Columbia University ’s credit outlook was revised to negative by Moody’s Ratings, which cited rising risks tied to the “federal environment for higher education.” The change reflects the potential for weaker finances and Columbia’s “lower wealth and liquidity relative to expenses as compared to other Aaa private universities,” Moody’s said in a report Friday. Outlooks serve as opinions regarding t...
Columbia University ’s credit outlook was revised to negative by Moody’s Ratings, which cited rising risks tied to the “federal environment for higher education.” The change reflects the potential for weaker finances and Columbia’s “lower wealth and liquidity relative to expenses as compared to other Aaa private universities,” Moody’s said in a report Friday. Outlooks serve as opinions regarding the likely direction of a credit rating over the medium term, according to Moody’s, which affirmed Columbia’s Aaa grade. “The outlook also reflects challenges related to the federal environment for higher education that could constrain improvements in the operating performance including uncertain research prospects, changes in federal graduate loan policies and a declining pool of international graduate students in the US, that could impact Columbia’s high proportion of graduate and professional students,” Moody’s said. The Ivy League school was at the forefront of President Donald Trump’s attack on prominent universities last year, agreeing to pay a $200 million penalty to resolve multiple civil rights investigations as part of a settlement to restore canceled federal grants and contracts. Columbia also agreed to pay $21 million to settle claims that Jewish faculty and staff faced unlawful workplace discrimination following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Columbia said this week that it’s considering the issuance of $285 million of tax-exempt bonds, which would be sold through a state agency, and $200 million of taxable bonds. “The reaffirmation of Columbia University’s AAA bond rating from S&P and Aaa from Moody’s recognizes the ongoing strength and resilience of the University operations, and management’s agility in navigating a complex operating environment,” a spokesperson for Columbia said in a statement. “The University remains confident in its ability to navigate potential future challenges to the sector.” Related: Columbia Eyes $485 Million Sale of Taxable,...
Artit_Wongpradu/iStock via Getty Images Origin Materials ( ORGN ) down 25.5% post-market Friday after saying its board determined it is in the best interests of its shareholders to sell its PET cap technology and other remaining assets, followed by an orderly wind down of operations . Origin ( ORGN ) said its b oard approved the dissolution and liquidation of the company, subject to shareholder ap...
Artit_Wongpradu/iStock via Getty Images Origin Materials ( ORGN ) down 25.5% post-market Friday after saying its board determined it is in the best interests of its shareholders to sell its PET cap technology and other remaining assets, followed by an orderly wind down of operations . Origin ( ORGN ) said its b oard approved the dissolution and liquidation of the company, subject to shareholder approval, and will call a special shareholder meeting to seek approval of the plan of dissolution; upon filing of the certificate of dissolution, it intends to cease trading in its common stock and warrants. As part of an imminent workforce reduction, members of the executive team including CEO John Bissell will leave the company, with CFO and COO Matt Plavan appointed as interim CEO. The company said it will provide an estimate of any amount that may be distributed to shareholders, but the amount actually distributable "may vary substantially from any estimate provided by the company, based on a number of factors." More on Origin Materials Origin Materials Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Financial information for Origin Materials
In Charts: Communist Cuba's Lights Dim Amid US Oil Blockade Authored by Sylvia Xu, Andrew Moran via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Blackouts, shortages, fuel rationing, and empty streets now define daily life in Cuba. People wait to fill their water containers during a nationwide blackout in Havana on March 22, 2026. Cuban authorities scrambled on March 22 to restore power to the island after th...
