Vladimir Putin’s envoy says Washington is “beginning to better understand” the importance of Russian oil, after a “productive meeting” with US negotiators about the Ukraine invasion. “We discussed promising projects that could contribute to the restoration of Russian-American relations and the current crisis on global energy markets,” Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev wrote in a Telegram post. Th...
Vladimir Putin’s envoy says Washington is “beginning to better understand” the importance of Russian oil, after a “productive meeting” with US negotiators about the Ukraine invasion. “We discussed promising projects that could contribute to the restoration of Russian-American relations and the current crisis on global energy markets,” Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev wrote in a Telegram post. The discussions in Florida on Thursday, which did not include representatives from Ukraine, came hours before the US issued a 30-day licence for countries to buy Russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea, in an effort to stabilise global energy markets roiled by the Iran war. The US already lifted some sanctions on Russian oil earlier this week. That move was criticised as filling Russia’s war coffers. Trump said this week that Putin, to whom he spoke on Monday, wanted to be “helpful” in relation to the Middle East war. Russia has received €6bn (£5bn) from selling its fossil fuels in the fortnight since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, data suggests. The revenues imply Russia made an extra €672m in oil, gas and coal sales during March, Simon Goodley writes. Hungary returned two seized armoured bank vehicles to Ukraine on Thursday but withheld cash and gold worth millions, citing an investigation into alleged money laundering, a move that Kyiv has denounced as theft. Relations between Hungary and Ukraine reached a new low last week when Hungary detained seven Ukrainians transporting cash and gold. Kyiv accused Budapest of taking the bank employees, engaged in a legitimate transfer, hostage to pressure Ukraine into restarting suspended oil shipments. Those detained were expelled by Hungary and crossed into Ukraine on Friday. The EU has proposed a mission to inspect the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine, and is waiting for a reply from Ukraine, a spokesperson for the EU Commission said on Thursday. Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Hunga...
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images Market Review US equity markets rose in 4Q2025 amid a complex mix of AI-driven growth optimism and rising concerns around profitability, spending, and macroeconomic uncertainty. While enthusiasm around AI investment remained a defining theme, investor scrutiny increased as questions emerged regarding return on investment, balance sheet leverage, and the sustainabili...
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images Market Review US equity markets rose in 4Q2025 amid a complex mix of AI-driven growth optimism and rising concerns around profitability, spending, and macroeconomic uncertainty. While enthusiasm around AI investment remained a defining theme, investor scrutiny increased as questions emerged regarding return on investment, balance sheet leverage, and the sustainability of elevated capital expenditures. Macroeconomic conditions showed signs of moderation. Labor markets weakened, with the unemployment rate rising to a four-year high in November, alongside a wave of high-profile layoffs across technology and consumer-oriented companies. Consumer behavior remained uneven: retail sales exceeded expectations, supporting resilience narratives, while Visa ( V ) reported holiday spending growth driven primarily by ecommerce and electronics. Sector leadership diverged meaningfully. Healthcare emerged as a top-performing sector late in the quarter, particularly within pharmaceuticals. Financials demonstrated renewed strength as the six largest US banks added approximately $600 billion in market capitalization during 2025, supported by deregulation tailwinds and a revival in investment banking activity. Housing indicators improved modestly, though affordability constraints persisted. A late-quarter government shutdown delayed key economic releases, contributing to heightened uncertainty. Technology performance was mixed. NVIDIA (N V DA) continued to grab headlines after receiving approval to sell H200 chips to China, while ByteDance announced plans to acquire these chips as part of a $23 billion AI capital expenditure expansion. However, broader technology performance softened later in the quarter as concerns around AI-related debt and margin pressure weighed on sentiment. The Russell Midcap® Growth Index declined 3.70% for the quarter, with communication services and consumer staples among the weakest-performing sectors, while materials and healt...
Eric Swalwell Rents Room Linked To Former Staffer To Claim California Residency Rep. Eric Swalwell has primarily been living in Washington, D.C. for years, and now that he’s running for governor of California, he’s hit a snag over residency. According to reports , Swalwell is renting a single room in a home in the eastern Bay Area that’s occupied by a family of three to claim residency in the stat...
Eric Swalwell Rents Room Linked To Former Staffer To Claim California Residency Rep. Eric Swalwell has primarily been living in Washington, D.C. for years, and now that he’s running for governor of California, he’s hit a snag over residency. According to reports , Swalwell is renting a single room in a home in the eastern Bay Area that’s occupied by a family of three to claim residency in the state. Public records show it’s a three-bedroom, 1,350-square-foot home owned by Nicolas and Kristina Mrzywka. It is unlikely that Swalwell has ever truly lived there. And now, one of his Democratic primary rivals is calling him out on it. “The alleged discovery of Swalwell’s Livermore rental came from the congressman’s top Democratic opponent, billionaire Tom Steyer,” reports the New York Post. “ Steyer says Swalwell appears to ‘live in California on paper only’ as the governor race heats up, ‘making him unlikely to meet the basic residency requirements to run for Governor.’ ” Ryan Hughes, Steyer’s attorney, is now calling on Secretary of State Shirley Weber to “enforce a dormant residency requirement in the governor’s race.” Hughes also encouraged Weber to “allow for robust legal proceedings as to whether Swalwell is eligible to serve as Governor,” which could be problematic when dealing with the Trump administration. “If elected, questions of legitimacy would hang over Swalwell, allowing the Trump Administration to sow doubt, exploit the ambiguity, and advance its perverse agendas,” Hughes wrote. “ The Trump Administration could question Swalwell’s legitimacy as Governor and, therefore, imperil California’s receipt of federal funds, the state’s ability to deploy the California National Guard, and act in emergencies .” Why is Swalwell renting that particular room? Kristina Mrzywka is the sister of Stephanie Sbranti, the wife of Tim Sbranti, Swalwell's ex-deputy chief of staff and district director from 2015 to 2018, whom Hughes described as Swalwell’s “longtime mentor who hel...
