My colleague Ghoncheh Habibiazad, who has been collecting voices from inside the country, says the views of some people have changed as the war has continued, as they did not expect it to go on after Khamenei was killed.
My colleague Ghoncheh Habibiazad, who has been collecting voices from inside the country, says the views of some people have changed as the war has continued, as they did not expect it to go on after Khamenei was killed.
China’s international clout and economic stability are rebalancing Beijing’s relations with Europe, putting more focus on cooperation and less on rivalry, according to a former Chinese envoy. On the sidelines of China’s “two sessions” on Thursday, Wu said that fostering cooperation, rather than regarding China as Europe’s rival, would be in the best interests of both Europe and China. Advertisemen...
China’s international clout and economic stability are rebalancing Beijing’s relations with Europe, putting more focus on cooperation and less on rivalry, according to a former Chinese envoy. On the sidelines of China’s “two sessions” on Thursday, Wu said that fostering cooperation, rather than regarding China as Europe’s rival, would be in the best interests of both Europe and China. Advertisement European leaders have made a flurry of visits to China in recent months as the United States has upended relations with its traditional allies with tariff threats and a push to acquire Greenland. Advertisement Since 2019, the European Union has defined its relationship with China through a “tripartite” strategy, seeing China as a cooperation partner, economic competitor and a systemic rival – all at the same time.
Pakistan can ill afford to go to war. Neither can Afghanistan . Yet here they are, trading blows across one of South Asia’s most combustible borders – just as a team of International Monetary Fund inspectors arrived in Islamabad to decide on the country’s next financial lifeline. The inspectors had come for a third-round review of Pakistan’s economic recovery programme: the kind of visit that, if ...
Pakistan can ill afford to go to war. Neither can Afghanistan . Yet here they are, trading blows across one of South Asia’s most combustible borders – just as a team of International Monetary Fund inspectors arrived in Islamabad to decide on the country’s next financial lifeline. The inspectors had come for a third-round review of Pakistan’s economic recovery programme: the kind of visit that, if it went well, would unlock the next tranche of rescue funding and steady the nerves of skittish investors. But with retaliatory air and drone strikes killing dozens and no sign of fighting easing after more than a week, it is not going well. Advertisement “The timing of the recent strikes is particularly unfavourable,” said Callee Davis, senior emerging markets economist at Oxford Economics. Stockbrokers monitor share prices at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on Monday. Photo: AFP “IMF staff are currently in Pakistan to negotiate the third review, which is expected to unlock the next tranche of funding.” Advertisement Pakistan’s economic picture had been improving. Inflation was easing. Investor sentiment, battered for years, had strengthened. Then, late last month, the shooting started.
A growing global craze has seen foreigners flock to malatang restaurants to celebrate birthdays and go on dates. The trend has sparked widespread online sharing and lively discussions on mainland social media. Malatang, which literally means “numbing, spicy and hot”, is a popular Chinese street food originating from Sichuan province in southwestern China. A portion of the spicy, ingredient-packed ...
A growing global craze has seen foreigners flock to malatang restaurants to celebrate birthdays and go on dates. The trend has sparked widespread online sharing and lively discussions on mainland social media. Malatang, which literally means “numbing, spicy and hot”, is a popular Chinese street food originating from Sichuan province in southwestern China. A portion of the spicy, ingredient-packed soup pictured inside a thermal container. Photo: ifeng.com It consists of various self-selected meats, vegetables and noodles boiled in a broth. Advertisement Often described as a “personal hotpot”, diners choose their ingredients by weight or skewer, making it a quick, affordable and comforting meal. Since 2025, malatang has been going viral worldwide, taking over streets across the globe. Advertisement In Japan, visiting malatang shops has become a trendy activity among young women.
Professor25/iStock via Getty Images The February employment report delivered significantly weaker-than-expected job losses, challenging the notion that the labor market was stabilizing after last month’s robust gains. Total non-farm payrolls fell by 92,000, the second-worst monthly print in roughly three years and a stark reversal from January’s 126,000 revised gains. While one-off factors such as...
