Crop shipments to Iran through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen more than 40% from March, with a prolonged US blockade threatening to worsen the country’s already high food inflation. Ships loaded with grains or oilseeds bound for Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini port — the key gateway for such imports — are lingering at sea and not entering the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracker Kpler. The last s...
Crop shipments to Iran through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen more than 40% from March, with a prolonged US blockade threatening to worsen the country’s already high food inflation. Ships loaded with grains or oilseeds bound for Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini port — the key gateway for such imports — are lingering at sea and not entering the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracker Kpler. The last ship to arrive at the port transited the Strait of Hormuz on April 28. At least six cargoes destined for the port are waiting in the Arabian Sea, with more vessels en route from Brazil, according to the data. Iran relies heavily on grain imports, mostly for animal feed that sustains the output of meat and dairy for its 93 million people. The country’s food inflation was already high ahead of the war, weighed down by sanctions and a weak currency. The conflict has sent the prices of staples like bread, potatoes and onions soaring, according to data from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. Iran’s BIK port in the Persian Gulf had seen steady arrivals before and even during the early stages of the war, with high grain and oilseed imports in February and March, Kpler data show. In April, ships bearing grain cargoes slowed to a trickle, down from more than 30 in January. April’s grain imports to BIK came in at 780,000 tons, compared with March’s 1.38 million tons, according to Kpler data. Read More: How the Strait of Hormuz Has Become a Weapon of War: Explainer War risk is the dominant factor shaping decisions, with shipowners reluctant to expose crews and vessels to danger by attempting to transit the strait, according to freight and commodity brokerage Freight Investor Services. “Any available war-risk insurance is likely to be prohibitively expensive, reducing the appeal of such trades,” it said. Currently, only two vessels with grain cargoes are docked at BIK, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The New Pioneer arrived on Thursday, with so...
American International Group (NYSE:AIG) executives highlighted what Chairman and CEO Peter Zaffino described as an “exceptional” start to 2026, pointing to strong underwriting results, double-digit premium growth in General Insurance, improved expense performance, and continued capital returns as ke
American International Group (NYSE:AIG) executives highlighted what Chairman and CEO Peter Zaffino described as an “exceptional” start to 2026, pointing to strong underwriting results, double-digit premium growth in General Insurance, improved expense performance, and continued capital returns as ke
OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar sees “a vertical wall of demand” for the company’s products as she pushed back Thursday on concerns about missing internal targets in a Bloomberg interview. Ed Ludlow reports on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar sees “a vertical wall of demand” for the company’s products as she pushed back Thursday on concerns about missing internal targets in a Bloomberg interview. Ed Ludlow reports on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
Riot posted $167.2 million in first-quarter revenue, with $33.2 million from its new data center segment offsetting a year-over-year decline in bitcoin mining revenue. A $500 million net loss was…
Riot posted $167.2 million in first-quarter revenue, with $33.2 million from its new data center segment offsetting a year-over-year decline in bitcoin mining revenue. A $500 million net loss was…
‘I do believe all of the golfers should be playing’ Harman says rebels should face consequences Donald Trump has supported the reintroduction of LIV Golf players onto the PGA Tour after the league announced the withdrawal of funding from the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The US president said he would love to see top golfers who defected to the LIV circuit playing regularly against the PGA Tour’s ...
‘I do believe all of the golfers should be playing’ Harman says rebels should face consequences Donald Trump has supported the reintroduction of LIV Golf players onto the PGA Tour after the league announced the withdrawal of funding from the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The US president said he would love to see top golfers who defected to the LIV circuit playing regularly against the PGA Tour’s best as uncertainty engulfed the breakaway league following the announcement. Continue reading...
Pentagon Finalizes Deal With Top AI Firms For National Security Work The Department of War has finalized agreements with OpenAI, Google, SpaceX/xAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Reflection AI to deploy AI tools in "classified settings." This means these tools will operate within secure government networks where sensitive or secret national security information is handled, according to The Wall S...
Pentagon Finalizes Deal With Top AI Firms For National Security Work The Department of War has finalized agreements with OpenAI, Google, SpaceX/xAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Reflection AI to deploy AI tools in "classified settings." This means these tools will operate within secure government networks where sensitive or secret national security information is handled, according to The Wall Street Journal . Anthropic's Claude had previously been one of the few AI tools available on Palantir's Maven platform. However, after the DoW labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk , the department pushed to broaden access to AI tools for top-secret work. The deal with the seven AI companies to unleash these models for secret national-security work, such as intelligence reports, satellite imagery, drone feeds, signals data, battlefield updates, logistics data, or classified planning documents, merely reflects that Silicon Valley is coming around in supporting the DoD after years of rejecting work with the department. Emil Michael, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, told the outlet, "We are equipping the warfighter with a suite of AI tools to maintain an unfair advantage and achieve absolute decision superiority." A Reflection spokeswoman told the outlet, "This shared understanding with the Pentagon is a first step in supporting U.S. national security, and sets a precedent for how AI labs could work across the U.S. government, from supporting our servicemembers to our scientists." The first indication that at least one Big Tech company had reached a deal with the DoW came on Thursday afternoon, when NBC News reported that Google had agreed to deploy its powerful Gemini AI systems on classified networks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made AI a top priority for the armed forces, vowing to transform the military into "an AI-first warfighting force." "We are proud to be part of a broad consortium of leading AI labs and technology and cloud companies prov...