Thanaphum Tachakanjanapong/iStock via Getty Images The market landscape in early 2026 has seen sudden shifts between different market sectors based on geopolitical news. As geopolitical tensions drive volatility, many investors are looking for a way to add more higher-quality investments instead of betting on speculative future growth. The S&P 500 has a high concentration in the large mega caps. T...
Thanaphum Tachakanjanapong/iStock via Getty Images The market landscape in early 2026 has seen sudden shifts between different market sectors based on geopolitical news. As geopolitical tensions drive volatility, many investors are looking for a way to add more higher-quality investments instead of betting on speculative future growth. The S&P 500 has a high concentration in the large mega caps. The WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund ( DGRW ) offers a good way to provide more diversification. ETF Strategy There are some traditional dividend funds that look backward and require ten or more years of historical dividend increases, like ( VIG ) or ( NOBL ). But DGRW is different and is more forward looking. Its methodology focuses on several factors: Growth: Long-term earnings growth expectations. Quality: Three-year average Return on Equity and Return on Assets. Weighting: Components are weighted by the cash value of dividends paid, not on market cap. Slightly Higher Expenses Vs. Some Peers DGRW carries a higher expense ratio than some of the ultra-low-cost passive index peers. But its screens for profitability have historically justified the somewhat higher expenses through superior risk-adjusted returns. ETF Ticker Expense Ratio Strategy Focus Vanguard Div. Appreciation VIG 0.04% 10+ Year Dividend History Schwab US Dividend Equity SCHD 0.06% High Yield & Sustainability iShares Core Div. Growth DGRO 0.08% Dividend Growth & Payout Ratio WisdomTree Quality Div. Growth DGRW 0.28% Forward Growth & ROE/ROA Click to enlarge Underlying Portfolio Analysis As of March 2026, DGRW's portfolio contains some of the most profitable, high-quality US companies. By focusing on ROE, it captures the growth of the top tech leaders but also adds some other high-quality stocks. Top 10 Holdings (approx. 39% of Assets): NVIDIA ( NVDA ): 5.57% Apple ( AAPL ): 5.42% Microsoft ( MSFT ): 5.01% Google ( GOOGL ): 4.53% Exxon Mobil ( XOM ): 4.45% Chevron ( CVX ): 3.15% Meta Platforms ( ME...
Earnings Call Insights: Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (KFS) Q4 2025 Management View John Fitzgerald, President and CEO, stated that "Kingsway is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the search fund model at scale within a tax-efficient public company framework." He highlighted a strong fourth quarter and noted, "During the year, we completed 6 acquisitions within the KSX segment, launched our S...
Earnings Call Insights: Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (KFS) Q4 2025 Management View John Fitzgerald, President and CEO, stated that "Kingsway is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the search fund model at scale within a tax-efficient public company framework." He highlighted a strong fourth quarter and noted, "During the year, we completed 6 acquisitions within the KSX segment, launched our Skilled Trades platform, significantly grew revenues and earnings power and made meaningful investments in our operating businesses that position Kingsway to accelerate growth in 2026 and beyond." He underscored that for the first time, the KSX segment represented a majority of both revenue and adjusted EBITDA in both the third and fourth quarters. Fitzgerald reported that consolidated revenue grew to $135 million for 2025, with portfolio LTM EBITDA in the $22 million to $23 million range as of December 31. He reiterated the company's target of "3 to 5 acquisitions in 2026" and expects "double-digit organic growth across both KSX and Extended Warranty." He described significant investments in Image Solutions and the Skilled Trades platform, positioning both for growth in the coming year. Kent Hansen, Executive VP & CFO, stated, "Total revenue for the quarter was up 30.1% to $38.6 million and up 23.4% to $135 million for the year." He added, "Consolidated net loss for the quarter was $1.6 million and $10.3 million for the full year. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $2.7 million and $7.8 million for the year." Hansen described the KSX segment's revenue growth and attributed a slight Q4 EBITDA decline to seasonality in Plumbing businesses and Roundhouse. He also explained the company's updated reporting metric, portfolio LTM adjusted EBITDA, which aligns external and internal views for both management and lenders. Outlook Fitzgerald stated, "Kingsway is budgeting for double-digit organic growth across both KSX and Extended Warranty." He reiterated targets for "3...