Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Robert E. Claypoole Chief Financial Officer — Mark L. Singleton Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Revenue -- $158 million for the quarter, up 3% and reflecting 10% organic growth after adjusting for prior-year advanced sales, with one additiona...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Robert E. Claypoole Chief Financial Officer — Mark L. Singleton Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Revenue -- $158 million for the quarter, up 3% and reflecting 10% organic growth after adjusting for prior-year advanced sales, with one additional selling day versus the prior year. -- $158 million for the quarter, up 3% and reflecting 10% organic growth after adjusting for prior-year advanced sales, with one additional selling day versus the prior year. Pain Treatments Segment -- Segment advanced 15%, with volume rather than price as the principal driver, and Duralane led growth due to continued market shift toward single-injection therapy. -- Segment advanced 15%, with volume rather than price as the principal driver, and Duralane led growth due to continued market shift toward single-injection therapy. Restorative Therapies -- Segment revenue declined 26%, with a divestiture of the Advanced Rehabilitation business cited as the full cause; organic revenue growth excluding this business was 10%, led by Exagen performance. -- Segment revenue declined 26%, with a divestiture of the Advanced Rehabilitation business cited as the full cause; organic revenue growth excluding this business was 10%, led by Exagen performance. Surgical Solutions (Ultrasonics) -- Segment reported a tough year-over-year comparison due to a prior record in capital equipment sales; this year’s generator revenue was still the third-highest on record, setting up disposable growth in the following year. -- Segment reported a tough year-over-year comparison due to a prior record in capital equipment sales; this year’s generator revenue was still the third-highest on record, setting up disposable growth in the following year. International Segment -- Segment revenue was flat, but organic growth was 10% during the quarter, and 11% for the year, attri...
MFA Financial ( MFA ) declares $0.36/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 14.13% Payable April 30; for shareholders of record March 31; ex-div March 31. See MFA Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on MFA Financial MFA Financial: A Look At Their Latest Results And Impact On Baby Bonds MFA Financial, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation ...
MFA Financial ( MFA ) declares $0.36/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 14.13% Payable April 30; for shareholders of record March 31; ex-div March 31. See MFA Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on MFA Financial MFA Financial: A Look At Their Latest Results And Impact On Baby Bonds MFA Financial, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript MFA Financial outlines capital redeployment and expense reduction targets as preferred issuance and buybacks continue MFA Financial declares $0.36 dividend
Pressmaster/iStock via Getty Images QXO Inc. ( QXO ) is rapidly evolving into a scaled building products distribution platform following the Beacon (and an upcoming Kodiak Building Partners) acquisition and a major balance sheet reset in 2025. Revenue scale and EBITDA generation profiles have meaningfully changed, and QXO now has significant access to acquisition capital too. QXO is building a lar...
Pressmaster/iStock via Getty Images QXO Inc. ( QXO ) is rapidly evolving into a scaled building products distribution platform following the Beacon (and an upcoming Kodiak Building Partners) acquisition and a major balance sheet reset in 2025. Revenue scale and EBITDA generation profiles have meaningfully changed, and QXO now has significant access to acquisition capital too. QXO is building a large distribution platform focused on construction and building materials. The company supplies products such as roofing, exterior materials, structural components, and other building supplies to contractors and builders. So, the growth will likely come from acquisitions that expand product offerings and geographic reach. The challenge in investing in QXO at the moment is understanding the balance of valuations and risks to what the valuation expectations already embed. That includes successful integrations and margin expansion - and we do not have that data or any indicative trends that can enable a high-conviction buy as QXO goes through a heavy execution cycle. Margin expansion is not yet proven. Integration complexity will only increase if acquisitions ramp up. The capital structure also carries meaningful preferred obligations that absorb a portion of earnings. That implies a wait-and-watch approach, especially with valuations already embedding a favorable multi-year execution trajectory - and in a market where long-duration growth is generally being seen as difficult to underwrite. Overall, QXO does look like it is in the middle of a credible platform formation phase in a large addressable market; the operating proof is still developing. I would rate this a Hold, with speculative Buys on pullbacks or further proofs of execution emerging. In this thesis, I will walk through where the exact spotlight is on, and where I lack the conviction to buy. Current Status and Implications QXO's numbers used in this analysis begin in mid-2025, when its profile effectively altered bot...
