mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images In the credit markets it is not about how much debt there is but how well we are paying for it that matters. And in a consumer economy, it is consumer delinquencies which matter most. If consumers are comfortable handling debt i.e., credit cards and consumer loans, then lenders will keep lending. Once lenders fear consumer defaults, the lending can nearly cease ti...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images In the credit markets it is not about how much debt there is but how well we are paying for it that matters. And in a consumer economy, it is consumer delinquencies which matter most. If consumers are comfortable handling debt i.e., credit cards and consumer loans, then lenders will keep lending. Once lenders fear consumer defaults, the lending can nearly cease till lenders reassess, and tighten lending standards before extending additional credit. Credit Card Debt and Consumer Loans are both trending lower and well below their respective economic levels that signaled fragile consumer finances in the past. In the US, consumers are healthy financially and economic expansion is expected to continue. Original Post Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.
Short interest in end-Feb was spread broadly across the consumer discretionary sector, with no single industry emerging as a clear standout or dominating in terms of positioning. Here are the five most shorted consumer discretionary stocks with market capitalizations of up to $2 billion (as a % of shares outstanding) Kaixin Holdings ( KXIN ), Short Interest: 82.36% Greenlane Holdings, Inc. ( GNLN ...
Short interest in end-Feb was spread broadly across the consumer discretionary sector, with no single industry emerging as a clear standout or dominating in terms of positioning. Here are the five most shorted consumer discretionary stocks with market capitalizations of up to $2 billion (as a % of shares outstanding) Kaixin Holdings ( KXIN ), Short Interest: 82.36% Greenlane Holdings, Inc. ( GNLN ), Short Interest: 52.17% Algorhythm Holdings, Inc. ( RIME ), Short Interest: 32.52% Groupon, Inc. ( GRPN ), Short Interest: 26.98% Kidpik Corp. ( PIKM ), Short Interest: 26.25% Here are the five least shorted consumer discretionary stocks with market capitalizations of up to $2 billion (as a % of shares outstanding) Twin Hospitality Group Inc. ( TWNPQ ), Short Interest: 0.56% Ark Restaurants Corp. ( ARKR ), Short Interest: 0.55% ECD Automotive Design, Inc. ( ECDA ), Short Interest: 0.55% Lifetime Brands, Inc. ( LCUT ), Short Interest: 0.53% Education Management Corporation ( EDMCQ ), Short Interest: 0.52% More on State Street® Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR® ETF Consumer Discretionary In The Great Rotation Market Sector Review: Extreme Market Bifurcation Retail Sector Steps Into The Earnings Spotlight, What To Watch For In Q4 Reports Under Armour tops the list of most shorted S&P 500 consumer discretionary stocks in February; Amazon among least shorted The World Cup is 100 days away - these stocks could be in play
liorpt/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Earlier this week, leading lift truck manufacturer Hyster-Yale, Inc., or "Hyster-Yale" ( HY ), reported weak fourth-quarter results, with profitability falling well short of consensus expectations . Company Press Releases In the press release and on the conference call , management attributed the disappointing performance to a number of headwinds: Tariffs. ...
