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...
Buxton, Derbyshire: Their ‘parents’ were planted 50 years ago by my wonderful late mother. Yet we all have a connection to these uplifting flowers I wonder if nature has found a way to compensate us for the dreariest winter I can recall, because the snowdrops this year have been unbelievable. I’m seeing them everywhere – along road verges, on village greens, with vast white sheets across churchyar...
Buxton, Derbyshire: Their ‘parents’ were planted 50 years ago by my wonderful late mother. Yet we all have a connection to these uplifting flowers I wonder if nature has found a way to compensate us for the dreariest winter I can recall, because the snowdrops this year have been unbelievable. I’m seeing them everywhere – along road verges, on village greens, with vast white sheets across churchyards and especially in old gardens with driveways and mature trees around their margins. I have a small snowdrop patch under our crab apple and while they’re modest in number, they are, in a way, more than flowers. My mother first planted those same bulbs (or their “parents”) in her garden, which is half a mile from here, in the 1970s. When she died a decade ago, I took them first to our old house and now to this property. I’d actually forgotten the last transfer: a scoop of both the bulbs and surrounding soil, a short car journey, then a hasty reinterment in a hole on this south-facing slope. Now here they all are, up in the light, sparkling and brimful of this seasonal moment, but also laden with memories of my wonderful Ma and her love of gardens. In a way, her snowdrops are now family. Continue reading...
Vuk Saric/iStock via Getty Images By Jennifer Nash The Advance Retail Sales Report from the Census Bureau showed consumer spending was down less than feared in January. Headline sales slipped 0.2%, a step down from December's flat reading but better than the projected 0.3% decline. Here is the introduction from Friday's report : Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Advance estimates ...
Vuk Saric/iStock via Getty Images By Jennifer Nash The Advance Retail Sales Report from the Census Bureau showed consumer spending was down less than feared in January. Headline sales slipped 0.2%, a step down from December's flat reading but better than the projected 0.3% decline. Here is the introduction from Friday's report : Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for January 2026, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $733.5 billion, down 0.2 percent (±0.4 percent)* from the previous month, and up 3.2 percent (±0.5 percent) from January 2025. Total sales for the November 2025 through January 2026 period were up 2.9 percent (±0.4 percent) from the same period a year ago. The November 2025 to December 2025 percent change was unrevised from virtually unchanged (±0.3 percent)*.Retail trade sales were down 0.2 percent (±0.5 percent)* from December 2025, and up 3.0 percent (±0.5 percent) from last year. Nonstore retailers were up 10.9 percent (±1.4 percent) from last year, while food service and drinking places were up 3.9 percent (±1.8 percent) from January 2025. The chart below is a log-scale snapshot of retail sales since the early 1990s. The three exponential regressions through the data help us to evaluate the long-term trend of this key economic indicator. The light purple line is a linear regression through the complete data series. The green line is a regression from the start of the series through the end of 2007 and then extrapolated to the present - thus excluding the financial crisis. The blue line is a regression from the start of the series through the end of 2019 and then extrapolated to the present - thus excluding the COVID-19 pandemic. Monthly retail sales have been above the light purple and blue line since March 2021, signaling increased consumer spending that was most likely pent up as a result of the pandemic. Th...
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images By Ryan J. Puplava, CMT, CTS, CES Oil Shock and Geopolitical Risk Dominate Market Sentiment The dominant narrative in financial markets this week was a sudden escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that sent energy prices sharply higher and injected volatility across global markets. Over the weekend, joint military operations by the United St...
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images By Ryan J. Puplava, CMT, CTS, CES Oil Shock and Geopolitical Risk Dominate Market Sentiment The dominant narrative in financial markets this week was a sudden escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that sent energy prices sharply higher and injected volatility across global markets. Over the weekend, joint military operations by the United States and Israel targeted senior Iranian leadership and key military infrastructure, triggering immediate retaliation from Iran and raising fears of a broader regional conflict. Markets opened Monday with a pronounced risk-off tone as crude oil surged and investors assessed the potential economic fallout. Crude oil futures rose dramatically throughout the week, climbing from roughly $71 per barrel at the start of the week to above $90 by Friday. The sharp increase was driven primarily by fears surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes. Tanker traffic slowed significantly after Iran threatened to attack vessels attempting to transit the strait, creating a bottleneck that effectively halted a large portion of Gulf oil shipments. By Thursday and Friday, reports indicated that hundreds of tankers were waiting to enter the passage while governments considered military escorts and insurance backstops for shipping companies. The surge in oil prices reverberated throughout equity markets. The energy sector consistently outperformed during volatile sessions, with investors rotating into companies expected to benefit from higher commodity prices. Analysts at Citigroup raised price targets across major integrated oil producers such as Chevron ( CVX ) and Exxon Mobil ( XOM ), while oilfield services companies like Schlumberger also attracted renewed attention. Defense and aerospace companies also rallied on expectations of increased military spending and geopolitical demand. Northrop Grumman ( NOC ), Raytheon Technologies ( RTX ), and Axon ( ...
