SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) was hit with a short report earlier this week, which sent the stock lower temporarily. But for long-term investors, the important thing to consider is how the company and its management reacted. CEO Anthony Noto bought shares on the open market within hours, and after digging through the details, it looks like short sellers themselves may have simply been making a short-term tr...
SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) was hit with a short report earlier this week, which sent the stock lower temporarily. But for long-term investors, the important thing to consider is how the company and its management reacted. CEO Anthony Noto bought shares on the open market within hours, and after digging through the details, it looks like short sellers themselves may have simply been making a short-term trade. In this video, I cover everything you need to know. *Stock prices used were end-of-day prices of March 18, 2026. The video was published on March 19, 2026. Continue reading
SimonSkafar/E+ via Getty Images Shares of chemical crop protection supplier FMC Corporation ( FMC ) have lost 3.1% since my last report , which comes on top of the 50% share price decline following the impairment on the assets in India which also triggered a cut to the dividend. During the JPMorgan Industrial Conference 2026 , the CEO of FMC Corporation shared that the company was considering seve...
SimonSkafar/E+ via Getty Images Shares of chemical crop protection supplier FMC Corporation ( FMC ) have lost 3.1% since my last report , which comes on top of the 50% share price decline following the impairment on the assets in India which also triggered a cut to the dividend. During the JPMorgan Industrial Conference 2026 , the CEO of FMC Corporation shared that the company was considering several strategic paths. One of those is a sale of the entire company. In this report, I discuss how FMC Corporation got itself into the position it is in today, the current market environment and I assess what a fair buyout offer would look like in my view. FMC Misunderstood A Big Agricultural Market The main reason why FMC’s share prices have fallen as much as they did centers on their business in India. FMC entered the Indian market in 2017 when it acquired a significant portion of DuPont’s crop protection business. Through that acquisition the company gained commercial operations in India, a local product portfolio, distribution networks, manufacturing and R&D facilities and most importantly market access. Globally, the population is growing and with limited cropland available there is a yield improvement required that can partially be realized through the use of crop protection chemicals. As the country with the largest population in the world, India looks like a very attractive market. After all, whether the economy is growing or not people, need to eat. With the economy growing, welfare is growing, and that would drive demand for food and food security. It could subsequently also lead to farmers having funds available to purchase yield enhancing crop protection chemicals and particularly the more premium products as offered by FMC. FMC’s strength is patented high-performance chemistry, which it sells at a premium price to ROI-driven customers. Being able to explain why a premium is charged requires a centralized distribution channel, especially for a huge market as India...
As the saying goes, there are many possible reasons for an insider to sell a stock, but only one reason to buy -- they expect to make money. So let's look at two noteworthy recent insider buys. At Westrock Coffee, a filing with the SEC revealed that on Tuesday, Director Joe T. Ford purchased 55,000 shares of WEST, at a cost of $4.60 each, for a total investment of $253,000. Westrock Coffee is trad...
As the saying goes, there are many possible reasons for an insider to sell a stock, but only one reason to buy -- they expect to make money. So let's look at two noteworthy recent insider buys. At Westrock Coffee, a filing with the SEC revealed that on Tuesday, Director Joe T. Ford purchased 55,000 shares of WEST, at a cost of $4.60 each, for a total investment of $253,000. Westrock Coffee is trading down about 2% on the day Thursday. Before this latest buy, Ford bought WEST at 6 other times during the past year, for a total cost of $1.25M at an average of $6.27 per share. And also on Tuesday, CEO Frank B. Holding Jr. bought $230,950 worth of First Citizens BancShares, buying 149 shares at a cost of $1550.00 a piece. Before this latest buy, Holding Jr. purchased FCNCA at 3 other times during the past twelve months, for a total investment of $1.96M at an average of $1657.18 per share. First Citizens BancShares is trading up about 2% on the day Thursday. Holding Jr. was up about 17.1% on the purchase at the high point of today's trading session, with FCNCA trading as high as $1815.33 in trading on Thursday. VIDEO: Thursday 3/19 Insider Buying Report: WEST, FCNCA The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The IT firm and Microsoft will launch a forward deployed engineering practice, one of several initiatives it unveiled this week to help businesses scale AI.
