Shares of Advanced Micro Devices rose about 1.3% in early Wednesday trading after the company announced a new supply agreement aimed at supporting its next-generation artificial intelligence chips. The move came despite weakness across broader US markets, highlighting investor focus on AI-driven growth opportunities within the semiconductor sector. Broader markets weighed by inflation data The Dow...
Shares of Advanced Micro Devices rose about 1.3% in early Wednesday trading after the company announced a new supply agreement aimed at supporting its next-generation artificial intelligence chips. The move came despite weakness across broader US markets, highlighting investor focus on AI-driven growth opportunities within the semiconductor sector. Broader markets weighed by inflation data The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 351 points, or 0.8%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.5%. The Nasdaq Composite also slipped 0.5%. The decline followed a stronger-than-expected producer price index (PPI) report, which showed wholesale prices rising 0.7% in February, well above the 0.3% increase forecast by economists. The data reinforced concerns that inflation remains persistent, even before factoring in rising energy costs tied to the Iran conflict. Samsung partnership targets HBM4 supply AMD said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Samsung Electronics to expand its strategic partnership on memory chip supplies for AI infrastructure. The agreement focuses on securing next-generation high-bandwidth memory, or HBM4, for AMD’s upcoming Instinct MI455X AI accelerators. It also includes optimised DDR5 memory for AMD’s sixth-generation EPYC processors. Samsung will position itself as a key HBM4 supplier for AMD’s next-generation AI GPUs, building on an existing relationship in which it already provides HBM3E memory for AMD’s current accelerators. The companies also said they would explore a potential foundry partnership, under which Samsung could manufacture next-generation AMD chips. AI chip race intensifies The partnership comes as chipmakers race to lock in long-term supply of advanced memory components, which have become critical for AI workloads. High-bandwidth memory is in particularly tight supply, with demand surging as companies build out large-scale data centres and AI infrastructure. Samsung currently holds about 22% of the global HBM market, according to Coun...
Igor Barilo/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Green Dot Corporation ( GDOT ) is fundamentally a fintech bank holding company . It focuses on prepaid debit cards, embedded banking, and moving money. It's been almost three years since I initiated coverage on the company. Long story short: I wasn't impressed . Seeking Alpha In hindsight, my "Hold" rating could be considered a bit generous considering GD...
Igor Barilo/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Green Dot Corporation ( GDOT ) is fundamentally a fintech bank holding company . It focuses on prepaid debit cards, embedded banking, and moving money. It's been almost three years since I initiated coverage on the company. Long story short: I wasn't impressed . Seeking Alpha In hindsight, my "Hold" rating could be considered a bit generous considering GDOT's weak performance. Yet today, after going over the latest results, I'm leaning more bullish on the shares and looking to initiate a position in my portfolio as execution is starting to align with the long-term embedded finance opportunity, and the risk-reward has shifted clearly in favor of upside. My Assessment Of Green Dot’s Q4 2025 Performance Q4 2025 GAAP revenue : $522.6 million (+15% YoY) FY 2025 GAAP revenue: $2.08 billion (+21% YoY) Q4 Gross dollar volume: $40.5 billion Green Dot finished 2025 with strong growth in its embedded finance business. However, it decided to skip its usual earnings call and not provide guidance for 2026. This is because of a major deal announced late last year that will split the company into two separate parts. One part of the company will become private under Smith Ventures so it can focus fully on growing its fintech business. At the same time, its bank will be combined with CommerceOne and used as its main supporting bank. Meanwhile, they caught a small break from the broader economy. The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged after lowering them last year, and according to CNBC’s March 12 report , markets expect at most one rate cut by December 2026. This helped Green Dot because it kept the gap between borrowing and lending rates wide enough to boost income from its investment portfolio, especially after it shifted toward assets with variable interest rates. Meanwhile, appetite for embedded finance services kept building. A recent report from Future Market Insights says the global BaaS (Banking-as-a-Service) platform marke...
Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard’s music is as hybrid as they are, with their Protestant-Catholic and English-Irish heritages. They explain why they still need to counter hate In Belfast’s Kelly’s Cellars, a bar that has been bringing the city’s people together since 1720, trad music bleeds from somewhere deep within as Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard arrive mizzle-damp from the street. They sett...
Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard’s music is as hybrid as they are, with their Protestant-Catholic and English-Irish heritages. They explain why they still need to counter hate In Belfast’s Kelly’s Cellars, a bar that has been bringing the city’s people together since 1720, trad music bleeds from somewhere deep within as Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard arrive mizzle-damp from the street. They settle into a corner alcove and reach for two pints of stout. Together they form the duo Chalk. As Kneecap have exploded out of Belfast, Chalk’s longer fuse has been quietly burning alongside them. Formed when the pair met studying film at university, they have spent five years building a live show that can compete with the best in the UK and Ireland: imagine Underworld’s rave beatitude and the coiled menace of Nine Inch Nails but rooted in Belfast music, from the punk of Stiff Little Fingers and Rudi through to the beats of David Holmes and the Sugar Sweet-era rave scene. “We wanted to make as much noise as we could with just two people,” says Goddard. “But we never wanted to be limited by that.” Continue reading...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Financial Officer — Brian Gallagher Chief Executive Officer — Jerry Kalogiratos Chief Commercial Officer — Nikos Tripodakis Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Net Income from Operations -- Just under $81 million, supported by a $46.2 million gain on the sale of two con...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Financial Officer — Brian Gallagher Chief Executive Officer — Jerry Kalogiratos Chief Commercial Officer — Nikos Tripodakis Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Net Income from Operations -- Just under $81 million, supported by a $46.2 million gain on the sale of two container vessels recorded as discontinued operations. -- Just under $81 million, supported by a $46.2 million gain on the sale of two container vessels recorded as discontinued operations. Container Vessel Sales Proceeds -- $472.2 million in net proceeds raised since December 2023 from selling 12 container vessels, capital redirected to gas transportation assets. -- $472.2 million in net proceeds raised since December 2023 from selling 12 container vessels, capital redirected to gas transportation assets. LNG Newbuilding Charter Activity -- Employment secured for two new LNG carriers (five-year and seven-year terms), each with an option for a further five years. -- Employment secured for two new LNG carriers (five-year and seven-year terms), each with an option for a further five years. LNG Carrier Axios II Charter -- Commenced a seven-year bareboat charter, with an option for a three-year extension. -- Commenced a seven-year bareboat charter, with an option for a three-year extension. Charter Backlog -- Firm backlog stands at $3.1 billion, rising to $4.5 billion if all options are exercised; no single counterparty accounts for more than 20% of the firm backlog. -- Firm backlog stands at $3.1 billion, rising to $4.5 billion if all options are exercised; no single counterparty accounts for more than 20% of the firm backlog. Cash Position -- Quarter-end cash balance is $420 million, attributed to proceeds from vessel sales. -- Quarter-end cash balance is $420 million, attributed to proceeds from vessel sales. Consecutive Dividend Payments -- Paid its 72nd consecutive quarterly ...
Woohae Cho/Getty Images News Nvidia Corporation’s ( NVDA ) stock has been "dead money" since our latest bearish coverage on the company in late November, even though the business reported an impressive Q4 earnings report last month. This is because the sentiment surrounding AI is shifting, and investors are questioning whether the massive capital spending on AI by major tech firms will be sustaine...
Woohae Cho/Getty Images News Nvidia Corporation’s ( NVDA ) stock has been "dead money" since our latest bearish coverage on the company in late November, even though the business reported an impressive Q4 earnings report last month. This is because the sentiment surrounding AI is shifting, and investors are questioning whether the massive capital spending on AI by major tech firms will be sustained. In addition, the limited upside in China due to the rising competition there, along with the rise of ASICs, could undermine Nvidia’s dominant position in the AI accelerator market and make it harder for the company to continue to exceed expectations in the future. Because of that, we believe that retaining a rating of Sell for Nvidia at this stage makes the most sense. Why the Market is Unimpressed With Nvidia Less than a month ago, Nvidia reported quite good earnings numbers for Q4, in which its revenues increased by 73.2% Y/Y to $68.13 billion and were above expectations by $1.9 billion. As expected, the data center business generated the absolute majority of earnings due to the continuous increase in demand for AI chips. Thanks to this, Nvidia was also able to massively increase its Q1 revenue outlook to around $78 billion, which was above the street’s expectations of around $72.78 billion. However, it was not enough for the shares to appreciate to their highs that were achieved a few months ago. One of the reasons for that is the desire of investors to no longer continue to have a major exposure to AI stocks at any cost. While the Q4 results were certainly impressive, the street has begun questioning the sustainability of AI spending by big tech companies, which are responsible for the majority of Nvidia’s revenues. Last month, Bank of America released its fund manager survey, which identified that the massive spending on AI has become the market’s major concern. At the same time, Moody’s noted that the five biggest hyperscalers in the United States now hold $662 bil...