24/7 Wall St. (24/7 Wall St.) Quick Read Palantir (PLTR) has surged 1,600% over three years. Wall Street targets $188 per share for 37% upside. Jefferies praised Palantir’s momentum as in a class of its own. The firm set a $208 price target. Jefferies flags valuation as Palantir’s primary concern despite low disruption risk from advancing AI models. The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named...
24/7 Wall St. (24/7 Wall St.) Quick Read Palantir (PLTR) has surged 1,600% over three years. Wall Street targets $188 per share for 37% upside. Jefferies praised Palantir’s momentum as in a class of its own. The firm set a $208 price target. Jefferies flags valuation as Palantir’s primary concern despite low disruption risk from advancing AI models. The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) has ridden the AI wave to extraordinary heights, emerging as one of the standout beneficiaries in the tech landscape. Bulls like Wedbush's Dan Ives have hailed it as the premier pure-play AI stock, boosting his price target in November 2025 from $200 to $230 amid surging demand for its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). Wall Street also remains largely optimistic, assigning a Moderate Buy rating with a consensus target around $188 per share, suggesting about 37% upside from Palantir's current price of approximately $137 per share. Yet, as Palantir accelerates AI adoption across industries, an ironic question looms: Could its own innovations erode its competitive edge? After all, the stock has skyrocketed roughly 1,600% in the past three years, fueled by AI hype -- but could advancing AI turn the tables on the company itself? Palantir's AI-Powered Business Model At its core, Palantir specializes in big data analytics software, helping organizations integrate disparate data sources into actionable insights. Its flagship platforms -- Gotham for government clients and Foundry for commercial enterprises -- leverage AI to process vast datasets, enabling predictive modeling, supply chain optimization, and operational efficiency. The recent AIP enhances this by embedding generative AI capabilities, allowing users to query data in natural language and automate complex decisions. This has driven robust revenue growth, with Palantir reporting accelerating commercial adoption and high-margin contracts. ...
China’s health ministry urged people at potential risk to undergo cancer screenings as part of a broader push to improve prevention and control of the disease. People aged 50 and above, long-term smokers, those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or with a family history of lung cancer are advised to undergo annual low-dose spiral CT scans, Lei Haichao, head of the National Health Commissi...
China’s health ministry urged people at potential risk to undergo cancer screenings as part of a broader push to improve prevention and control of the disease. People aged 50 and above, long-term smokers, those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or with a family history of lung cancer are advised to undergo annual low-dose spiral CT scans, Lei Haichao, head of the National Health Commission, said at a press conference Saturday during the annual session of the National People’s Congress. People in the at-risk groups and those with a family history of colorectal cancer should undergo a colonoscopy or blood tests every three to five years, said Lei. Heavy drinkers who are 45 or older, and those with conditions like gastric ulcers or family histories of gastric cancer should undergo gastroscopy every three to five years, according to Lei. “The key lies in prevention and early detection and treatment,” said Lei. He noted that his call last year to address rising obesity led to the establishment of more than 5,500 weight-management clinics nationwide. “We will intensify efforts in early cancer screening to provide convenient and accessible services for everyone.” China is advancing a campaign to strengthen its comprehensive cancer prevention and control program by 2030, with a target of raising the overall five-year cancer survival rate to 46.6%.
AndreyPopov/iStock via Getty Images It's not a secret: I love to buy easy-to-understand companies that sell essential goods and services when they're trading at rock-bottom valuations . Buying into highly cash-generating market leaders at single-digit multiples with high dividends has served me well over the decades. But after a long bull market that took the major indices to record highs, those l...
