從新出發．Jeremy Zhu To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【從新出發．凝聚視界】 時代在變，觀察世界的視角，更需要與時並進。有線新聞繼續站在最前線，追求速度之餘，以最嚴謹的態度，把關每一個資訊細節，以專業...
從新出發．Jeremy Zhu To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【從新出發．凝聚視界】 時代在變，觀察世界的視角，更需要與時並進。有線新聞繼續站在最前線，追求速度之餘，以最嚴謹的態度，把關每一個資訊細節，以專業視野看清全局。 一眾主播全新形象，以速度領先，用專業立足，為你帶來全新氣象。
The summer season on Wall Street has a reputation for being a quieter, lower-volatility period. People are on vacation. They're enjoying the nice weather. That kind of environment tends to mitigate the risk of conditions falling apart. Right? In reality, stocks are vulnerable at any time of the year. For example: 2025's Liberation Day tariff implementation in April kept volatility at least modestl...
The summer season on Wall Street has a reputation for being a quieter, lower-volatility period. People are on vacation. They're enjoying the nice weather. That kind of environment tends to mitigate the risk of conditions falling apart. Right? In reality, stocks are vulnerable at any time of the year. For example: 2025's Liberation Day tariff implementation in April kept volatility at least modestly elevated well into June. In August 2024, the pullback stemming from the unwinding of the yen carry trade caused the VIX to spike as high as 65. During the 2022 bear market, market volatility remained above average for most of the year as the Federal Reserve aggressively raised interest rates. This year, with the Iran war still in the news, inflation rising to multiyear highs, and the markets bracing for a potential interest rate hike, the stage is set for another round of volatility. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) specializing in dividends usually offer a more conservative equity option in these environments, with lower risk and better downside protection. So many portfolios right now are heavy with tech and growth stocks. Rebalancing some capital into a top-tier dividend ETF could be the right move for anxious investors. 1. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD +0.09%) has enjoyed a strong comeback in 2026. The U.S. equity market rotation at the beginning of the year, which saw money flow into value, low-volatility, and defensive stocks, hit this fund's sweet spot after three rough years. Expand NYSEMKT : SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF Today's Change ( 0.09 %) $ 0.03 Current Price $ 32.07 Key Data Points Day's Range $ 31.85 - $ 32.18 52wk Range $ 25.69 - $ 32.19 Volume 422K At one point earlier this year, it was the best-performing U.S. dividend ETF in the marketplace. April's tech rebound has brought the fund's performance back to earth a bit, but its 16% year-to-date return is still double that of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Sc...
Demographic Winter Pushes South Korea To Field War Robots As Troop Pool Shrinks South Korea's population decline and shrinking pool of military-age men are forcing Seoul to rethink its military force structure, with officials now exploring robots and AI-powered drones to offset future manpower shortages. South Korea's military is taking a direct page from Ukraine's battlefield playbook by preparin...
Demographic Winter Pushes South Korea To Field War Robots As Troop Pool Shrinks South Korea's population decline and shrinking pool of military-age men are forcing Seoul to rethink its military force structure, with officials now exploring robots and AI-powered drones to offset future manpower shortages. South Korea's military is taking a direct page from Ukraine's battlefield playbook by preparing to procure low-cost unmanned aerial systems and robotics for future wars, primarily through a potential partnership with Hyundai Motor - for now. "Potential deployments include Boston Dynamics' four-legged Spot, the four-wheeled MobED mobility droid, and wearable platforms like the X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton," Bloomberg reported. South Korea's standing force has slumped 20% over the past six years to about 450,000 troops and is projected to fall to 350,000 by 2040. The demographic winter is already hitting national defense: the population of 20-year-old men has declined by 30% between 2019 and 2025, shrinking the enlistment pool. Samsung Securities analyst Esther Yim wrote in a note that "robotics is a field without legacy constraints," adding that "these systems can leverage electrical and electronic technologies developed for autonomous vehicles, allowing for rapid proliferation." For many months, we have outlined how modern warfare is being reshaped by Ukrainian innovation and, more recently, the U.S.-Iran conflict. Ukraine has served as an AI warfare laboratory , accelerating the rise of low-cost drones, ground robots, and, eventually, humanoid warbots . What's clear: future wars of attrition will mostly be fought with intelligent machines, as manpower-constrained militaries substitute AI drones and ground bots for soldiers on the battlefield. Beyond Ukraine and South Korea, many other countries are experiencing a demographic winter , characterized by ultra-low fertility, rapid aging, and current or projected population decline. Here are those countries by region: Eas...
Sandwish/iStock via Getty Images It's been close to three years since the first time I covered Paylocity ( PCTY ) when I gave it a hold rating, as I wanted a pullback. My prayers have been answered, and now the company is trading at a massive discount because of the overall sentiment towards SaaS companies right now. Since my first article, the company's share price declined 39% compared to a 68% ...
Sandwish/iStock via Getty Images It's been close to three years since the first time I covered Paylocity ( PCTY ) when I gave it a hold rating, as I wanted a pullback. My prayers have been answered, and now the company is trading at a massive discount because of the overall sentiment towards SaaS companies right now. Since my first article, the company's share price declined 39% compared to a 68% gain of the SPY ( SPY ). And now, given the company's stellar performance, I am upgrading it to a buy. The Performance Starting from the top, we can see that the company's top-line performance has been quite decent over the past three years. It's been a steady upward trajectory, and that is a lot better than a volatile performance with ups and downs. Seeking Alpha In the latest quarter, Q3 '26 , recurring revenue and other revenue essentially continued to dominate the performance with a growth of 11.5% to $470m, while interest on client funds continues to chug along steadily, which isn't even part of the main revenues. Recurring fees are the main driver here, as they make up over 96% of total revenues. PCTY 10Q Moving on to the company's profitability and efficiency, we can see a steady improvement across the board, especially throughout 2025. We can see that the company is highly profitable, and it makes sense since it is mostly on a recurring revenue model and is essentially a software company now. I'm actually a little surprised that its gross margins aren't in the high 80s. Seeking Alpha In the latest quarter, we can see that gross margin was around 72% vs. 71.4% last year, so around 60bps improvement. Operating margin was around 31.2%, an improvement of around 320bps, which is astounding. To save some time, below are the adjusted metrics that the company also likes to use to give a better sense of what it makes, excluding non-cash charges and everything else. We can see a steady improvement across the board. Here, margins are much closer to what I expected. Author's co...
TOPSHOT - Members of the Samsung Electronics labour union hold signs reading "Change it to be transparent!" as they stage a mass rally demanding the removal of a cap on performance bonuses, outside the company's foundry and semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images) Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images A strike involving more than 47,000 Sams...
TOPSHOT - Members of the Samsung Electronics labour union hold signs reading "Change it to be transparent!" as they stage a mass rally demanding the removal of a cap on performance bonuses, outside the company's foundry and semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images) Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images A strike involving more than 47,000 Samsung workers will begin on Thursday after wage negotiations between the company and its union broke down on Wednesday, sending shares of the South Korean chip giant down 3%. A South Korean court had previously ordered that the walkout not interfere with safety protection facilities or obstruct work, to prevent damage to facilities and wafer deterioration. The union 's demands had revolved around Samsung's performance-based bonus system. It is seeking performance bonuses equivalent to 15% of Samsung's operating profit, the removal of bonus payout caps, and a formalized bonus structure, among other measures. This is breaking news, please check back for updates. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.