Woohae Cho/Getty Images News Nvidia Corporation’s ( NVDA ) stock has been "dead money" since our latest bearish coverage on the company in late November, even though the business reported an impressive Q4 earnings report last month. This is because the sentiment surrounding AI is shifting, and investors are questioning whether the massive capital spending on AI by major tech firms will be sustaine...
Woohae Cho/Getty Images News Nvidia Corporation’s ( NVDA ) stock has been "dead money" since our latest bearish coverage on the company in late November, even though the business reported an impressive Q4 earnings report last month. This is because the sentiment surrounding AI is shifting, and investors are questioning whether the massive capital spending on AI by major tech firms will be sustained. In addition, the limited upside in China due to the rising competition there, along with the rise of ASICs, could undermine Nvidia’s dominant position in the AI accelerator market and make it harder for the company to continue to exceed expectations in the future. Because of that, we believe that retaining a rating of Sell for Nvidia at this stage makes the most sense. Why the Market is Unimpressed With Nvidia Less than a month ago, Nvidia reported quite good earnings numbers for Q4, in which its revenues increased by 73.2% Y/Y to $68.13 billion and were above expectations by $1.9 billion. As expected, the data center business generated the absolute majority of earnings due to the continuous increase in demand for AI chips. Thanks to this, Nvidia was also able to massively increase its Q1 revenue outlook to around $78 billion, which was above the street’s expectations of around $72.78 billion. However, it was not enough for the shares to appreciate to their highs that were achieved a few months ago. One of the reasons for that is the desire of investors to no longer continue to have a major exposure to AI stocks at any cost. While the Q4 results were certainly impressive, the street has begun questioning the sustainability of AI spending by big tech companies, which are responsible for the majority of Nvidia’s revenues. Last month, Bank of America released its fund manager survey, which identified that the massive spending on AI has become the market’s major concern. At the same time, Moody’s noted that the five biggest hyperscalers in the United States now hold $662 bil...
Chinmayi Shroff/iStock via Getty Images Objective High total return through its target retirement date Use for One-stop retirement investment Morningstar category Target-Date 2035 Quarterly commentary Most asset categories produced solid returns in the final three months of 2025, reflecting the favorable backdrop for the world financial markets. The fund ( JLHAX ) posted a gain but slightly underp...
Chinmayi Shroff/iStock via Getty Images Objective High total return through its target retirement date Use for One-stop retirement investment Morningstar category Target-Date 2035 Quarterly commentary Most asset categories produced solid returns in the final three months of 2025, reflecting the favorable backdrop for the world financial markets. The fund ( JLHAX ) posted a gain but slightly underperformed its benchmark. Asset allocation contributed to performance, while underlying manager results detracted. Market review and outlook Global equities registered solid gains in the fourth quarter, helping the major, broad-based indexes record their third consecutive year of double-digit returns. Performance was uneven over the first half of the quarter due to concerns that AI-related stocks were in a bubble, but the market staged an impressive rebound and went on to achieve new all-time highs by year end. A continued decline in inflation enabled the U.S. Federal Reserve to enact two quarter-point interest rate cuts, boosting sentiment. In addition, corporate earnings were robust and world economic growth remained positive. Emerging- and developed-market international equities outperformed the United States, continuing a trend that was in place for the full year. Within the U.S. market, the value style outpaced growth as investors rotated toward opportunities outside of AI-related stocks. Global bonds logged only slightly positive total returns amid a growing consensus that most central banks were largely finished easing policy. Credit-oriented market segments continued to outperform, primarily as a result of their yield advantage. Contributors and detractors The fund’s overweight in equities versus bonds contributed to relative performance. The fund’s overweight in developed-market international equities and corresponding underweight in the United States also contributed. We have favored the non-U.S. markets for some time based on their attractive relative valuations, a...
