e-crow/iStock via Getty Images The White House administration plans to meet defense contractor executives on Friday to discuss speeding up production of weapons as stockpiles get diminished amid the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, Reuters reported, citing multiple unnamed sources. Executives from defense majors, including RTX ( RTX ) and Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) have been invited to the meeting. U.S. Pres...
e-crow/iStock via Getty Images The White House administration plans to meet defense contractor executives on Friday to discuss speeding up production of weapons as stockpiles get diminished amid the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, Reuters reported, citing multiple unnamed sources. Executives from defense majors, including RTX ( RTX ) and Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) have been invited to the meeting. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said on Monday that the country has a "virtually unlimited supply" of munitions and "wars can be fought "forever" … using just these supplies." The Pentagon has already been pushing to procure more munitions, with the 2025 reconciliation bill including $25B of funds to buy munitions and increase production. Lockheed Martin and RTX have also locked deals to increase missile production. RTX alone has a deal to ramp up annual production of its Tomahawk missiles to 1,000 units eventually. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg has also been working on a supplemental budget request of around $50B to replace weapons used in recent conflicts, Reuters reported. More on Lockheed Martin, RTX, etc. Dow Jones And U.S. Index Outlook: Stocks Get Caught In The Crossfire BAE Systems: Dangerous Valuation In 2026E, Despite Geopolitical Implications 2 Lines Are Being Crossed In Iran: Why Oil Could Hit $200+ A Barrel Trump tells Bessent to cut off all dealings with Spain SA analyst flags rising market sensitivity as Wall Street tumbles
Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 25.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 165,189 shares of the software giant's stock after purchasing an additional 33,045 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for approximately ...
Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 25.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 165,189 shares of the software giant's stock after purchasing an additional 33,045 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for approximately 2.2% of Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC's holdings in Microsoft were worth $85,560,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. IRON Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. IRON Financial LLC now owns 6,510 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $3,372,000 after acquiring an additional 1,225 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at about $9,941,000. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC lifted its position in Microsoft by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 94,120 shares of the software giant's stock worth $46,816,000 after acquiring an additional 2,373 shares in the last quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 2.3% in the third quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 70,175 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $36,347,000 after purchasing an additional 1,572 shares during the period. Finally, Weaver Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 14.0% during the third quarter. Weaver Capital Management LLC now owns 18,340 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $9,499,000 after acquiring an additional 2,247 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Microsof...
Singapore is the most expensive city in the Asia-Pacific region to outfit an office, driven by increased labour costs, a shortage of contractors and strict building standards, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The city had the highest average fit-out cost at US$2,029 per square metre – ahead of Tokyo (US$1,994) and Taipei (US$1,593) – in the firm’s survey of 23 cities across Austr...
Singapore is the most expensive city in the Asia-Pacific region to outfit an office, driven by increased labour costs, a shortage of contractors and strict building standards, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The city had the highest average fit-out cost at US$2,029 per square metre – ahead of Tokyo (US$1,994) and Taipei (US$1,593) – in the firm’s survey of 23 cities across Australasia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and India. It was also the most expensive place to set up an office regardless of specification level, topping the list for basic, standard and premium set-ups, Knight Frank said in a report published on Wednesday. Setting up a premium office in Singapore costs US$3,117 per square metre, commanding “a substantial premium relative to the rest of Southeast Asia” and “underscoring its position as a regional business and financial hub”, the report said. Advertisement Hong Kong ranked eighth, with an average of US$1,292 per square metre, while the major mainland Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen all came in at US$929 per square metre, placing them 11th. As a major financial hub, Singapore’s appeal has grown in recent years as a wave of Chinese businesses expanded overseas. As a result, its vacancy rates have been falling and its rents rising, especially in grade A office space in its central business district. Advertisement The vacancy rate for such offices fell by 0.3 percentage points to 6.7 per cent in the last quarter of 2025 from a quarter earlier, according to Savills. At the same time, average rents rose for a seventh straight quarter, gaining 0.3 per cent from a quarter earlier to S$9.96 (US$7.80) per square foot, compared with a 0.8 per cent rise in the previous quarter. Office rents increased by 1.8 per cent overall in 2025, surpassing the 1.1 per cent growth in 2024.