Professor25/iStock via Getty Images The February employment report delivered significantly weaker-than-expected job losses, challenging the notion that the labor market was stabilizing after last month’s robust gains. Total non-farm payrolls fell by 92,000, the second-worst monthly print in roughly three years and a stark reversal from January’s 126,000 revised gains. While one-off factors such as healthcare-related strikes, bad weather, and the BLS’s changes in methodology may have contributed to the weakness, structural forces, including reduced immigration, rapid AI advancement, government budget cuts, and demographic headwinds, continue to suppress job creation. 1 Still, the unemployment rate’s small uptick (+0.1ppt from last month) underscores a labor market that remains in a low-hiring, low-firing equilibrium, despite the disappointing payrolls print. Therefore, market participants should be cautious about interpreting today’s report as a clear recession signal. Rather, it adds another layer of uncertainty for policymakers to navigate. Report details Total non‑farm payrolls declined by 92,000, significantly below the expected +55,000 gain and a sharp reversal from January’s revised +126,000. The two‑month net revision of –69,000 (vs. prior –17,000) and weakness in private payrolls, declining by 86,000 versus expectations of +60,000, further reinforced the softness after last month’s report had indicated some firmer footing. Industry dynamics revealed broad-based softness. The healthcare & social assistance industry - the consistent bright spot amid 2025’s labor market weakness - posted a modest decline, largely due to strike activity reported in the healthcare sector. After averaging roughly 80,000 gains per month in healthcare and social assistance from 2023 up until last month, February’s 34,000 decline marked the first negative print in four years. Cyclical and immigration-heavy industries, including leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and construction,...
Fintel reports that on March 5, 2026, Evercore ISI Group upgraded their outlook for Southern Company - Corporate Bond (NYSE:SOJF) from In-Line to Outperform. Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 5.55% Upside As of February 24, 2026, the average one-year price target for Southern Company - Corporate Bond is $27.42/share. The forecasts range from a low of $20.60 to a high of $31.02. The average price tar...
Fintel reports that on March 5, 2026, Evercore ISI Group upgraded their outlook for Southern Company - Corporate Bond (NYSE:SOJF) from In-Line to Outperform. Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 5.55% Upside As of February 24, 2026, the average one-year price target for Southern Company - Corporate Bond is $27.42/share. The forecasts range from a low of $20.60 to a high of $31.02. The average price target represents an increase of 5.55% from its latest reported closing price of $25.98 / share. See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside. The projected annual revenue for Southern Company - Corporate Bond is 30,927MM, an increase of 4.65%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 4.73. What is the Fund Sentiment? There are 12 funds or institutions reporting positions in Southern Company - Corporate Bond. This is an decrease of 17 owner(s) or 58.62% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to SOJF is 0.40%, an increase of 16.47%. Total shares owned by institutions decreased in the last three months by 75.38% to 1,350K shares. What are Other Shareholders Doing? FPE - First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF holds 822K shares. No change in the last quarter. SPFF - Global X SuperIncome Preferred ETF holds 106K shares. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 75K shares , representing an increase of 29.58%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in SOJF by 37.39% over the last quarter. TASHX - Transamerica Multi-Asset Income (formerly Transamerica Strategic High Income) A holds 100K shares. No change in the last quarter. HSNCX - THE HARTFORD STRATEGIC INCOME FUND Class C holds 89K shares. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 116K shares , representing a decrease of 29.96%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SOJF by 25.81% over the last quarter. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund Iii holds 73K shares. No change in the last quarter. Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research pl...
Veronique D/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis Postal Realty Trust, Inc. ( PSTL ) leases properties primarily to the US Postal Service "USPS" There are three things I like about this REIT. First, the clarity of its growth path. USPS rents thousands of properties from thousands of property owners. PSTL is the largest among USPS landlords and is on a mission to consolidate the marke...
Veronique D/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis Postal Realty Trust, Inc. ( PSTL ) leases properties primarily to the US Postal Service "USPS" There are three things I like about this REIT. First, the clarity of its growth path. USPS rents thousands of properties from thousands of property owners. PSTL is the largest among USPS landlords and is on a mission to consolidate the market. The current ownership of properties leased to the USPS is highly fragmented, with the overwhelming majority of owners holding a single property. PSTL Annual Report Secondly, the market doesn't seem crowded, unlike data center or prime office real estate markets. PSTL has been buying properties at cap rates exceeding 7%. A cap rate is rent income divided by property price. A 7% cap rate is a high figure for a triple-net contract, the type of contract used by PSTL that shifts the cost burden (most of it at least) to USPS. Finally, USPS has been paying 100% of rent 100% of the time, as PSTL's CEO puts it. They're a structurally risky government-sponsored entity, which alienates many investors, but they have been paying the bills. Market Size PSTL acquisitions are its main growth engine. So far, these acquisitions have been accretive because the cap rates on the acquired properties are higher than PSTL's cost of capital. A typical lease carries a cap rate of ~7.5%, versus an average interest rate of 4.38%. This healthy spread is what makes PSTL unique. Secondly, there is a long growth runway. USPS lists 30,972 managed sites, from offices, stations, and branches ( p.19 ). Separately, it records 22,734 leased properties ( p.32 ). As of February 2026, PSTL was the landlord on 1,943 of those properties, or just 8.5% of the leased sites. The remaining properties are owned by smaller, often single-property owners. In other words, the market penetration is low, and the acquisition runway is long. Management also states that 75% of its recent acquisitions were done off-the-market. T...
