As anybody who's driven down a road in the past couple of weeks knows, gas prices have spiked, jumping by roughly 27% since the war in Iran started. That's prompted fears of widespread inflation as oil is an input in a wide range of products, and higher fuel prices lead to higher costs for transportation, which includes shipping for retail and industrial products. On Wednesday, investors got more ...
As anybody who's driven down a road in the past couple of weeks knows, gas prices have spiked, jumping by roughly 27% since the war in Iran started. That's prompted fears of widespread inflation as oil is an input in a wide range of products, and higher fuel prices lead to higher costs for transportation, which includes shipping for retail and industrial products. On Wednesday, investors got more bad news on the inflation front as the producer price index (PPI), or a measure of wholesale prices, came in much hotter than expected. Monthly prices rose 0.7% in February, well ahead of estimates at 0.3%. That followed a 0.5% increase in January and a 0.4% increase in Dec. 2025. On an annual basis, wholesale prices rose 3.4% in February. Core prices, which exclude more volatile categories like food, energy, and trade services, were up 3.5%. Wholesale prices tend to be a leading indicator for retail prices, so the higher inflation at the producer level likely portends higher prices for consumers. Stocks fell modestly on the news on Wednesday, but inflation seems likely to get worse as the February data doesn't take into account the spike in oil prices in March. Additionally, fertilizer prices have also soared due to the war, which is likely to drive food prices higher. At times like these, it makes sense to consider putting some inflation-proof stocks in your portfolio. Keep reading to see two that look attractive. 1. AutoZone Very few stocks are countercyclical, meaning they perform better at the bottom of the economic cycle than they do at the top. AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) is one of them. Like other aftermarket auto parts retailers, AutoZone benefits from consumers delaying new car purchases, which is common during inflationary or recessionary environments. Typically, the company sees its strongest growth in comparable sales during the tail end of recessions, or when consumers have the least discretionary income available. Most purchases at AutoZone aren't discretionary. Ame...
宏福苑聽證會|殉職消防何偉豪誤入宏泰閣被困高層 31樓破窗逃生時墮下 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】宏福苑大火168人罹難,包括消防員何偉豪。獨立委員會相信他最有可能是逃生時由31樓墮下。 何偉豪...
宏福苑聽證會|殉職消防何偉豪誤入宏泰閣被困高層 31樓破窗逃生時墮下 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】宏福苑大火168人罹難,包括消防員何偉豪。獨立委員會相信他最有可能是逃生時由31樓墮下。 何偉豪當日送院時已陷入昏迷,他是首批去到宏福苑的消防員。聽證會上提到,他下午3時01分被派往宏昌閣2701室救援,之後有片段拍攝到他誤入宏泰閣。3時15分,他去到宏泰閣25樓,不久就向隊員發出求救,報稱身處30樓,但不知道是哪一座大廈。到3時25分,他被發現倒卧在宏泰閣對出地面,他的消防鎚、左手手套、呼吸器在31樓尋回。驗屍報告指,何偉豪吸入大量一氧化碳、身體多處燒傷、割傷及骨折。 委員會指,當時宏泰閣高層環境已經相當惡劣,推斷何偉豪最有可能想打破31樓的窗戶逃生,但不幸墮樓。 獨立委員會的災後問卷調查,有四成半住戶指是由家人或鄰居通知有火警、兩成人自己察覺。至於如何逃生,有250戶是經升降機離開現場。
陳茂波:香港主動對接十五五規劃是使命和責任 為香港開創歷史性新機遇 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】在北京,貿發局舉辦研討會,討論香港在「十五五」規劃的機遇,以及內地港商如何參與「十五五」各個領域的...
陳茂波:香港主動對接十五五規劃是使命和責任 為香港開創歷史性新機遇 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】在北京,貿發局舉辦研討會,討論香港在「十五五」規劃的機遇,以及內地港商如何參與「十五五」各個領域的新發展。財政司司長陳茂波致辭時指,香港主動對接十五五規劃是使命和責任,亦為香港開創歷史性新機遇。 陳茂波:「我們繼續是海外投資者進入內地的首選的平台和通道。在當前充滿不確定性的國際環境中,我國是國際資金和投資者提供穩定、安全、政策可預期以及充滿機遇的投資環境。香港的商界熟悉內地市場,此外在CEPA下的優惠待遇以及金融市場的互聯互通,讓香港成為外資進入內地市場的理想通道。」
DeltaOFF/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction I upgraded my rating on VICI Properties ( VICI ) back in Dec. last year . The core reason for the rating upgrade was that the share price declined 18.5% in between my articles. This decline made the stock more compelling from a valuation perspective. Analyst rating history In the Dec. article I said the following: Historically, Mr. Market has...