The IT firm and Microsoft will launch a forward deployed engineering practice, one of several initiatives it unveiled this week to help businesses scale AI.
HONG KONG (AP) — China’s technology giant Alibaba Group pledged on Thursday a goal of surpassing $100 billion in revenue from its artificial intelligence and cloud businesses over the next five years, which it said would be powered by the AI demand boom. The announcement of the ambitious target came as the company posted a 67% drop in profit in the latest quarter, even as growth in its cloud busin...
HONG KONG (AP) — China’s technology giant Alibaba Group pledged on Thursday a goal of surpassing $100 billion in revenue from its artificial intelligence and cloud businesses over the next five years, which it said would be powered by the AI demand boom. The announcement of the ambitious target came as the company posted a 67% drop in profit in the latest quarter, even as growth in its cloud business remained robust. For the October-December quarter, the company, which shifted its focus to cloud and AI technologies in recent years, reported an overall revenue increase of 2% year-on-year to 284.8 billion yuan ($41.4 billion), lower than analysts’ estimates. Revenue from its cloud business jumped 36% in the quarter to 43.3 billion yuan ($6.2 billion) from a year ago. CEO Eddie Wu said during an earnings call on Thursday that Alibaba stands to benefit from the “exponential growth in AI demand.” It has been expanding and upgrading its flagship Qwen AI app and consumer-facing chatbot and also provides cloud computing and storage services to commercial customers. “(There is) enormous and sustained growth momentum of the AI market,” Wu said. Profit for the quarter was 16.3 billion yuan ($2.4 billion), down from 48.9 billion yuan the same quarter last year, in part due to growing marketing and sales expenses. The Hangzhou-based company, which started out in e-commerce, has also seen a price war in the food delivery segment over the past months adding pressure to its profitability. To help drive profit and amid rising costs and growing demand, the company said on Wednesday it would be increasing prices for some AI services by as much as 34%. It also launched the agentic AI tool Wukong this week, in an expansion of its products for commercial customers. Alibaba’s AI ambitions was also tested recently following the departure this month of Lin Junyang, head of its AI model division Qwen. Last year, the company pledged investments of at least 380 billion yuan ($53 billion) in th...
CVC Capital Partners Plc and Nordic Capital are in the early stages of exploring exit options for vehicle glass repair firm Cary Group , according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firms have starting speaking with potential advisers about a possible sale or listing of Cary Group, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions aren’t public. A deal could va...
CVC Capital Partners Plc and Nordic Capital are in the early stages of exploring exit options for vehicle glass repair firm Cary Group , according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firms have starting speaking with potential advisers about a possible sale or listing of Cary Group, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions aren’t public. A deal could value the business at €3 billion ($3.5 billion) or more, the people said. Cary Group operates across Europe in countries including Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain and the UK, according to its website . Its brands include National Windscreens, Autoglass Clinic, Ralarsa, Dansk Busglas. In the Nordics, Cary Group also offers auto body repair and so-called SMART repairs that use specialized techniques to fix a small area. The company was listed in Stockholm until October 2022 when CVC and Nordic Capital took it private in a 8.3 billion Swedish kroner ($889 million) deal. Deliberations are preliminary and there’s no certainty they will lead to a transaction, the people said. Representatives for CVC and Nordic Capital declined to comment. Another large asset in the sector could also come to market. D’Ieteren Group has appointed Rothschild & Co. to explore strategic options for its controlling stake in Belron, a global car glass replacement and repair business, Bloomberg News has reported .
(RTTNews) - Wholesale inventories in the U.S. unexpectedly decreased in the month of January, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. The report said wholesale inventories fell by 0.5 percent in January following a revised 0.1 percent dip in December. Economists had expected wholesale inventories to rise by 0.2 percent, matching the increase originally reported for t...