For years, debates about US-China competition have defaulted to the obvious categories: ships, chips, tariffs and security pacts. Soft power was often treated as America’s home turf, the domain of Hollywood, top universities, global brands and a political ideal that still attracts even when it disappoints. That assumption is getting riskier. The world has entered a new emotional weather pattern: f...
For years, debates about US-China competition have defaulted to the obvious categories: ships, chips, tariffs and security pacts. Soft power was often treated as America’s home turf, the domain of Hollywood, top universities, global brands and a political ideal that still attracts even when it disappoints. That assumption is getting riskier. The world has entered a new emotional weather pattern: fatigue. It’s a structural condition shaped by overlapping shocks: pandemic after-effects, inflation and cost-of-living strain, wars, climate anxiety, supply chain fragility and a constant sense of political whiplash. Advertisement Fatigue changes what people reward. It lowers tolerance for drama, raises the value of predictability and makes friction the enemy. Soft power is no longer won mainly through admiration but by being the partner that feels usable, steady and low-risk when no one has bandwidth left. The clearest place to watch this shift is Southeast Asia. When asked which side the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) should align with if forced to, respondents to last year’s poll by Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute showed an almost even split, with the United States narrowly (at 52.3 per cent) edging over China. Huawei Technologies launches its Mate XT, the world’s first trifold smartphone, in Kuala Lumpur on February 18, 2025. Photo: AP
Could War In Iran Spark A 2016-Style Migrant Crisis? Hungary's PM Orbán Warns Of Worst-Case Scenario Via Remix News, The migration crisis for Europe brought on by the war in Syria could repeat itself with Iran, but with Iran’s population dwarfing Syria’s, the crisis could be much worse, warns Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Ahead of Hungary’s April elections, Orbán has campaigned on peace, ...
Could War In Iran Spark A 2016-Style Migrant Crisis? Hungary's PM Orbán Warns Of Worst-Case Scenario Via Remix News, The migration crisis for Europe brought on by the war in Syria could repeat itself with Iran, but with Iran’s population dwarfing Syria’s, the crisis could be much worse, warns Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Ahead of Hungary’s April elections, Orbán has campaigned on peace, specifically staying out of the war in Ukraine, as well as preserving Hungary’s ability to say no to migration. However, he is now warning of further escalating dangers in the Middle East, including the risk of another wave of mass migration, similar to the masses of migrants seen in the capital of Budapest back in the 2015-2016 refugee crisis. Speaking at a forum in Sopron, he told those gathered that the world is becoming increasingly unstable, and Hungary must also prepare for the consequences. “There is also a war in the Middle East now. No one knows what immigration problems the prolonged military conflict will cause. Iran is a country of 90 million. If they start from there, Turkey is next, and they are already here in the Balkans, and they are here at our fence, ” the prime minister said in his latest video posted to X . “We need to be sensible. This is not a time for taking risks,” he added. “ War in the Middle East brings rising risks. A prolonged conflict may trigger new waves of mass migration, flowing from Iran to Turkey, through the Balkans, to our border. At the same time, LNG deliveries from Qatar are halted and energy prices are rising. These are testing times. Hungary must prepare and make sure the dam holds ,” Orbán captioned his video on X, showing clips from the crisis in 2015. ⚠️ War in the Middle East brings rising risks. A prolonged conflict may trigger new waves of mass migration, flowing from Iran to Turkey, through the Balkans, to our border. At the same time, LNG deliveries from Qatar are halted and energy prices are rising. These are testing… pic...
Dassault Aviation press release ( DUAVF ): FY Non-GAAP EPS of Є13.60. Revenue of Є46.6B (+7.8% Y/Y). The 2026 guidance is an increase in net sales compared to 2025, reaching the EUR 8.5 billion range (including the delivery of 40 Falcon and 28 Rafale). More on Dassault Aviation Dassault Aviation: European Undervalued Defense Stock With Rafale Upside Embraer unveils upgraded Praetor jets to tap str...
