The State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (NYSEMKT:SPSM) offers a lower-cost entry to small caps, while the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEMKT:IJR) provides superior liquidity and historical longevity. Both funds target the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, providing exposure to profitable small-cap U.S. companies. While they share the same underlying index and risk profiles, investors typi...
The State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (NYSEMKT:SPSM) offers a lower-cost entry to small caps, while the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEMKT:IJR) provides superior liquidity and historical longevity. Both funds target the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, providing exposure to profitable small-cap U.S. companies. While they share the same underlying index and risk profiles, investors typically choose between them based on subtle differences in expense ratios, trading volume, and assets under management (AUM). Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield. Continue reading
The market may be roaring right now. Between rising inflation, subpar GDP growth, poor consumer confidence, and the lingering conflict in Iran, however, the risk of a recession is still too high to ignore. Here's how retirees can protect their retirement income if this worst-case scenario becomes a reality. Although it's obvious to most, it still needs to be explicitly said: Make sure your dividen...
The market may be roaring right now. Between rising inflation, subpar GDP growth, poor consumer confidence, and the lingering conflict in Iran, however, the risk of a recession is still too high to ignore. Here's how retirees can protect their retirement income if this worst-case scenario becomes a reality. Although it's obvious to most, it still needs to be explicitly said: Make sure your dividend payers are equipped to continue funding these payments in the midst of economic turbulence. These reliable, quality dividend stocks include names like Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) , which offer products that remain marketable regardless of the environment. If you also (or instead) hold bonds to generate income, be sure their underlying maturity dates are spaced out over the course of the next several years, if not the next couple of decades. This will mean a different effective interest rate for all of them, but more importantly, this also minimizes the risk of locking in an unusually low rate on a big chunk of money you receive when one of these bonds matures. Continue reading
In May 2021, Tilray Brands (NASDAQ: TLRY) , which was then known as just Tilray, merged with low-cost cannabis producer Aphria, in what was a massive deal in the marijuana industry. The press release announcing the deal said the combined businesses would create "a global cannabis leader." The expectation was that the entity would be able to grow into new markets and be profitable. Today, Tilray Br...
In May 2021, Tilray Brands (NASDAQ: TLRY) , which was then known as just Tilray, merged with low-cost cannabis producer Aphria, in what was a massive deal in the marijuana industry. The press release announcing the deal said the combined businesses would create "a global cannabis leader." The expectation was that the entity would be able to grow into new markets and be profitable. Today, Tilray Brands is one of the leading cannabis companies in the world, but it's been a volatile five years since this merger was completed. Let's take a look at how the business has performed since then, how the stock has done, and whether it's a good investment to consider for growth investors today. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Shares of leading tech giant Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) have been picking up steam in recent weeks. The company has announced a change in CEO and recently posted some strong quarterly results. Investor sentiment has been rising, even though its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and rollout of next-gen features for its Siri assistant have been sluggish. On June 8, the tech company begins its annual W...
Shares of leading tech giant Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) have been picking up steam in recent weeks. The company has announced a change in CEO and recently posted some strong quarterly results. Investor sentiment has been rising, even though its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and rollout of next-gen features for its Siri assistant have been sluggish. On June 8, the tech company begins its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is a highly anticipated event. This year, it may unveil significant AI advancements that could help fuel an even bigger rally. Should you buy the stock before June 8? Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
In the first quarter of 2026, Circle Internet Group (NASDAQ: CRCL), the issuer of the stablecoin USDC , reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.21 on total revenue of over $694 million, up roughly 20% year over year. While diluted EPS beat Wall Street analyst estimates, revenue missed expectations of $715 million, according to Barron's. Shares traded nearly 5% higher in pre-market trading,...
In the first quarter of 2026, Circle Internet Group (NASDAQ: CRCL), the issuer of the stablecoin USDC , reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.21 on total revenue of over $694 million, up roughly 20% year over year. While diluted EPS beat Wall Street analyst estimates, revenue missed expectations of $715 million, according to Barron's. Shares traded nearly 5% higher in pre-market trading, as of 9:23 a.m. ET. Continue reading
Hengrui Pharma (Hengrui) and Braveheart Bio (Braveheart) today announced results from a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study evaluating HRS-1893 (also known as BHB-1893), an investigational next-generation cardiac myosin inhibitor (CMI), in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (nHCM). HRS/BHB-1893 treatment resulted in improvements across bi...
Hengrui Pharma (Hengrui) and Braveheart Bio (Braveheart) today announced results from a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study evaluating HRS-1893 (also known as BHB-1893), an investigational next-generation cardiac myosin inhibitor (CMI), in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (nHCM). HRS/BHB-1893 treatment resulted in improvements across biomarkers of cardiac wall stress and tissue injury, echocardiographic measures of diastolic function
Regulator initially declined to investigate but now says it is looking into repeat broadcast from day after first showing UK politics live – latest updates Ofcom is to investigate whether GB News breached broadcasting rules with a second showing of its interview with Donald Trump after complaints that the US president’s claims about climate change, Islam and immigration had gone unchallenged. A se...