liorpt/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Earlier this week, leading lift truck manufacturer Hyster-Yale, Inc., or "Hyster-Yale" ( HY ), reported weak fourth-quarter results, with profitability falling well short of consensus expectations . Company Press Releases In the press release and on the conference call , management attributed the disappointing performance to a number of headwinds: Tariffs. Factory underutilization. Lack of competitive offerings as demand for lighter-duty, lower-priced trucks in international markets continues to increase. Gross margin of 14.2%, adjusted EBITDA of ($1.7) million, and backlog of $1.28 billion represented new multi-year lows for the company. However, not all was bad. The company's ongoing efforts to reduce inventory resulted in strong cash flow from operations. Free cash flow amounted to $33.6 million. Hyster-Yale finished the year with $123.2 million in cash and $494.3 million in debt. Even more importantly, the company experienced substantially increased order levels, with strong domestic demand more than offsetting persistent weakness in international markets. Bookings were up by 42% sequentially and 35% year-over-year. The positive trend in Q4 2025 bookings reflects a meaningful shift in customer behavior, with activity moving from elevated quoting levels without follow‑through to more decisive purchasing actions. Combined with the growing need to replace aging equipment after prolonged deferral of capital spending, these developments potentially signal early signs of strengthening demand, particularly in the Americas. While overall conditions remain cautious, this momentum is a constructive indicator for the demand environment heading into 2026. According to statements made by management on the conference call, strong order activity has continued so far in 2026. Looking ahead, the company expects continued improvement in bookings throughout the year, with increasing backlog translating into higher factory utilization over t...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. China's electric-vehicle giant BYD (BYDDF) introduced a new wave of battery and charging technology upgrades alongside refreshed models, as the company looks to stabilize momentum after a sharp slowdown in its domestic market. At an event in Shenzhen, the automaker unveiled its latest generation of blade batteries paired with an ultra-fast flash charging a...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. China's electric-vehicle giant BYD (BYDDF) introduced a new wave of battery and charging technology upgrades alongside refreshed models, as the company looks to stabilize momentum after a sharp slowdown in its domestic market. At an event in Shenzhen, the automaker unveiled its latest generation of blade batteries paired with an ultra-fast flash charging architecture that could refill batteries from 10% to 70% in about five minutes and approach a full charge in roughly nine minutes under optimal conditions. Chairman Wang Chuanfu framed the push as part of a broader energy transition, saying replacing fuel-powered cars with new energy vehicles may play an important role in national energy security amid geopolitical tensions affecting global oil markets. The upgraded battery cells are expected to be deployed across ten models spanning BYD's product lineup, including vehicles in the mass-market Dynasty and Ocean series as well as the luxury Yangwang brand. Among the vehicles introduced was the larger Datang sport utility vehicle, which the company said could reach a driving range of up to 950 kilometers on a single charge. BYD also outlined plans to strengthen charging infrastructure, including offering one year of complimentary flash-charging services and building 20,000 flash-charging stations by the end of the year, with about 2,000 planned along highways. The company indicated it may also consider deploying such charging facilities overseas. The technology showcase arrives as BYD faces a challenging stretch in its home market. Vehicle sales dropped 36% in January and February compared with the same period a year earlier, and the company's shares have declined about 40% from their peak in May 2025. The slowdown has coincided with softer domestic demand following the end of certain EV incentives and a cooling Chinese economy tied partly to weakness in the property market. While BYD's overseas shipments remain relatively stron...
Key Points Palantir stock has been a big winner over the past five years, but it's lost some ground in recent months. The company trades at a highly growth-dependent valuation but has been posting great sales and earnings. Palantir's strong product portfolio and margins could help it achieve market-beating performance over the next decade. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Pala...
Key Points Palantir stock has been a big winner over the past five years, but it's lost some ground in recent months. The company trades at a highly growth-dependent valuation but has been posting great sales and earnings. Palantir's strong product portfolio and margins could help it achieve market-beating performance over the next decade. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) stock has been on an incredible run over the past five years. The company's share price has rocketed roughly 547% higher over that stretch. On the other hand, the stock has also seen a big pullback in recent months, connected to concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) and software stocks may be broadly overvalued. As of this writing, Palantir is down 26% from its peak. Of course, the stock still looks incredibly richly valued by most conventional valuation metrics. The company has a current market capitalization of approximately $349 billion and is valued at roughly 110 times expected forward earnings and 48 times expected forward sales. Can the stock beat the market over the next five-year and 10-year periods? 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 » Can Palantir still be a massive long-term winner? While Palantir trades at an enormously growth-dependent valuation, the company has also reliably served up sales and earnings results that have crushed Wall Street's expectations. Palantir's revenue surged 70% higher year over year in the fourth quarter to hit roughly $1.41 billion. Meanwhile, non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share soared 79% from the prior-year period to reach $0.25. For comparison, the average Wall Street analyst estimates had targeted per-share earnings of $0.23 on sales of $1.33 billion. Thanks to soaring demand for its Artificial Intelligence Pl...