Trump looks to turn attention to Western Hemisphere at Americas summit toggle caption Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP DORAL, Fla. — President Donald Trump is set to gather with Latin American leaders on Saturday at his Miami-area golf club as his administration looks to demonstrate it's still committed to sharpening U.S. foreign policy focus on the Western Hemisphere even as it deals with five-alarm cr...
Trump looks to turn attention to Western Hemisphere at Americas summit toggle caption Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP DORAL, Fla. — President Donald Trump is set to gather with Latin American leaders on Saturday at his Miami-area golf club as his administration looks to demonstrate it's still committed to sharpening U.S. foreign policy focus on the Western Hemisphere even as it deals with five-alarm crises around the globe. The gathering, dubbed the "Shield of the Americas" summit, comes just two months after Trump ordered an audacious U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and whisk him and his wife to the U.S. to face drug conspiracy charges. Looming even larger is Trump's decision to join with Israel to launch a war on Iran one week ago, a conflict that's already left hundreds dead, convulsed global markets and unsettled the broader Middle East. Trump's time with the Latin American leaders will be limited: He is also set to fly to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, to be on hand for the dignified transfer of the six U.S. troops killed in a drone strike on a command center in Kuwait, one day after the U.S. and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran. Sponsor Message But with the summit, Trump will look to turn attention to the Western Hemisphere, at least for a moment. He's vowed to reassert U.S. dominance in the region and push back on what he sees as years of Chinese economic encroachment in America's backyard. "Under previous leaders, we grew obsessed with every other theater and every other border in the world except our own," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told regional leaders and defense ministers who gathered in Florida this week for talks on countering drug cartels. "These elites reduced our power and presence in this hemisphere, opting for a benign neglect that was anything but benign." Who will be attending The leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Hon...
DariaRen/iStock via Getty Images The March IPO market started off with a quiet week. MiniMed Group ( MMED ) completed the week’s sole IPO, joined by two SPACs, and just one small issuer joined the pipeline. Medtronic carve-out MiniMed priced below the range to raise $560 million at a $5.6 billion market cap. The company focuses on integrated diabetes management, including insulin delivery devices,...
DariaRen/iStock via Getty Images The March IPO market started off with a quiet week. MiniMed Group ( MMED ) completed the week’s sole IPO, joined by two SPACs, and just one small issuer joined the pipeline. Medtronic carve-out MiniMed priced below the range to raise $560 million at a $5.6 billion market cap. The company focuses on integrated diabetes management, including insulin delivery devices, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), infusion sets, reservoirs, pen systems, and related software and services. MiniMed has delivered solid growth and has a significant share of both the pump and CGM markets, though it has lost some ground to competitors. MiniMed finished down 8%. While not included below, trading platform Robinhood’s closed-end fund Robinhood Ventures Fund I ( RVI ) completed its listing after raising $315 million in a pared-down offering. The fund holds investments in a portfolio of private growth companies. RVI finished down 16%. 3 IPOs During the Week of March 2nd, 2026 Issuer Business Deal Size Market Cap at IPO Price vs. Midpoint First Day Return Return at 03/06 Kensington Capital VI ( KCAC.U ) $200M $286M 0% +0% +0% Blank check company led by the founder of Kensington Capital targeting the auto industry. GalaxyEdge Acquisition ( GLEDU ) $100M $139M 0% +0% +0% Blank check company backed by a Chinese sponsor targeting long-term growth. MiniMed ( MMED ) $560M $5,616M -25% -8% -8% Carve-out of Medtronic's diabetes management devices and technology business. Click to enlarge 7 Filings During the Week of March 2nd, 2026 Issuer Business Deal Size Sector Lead Underwriter ACP Holdings Acquisition (ACGCU) $200M SPAC Roth Cap. Blank check company backed by Atlas Credit Partners. Apogee Acquisition (AACPU) $250M SPAC Arc Group Securities Blank check company targeting advanced technologies. Micware ( MWC ) $30M Technology A.G.P. Japan-based developer of automotive infotainment and navigation software. Patriot Acquisition (PTACU) $200M SPAC KBW Blank check company...