DeltaOFF/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction I upgraded my rating on VICI Properties ( VICI ) back in Dec. last year . The core reason for the rating upgrade was that the share price declined 18.5% in between my articles. This decline made the stock more compelling from a valuation perspective. Analyst rating history In the Dec. article I said the following: Historically, Mr. Market has valued VICI Properties at an average P/AFFO valuation of 15.68x. When you take the guided 2025 AFFO of $2.36, shares "should" be trading at around $37. In this scenario, we are looking at a 33% increase in its share price. Today I will write a quick follow-up article on VICI Properties to see why the share price has collapsed again. Focus on the long run Since 48% of VICI's rent is coming from Vegas ( page 11 ), it is important to look at Vegas more closely. During the Q4 2025 conference call , management said something important regarding Las Vegas. Median household income in the locals Las Vegas market has a 10-year CAGR of 5.5% compared to the national median household income 10-year CAGR of 1.9%. The Las Vegas locals market has also maintained incredible resiliency as demonstrated by most recent market results. We acknowledge that the Las Vegas strip had a relatively softer 2025 compared to prior years. But as we've discussed over the last few quarters, we view 2025 as more of a normalization than a pullback . For instance, though the number of passengers traveling through Harry Reid Airport was down on a year-over-year basis, largely due to a dip in Canadian visitation, it was still the third busiest year in the airport's history. But as John DeCree astutely noted in a recent research report, despite many domestic casino stocks being out of favor at present, credit spreads for casino companies remain tighter than ever . The fact that the credit spreads are tighter than ever signals that lenders view these casinos as relatively low-risk. This makes it easier to access ...
msft MSFT Stock Slips Under $400, Risks Collapse Over Legal Fight for AWS-OpenAI Deal Microsoft’s strong fundamentals are being overshadowed by rising costs, competitive tensions, and growing investor concerns about... Written by: Skerdian Meta • • 3 min read • Quick overview Microsoft's stock struggles despite solid earnings, slipping below $400 and testing key technical support levels. Investor ...
msft MSFT Stock Slips Under $400, Risks Collapse Over Legal Fight for AWS-OpenAI Deal Microsoft’s strong fundamentals are being overshadowed by rising costs, competitive tensions, and growing investor concerns about... Written by: Skerdian Meta • • 3 min read • Quick overview Microsoft's stock struggles despite solid earnings, slipping below $400 and testing key technical support levels. Investor sentiment has shifted to focus on rising costs, margin pressures, and regulatory risks, overshadowing the company's growth potential. Concerns over a cloud agreement between Amazon and OpenAI could challenge Microsoft's position in AI workloads, affecting its Azure platform. Heavy investments in infrastructure are raising questions about long-term profitability, as costs are increasing faster than revenue. Live MSFT Chart MSFT 0.0000 MARKETS TREND [[MSFT-graph]] Microsoft’s strong fundamentals are being overshadowed by rising costs, competitive tensions, and growing investor concerns about profitability. Microsoft Stock Struggles to Keep Pace Shares of Microsoft have come under renewed pressure despite solid earnings and continued product innovation. After briefly holding above key levels earlier in March, the stock has slipped below $400 and is now testing important technical support near its 100-week moving average. This underperformance contrasts with broader strength across the technology sector, highlighting a shift in investor focus. Rather than rewarding growth, markets are increasingly scrutinizing the cost of maintaining leadership in large-scale computing infrastructure. Investor Focus Shifts to Costs and Risks While Microsoft continues to deliver consistent revenue growth and expand its ecosystem, sentiment has turned more cautious. Investors are now paying closer attention to: Rising capital expenditures Margin pressure from infrastructure buildout Regulatory and competitive risks The market reaction suggests that strong earnings alone are no longer enough. Inst...