The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ: ^IXIC) heads into May with record-setting momentum, closing April with a 15% monthly gain, its biggest since April 2020. Thursday’s nearly 1% advance capped the run, and after-the-bell earnings from Apple and SanDisk are the biggest forces shaping today’s open. Tech earnings are still writing the story as geopolitical headlines take ... Nasdaq Composite Takes Off as T...
The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ: ^IXIC) heads into May with record-setting momentum, closing April with a 15% monthly gain, its biggest since April 2020. Thursday’s nearly 1% advance capped the run, and after-the-bell earnings from Apple and SanDisk are the biggest forces shaping today’s open. Tech earnings are still writing the story as geopolitical headlines take ... Nasdaq Composite Takes Off as Tech Bulls Retake Control on Strong Earnings, MA
An unexpected pause in Colombia’s interest-rate hikes is threatening to upend local markets, with skepticism over the central bank’s credibility building weeks before a pivotal presidential election. Strategists are saying the so-called steepener trade is likely to gain traction following the decision, with longer-dated interest-rate swaps trailing short-dated contracts. The peso may also weaken w...
An unexpected pause in Colombia’s interest-rate hikes is threatening to upend local markets, with skepticism over the central bank’s credibility building weeks before a pivotal presidential election. Strategists are saying the so-called steepener trade is likely to gain traction following the decision, with longer-dated interest-rate swaps trailing short-dated contracts. The peso may also weaken when it reopens Monday as investors scale back expectations for further rate increases in the near term. Policymakers held borrowing costs at 11.25% on Thursday, defying all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Traders had been bracing for a 75 basis-point hike and further tightening after being caught off guard late last year by President Gustavo Petro’s record 23% minimum-wage hike . “We expect the long-end of the curve to underperform,” said Erick Martinez Magana , a strategist at Barclays. “Inflation is still rising, expectations remain unanchored, and the outcome may be read as a setback in BanRep’s efforts to rebuild credibility.” The unanimous decision further endangers the central bank’s reputation among investors, which is already reeling after Finance Minister German Avila — a voting member of the board — walked out of a recent meeting and threatened to boycott the last one. Here’s what economists and strategist had to say about the rate decision: Alejandro Cuadrado , head of global FX strategy at BBVA in New York “This should support our short COP trade idea, which was primarily initiated on negative asymmetry for COP ahead of the election” “Eventually, the election will still dictate the broader direction for Colombian assets and the COP” Andres Pardo , a strategist at XP Investments “Clearly this was a political decision” “At least this helps ease tensions with the government, avoids the risk of Petro attempting to raise the minimum wage, and prevents adding fuel ahead of the elections since the next meeting will take place after the runoff, onc...
Foreign language films often have their names altered for different markets and – for the most part – improve on them. Anyone up for a watch of I Will Marry a Prostitute to Save Money? Since it is the sequel to a modern classic – an iconic film that managed to introduce no end of quotes and terms to the cultural lexicon – you could assume that The Devil Wears Prada 2 wouldn’t have to work much to ...
Foreign language films often have their names altered for different markets and – for the most part – improve on them. Anyone up for a watch of I Will Marry a Prostitute to Save Money? Since it is the sequel to a modern classic – an iconic film that managed to introduce no end of quotes and terms to the cultural lexicon – you could assume that The Devil Wears Prada 2 wouldn’t have to work much to attract an audience. But this is where you would be wrong. For example, someone unfamiliar with the first film might wonder if, since the title invokes Satan, it might actually be a horror. Or maybe the name scans as an angry indie documentary about the role of designer clothing within this period of late-stage capitalism. And so it makes much more sense to do what the Vietnamese have done and simply call the film The Woman Who Loves Luxury Goods 2. Continue reading...
Caterpillar Inc.’s biggest Wall Street bear has thrown in the towel after watching the stock more than double on the back of surging demand for the company’s power generation equipment. Morgan Stanley analyst Angel Castillo raised his recommendation on the heavy-machinery maker to equal weight from underweight and more than doubled the price target to $915. His prior $430 target had been the lowes...
