Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations on Friday that he had intended to offend Christians when he said the previous day that Jesus had “no advantage” over Genghis Khan. “More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel. Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference,” Netanyahu wrote in English on social...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations on Friday that he had intended to offend Christians when he said the previous day that Jesus had “no advantage” over Genghis Khan. “More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel. Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference,” Netanyahu wrote in English on social media. “To the contrary, I cited the great American historian Will Durant. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival,” he added. Advertisement “A morally superior civilisation may still fall to a ruthless enemy if it does not have the power to defend itself. No offence was meant,” he said. On Thursday evening, the prime minister had said during a televised meeting with the foreign press that “history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good”. 03:29 US-Israel war on Iran is as reckless and catastrophic as it is stupid and illegal US-Israel war on Iran is as reckless and catastrophic as it is stupid and illegal “Aggression will overcome moderation. So you have no choice,” he added, quoting Durant.
The second death of Cesar Chavez and his legacy toggle caption Les Lee/Getty Images/Hulton Archive A version of this essay first appeared in the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here so you don't miss the next one. You'll get the news you need to start your day, plus a little fun every weekday and Sundays. My phone kept going off on Wednesday afternoon with texts from different friends — each wantin...
The second death of Cesar Chavez and his legacy toggle caption Les Lee/Getty Images/Hulton Archive A version of this essay first appeared in the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here so you don't miss the next one. You'll get the news you need to start your day, plus a little fun every weekday and Sundays. My phone kept going off on Wednesday afternoon with texts from different friends — each wanting to trade thoughts on what felt like the second death of Cesar Chavez. His first death happened on April 23, 1993. He was 66 and died of natural causes. Over 50,000 people attended his funeral in Delano, Calif. And he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. Sponsor Message At that time, I was in elementary school in suburban Chicago, far from California. It was then that I first learned of Chavez and his movement's hard-fought efforts to secure better wages and improved working conditions for farm workers. As a daughter of janitors and a factory worker, I knew what better pay and the right to a union meant for people like us. Chavez's second death landed on Wednesday after a The New York Times investigation revealed he had been accused of sexual abuse and rape . NPR has not independently confirmed the allegations against Chavez in the Times investigation. For several years before joining Morning Edition as an editor, I covered sexual violence for ProPublica , an investigative newsroom. My work there was often not about catching the bad guys but rather about listening, for extended periods of time, to the people they hurt. This work took me to places such as Alaska and Utah where I met a broad range of people who were assaulted in recent years and some, who like Huerta , never spoke of their experiences for decades. Consistent with national statistics , the perpetrators whom I wrote about were often family, bosses, clergy or others in positions of power. toggle caption JC Olivera/Getty Images for State of the Ar/Getty Images North America This we...
Honeywell (HON 3.63%) stock slipped 3.8% through 2:50 p.m. ET Friday after announcing it will pay off about $7.6 billion worth of its dollar- and euro-denominated debt. Honeywell had earlier offered to repurchase debt through a tender offer. Today's news concerns the result of that tender offer. What's Honeywell up to here? Specifically, Honeywell said it will redeem a total of $4.67 billion worth...
Honeywell (HON 3.63%) stock slipped 3.8% through 2:50 p.m. ET Friday after announcing it will pay off about $7.6 billion worth of its dollar- and euro-denominated debt. Honeywell had earlier offered to repurchase debt through a tender offer. Today's news concerns the result of that tender offer. What's Honeywell up to here? Specifically, Honeywell said it will redeem a total of $4.67 billion worth of dollar-denominated debt. (Lenders had tendered more than $7.2 billion, but $4.67 billion was the most Honeywell was prepared to pay off.) A further 2.49 billion of debt denominated in euros ($2.9 billion) was further tendered for redemption. The debt redeemed ranged from 1.75% to 9.06% in terms of the interest it paid, with due dates ranging from as near as 2027 to as late as 2064. Honeywell announced 10 days ago that it was issuing $16 billion in senior notes, amassing cash as it prepares to spin off its aerospace business. The notes described in that press release pay interest rates ranging from 3.9% through 5.85%, with due dates ranging from as early as 2028 to as late as 2056. Most of the new debt, though, tends to be longer dated, coming due only 10 to 30 years from now. Expand NASDAQ : HON Honeywell International Today's Change ( -3.63 %) $ -8.31 Current Price $ 220.72 Key Data Points Market Cap $146B Day's Range $ 219.83 - $ 229.50 52wk Range $ 168.99 - $ 248.18 Volume 4M Avg Vol 4.1M Gross Margin 37.99 % Dividend Yield 1.97 % What this means for Honeywell Paying off debt is generally considered a good thing. Problem is, Honeywell isn't so much paying off debt as simply rolling it over -- and not necessarily, or not entirely, at more attractive interest rates. Especially in light of recent events (yes, I mean Iran and the Strait of Hormuz), and their potential to push interest rates higher, investors may have preferred that Honeywell hang onto its new cash a bit longer before using it to roll over old debt.
