WiktorD/iStock via Getty Images Activist investor Starboard Value LP is pushing french-fry maker Lamb Weston ( LW ) to hold an investor day and explain its plans for earnings growth. Shares of Lamb Weston ( LW ) have dropped 18% over the past year and Starboard disclosed last month it had built a position and was urging the company to accelerate operational improvements and implement cost cuts to ...
WiktorD/iStock via Getty Images Activist investor Starboard Value LP is pushing french-fry maker Lamb Weston ( LW ) to hold an investor day and explain its plans for earnings growth. Shares of Lamb Weston ( LW ) have dropped 18% over the past year and Starboard disclosed last month it had built a position and was urging the company to accelerate operational improvements and implement cost cuts to revive its underperforming share price. "While Lamb Weston has made meaningful progress in improving volume trends over the past year, the central issue remains the same: earnings have not grown, and investors lack confidence in the path to normalized earnings and sustainable growth," Starboard Managing Member Jeff Smith wrote in a letter to the board on Thursday. "The Company is at a critical juncture and must clearly articulate a path forward. We believe the appropriate forum to do so is an Investor Day, as it allows the Company to reset the narrative, clearly communicate its path to durable earnings growth, and rebuild investor confidence." Starboard argues in its letter that the company should attain 25% adjusted EBITDA margins by FY2029 through a balanced mix of profitable revenue growth and cost reductions. "While the Company’s announced $250 million cost savings program is a starting point, it has been primarily focused on cost of goods sold," Smith wrote in the letter. "We believe a significant opportunity exists within SG&A, which has nearly tripled over the past decade despite only 1 modest volume growth." Starboard also wants Lamb Weston ( LW ) to evaluate the company's strategic business units to optimize its portfolio. Lamb Weston didn't immediately respond to Seeking Alpha's request for comment. More on Lamb Weston Lamb Weston May Have Higher Margins In 2027 (Rating Upgrade) Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (LW) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Lamb Weston: Sub-$40 Value Play With An EPS Rebound Expected Lamb Weston forecasts $6.45B-$6.55B in fiscal 2026 net sales w...
Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction Following my earlier bullish outlook on CoreWeave ( CRWV ), Nebius Group ( NBIS ) remains a key player in the neocloud space. By now, the business model is well established, and there is increasing proof that the demand for AI infrastructure still exceeds its supply. Nebius appears to have an advantage in terms of a cleaner balance sheet, ...
Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction Following my earlier bullish outlook on CoreWeave ( CRWV ), Nebius Group ( NBIS ) remains a key player in the neocloud space. By now, the business model is well established, and there is increasing proof that the demand for AI infrastructure still exceeds its supply. Nebius appears to have an advantage in terms of a cleaner balance sheet, clearer deal-making, and contracted demand from Microsoft and Meta, which meaningfully reduces the risk profile. Despite the stock’s strong ~70% year-to-date rally, the recent short-term pullback from all time highs of $168 appears to reflect short-term positioning rather than a clear deterioration in fundamentals, as expectations build into a potentially important earnings catalyst. Expectations Are Low But the Setup Points to Potential Upside When putting everything together and understanding how ARR, capacity and frequency of deployments play out, the guidance in 2026 starts becoming much more realistic. The plan is to achieve run-rate revenue of $7-$9 billion per year, which would translate into roughly a ~7X increase from the current ~$1.25 billion ARR in 2025. At first glance, this might sound very aggressive, even too aggressive, but when looking at the inputs, the picture becomes more clear. The contracted capacity of energy that the company has currently for 2026 amounts to over 3GW vs ~1GW just a few months ago. This is not a guesswork number because it reflects contracted capacity. Once the contracted capacity is deployed even partially, the implied revenue per GW of installed capacity matches the ARR target range very well. Therefore, growth is supported not only by strong demand but also directly linked to the pace of capacity deployments. However, the critical point here is the timing aspect and not the issue of demand. Considering that the firm already has pre-sold capacity, long-term contracts, and a shift from seven to sixteen locations, the projections loo...