In Charts: Communist Cuba's Lights Dim Amid US Oil Blockade Authored by Sylvia Xu, Andrew Moran via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Blackouts, shortages, fuel rationing, and empty streets now define daily life in Cuba. People wait to fill their water containers during a nationwide blackout in Havana on March 22, 2026. Cuban authorities scrambled on March 22 to restore power to the island after the second nationwide blackout in less than a week, as the grid struggles due to an aging infrastructure and a U.S. oil blockade. Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images Although the norm for decades, these hardships have reached catastrophic proportions as the island nation suffers its worst energy and economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union. Cuba’s energy infrastructure is collapsing amid restrictions on oil imports from its key ally Venezuela, along with a U.S. military operation that has further disrupted Venezuela’s production and shipping. With the country’s main supplier impaired, Havana is without the energy needed to keep its grid stable, leading to rolling blackouts and widespread shortages of everything from medicines to food. The White House aims to push the communist-led nation into talks and concessions. A combination of indirect pressure through increased tariffs on Cuba’s oil suppliers and direct intervention by the U.S. Coast Guard in the region has amounted to an effective blockade of the island. A tugboat guides a Russian oil tanker as it arrives at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, Cuba, on March 31, 2026. The shipment of 730,000 barrels marked Cuba’s first crude import in three months as the White House aims to push the communist-led nation into talks and concessions. Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images In February, the United States made a key exception: the sale of fuel directly to private businesses in Cuba . The shipments are small, however, totaling an estimated 30,000 barrels so far this year. The Trump administration is showing some signs of...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction The Dividend Champions list is a monthly compilation of companies that have consistently increased their annual dividend payouts. However, since this list is only produced once per month, the data in it can quickly get out of date. Furthermore, with around 700 companies on the list, the sheer amount of data can quickly become overwhelming. In t...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction The Dividend Champions list is a monthly compilation of companies that have consistently increased their annual dividend payouts. However, since this list is only produced once per month, the data in it can quickly get out of date. Furthermore, with around 700 companies on the list, the sheer amount of data can quickly become overwhelming. In this weekly series, I highlight recent and upcoming dividend-related activity for dividend stocks on the Dividend Champions list. In the data presented below, Yield is forward annualized, and Years reflects the up-to-date streak, including dividends declared since the last edition of the Dividend Champions list. Dividend Changes In the past week, the following companies declared dividends that changed from their previous payouts. Increases: Company Symbol Ex-Div Pay Old Rate New Rate Increase Yield Years Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) 5/11 5/14 0.26 0.27 3.85% 0.39% 15 ACNB Corporation ( ACNB ) 6/1 6/15 0.38 0.42 10.53% 3.26% 9 Avery Dennison Corporation ( AVY ) 6/3 6/17 0.94 1 6.38% 2.45% 16 American Water Works Company, Inc. ( AWK ) 5/12 6/2 0.8275 0.895 8.16% 2.81% 19 Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. ( CFR ) 5/29 6/15 1 1.03 3.00% 2.94% 33 Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated ( CHCT ) 5/11 5/22 0.4775 0.48 0.52% 10.90% 12 Energy Transfer LP ( ET ) 5/8 5/20 0.335 0.3375 0.75% 6.77% 5 Evercore Inc. ( EVR ) 5/29 6/12 0.84 0.89 5.95% 1.12% 20 First Commonwealth Financial Corporation ( FCF ) 5/8 5/22 0.135 0.14 3.70% 3.03% 10 First Financial Bankshares, Inc. ( FFIN ) 6/12 7/1 0.19 0.22 15.79% 2.70% 16 W.W. Grainger, Inc. ( GWW ) 5/11 6/1 2.26 2.49 10.18% 0.87% 55 MetLife, Inc. ( MET ) 5/12 6/9 0.5675 0.5925 4.41% 2.95% 14 Blue Owl Capital Inc. ( OWL ) 5/13 5/27 0.225 0.23 2.22% 9.22% 6 Paychex, Inc. ( PAYX ) 5/13 5/29 1.08 1.19 10.19% 5.12% 16 PACCAR Inc ( PCAR ) 5/13 6/3 0.33 0.35 6.06% 1.21% 6 Pool Corporation ( POOL ) 5/14 5/28 1.25 1.3 4.00% 2.50% 16 Portland General Electric Company ( ...
JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) , a low-cost airline, closed Friday at $4.86, up 4.40%. The stock moved higher as traders reacted to news that beleaguered rival Spirit Airlines may not have secured its hoped-for bailout. Trading volume reached 48.4 million shares, coming in about 88% above its three-month average of 25.7 million shares. JetBlue Airways IPO'd in 2002 and has fallen 56% since going pu...
JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) , a low-cost airline, closed Friday at $4.86, up 4.40%. The stock moved higher as traders reacted to news that beleaguered rival Spirit Airlines may not have secured its hoped-for bailout. Trading volume reached 48.4 million shares, coming in about 88% above its three-month average of 25.7 million shares. JetBlue Airways IPO'd in 2002 and has fallen 56% since going public. The S&P 500 added 0.29% to finish Friday at 7,230, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.89% to close at 25,114. Among airline stock peers, Southwest Airlines closed up 2.22% at $38.76, and Alaska Air Group fell 1.43% to end at, underscoring mixed sentiment across the airlines group. Continue reading
Microsoft is testing its much-needed refresh for the Windows 11 Run menu, offering a modern interface that the company says is faster and comes with support for dark mode. The redesign is rolling out now to Windows 11 Insiders in the new Experimental Channel . In a blog post explaining the changes, Microsoft says it decided to drop the Run menu's "Browse" button - a shortcut to user files - after ...
Microsoft is testing its much-needed refresh for the Windows 11 Run menu, offering a modern interface that the company says is faster and comes with support for dark mode. The redesign is rolling out now to Windows 11 Insiders in the new Experimental Channel . In a blog post explaining the changes, Microsoft says it decided to drop the Run menu's "Browse" button - a shortcut to user files - after finding "very low usage." Instead, Microsoft added support for a new "~\" command, which leads to your user directory. Microsoft says it built the new Run menu using code from Command Palette , a utility available through PowerToys that allows you t … Read the full story at The Verge.
Valve and its SteamOS operating system have already done what a bunch of companies (including Apple) have been trying to do for decades: make a dent in Windows’ dominance in PC gaming. I mean, sure, according to Valve’s own statistics, Microsoft remains dominant. Over 92 percent of PCs in the Steam Hardware Survey run some version of Windows. But five years ago, this number was just over 96 percen...
Valve and its SteamOS operating system have already done what a bunch of companies (including Apple) have been trying to do for decades: make a dent in Windows’ dominance in PC gaming. I mean, sure, according to Valve’s own statistics, Microsoft remains dominant. Over 92 percent of PCs in the Steam Hardware Survey run some version of Windows. But five years ago, this number was just over 96 percent . Ten years ago, it was just under 96 percent . Fifteen years ago? It was 96 percent . Go back any further than that and Steam only runs on Windows in the first place, itself a testament to Microsoft's ubiquity. Between April 2021 and now, Linux’s share has climbed from under 1 percent to over 5 percent. This is a small number, and it's not all SteamOS (Valve's OS isn't broken out, but Arch, the base distribution for SteamOS, accounts for about 0.33 of that just-over-5-percent). But it’s also more than these numbers have ever moved. By making Windows games run on Linux , rather than trying to push game developers to make Linux-native ports, Valve has done via organic word-of-mouth success what the company utterly failed to do in the early 2010s when it tried to take on Windows directly . Read full article Comments
The US-Israel war with Iran and the calamity it’s triggered in global energy markets has been sharply felt by nations from Southeast Asia to Europe . In the US, however, the price for consumers flowing from Donald Trump’s decision to attack has been about $1.40 more for a gallon of gas, on average. This week, the warnings that more acute pain may be coming to American shores have been accumulating...
The US-Israel war with Iran and the calamity it’s triggered in global energy markets has been sharply felt by nations from Southeast Asia to Europe . In the US, however, the price for consumers flowing from Donald Trump’s decision to attack has been about $1.40 more for a gallon of gas, on average. This week, the warnings that more acute pain may be coming to American shores have been accumulating. On Friday, one more arrived—from Big Oil . Every day the Strait of Hormuz remains shut, the world is using up commercial stockpiles, strategic reserves and crude that was stored in vessels, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips said this week. These supplies are now running short, Chevron Chief Financial Officer Eimear Bonner said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday. “There’s very little of the buffer left,” she said. “If you look at the unprecedented disruption and the world’s supply of oil and natural gas, the market hasn’t seen the full impact of that yet .” What You Need to Know Today US manufacturing growth in 2026 has managed to hang on despite war-induced spikes in energy and other input costs. This according to the Institute for Supply Management, a non-governmental organization that reported the US expansion has extended into April. The news comes despite the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted supply chains around the world, driving up the cost of oil and other materials like aluminum and helium. Higher gasoline and diesel prices have also made shipping products more expensive. Thirteen manufacturing industries reported growth in April, led by textile mills, nonmetallic mineral products and primary metals. Three industries indicated a contraction . War and Energy Crisis Can’t Dampen the Wall Street Party The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 closed the month at all-time highs, propelled by megacap technology earnings and a strong Apple forecast on Friday morning. Read more More bad news for Blue Owl—and private credit . Brown University...