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ( CM ) on Thursday announced its intention to redeem all $1 billion of its 1.96% debentures due April 21, 2031. In accordance with their terms, the Debentures will be redeemed at 100% of their principal amount on April 21, 2026, together with accrued and unpaid interest up to but excluding the redemption date. Interest on the Debentures will cease to accrue from ...
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ( CM ) on Thursday announced its intention to redeem all $1 billion of its 1.96% debentures due April 21, 2031. In accordance with their terms, the Debentures will be redeemed at 100% of their principal amount on April 21, 2026, together with accrued and unpaid interest up to but excluding the redemption date. Interest on the Debentures will cease to accrue from and after the redemption date. CM -0.63% premarket to $100.54. Source: Press Release More on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM:CA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce: I'll Get Some, But Not Yet CIBC stock gains after Q1 earnings reflect sturdy growth across business lines Canadian Imperial Bank beats Q1 street views
(RTTNews) - CVS Health Corp. (CVS) and Google Cloud announced Thursday a new strategic partnership that will focus on reimagining health care experiences, increase consumer engagement, and ultimately support better health outcomes. Central to the partnership is CVS Health's launch of Health100, a health technology services subsidiary, that will deliver an integrated health care engagement platform...
(RTTNews) - CVS Health Corp. (CVS) and Google Cloud announced Thursday a new strategic partnership that will focus on reimagining health care experiences, increase consumer engagement, and ultimately support better health outcomes. Central to the partnership is CVS Health's launch of Health100, a health technology services subsidiary, that will deliver an integrated health care engagement platform for consumers, regardless of which pharmacy, care provider, medical insurance company, pharmacy benefits manager and digital health solution providers they use. The Health100 consumer engagement platform will use built-in agentic AI, to provide a real-time, omni-channel experience. The platform is being developed to enable consumers to take full ownership of their health and care, provide real-time proactive support to stay on track to achieve better health. It will also offer faster and expanded access to care, empower users with cost transparency and ways to reduce out-of-pocket spend, and eliminate stressful health care homework. Health100 also will serve as the conduit to pharmacist-led care management to leverage an integral, underutilized and trusted clinical touch point. Health100 will be supported by Google Cloud's secure, enterprise-ready platform and AI technologies, including Gemini models, Cloud Healthcare API, and BigQuery. Google Cloud's data governance and privacy policies are designed to ensure customers retain control over their data. For health care settings, this means access to and use of patient data is protected through Google Cloud's infrastructure and secure data storage, The initial launch of Health100 will be in 2026, with plans to allow other health innovators to build specialized applications as part of an open ecosystem approach. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Beth Gerstein Chief Financial Officer — Jeffrey Kuo Takeaways Net Sales -- $124.4 million for the quarter, representing 4.1% year-over-year growth and marking the highest quarterly net sales in company history. -- $124.4 million for the quarter, representing 4.1% year-over-year growth...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Beth Gerstein Chief Financial Officer — Jeffrey Kuo Takeaways Net Sales -- $124.4 million for the quarter, representing 4.1% year-over-year growth and marking the highest quarterly net sales in company history. -- $124.4 million for the quarter, representing 4.1% year-over-year growth and marking the highest quarterly net sales in company history. Full-Year Net Sales -- $437.5 million, a 3.6% increase year over year. -- $437.5 million, a 3.6% increase year over year. Gross Margin -- 55.9% for the quarter, down 370 basis points year over year due to significantly higher metal prices and tariff headwinds. -- 55.9% for the quarter, down 370 basis points year over year due to significantly higher metal prices and tariff headwinds. Adjusted EBITDA -- $4.2 million for the quarter (3.3% margin), with full-year adjusted EBITDA of $12 million (2.7% margin). -- $4.2 million for the quarter (3.3% margin), with full-year adjusted EBITDA of $12 million (2.7% margin). Total Orders -- 6.5% year-over-year increase for the quarter and 13% growth for the year. -- 6.5% year-over-year increase for the quarter and 13% growth for the year. Repeat Orders -- 15% year-over-year increase for the quarter and 13% growth for the year. -- 15% year-over-year increase for the quarter and 13% growth for the year. Average Order Value (AOV) -- $2,001 for the quarter, down 2.3% year over year, and $2,082 for the full year, down 8.2% year over year; driven by higher fine jewelry mix, which typically carries a lower price, despite higher ASPs within assortments. -- $2,001 for the quarter, down 2.3% year over year, and $2,082 for the full year, down 8.2% year over year; driven by higher fine jewelry mix, which typically carries a lower price, despite higher ASPs within assortments. Fine Jewelry Mix -- Reached 23% of bookings for the quarter and 17% for the year; Q4 fine jewelry bookings grew...