(RTTNews) - Wholesale inventories in the U.S. unexpectedly decreased in the month of January, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. The report said wholesale inventories fell by 0.5 percent in January following a revised 0.1 percent dip in December. Economists had expected wholesale inventories to rise by 0.2 percent, matching the increase originally reported for the previous month. While inventories of durable goods were virtually unchanged, inventories of non-durable goods tumbled by 1.5 percent. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department said wholesale sales climbed by 0.5 percent in January after jumping by 1.3 percent in December. Sales of durable goods shot up by 1.0 percent during the month, while sales of non-durable goods were virtually unchanged. With inventories falling and sales rising, the inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers edged down to 1.25 in January from 1.26 in December. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Meta Platforms (META) shares are expected to remain subdued as speculation about a 20% workforce red Upgrade to read this MT Newswires article and get so much more. A Silver or Gold subscription plan is required to access premium news articles.
Meta Platforms (META) shares are expected to remain subdued as speculation about a 20% workforce red Upgrade to read this MT Newswires article and get so much more. A Silver or Gold subscription plan is required to access premium news articles.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde urged governments not to go overboard on help for voters to weather the surge in energy prices, pleading fiscal restraint. In remarks that appeared to caution against a repeat of large-scale aid delivered in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, she tackled the matter in her opening statement to reporters on Thursday. “The Governing C...
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde urged governments not to go overboard on help for voters to weather the surge in energy prices, pleading fiscal restraint. In remarks that appeared to caution against a repeat of large-scale aid delivered in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, she tackled the matter in her opening statement to reporters on Thursday. “The Governing Council highlights the urgent need to strengthen the euro area economy while maintaining sound public finances,” Lagarde said after the ECB kept its interest rates unchanged. “Any fiscal responses to the energy price shock should be temporary, targeted and tailored.” Governments around the region have already begun reacting to the lingering energy shock caused by the war in Iran. Brent crude remains above $100 a barrel, while benchmark European natural gas futures surged on Thursday after damage to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant in Qatar. Among responses so far, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ’s coalition approved a temporary cut to Italy’s excise taxes on fuel this week. Germany’s finance ministry is considering a windfall levy on oil companies, separate to measures imposing a once-a-day limit on gasoline price increases at the pump. Any action in France may focus the ECB most, given that country’s spending last time round, and its struggle to bring down a deficit that is already likely to stay stuck well above the European Union’s 3% of output ceiling for years to come. Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau , speaking on RTL radio last week, insisted that the public coffers shouldn’t be tapped so extensively again. “Quite simply, we, the French, have no money left,” he said. “There is a another problem with aid: If we maintain our dependency on oil with costly aid, with every oil shock we’ll have the same negative effect.” In a report last week, UniCredit economist Tullia Bucco explained how governments are still paying the bill for lar...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images I previously covered Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO ) in November 2025, discussing why I had reiterated my Buy rating despite the double digits stock price gains then, thanks to its profitable growth prospects, the management's ability to drive higher margin product adoptions, and the raised FY2025 guidance. In this article, I shall discuss why I am reiterating my...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images I previously covered Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO ) in November 2025, discussing why I had reiterated my Buy rating despite the double digits stock price gains then, thanks to its profitable growth prospects, the management's ability to drive higher margin product adoptions, and the raised FY2025 guidance. In this article, I shall discuss why I am reiterating my Buy rating for the TWLO stock here, thanks to the robust demand for its diversified communication offerings as observed in the excellent performance metrics. Its investment thesis is significantly aided by the healthy balance sheet, the ongoing share retirement at -1.3% over the LTM/-12.8% since FY2023, and the reasonable valuations/technical indicators despite the recent stock price recovery. TWLO Delivers Renewed Growth Despite SaaSpocalypse Fears TWLO 1Y Stock Price (Trading View) Since my last Buy rating, TWLO continues to trade reasonably along the established uptrend support line since September 2024, as observed in the recent bounce off the February 2026 trading floor of $109s and the subsequent rally to the next resistance levels of $126s by the time of writing. At a time of SaaSpocalypse fears and cooling AI sentiments , it is apparent that TWLO has emerged somewhat unscathed, as observed in their relatively narrow gap of -13% between the 52 week highs and the time of writing. A similar conclusion may also be derived after comparing to the wider market at -3.8% and its Customer Experience as a Service peers, including Salesforce, Inc. ( CRM ) at -34%, Sinch AB (publ) ( OTCPK:CLCMF ) at -37% and SoundHound AI, Inc. ( SOUN ) at -64.7%. Much of TWLO's tailwinds may be attributed the growing demand for its diversified communication offerings across voice/messaging (SMS/WhatsApp)/e-mail solutions, as similarly observed in the accelerating revenue growth to $1.36B in FQ4'25 (+14.2% YoY) compared to a year ago at $1.19B (+11.2% YoY) . This metric matters indeed since its...