Key Points Nvidia is set to benefit from surging AI infrastructure spending. Alphabet has a long-term advantage by having a complete AI stack. Meta has been great at using AI to drive growth. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › If you're investing a large chunk of money, like $10,000, you're likely going to want to stick to market leaders with strong growth potential trading at reasonable price...
Key Points Nvidia is set to benefit from surging AI infrastructure spending. Alphabet has a long-term advantage by having a complete AI stack. Meta has been great at using AI to drive growth. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › If you're investing a large chunk of money, like $10,000, you're likely going to want to stick to market leaders with strong growth potential trading at reasonable prices. Let's look at three leading artificial intelligence (AI) stocks that fit that bill. Nvidia: The AI infrastructure king The engine that is powering the AI infrastructure buildout, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) remains well positioned to benefit from the continued surge in data center spending. Demand for its chips continues to be off the charts, as its graphics processing units (GPUs) and the ecosystem it has built around them are still the best way to train large language models (LLMs). Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » The company has seen incredible growth over the years, including whopping 73% revenue growth last quarter. Incredibly, it expects that growth to accelerate this current quarter, and its long-term outlook remains bright. Meanwhile, the stock is cheap, trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of under 22.5. Alphabet: The total package With the most complete AI stack, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) is one of the best-positioned AI stocks to own over the long haul. It is the only company that has developed both a world-class LLM and its own custom AI chips. By having its own AI chips, Alphabet has a huge cost advantage with AI model training and inference over competitors that are largely beholden to Nvidia. Best of all, as the need for computing power grows, this advantage just keeps getting bigger. At the same time, Alphabet is seeing huge growth in its cloud comp...
Key Points Superstring Capital Management acquired 180,593 shares of Sionna Therapeutics in the fourth quarter. The quarter-end position value rose by $7.43 million, reflecting the purchase of a new position. The Sionna position now accounts for 3.98% of fund AUM, placing it outside Superstring's top five holdings. 10 stocks we like better than Sionna Therapeutics › Superstring Capital Management ...
Key Points Superstring Capital Management acquired 180,593 shares of Sionna Therapeutics in the fourth quarter. The quarter-end position value rose by $7.43 million, reflecting the purchase of a new position. The Sionna position now accounts for 3.98% of fund AUM, placing it outside Superstring's top five holdings. 10 stocks we like better than Sionna Therapeutics › Superstring Capital Management initiated a new position in Sionna Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SION), acquiring 180,593 shares in the fourth quarter. What happened According to a February 17, 2026, SEC filing, Superstring Capital Management reported a new stake in Sionna Therapeutics totaling 180,593 shares. The quarter-end value of the position stood at $7.43 million. What else to know This new position represents 3.98% of Superstring’s 13F reportable AUM as of December 31, 2025. Top holdings after the filing: NASDAQ:CDTX: $18.80 million (10.1% of AUM) NASDAQ:TERN: $17.93 million (9.6% of AUM) NASDAQ:URGN: $16.82 million (9.0% of AUM) NASDAQ:COGT: $13.01 million (7.0% of AUM) NASDAQ:DVAX: $8.08 million (4.3% of AUM) As of February 13, 2026, Sionna Therapeutics shares were priced at $34.99, up about 144% over the past year and far surpassing the S&P 500’s roughly 19% gain in the same period. Company overview Metric Value Price (as of Wednesday) $34.99 Market capitalization $1.6 billion Net income (TTM) ($75.3 million) Company snapshot Sionna Therapeutics develops biopharmaceutical therapies targeting cystic fibrosis, with a focus on medicines that restore cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) function. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, the firm develops medicines for cystic fibrosis patients by normalizing the function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. Sionna Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in innovative therapies for cystic fibrosis. The company's strategy centers on advancing a pipeline of CFTR modulators designed t...