Fujian province, the closest mainland Chinese province to Taiwan, is an important site for Beijing’s messaging towards the island. In the first of a two-part series, Xinlu Liang examines how Beijing is framing the executions of Communist Party spies in Taiwan within a reunification narrative. A courtyard house in an old quarter of Fuzhou, capital of the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, has...
Fujian province, the closest mainland Chinese province to Taiwan, is an important site for Beijing’s messaging towards the island. In the first of a two-part series, Xinlu Liang examines how Beijing is framing the executions of Communist Party spies in Taiwan within a reunification narrative. A courtyard house in an old quarter of Fuzhou, capital of the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, has become the unlikeliest of national pilgrimage sites. For decades, the residence at No 1...
Portfolios meant to help save for retirement are usually the most functional when they're the least interesting, as the whole point is to compound wealth over decades with enough predictability to plan around the result. Could a cryptocurrency like XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) ever be considered an investment for retirement savings, given that it has experienced multiple crashes where it lost more than half ...
Portfolios meant to help save for retirement are usually the most functional when they're the least interesting, as the whole point is to compound wealth over decades with enough predictability to plan around the result. Could a cryptocurrency like XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) ever be considered an investment for retirement savings, given that it has experienced multiple crashes where it lost more than half its value? Here's how to think through whether it earns a spot in your lineup. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
N Rotteveel/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Bitcoin-linked stocks RIOT Platforms ( RIOT ) and Strategy ( MSTR) rallied nearly 7% on May 1 as Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) climbed back towards the $77K level. But the bigger question here is—did Riot Platform's earnings just set the tone for what Strategy could deliver next? Riot Platforms reported Q1 revenue of $167.2M, up 3.6% Y/Y and beating analyst esti...
N Rotteveel/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Bitcoin-linked stocks RIOT Platforms ( RIOT ) and Strategy ( MSTR) rallied nearly 7% on May 1 as Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) climbed back towards the $77K level. But the bigger question here is—did Riot Platform's earnings just set the tone for what Strategy could deliver next? Riot Platforms reported Q1 revenue of $167.2M, up 3.6% Y/Y and beating analyst estimates by nearly $37.2M. However, GAAP EPS came in at -$1.44 vs. -$0.83 expected, hurt by a $326.7M non-cash Bitcoin revaluation loss and $97.7M depreciation. Even though operating strength stood out. CFO Jamie Chung highlighted $21M in power credits, helping lower its Bitcoin mining cost to $44.6K per asset. The company mined 1,473 Bitcoins in Q1, down 3.7% Y/Y, while holdings fell 18% to 15,680 BTC. Still, the company's average operating hash rate rose 23% to 36.4 EH/s. A key upside was diversification—Riot Platform's data center revenue hit $33.2M in Q1, while Advanced Micro Devices doubled its capacity at its Rockdale site to 50 MW , strengthening its AI story. Analyst sentiment also remains strong. Seeking Alpha analysts rate Riot Platforms a “Buy” with a 4.00 score, while Wall Street analysts maintain a stronger 4.57 “Strong Buy” rating. This optimism also lifted Strategy ahead of its May 5 Q1 earnings report. Analysts expect the firm to report Q1 EPS of -18.98 on revenue of $125.1M. However, estimate revisions remain weak, with 0 EPS upgrades vs. 2 downgrades and 3 revenue upgrades vs. 1 downgrade. Wall Street still keeps faith in the story, with a strong buy rating of 4.73, but the setup is simple: Riot Platforms already showed how crypto stocks react to Bitcoin strength—now the market is waiting to see if Strategy can follow the same path or break from it. More on Riot Platforms, Strategy Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Riot Platforms, Inc. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Strategy: Assessing Preferred Gambit Ahead Of Earni...