It is hard to explain how impressive Eli Lilly's (LLY 0.02%) GLP-1 success has been. In 2025, sales of the company's Mounjaro and Zepbound rose 99% and 175%, respectively. The two drugs have grown so rapidly that they now account for 56% of Eli Lilly's revenues. There's likely to be more growth ahead, too, as demand for these weight loss drugs remains strong. However, it may still be too late for ...
It is hard to explain how impressive Eli Lilly's (LLY 0.02%) GLP-1 success has been. In 2025, sales of the company's Mounjaro and Zepbound rose 99% and 175%, respectively. The two drugs have grown so rapidly that they now account for 56% of Eli Lilly's revenues. There's likely to be more growth ahead, too, as demand for these weight loss drugs remains strong. However, it may still be too late for you to buy Eli Lilly. Here's why. Eli Lilly is winning, for now The interesting thing about Mounjaro and Zepbound is that they weren't the first GLP-1 weight loss drugs to hit the market. Novo Nordisk (NVO 2.08%) was first to market with Wegovy. However, Eli Lilly's drugs proved to be more effective and quickly took the lead in the new drug category. That's an important fact to keep in mind because it underscores the pharmaceutical sector's competitiveness. Notably, Novo Nordisk just released a GLP-1 pill, beating Eli Lilly to market again. That will give Novo Nordisk time to regain market share as Eli Lilly works to get its own pill approved by the FDA. Pfizer (PFE 0.09%) is working in the GLP-1 space. If Pfizer can get its long-acting weight-loss drug to market, Mounjaro and Zepbound will have to compete with yet another GLP-1 drug. Right now, Eli Lilly is on top, but it may not hold that spot forever. In fact, the patent protections that are allowing it to enjoy outsize profits today are time-limited. So, at some point in the not-too-distant future, the company's GLP-1 success will fade as generic versions of its drugs enter the market. Eli Lilly is an expensive stock The big problem with buying Eli Lilly today is that Wall Street has already priced in the company's success. The stock's price-to-earnings ratio is a lofty 43x. That's below the company's five-year average P/E, but it is dramatically higher than the S&P 500 index's (^GSPC 0.77%) average P/E of roughly 28x and the 23x P/E of the average drug stock. There are two ways to lower a company's P/E. The stock price...
Solventum Corporation SOLV is well-poised for growth in the coming quarters, driven by strong demand across its business segments, supported by continued investment in innovation, R&D and digital capabilities. The optimism, led by a solid fourth-quarter 2025 performance and a solid restructuring program, is expected to contribute further. However, concerns regarding tariffs and a rise in raw mater...
Solventum Corporation SOLV is well-poised for growth in the coming quarters, driven by strong demand across its business segments, supported by continued investment in innovation, R&D and digital capabilities. The optimism, led by a solid fourth-quarter 2025 performance and a solid restructuring program, is expected to contribute further. However, concerns regarding tariffs and a rise in raw material costs persist. Over the past six months, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s shares have lost 9% against the industry’s 0.1% growth and the S&P 500’s 1.6% rise. The renowned global healthcare solutions provider has a market capitalization of $11.9 billion. The company projects 4.3% earnings growth for 2026 and expects to maintain its strong performance going forward. Solventum’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 12.4%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Let’s delve deeper. Key Drivers of SOLV Stock Strategic Growth Drivers: Solventum outlined five key growth drivers expected to contribute more than 80% of future growth, focused on areas where it already has strong brands and clinical differentiation. In MedSurg, negative pressure wound therapy remains a major opportunity, supported by strong adoption of Prevena and the V.A.C. Peel and Place dressing. IV site management is another key driver, with rising demand for Tegaderm CHG and a significant runway for penetration. The company also sees momentum in sterilization assurance, backed by new Attest product launches. Beyond MedSurg, innovation remains central, with around 20 new product launches planned over the next two years. In Dental, core restoratives are driving growth, supported by products like Clinpro Clear and Filtek Easy Match. In Health Information Systems, revenue cycle management and adoption of the 360 Encompass platform, along with AI-driven autonomous coding capabilities, are expected to be major contributors to sustained ...