Regulator initially declined to investigate but now says it is looking into repeat broadcast from day after first showing UK politics live – latest updates Ofcom is to investigate whether GB News breached broadcasting rules with a second showing of its interview with Donald Trump after complaints that the US president’s claims about climate change, Islam and immigration had gone unchallenged. A series of complaints were made over the interview, which the presenter Bev Turner conducted last November. Continue reading...
One of the world’s largest commodity shipping companies is planning for a scenario in which the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut for the rest of the year, highlighting how the Iran conflict is upending expectations across the maritime cargo industry. Jan Rindbo , chief executive officer at Denmark’s D/S Norden A/S , said Monday the company has based its full-year guidance on the assumptio...
One of the world’s largest commodity shipping companies is planning for a scenario in which the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut for the rest of the year, highlighting how the Iran conflict is upending expectations across the maritime cargo industry. Jan Rindbo , chief executive officer at Denmark’s D/S Norden A/S , said Monday the company has based its full-year guidance on the assumption that vessels currently trapped in the Persian Gulf will not be able to leave before year-end. That’s because visibility is so limited, not because such a lengthy closure is the most likely outcome. “There’s no clear time line for when this conflict will be resolved,” Rindbo said in an interview. “From a prudence perspective, we felt it was right to assume the ships remain there for the rest of the year. Another issue is, that when the strait reopens it will likely be under certain conditions and there will be a backlog of ships waiting to leave.” According to an OECD maritime tracker announced earlier Monday, there are about 1,300 vessels engaged in trade currently in the Gulf. A vital artery for oil and gas flows, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut since late February, with no clear path back to normal traffic. Tanker Earnings Rindbo’s comments underscore how the war is reshaping risk calculations across global shipping, where geopolitical disruptions have become as critical as supply and demand in determining earnings. Norden has seven chartered ships stuck in the Gulf and last week raised its full-year outlook. Tanker earnings have surged on the back of significant disruption to global oil flows following the war in Iran. Related: US, Iran Far Apart in Talks to End War and Reopen Hormuz Rindbo, who has spent more than three decades in shipping, described the situation as “extraordinary,” saying he has never experienced anything comparable. Even if transit resumes, he warned, it could take time before shipowners regain confidence in the safety of the route a...
(Bloomberg) -- Cerebras Systems Inc. increased the size of its initial public offering, now seeking to raise as much as $4.8 billion, as demand for the artificial intelligence chipmaker and data center operator’s shares continues to build.Most Read from BloombergIran Makes New Offer on Uranium in Response to US, WSJ SaysTrump Rejects New Iran Peace Offer as ‘Totally Unacceptable’Inside a Year of C...
(Bloomberg) -- Cerebras Systems Inc. increased the size of its initial public offering, now seeking to raise as much as $4.8 billion, as demand for the artificial intelligence chipmaker and data center operator’s shares continues to build.Most Read from BloombergIran Makes New Offer on Uranium in Response to US, WSJ SaysTrump Rejects New Iran Peace Offer as ‘Totally Unacceptable’Inside a Year of Chaos and Conflict at Kevin Hart’s Media CompanyModi Asks Indians to Stop Buying Gold, Hitting Jewelr
hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Yum China Holdings, Inc. ( YUMC ), an American-Chinese company, is the largest restaurant operator in China. Founded in 2016 after being spun out of former parent company Yum! Brands, Inc. ( YUM ), but with certain roots dating back to the 1930s, Yum China is now a $17 billion (by market cap) restaurant leader employing more than 200,000 people. Yum China...
hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Yum China Holdings, Inc. ( YUMC ), an American-Chinese company, is the largest restaurant operator in China. Founded in 2016 after being spun out of former parent company Yum! Brands, Inc. ( YUM ), but with certain roots dating back to the 1930s, Yum China is now a $17 billion (by market cap) restaurant leader employing more than 200,000 people. Yum China operates approximately 18,000 restaurants across mainland China. Its primary brands are KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, of which Yum China has exclusive rights to operate and sub-license in China (paying a 3% systemwide sales royalty back to its former parent company). In addition, Yum China has outright ownership of a few smaller local brands based on Chinese dining and coffee. KFC, in particular, is central to Yum China. It’s the flagship brand. KFC is the largest QSR brand in China in terms of system sales, and KFC has grown to over 13,000 locations across 2,600 Chinese cities. Whereas KFC may have lost a lot of shine in the US, it’s extremely popular and growing rapidly in China. And this is a key part of the investment thesis, as China has a far lower-than-global-average spend on chain restaurants, but this is rapidly changing as chains proliferate, inflation makes it difficult for local operators, and the fragmented market consolidates. Changing dynamics disproportionately work to Yum China’s favor, helping to explain its industry-defying growth profile, showing steady and rapid revenue, profit, and dividend growth. Dividend Growth, Growth Rate, Payout Ratio and Yield Yum China has increased its dividend for four consecutive years. I usually limit write-ups to those businesses with at least five consecutive years of dividend increases, but I think Yum China is interesting enough at this time to feature a little bit early. A temporary dividend cut during the pandemic (something I’ve looked the other way on, considering the unusual nature of the event) is the only reaso...