day that a high-quality, category-leading staples firm comes onto the market. The Magnum Ice Cream Company ( MICC ) is a rare recent example, with shares making their debut just a few months ago after being spun out of global behemoth Unilever ( UL ). So far, it's been a bumpy ride. Up nearly 30% in its opening two months, investors have seen most of...
aizram18/iStock via Getty Images It's not every day that a high-quality, category-leading staples firm comes onto the market. The Magnum Ice Cream Company ( MICC ) is a rare recent example, with shares making their debut just a few months ago after being spun out of global behemoth Unilever ( UL ). So far, it's been a bumpy ride. Up nearly 30% in its opening two months, investors have seen most of MICC's early gains evaporate following the release of its first set of financial results, with the market seemingly unimpressed by the extent of the company's margin compression. At this point, I am not sure if you can read too much into MICC's operating performance. While it is facing some headwinds, post-separation noise is also playing a meaningful role right now, and that's understandable given MICC's limited time as a standalone business. The good news is that Wall Street's chronically short-term focus is an opportunity for the patient investor. At $14.96, MICC looks cheap in the context of its sector, and with a few catalysts on the horizon that can drive a re-rate, I like its prospects in the coming years. Data by YCharts A High-Quality Category Leader MICC's shares may be new to investors, but its products certainly won't be. Between Ben & Jerry's, Magnum, Cornetto, and the Heartbrand, the company dominates the list of best-selling global ice cream brands. Those four brands generated roughly €6.4 billion in sales for the firm last year, 80% of its total, driving a 20%-plus share of the global market by retail sales. Source: The Magnum Ice Cream Company FY2025 Results Presentation MICC was spun off by Unilever for a few reasons, and these are largely tied to its supply chain. Because ice cream needs to be kept frozen through distribution, this unit was lower margin and relatively more asset intensive than Unilever's other segments. A separate supply chain also meant there was less scope for synergies with the rest of its business. That said, the quality of MICC's pr...
In trading on Tuesday, shares of Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (Symbol: SAFT) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $75.29, changing hands as low as $74.91 per share. Safety Insurance Group, Inc. shares are currently trading off about 2.2% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of SAFT shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, SAFT's low poin...
In trading on Tuesday, shares of Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (Symbol: SAFT) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $75.29, changing hands as low as $74.91 per share. Safety Insurance Group, Inc. shares are currently trading off about 2.2% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of SAFT shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, SAFT's low point in its 52 week range is $67.035 per share, with $84.20 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $75.39. Click here to find out which 9 other dividend stocks recently crossed below their 200 day moving average » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President & CEO, Neel Kashkari discusses the outlook for interest rates, the US economy and the importance of central bank independence with Bloomberg’s Michael McKee at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in New York. (Source: Bloomberg)
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President & CEO, Neel Kashkari discusses the outlook for interest rates, the US economy and the importance of central bank independence with Bloomberg’s Michael McKee at Bloomberg Invest 2026 in New York. (Source: Bloomberg)
In trading on Tuesday, the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF is outperforming other ETFs, up about 1.1% on the day. Components of that ETF showing particular strength include shares of Intapp, up about 10.4% and shares of Rapid7, up about 7% on the day. And underperforming other ETFs today is the Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF, off about 10.4% in Tuesday afternoon trading. Among componen...
In trading on Tuesday, the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF is outperforming other ETFs, up about 1.1% on the day. Components of that ETF showing particular strength include shares of Intapp, up about 10.4% and shares of Rapid7, up about 7% on the day. And underperforming other ETFs today is the Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF, off about 10.4% in Tuesday afternoon trading. Among components of that ETF with the weakest showing on Tuesday were shares of Hycroft Mining Holding, lower by about 14.6%, and shares of Hecla Mining, lower by about 14% on the day. VIDEO: Tuesday's ETF Movers: IGV, SILJ The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
natatravel/iStock via Getty Images By Ezequiel Gomes Platinum ( XPTUSD:CUR ) turned sharply lower on Tuesday, March 3, with spot trade dropping toward $2,084 after a steep slide from the prior session, as a firmer U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields pulled investors out of a market that had just been testing the upper end of its recent range. The chart shifts from breakout to correction After ...
natatravel/iStock via Getty Images By Ezequiel Gomes Platinum ( XPTUSD:CUR ) turned sharply lower on Tuesday, March 3, with spot trade dropping toward $2,084 after a steep slide from the prior session, as a firmer U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields pulled investors out of a market that had just been testing the upper end of its recent range. The chart shifts from breakout to correction After trading near $2,314 at the prior close, platinum fell back toward $2,084, putting the market in a correction rather than a simple pause after last week’s strength. The day’s range has been wide, with prices stretching from about $2,004 to $2,346. That kind of spread usually signals aggressive repositioning, not calm consolidation, and it leaves traders focused on whether the selloff is still flushing out weak hands or beginning to stabilize. The first level that matters now is $2,000. If platinum can hold above that area, the market may start to build a base after the drop. A sustained break below it would expose a deeper retracement and likely shift attention to whether buyers are still willing to defend the broader uptrend at all. On the upside, the first repair zone sits near $2,150, followed by the old closing area around $2,300. Reclaiming those levels would not erase the damage, but it would suggest the move was a violent reset inside a still-active market rather than the start of a larger structural unwind. Platinum price dynamics (January - February 2026) (Source: TradingView) Dollar pressure is forcing a reassessment The biggest near-term headwind is the currency move. The dollar strengthened again on Tuesday, pushing the greenback to fresh recent highs and making platinum more expensive for buyers using other currencies. Yields are also moving in the wrong direction for metals. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield pushed above 4.10%, which raised the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets and added another layer of pressure to a market that had already run up ...