Chinese automaker BYD unveiled a new battery pack Thursday that the company says is capable of charging from 10% to 70% in five minutes. Taking it to almost 100% takes about four minutes more. Recharge times like those would nullify concerns about electric vehicles’ charging times — one of the few places where internal combustion engines retain an advantage. Even in bitter cold weather (–4˚ F or –...
Chinese automaker BYD unveiled a new battery pack Thursday that the company says is capable of charging from 10% to 70% in five minutes. Taking it to almost 100% takes about four minutes more. Recharge times like those would nullify concerns about electric vehicles’ charging times — one of the few places where internal combustion engines retain an advantage. Even in bitter cold weather (–4˚ F or –20˚ C), the pack can charge from 20% to 97% in under 12 minutes, according to BYD. The battery pack, known as the Blade Battery 2.0 system, is slated to debut in the Yangwang U7, a full-size luxury sedan. There is a critical caveat to this eye-popping figure. The Yangwang U7 sedan, or any other future BYD vehicle equipped with this next-generation battery pack, can only reach this ultra-fast charging time when paired with one of the company’s new Flash Charging EV chargers. Still, BYD is likely counting on this flashy charging tech to boost sales and give it an edge in a price war with other Chinese automakers that are rolling out new and improved EVs at a rapid clip. The Shenzhen-based company was a darling of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway holdings for years. The investor bought a 10% stake in the automaker in 2008 for $230 million — long before it became a Tesla rival and household name. Berkshire sold its last shares in 2025, returning more than 20x the original investment. Today, BYD is the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs — a status that other Chinese automakers and Tesla are keen to change. While BYD still outpaces competitors like LiAuto, Xpeng, Xiaomi, and Zeekr, there has been a recent dip in sales. The company reported that its combined January and February sales volume in 2026 dipped by roughly 36% compared to the year before. Its next-generation battery system could help it attract new customers and retain existing ones. Techcrunch event Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Fin...
Italian authorities confirmed that a journalist who was alerted by WhatsApp last year of a suspected spyware attack on his phone was indeed hacked. In a press release sent to journalists on Thursday, the public prosecutors’ offices in Rome and Naples, which are investigating the spyware scandal in the country, said that a technical report concluded that the phones of journalist Francesco Cancellat...
Italian authorities confirmed that a journalist who was alerted by WhatsApp last year of a suspected spyware attack on his phone was indeed hacked. In a press release sent to journalists on Thursday, the public prosecutors’ offices in Rome and Naples, which are investigating the spyware scandal in the country, said that a technical report concluded that the phones of journalist Francesco Cancellato, as well as Giuseppe Caccia and Luca Casarini, two immigration activists, all showed traces of having been infected with spyware on the “early hours” of December 14, 2024. “The execution of three consecutive attacks on the same night suggests that they may have been part of the same infection campaign,” the technical report said, according to the press release. The full report is not yet public. This is the first independent confirmation that Cancellato, who is the director of the news website Fanpage, was hacked with spyware. In January 2025, Cancellato and around 90 other people, including journalists and members of civil society, were alerted by WhatsApp that they had been targeted with spyware made by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli-based company now owned by American private equity firm AE Industrial. According to the press release, Italian judicial authorities inspected the Paragon spyware server used by the intelligence agency, AISI, to target the phones of its targets. While the judicial authorities found evidence of operations against Caccia and Casarini, it found no evidence of an operation against Cancellato. It remains unclear who hacked Cancellato’s phone. Contact Us Do you have more information about Paragon, and this or other spyware campaigns? From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or Do you have more information about Paragon, and this or other spyware campaigns? From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signa...
shaunl/E+ via Getty Images Seadrill ( SDRL ) +2.5% in Thursday's trading as Citi upgraded the offshore drilling contractor to Neutral/High Risk from Sell/High Risk with a $46 price target, raised from $32, reflecting improving end market demand, strengthening backlog coverage, and a more constructive medium-term outlook. Seadrill ( SDRL ) delivered robust Q4 EBITDA that topped consensus expectatio...
