PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction BDCs ( BIZD ) in the past year or so have underperformed due to a lack of catalysts. With interest rates declining and expected to continue going forward, many have seen their prices pull back as a result. Lower rates have led to lower portfolio yields, tighter dividend coverage, and overall underperformance for the sector. While I believe Ares...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction BDCs ( BIZD ) in the past year or so have underperformed due to a lack of catalysts. With interest rates declining and expected to continue going forward, many have seen their prices pull back as a result. Lower rates have led to lower portfolio yields, tighter dividend coverage, and overall underperformance for the sector. While I believe Ares Capital's ( ARCC ) price decline makes them attractive for income investors, their latest quarter led me to believe that the private credit risks are something investors should keep a close eye on. In this article, I discuss ARCC's latest earnings, fundamentals, and why they are a buy for income, but investors should be wary of rising risks. Previous Buy I last covered Ares Capital back in February in an article titled: This Near 10% Yielder Now May Be Worth Dipping Your Toe In (Rating Upgrade). During Q4, I upgraded ARCC from a hold to a buy as the BDC saw record investment activity, improved dividend coverage, and a small discount to NAV. A weakening economy, rising non-accruals, and higher Software exposure were risks to monitor going forward due to AI disruption. But I suspected ARCC could sustain their high dividend yield due to robust liquidity and size & scale advantages. Since then, the share price has experienced volatility but remained relatively flat, down less than 1%. This is compared to the S&P ( SP500 ), up over 5%. Seeking Alpha Higher Losses & Lower Investment Activity Could Be Growing Concerns Ares Capital's Q1 earnings were solid, with net investment income increasing $0.03 from the prior quarter. NII also increased a penny from the prior year's quarter. Something else I always look for during a BDC's earnings is if their NII grew in totality. Net investment income increased on a total basis from $365 million to $398 million, while total investment income grew from $732 million to $763 million. The growth in NII gave the BDC room for error as they paid o...
You work hard all your life to pay your bills, obviously, but also in the hope of maximizing the future Social Security benefit you qualify for. So it can seem a bit odd to hear that your income from your job might actually hurt your Social Security benefits. But that can be the case for some younger beneficiaries. There's a little-known rule called the earnings test that costs some seniors their ...
You work hard all your life to pay your bills, obviously, but also in the hope of maximizing the future Social Security benefit you qualify for. So it can seem a bit odd to hear that your income from your job might actually hurt your Social Security benefits. But that can be the case for some younger beneficiaries. There's a little-known rule called the earnings test that costs some seniors their entire checks. It's not always avoidable, but understanding how it works can help you prepare for the reduced benefits and the Social Security boost that could be coming your way in a few years. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
A small boat carrying migrants trying to cross the English Channel ran aground on a beach in northern France, leaving two dead and 16 people injured, including three with serious burns, authorities said on Sunday. The vessel, carrying 82 people, set out overnight from Hardelot beach, a few kilometres south of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, but the engine failed and it began to drift, Christophe Mar...
A small boat carrying migrants trying to cross the English Channel ran aground on a beach in northern France, leaving two dead and 16 people injured, including three with serious burns, authorities said on Sunday. The vessel, carrying 82 people, set out overnight from Hardelot beach, a few kilometres south of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, but the engine failed and it began to drift, Christophe Marx, Secretary General of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, told reporters. A French maritime gendarmerie...
Green party leader says specifically outlawing controversial phrase would restrict freedom of speech UK politics live – latest updates Zack Polanski has said he would discourage pro-Palestine protesters from using the chant “globalise the intifada”, but the Green party leader warned against specifically outlawing the phrase or banning a protest planned in London later this month. Speaking earlier ...
Green party leader says specifically outlawing controversial phrase would restrict freedom of speech UK politics live – latest updates Zack Polanski has said he would discourage pro-Palestine protesters from using the chant “globalise the intifada”, but the Green party leader warned against specifically outlawing the phrase or banning a protest planned in London later this month. Speaking earlier in the weekend, Keir Starmer called for “tougher action” against marchers using the chant after last week’s attack on Jewish people in Golders Green, saying pro-Gaza marches risked having a cumulative effect of being intimidating. Continue reading...
Brighton Dome Corn Exchange The timeless parable of a 16th-century horse dealer turned violent protester questions the personal cost of resistance in this awe-inspiring production from Omar Elerian It starts and ends with a circle. Arinzé Kene stands, runs or speaks inside it. For his 16th-century horse-dealer protagonist, Michael Kohlhaas, its circularity represents a world in which all is in ord...