Shares of Qualcomm Inc. QCOM were trading just below $140 early in the week, down approximately 25% from their January high. While they’d been under pressure since before Christmas, much of the recent decline followed weak forward guidance in the company’s latest earnings report. That said, the tech giant has posted modest gains since its early-February low, but the move looks more like consolidat...
Shares of Qualcomm Inc. QCOM were trading just below $140 early in the week, down approximately 25% from their January high. While they’d been under pressure since before Christmas, much of the recent decline followed weak forward guidance in the company’s latest earnings report. That said, the tech giant has posted modest gains since its early-February low, but the move looks more like consolidation than the start of a major comeback. For many investors, Qualcomm still carries the stigma of being overly dependent on smartphones at a time when the broader semiconductor industry is being defined by data center artificial intelligence demand. Yet a new narrative may be quietly forming that challenges that assumption. Qualcomm's New Growth Story Beyond Smartphones In comments earlier this week, Qualcomm’s CEO, Cristiano Amon, pointed to robotics as a major opportunity for the company’s next phase of growth. Speaking about the evolution of AI-enabled devices, Amon said he expects robotics to “start to get scale within the next two years.” That remark may not seem revolutionary on its own, but it fits into a broader shift in Qualcomm’s strategy. The company has spent the past several years trying to diversify beyond smartphones, building new revenue streams in automotive chips, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and edge AI computing. Robotics could become the next extension of that push. Qualcomm has already introduced specialized processors designed for robotics systems, applying the same architecture principles that made its Snapdragon chips dominant in mobile devices. The idea is simple: robots, industrial machines, and autonomous systems require exactly the type of low-power, high-performance computing Qualcomm specializes in. If robotics adoption accelerates over the next decade, that positioning could prove extremely valuable. Why the Market Has Been Skeptical on QCOM However, despite that long-term opportunity, the market has remained cautious on Qualcomm—and for ...
SANTIAGO, March 5 (Reuters) - Chile's state-owned Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, and Microsoft signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate joint initiatives in artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, automation and digital security, the miner said on Thursday. KEY CONTEXT • The agreement will run for 18 months initially with joint governance for strategic and operationa...
SANTIAGO, March 5 (Reuters) - Chile's state-owned Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, and Microsoft signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate joint initiatives in artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, automation and digital security, the miner said on Thursday. KEY CONTEXT • The agreement will run for 18 months initially with joint governance for strategic and operational tracking. • Areas include intensive data use, AI for decision-making, autonomous operations, automation of critical processes and cybersecurity strengthening. • The partnership envisions both companies participating in early testing of new solutions and the sharing international experiences. KEY QUOTES • "Working with a world-class technological leader like Microsoft consolidates our leadership in the future of mining. Faced with an accelerated digital transformation, we have to process and consider large volumes of operational data," said Codelco CEO Ruben Alvarado. • "This alliance with Codelco reflects the potential that artificial intelligence represents to advance development in the mining sector and Chilean market, facilitating safer, more efficient and sustainable operations with a focus on people, productivity and long-term value for the company and country," said Tito Arciniega, president of Microsoft Latin America. (Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Alexander Villegas)
Dürr Aktiengesellschaft press release ( DUERF ): Preliminary FY Non-GAAP EPS of €2.93 and Revenue of €4.48B. Preliminary Q4 Revenue of €1.12B. More on Dürr Aktiengesellschaft Dürr Aktiengesellschaft 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Dürr Aktiengesellschaft Historical earnings data for Dürr Aktiengesellschaft Dividend scorecard for Dürr Aktiengesellschaf...