The unfolding global energy crisis triggered by the US-Israel war against Iran threatens to expose Taiwan’s long-standing energy weaknesses. Taiwan relied on imports to meet 95 percent of its energy needs in 2025, including over 99 percent of its demand for oil and natural gas. Furthermore, before the war, it received over 38 percent of its annual natural gas supply and approximately 70 percent of...
The unfolding global energy crisis triggered by the US-Israel war against Iran threatens to expose Taiwan’s long-standing energy weaknesses. Taiwan relied on imports to meet 95 percent of its energy needs in 2025, including over 99 percent of its demand for oil and natural gas. Furthermore, before the war, it received over 38 percent of its annual natural gas supply and approximately 70 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, according to data from Kpler. To address the supply shortfall the war has created, Taiwan has assured the public that it has about 150 days of oil supply in reserve and has secured sufficient supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet consumption needs through April. However, the expected summer surge in electricity demand could create severe energy shortages if shipments through the Strait of Hormuz don’t resume soon. In this scenario, there are measures Taiwan can take to ease the severity of the economic impact—but only slightly. An extended crisis could see large energy price spikes or even power rationing, potentially disrupting semiconductor manufacturing and cascading through global supply chains. Over the longer term, this energy shock serves as an urgent reminder that Taiwan should expedite its renewables build-out and promptly commit to restarting its nuclear power plants to alleviate its overreliance on fossil fuel imports. Taiwan’s oil reliance has declined, but remains high The oil intensity of the Taiwanese economy has decreased steadily over the past two decades, matching the larger global trend. This decline is attributable to energy efficiency improvements, the reduced role of oil in power generation, and the expansion of the services and semiconductor industries, which have diminished the relative weight of the oil-dependent petrochemical sector within the Taiwanese economy. However, Taiwan remains more oil-intensive than other major economies, leaving it comparatively more vulnerable to oil supply shocks. In the l...
Credit: AMD AMD is reportedly planning a refresh of its Zen 5 CPU generation ahead of its next-generation Zen 6 release. The refreshed Zen 5 CPUs will have up to a 400MHz increase in base clock and a smaller boost clock bump, and are designed to take on Intel's refreshed Arrow Lake chips, which are looking increasingly valuable for 2026. AMD's Zen 5 has been at the top of the CPU pile since its 20...
Credit: AMD AMD is reportedly planning a refresh of its Zen 5 CPU generation ahead of its next-generation Zen 6 release. The refreshed Zen 5 CPUs will have up to a 400MHz increase in base clock and a smaller boost clock bump, and are designed to take on Intel's refreshed Arrow Lake chips, which are looking increasingly valuable for 2026. AMD's Zen 5 has been at the top of the CPU pile since its 2024 debut. The X3D chips are the kings of gaming, and AMD's flagship productivity chips have more full-fat cores than Intel's best—although Intel's multithreaded performance can, in some apps, pull well ahead of AMD. With refreshed Arrow Lake on the horizon, though, potentially challenging AMD for value gaming and work, AMD is looking to hit back with updated chips of its own. The two chips reportedly getting the refresh treatment are the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X. These chips could use AMD's precious "XT" moniker to differentiate them, but it's also possible we'll see 9750X and 9650X chip names to better distinguish them and make it clear they're stopgap products. AMD has refreshed its previous generations of CPUs, too, helping to keep them relevant for longer. Credit: Joseph Maldonado via PCMag AMD hasn't announced these chips yet, so any specification claims are mere rumor for now, but the rumor is that the new CPUs will come with a revised base and boost clock, per Tom's Hardware. The 9750X will have a base clock of 4.2GHz and a boost clock of 5.6GHz. That's 400MHz higher on the base, but only 100MHz on the boost, so not a dramatic improvement. The same clock bumps are found on the 9650X, which will reportedly have uplifted frequencies of 4.3GHz and 5.5GHz for base and boost, respectively. That increased base clock might make these chips good for smaller-form-factor systems, though the higher TDP may negate that. At the adjusted 105W mode these chips can operate on, there's only a 15W increase, though their official TDP is 65W, so compared to that, it's a more size...
