Tippapatt/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 Convertible securities posted a positive return in a strong equity market Convertibles (as measured by the ICE BofA US Convertible Index) returned 1.97% for the fourth quarter, compared to the S&P 500 Index, which returned 2.66%. 2 The fund underperformed its benchmark The fund underperformed its benchmark, primarily due to weaker performance in in...
Tippapatt/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 Convertible securities posted a positive return in a strong equity market Convertibles (as measured by the ICE BofA US Convertible Index) returned 1.97% for the fourth quarter, compared to the S&P 500 Index, which returned 2.66%. 2 The fund underperformed its benchmark The fund underperformed its benchmark, primarily due to weaker performance in industrial-related holdings and an underweight in technology. 3 We continue to focus on balanced convertibles We are focused on the area of the market that we believe represents the best opportunity – balanced convertibles that offer both upside participation should their underlying stocks rise, along with downside support via the securities' fixed income attributes. Manager perspective and outlook US equity markets rose in the fourth quarter, with the S&P 500 Index returning 2.66%. Investor appetite appeared supported by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) delivering two cuts to the federal funds rate, one in September and a second in December. Continued strength in economic activity and stabilizing inflation also supported equities. While growth remained strong, labor and employment data has cooled in recent months, leaving room in our view for the Fed's monetary stance to be more accommodative. In this environment, the ICE BofA US Convertible Index returned 1.97%. Within the convertibles index, lower beta sectors like industrials had the highest performance, while the financials and consumer discretionary sectors lagged. New issuance of US convertibles was robust in the fourth quarter, totaling approximately $36.2 billion as issuers sought less costly financing alternatives. Top equity issuers (% of total market value) Fund Index Bank of America Corp ( BAC ) 3.36 1.14 Boeing Co/The ( BA ) 2.85 2.36 Lumentum Holdings Inc ( LITE ) 2.38 2.95 Welltower OP LLC ( WELL ) 2.14 1.06 Cloudflare Inc ( NET ) 1.87 1.08 Snowflake Inc ( SNOW ) 1.67 1.02 Uber Technologies Inc ( UBER ) 1.58 0.98 ...
The Fugger family was once one of Europe’s most influential banking dynasties, building trading routes and lending money to Holy Roman Emperors and popes. Now, a private bank founded by one of its descendants may be coming up for sale. Vienna Insurance Group AG is preparing to sell Fuerst Fugger Privatbank AG , a small wealth manager founded in in 1954, according to people familiar with the plans....
The Fugger family was once one of Europe’s most influential banking dynasties, building trading routes and lending money to Holy Roman Emperors and popes. Now, a private bank founded by one of its descendants may be coming up for sale. Vienna Insurance Group AG is preparing to sell Fuerst Fugger Privatbank AG , a small wealth manager founded in in 1954, according to people familiar with the plans. A decision may come after VIG finalizes the takeover of Nuernberger Versicherung AG , which currently owns the bank, in the second half of the year, they said, asking for anonymity because the plan hasn’t been publicly announced. The private bank manages almost €7 billion ($8 billion) of assets, mostly from high-net-worth clients and via a network of intermediaries. VIG currently values the bank at about €120 million, but elevated interest because of its European banking license could push the price higher, one of the people said. No final decision has been made on a sale and plans hinge on VIG finalizing the Nuernberger transaction. Representatives for VIG, Fuerst Fugger and Nuernberger declined to comment. Based in the Fugger family’s renaissance palace in Augsburg, the firm comes with one of the most storied names in European history. The family rose to prominence in the 15th and 16th century, when it oversaw one of Europe’s widest network of precious metal mines, trade houses and banks. Funding from the Fuggers helped the Habsburgs’ rise, and their influence spanned the Vatican and European nobility, according to a family history . Its financial prowess ended by the 17th century after several sovereign defaults in Spain. The Habsburgs still owe astronomical sums to the Fuggers, though there haven’t been any attempts to recoup money since the Congress of Vienna in 1815, descendant Maria-Elisabeth Countess Thun-Fugger told the Wirtschaftswoche magazine in a 2016 interview. “I still like to bring it up whenever I meet a member of the Habsburg family,” she said in the inte...
Social Security is a much-needed source of income for millions, but its purchasing power erodes if benefits remain the same while prices keep rising. That's why, in most years, Social Security applies a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that kicks in on Jan. 1. The amount of the COLA is determined by changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a metric t...
