We're now three weeks into the war in Iran, and the signs for the global economy continue to look worse. In the last few days, Israel and Iran have traded on key energy infrastructure, causing another spike in oil and natural gas prices. As of March 20, Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, was trading around $105 a barrel, up 50% from where it was before the war broke out. It's unclear how long ...
We're now three weeks into the war in Iran, and the signs for the global economy continue to look worse. In the last few days, Israel and Iran have traded on key energy infrastructure, causing another spike in oil and natural gas prices. As of March 20, Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, was trading around $105 a barrel, up 50% from where it was before the war broke out. It's unclear how long oil prices will remain elevated. That depends on whether the Strait of Hormuz reopens and what lasting damage there is to energy infrastructure in the Gulf region. Stocks have already started to pull back in response to the war. The S&P 500 (^GSPC 1.51%) is down 5% so far this month, and just finished its fourth straight losing week, and the Nasdaq Composite is approaching correction territory, defined as a pullback of 10% or more. This isn't the first time that oil prices have spiked rapidly in modern history, and it makes sense for investors to consider what the typical impact is. Let's take a look at what's happened to the stock market when oil prices have soared at other times. Why a bear market could be coming Since the oil crisis of 1973, there have been seven periods when oil has spiked 40% or more. Those include: The 1973 oil crisis, driven by the Arab oil embargo in response to the Yom Kippur War The 1979 oil crisis caused by the Iranian Revolution A brief spike in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait 1999-2000 from OPEC production cuts A surge in 2007-2008, driven by speculation ahead of the global financial crisis In 2010-2011 due to the Arab Spring 2020-2022, post-Covid surge as the global economy reopened. In all of those periods, the S&P 500 sank into a bear market, except during 1979 and 2011 when it approached a bear market. The causality between the oil shocks and the bear market isn't always clear, but in some cases it is. Stocks fell more than 40% in the 1973-1974 bear market, with the oil embargo cited as a major cause and contributing to a surge in inflation....
Key Points Tesla’s strategy increasingly revolves around AI. The xAI partnership could accelerate Tesla’s technology development. Still, governance risks remain an important factor. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) recently disclosed plans to invest about $2 billion in xAI, the artificial intelligence start-up founded by its CEO, Elon Musk. At first g...
Key Points Tesla’s strategy increasingly revolves around AI. The xAI partnership could accelerate Tesla’s technology development. Still, governance risks remain an important factor. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) recently disclosed plans to invest about $2 billion in xAI, the artificial intelligence start-up founded by its CEO, Elon Musk. At first glance, the move might seem unusual. Tesla is primarily known as an electric vehicle manufacturer, while xAI is a young start-up competing in the crowded field of artificial intelligence. 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 » But the investment reveals an important aspect of Tesla's long-term strategy. The company increasingly relies on advanced AI to power its most ambitious products, from self-driving vehicles to humanoid robots. For investors, the deal raises an important question: Does Tesla's investment strengthen its technological advantage, or does it introduce new governance risks? The answer may be a bit of both. Artificial intelligence. Image source: Getty Images. Tesla's future increasingly depends on artificial intelligence Tesla still generates most of its revenue from vehicle sales, accounting for 73% in 2025. However, the company has spent years positioning itself as more than just an automaker. Central to Tesla's future success is artificial intelligence, now sitting at the core of several major Tesla initiatives. The company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software relies on machine-learning systems trained on massive amounts of real-world driving data. Tesla's long-term robotaxi plans also depend on vehicles that can eventually operate safely without human drivers. Beyond transportation, Tesla is also developing Optimus, a humanoid robot designed to perform repetitive tasks in factori...
Jeremy_Hogan/iStock via Getty Images A Quick Recap of My Prior Article I am upgrading Kinsale Capital Group ( KNSL ) from Buy to Strong Buy primarily because while business fundamentals of the company remain intact, its stock price has declined from around $400 to around $330 today, mostly due to souring market sentiments. In my December 2025 article on Kinsale Capital Group, Inc., I demonstrated,...