Dürr Aktiengesellschaft press release ( DUERF ): Preliminary FY Non-GAAP EPS of €2.93 and Revenue of €4.48B. Preliminary Q4 Revenue of €1.12B. More on Dürr Aktiengesellschaft Dürr Aktiengesellschaft 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Dürr Aktiengesellschaft Historical earnings data for Dürr Aktiengesellschaft Dividend scorecard for Dürr Aktiengesellschaft Financial information for Dürr Aktiengesellschaft
Hi, it’s Manuel Baigorri in Hong Kong and Elffie Chew in Singapore, looking at some recent private equity deals in Southeast Asia that have helped lift activity in the region. Also today, bidding battles and fundraising in the aerospace and defense sector. Today’s top stories Arcline enters battle for UK aerospace supplier Senior. Medline’s buyout backers raise $3.1 billion in share sale. HK broke...
Hi, it’s Manuel Baigorri in Hong Kong and Elffie Chew in Singapore, looking at some recent private equity deals in Southeast Asia that have helped lift activity in the region. Also today, bidding battles and fundraising in the aerospace and defense sector. Today’s top stories Arcline enters battle for UK aerospace supplier Senior. Medline’s buyout backers raise $3.1 billion in share sale. HK brokerages face licensing limbo Amid IPO quality crackdown. Germany’s KfW taps JPMorgan for potential KNDS stake deal. Ukraine battlefield tech firm UFORCE tops $1 billion valuation. Southeast strength Having watched private equity activity soar in Japan and India, and begin to gain momentum in other Asian hubs in China and Hong Kong, dealmakers in Southeast Asia have decided to get in on the action. There have been some chunky PE-led deals recently and more could be in the works. We’ve just reported that TPG is considering options for Asia OneHealthcare, including a sale or IPO that might value the Kuala Lumpur-based company at as much as $7.6 billion. TPG also recently agreed to sell a majority stake in XCL Education to KKR in a transaction valuing the school operator at about $1.3 billion. And KKR led a group that’s buying data center operator STT GDC for $5.2 billion. PE investing in Southeast Asia is being driven by structural growth themes, particularly rising income and consumption levels, greater demand for health-care services and digital infrastructure build-out, said Tom Kidd, head of Bain & Co.’s Southeast Asia Private Equity practice. The region is also continuing to benefit from supply-chain diversification, which is supporting capital inflows, he said, adding that exit conditions for PE firms are improving as well. “A key challenge remains—the backlog of PE-held companies awaiting exit, although we are beginning to see green shoots this year as the exit environment gradually improves,” he said. The shift is significant from last year, when deal activity in Southea...
INPLAY OIL CP (IPOOF) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.07 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.03 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.18 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +162.17%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.07 per share when...
INPLAY OIL CP (IPOOF) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.07 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.03 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.18 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +162.17%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.07 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.13, delivering a surprise of -285.71%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once. INPLAY OIL CP, which belongs to the Zacks Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - Canadian industry, posted revenues of $58.45 million for the quarter ended December 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.27%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $56.03 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. INPLAY OIL CP shares have added about 31.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 0.4%. What's Next for INPLAY OIL CP? While INPLAY OIL CP has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power ...
March should be an interesting month for one stock in particular, SentinelOne (S +2.45%). The cybersecurity stock has struggled since it went public nearly five years ago. Despite an initial jolt higher during the 2021 tech boom when it surpassed $70 per share, it has steadily declined since, down to its current $13.50 per share price. Over the past 12 months, it has dropped 32%, and year to date ...
March should be an interesting month for one stock in particular, SentinelOne (S +2.45%). The cybersecurity stock has struggled since it went public nearly five years ago. Despite an initial jolt higher during the 2021 tech boom when it surpassed $70 per share, it has steadily declined since, down to its current $13.50 per share price. Over the past 12 months, it has dropped 32%, and year to date it is off 10%. While SentinelOne has had robust revenue growth, rising 23% in the last quarter, its pace of growth is expected to slow in fiscal 2026. Last fiscal year revenue increased 32%, but this fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31, revenue is projected to rise only 21%. That is lower than initially guided for. But this month is an interesting one for SentinelOne and could potentially be a turning point. New identity protection platform Over the past couple of weeks, SentinelOne stock has surged about 9% higher, based on a couple of catalysts. The initial catalyst is the rollout of a new platform to thwart identity attacks. The platform is an expansion and improvement of its identity security offerings. It protects not just human identities, but also those of non-human agentic artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. In addition, its protection goes beyond the gateway, or log-in, and provides continuous runtime validation, meaning it monitors the user throughout the session. While other competitors offer this service, SentinelOne is one of a few that does so on an AI-native platform, meaning the platform was originally built for AI algorithms. Other much larger competitors bolted on AI capabilities and require the cloud to handle threats. Expand NYSE : S SentinelOne Today's Change ( 2.45 %) $ 0.33 Current Price $ 13.82 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.6B Day's Range $ 13.50 - $ 13.91 52wk Range $ 12.23 - $ 21.40 Volume 5K Avg Vol 9.2M Gross Margin 74.45 % AI native means that the AI brain is built into the device and doesn't rely solely on the cloud, as is the case with many ot...
