voffkatw/iStock via Getty Images U.S. policy on global oil markets is showing striking continuity across administrations, with both Donald Trump and Joe Biden ultimately constrained by one overriding factor: keeping oil prices in check. Despite sharp differences in rhetoric, decisions around sanctions and enforcement suggest a shared reluctance to disrupt global supply. That assessment comes from ...
voffkatw/iStock via Getty Images U.S. policy on global oil markets is showing striking continuity across administrations, with both Donald Trump and Joe Biden ultimately constrained by one overriding factor: keeping oil prices in check. Despite sharp differences in rhetoric, decisions around sanctions and enforcement suggest a shared reluctance to disrupt global supply. That assessment comes from Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, who argues that energy economics is quietly dictating U.S. foreign policy. In his analysis, both administrations have avoided aggressively choking off key oil flows, from Russia after the Ukraine invasion to Iran amid Middle East tensions, because of the political risks tied to higher fuel prices. Brooks’ central point is that domestic considerations dominate: rising oil prices feed directly into inflation and voter sentiment, forcing policymakers to prioritize stability over strategy. This results in selective enforcement of sanctions and tacit tolerance of certain exports, even when they appear inconsistent with stated geopolitical goals. The implication, Brooks argues, is clear: "Oil is king." Whether under Trump or Biden, the political cost of an oil shock compels similar trade-offs, revealing continuity where voters might otherwise expect stark differences. Dear readers: We recognize that politics often intersects with the financial news of the day, so we invite you to click here to join the separate political discussion. More on oil Commodities: De-Escalation Hopes Fade Three Hedging Strategies For Oil Prices Crazy Swings All Across Markets As U.S.-Iran Talks Pick Up: Gold Grazes $4,000, WTI To $90 Bahrain pitches UN resolution to secure Hormuz shipping; Gulf states weigh joining war Well-timed oil trades before Trump post stir market scrutiny - report
Wolterk/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis General Mills, Inc. ( GIS ) has failed to meet expectations per the company’s last quarterly report, and investors have (arguably rightly) been pulling out. However, I believe we’ve reached the bottom or are at least approaching it. Given this, I rate GIS a soft buy. That said, GIS does face some serious headwinds, like GLP-1 usage and a shift among...
Wolterk/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis General Mills, Inc. ( GIS ) has failed to meet expectations per the company’s last quarterly report, and investors have (arguably rightly) been pulling out. However, I believe we’ve reached the bottom or are at least approaching it. Given this, I rate GIS a soft buy. That said, GIS does face some serious headwinds, like GLP-1 usage and a shift among consumers towards buying private labels. GLP-1 Is Curbing Appetites GLP-1 tends to discourage compulsive food purchases . If a driver is hungry and driving by their favorite fast food chain, there's a good chance s/he will take a spin through the drive-thru. By tamping down on appetite, GLP-1 may reduce compulsive purchases and could encourage more people to eat at home to save money. More at-home eating could bolster General Mills and other staples stocks and ETFs. Research has found that households with at least one GLP-1 user undergo rather dramatic shifts in consumption. This includes a 5.3% decrease in spending on groceries within six months. That said, coffee chains, limited-service restaurants, and fast food restaurants saw spending drop by 8%, substantially exceeding the grocery spending decline. GLP-1 is gaining more and more traction in the United States and indeed around the world. Obesity can be a massive drain on healthcare systems, so getting people to lose weight could reduce costs for insurers and governments alike. Already, some governments are striving to get GLP-1 into the hands of their citizens. The Trump Administration, for example, reached an agreement with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to sell GLP-1 for $245 a month to Medicare and Medicaid patients. Further, GLP-1 medications can now be purchased through TrumpRx for $350. While not exactly cheap, this is far less than the +$1000 price tag folks had to contend with previously. Outside the United States, patents have expired in India . Now the market is being flooded with cheaper generic alternatives. T...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images J.P. Morgan on Tuesday upgraded Ecolab ( ECL ) to Overweight from Neutral, citing its balance sheet strength and ability to navigate a more difficult operating environment . The firm maintained a price target of $295, based on a valuation of roughly 20 times forward earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The upgrade reflects a vi...