Jeremy_Hogan/iStock via Getty Images A Quick Recap of My Prior Article I am upgrading Kinsale Capital Group ( KNSL ) from Buy to Strong Buy primarily because while business fundamentals of the company remain intact, its stock price has declined from around $400 to around $330 today, mostly due to souring market sentiments. In my December 2025 article on Kinsale Capital Group, Inc., I demonstrated, through both quantitative measures such as growth rates, workforce productivity, and profitability ratios and qualitative features such as its properly aligned incentives for employees and agents alike, that Kinsale operates with a superb business model delivering consistently high profitability and growth rates, subject to cyclical trends, a combination that is rarely seen in the insurance industry. The stock was traded at $375 or so then. As illustrated in my article, operating with such distinct and probably enduring competitive advantages, over the prior three- and five-year periods, Kinsale grew its revenue at roughly twice the pace of peers such as Arch, Markel, and Berkley. That is an uncommon feat for an insurer, where many competitors were struggling to grow at all. The company’s workforce of about 800 employees has demonstrated an unusual level of productivity. Empowered by its internally developed IT systems, each Kinsale employee has been, on average, handling roughly 180 policy renewals and originations per year, resulting in an expense ratio (employee compensation as a percentage of total premium revenue) of the low 20%, compared to 30–40% for many competitors. This level of productivity further enhances Kinsale's advantage from operating in the highly fragmented and less regulated Excess and Surplus insurance niche market, where insurers have more pricing power. Most importantly, Kinsale keeps underwriting authority in-house rather than delegating it to brokers, and it compensates employees based on the profitability of the long-term policies they write rath...
Smith: The Political Left, Multiculturalism, & The Dark Alliance With Islam Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us For 15 years the FBI was engaged in a landmark investigation into the largest Islamic-based charity in the United States, called The Holy Land Foundation. The organization was operating as a front for Muslim terror groups, funneling cash from western countries to Hamas and the Mu...
Smith: The Political Left, Multiculturalism, & The Dark Alliance With Islam Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us For 15 years the FBI was engaged in a landmark investigation into the largest Islamic-based charity in the United States, called The Holy Land Foundation. The organization was operating as a front for Muslim terror groups, funneling cash from western countries to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, until they were finally put on trial in 2008. Convicted leaders were known as the “Holy Land Five,” and included Shukri Abu Baker, Ghassan Elashi, Mufid Abdulqader, Abdulrahman Odeh, and Mohammad El-Mezain. Among the documents seized from these individuals during the investigation was a strategic paper drafted by senior Muslim Brotherhood operative Mohamed Akram in 1991. The paper was titled: “Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America” . It outlined an agenda called the “Civilization-Jihadist Process”, also known as “Stealth Jihad”. The memorandum gave detailed methods for establishing Islam as a “civilization alternative” in the West and a “grand Jihad” for eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within. It called for the ‘sabotaging’ of the west and its “miserable house” by domestic hands AND the hands of the believers so that the west is eliminated and “God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.” The plan explicitly referred to using western society’s own people, institutions, laws, and unwitting allies (progressive groups and NGOs, media, politicians, academics, or civil-rights organizations) to advance the Islamic agenda. Tactics included infiltration of education, media, government, finance, and alliances with non-Islamic actors “when tactically beneficial” while maintaining ideological separation. This is also called “long-term settlement” (tamkeen); a form of demographic or cultural subversion rather than direct conquest. It is often mentioned in the paper as “the settlemen...
Eliyahu Parypa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images "If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you can use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing." -- Chuck Yeager Let’s face it. The MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) of aircraft engines and other key components is not the way to start a conversation with someone you just met and would like to impress. Even bet...
Eliyahu Parypa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images "If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you can use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing." -- Chuck Yeager Let’s face it. The MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) of aircraft engines and other key components is not the way to start a conversation with someone you just met and would like to impress. Even between two guys just having a beer together, unless they are both engineers , this is a sure way to have fewer friends. But a $6 billion a year revenue stream from a company that is more than a century old (and recently revitalized), one that is the largest independent MRO firm in the country, and one that is about to enjoy a windfall from all the action already seen from the current administration, can stir even the most jaded investor’s cold heart. I therefore promise to include some history and maxims from pilots and mechanics along the way. A Brief History of StandardAero --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1898, Samuel Langley, physicist, professor of astronomy, and third secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, began experimenting with a heavier-than-air manned “aerodrome.” On October 3, 1903, he was ready to demonstrate it. Regrettably, it didn’t work. Days later, this editorial appeared: “…the flying machine that will really fly might be evolved by the combined and continuous efforts of mathematicians and mechanicians in from one million to ten million years…” -- New York Times Two months later, bicycle mechanics Wilbur and Orville Wright developed and flew the first manned airplane. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The predecessor to StandardAero ( SARO ) was founded in 1911 in Winnipeg, Canada, as Standard Machine Works. Just before WWII, StandardAero was spun off and became fully independent in 1940. StandardAero was purchased as part of a diversification...