Jeremy Poland/E+ via Getty Images Middle East in Turmoil Again First off, condolences to any of those that may have suffered casualties in war. As market watchers, there's little we can do but make observations of the effects of war on equity and commodity prices. The effects of war and the stresses they put on families are always unfortunate. Energy spiked over the weekend as the War against Iran...
Jeremy Poland/E+ via Getty Images Middle East in Turmoil Again First off, condolences to any of those that may have suffered casualties in war. As market watchers, there's little we can do but make observations of the effects of war on equity and commodity prices. The effects of war and the stresses they put on families are always unfortunate. Energy spiked over the weekend as the War against Iran and its leadership commenced. With 20% of the world's oil reserves flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, a multi-week campaign in the region causing all kinds of disruptions was sure to have this effect. It could trickle down to an overall economic shock as well, with oil prices spiking near-term inflation and petrochemical inputs across a variety of products. This is further being exacerbated by Iran now indiscriminately hitting every nation adjoining the Gulf . In Saudi Arabia, Aramco ( ARMCO ) shut its Ras Tanura refinery as a precautionary measure after a drone strike, an industry source told Reuters. The plant is one of the largest refineries in the region, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. While DOW Secretary Hegseth said this will not be an endless war , the market will certainly have skeptics if more allied nations in the region get hit with drones and rockets. This could be a tactic to put pressure on the U.S. and Israel, as the Gulf states have influence over the leaders of both and act somewhat as an intermediary, or simply as a way to further disrupt oil supply. With President Trump hoping that rate cuts could be on the horizon, this coming inflation spike could further prolong those cuts. This could further prolong weakness in leverage-reliant housing and automotive markets as well. Sector Strength Year to Date Data by YCharts Using the SPDR sector ETFs as a proxy for sector performance, energy, as represented by the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLE ), has been the number one sector so far this year. The sector has returned 27.49% in ...
is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. We’ve been talking to phone companies both big and small this week at MWC and they’ve basically all agreed on one point: the RAM crisis is hitting hard, and phone prices will almost certainly increase where they haven’t...
is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. We’ve been talking to phone companies both big and small this week at MWC and they’ve basically all agreed on one point: the RAM crisis is hitting hard, and phone prices will almost certainly increase where they haven’t already. For a major global brand like Xiaomi, volume is one lever the company can pull. To balance out the increased costs, Angus Ng, Xiaomi’s director of communications and public relations tells us, “We can potentially go for bigger volumes, especially in the mid-range segment and entry-level segment, so then we can try to lower costs in that area.“ Pulling other levers, like scaling back flagship specs, isn’t considered an option. Says Ng, “…we have to chase the latest and intend to showcase our best.” The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra launching this week in Europe match last year’s pricing, but it sounds like that trend might not hold in the long term. “It’s like trading stock” Pricing is so unpredictable that suppliers are treating RAM like the catch of the day. Kaiwei Tang, CEO and cofounder at Light, says the company survived a “horrendous” year last year thanks to tariff chaos, and now faces yet more uncertainty in the RAM crisis. Tang says that Foxconn, Light’s supplier and phone manufacturer, laid out the reality a couple of months ago. “You can order memory, but they don’t tell you how much it costs until the day they ship. So it’s like trading stock.” He says Light can still refuse the order, “Yes or no, they don’t care if you don’t want it,” but that means they’ll just turn to the next company in a long queue for the sale. If there’s a kind of silver lining to be found, it’s that everybody is feeling the pressure in one way or another. Says Stefan Streit, TCL’s chief marketing officer for Europe, “It’s not like somebody is excluded from it. Everybody has to deal wit...
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images News A wave of worry about climbing defaults on loans to software companies is setting up firms in the private credit market for a shakeout, Apollo Global Management ( APO ) CEO Marc Rowan said on Tuesday at an investing conference. Equity markets have been roiled by investor concerns that artificial intelligence will exert crippling pressure on the software sector and en...