Key Points SentinelOne stock has struggled over the past year. The AI-native cybersecurity company has some unique advantages and just rolled out a new product. Will rising geopolitical tensions increase the demand for cybersecurity? 10 stocks we like better than SentinelOne › March should be an interesting month for one stock in particular, SentinelOne (NYSE: S). The cybersecurity stock has strug...
Key Points SentinelOne stock has struggled over the past year. The AI-native cybersecurity company has some unique advantages and just rolled out a new product. Will rising geopolitical tensions increase the demand for cybersecurity? 10 stocks we like better than SentinelOne › March should be an interesting month for one stock in particular, SentinelOne (NYSE: S). The cybersecurity stock has struggled since it went public nearly five years ago. Despite an initial jolt higher during the 2021 tech boom when it surpassed $70 per share, it has steadily declined since, down to its current $13.50 per share price. 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 » Over the past 12 months, it has dropped 32%, and year to date it is off 10%. While SentinelOne has had robust revenue growth, rising 23% in the last quarter, its pace of growth is expected to slow in fiscal 2026. Last fiscal year revenue increased 32%, but this fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31, revenue is projected to rise only 21%. That is lower than initially guided for. But this month is an interesting one for SentinelOne and could potentially be a turning point. New identity protection platform Over the past couple of weeks, SentinelOne stock has surged about 9% higher, based on a couple of catalysts. The initial catalyst is the rollout of a new platform to thwart identity attacks. The platform is an expansion and improvement of its identity security offerings. It protects not just human identities, but also those of non-human agentic artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. In addition, its protection goes beyond the gateway, or log-in, and provides continuous runtime validation, meaning it monitors the user throughout the session. While other competitors offer this service, SentinelOne is one of a few that does so on an AI-native platform, mea...
Key Points Joby may start commercial flights before it achieves certification in the U.S. The latest development helps derisk the investment proposition for the stock. 10 stocks we like better than Joby Aviation › Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) and Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) recently announced the launch of Uber Air, which allows passengers to book a Joby electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVT...
Key Points Joby may start commercial flights before it achieves certification in the U.S. The latest development helps derisk the investment proposition for the stock. 10 stocks we like better than Joby Aviation › Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) and Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) recently announced the launch of Uber Air, which allows passengers to book a Joby electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) flight as part of their travel plans. The first flights are planned to begin in Dubai later this year, and Joby continues to work toward Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in 2026, with the ultimate aim to expand its air taxi service to key markets, including New York, Los Angeles, the U.K., and Japan. The announcement highlights Joby's business model differentiation Given the recent military actions in the Persian Gulf, the timing of the announcement couldn't possibly have been worse. It's unfortunate, but it shouldn't detract from one key point. It reinforces the point that Joby aims to become a vertically integrated transportation-as-a-service (TaaS) company rather than an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of eVTOL to sell to third parties, as Archer Aviation does. This is a key distinction that influences how investors should think about the stock, not least 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 » Joby is outperforming expectations In this regard, the company is arguably outperforming expectations and its peer Archer Aviation. Joby is developing and manufacturing its own eVTOL, while Archer is heavily leaning into aerospace technology partners for components like Honeywell and Safran. The use of such leading aerospace partners is supposed to give Archer an edge in the certification race, particularly when compared to Joby's approach of designing its own technology. How...
Iran Says Strait Of Hormuz Open As China-Linked Ship Transits Maritime Chokepoint "Some are criticizing us [Iran], saying that we have closed the Strait of Hormuz. We do not believe in closing the Strait of Hormuz at al l," Iranian military commander Amir Heydari told Iranian state TV on Thursday. Iran military says it has not closed Strait of Hormuz. "We do not believe in closing the Strait of Ho...