Yi Huiman. Photo: VCG China has expelled former top securities regulator Yi Huiman from the Communist Party and public office over alleged bribery, paving the way for his criminal prosecution. The announcement follows a seven-month probe into the former chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, who previously led the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).
Yi Huiman. Photo: VCG China has expelled former top securities regulator Yi Huiman from the Communist Party and public office over alleged bribery, paving the way for his criminal prosecution. The announcement follows a seven-month probe into the former chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, who previously led the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Eli Lilly ( LLY ) CEO Dave Ricks told CNBC on Thursday that the commercial rollout of its newly launched weight loss pill, Foundayo, will be “just fine," and more than 20,000 patients have started taking the oral GLP-1 therapy during its first few weeks on the market. The Indiana-based drugmaker launched the once-daily therapy earlier this month in a ...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Eli Lilly ( LLY ) CEO Dave Ricks told CNBC on Thursday that the commercial rollout of its newly launched weight loss pill, Foundayo, will be “just fine," and more than 20,000 patients have started taking the oral GLP-1 therapy during its first few weeks on the market. The Indiana-based drugmaker launched the once-daily therapy earlier this month in a market dominated by Novo Nordisk ( NVO ), which rolled out its rival therapy, the Wegovy pill, in January. Ricks said that over 1,000 people are initiating Foundayo therapy per day, with more than 80% of them being new to GLP-1s, the obesity drug class popularized by Lilly and Novo ( NVO ) with their blockbuster products tirzepatide and semaglutide, respectively. “So what we’re seeing now is basically organic demand, which is pretty strong to us,” he said, adding, “This is going to play out over quarters, not days, and I just ask people to take a beat and let us execute.” “I think it’s going to be just fine,” he said. His remarks came as multiple analysts pointed out that prescriptions for the company’s weight loss therapies, Foundayo and Zepbound, trailed those for Novo ( NVO ) in recent weeks. Citing IQVIA ( IQV ) data, Truist analyst Srikripa Devarakonda pointed out last week that Foundayo prescriptions for the week ending April 17 reached 3,707 compared to 18,410 prescriptions received for the Wegovy pill during the first week of its launch. More on Eli Lilly Eli Lilly Stock Could Rise Sharply After Earnings Eli Lilly: A Heavyweight Battle Isn't Won In Round 1 Eli Lilly: We Haven't Reached Its Peak Yet (Rating Upgrade) Lilly rises after boosting 2026 outlook Eli Lilly Non-GAAP EPS of $8.55 beats by $1.76, revenue of $19.8B beats by $2B
nicolas_/E+ via Getty Images KLA's ( KLAC ) third-quarter results and outlook surpassed estimates, but the stock had fallen 8% by early Thursday morning market trading as investors were looking for more, and some analysts don't see many near-term catalysts. "KLAC is benefiting from a secular increase in process control intensity, and its Services segment is sustaining double-digit growth," said RB...
nicolas_/E+ via Getty Images KLA's ( KLAC ) third-quarter results and outlook surpassed estimates, but the stock had fallen 8% by early Thursday morning market trading as investors were looking for more, and some analysts don't see many near-term catalysts. "KLAC is benefiting from a secular increase in process control intensity, and its Services segment is sustaining double-digit growth," said RBC analysts, led by Srini Pajjuri, in a Thursday investor note. "On the other hand, limited upside to C2Q/CY26 outlooks is a surprise given the strong WFE backdrop (likely due to lower DRAM exposure than peers and lack of new process node development at TSM this year)." RBC retained its Sector Perform rating on the stock and increased its price target to $1,700 from $1,600. "For Jun-26Q, management expects Foundry/Logic to account for 82% of Semiconductor Process Control, which implies ~40% q/q growth," Pajjuri noted. "Memory declined 3% q/q to $1.2B (up 48% y/y) and is on track to decline further in Jun-26Q, primarily due to timing issues. China declined to 24% of sales in the quarter, largely as expected. Management sees China WFE spending to be relatively flat going forward. Services grew 16% y/y, and management continues to project 13-15% growth for this business longer term." Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan reiterated its Overweight rating and increased its price target to $2,000 from $1,950. "KLAC delivered a clean beat-and-raise and materially strengthened the forward narrative just weeks after its Investor Day - a record March quarter, an incrementally lifted CY26 WFE outlook, and a definitive step-up in the CY27 WFE framing," said J.P. Morgan analysts, led by Harlan Sur, in an investor note. "Underpinning the print and the strengthened forward outlook was broad-based momentum across leading-edge foundry/logic (3nm capacity build-outs, 2nm ramp acceleration, sub-2nm visibility), HBM (with intensity converging toward logic levels), and advanced packaging (CoWoS expansion, emer...