AndreyPopov/iStock via Getty Images It's not a secret: I love to buy easy-to-understand companies that sell essential goods and services when they're trading at rock-bottom valuations . Buying into highly cash-generating market leaders at single-digit multiples with high dividends has served me well over the decades. But after a long bull market that took the major indices to record highs, those low-risk bargains become increasingly difficult to find. So, where to invest the dividends that keep coming in? We could either follow Berkshire Hathaway and start hoarding cash. Patiently waiting for better opportunities in the current environment is certainly not a bad idea. The problem is that cash is yielding close to zero here in Europe. How long do we have to wait till the markets come back to their senses? I personally know some investors who have been waiting for lower valuations for years. Guess what? They're still sitting on the sidelines. So, cash, at least for me, isn't a viable long-term alternative. I either have to lower my standards and accept higher valuations, higher risks, or both. As a very risk-averse investor, my standards are quite high, so lowering them might not be a bad idea at all. In a more prudent market environment, Edenred ( EDNMY ) ( EDNMF ) is a company I might have skipped. It faces regulatory risks, of which have already materialized. The stock is down by almost 70% over the last two years. Data by YCharts Edenred used to trade at valuations of a fast-growing Fintech, 30x to 40x P/E ratios were the norm. Investors who paid up for growth (that never materialized) got taught an important lesson by Mr. Market on multiple compression and risk/reward. Edenred Valuation (Gurufocus.com) Now trading at 8x P/E and a dividend yield of 7%, I believe the risk/reward profile turned favorable. Given the long-term risks, Edenred will remain a small position in my otherwise concentrated value portfolio. It now represents around 0.5% of my portfolio and I m...
Key Points Flat Footed LLC sold 314,076 shares; estimated trade size of $30.96 million based on quarterly average pricing Quarter-end position value dropped by $30.96 million, reflecting both share sale and price dynamics Represents an approximately 3.4% change in Flat Footed LLC's 13F reportable AUM Post-trade, the fund holds zero shares of Matson, with a reported value of $0 The position previou...
Key Points Flat Footed LLC sold 314,076 shares; estimated trade size of $30.96 million based on quarterly average pricing Quarter-end position value dropped by $30.96 million, reflecting both share sale and price dynamics Represents an approximately 3.4% change in Flat Footed LLC's 13F reportable AUM Post-trade, the fund holds zero shares of Matson, with a reported value of $0 The position previously accounted for 3.8% of fund AUM as of the prior quarter 10 stocks we like better than Matson › What happened According to its SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Flat Footed LLC sold its entire 314,076-share stake in Matson (NYSE:MATX) during the fourth quarter. The quarter-end value of the position decreased by $30.96 million, which includes both the impact of the share sale and changes in the stock price. What else to know Flat Footed LLC has fully liquidated its Matson holding. Top holdings after the filing: NYSE: CNR: $122.77 million (29.3% of AUM) NASDAQ: DHC: $113.91 million (27.2% of AUM) As of February 17, 2026, shares of Matson were priced at $165.05, up approximately 12.1% over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 2.27 percentage points Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $3.34 billion Net income (TTM) $444.8 million Dividend yield 0.91% Price (as of February 17, 2026) $165.05 Company snapshot Matson is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services, with a strong presence in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and select Asia-Pacific routes. The company leverages its integrated logistics capabilities and expedited shipping to deliver reliable service to diverse commercial and government clients. Its strategic focus on niche markets and operational efficiency underpins its competitive position within the marine shipping industry. Matson generates revenue through shipping fees, logistics services, and terminal operations across domestic non-contiguous U.S. markets and select international routes. It provides ocean transportation services, inc...
Hong Kong police are investigating an attack and robbery in which a man lost about HK$6 million (US$767,070) in cryptocurrency and silver. The force said it received a report at 3.52am on Saturday that a 25-year-old mainland Chinese man was attacked by three men and a woman at a hotel near Man Lok Street in Hung Hom and robbed of cryptocurrency worth HK$5 million from his account. The suspects lat...
Hong Kong police are investigating an attack and robbery in which a man lost about HK$6 million (US$767,070) in cryptocurrency and silver. The force said it received a report at 3.52am on Saturday that a 25-year-old mainland Chinese man was attacked by three men and a woman at a hotel near Man Lok Street in Hung Hom and robbed of cryptocurrency worth HK$5 million from his account. The suspects later took the victim to another unit in an industrial building, where they seized silver items worth HK$1 million. Advertisement No arrests had been made so far and a manhunt was under way to track down the four suspects.