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images News A wave of worry about climbing defaults on loans to software companies is setting up firms in the private credit market for a shakeout, Apollo Global Management ( APO ) CEO Marc Rowan said on Tuesday at an investing conference. Equity markets have been roiled by investor concerns that artificial intelligence will exert crippling pressure on the software sector and endanger the $1.8T private credit market. Business development companies (BDCs), which hold proportionately large amounts of software loans, have been particularly hard hit in recent weeks. "I don't think it is going to be short-term," he said in an interview at the Bloomberg Invest event. "It was foreseeable. It was predictable. And all you can do is have been a good underwriter, a good risk manager, have done a small number of stupid things." A series of failed bank loans provided a larger example of issues facing credit markets, he said. Last week the collapse of Market Financial Solutions (MFS) left banks, including Barclays ( BCS ), Jefferies Financial Group ( JEF ), Wells Fargo ( WFC ), and Banco Santander ( SAN ), holding potential losses amid accusations of financial irregularities. Apollo's ( APO ) structured-credit arm, Atlas, held ~ £400M of exposure to MFS, or about 1% of its balance sheet, a company spokesperson had said, according to Bloomberg News. Rowan said it's better to have these types of risks in private market firms rather than on the balance sheets of banks, which can use government-insured deposits to make such loans. "If you're concerned about what's happening, you don't want it in your banking system," he said. "You prefer it in your investment marketplace, where people can price the risk." Meanwhile Blackstone ( BX ) President Jon Gray said concerns in the private credit market, which has led to record redemptions at its flagship private credit fund, are a "ton of noise." The firm's institutional clients "continue to allocate significant amounts to ...
Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30. In trad...
Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30. In trading on Tuesday, shares of BeOne Medicines Ltd (Symbol: ONC) entered into oversold territory, hitting an RSI reading of 27.1, after changing hands as low as $294.009 per share. By comparison, the current RSI reading of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is 39.5. A bullish investor could look at ONC's 27.1 RSI reading today as a sign that the recent heavy selling is in the process of exhausting itself, and begin to look for entry point opportunities on the buy side. The chart below shows the one year performance of ONC shares: Looking at the chart above, ONC's low point in its 52 week range is $196.45 per share, with $385.22 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $297.77. Find out what 9 other oversold stocks you need to know about » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Tesla (TSLA, Financials) CEO Elon Musk's social media platform X and artificial intelligence startup xAI plan to repay roughly $17.5 billion in debt tied to the companies, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley, which manages the debt for both companies, has informed lenders that X and xAI intend to repay their outs...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Tesla (TSLA, Financials) CEO Elon Musk's social media platform X and artificial intelligence startup xAI plan to repay roughly $17.5 billion in debt tied to the companies, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley, which manages the debt for both companies, has informed lenders that X and xAI intend to repay their outstanding obligations in full, according to the report. Bloomberg said xAI's $3 billion in high-yield bonds are expected to be redeemed at about $1.17 on the dollar, reflecting a premium as the debt had been expected to remain outstanding for at least two years. Companies that repay bonds early typically compensate investors with penalties and expected interest payments. Portions of the debt have been outstanding for years, while some carry early repayment penalties. The reported repayment follows a series of corporate moves. SpaceX acquired xAI in February in a deal valuing the AI startup at $250 billion. xAI previously acquired X, inheriting about $12 billion of the social media platform's debt. Earlier this year, xAI raised $20 billion in a Series E funding round, and Morgan Stanley led a $5 billion debt package for the company. The companies have not disclosed the source of capital for the planned repayments. Investors will likely monitor further details on capital structure and funding strategy as Musk's businesses continue to consolidate operations.
Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30. In trad...
Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30. In trading on Tuesday, shares of Vornado Realty Trust (Symbol: VNO) entered into oversold territory, hitting an RSI reading of 28.1, after changing hands as low as $25.71 per share. By comparison, the current RSI reading of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is 39.5. A bullish investor could look at VNO's 28.1 RSI reading today as a sign that the recent heavy selling is in the process of exhausting itself, and begin to look for entry point opportunities on the buy side. The chart below shows the one year performance of VNO shares: Looking at the chart above, VNO's low point in its 52 week range is $25.71 per share, with $43.37 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $26.36. Find out what 9 other oversold stocks you need to know about » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Among the underlying components of the S&P 500 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in GE Vernova Inc (Symbol: GEV), where a total of 17,624 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 1.8 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 65.2% of GEV's average daily trading volume over the past month of 2.7 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $90...
Among the underlying components of the S&P 500 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in GE Vernova Inc (Symbol: GEV), where a total of 17,624 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 1.8 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 65.2% of GEV's average daily trading volume over the past month of 2.7 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $900 strike call option expiring March 06, 2026 , with 641 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 64,100 underlying shares of GEV. Below is a chart showing GEV's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $900 strike highlighted in orange: ConocoPhillips (Symbol: COP) saw options trading volume of 43,216 contracts, representing approximately 4.3 million underlying shares or approximately 50.9% of COP's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 8.5 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $110 strike call option expiring June 18, 2026, with 11,991 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 1.2 million underlying shares of COP. Below is a chart showing COP's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $110 strike highlighted in orange: And JPMorgan Chase & Co (Symbol: JPM) saw options trading volume of 43,644 contracts, representing approximately 4.4 million underlying shares or approximately 41.3% of JPM's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 10.6 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $320 strike call option expiring April 17, 2026, with 2,211 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 221,100 underlying shares of JPM. Below is a chart showing JPM's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $320 strike highlighted in orange: For the various different available expirations for GEV options, COP options, or JPM options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com. Today's Most Active Call & Put Options of the S&P 500 » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein...