Report calls for tough action to combat ‘escalating and unsustainable burden’ of liver-related problems in Europe Governments in Europe should impose much higher taxes on alcohol and unhealthy food to tackle the continent’s 284,000 deaths a year from liver disease, experts say. Taxes on those products should rise sharply enough for the money raised to cover the huge costs they place on health serv...
Report calls for tough action to combat ‘escalating and unsustainable burden’ of liver-related problems in Europe Governments in Europe should impose much higher taxes on alcohol and unhealthy food to tackle the continent’s 284,000 deaths a year from liver disease, experts say. Taxes on those products should rise sharply enough for the money raised to cover the huge costs they place on health services, the criminal justice system and social services. Continue reading...
The headline numbers for Microsoft (MSFT) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended March 2026, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.
The headline numbers for Microsoft (MSFT) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended March 2026, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.
Results suggest radiotracer maraciclatide can ‘light up’ condition on scan and reduce need for investigative surgery A non-invasive scan for endometriosis has shown promising results in a trial, boosting hopes for far quicker diagnosis. The trial, which included 19 women with the condition, suggests that an experimental radiotracer, called maraciclatide, can “light up” endometriosis on a scan. The...
Results suggest radiotracer maraciclatide can ‘light up’ condition on scan and reduce need for investigative surgery A non-invasive scan for endometriosis has shown promising results in a trial, boosting hopes for far quicker diagnosis. The trial, which included 19 women with the condition, suggests that an experimental radiotracer, called maraciclatide, can “light up” endometriosis on a scan. The current need for a surgical investigation is seen as a major obstacle to timely diagnosis, with women in England typically waiting nearly a decade. Continue reading...
Lean hog futures are showing a midweek rally, up 82 cents to $1.85 at midday. USDA’s national base hog price was reported at $92.87 on Wednesday morning, up 62 cents from the day prior. The CME Lean Hog Index was back down 7 cents on April 27 at $91.19. USDA’s...
Lean hog futures are showing a midweek rally, up 82 cents to $1.85 at midday. USDA’s national base hog price was reported at $92.87 on Wednesday morning, up 62 cents from the day prior. The CME Lean Hog Index was back down 7 cents on April 27 at $91.19. USDA’s...
(RTTNews) - Real estate investment trust VICI Properties Inc. (VICI), on Wednesday, reported an increase in profit for the first quarter, as revenues rose.
(RTTNews) - Real estate investment trust VICI Properties Inc. (VICI), on Wednesday, reported an increase in profit for the first quarter, as revenues rose.
master1305/iStock via Getty Images Big winners are exciting. Every investor loves to talk about their “double baggers” and home runs, but perhaps the more effective means of beating the market is the avoidance of bad investments. At 2nd Market Capital, we emphasize digging into management teams, balance sheets, debt covenants, and any other subtle aspect that can cause a stock to implode. Avoiding...
master1305/iStock via Getty Images Big winners are exciting. Every investor loves to talk about their “double baggers” and home runs, but perhaps the more effective means of beating the market is the avoidance of bad investments. At 2nd Market Capital, we emphasize digging into management teams, balance sheets, debt covenants, and any other subtle aspect that can cause a stock to implode. Avoiding disaster allows one’s winners to accrue toward steadily improving account value. With that in mind, we built and continuously update a list of REITs to avoid. These are companies that appear opportunistic at first glance, but a deeper dive reveals significant risks to shareholder value. The full list on Portfolio Income Solutions currently consists of 14 REITs. This article will focus specifically on Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated ( CHCT ). The Temptation CHCT looks tantalizing with an 11.15% dividend yield. It has a nearly perfect dividend history with continuous raises. CHCT To top it all off, the dividend appears fully covered with an 88.4% AFFO payout ratio on 2025 AFFO. However, we think a dividend cut is quite likely due to 5 key problems: Excessive G&A. True AFFO is much lower than reported AFFO. Tenant problems. Busted growth model. Mounting debt load. Excessive G&A 2025 G&A was $25.095 million. CHCT This is a company with a market cap of $460 million, so G&A in a single year was 5.4% of market cap. 2025 rental revenue was $121.351 million, so G&A was almost 21% of revenue. That level of overhead expense is so hard to overcome. It is imperative that small REITs operate with extreme efficiency. CHCT fails to do this, instead electing to pay executives large salaries and bonuses. We had hoped the company learned its lesson after the egregious $24.7 million former CEO Timothy Wallace received in 2023. S&P Global Market Intelligence Unfortunately, really high G&A resurfaced in 2025. True AFFO Does Not Cover The Dividend CHCT’s reported AFFO is consistently hig...
Starwood Capital Group is halting redemptions from one of its real estate investment trusts in a bid to support the fund’s share price and performance. Starwood Real Estate Income Trust is “temporarily suspending” share repurchases subject to a few exceptions as it seeks to preserve liquidity while it waits for the commercial real estate market to improve, according to a letter to shareholders . T...