Dry weather will hold on across most parts of the UK this weekend. Sunny spells will continue in many areas but mist and fog patches will mean murky mornings for some. A band of cloud that will sit across north-west Scotland on Saturday will move southwards to affect other areas on Sunday, perhaps delivering a few spots of rain. Friday brought a maximum temperature of 20C (68F) at Fyvie Castle, Ab...
Dry weather will hold on across most parts of the UK this weekend. Sunny spells will continue in many areas but mist and fog patches will mean murky mornings for some. A band of cloud that will sit across north-west Scotland on Saturday will move southwards to affect other areas on Sunday, perhaps delivering a few spots of rain. Friday brought a maximum temperature of 20C (68F) at Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire - Scotland's warmest day of the year so far - but temperatures will drop a little over the weekend. Some bigger changes will take place next week as high pressure loosens its grip.
Surging jet fuel prices amid the US-Israel war on Iran are pushing global airlines including Chinese carriers to raise fares, with an industry leader warning that prices could rise by up to 9 per cent if the energy crisis continues China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and at least two private Chinese carriers are among a growing list of global airlines that have raised fares since US-Is...
Surging jet fuel prices amid the US-Israel war on Iran are pushing global airlines including Chinese carriers to raise fares, with an industry leader warning that prices could rise by up to 9 per cent if the energy crisis continues China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and at least two private Chinese carriers are among a growing list of global airlines that have raised fares since US-Israeli strikes on Iran started on February 28. Global airfares could rise by 8 to 9 per cent if fuel prices remain high, the International Air Transport Association’s director general estimated earlier this month. Advertisement Analysts said the scale of fare increases would vary according to the level of competition on specific routes, with airlines facing less competition likely to introduce bigger rises. Airlines are raising fares in response to world jet fuel prices, which have climbed 83 per cent since the Iran conflict began. Advertisement “They charged more – that is the most straightforward approach,” independent civil aviation analyst Li Hanming said. Chinese budget carrier Spring Airlines has raised its fuel surcharges by up to 180 yuan (US$26) on flights from China to nearby Asian nations including Japan and Malaysia, according to a route list posted on the company’s website.
Tesla (TSLA 3.33%) recently disclosed plans to invest about $2 billion in xAI, the artificial intelligence start-up founded by its CEO, Elon Musk. At first glance, the move might seem unusual. Tesla is primarily known as an electric vehicle manufacturer, while xAI is a young start-up competing in the crowded field of artificial intelligence. But the investment reveals an important aspect of Tesla'...
Tesla (TSLA 3.33%) recently disclosed plans to invest about $2 billion in xAI, the artificial intelligence start-up founded by its CEO, Elon Musk. At first glance, the move might seem unusual. Tesla is primarily known as an electric vehicle manufacturer, while xAI is a young start-up competing in the crowded field of artificial intelligence. But the investment reveals an important aspect of Tesla's long-term strategy. The company increasingly relies on advanced AI to power its most ambitious products, from self-driving vehicles to humanoid robots. For investors, the deal raises an important question: Does Tesla's investment strengthen its technological advantage, or does it introduce new governance risks? The answer may be a bit of both. Tesla's future increasingly depends on artificial intelligence Tesla still generates most of its revenue from vehicle sales, accounting for 73% in 2025. However, the company has spent years positioning itself as more than just an automaker. Central to Tesla's future success is artificial intelligence, now sitting at the core of several major Tesla initiatives. The company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software relies on machine-learning systems trained on massive amounts of real-world driving data. Tesla's long-term robotaxi plans also depend on vehicles that can eventually operate safely without human drivers. Beyond transportation, Tesla is also developing Optimus, a humanoid robot designed to perform repetitive tasks in factories and industrial environments. Like autonomous vehicles, such robots require sophisticated AI systems capable of interpreting and interacting with the physical world. In other words, Tesla's long-term growth strategy increasingly depends on advanced artificial intelligence capabilities. That helps explain why the company is willing to invest directly in a start-up focused entirely on building AI models. Why xAI could strengthen Tesla's technology stack? xAI, founded by Musk in 2023, aims to develop large-scale...
Key Points Tesla’s strategy increasingly revolves around AI. The xAI partnership could accelerate Tesla’s technology development. Still, governance risks remain an important factor. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) recently disclosed plans to invest about $2 billion in xAI, the artificial intelligence start-up founded by its CEO, Elon Musk. At first g...