Iran Says Strait Of Hormuz Open As China-Linked Ship Transits Maritime Chokepoint "Some are criticizing us [Iran], saying that we have closed the Strait of Hormuz. We do not believe in closing the Strait of Hormuz at al l," Iranian military commander Amir Heydari told Iranian state TV on Thursday. Iran military says it has not closed Strait of Hormuz. "We do not believe in closing the Strait of Hormuz at all,” military commander Amir Heydari tells Iranian state TV Let's see what the IRGC has to say about it. — Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) March 5, 2026 The first sign that the critical maritime chokepoint was partially open came late Wednesday night, when we were among the first to report that a China-linked bulk carrier exited the Strait of Hormuz without incident, a notable development given earlier reports and market chatter that Iran might allow only Chinese-linked ships to transit. Shortly after our report that the Iron Maiden vessel made it through the narrowest part of the waterway unharmed, Bloomberg also reported on the development, noting that the ship had changed its destination signal to "CHINA OWNER." Latest activity in the Strait. Earlier this week, Iran's IRGC said that any vessel sailing through the waterway "could be at risk from missiles or rogue drones," according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. China has urged peace and called for an immediate ceasefire to the U.S.-Israeli Operation Epic Fury to "prevent further escalation of tensions and stop the conflict from spreading and engulfing the entire Middle East." Everyone knows why China is calling for peace: the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's cheap oil flows have effectively been closed to the world's second-largest economy, and that pressure is likely to be used as leverage by President Trump in his upcoming visit to China. China Failure To Help Iran Raises Eyebrows Despite Strait Of Hormuz A "Critical Choke Point" For Beijing China Panics, Urges Ceasefire To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz As Beijing Is A...
There was already a sense of unease about the roughly $3 trillion leveraged finance market as thousands of bankers, investors and analysts descended on Miami Beach for JPMorgan Chase & Co. ’s annual confab, the biggest of its kind. Artificial intelligence wrecking software companies. High-profile frauds raising questions about private credit and prompting a mass exodus from an illiquid market. Int...
There was already a sense of unease about the roughly $3 trillion leveraged finance market as thousands of bankers, investors and analysts descended on Miami Beach for JPMorgan Chase & Co. ’s annual confab, the biggest of its kind. Artificial intelligence wrecking software companies. High-profile frauds raising questions about private credit and prompting a mass exodus from an illiquid market. Interest rates that might still be too high to usher in a true revival of merger activity. Then came President Donald Trump ’s war with Iran. As the marquee three-day conference unfolded, equity and bond markets were relatively calm. But new issuance for bonds and loans slowed to a trickle as investors took stock of the strikes and the ripple effect onto oil and commodities markets. To many in attendance, it underscored the unpredictability of these times, and the need to seize on any period of tranquility to get deals done — or risk paying much more, or, in a worst-case, losing access to the market entirely. “If you miss a week — as we may have just done — that can mean the difference between executing what you want to execute and not executing. We’re currently in a time where hitting that market window has become that much more important,” Paul Gordon, the head of capital markets and business development at private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg, said during a panel in front of some of the event’s approximately 3,500 attendees. “If you’re not ready to launch in 24 hours,” he said, “you’re not ready.” Software Deals All the while, JPMorgan itself was working to set an example for how to get a mega-deal done in today’s markets. Straight away on Monday morning, around the time of a continental breakfast at the Loews Hotel, the bank hosted meetings between Electronic Arts Inc. ’s chief executive officer Andrew Wilson and some of the largest speculative-grade debt investors for anchor commitments on an approximate $20 billion deal financing the video-game maker’s buyout by a group ...
In a bid to stave off a major investigation by the European Commission, Meta said on Thursday that it would allow AI companies to offer their chatbots on WhatsApp via its business API for the next 12 months in Europe. The move comes a month after the European Commission told Meta that it intended to impose interim measures in order to stop the company from implementing its policy, which barred thi...