Dassault Aviation press release ( DUAVF ): FY Non-GAAP EPS of Є13.60. Revenue of Є46.6B (+7.8% Y/Y). The 2026 guidance is an increase in net sales compared to 2025, reaching the EUR 8.5 billion range (including the delivery of 40 Falcon and 28 Rafale). More on Dassault Aviation Dassault Aviation: European Undervalued Defense Stock With Rafale Upside Embraer unveils upgraded Praetor jets to tap strong business aviation demand Dassault leads $200M bet on AI-driven combat drones Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Dassault Aviation Historical earnings data for Dassault Aviation
Pawel Kacperek/iStock via Getty Images Fund performance The investment portfolio outperformed its benchmark by 10 bps during the period. The key positive contributor to the relative performance was the overweight exposure to the outperforming high-yield sector within the Asian credit allocation, with the Indian metals and mining sector supported by strong metals prices. Additionally, the underweig...
Pawel Kacperek/iStock via Getty Images Fund performance The investment portfolio outperformed its benchmark by 10 bps during the period. The key positive contributor to the relative performance was the overweight exposure to the outperforming high-yield sector within the Asian credit allocation, with the Indian metals and mining sector supported by strong metals prices. Additionally, the underweight exposure to Australian government bonds contributed positively as bond yields rose, while the decision to use foreign-exchange forwards to buy Australian dollar currency exposure also added value. The overweight exposure to the Indian rupee and Indonesian rupiah markets, and the underweight to strongly performing south-east Asian currencies, detracted value. 1 Cumulative and annualized total return as of January 31, 2026 (%) NAV Market Price 10 Years (p.a.) 3.15 4.76 5 Years (p.a.) -0.26 0.83 3 Years (p.a.) 6.31 9.63 1 Year 11.38 15.47 Year to Date 1.23 4.01 3 Months 2.24 5.23 1 month 1.23 4.01 Click to enlarge PAST PERFORMANCE DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate and shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. NAV return data includes investment management fees, custodial charges and administrative fees (such as Director and legal fees) and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions. The Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of principal. Returns for periods less than one year are not annualized. Expense ratios Fiscal year ended October 31 (%) Annual Expenses Percent of Net Assets Percent of Managed Assets Management Fees 0.83 0.57 Other Expenses 0.44 0.30 Operating Expenses 1.27 0.88 Leverage Costs 2.03 1.40 Total Expenses 3.31 2.28 Total Expenses before Fee Waiver 3.31 2.28 Click to enlarge Leverage Costs include interest, fees, and other other up front/offering costs associated with the leverage ...
European stocks notched their biggest gain since November after a report that Iran made indirect contact with the US to negotiate an end to the war. The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 1.4% by 11:34 a.m. in London amid speculation the conflict could be short-lived. Travel, leisure, and technology stocks led the gains, with positive earnings news also buoying sentiment. The move is a reprieve for the Europea...
European stocks notched their biggest gain since November after a report that Iran made indirect contact with the US to negotiate an end to the war. The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 1.4% by 11:34 a.m. in London amid speculation the conflict could be short-lived. Travel, leisure, and technology stocks led the gains, with positive earnings news also buoying sentiment. The move is a reprieve for the European benchmark, which is still on course for its worst weekly drop since April as the war in Iran enters its fifth day. Iranian operatives used backchannels to contact the Central Intelligence Agency a day after US-Israeli attacks began, the New York Times reported Wednesday. Among individual companies, ASM International NV rallied 7.3% after its fourth-quarter orders beat estimates, indicating investor confidence in semiconductor stocks, a key commodity in the artificial intelligence build-out race. Insurer Scor SE climbed 5.5% after its net income beat estimates. Investors in the region may also have taken some comfort from the relatively mild reaction on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 is down less than 1% since the conflict erupted. US futures rose 0.2% in pre-market trading. “Ultimately the US market hasn’t done much to the downside yet, which informs a little bit of a rebound in Europe,” Robert Schramm-Fuchs , portfolio manager on the European equities team at Janus Henderson Investors, said. “But a lot of that is going to be options driven, particularly liquidation of put options, which tends to be very unstable.” Carl Dooley , head of EMEA trading at TD Cowen, said the market has scope for a rebound. For the first time since January no single sector is showing as overbought, he said. That’s “creating a set up for a market bounce,” Dooley said. In Asia earlier, an index of the region’s stocks plunged the most in nearly a year, led by the biggest South Korean crash ever, as mounting concerns over the Iran war triggered an exodus from some of the world’s best-performing ma...