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images J.P. Morgan on Tuesday upgraded Ecolab ( ECL ) to Overweight from Neutral, citing its balance sheet strength and ability to navigate a more difficult operating environment . The firm maintained a price target of $295, based on a valuation of roughly 20 times forward earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The upgrade reflects a view that recent share price weakness already accounts for potential earnings pressure tied to input costs. Ecolab’s ( ECL ) stock has fallen about 15% since late February, underperforming the broader market, as investors reacted to rising geopolitical tensions and concerns about raw material costs. The decline has placed the company closer to peers in coatings and materials, which are more sensitive to economic cycles, though J.P. Morgan analysts led by Jeffrey Zekauskas said the reaction may overstate the risks. Pricing actions aim to protect margins The company plans to implement surcharges of 10% to 14% beginning in April to offset higher raw material costs. Analysts said Ecolab ( ECL ) has improved its ability to execute price increases compared with earlier periods, supported by stronger systems and experience gained during prior inflation cycles. Competitors have introduced similar pricing measures, suggesting a broader industry response to cost pressures. Portfolio shift targets faster growth Ecolab ( ECL ) is pursuing acquisitions and investments aimed at improving its long-term growth profile. Recent deals include water treatment capabilities and cooling technology used in data centers, which are expected to benefit from rising demand for more efficient computing infrastructure. The company estimates these initiatives could add about one percentage point to its long-term growth rate. Volume trends remain uneven Demand has been mixed across end markets. Volumes were flat in 2023 and recovered modestly in 2024, but weakened again in 2025 due to macroeconomic uncertain...
Key PointsThe Strait of Hormuz blockade almost guarantees inflation will soar in the upcoming months, which makes high-yield savings accounts less attractive.
Key PointsThe Strait of Hormuz blockade almost guarantees inflation will soar in the upcoming months, which makes high-yield savings accounts less attractive.
Pendo, the product intelligence company, joins Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2026 list in the Enterprise category for its 2025 launch of Agent Analytics, the first-of-its-kind solution for measuring the performance, usage, and business impact of AI agents. According to Fast Company, Pendo earned the recognition for its "breakthrough launch" that "helps businesses understand how their...
Pendo, the product intelligence company, joins Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2026 list in the Enterprise category for its 2025 launch of Agent Analytics, the first-of-its-kind solution for measuring the performance, usage, and business impact of AI agents. According to Fast Company, Pendo earned the recognition for its "breakthrough launch" that "helps businesses understand how their customers actually use (and want to use) AI."
Tradr ETFs, a provider of ETFs designed for sophisticated investors and professional traders, today launched four new leveraged ETFs on single stocks. The Cboe-listed funds seek to deliver either two times the inverse (-200%) or two times long (200%) the daily performance of a specific underlying stock. All four ETFs are first-to-market strategies.
Tradr ETFs, a provider of ETFs designed for sophisticated investors and professional traders, today launched four new leveraged ETFs on single stocks. The Cboe-listed funds seek to deliver either two times the inverse (-200%) or two times long (200%) the daily performance of a specific underlying stock. All four ETFs are first-to-market strategies.
Alones Creative/iStock via Getty Images Rocket Lab Corporation ( RKLB ) has been trading sideways to lower after a run into year's end. The chart below showcases the stock on the six-month chart. YCharts RKLB stock had a breakout moment in mid-January, hitting almost $100 per share, and it’s been pretty much downhill from there. Rocket Lab is down about 13% over the past three months. YCharts War ...
Alones Creative/iStock via Getty Images Rocket Lab Corporation ( RKLB ) has been trading sideways to lower after a run into year's end. The chart below showcases the stock on the six-month chart. YCharts RKLB stock had a breakout moment in mid-January, hitting almost $100 per share, and it’s been pretty much downhill from there. Rocket Lab is down about 13% over the past three months. YCharts War aside, the factor weighing on the stock's performance on good and bad days is the long-awaited Neutron rocket. For reference, this is the next-gen, partially reusable, medium-lift, two-stage launch rocket. It’s a real step up from the current Electron, which can deliver 300 kg, as the Neutron can deliver up to 13K kg to low Earth orbit, equipped with nine Archimedes engines, a vacuum-optimized Archimedes on stage two, and a Hungry Hippo fairing design. To us, Rocket Lab’s upside will come from Neutron. This isn’t to say it’s as simple as buying the stock and waiting for Neutron, because waiting has proven to be riddled with booby traps, specifically Neutron delays. It is, instead, to say that all the ingredients are there, and it smells like it's going to be great once it's ready. Neutron: When will it happen? To understand why we say “long-awaited” Neutron, it's important to take a step back and look at how long the Neutron has been coming. The Neutron was first announced in March 2021, with a first launch expected in 2024. In late 2023, the 2024 target launch was abandoned and pushed until 2025 due to slower-than-expected development of the Archimedes engine. Come 1H25, Bleecker Street Research published a short-seller report that argued the Neutron wouldn’t launch until mid-2026 or later. Rocket Lab pushed out its Neutron launch to the second half of the year. By mid-2025, Rocket Lab stuck to its plan for a 2025 launch until the Q3 print, when CEO Peter Beck pushed the target date again to 1Q26 to get the Neutron to the launchpad and expected the actual launch to follow ...