Key PointsCFO Paul Joachimczyk acquired 8,058 shares at a reported price of $49.64 per share, representing a transaction value of ~$400,000 on April 24, 2026.
Key PointsCFO Paul Joachimczyk acquired 8,058 shares at a reported price of $49.64 per share, representing a transaction value of ~$400,000 on April 24, 2026.
The Australia wearable medical devices market is rapidly evolving due to the increasing need for monitoring chronic illnesses and age-related conditions. Key growth opportunities include innovations in consumer and clinical-grade wearables, integration with remote care platforms, and advancements in wearable technology for real-time health data.Dublin, April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Austr...
The Australia wearable medical devices market is rapidly evolving due to the increasing need for monitoring chronic illnesses and age-related conditions. Key growth opportunities include innovations in consumer and clinical-grade wearables, integration with remote care platforms, and advancements in wearable technology for real-time health data.Dublin, April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Australia Wearable Medical Devices Market - Distribution by Type of Product, Type of Grade, Type of Site,
The EU's new plans to revitalize the semiconductor industry would allow the European Commission to invest directly in manufacturing, Bloomberg News reported, citing people with knowledge of the draft. The draft of the Chips Act II, expected in late May, is an attempt to improve on the initial European Chips Act, which came into force in September 2023. The proposal intends to help the EU invest mo...
The EU's new plans to revitalize the semiconductor industry would allow the European Commission to invest directly in manufacturing, Bloomberg News reported, citing people with knowledge of the draft. The draft of the Chips Act II, expected in late May, is an attempt to improve on the initial European Chips Act, which came into force in September 2023. The proposal intends to help the EU invest more in key technology and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. The potential proposal empowers the EC to invest in large, cross-border projects directly. Previously the antitrust regulator was limited to funding research and approving aid from member states. The Commission-backed projects would still be public-private partnerships, the report added . The new version also intends to boost the development of tech crucial for chipmaking, including machinery, materials, and circuit boards, the report noted. The European Commission did not immediately respond to Seeking Alpha's request for comment. The rules could still change before they are published and will require multiple rounds of negotiations between EU governments and members of the EU Parliament before they get approved. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the risks of Europe’s reliance on global supply chains. The EU brought the Chips Act forward to boost local chip manufacturing and decrease the risk of disruption to local industries. At the time, the EU said incentives for semiconductor projects could reach €86B (about $101B) through a combination of state aid and corporate investments. The measures were intended to make it easier for countries to get authorization to spend money on production and draw in companies willing to build infrastructure in the region. The objective was to double the EU's market share in global chip manufacturing to 20% by 2030. However, after several proposed projects for chip manufacturing plants were delayed or dropped in the last few years, the European Court of Auditors noted in a report ...
It didn’t take long for the semiconductor stocks to start melting up again. It’s been quite the roller-coaster ride, but if investors held on to something like the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX), my preferred gauge of the semis and a renewed short (in the form of bearish put options) of the great Dr. Michael Burry, ... The Semiconductor Pop Was Violent — the Pullback Could Be Too
It didn’t take long for the semiconductor stocks to start melting up again. It’s been quite the roller-coaster ride, but if investors held on to something like the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX), my preferred gauge of the semis and a renewed short (in the form of bearish put options) of the great Dr. Michael Burry, ... The Semiconductor Pop Was Violent — the Pullback Could Be Too
gorodenkoff/iStock via Getty Images Kodiak AI's ( KDK ) share price remains under pressure, which is not particularly surprising given the general lack of investor enthusiasm for self-driving technology companies and Kodiak's limited operations on public roads. The company's defense business remains a bright spot, though, and frac sand hauling operations are expected to ramp up as the year progres...