In a bid to stave off a major investigation by the European Commission, Meta said on Thursday that it would allow AI companies to offer their chatbots on WhatsApp via its business API for the next 12 months in Europe. The move comes a month after the European Commission told Meta that it intended to impose interim measures in order to stop the company from implementing its policy, which barred third-party AI chatbot providers from using the WhatsApp Business API to offer their services on the app. “For the next 12 months, we’ll support general-purpose AI chatbots using the WhatsApp Business API in Europe in response to the European Commission’s regulatory process,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We believe that this removes the need for any immediate intervention as it gives the European Commission the time it needs to conclude its investigation.” Meta says it will allow general-purpose AI chatbot providers to offer their services on WhatsApp for a fee, which ranges from €0.0490 to €0.1323 per “non-template message,” depending on the country. Considering the fact that conversations with AI assistants usually comprise dozens of messages, the bill could prove costly for third-party service providers. “The Commission is analysing the impact these changes may have on its interim measures investigation, as well as on its broader antitrust investigation on the substance,” a spokesperson for the European Commission said in an emailed statement. The policy change went into effect on January 15, spurring several AI assistant providers to complain to regulators that it was disrupting their business and the decision was anti-competitive. Notably, the policy does not apply to businesses that are using AI to serve customers on WhatsApp. For instance, a retailer running an AI-powered customer service bot that sends templatized messages won’t be barred from using the API. Only AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Poke are prohibited from being offered via the API. The ...
EPR Properties ( EPR ) on Thursday said it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire a portfolio of seven regional parks from Six Flags Entertainment ( FUN ) for a gross transactional value of $342 million, of which the company provided about $315 million and its operating tenants provided the balance, including funds for working capital and capital improvements. This transaction represent...
EPR Properties ( EPR ) on Thursday said it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire a portfolio of seven regional parks from Six Flags Entertainment ( FUN ) for a gross transactional value of $342 million, of which the company provided about $315 million and its operating tenants provided the balance, including funds for working capital and capital improvements. This transaction represents its largest acquisition since 2017. The seven parks comprise over 1,600 acres, featuring 418 attractions across five states and Canada , and drawing approximately 4.5 million annual attendees. Source: Press Release More on EPR Properties EPR Properties: The Ride Won't Last Forever, But I'm Holding (Rating Downgrade) EPR Properties: Preferreds Wildly Diverge On Value EPR Properties: While The Market Does Nothing, This High Yielder Is Outperforming EPR Properties outlines $400M–$500M investment plan for 2026 as portfolio diversification accelerates EPR Properties unveils strong 2026 guidance after Q4 2025 revenue beats, earnings in line
SoundHound AI SOUN delivered another strong quarter to close 2025, highlighting accelerating demand for voice and conversational AI solutions. In fourth-quarter 2025, the company reported revenues of $55.1 million, reflecting a 59% year-over-year increase. For 2025, revenues nearly doubled to $168.9 million, underscoring the rapid adoption of AI-powered automation across industries. Enterprise and...
SoundHound AI SOUN delivered another strong quarter to close 2025, highlighting accelerating demand for voice and conversational AI solutions. In fourth-quarter 2025, the company reported revenues of $55.1 million, reflecting a 59% year-over-year increase. For 2025, revenues nearly doubled to $168.9 million, underscoring the rapid adoption of AI-powered automation across industries. Enterprise and AI Adoption Fuel Growth SoundHound’s growth was driven by expanding enterprise AI deployments and strong customer adoption across multiple sectors. During the quarter, the company signed more than 100 new customer deals, spanning industries such as financial services, healthcare, retail and telecommunications. The company is also benefiting from the shift toward “Agentic AI,” where intelligent systems can autonomously perform tasks and manage customer interactions. SoundHound’s platform is increasingly used to automate processes like appointment scheduling, billing inquiries and customer service interactions. In some cases, AI agents resolve more than 90% of inbound requests without human intervention, improving efficiency for clients and driving higher revenue per interaction. Automotive and restaurant solutions remain key contributors as well. The company continues to expand partnerships with global automakers and restaurant chains, while also advancing voice commerce capabilities that allow users to place orders or make reservations directly through voice-enabled systems. Outlook Points to Another Strong Year Looking ahead, SoundHound expects 2026 revenues to be between $225 million and $260 million, indicating another year of robust growth. With rising enterprise adoption, expanding industry partnerships and continued innovation in Agentic AI, SoundHound appears well positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for conversational AI. However, investors will likely watch closely for progress toward profitability as the company balances rapid growth with ongoing invest...