George Bory, chief Investment strategist of fixed income at Allspring Global Investments, joins Scarlet Fu on "Bloomberg Real Yield." Bond traders are scrambling for a new strategy after the oil-driven inflation shock triggered by the war in Iran scuppered the popular bet on interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. (Source: Bloomberg)
George Bory, chief Investment strategist of fixed income at Allspring Global Investments, joins Scarlet Fu on "Bloomberg Real Yield." Bond traders are scrambling for a new strategy after the oil-driven inflation shock triggered by the war in Iran scuppered the popular bet on interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. (Source: Bloomberg)
What happened According to a recent SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Second Line Capital, LLC increased its position in First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (FTSM +0.00%) by 113,340 shares. The fund's position value at quarter-end rose by $6.77 million, reflecting both the trade and price changes. What else to know This buy brings FTSM to 2.88% of Second Line Capital’s 13F reportable AUM as ...
What happened According to a recent SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Second Line Capital, LLC increased its position in First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (FTSM +0.00%) by 113,340 shares. The fund's position value at quarter-end rose by $6.77 million, reflecting both the trade and price changes. What else to know This buy brings FTSM to 2.88% of Second Line Capital’s 13F reportable AUM as of December 31, 2025. Top holdings after the filing: NYSEMKT:ACIO: $54.68 million (approximately 11.2% of AUM) NYSEMKT:DRSK: $38.11 million (approximately 7.8% of AUM) NYSEMKT:IDUB: $33.02 million (approximately 6.8% of AUM) NYSEMKT:SPDW: $26.31 million (approximately 5.4% of AUM) NYSEMKT:ADME: $22.49 million (approximately 4.6% of AUM) As of February 17, 2026, shares were priced at $60.04, up approximately 4.6% over the past year. ETF overview Metric Value AUM 6.3 billion Price (as of market close 2/17/26) $60.04 Dividend yield 4.24% 1-year total return 4.58% ETF snapshot First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (FTSM) is a large, actively managed short-duration bond fund with a market capitalization of $6.26 billion. The fund targets enhanced yield by investing in a diversified mix of high-quality, short-term debt instruments, maintaining a focus on capital preservation and liquidity. Its disciplined approach and low duration profile position it as a flexible cash management solution for institutional and professional investors seeking stability and incremental income in changing rate environments. The ETF’s investment strategy focuses on U.S. dollar-denominated fixed- and variable-rate debt securities with an average duration under one year and average maturity under three years. Its portfolio is composed primarily of U.S. dollar-denominated fixed- and variable-rate debt securities, with an average duration under one year and average maturity under three years. What this transaction means for investors The First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF is designed for investors ...
Alphabet (GOOGL 2.46%) (GOOG 2.50%) was a phenomenal performer in 2025, as its shares skyrocketed 65% last year. They are down about 3% in 2026 (as of March 16), but investors might not find it difficult to be optimistic. Can this top artificial intelligence (AI) stock rise about 15% from the current price of $305 to $350 by year-end? The math says it's possible. Earnings growth has propelled Goog...
Alphabet (GOOGL 2.46%) (GOOG 2.50%) was a phenomenal performer in 2025, as its shares skyrocketed 65% last year. They are down about 3% in 2026 (as of March 16), but investors might not find it difficult to be optimistic. Can this top artificial intelligence (AI) stock rise about 15% from the current price of $305 to $350 by year-end? The math says it's possible. Earnings growth has propelled Google In the past three years, Alphabet's diluted earnings per share climbed at a compound annual rate of 33.3%. This is an impressive trend. It showcases the strength of the underlying business, as durable revenue growth, particularly in areas like digital advertising and Google Cloud, continues to be a driving force for the bottom line. For 2026, the consensus view among sell-side analysts is that Alphabet's diluted EPS will grow by just 7% compared to the year before. That would mark a notable slowdown from the previous year. However, it's still a positive figure that can be the tailwind the share price needs to increase. Alphabet plans to spend $175 billion to $185 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, as it focuses on its AI strategy. This will impact profits. "As we've discussed on previous calls, the significant increase in our investments in technical infrastructure will continue to put pressure on the P&L in the form of higher depreciation expense and related data centers' operations costs such as energy," CFO Anat Ashkenazi said on the Q4 2025 earnings call. Expand NASDAQ : GOOGL Alphabet Today's Change ( -2.46 %) $ -7.56 Current Price $ 299.57 Key Data Points Market Cap $3.7T Day's Range $ 298.50 - $ 305.76 52wk Range $ 140.53 - $ 349.00 Volume 1M Avg Vol 32M Gross Margin 59.68 % Dividend Yield 0.27 % Market sentiment can play an important role Alphabet's stock can also benefit from an expanding valuation multiple. Shares currently trade at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 28. While this represents a premium to the overall S&P 500 index's multiple, it's easy to...