GoodLifeStudio/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Vacation rental company Airbnb, Inc. ( ABNB ) is following through on ambitious growth plans, and markets are rewarding it accordingly. Though shares in the stock are down about 3% YTD, shares are still up 5% over the past year and 4.7% over the past month. This is one of the better-performing stocks in recent weeks, especially given the volatility...
GoodLifeStudio/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Vacation rental company Airbnb, Inc. ( ABNB ) is following through on ambitious growth plans, and markets are rewarding it accordingly. Though shares in the stock are down about 3% YTD, shares are still up 5% over the past year and 4.7% over the past month. This is one of the better-performing stocks in recent weeks, especially given the volatility and turmoil seen elsewhere. Seeking Alpha - 1-Month Returns Of ABNB Stock The broader travel sector could see negative impacts from rising fuel prices , but I don’t necessarily believe this will hit ABNB as significantly as others that are more directly impacted, such as the transportation-focused travel names. With shares trading near the upper boundary of its 52-week range and at what I would view as a rich, but reasonable, trading valuation, I believe the stock is worth a ‘hold’ at current trading levels. ABNB Stock Key Metrics Shares in ABNB currently command a forward multiple of earnings of about 26x. This doesn’t compare well with historical averages. It’s also a slight premium to the broader market indexes. ABNB is more reasonably priced relative to itself through the lens of other metrics, such as its current enterprise value to sales and EBITDA. However, the multiples are still richly priced relative to the broader travel sector. Seeking Alpha - Valuation Metrics Of ABNB Stock The premium pricing is one reason why shares are graded as a ‘hold’ by the Seeking Alpha (“SA”) quants. I agree with the assessment here. While I can see justification for a higher multiple for companies with above-sector growth rates, ABNB appears to be beyond its fastest-growing development stages. Seeking Alpha - Growth Metrics Of ABNB Stock The broader SA analyst and Wall Street community would likely disagree with me here. Among the latter group, in fact, consensus price targets still see about 10% upside potential remaining in the stock. That’s respectable upside, in my view, though I...
The World Bank is adjusting its playbook to account for the potential impact of artificial intelligence on workers, as it seeks to boost job creation in the poorest parts of the world. The Washington-based lender has identified tourism, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and renewable energy as the most AI-resilient sources of employment, Chief Knowledge Officer Paschal Donohoe said i...
The World Bank is adjusting its playbook to account for the potential impact of artificial intelligence on workers, as it seeks to boost job creation in the poorest parts of the world. The Washington-based lender has identified tourism, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and renewable energy as the most AI-resilient sources of employment, Chief Knowledge Officer Paschal Donohoe said in an interview in Accra on Wednesday. “We are now looking at how we can engage with governments in projects in those areas,” Donohoe said. “We believe on balance actually that in those kind of sectors, AI will not be the challenge to job creation that it could be in the economy overall.” Read More: Africa’s Economic Future Hinges on Creating 1 Billion Jobs The shift comes as the World Bank confronts a deepening global jobs crisis. An estimated 800 million people worldwide lack adequate employment, Donohue said. The problem is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where 1 billion people are set to enter the labor force by the end of the century, according to Bloomberg Economics analysis of United Nations data. World Bank research shows that 80% of employment needs to come from the private sector and Donohoe said the lender was working with it to create jobs. Education reforms can also help workers re-skill to meet the employment challenges posed by AI, he said. The Next Africa newsletter will run every weekday. Sign up here for the newsletter, and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple , Spotify or anywhere you listen .