Key Points Tesla’s strategy increasingly revolves around AI. The xAI partnership could accelerate Tesla’s technology development. Still, governance risks remain an important factor. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) recently disclosed plans to invest about $2 billion in xAI, the artificial intelligence start-up founded by its CEO, Elon Musk. At first glance, the move might seem unusual. Tesla is primarily known as an electric vehicle manufacturer, while xAI is a young start-up competing in the crowded field of artificial intelligence. 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 » But the investment reveals an important aspect of Tesla's long-term strategy. The company increasingly relies on advanced AI to power its most ambitious products, from self-driving vehicles to humanoid robots. For investors, the deal raises an important question: Does Tesla's investment strengthen its technological advantage, or does it introduce new governance risks? The answer may be a bit of both. Tesla's future increasingly depends on artificial intelligence Tesla still generates most of its revenue from vehicle sales, accounting for 73% in 2025. However, the company has spent years positioning itself as more than just an automaker. Central to Tesla's future success is artificial intelligence, now sitting at the core of several major Tesla initiatives. The company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software relies on machine-learning systems trained on massive amounts of real-world driving data. Tesla's long-term robotaxi plans also depend on vehicles that can eventually operate safely without human drivers. Beyond transportation, Tesla is also developing Optimus, a humanoid robot designed to perform repetitive tasks in factories and industrial environments. Like autonomous vehic...
South Korea shut down the heart of Seoul on Saturday for a comeback concert by K-pop supergroup BTS , as authorities prepare for an estimated 260,000 fans to flood the city’s streets and millions more to watch the show live on Netflix The one-hour-long concert, set to be held in the capital’s historic Gwanghwamun Square, marks the release of the seven-member group’s first new album in more than th...
South Korea shut down the heart of Seoul on Saturday for a comeback concert by K-pop supergroup BTS , as authorities prepare for an estimated 260,000 fans to flood the city’s streets and millions more to watch the show live on Netflix The one-hour-long concert, set to be held in the capital’s historic Gwanghwamun Square, marks the release of the seven-member group’s first new album in more than three years and the start of a global tour in April. BTS made their debut in 2013 and have since gone on to global superstardom, becoming the most streamed K-pop artist globally on Spotify, with its members invited to the White House and partnering with the UN General Assembly. In 2022, the group went on hiatus so the members could complete South Korea’s mandatory military service. Advertisement “The City of Seoul will do its best to make it flexible – to make [the performance] both safe and enjoyable,” said Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon on Thursday as he checked safety measures put in place. Seoul is staging the event nearly four years after a crowd crush killed Halloween revellers in the city’s Itaewon nightlife district. Memories of the disaster still linger, amplifying pressure on South Korean authorities to ensure the safety of what is expected to be one of its largest-ever public gatherings. Advertisement Seoul police have shut streets and erected fences as well as metal detectors around the square, which sits to the south of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. They have also said they will jam signals of any unauthorised drones. The Seoul government, BTS’ management agency HYBE and other organisations involved in the event have also deployed a combined 8,200 personnel to manage the crowds, who had already begun to gather on Friday.
Key Points Supermicro employees have been indicted by the DOJ for illegally selling Nvidia servers to China. This is just the latest black mark on the company. 10 stocks we like better than Super Micro Computer › Shares of Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) plunged this week after the company found itself in the midst of yet another scandal. The company has been a magnet for controversy over the ...
Key Points Supermicro employees have been indicted by the DOJ for illegally selling Nvidia servers to China. This is just the latest black mark on the company. 10 stocks we like better than Super Micro Computer › Shares of Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) plunged this week after the company found itself in the midst of yet another scandal. The company has been a magnet for controversy over the years and has come under scrutiny from both short-sellers and government regulatory agencies alike. The latest blow to the company comes after the U.S. Justice Department indicted three Supermicro employees, including one of its co-founders, for violating the Export Control Reform Act. The government has accused the employees of smuggling around $2.5 billion worth of servers with Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) to China. The U.S. has strict rules against sending its top chips to China to protect national security interests, and the three Supermicro employees went to great lengths to hide these sales. 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 » In 2024, short-seller Hindenburg Research accused Supermicro of accounting irregularities and raised concerns about potential export control violations. Supermicro had already been fined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2020 for recognizing revenue early and understating expenses. Soon after the short report, the company delayed the filing of its 10-K annual report, which led to a long delay, and its auditor, Ernst and Young (E&Y), eventually resigned. Auditors tend to be a conservative bunch, and at the time, E&Y made the unusual move of harshly criticizing Supermicro on its way out the door. The firm questioned Supermicro's governance, transparency, and internal controls, while saying it was "unwilling to be associated with the financ...