A quiet transition just happened at one of the most powerful companies in the world. After decades of leadership from Warren Buffett, the operational reins of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) are increasingly being shaped by his successor, new CEO Greg Abel. The Buffett Era hasn't just ended; it has been upgraded. And most investors may be missing what it could mean. Abel recently released his f...
A quiet transition just happened at one of the most powerful companies in the world. After decades of leadership from Warren Buffett, the operational reins of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) are increasingly being shaped by his successor, new CEO Greg Abel. The Buffett Era hasn't just ended; it has been upgraded. And most investors may be missing what it could mean. Abel recently released his first real shareholder letter to investors , outlining his perspective on Berkshire’s strategy and the company’s enormous $373 billion cash fortress. But what caught the attention of many investors wasn’t just the pile of cash. It was the signals hidden inside the message. The “Forever Stock” Philosophy Continues In the letter, Abel highlighted several companies that Berkshire views as long-term holdings — businesses designed to compound value over decades rather than quarters. This “forever stock” philosophy has been a cornerstone of Berkshire’s strategy since Buffett took control of the company in the 1960s. These are no longer "investments"— they are Berkshire’s bedrock. Apple (AAPL): The primary engine of compounding value. American Express (AXP): The ultimate high-moat financial network. Coca-Cola (KO): The global consumer staple that never sleeps. Moody’s (MCO): The capital-light ratings king. The idea is simple: Buy dominant businesses with durable competitive advantages and hold them through whatever business cycles may come. Abel is ignoring short-term volatility to let these compound for decades, and reaffirming this philosophy suggests continuity — but the real headline may be something else. The Cash Fortress May Be Shrinking For the past several years, Berkshire Hathaway has built what investors often call a “cash fortress.” At times, Berkshire has held over $300 billion in cash and Treasury bills, an unusually large reserve even for a company of its size. Buffett has repeatedly said the cash pile reflects a lack of attractive opportunities. In other words: Stoc...
Both the Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH 0.05%) and the iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB 0.12%) target short-term bonds and seek to offer income with low volatility, but their approaches and underlying holdings set them apart. The ETFs differ most in their expense ratios, yield, bond selection, and risk profiles — VGSH focuses on U.S. Treasuries, while ISTB holds a broader mix inclu...
Both the Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH 0.05%) and the iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB 0.12%) target short-term bonds and seek to offer income with low volatility, but their approaches and underlying holdings set them apart. The ETFs differ most in their expense ratios, yield, bond selection, and risk profiles — VGSH focuses on U.S. Treasuries, while ISTB holds a broader mix including utilities and real estate bonds. This comparison looks at costs, recent performance, risk, liquidity, and portfolio makeup to help investors weigh which ETF aligns better with their goals. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VGSH ISTB Issuer Vanguard iShares Expense ratio 0.03% 0.06% 1-yr return (as of 2/27/2026) 4.65% 5.8% Dividend yield 4% 4.1% Beta 0.25 0.4 AUM $31.7 billion $4.8 billion VGSH is more affordable at 0.03% compared to ISTB's 0.06% fee, though the difference is modest. ISTB offers a slightly higher dividend yield, which may appeal to those seeking a marginally greater income stream alongside broader bond exposure. Performance & risk comparison Metric VGSH ISTB Max drawdown (5 y) -5.72% -9.34% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $955.84 $952.51 What's inside ISTB tracks a diversified mix of nearly 7,000 U.S. dollar-denominated bonds. Its top holdings are Treasury notes (about 52%) with maturities extending out to 2030. The next largest sectors are industrial at 17.4% and financial institutions at 12.2%. The fund’s 13-year history reflects a stable, core bond approach but with more credit and sector exposure than pure Treasuries. Expand NASDAQ : ISTB iShares Trust - iShares Core 1-5 Year Usd Bond ETF Today's Change ( -0.12 %) $ -0.06 Current Price $ 48.66 Key Data Points Day's Range $ 48.66 - $ 48.67 52wk Range $ 47.77 - $ 49.05 Volume 18K VGSH, by contrast, invests primarily in high-quality U.S. Treasury bonds with maturities of one to three years, holding just 92 securities. Its portfolio is concentrated in short-term government debt, making it a cleaner option for...