Social Security is a much-needed source of income for millions, but its purchasing power erodes if benefits remain the same while prices keep rising. That's why, in most years, Social Security applies a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that kicks in on Jan. 1. The amount of the COLA is determined by changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a metric that tracks the price changes of common goods and services. This year, the COLA was 2.8%. At an average benefit of $2,000, the 2.8% boost would mean $56 more monthly. While retirees surely appreciate any increase in their monthly benefits, many will find that changes in Medicare costs offset much of that increase. What Medicare changes happened in 2026? Although Medicare is a helpful medical program, it doesn't come free. It has deductibles and premiums like any standard health insurance plan. Unfortunately, those have gone up this year. The deductible for Part A (hospital insurance) is increasing by $60 to $1,736; the deductible for Part B (medical insurance) is increasing by $26 to $283. Premium-wise, Part B is increasing by $17.90 to $202.90. Part A is premium-free for people who worked at least 10 years (40 quarters) or whose spouse did. People with 30 to 39 quarters of work will have a $311 premium, up $26 from 2025. People with fewer than 30 quarters of work will have a $565 premium, up $47. A note on Part B's and Part D's premiums: If you're single and earn over $109,000, or married and filing jointly and earn over $218,000, you could be subjected to the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) surcharge. It could be up to $487 for Part B and $91 for Part D. The correlation between Social Security's COLA and Medicare's increased costs Since most people enroll in Medicare around their 65th birthday, many also receive Social Security benefits. These Medicare deductions and premium increases will directly affect how much of their benefits they can actually spend....
fatido JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) will issue reports to junior bankers that compare computer-generated estimates of their work week against self-reported timesheets as part of a pilot scheme, the Financial Times reported. The bank plans to roll out the program more widely across its investment bank, the report said. The estimate is based on employees’ weekly digital footprint, including video calls, d...
fatido JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) will issue reports to junior bankers that compare computer-generated estimates of their work week against self-reported timesheets as part of a pilot scheme, the Financial Times reported. The bank plans to roll out the program more widely across its investment bank, the report said. The estimate is based on employees’ weekly digital footprint, including video calls, desktop keystrokes, and scheduled meetings “Much like the weekly screen time summaries on a smartphone, this tool is about awareness — not enforcement,” JPMorgan ( JPM ) said in a statement to FT. “It’s designed to support transparency, wellbeing, and encourage open conversations about workload.” More on JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase: Hold On Mixed Signals JPMorgan Chase: I'm Starting To Get Interested Under $300 With The Dividend Yield Above 2% JPMorgan Chase: Stretched Near 2.2x P/B, Concerning Price Action (Downgrade) Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, BofA offer products that let hedge funds bet against private credit market - report Federal Reserve formally proposes new bank capital, G-SIB rules
US and Israeli leaders are seeking to calm markets following extensive damage to Persian Gulf energy facilities. Bloomberg’s Joumanna Bercetche reports from Dubai with the latest. (Source: Bloomberg)
US and Israeli leaders are seeking to calm markets following extensive damage to Persian Gulf energy facilities. Bloomberg’s Joumanna Bercetche reports from Dubai with the latest. (Source: Bloomberg)
Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St's investing ideas for FREE. Tesla is developing a next generation AI6 chip for its autonomous driving and robotics platforms, targeting rollout around 2027 to 2028. The AI6 chip is set to be manufactured in partnership with Samsung at a leading edge semiconductor facility. U.S. regulators have escalated their pr...
Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St's investing ideas for FREE. Tesla is developing a next generation AI6 chip for its autonomous driving and robotics platforms, targeting rollout around 2027 to 2028. The AI6 chip is set to be manufactured in partnership with Samsung at a leading edge semiconductor facility. U.S. regulators have escalated their probe into potential safety defects in Tesla's Full Self Driving system after multiple crash incidents. Tesla, NasdaqGS:TSLA, is pushing deeper into artificial intelligence with the planned AI6 chip while trading at a share price of $380.3. The stock has seen a 52.9% return over the past year, a 3 year return of 99.7%, and a 5 year return of 84.4%. More recently, the share price shows a 7 day return of 2.8% decline, a 30 day return of 7.5% decline, and a year to date return of 13.2% decline. For investors tracking Tesla's autonomy ambitions, the AI6 program and Samsung partnership highlight a push to control more of the technology stack for vehicles and robots. At the same time, the expanded Full Self Driving probe underscores ongoing safety and regulatory risk. The way these developments unfold over the next few years could influence sentiment around Tesla's role in physical AI and the durability of its autonomous business lines. Stay updated on the most important news stories for Tesla by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Tesla. NasdaqGS:TSLA Earnings & Revenue Growth as at Mar 2026 📰 Beyond the headline: 2 risks and 1 thing going right for Tesla that every investor should see. Tesla’s AI6 project and Samsung foundry deal push the company deeper into custom chip design at the same time that regulators are taking a harder look at its Full Self Driving system. For you as an investor, that combination links Tesla’s long-term autonomy and robotics plans to two very different questions. On one side, a U...