Caterpillar Inc.’s biggest Wall Street bear has thrown in the towel after watching the stock more than double on the back of surging demand for the company’s power generation equipment. Morgan Stanley analyst Angel Castillo raised his recommendation on the heavy-machinery maker to equal weight from underweight and more than doubled the price target to $915. His prior $430 target had been the lowest in Bloomberg data. That leaves only one sell-equivalent rating on the stock, compared to 16 buys and 10 holds. DA Davidson , which has a neutral rating on Caterpillar, now has the lowest price target at $650. Castillo told clients in a note that he underestimated three factors: demand in the US construction market, demand from data centers for Caterpillar’s generation equipment and “the speed and magnitude at which the market would price this all in.” The stock had more than doubled since Castillo cut the recommendation in August, citing tariff headwinds. Since then, company shares have been swept up by the artificial intelligence trade as data center construction boosts orders for power turbines. The shares rose 0.8% Friday morning to $897, after surging 9.9% on Thursday. Caterpillar reported strong results and raised growth targets both for this year and through 2030. Beyond the power business, sales grew faster than consensus estimates for the bulldozers and backhoes for which the industrial giant is best known. Read More: Caterpillar Jumps After Raising Long-Term Outlook on AI Boom Investors are looking beyond mixed conditions in the company’s markets, instead weighing its earnings potential next year and beyond, Castillo wrote. He noted that it has a record backlog, and AI heavyweights now plan to spend even more money on the infrastructure needed to run the technology. Alphabet Inc. , Meta Platforms Inc. , Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc . forecast as much as $725 billion in total capital expenditures this year, much of it earmarked for data center construction. ...
Among the three Magnificent 7 stocks that reported earnings on Wednesday, April 29, after the close, one name ran away with April. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) delivered the quarter that defined the month, while Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) lagged well behind it. The April scoreboard, measured from the March 31 close to the April 30 ... Meta, Microsoft, or Alphabet: Which Ma...
Among the three Magnificent 7 stocks that reported earnings on Wednesday, April 29, after the close, one name ran away with April. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) delivered the quarter that defined the month, while Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) lagged well behind it. The April scoreboard, measured from the March 31 close to the April 30 ... Meta, Microsoft, or Alphabet: Which Magnificent 7 Stock Dominated in April?
An SEC filing dated April 30, 2026, shows Palisades Investment Partners, LLC established a new position in SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ:SKYT) during the first quarter,, acquiring 260,896 shares. The estimated transaction value is $7.67 million, calculated using the average closing price for the first quarter. At quarter-end, the new position was valued at $7.15 million, reflecting both the purchase...
An SEC filing dated April 30, 2026, shows Palisades Investment Partners, LLC established a new position in SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ:SKYT) during the first quarter,, acquiring 260,896 shares. The estimated transaction value is $7.67 million, calculated using the average closing price for the first quarter. At quarter-end, the new position was valued at $7.15 million, reflecting both the purchase and market performance during the period. SkyWater Technology, Inc. is a U.S.-based semiconductor foundry specializing in advanced engineering and manufacturing services for silicon-based integrated circuits. The company leverages its technology co-creation model to address specialized customer requirements across high-growth and mission-critical markets. Continue reading
quantic69/iStock via Getty Images The S&P U.S. Manufacturing PMI index rose to 54.5 in April from 52.3 in March, against the preliminary estimate of 54.0. The rise signaled the strongest expansion in the manufacturing economy since May 2022. Stronger growth emanated from a quicker expansion in new order intakes. The increase was strong and the steepest in four years, according to S&P Global. Howev...
quantic69/iStock via Getty Images The S&P U.S. Manufacturing PMI index rose to 54.5 in April from 52.3 in March, against the preliminary estimate of 54.0. The rise signaled the strongest expansion in the manufacturing economy since May 2022. Stronger growth emanated from a quicker expansion in new order intakes. The increase was strong and the steepest in four years, according to S&P Global. However, growth was largely limited to the domestic market, as exports were a source of demand weakness after falling for the eleventh consecutive month. Increased new order inflows led to a stronger uplift in output, again the strongest since April 2022. However, firms often mentioned that growth in both new orders and output was the result of stock-building efforts to protect against increasing price and supply pressures related to the war. In response to stronger production requirements, purchasing activity rose at the sharpest rate in four years. Backlogs of work rose at an accelerated rate in April as increased orders, material shortfalls, and a smaller workforce placed additional strain on capacity. "The surge in manufacturing activity in April is not the cause for cheer that at first glance it suggests. A key driving force behind the upturn is the need for companies to get ahead of further feared price rises and supply shortages, providing a short-term boost that could fade in the coming months as headwinds to the economy continue to build," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Finally, manufacturing firms held a positive outlook regarding the year ahead for production, the report published on Friday showed. Upbeat business activity expectations were linked to confidence that the impact of the war would not be as pronounced as previously feared, while the impact of tariffs would likely soften over the coming months. More on Manufacturing Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index unexpectedly rises in April Dallas Fed Manufacturing ...