gorodenkoff/iStock via Getty Images Kodiak AI's ( KDK ) share price remains under pressure, which is not particularly surprising given the general lack of investor enthusiasm for self-driving technology companies and Kodiak's limited operations on public roads. The company's defense business remains a bright spot, though, and frac sand hauling operations are expected to ramp up as the year progresses. I previously suggested that competition and dilution risk undermined the bull case. While Kodiak appears undervalued relative to Aurora Innovation, I don't think this will matter until Kodiak begins scaling unsupervised long-haul freight operations. Market Conditions Given the current nascent state of the market, competition and the trajectory of self-driving technology are the primary considerations for Kodiak. Aurora Innovation ( AUR ) is one of the more mature companies in the space and is expected to really begin scaling its driverless operations in the second half of this year. While it is difficult to compare companies at this point in time, I would argue that Aurora is the market leader in the US. Plus AI is an autonomous driving technology company that is focused on long-haul trucking. The company completed the first cross-country autonomous freight delivery in the US in 2019 and commenced commercial operations in 2021. Plus, AI also has operations in Germany, China, and Australia. Waabi was founded in 2021 and is developing self-driving technology for both freight and robotaxis. The company has partnered with Uber Freight in 2023 on autonomous commercial deliveries and is collaborating with Volvo. Waabi also plans on launching a fleet of 25,000 robotaxis on Uber's platform. This is supported by a recent 1 billion USD raise. Waabi is differentiated by its heavy use of simulation, including the Waabi World simulator, which was introduced in 2022. WeRide ( WRD ) has a sizeable number of robotrucks on the road, but its trucking business appears to have stalled in ...
Francisco Zalez/iStock via Getty Images I previously rated Generac Holdings ( GNRC ) as a Hold in October 2022, attributed to the uncertainty from the Pink Energy lawsuit, with the latter still stuck in arbitration limbo as of early 2026. In this article, I shall discuss why GNRC remains a Hold here, despite their promising AI monetization prospects as a backup power supplier. GNRC Proves Its AI B...
Francisco Zalez/iStock via Getty Images I previously rated Generac Holdings ( GNRC ) as a Hold in October 2022, attributed to the uncertainty from the Pink Energy lawsuit, with the latter still stuck in arbitration limbo as of early 2026. In this article, I shall discuss why GNRC remains a Hold here, despite their promising AI monetization prospects as a backup power supplier. GNRC Proves Its AI Beneficiary Status GNRC 1Y Stock Price ( TradingView ) Since my last Hold rating, GNRC has delivered an outsized stock price return of +108% compared to the wider market at +84% over the same time period. If anything, a similar rally has also been observed in its solar inverter/battery storage/power generator peers, attributed to the ongoing data center boom and the consequently outsized data center power demand growth prospects by " almost double by 2030 ." It does not help as well, that "much of the (utility) infrastructure was built 50-75 years ago and is struggling to keep up with modern energy demands , weather events, and the transition to renewable energy," worsened by the fact that " 46% of distribution infrastructure is beyond its useful life.” Here is where GNRC's diversified capability has come in useful, as more hyperscalers require stable power loads and utilize backup generators/power solutions to stabilize power " swings in grid voltage " to prevent outages. This development has directly contributed to the company's consequently growing Commercial & Industrial segment revenues at 48.1% of its overall top-lines in FQ1'26 ( +12.4 points YoY /+20.5 from FY2022 levels of 27.6% /+8.6 from FY2019 levels of 39.5% ). GNRC has already reported a robust data center backlog of $700M in FQ1'26 (+75% YoY, not inclusive of a nonbinding notice for $600M deliveries in 2027). Readers may want to note that the company is in "the final stages of vendor approval with two hyperscale data center customers, and we are very confident that we'll be able to secure meaningful future vol...