The Iran war is hammering market sentiment in Europe, and investors are increasingly gloomy about the prospects for the continent's growth, according to Bank of America 's latest survey of European fund managers. They're slashing exposure to eurozone-area stocks amid fears of flatlining growth and a stagflation shock resulting from the ongoing conflict , per the bank's survey for March. Oil prices...
The Iran war is hammering market sentiment in Europe, and investors are increasingly gloomy about the prospects for the continent's growth, according to Bank of America 's latest survey of European fund managers. They're slashing exposure to eurozone-area stocks amid fears of flatlining growth and a stagflation shock resulting from the ongoing conflict , per the bank's survey for March. Oil prices have surged since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, with Brent crude , the international benchmark, surging more than 56% over the past month to reach almost $110 a barrel on Wednesday. The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz , a critical shipping lane, has disrupted about 20% of global oil supply. That's rattled investors in Europe, a net importer of oil and gas, with the continent's Stoxx 600 benchmark shedding 4.3% over the past month. .STOXX 1M mountain Stoxx 600. Stagflation is now "the consensus expectation" for the macro regime in the coming months, BofA analysts, led by investment strategist Andreas Bruckner, said. The bank's survey data suggests fund managers are cutting back bets on European industrial stocks — previously seen as a key winner from the continent's reindustrialization ambitions . Instead, they're pivoting towards technology and basic materials names, with the latter now tipped to be the number one performer this year, followed by healthcare, BofA's survey found. 'Diminished, not derailed' Overall, 21% of survey respondents remain overweight in European equities in their global portfolios. But that's sharply lower than the 35% seen in February's survey. By comparison, a net 17% of respondents report being underweight in U.S. stocks, down from 22%, in further evidence that investors are scaling back on the "Sell America" trade . While the vast majority of survey respondents (96%) regard an outright recession in Europe as off the table, a majority (54%) now expect European growth to flatline this year — a sharp rise from 15% in F...
Apple AAPL is expanding its Wearables, Home and Accessories portfolio with the launch of AirPods Max 2. The devices come at an opportune time as the iPhone maker faces stiff competition from the likes of Samsung, Alphabet GOOGL and Garmin GRMN. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Wearables, Home and Accessories sales of $11.49 billion decreased 2.2% year over year and accounted for 8% of net sale...
Apple AAPL is expanding its Wearables, Home and Accessories portfolio with the launch of AirPods Max 2. The devices come at an opportune time as the iPhone maker faces stiff competition from the likes of Samsung, Alphabet GOOGL and Garmin GRMN. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Wearables, Home and Accessories sales of $11.49 billion decreased 2.2% year over year and accounted for 8% of net sales. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.72%. AirPods Max 2 offers features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation for the first time. The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) device is expected to gain adoption among podcasters, musicians, and content creators, with useful features like studio-quality audio recording and camera remote. Thanks to H2 and new computational audio algorithms, AirPods Max 2 deliver ANC, which is up to 1.5 times more effective than the previous generation. Apple’s Wearables, Home and Accessories sales have been benefiting from strong adoption of Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11, which offer a comprehensive set of health and wellness features to help users meet their health goals. AirPods 3 adoption has been noteworthy due to the rich immersive sound quality and unmatched level of ANC. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the wearables installed base reached a new all-time high, with over half of the customers purchasing an Apple Watch being new to the product. Apple Faces Stiff Competition AAPL is facing stiff competition from the likes of Alphabet and Garmin in the wearables domain. Alphabet’s Google Services business includes the Pixel family of devices. In 2025, Alphabet’s Google Services generated 85.1% of total revenues with revenues hitting $342.72 billion, up 12.4% from 2024. Alphabet is benefiting from accelerated growth across AI infrastructure, Google Cloud, and Search. Search is benefiting from AI Overviews and AI Mode, which have driven growth in overall queries. The la...
Apple AAPL is expanding its Wearables, Home and Accessories portfolio with the launch of AirPods Max 2. The devices come at an opportune time as the iPhone maker faces stiff competition from the likes of Samsung, Alphabet GOOGL and Garmin GRMN. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Wearables, Home and Accessories sales of $11.49 billion decreased 2.2% year over year and accounted for 8% of net sale...