SGS, the world's leading testing, inspection, and certification company announced that it will be scaling inspection, assessment, and certification support for AI-powered and autonomous systems, bolstering its DIGITAL TRUST services across safety-driven industries. In July 2025, CertX (an SGS brand) joined the NVIDIA 'Halos Systems Inspection Lab' ecosystem to recognize inspection reports issued b...
SGS, the world's leading testing, inspection, and certification company announced that it will be scaling inspection, assessment, and certification support for AI-powered and autonomous systems, bolstering its DIGITAL TRUST services across safety-driven industries. In July 2025, CertX (an SGS brand) joined the NVIDIA 'Halos Systems Inspection Lab' ecosystem to recognize inspection reports issued by the NVIDIA 'Halos Certified Program' – this set the stage for SGS and CertX to deliver their combi
Hyperion DeFi ( HYPD ) on Tuesday said that it has entered a HYPE Asset Use Service [HAUS] agreement with Silhouette , a newly launched platform built for Hyperliquid. Under the deal, Hyperion will provide the use of its staked HYPE tokens to Silhouette, allowing users to access reduced transaction fees when submitting trades to Hyperliquid via the platform. Silhouette said pooling staked HYPE ena...
Hyperion DeFi ( HYPD ) on Tuesday said that it has entered a HYPE Asset Use Service [HAUS] agreement with Silhouette , a newly launched platform built for Hyperliquid. Under the deal, Hyperion will provide the use of its staked HYPE tokens to Silhouette, allowing users to access reduced transaction fees when submitting trades to Hyperliquid via the platform. Silhouette said pooling staked HYPE enables all users to trade at the lowest available fee tier, regardless of account size or trading volume, while maintaining privacy of on-chain strategies. The company added that Silhouette plans to launch a growth campaign soon to incentivize trading activity. Source: Press Release More on Eyenovia Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Eyenovia Historical earnings data for Eyenovia Financial information for Eyenovia
jetcityimage The NCAA filed a federal lawsuit against DraftKings ( DKNG ) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The sports organization accused the online sportsbook of trademark infringement tied to the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The complaint alleges that DraftKings ( DKNG ) used protected marks such as "March Madness," "Final Four," "Elite Eight," and "...
jetcityimage The NCAA filed a federal lawsuit against DraftKings ( DKNG ) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The sports organization accused the online sportsbook of trademark infringement tied to the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The complaint alleges that DraftKings ( DKNG ) used protected marks such as "March Madness," "Final Four," "Elite Eight," and "Sweet Sixteen," or confusingly similar variations, in its betting products, app interfaces, and marketing campaigns without authorization. As part of its argument, the NCAA maintained that the trademarks are central to branding and monetizing its championships across media, sponsorships, and licensed merchandise, and that DraftKings ( DKNG ) deliberately leveraged them at the peak of public interest to trade on the association’s goodwill. The harm cited was that there is a false impression that the NCAA has endorsed or partnered with DraftKings ( DKNG ), particularly risking confusion among college students and young adults, whom the NCAA describes as especially vulnerable to gambling-related harm. In the suit, the NCAA seeks an emergency temporary restraining order to immediately halt DraftKings' ( DKNG ) use of the contested terms, along with broader injunctive relief, damages, and disgorgement of profits. For its part, DraftKings ( DKNG ) has publicly maintained that its references to “March Madness” and related terms are fair use and protected speech, arguing that it uses them in plain text similarly to how it labels other tournaments, such as the NIT. The court has not yet ruled on the emergency temporary restraining order. More on DraftKings DraftKings: A Better Bet As The 'Super App' Launches (Upgrade) DraftKings Inc. (DKNG) Analyst/Investor Day Prepared Remarks Transcript DraftKings Inc. (DKNG) Analyst/Investor Day - Slideshow DraftKings FanDuel owner Flutter soar on efforts to curb prediction markets taking sports action Bipartisan bill seeks to ban sports bets on ...