PashaIgnatov Brent crude surged to roughly $110 per barrel as escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf intensified concerns over global supply. Notably, the rally began even before hostilities formally erupted on February 28, with markets embedding a geopolitical risk premium weeks in advance. In total, prices have climbed about 60% since the onset of the crisis, reflecting mounting fears of disrup...
PashaIgnatov Brent crude surged to roughly $110 per barrel as escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf intensified concerns over global supply. Notably, the rally began even before hostilities formally erupted on February 28, with markets embedding a geopolitical risk premium weeks in advance. In total, prices have climbed about 60% since the onset of the crisis, reflecting mounting fears of disruption through the critical Strait of Hormuz, Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said. Analysis of current pricing suggests that oil markets are already factoring in a severe supply shock. Brooks noted that using standard elasticity-based models, the present price level implies that traders are discounting a scenario in which roughly half of Persian Gulf oil exports are permanently curtailed. Recent export flows—led by Saudi Arabia and Iran—indicate volumes nearing 10M barrels per day, or about half of pre-conflict throughput. Despite widespread speculation that oil could spike to $150 or even $200, such outcomes would likely require significantly more extreme disruptions than those currently implied, Brooks added in a Substack post. Elasticity estimates suggest that even under severe constraints, price increases of that magnitude are unlikely. Importantly, downside risks remain. A potential easing of conflict, shifting geopolitical strategies, or policy interventions—such as tighter sanctions on Iranian exports—could alleviate supply concerns. As uncertainty persists, markets remain highly sensitive to both escalation and resolution scenarios. Oil ETFs: ( USO ), ( UCO ), ( DBO ), ( OILK ), and ( USL ). Natural Gas ETFs: ( UNG ), ( BOIL ), and ( UNL ). Energy ETFs: ( XLE ), ( VDE ), ( XOP ), ( OIH ), ( AMLP ), and ( IXC ). More on markets S&P 500 breaks below its 200-day MA and hits a 4-month low as yields pop US2Y climbs to a 7-month high as the Fed dampens rate cut expectations UK Gilt yields skyrocket on BOE pause, U.S. Treasuries follow as rate cut ...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET Call participants President and Chief Executive Officer — Jay Schmidt Senior Vice President and Interim Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer — Dan Carpel Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategic Communications — Liz Dunn Takeaways Consolidated sales -- Caleres CAL +7.90% ) -- Brand Portfolio sal...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET Call participants President and Chief Executive Officer — Jay Schmidt Senior Vice President and Interim Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer — Dan Carpel Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategic Communications — Liz Dunn Takeaways Consolidated sales -- Caleres CAL +7.90% ) -- Brand Portfolio sales -- Up 1.5% on an organic basis and up 20.3% including Stuart Weitzman. -- Up 1.5% on an organic basis and up 20.3% including Stuart Weitzman. Lead brands sales contribution -- Represented nearly 60% of Brand Portfolio sales, up approximately 2% organically excluding Stuart Weitzman. -- Represented nearly 60% of Brand Portfolio sales, up approximately 2% organically excluding Stuart Weitzman. Famous Footwear sales -- Down 1.2%, with comparable sales up 0.1% and double-digit e-commerce growth for the third consecutive quarter. -- Down 1.2%, with comparable sales up 0.1% and double-digit e-commerce growth for the third consecutive quarter. Gross margin -- 42.9%, down 10 basis points, with Brand Portfolio excluding Stuart Weitzman down 130 basis points due to tariffs and markdown allowances, partially offset by channel mix. -- 42.9%, down 10 basis points, with Brand Portfolio excluding Stuart Weitzman down 130 basis points due to tariffs and markdown allowances, partially offset by channel mix. SG&A expenses -- $310.0 million, up $48.3 million or 18.3%, primarily due to $39.0 million from Stuart Weitzman, resulting in SG&A rate of 44.6% and 370 basis points of deleverage. -- $310.0 million, up $48.3 million or 18.3%, primarily due to $39.0 million from Stuart Weitzman, resulting in SG&A rate of 44.6% and 370 basis points of deleverage. Operating results -- Operating loss of $11.6 million and operating margin of -1.7%. Excluding Stuart Weitzman, operating earnings were $0.5 million and margin was 0.1%. -- Operating loss of $11.6 million and operating margin of -1.7%. Excludin...
