EyeEm Mobile GmbH/iStock via Getty Images There are few American cities more steeped in lore and mythology than Las Vegas, Sin City, America’s Playground itself. The flashy, bright monument to entertainment rising out of the barren Mojave Desert around it is the city of Elvis and his impersonators, Sinatra, gambling, partying, of betting it all and letting it ride. It’s also home to VICI Propertie...
EyeEm Mobile GmbH/iStock via Getty Images There are few American cities more steeped in lore and mythology than Las Vegas, Sin City, America’s Playground itself. The flashy, bright monument to entertainment rising out of the barren Mojave Desert around it is the city of Elvis and his impersonators, Sinatra, gambling, partying, of betting it all and letting it ride. It’s also home to VICI Properties Inc. ( VICI ), which owns and rents out to casino operators, some of the most iconic hotels and casino on the Vegas Strip like Caesar’s Palace, The Venetian Resort, and the MGM Grand along with dozens more properties comprising 127 million square feet of entertainment space across 26 U.S. States and one Canadian Province. VICI Properties And at present, this Real Estate Investment Trust ( REIT ) pays a dividend that yields 6.7% . That’s more than triple the average historical yield of an S&P 500 dividend stock. At today’s valuation, the stock makes for an incredibly attractive long-term income play. Interested? So was I, that’s why I added this one to my personal portfolio recently. Let’s get into it. The Opportunity: Viva Las Vegas As I mentioned before, VICI is an REIT, meaning it has to pay out 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders as a dividend. I like REITs because they’re usually pretty straightforward and VICI is no different. It’s heavily weighted in Las Vegas itself but does have some nice diversification, but it’s as simple as that, it owns and rents out properties to tenants - mostly casino operators. The two biggest tenants make up the overwhelming bulk of VICI’s revenue, Caesars Entertainment ( CZR ) at 39% and MGM Resorts International ( MGM ) at 34%. The average length of VICI’s lease term is 39.6 years and it has a 100% occupancy rate at its 54 gambling properties, 39 “experimental” non-gambling entertainment properties, and 4 golf courses. And given that the beating heart of America’s gambling industry has always been Las Vegas, I don’t view being...
In highly unusual move, Metropolitan police have released full transcript of call made by PM’s then chief of staff UK politics live – latest updates Morgan McSweeney did not disclose he was the prime minister’s chief of staff when he reported his phone stolen , according to a transcript released by the Metropolitan police. The Met has admitted the wrong address was recorded for the theft meaning t...
In highly unusual move, Metropolitan police have released full transcript of call made by PM’s then chief of staff UK politics live – latest updates Morgan McSweeney did not disclose he was the prime minister’s chief of staff when he reported his phone stolen , according to a transcript released by the Metropolitan police. The Met has admitted the wrong address was recorded for the theft meaning that it was thought to be a street in Tower Hamlets, rather than a Westminster street of the same name. Continue reading...
Son Cameron confirms 77-year-old has the disease Toshack managed Swansea and Madrid among many The Liverpool and Wales great John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia, according to his son Cameron. Toshack had a celebrated playing career with the Merseyside club, scoring more than 100 goals and winning nine trophies between 1970 and 1978, and earning 40 caps for Wales before turning to managem...
Son Cameron confirms 77-year-old has the disease Toshack managed Swansea and Madrid among many The Liverpool and Wales great John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia, according to his son Cameron. Toshack had a celebrated playing career with the Merseyside club, scoring more than 100 goals and winning nine trophies between 1970 and 1978, and earning 40 caps for Wales before turning to management, including roles with Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and his national team. Continue reading...
Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images Overview To the dismay of many retail investors, Abivax ( ABVX ) remains a standalone company despite a flurry of rumors . I didn’t mind this much when I last assessed the stock (“ Buy ”) in January. You see, Abivax is advancing a first-in-class, oral miR-124 enhancer, obefazimod, in large indications like ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease ( C...
Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images Overview To the dismay of many retail investors, Abivax ( ABVX ) remains a standalone company despite a flurry of rumors . I didn’t mind this much when I last assessed the stock (“ Buy ”) in January. You see, Abivax is advancing a first-in-class, oral miR-124 enhancer, obefazimod, in large indications like ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease ( CD ). The stock caught everyone’s attention after reporting sparkling Phase 3 UC induction data last Summer. After jumping over 500% immediately following the news, ABVX has climbed another 60%, as the market has had time to fully digest the results. Data by YCharts I also think some M&A premium is “baked” into the stock. Abivax reported FY25 results on Monday, bringing into focus its year ahead as a standalone company. Financials Abivax ended 2025 with $610M in cash (converted from €530.4M at a 1.15 USD/EUR rate). They believe this will provide a cash runway "into Q4 2027." For context, Abivax spends roughly $200M and $80M per year in R&D and G&A, respectively. So, its cash runway estimate is pretty consistent with its historical cash burn rate. Upcoming Milestones Investors do have a few things to look forward to this year. UC Phase 3 maintenance results are expected in late Q2. Abivax hopes to then submit a UC NDA in the 2H 2026. In CD, Phase 2b ( ENHANCE-CD ) induction results are slated for Q4. CD CD induction is a bit of a crowded space, with treatments like Skyrizi and Rinvoq setting a high bar for efficacy. ENHANCE-CD is a pretty robust trial, so positive results likely de-risk obefazimod’s Phase 3 CD program. ENHANCE-CD evaluates two separate doses versus placebo for Clinical Remission and Endoscopic Response at Week 12, among a few other outcome measures. Below, I’ve created a Scenario table that details possible induction outcomes. Author's Compilation Clinical Remission and Endoscopic Response rates >40% would approach high-performing biologics like Skyrizi , whi...
