US May Deploy Hypersonic Missiles Against Iran As Centcom Set To Brief Trump On New Military Options US Central Command has asked to send the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, seeking a longer-range system to hit ballistic-missile launchers deep inside the country Bloomberg reports . If approved, this would mark the first time the U...
US May Deploy Hypersonic Missiles Against Iran As Centcom Set To Brief Trump On New Military Options US Central Command has asked to send the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, seeking a longer-range system to hit ballistic-missile launchers deep inside the country Bloomberg reports . If approved, this would mark the first time the US will have deployed its hypersonic missile, which is running far behind schedule and hasn’t been declared fully operational even as Russia and China have deployed their own versions. And since Trump isn't shy when it comes demonstrating force, it is unlikely that the request will be denied. The military's Request for Forces submission reportedly justifies the move by saying Iran has moved its launchers out of range of the Precision Strike Missile, a weapon that can hit targets at more than 300 miles. If approved, the deployment would also send a signal to Russia and China that the US is finally able to match a capability that they’ve long since mastered. Dark Eagle, also known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW, has a reported range of more than 1,725 miles, although its exact capabilities are secret. It is designed to glide to its target at more than five times the speed of sound and can maneuver to avoid interception. The missile was designed to fight Chinese or Russian advanced air defenses. The problem is that each Lockheed Martin missile costs about $15 million, and there are no more than eight missiles, so any assault using hypersonics would be rather brief. Also, since each battery will cost about $2.7 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office, they will make attractive targets for Iran's own hypersonics. The US already transferred most of its supplies of the stealthy JASSM-ER cruise missile, also designed for a fight with a near-peer adversary, to the Iran fight. About 1,100 of the missiles have been fired so far in the conflict. The US h...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares of Mattel ( MAT ) have been a poor performer over the past year, losing about 5% of their value in what has been a solid bull market. The toymaker struggled in 2026 with tariffs, given the significant reliance on imports across the sector. A weaker-than-expected holiday season and downbeat guidance sent shares plunging earlier this year. In Q1, th...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares of Mattel ( MAT ) have been a poor performer over the past year, losing about 5% of their value in what has been a solid bull market. The toymaker struggled in 2026 with tariffs, given the significant reliance on imports across the sector. A weaker-than-expected holiday season and downbeat guidance sent shares plunging earlier this year. In Q1, the company reported a surprise profit, but there were some unique drivers. I last covered Mattel in January , rating the stock a “buy,” on expectations for acceleration in 2026. That has been one of my worst calls, with shares down 26%. Given that underperformance and with updated financials, now is a good time to revisit MAT. Seeking Alpha In the company’s first quarter , Mattel earned $0.20, which was $0.41 better than feared, as revenue grew 4% to $862 million. Mattel reported an adjusted operating loss of $70 million, $62 million worse than a year ago. It is highly unusual for a company to report positive EPS when reporting an operating loss. During the quarter, it acquired the rest of the Mattel163 game studio that it did not already own, and the accounting of this led to a $148 million gain on its own 50% stake. Absent this, EPS would be -$0.20, more in line with consensus. Adjusted EBITDA was -$12 million, a $69 million swing from last year. This was primarily because adjusted gross margins declined 450 bps to 45.1%. Tariffs and cost inflation were the primary drivers of this weakening, and going forward, the tariff comparison will be much easier. Mattel As we lap last year’s tariffs, the year-over-year impact lessens. Beyond this, there is substantial question as to what the 2026 effective tariff rate will be given the Supreme Court’s overruling of reciprocal tariffs. While there are temporary tariffs being put in place, I expect the tariff load for toys to be less going forward than it was previously, a tailwind to margins. Offsetting this, oil is an input into plas...
Protecting and developing the private economy has become a fundamental state policy in China, continuously reaffirmed through recent legislation. The Private Economy Promotion Law, enacted in 2025, established the principles of equal status and equal protection. Furthermore, Amendment XII to the Criminal Law extended three offenses previously restricted to state-owned enterprise personnel to those...
Protecting and developing the private economy has become a fundamental state policy in China, continuously reaffirmed through recent legislation. The Private Economy Promotion Law, enacted in 2025, established the principles of equal status and equal protection. Furthermore, Amendment XII to the Criminal Law extended three offenses previously restricted to state-owned enterprise personnel to those in the private sector. Most recently, a judicial interpretation on corruption and bribery set to take effect on May 1 aligns the penalties for private-sector personnel with their state-sector counterparts.
Market Snapshot USD/INR ₹94.85 +0.3% Nifty 50 Index 24,177.65 +0.8% India 10-Year Bond Yield 6.99% +0.01 Spot Gold ($/oz) $4,562.46 +0.3% S&P 500 Futures 7,178.00 +0.1% Market data as of 08:14 AM IST, Apr. 30, 2026, or the previous close for Indian markets. Data is subject to provider delays. Good morning... I’m Savio Shetty in Mumbai, with a quick pulse check ahead of Thursday’s open. An April ra...
Market Snapshot USD/INR ₹94.85 +0.3% Nifty 50 Index 24,177.65 +0.8% India 10-Year Bond Yield 6.99% +0.01 Spot Gold ($/oz) $4,562.46 +0.3% S&P 500 Futures 7,178.00 +0.1% Market data as of 08:14 AM IST, Apr. 30, 2026, or the previous close for Indian markets. Data is subject to provider delays. Good morning... I’m Savio Shetty in Mumbai, with a quick pulse check ahead of Thursday’s open. An April rally has put Indian stocks on track for their first monthly advance since November. Yet the rebound is failing to inspire confidence. The benchmark Nifty’s 8.3% gain so far this month pales in comparison to an advance of more than 13% in the broader MSCI Asia Pacific Index. Global funds remain sellers of local shares, having pulling a net $4.2 billion so far in April, while rising oil prices threaten to dent demand in the energy-reliant economy and keep pressure on the rupee. For Thursday’s session, global cues don’t look supportive — Asian equities are down and oil is up . President Donald Trump told Axios he will not lift a naval blockade of Iran’s ports until he secures a nuclear agreement with Tehran. Locally, earnings from consumer giant Hindustan Unilever and Adani Enterprises are in focus. Traders will also keep an eye on political developments: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a slight edge over his main rival in the key state of West Bengal, exit polls from the election show, giving his party the chance to govern the region for the first time ever. In today’s newsletter, we write about: Founders turning buyers of stocks this year Kotak’s outlook for earnings Higher fuel prices and EV adoption But first, a quick check on the beleaguered rupee. Markets Buzz: Currency Woes Return The currency fell to a record closing low on Wednesday and is down 2.1% since April 17. The slide has come amid a sharp jump in crude oil and partial easing of the Reserve Bank of India’s curbs on banks’ forex trades over the same period. With the rupee now back to levels seen before the centr...