is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine. In 2021, the virtual world was the future of the internet. The pandemic had sequestered everyone indoors, heightening the appeal of digital communities. Facebook rebranded to Meta — a...
is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine. In 2021, the virtual world was the future of the internet. The pandemic had sequestered everyone indoors, heightening the appeal of digital communities. Facebook rebranded to Meta — a sign of the tech giant’s investment in and commitment to the metaverse as the future of the internet. Despite losing billions in VR, Meta released an upgraded version of the Quest 2 headset and began focusing on launching a higher-end Quest Pro. At the end of the year, it announced its plan to plunk down a rumored $400 million to buy the independent VR gaming studio Within, maker of a popular fitness game called Supernatural. Less than five years later, however, it shut the game down, leaving a community of avid fans bereft. To former FTC chair Lina Khan, there’s a lesson in the ultimate fate of Supernatural, and the community that had grown up around it. She’d know — because she tried and failed to block Meta from acquiring Within. “You need to have some regulatory humility because you don’t always know on the front-end how certain products are meaningful for certain communities,” says Khan. The FTC’s Meta lawsuit was often framed as an abstract attempt to rein in Big Tech. But in the end, the acquisition’s human cost was obvious — and an example of precisely why antitrust law matters. “Bringing to light that [Supernatural] was a core way for communities to stay healthy shows that there were real stakes here.” When Khan took over the FTC, her goal was updating the standard antitrust law playbook, expanding the scope of what was considered a viable case. The Supernatural suit was one such example. It accused Meta of trying to “buy its way to the top” in the VR space by acquiring a string of development studios and the popular game Beat Saber. Allowing the sale would not on...
JHVEPhoto Paul Meeks, head of technology research at Freedom Capital Markets, believes the recent pullback in Micron Technology ( MU ) shares presents a prime buying opportunity, calling it potentially “the best opportunity in memory” despite concerns about peak earnings . The memory chipmaker delivered stunning quarterly results, with guidance for nearly $20 per share for the next quarter, a dram...
JHVEPhoto Paul Meeks, head of technology research at Freedom Capital Markets, believes the recent pullback in Micron Technology ( MU ) shares presents a prime buying opportunity, calling it potentially “the best opportunity in memory” despite concerns about peak earnings . The memory chipmaker delivered stunning quarterly results, with guidance for nearly $20 per share for the next quarter, a dramatic leap from its previous peak of $11.50 per share in fiscal 2018, when the company logged its best annual performance since going public in 1984. In an interview with CNBC, Meeks pushed back against worries that Micron’s ( MU ) earnings have topped out and that increased capital expenditure signals risk. “I think this is going to be sustainable. I think this is going to be stronger and last longer than people think,” Meeks said, acknowledging the memory industry’s historically cyclical nature while arguing that artificial intelligence provides a multi-year growth runway. Meeks noted that Micron ( MU ) isn’t alone in experiencing unwarranted post-earnings weakness, pointing to similar reactions following strong results from NVIDIA ( NVDA ) and Broadcom ( AVGO ). He suggested the market continues to underestimate the durability of AI infrastructure spending, describing all three companies as compelling opportunities in an investment theme with more room to run. A key catalyst Meeks identified is the industry’s transition from training large language models to inference—the phase where AI systems actually process and respond to queries. This shift requires substantially more computing power than initial model training, creating what he described as another leg of demand for infrastructure builders like Micron ( MU ). “When we go to inference, we start to develop apps that are moneymakers so people will feel better about all this spending,” Meeks explained. This progression toward practical, revenue-generating AI applications helps justify the significant capital investments...