Ex-hedge fund boss Crispin Odey , facing allegations that he harassed two female receptionists, told a London court that while he thought his advances may have been acceptable when he was younger by the time he was in his 60s the women likely thought he was a “creepy old man.” The founder of Odey Asset Management grabbed and kissed a receptionist in a central London shop store elevator and exchang...
Ex-hedge fund boss Crispin Odey , facing allegations that he harassed two female receptionists, told a London court that while he thought his advances may have been acceptable when he was younger by the time he was in his 60s the women likely thought he was a “creepy old man.” The founder of Odey Asset Management grabbed and kissed a receptionist in a central London shop store elevator and exchanged sexualized messages with her, leaving the former employee dreading coming to work, according to a lawyer for the Financial Conduct Authority . Odey used “highly degrading and humiliating terms” to describe one of the other receptionists criticizing her clothing as “frumpy,” Clare Sibson, the FCA’s lawyer said in court. “To believe that a 25-year-old was at all interested in a 60-year-old man, that was an old man’s dream. A silly one,” Odey said Tuesday on the first day of his cross examination. Odey stood by his insults, and said he was concerned about the image of the firm, saying “she was the front of house.” Odey is appealing a lifetime ban from UK finance over his “reckless disregard” for governance in dismissing two executive committees from OAM in December 2021 and March 2022. An internal investigation into Odey had discovered at least 46 allegations of “inappropriate conduct” against female employees at his firm over a 17 year period, which led to a final written warning. Almost half of the allegations were from the two receptionists. In another exchange read out in court, Odey sent what he called messages with one of the receptionists after a lunch together and said on Tuesday that their relationship was purely consensual. “Wish it was all afternoon and in bed,” he said. “I can’t wait to have you. You are so delicious. Wonderful to be with,” he said in another. “Such foolery, such fun, such love,” he said. Odey is accused of seeking to frustrate the firm’s disciplinary process by ousting the committees that were set to consider whether he had breached the terms o...
(RTTNews) - Revised data released by the Labor Department on Tuesday showed labor productivity in the U.S. increased by much less than previously estimated in the fourth quarter of 2025.
(RTTNews) - Revised data released by the Labor Department on Tuesday showed labor productivity in the U.S. increased by much less than previously estimated in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Ares is limiting redemptions at its $10.7 billion private credit fund as alternative asset managers face a surge in such requests. The Ares Strategic Income Fund capped withdrawals at 5% of shares after clients sought to redeem 11.6%, according to a letter to shareholders. The firm expects the granted redemptions to amount to roughly $524.5 million. Asset managers have been hit with a wave of rede...
Ares is limiting redemptions at its $10.7 billion private credit fund as alternative asset managers face a surge in such requests. The Ares Strategic Income Fund capped withdrawals at 5% of shares after clients sought to redeem 11.6%, according to a letter to shareholders. The firm expects the granted redemptions to amount to roughly $524.5 million. Asset managers have been hit with a wave of redemption requests amid growing anxiety around the $1.8 trillion private credit market’s lending practices and exposure to businesses that are vulnerable to artificial intelligence disruption. The rapid pace of these requests has led to further questions about whether direct-lending — an illiquid form of leveraged finance — is a suitable asset class for investors looking for pockets of liquidity. Apollo Global Management Inc. on Monday also curbed redemptions from one of its largest non-traded private credit funds for retail investors, with redeeming clients receiving just 45% of their capital. Ares, for its part, emphasized that only a small portion of shareholders sought to redeem. “Notably, the majority of repurchase requests were made by a limited number of family offices and smaller institutions in select geographies who represent less than 1% of our over 20,000 shareholders,” Ares said in its letter to shareholders. Read more: Apollo Caps Private Credit Fund Withdrawals as Requests Jump (1)