shaunl/E+ via Getty Images Seadrill ( SDRL ) +2.5% in Thursday's trading as Citi upgraded the offshore drilling contractor to Neutral/High Risk from Sell/High Risk with a $46 price target, raised from $32, reflecting improving end market demand, strengthening backlog coverage, and a more constructive medium-term outlook. Seadrill ( SDRL ) delivered robust Q4 EBITDA that topped consensus expectations by 7%, and while the offshore market continues to progress through a soft patch, visibility toward recovery is improving, supported by ongoing contracting activity and dayrate resiliency, Citi's Scott Gruber said. The company reaffirmed its expectation of a more pronounced recovery in H2 2026, with momentum then accelerating as tendering activity broadens, and an improved contracting backlog enhances its revenue visibility and provides a bridge into 2027, improving confidence in the earnings trajectory, Gruber said. Finally, while Seadrill ( SDRL ) shares are up ~23% YTD, the stock has significantly lagged the broader oilfield services sector and peers, pointing to an improved relative valuation, the analyst said. More on Seadrill Seadrill Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Overbought In A TIght Market: Seadrill's Valuation Overshadows Favorable Dynamics Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Seadrill
Shares of The Trade Desk (TTD +19.51%) slumped 21.5% in February, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. An advertising technology platform, The Trade Desk's revenue growth is slowing down considerably among competition from walled gardens and Amazon, which has shareholders panicking. The stock is down 78% from its highs, even after rebounding in early March after reports of a part...
Shares of The Trade Desk (TTD +19.51%) slumped 21.5% in February, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. An advertising technology platform, The Trade Desk's revenue growth is slowing down considerably among competition from walled gardens and Amazon, which has shareholders panicking. The stock is down 78% from its highs, even after rebounding in early March after reports of a partnership with OpenAI. Here's why The Trade Desk was falling yet again in February, and whether now is the best time to buy the dip on this fallen angel. Expand NASDAQ : TTD The Trade Desk Today's Change ( 19.51 %) $ 4.91 Current Price $ 30.08 Key Data Points Market Cap $12B Day's Range $ 29.25 - $ 32.90 52wk Range $ 21.08 - $ 91.45 Volume 3M Avg Vol 15M Gross Margin 78.63 % Slowing revenue growth and increased competition In late February, The Trade Desk reported fourth-quarter 2025 results and provided guidance for 2026. Revenue growth slowed again, hitting just 14% in the period, and net income margins declined. Guidance for the current quarter in 2026 calls for an even further slowdown to 10% growth. The Trade Desk is facing increased competition from walled garden advertisers such as Alphabet, as well as direct advertising technology competition in connected TVs from Amazon. What's more, there is a narrative that artificial intelligence (AI) may disrupt the entire ad-buying process on the internet, sending investors panicking over their Trade Desk shares. Before this massive drawdown, The Trade Desk traded at a premium valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) well over 100. Now, it trades at an earnings ratio of 33.6, which is much cheaper but still above the S&P 500 Index average. Time to buy the dip? The Trade Desk stock bottomed around $20 at the end of February, but has since shot back up to $30. This is due to a reported partnership for advertising through OpenAI's popular ChatGPT ecosystem, which could prove lucrative for The Trade Desk. On March 4th, it was...
Key Points The Trade Desk posted another disappointing earnings result in February. The company is facing competition from Amazon and potential disruption from AI. Founder Jeff Green recently bought over $100 million shares in the open market. 10 stocks we like better than The Trade Desk › Shares of The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) slumped 21.5% in February, according to data from S&P Global Market In...