Brighton Dome Corn Exchange The timeless parable of a 16th-century horse dealer turned violent protester questions the personal cost of resistance in this awe-inspiring production from Omar Elerian It starts and ends with a circle. Arinzé Kene stands, runs or speaks inside it. For his 16th-century horse-dealer protagonist, Michael Kohlhaas, its circularity represents a world in which all is in order. When its equanimity is disturbed with the theft of two of his most prized stallions at the hands of an entitled baron, he sets about single-handedly taking on the system that upholds this injustice, first taking his case to the law courts, then the emperor, and finally spilling angrily out on to the streets. Based on Heinrich von Kleist’s novella, Michael Kohlhaas (itself based on a real-life case), this is an awe-inspiring production, stupendously directed by Omar Elerian, and resounding across the ages in its exploration of protest as well as the personal cost of speaking truth to power. It could not be more timeless, or more relevant. Continue reading...
Few companies exert a bigger influence on the artificial intelligence (AI) industry than OpenAI . The AI lab is at the forefront of developing large language models with its GPT models, and it's planning to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on computing capacity to train those models and serve its user base. But that spending plan now has a huge question mark after a report surfaced that the c...
Few companies exert a bigger influence on the artificial intelligence (AI) industry than OpenAI . The AI lab is at the forefront of developing large language models with its GPT models, and it's planning to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on computing capacity to train those models and serve its user base. But that spending plan now has a huge question mark after a report surfaced that the company missed its internal benchmarks on both revenue and user growth at the end of 2025. Chief financial officer Sarah Friar has reportedly expressed concerns about being able to afford its current contracts for computing resources if revenue doesn't pick up. That report weighed heavily on OpenAI's biggest cloud infrastructure partners as well as semiconductor stocks . But not every company in the AI ecosystem will see OpenAI's shortfall as bad news. Two companies in particular could be big winners as a result: Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) . Continue reading
robtek/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. ( TR ) is a confectionery play with a full valuation in our opinion, without the growth driver to really justify it either (though we are very partial to pops and logs, my very favourite). They may have a profit tailwind from falling cocoa prices becoming baked into later 2026 results (12% possible net income lift), and they ar...
robtek/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. ( TR ) is a confectionery play with a full valuation in our opinion, without the growth driver to really justify it either (though we are very partial to pops and logs, my very favourite). They may have a profit tailwind from falling cocoa prices becoming baked into later 2026 results (12% possible net income lift), and they are a storied brand, but they aren't vibrant in the same way Lindt is despite having a similar valuation. There are also plenty of cheaper options in confectionery in global markets. There just isn't anything going on with a company that has no R&D, investor relations, meaningful M&A or any real brand equity growth, relying almost entirely on the storied Tootsie brand. Results Tootsie offers a pretty limited quarterly disclosure, with the 10-K being much more complete than the more recent 8-K covering Q1. No 10-Q yet on the Q1, but naturally expected as a publicly listed US company. They are a bit famous for this, no investor calls or anything like that , and pretty sparse obligatory disclosure as well. Annual IS (10-K) It's not just a communication thing, it reflects quite clearly in the financials. There is no R&D for example. Although the Company does research and develops new products and product line extensions for existing brands, it also improves the quality of existing products, improves and modernizes production processes, and develops and implements new technologies to improve quality and efficiencies. The Company does not expend material amounts of money on research or development activities. 10-K While not necessarily massive in quantity, confectionery companies will usually spend a percent or two on R&D . We'd have to consider that material. TR seems to spend none. There is also very limited sales growth. The above data was the 10-K IS. The 8-K Q1 data is shown below . Q1 Info (8-K) Some of the trends that were beginning to take effect in the 10-K as well were pr...
Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) is pushing deeper into banking, guided investing, AI insights, deposits, and everyday money management. That could make the company a more serious threat to traditional brokers, but the stock still has to prove its growth can support a premium valuation. Stock prices used were the market prices of April 27, 2026. The video was published on April 30, 2026. Continue reading
Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) is pushing deeper into banking, guided investing, AI insights, deposits, and everyday money management. That could make the company a more serious threat to traditional brokers, but the stock still has to prove its growth can support a premium valuation. Stock prices used were the market prices of April 27, 2026. The video was published on April 30, 2026. Continue reading
In some ways, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX) could be viewed as interchangeable energy investments. Exxon and its $625 billion market is a bigger company, but Chevron and its $375 billion market cap isn't far behind. The most notable difference is the dividend, which is why income seekers will probably want to go with Chevron right now. Here's what you need to know. Exxon and Chevr...
In some ways, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX) could be viewed as interchangeable energy investments. Exxon and its $625 billion market is a bigger company, but Chevron and its $375 billion market cap isn't far behind. The most notable difference is the dividend, which is why income seekers will probably want to go with Chevron right now. Here's what you need to know. Exxon and Chevron are both integrated energy companies, which means they own assets across the entire energy value chain , from the upstream (energy production) through the midstream (pipelines) and all the way to the downstream (chemical and refining). Their portfolios are also geographically diverse, with assets spread across the globe. This diversification helps to soften the swings that are normal in the energy patch. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
In this article MRVL STX AMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The Marvell Technology headquarters building stands in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2011. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Investors are grappling with elevated oil prices and persistent geopolitical tensions, but those who can ignore short-term noise may be better positioned for the long run. An oppor...