Comedian pulled from stage in Birmingham about 45 minutes into performance and audience told to leave A live show by comedian Peter Kay in Birmingham has been stopped after a “potential suspicious bag” was found around the venue. The Utilita Arena Birmingham was evacuated and a 19-year-old man was taken into custody, West Midlands police said on Friday evening. Continue reading...
Comedian pulled from stage in Birmingham about 45 minutes into performance and audience told to leave A live show by comedian Peter Kay in Birmingham has been stopped after a “potential suspicious bag” was found around the venue. The Utilita Arena Birmingham was evacuated and a 19-year-old man was taken into custody, West Midlands police said on Friday evening. Continue reading...
Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:RIOT) , a Bitcoin mining and data center operator, closed Friday at $18.50, up 7.31%. The stock moved higher after Q1 results, as data center updates sparked analyst upgrades. Investors are watching how quickly that segment can scale compared to legacy mining. Trading volume reached 32.6 million shares, about 74% above its three-month average of 18.7 million shares. Riot Pla...
Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:RIOT) , a Bitcoin mining and data center operator, closed Friday at $18.50, up 7.31%. The stock moved higher after Q1 results, as data center updates sparked analyst upgrades. Investors are watching how quickly that segment can scale compared to legacy mining. Trading volume reached 32.6 million shares, about 74% above its three-month average of 18.7 million shares. Riot Platforms IPO'd in 2016 and has grown 585% since going public. The S&P 500 added 0.28% to finish Friday at 7,229, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.89% to close at 25,114. Within Bitcoin mining, industry peers Mara Holdings closed at $11.46, down 4.42%, and Hut 8 finished at $76.98, up 1.58%, underscoring stock-specific reactions to recent earnings and AI pivot news. While Riot Platforms is still early on in its transition from Bitcoin miner to AI data center operator, its Q1 results showed that things are going well so far. Riot delivered its first 5 MW of capacity to AMD earlier this year and is on track to deliver another 20 MW in May 2026. In addition to these 25 MW of capacity, AMD exercised its option for another 25 MW, which should be delivered in November of 2026. Continue reading
Earnings Call Insights: Moderna (MRNA) Q1 2026 Management view Moderna described Q1 performance as driven by international execution, with CEO Stéphane Bancel saying, "In the first quarter, we grew year-over-year revenues significantly to $0.4 billion, driven primarily by execution of our long-term strategic partnership in -- with the U.K. government" and adding, "With a strong Q1, we are reiterat...
Earnings Call Insights: Moderna (MRNA) Q1 2026 Management view Moderna described Q1 performance as driven by international execution, with CEO Stéphane Bancel saying, "In the first quarter, we grew year-over-year revenues significantly to $0.4 billion, driven primarily by execution of our long-term strategic partnership in -- with the U.K. government" and adding, "With a strong Q1, we are reiterating up to 10% growth in 2026." Bancel highlighted new EU regulatory milestones and their timing, stating, "we achieved an important milestone with the approval of mCOMBRIAX in the European Union" and "We also secured approval for mNEXSPIKE in the European Union," adding, "These 2 new approved products in Europe will be important growth drivers in the EU in 2027." CFO James Mock emphasized Q1 revenue mix and near-term revenue expectations, saying, "For the first quarter, total revenue was $400 million" and "For the second quarter, we are expecting revenue of between $50 million and $100 million." Mock detailed the Arbutus/Genevant settlement mechanics and uncertainty on the additional payment, stating, "we will make a lump sum payment of $950 million in the third quarter of 2026" and "If, however, the Federal Circuit affirms liability under Section 1498, Moderna has agreed to make an additional payment of up to $1.3 billion." President Stephen Hoge framed the multi-year plan around partnerships and 2027 EU opportunity, saying, "we expect up to 10% revenue growth driven by our long-term strategic partnerships in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and supported by the continued growth of mNEXSPIKE" and describing Europe as "the large $1.8 billion annual European respiratory vaccines market." Outlook Mock reiterated the 2026 framework and key assumptions, stating, "we expect total revenue to grow up to 10% in 2026" and "this guidance assumes no revenue from our flu vaccine or mCOMBRIAX." Mock updated cost of sales guidance due to litigation, saying, "Our cost of sales pr...