Key Points The Trade Desk posted another disappointing earnings result in February. The company is facing competition from Amazon and potential disruption from AI. Founder Jeff Green recently bought over $100 million shares in the open market. 10 stocks we like better than The Trade Desk › Shares of The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) slumped 21.5% in February, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. An advertising technology platform, The Trade Desk's revenue growth is slowing down considerably among competition from walled gardens and Amazon, which has shareholders panicking. The stock is down 78% from its highs, even after rebounding in early March after reports of a partnership with OpenAI. Here's why The Trade Desk was falling yet again in February, and whether now is the best time to buy the dip on this fallen angel. 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 » Slowing revenue growth and increased competition In late February, The Trade Desk reported fourth-quarter 2025 results and provided guidance for 2026. Revenue growth slowed again, hitting just 14% in the period, and net income margins declined. Guidance for the current quarter in 2026 calls for an even further slowdown to 10% growth. The Trade Desk is facing increased competition from walled garden advertisers such as Alphabet, as well as direct advertising technology competition in connected TVs from Amazon. What's more, there is a narrative that artificial intelligence (AI) may disrupt the entire ad-buying process on the internet, sending investors panicking over their Trade Desk shares. Before this massive drawdown, The Trade Desk traded at a premium valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) well over 100. Now, it trades at an earnings ratio of 33.6, which is much cheaper but still above the S&P 500 Index average. ...
Travel industry pushes Congress to end DHS shutdown and pay federal security workers toggle caption Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images WASHINGTON — With the busy spring break travel season looming, travel and aviation industry leaders urged Congress to end the stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security before federal workers at airports miss a full paycheck. "They're showin...
Travel industry pushes Congress to end DHS shutdown and pay federal security workers toggle caption Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images WASHINGTON — With the busy spring break travel season looming, travel and aviation industry leaders urged Congress to end the stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security before federal workers at airports miss a full paycheck. "They're showing up. They're doing their job, and they're not getting paid," said Geoff Freeman, the CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, during a press conference Thursday. "It's not just unfair. It's reckless. You can't run an industry with $3 trillion in economic impact on IOUs." DHS has been shut down for nearly three weeks after lawmakers failed to negotiate a budget deal to fund the agency or agree on changes to how immigration officers operate. Many of the Transportation Security Administration's roughly 64,000 employees are considered "essential" workers and have to stay on the job anyway. Sponsor Message In past shutdowns, TSA officers stayed home from work in greater numbers when they started missing paychecks, citing "financial limitations." Travel and aviation industry leaders worry that could happen again just as travel volume picks up in March and April. "We're going to see sick outs. We're going to see screeners who love their jobs but are going to be forced to look for other jobs," said Todd Hauptli, the head of the American Association of Airport Executives. "TSA is going to do their very best to try and keep those lines moving, but they're not going to sacrifice safety. And that means people should be prepared as this drags out for longer lines." Industry leaders also criticized the decision to suspend Global Entry, a program of U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to use expedited kiosks when entering the United States from abroad. "I think it's a huge mistake when you have the most vetted, secured passengers being able to move ...
UBS Discusses Next Maritime Chokepoint Investors Should Watch A lot of attention has centered on the Strait of Hormuz since the waterway was effectively shut not only by the IRGC drone threat, but mostly because maritime insurers are withdrawing war-risk coverage across the region. Our focus now shifts to the other critical maritime chokepoints. If Washington can pressure Iranian oil flows and, by...
UBS Discusses Next Maritime Chokepoint Investors Should Watch A lot of attention has centered on the Strait of Hormuz since the waterway was effectively shut not only by the IRGC drone threat, but mostly because maritime insurers are withdrawing war-risk coverage across the region. Our focus now shifts to the other critical maritime chokepoints. If Washington can pressure Iranian oil flows and, by extension, curb China's cheap Gulf crude flows, then the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea also emerge as potential flashpoints that traders can no longer afford to ignore. For more color on which critical maritime chokepoints and geopolitical flashpoints investors should watch next, Bilahari Kausikan, former Permanent Secretary of Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke with UBS's Aditi Samajpati at the 14th UBS OneASEAN Summit in Singapore to discuss the issue earlier on Thursday. Kausikan told Samajpati that China claims about 80% of the South China Sea, but other surrounding countries reject those claims, and none of the disputes are likely to be resolved in the near term. He described the situation in the highly disputed waterway as a "strategic stalemate," not an immediate crisis, because China is unlikely to openly block trade or challenge freedom of navigation if doing so risks war with the U.S. " Obviously, the South China Sea is another point of vulnerability . There are multiple disputes, and China claims about 80% of the South China Sea, which is not accepted by the surrounding states," he said. "But I think overall the situation in the South China Sea - by the way, none of these disputes are going to be resolved - but I think overall it is not ideal, but not dire," Kausikan said. He continued, "It's a strategic stalemate. On the other hand, the Chinese cannot stop the US and other powers from operating in the South China Sea, without risking war." Kausikan pointed out that the presence of the U.S. Navy should be viewed as a stabilizing force that preser...