Apple Inc. has rolled out age verification requirements for users in the UK that will ask customers to confirm that they’re at least 18 years old to access certain features. Apple will confirm user ages with credit cards or payment methods on file or by asking users to scan an ID, it said in a post on its support page. Content filters will be turned on automatically for underage users or anyone wh...
Apple Inc. has rolled out age verification requirements for users in the UK that will ask customers to confirm that they’re at least 18 years old to access certain features. Apple will confirm user ages with credit cards or payment methods on file or by asking users to scan an ID, it said in a post on its support page. Content filters will be turned on automatically for underage users or anyone who hasn’t confirmed their age, it said. Children under 13 can’t create an account without a guardian. UK communications regulator Ofcom said in a statement the age verification would support the Online Safety Act and help “keep young people away from harmful content.” The act is a clampdown on digital abuse, fraud and harmful content and includes measures to protect kids from encountering damaging posts on topics including suicide, self harm and eating disorders. While the regulation doesn’t require app stores to police user ages, Ofcom has been exploring how children use the online accounts. Read More: Move to Ban Social Media for Kids Gains Traction in Europe Age checks are part of a broader conversation about the impact that social media has on teenagers and children that’s led governments around the world to explore bans and restrictions on the platforms for underage users. Australia implemented a ban in December, requiring Meta Platforms Inc. ’s Instagram and Facebook, Snap Inc. , Elon Musk ’s X, TikTok and Google ’s YouTube to keep minors off of their platforms. Apple and other app store owners have generally argued against being held responsible for age verification. In the US, lobbyists for Apple and Google have argued verification risks violating children’s privacy and said individual apps are in a better position to check user ages. Read More: Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Age Check Legislation
The full impact of the energy supply disruption from the Iran conflict has yet to be felt, signaling that policymakers are prepared to adjust interest rates at any upcoming meeting, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said. Speaking at the ECB Watchers conference, Lagarde emphasized that while the central bank cannot control energy prices directly, officials are closely monitoring fo...
The full impact of the energy supply disruption from the Iran conflict has yet to be felt, signaling that policymakers are prepared to adjust interest rates at any upcoming meeting, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said. Speaking at the ECB Watchers conference, Lagarde emphasized that while the central bank cannot control energy prices directly, officials are closely monitoring for signs of broader inflationary spillover. The comments, as reported by CNBC, come as markets are now pricing in the possibility of two to three rate hikes this year, with the first potential move as early as April. This marks a dramatic shift from earlier expectations that the ECB would remain on the sidelines throughout 2026. Lagarde drew important distinctions between the current situation and the 2022 energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. “The initial shock this time is smaller than in 2022,” she noted, adding that “the Euro Area economy is in a moderate recovery without the pronounced demand-supply imbalances that characterized 2022.” She also highlighted that headline inflation has remained near the 2% target for almost a year and that acute labor shortages have eased. However, the ECB president cautioned that significant risks remain on the horizon. “A further cliff edge is also approaching. Global oil reserves are being drawn down, and the last LNG tankers that loaded in the Gulf before the war are now reaching their destinations, meaning the full impact of lost supply is only about to be felt,” Lagarde warned. The central bank chief stressed that the ECB has learned from its 2022 experience when forward guidance on asset purchases limited its flexibility. “We will not act before we have sufficient information on the size and persistence of the shock and its propagation, but we will not be paralyzed by hesitation,” she stated. Lagarde framed the ECB’s current meeting-by-meeting approach as a strategic advantage rather than a weakness. By abandoning precommi...
Getty Images By Ewa Manthey, Commodities Strategist and Warren Patterson, Head of Commodities Strategy Oil prices slid on ceasefire hopes, while gold recovered as easing energy prices and a softer dollar offset still-elevated geopolitical risks Energy – Oil falls on ceasefire hopes Oil prices fell sharply on reports of renewed ceasefire efforts, with Brent sinking as much as 7% toward $97/bbl befo...
Getty Images By Ewa Manthey, Commodities Strategist and Warren Patterson, Head of Commodities Strategy Oil prices slid on ceasefire hopes, while gold recovered as easing energy prices and a softer dollar offset still-elevated geopolitical risks Energy – Oil falls on ceasefire hopes Oil prices fell sharply on reports of renewed ceasefire efforts, with Brent sinking as much as 7% toward $97/bbl before paring losses, while WTI traded near $89/bbl. Markets reacted to reports that the US has drafted a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the conflict, reportedly delivered to Iran via Pakistan, although details remain unclear. Despite the initial market relief, uncertainty remains high. Tehran fired a fresh wave of missiles at Israel and signalled little willingness to compromise, while Iran also reiterated that foreign ships can transit the Strait of Hormuz only if they comply with Tehran’s regulations and are not supporting acts of aggression. Earlier, the US ordered the deployment of around 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region, underscoring the risk of further escalation. The oil market was also weighed down by a bearish inventory report from the American Petroleum Institute. US crude inventories rose by 2.3m barrels last week, versus expectations for a modest draw of around 190k barrels. Gasoline stocks increased by 0.5m barrels and distillate inventories rose by 1.4m barrels, with markets now awaiting official EIA data later today. Overall, volatility remains elevated and a geopolitical risk premium persists. Ongoing tensions continue to support higher prices, stoke inflation concerns, and reinforce expectations that policymakers may delay easing, or even tighten, monetary policy. In gas markets, European gas prices fell for a third consecutive session, ending Tuesday nearly 5% lower as markets reassessed the outlook for the conflict. While any ceasefire would ease immediate risks to global energy trade, markets remain braced for prolonged supply d...