In this article MRVL STX AMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The Marvell Technology headquarters building stands in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2011. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Investors are grappling with elevated oil prices and persistent geopolitical tensions, but those who can ignore short-term noise may be better positioned for the long run. An opportunity to pick some attractive stocks with solid long-term growth potential is emerging, and investors can use the ratings of top Wall Street analysts to inform their search. The recommendations and analysis of these experts can provide useful insights for stock selection. Here are three stocks favored by some of Wall Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. Seagate Technology This week's first pick is storage solutions provider Seagate Technology , which impressed investors with its market-beating results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 and solid outlook. The company is benefiting from strong AI-driven demand for storage. In reaction to the Q3 FY26 print, TD Cowen analyst Krish Sankar reiterated a buy rating on Seagate stock and boosted his price target to $850 from $500, citing a "flawless quarter." The analyst noted that the company's earnings per share outlook of $5 for the fiscal fourth quarter surpassed the Street's expectations by 25%. The five-star analyst added that the $35 to $40 EPS bull case for 2027 that he highlighted in his preview seems more realistic following the Q3 FY26 results. The analyst has now conservatively moved his 2027 EPS estimate to $34. He continues to see potential upside to the high-$30s, backed by his expectation of 60% gross margin based on 9% growth in average selling price, or ASP, and 25% rise in exabyte shipment. Sankar also noted that Seagate's June quarter outlook implies a gross margin of about 50%. He projects a 7% year-over-year growth in ASP following a 4% rise...
More than $1 billion is poised to flow into the underperforming Hang Seng Tech Index, thanks to the upcoming inclusion of two Chinese artificial intelligence companies, according to Morgan Stanley. Hong Kong's technology stock index has tumbled more than 11% so far this year, despite excitement over Chinese AI. Only seven of the index's constituents have risen in 2026, led by Hua Hong Semiconducto...
More than $1 billion is poised to flow into the underperforming Hang Seng Tech Index, thanks to the upcoming inclusion of two Chinese artificial intelligence companies, according to Morgan Stanley. Hong Kong's technology stock index has tumbled more than 11% so far this year, despite excitement over Chinese AI. Only seven of the index's constituents have risen in 2026, led by Hua Hong Semiconductor, Lenovo, JD, Midea and several electric car stocks. Meanwhile, generative AI model companies Knowledge Atlas Technology , which runs Zhipu AI, and MiniMax , have both skyrocketed since they went public in Hong Kong in January. Both stocks are expected to join the Hang Seng Tech Index on June 8, driving $1.25 billion to $1.75 billion in passive inflows, the Morgan Stanley analysts said in an April 27 report. The analysts raised their price targets on each stock: Knowledge Atlas to 990 Hong Kong dollars ($126.37) from 560 HKD, and MiniMax to 1,100 HKD from 990 HKD. Zhipu's models are known for their coding capabilities, while MiniMax has stood out more for its breadth of AI capabilities from text to audio generation. MiniMax has also been a popular choice for OpenClaw AI agent users since, like many Chinese AI models, it is relatively cheaper to use than its U.S. peers. However, that is changing as more people use Chinese AI tools. The Morgan Stanley analysts pointed out that in the first quarter, the cost of accessing Chinese AI models rose to at least 17% of what U.S. AI models charged — up sharply from just 5% a year earlier. The analysts predict that each of the frontier Chinese AI models can achieve at least $1 billion in revenue this year, and more than double that next year. Knowledge Atlas and MiniMax are the first two major Chinese companies focused on AI models to go public. Competitors such as Moonshot, which operates the Kimi AI model, and StepFun remain privately held. "We believe AI and [large language model] names will become a much bigger driver of Hong Kong...
The consensus analyst fair value estimate for QUALCOMM has shifted from US$154.93 to US$168.50, providing an updated reference point for how the Street is currently framing the stock. That move reflects a tug of war between bullish firms raising targets on AI, automotive, and IoT potential, and bearish voices focusing on smartphone maturity and the well‑flagged loss of Apple business. Read on to s...
The consensus analyst fair value estimate for QUALCOMM has shifted from US$154.93 to US$168.50, providing an updated reference point for how the Street is currently framing the stock. That move reflects a tug of war between bullish firms raising targets on AI, automotive, and IoT potential, and bearish voices focusing on smartphone maturity and the well‑flagged loss of Apple business. Read on to see how to interpret these competing narratives and keep track as the story evolves. Analyst Price...