Considering that most companies don't even stay in business for 20 years, finding stocks worth holding onto for good isn't always easy. Thankfully, some seem to have the qualities that will enable them to perform well for a very long time. Two such companies in the healthcare sector are Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY 2.66%) and Medtronic (MDT 2.94%). In addition to having robust underlying businesses, ...
Considering that most companies don't even stay in business for 20 years, finding stocks worth holding onto for good isn't always easy. Thankfully, some seem to have the qualities that will enable them to perform well for a very long time. Two such companies in the healthcare sector are Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY 2.66%) and Medtronic (MDT 2.94%). In addition to having robust underlying businesses, both have terrific dividend programs. Here's more on these two healthcare leaders. 1. Bristol Myers Squibb Bristol Myers Squibb is a leading drugmaker with a vast portfolio of products across several therapeutic areas, although the company has historically had a strong presence in oncology. Last year, 10 of the drugmaker's products each generated over $1 billion in sales. Some of these are medicines that have lost patent protection and are seeing sales decline, but the company has a growth portfolio of newer therapies that should replace older ones. It will face more patent cliffs by the end of the decade, including those for Eliquis, an anticoagulant, and Opdivo, a cancer medicine. These are its two best-selling drugs. Expand NYSE : BMY Bristol Myers Squibb Today's Change ( -2.66 %) $ -1.66 Current Price $ 60.67 Key Data Points Market Cap $127B Day's Range $ 60.25 - $ 62.16 52wk Range $ 42.52 - $ 63.33 Volume 523K Avg Vol 14M Gross Margin 65.89 % Dividend Yield 3.99 % However, Bristol Myers Squibb is prepared: A newer, subcutaneous formulation of Opdivo that is easier and faster to administer will help it keep that franchise going for longer. And newer products will have a far greater impact once Eliquis loses patent exclusivity. That's how the company has historically overcome obstacles, and we can expect it to continue doing so while still delivering consistent revenue and earnings. Lastly, Bristol Myers Squibb is an attractive dividend stock with a juicy forward yield of 4%. It has increased its dividend payout by 65.8% over the past decade. While the stock may be somew...
baranozdemir/E+ via Getty Images Shares of Vicor ( VICR ) fell as much as 13% Thursday, wiping out roughly two weeks of gains, as semiconductor stocks broadly retreated amid geopolitical tensions and fresh concerns about potential U.S. restrictions on artificial-intelligence chip exports. The decline came as the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) dropped about 1.2% and a semiconductor gauge including Nvidia ( NVDA...
baranozdemir/E+ via Getty Images Shares of Vicor ( VICR ) fell as much as 13% Thursday, wiping out roughly two weeks of gains, as semiconductor stocks broadly retreated amid geopolitical tensions and fresh concerns about potential U.S. restrictions on artificial-intelligence chip exports. The decline came as the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) dropped about 1.2% and a semiconductor gauge including Nvidia ( NVDA ) and Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) slid roughly 3%. The weakness followed reports that the U.S. government may require permits for certain AI-related semiconductor sales abroad, adding another layer of uncertainty for the chip sector. Markets were already unsettled by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which helped push crude oil prices above $80 per barrel. Higher energy costs have raised concerns about persistent inflation, leading investors to reassess expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Treasury yields climbed as bond prices fell, with the 10-year yield moving above 4.1%. Investors now expect fewer rate reductions this year than they did just days ago, reflecting fears that higher oil prices could complicate the Fed’s efforts to bring inflation down. Vicor ( VICR ), which makes high-performance power modules used in data-center infrastructure and advanced computing systems, has been viewed by investors as a beneficiary of spending on AI hardware. However, the company’s stock can trade alongside semiconductor names because its power-delivery technology is closely tied to the build-out of AI servers and accelerator platforms. As a result, sentiment shifts across the broader AI chip ecosystem, whether driven by policy risks, macroeconomic factors or geopolitics, often spill over into suppliers like Vicor ( VICR ). More on Vicor Vicor Corporation (VICR): Powering The AI Infrastructure Of 2026 | 2-Minute Analysis Vicor Corporation (VICR) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Vicor: A Davis Double Play In AI Power Infrastructure Vicor outlines plans for record ...