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has stumbled into one of the market's most fascinating contradictions. The stock is down, AI spending is exploding, and fear is rising, yet the long-term engine may be getting stronger. This setup could either mark the start of a painful reset or a rare chance to buy a dominant compounder while sentiment is still broken. Stock prices used were the market prices of March 13...
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has stumbled into one of the market's most fascinating contradictions. The stock is down, AI spending is exploding, and fear is rising, yet the long-term engine may be getting stronger. This setup could either mark the start of a painful reset or a rare chance to buy a dominant compounder while sentiment is still broken. Stock prices used were the market prices of March 13, 2026. The video was published on March 19, 2026. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Should you buy stock in Microsoft right now? Before you buy stock in Microsoft, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Microsoft wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $494,747!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,094,668!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 911% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 186% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 20, 2026. Rick Orford has positions in Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick Orford is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link, they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions r...
Key Points The sell-side analyst community expects Alphabet's diluted earnings per share to rise by just 7% in 2026. The company’s huge AI-related investments will likely impact its profitability. It wouldn’t be surprising to see an expanding valuation multiple, which can be a tailwind for the stock. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) was a phenomenal ...
Key Points The sell-side analyst community expects Alphabet's diluted earnings per share to rise by just 7% in 2026. The company’s huge AI-related investments will likely impact its profitability. It wouldn’t be surprising to see an expanding valuation multiple, which can be a tailwind for the stock. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) was a phenomenal performer in 2025, as its shares skyrocketed 65% last year. They are down about 3% in 2026 (as of March 16), but investors might not find it difficult to be optimistic. Can this top artificial intelligence (AI) stock rise about 15% from the current price of $305 to $350 by year-end? The math says it's possible. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Earnings growth has propelled Google In the past three years, Alphabet's diluted earnings per share climbed at a compound annual rate of 33.3%. This is an impressive trend. It showcases the strength of the underlying business, as durable revenue growth, particularly in areas like digital advertising and Google Cloud, continues to be a driving force for the bottom line. For 2026, the consensus view among sell-side analysts is that Alphabet's diluted EPS will grow by just 7% compared to the year before. That would mark a notable slowdown from the previous year. However, it's still a positive figure that can be the tailwind the share price needs to increase. Alphabet plans to spend $175 billion to $185 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, as it focuses on its AI strategy. This will impact profits. "As we've discussed on previous calls, the significant increase in our investments in technical infrastructure will continue to put pressure on the P&L in the form of higher depreciation expense and related data centers' operations costs such as energy," CF...
With inflation persistently high and oil prices surging because of the ongoing Iran war, the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate steady on March 18 and signaled that interest rates cuts will be delayed, possibly until 2027. That's a double whammy for metals and mining stocks. On the one hand, metal prices are tanking. A war traditionally boosts demand for precious metals like gold and...
With inflation persistently high and oil prices surging because of the ongoing Iran war, the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate steady on March 18 and signaled that interest rates cuts will be delayed, possibly until 2027. That's a double whammy for metals and mining stocks. On the one hand, metal prices are tanking. A war traditionally boosts demand for precious metals like gold and silver. This time, however, the U.S. dollar and bonds have emerged as the chosen safe-haven assets, thanks to high interest rates. On the other hand, operational costs for miners are exploding on higher fuel costs. Brent crude oil price, for instance, has surged more than 50% since the Iran war. Not surprisingly, the major mining stocks are struggling to hold their ground. The biggest metals and mining losers Shares of the world's largest gold miner, Newmont Corporation (NEM 3.92%), sank 13.5% this week and have dropped over 25% since the Iran war. Shares of Barrick Mining (B 4.42%), another top gold producer, have fallen nearly as much. Hecla Mining (HL 5.48%) stock has plunged over 50% from its late-January 52-week high. Hecla is the largest silver miner in the U.S. and Canada. Another notable name is Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM 5.20%), which has roughly 52% exposure to gold and 46% to silver. The stock has lost 18% value in one week and 30% in March so far. Industrial metals and mining stocks are also feeling the pinch. Shares of the world's largest mining company, BHP (BHP 4.13%), have fallen nearly 20% in March so far. NEM data by YCharts Should you sell mining stocks now? The critical challenge in the current environment is distinguishing between a macro-driven sell-off and a fundamental collapse. Right now, the metals and mining sector is caught between high interest rates, surging energy costs, a stronger dollar, and fears of an economic slowdown, all of which are weighing on metal prices and testing the resilience of even the most established miners. Newmont, for...