(RTTNews) - Thursday, Guardant Health, Inc. (GH) announced a multi-year strategic collaboration with Nuvalent, Inc. (NUVL) to support the development and potential commercialization of the latter's oncology pipeline using the tissue and liquid offerings of the Guardant Infinity p
(RTTNews) - Thursday, Guardant Health, Inc. (GH) announced a multi-year strategic collaboration with Nuvalent, Inc. (NUVL) to support the development and potential commercialization of the latter's oncology pipeline using the tissue and liquid offerings of the Guardant Infinity p
Nepra Foods ( NPRFF ) announced on Thursday that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire substantially all the assets of Tsceminicum Bottling Company, which operates as Artesian Fusion. The proposed asset purchase would transfer a bottling and co-packing facility in Lewiston, Idaho, related equipment, customer relationships, and water rights, including access to an artesian w...
Nepra Foods ( NPRFF ) announced on Thursday that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire substantially all the assets of Tsceminicum Bottling Company, which operates as Artesian Fusion. The proposed asset purchase would transfer a bottling and co-packing facility in Lewiston, Idaho, related equipment, customer relationships, and water rights, including access to an artesian water source. The LOI contemplates total consideration of approximately USD $1,500,000, comprised of an upfront cash component, a seller-financed balance, and contingent consideration tied to operational performance. The agreement is non-binding and structured to permit due diligence and negotiation of definitive purchase documents; completion is subject to satisfactory due diligence, execution of definitive agreements, receipt of required regulatory and Canadian Securities Exchange approvals, and customary closing conditions. Under the LOI, the parties intend to operate a defined trial period under a supply and manufacturing arrangement. Nepra said this trial is intended to allow the company to evaluate the facility's capabilities, confirm operational alignment, and assess commercial opportunities before finalizing the acquisition and integration planning. If completed, Nepra said the transaction would enable direct participation in beverage manufacturing and co-packing, reduce reliance on third-party manufacturers, and expand the company's ability to support internal product development and external customer programs. More on Nepra Foods Inc. Nepra Foods reports preliminary Q4 revenue of $1.85M Financial information for Nepra Foods Inc.
spawns/iStock via Getty Images Twenty One Capital ( XXI ) officially completed its reverse merger from Cantor Equity Partners (formerly trading under ticker CEP) on December 9, 2025. In my previous coverage , I was bullish on the prospect of a new major Bitcoin treasury player. However, since the ticker change, the waters have muddied. For several months, news about the company has been sparse. Th...
spawns/iStock via Getty Images Twenty One Capital ( XXI ) officially completed its reverse merger from Cantor Equity Partners (formerly trading under ticker CEP) on December 9, 2025. In my previous coverage , I was bullish on the prospect of a new major Bitcoin treasury player. However, since the ticker change, the waters have muddied. For several months, news about the company has been sparse. The company's inaugural earnings report was uneventful—unsurprising for a firm whose primary activity is holding Bitcoin—and its website remains unusually void of any useful information. Nonetheless, April 2026 has brought a development that should draw investor attention. Executive Stock Grants Then, in April 2026, Twenty One Capital disclosed equity compensation packages for its top leadership. This included a massive grant of 1,607,866 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) to CEO Jack Mallers and 204,223 RSUs to CFO Steven Meehan . SEC filings revealed that a portion of these units—roughly 321,573 for Mallers and 25% for Meehan—vested immediately as of April 1st. The remainder are scheduled to vest quarterly over the next three to four years. Additionally, Mallers received 35,579 shares as part of his 2025 annual bonus, valued at a fair market price of $6.64 per share. These grants have drawn sharp criticism from investors. Effectively the company's list of accomplishments to date is very little except to hold 43,500 BTC on its balance sheet. And yet, the executive compensation package rewards two executives as if they have already accomplished some incredible milestones. Granted, the company reported a massive $217.3 million net loss only due to bitcoin's price dropping in a mark-to-market accounting loss. It's important to understand that this was not due to some operational misstep. Regardless, the company reports that there are about 346 million shares outstanding, which means these two executives, when their shares vest, will have over half a percent ownership of the company....