Mariia Vitkovska/iStock via Getty Images "How a Deluge of Downgrades Could Sink the CLO Market" "Will the Leveraged Loan Market Trigger a Financial Pandemic?" "The Coming CLO Meltdown" It's no secret that CLO equity funds have had a horrendous time lately. Distributions have been cut, NAVs have deteriorated, and share prices have fallen sharply across much of the sector. And the scary headlines ce...
Mariia Vitkovska/iStock via Getty Images "How a Deluge of Downgrades Could Sink the CLO Market" "Will the Leveraged Loan Market Trigger a Financial Pandemic?" "The Coming CLO Meltdown" It's no secret that CLO equity funds have had a horrendous time lately. Distributions have been cut, NAVs have deteriorated, and share prices have fallen sharply across much of the sector. And the scary headlines certainly aren't helping. YCharts When prices fall like this, the conversation often shifts from analysis to hindsight. The bears and the "told you so" crowd come out in full force: "CLOs are uninvestable," "the asset class is doomed," or even "they're all going to zero!" We heard very similar critiques around CLO funds during the depths of the 2020 crash, but in hindsight, that period turned out to be one of the best buying opportunities for these funds. Oh, and one more little detail: those scary headlines above were from 2020, not 2026. To be clear, I'm not claiming that history must repeat itself, nor that the current bear market in these funds will resolve in the same way. At the Income Lab , we're neither bashers nor cheerleaders. We try to examine the data and understand the risks, without pretending we can forecast market turning points on demand. Recency bias is powerful, and even professional analysts often end up following price trends rather than forecasting them. In practice, a lot of the "analysis" is backwards looking. When prices rise, analyst targets mysteriously float higher, but when prices fall, the same analysts discover new reasons to cut targets. The simple reality is that market timing is impossible to do consistently, and this includes forecasting NAV movements of CLO equity funds. This is because markets are broadly efficient: they incorporate all currently known information, including consensus expectations of future prices. CLO refresher As a refresher for our newer readers, CLOs are a type of collateralized financial product backed by a portfolio ...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. If you’re having issues shopping on Amazon or loading your playlists on Amazon Music, you’re not alone. Downdetector is showing a sizable spike in people reporting issues with checkout, search, ...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. If you’re having issues shopping on Amazon or loading your playlists on Amazon Music, you’re not alone. Downdetector is showing a sizable spike in people reporting issues with checkout, search, and logging in. The problem seems to be affecting both the site and the mobile apps. Several Verge staffers have experienced issues themselves. Clicking through to many products produces a “sorry, something went wrong” error, and even pages that do load are not showing pricing. Users have reported being repeatedly logged out of their accounts when trying to check out or load their cart. Even the parts of Amazon.com that are working seem to be loading slowly. Amazon confirmed that some customers are experiencing issues in a post on X, but has not yet responded to a request for comment. The company has been dealing with AWS outages in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates due to drone strikes by the Iranian military, but there has not been any word of more widespread outages in the US or elsewhere.
Industrial software startup Nominal raised an $80 million Series B extension led by Founders Fund. That brings the company's valuation to $1 billion, at a time when the US is increasingly focused on modernizing its manufacturing capabilities through software. Cameron McCord, CEO of Nominal, and Founders Fund General Partner Trae Stephens join Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Sourc...
Industrial software startup Nominal raised an $80 million Series B extension led by Founders Fund. That brings the company's valuation to $1 billion, at a time when the US is increasingly focused on modernizing its manufacturing capabilities through software. Cameron McCord, CEO of Nominal, and Founders Fund General Partner Trae Stephens join Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)