Starwood Capital Group is halting redemptions from one of its real estate investment trusts in a bid to support the fund’s share price and performance. Starwood Real Estate Income Trust is “temporarily suspending” share repurchases subject to a few exceptions as it seeks to preserve liquidity while it waits for the commercial real estate market to improve, according to a letter to shareholders . The non-traded REIT had been limiting redemptions for roughly two years. The firm has described the limits as a way to avoid selling real estate at depressed prices. “The temporary actions announced today reflect our commitment to making the right long-term decisions for all SREIT shareholders, including the nearly 70% who have never made a redemption request,” Starwood Chief Executive officer Barry Sternlicht said in an emailed statement. “Our interests are fully aligned with our investors as the largest owner of SREIT, with over a $500 million ownership stake.” The fund is also cutting its annualized monthly distribution to shareholders, the letter said.
halbergman/iStock via Getty Images I last covered First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF ( NFTY ) just two months prior and highlighted that even though the index appears to be relatively better, it still fails to deliver an adequate rate of return for investors. Since then, the fund is down by ~4.5%, underperforming the S&P 500 by around ~9%. That’s a rather suboptimal performance when also ...
halbergman/iStock via Getty Images I last covered First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF ( NFTY ) just two months prior and highlighted that even though the index appears to be relatively better, it still fails to deliver an adequate rate of return for investors. Since then, the fund is down by ~4.5%, underperforming the S&P 500 by around ~9%. That’s a rather suboptimal performance when also accounting for cross-country risk exposure undertaken. Post coverage performance (Seeking Alpha) Also, it would have been another thing if the said performance had been merely the result of stock market fluctuations without much regard to underlying fundamentals. However, there have been some very important developments underway since that article, which I will address in the present analysis, after which an investor might better be able to further evaluate whether to remain allocated to this ETF if they already have a position in it. For a fresh proposition, I would still consider it an avoid without any reservation. Fund Overview NFTY is a passive ETF that tracks the performance of an equity index called the NIFTY 50 Equal Weight Index. The said index is an equally weighted index that consists of the same companies as the NIFTY 50 Index , which tracks the performance of the 50 largest and most liquid Indian securities. While the NIFTY 50 is a free-float market capitalization-weighted index, NFTY is an equally weighted index. The security selection methodology is therefore relatively simple, allocating equally to the constituents of the flagship Nifty 50 index. Nifty 50 Equal Weight FactSheet NFTY has not performed well for investors, significantly lagging the S&P 500 since the inception period. The fund was launched in February 2012. A meaningful portion of this underperformance is also attributable to currency drag resulting from persistent depreciation of the Indian INR versus the U.S. dollar, which tends to decrease total returns for a U.S.-based investor. That means t...
Japan's Largest Airport Deploys Humanoid Robots For Baggage, Cargo Authored by Jijo Malayil via Interesting Engineering , Humanoid robots will soon assist ground crews in Tokyo as Japan Airlines launches a trial to address growing labor shortages. Starting in May, the Chinese-made machines will assist with moving baggage and cargo on the tarmac at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, working alongside human ha...
Japan's Largest Airport Deploys Humanoid Robots For Baggage, Cargo Authored by Jijo Malayil via Interesting Engineering , Humanoid robots will soon assist ground crews in Tokyo as Japan Airlines launches a trial to address growing labor shortages. Starting in May, the Chinese-made machines will assist with moving baggage and cargo on the tarmac at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, working alongside human handlers. The initiative, run with GMO Internet Group, comes as Japan faces rising tourism and a shrinking workforce. The trial will continue through 2028, with hopes of easing workloads and paving the way for permanent deployment. Last month, researchers in Tokyo developed a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi chip resisting extreme radiation, enabling untethered robot operations in hazardous sites like Fukushima. Smart baggage handling During a recent media demonstration, a compact humanoid robot carefully pushed cargo onto a conveyor belt beside a Japan Airlines aircraft and gestured toward a nearby worker , highlighting early-stage coordination in real airport conditions, reports the Guardian. Japan Airlines officials said deploying robots for physically demanding tasks could significantly reduce strain on workers and improve overall working conditions . However, the airline emphasized that critical responsibilities such as safety management will remain under human control. As seen in the footage, the humanoid model, known as G1, stands about 1.32 meters tall and weighs 77 pounds (35 kilograms), with a foldable design for compact storage. It features 23 degrees of freedom, enabling stable and coordinated movement. Equipped with 3D LiDAR, a depth camera, and voice input systems, the robot can navigate and interact effectively. Powered by a 9,000 mAh battery, it operates for up to two hours and can move at speeds of up to 4.5 mph (7.2 km/h). The Unitree G1 demonstrates an expanded range of motion, highlighting significant gains in flexibility, coordination, and adaptability in humanoid robotics....