Apple AAPL is expanding its Wearables, Home and Accessories portfolio with the launch of AirPods Max 2. The devices come at an opportune time as the iPhone maker faces stiff competition from the likes of Samsung, Alphabet GOOGL and Garmin GRMN. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Wearables, Home and Accessories sales of $11.49 billion decreased 2.2% year over year and accounted for 8% of net sales. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.72%. AirPods Max 2 offers features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation for the first time. The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) device is expected to gain adoption among podcasters, musicians, and content creators, with useful features like studio-quality audio recording and camera remote. Thanks to H2 and new computational audio algorithms, AirPods Max 2 deliver ANC, which is up to 1.5 times more effective than the previous generation. Apple’s Wearables, Home and Accessories sales have been benefiting from strong adoption of Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11, which offer a comprehensive set of health and wellness features to help users meet their health goals. AirPods 3 adoption has been noteworthy due to the rich immersive sound quality and unmatched level of ANC. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the wearables installed base reached a new all-time high, with over half of the customers purchasing an Apple Watch being new to the product. Apple Faces Stiff Competition AAPL is facing stiff competition from the likes of Alphabet and Garmin in the wearables domain. Alphabet’s Google Services business includes the Pixel family of devices. In 2025, Alphabet’s Google Services generated 85.1% of total revenues with revenues hitting $342.72 billion, up 12.4% from 2024. Alphabet is benefiting from accelerated growth across AI infrastructure, Google Cloud, and Search. Search is benefiting from AI Overviews and AI Mode, which have driven growth in overall queries. The la...
Axon Enterprise AXON is witnessing an increase in the aggregate number of users to the Axon network. Continued momentum in digital evidence management and increased demand for premium add-on features are driving the Software & Services segment’s growth. Revenues from the segment increased 39.6% year over year in 2025. Adoption of premium subscription plans continues to rise as more customers recog...
Axon Enterprise AXON is witnessing an increase in the aggregate number of users to the Axon network. Continued momentum in digital evidence management and increased demand for premium add-on features are driving the Software & Services segment’s growth. Revenues from the segment increased 39.6% year over year in 2025. Adoption of premium subscription plans continues to rise as more customers recognize the value of enhanced capabilities. Existing customers are consistently returning to purchase additional services, reflecting strong customer satisfaction and engagement. This ongoing expansion supports a growing base of annual recurring revenue (ARR). Given the rising global demand for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS), Axon is also expected to witness strong demand for its Dedrone platform from NATO’s airspace defense agencies. Growing instances of terrorism and criminal activities, with concerns related to the ever-increasing fraudulent activities, will augur well for Axon’s products in the quarters ahead. Strong customer alignment, broader adoption across sectors and continuous product innovation led Axon to issue bullish guidance for 2026. The company expects revenues to increase approximately 27-30% year over year. Segment Performance of AXON's Peers Among its major peers, Teledyne Technologies Incorporated’s TDY Digital Imaging segment’s fourth-quarter 2025 revenues increased 3.4% year over year to $850.5 million. The jump was due to higher sales of commercial infrared imaging components and subsystems as well as unmanned air systems. Teledyne generated 52.8% of its total revenues from this segment in the quarter. Its another peer, Woodward, Inc.’s WWD Industrial business segment reported net sales of $361.6 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, up 30% year over year. Woodward generated 36.3% of its total sales from this segment in the quarter. The increase in revenues for Woodward’s segment is primarily attributable to strength across power genera...
War raging. Oil over $100. Inflation poised to accelerate. Leveraged finance bankers have been here before. Just like in 2022 , Wall Street is looking to offload billions of dollars of debt it underwrote when demand for credit was strong — before the outbreak of war threw markets into disarray and rekindled risks to the global economy. And just like four years ago, it’s derailing planned syndicati...
War raging. Oil over $100. Inflation poised to accelerate. Leveraged finance bankers have been here before. Just like in 2022 , Wall Street is looking to offload billions of dollars of debt it underwrote when demand for credit was strong — before the outbreak of war threw markets into disarray and rekindled risks to the global economy. And just like four years ago, it’s derailing planned syndications. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its joint managers are holding off the sale of about $5.3 billion debt backing the buyout of software firm Qualtrics International Inc. The plan is to bring it to market in the next few weeks, according to a person familiar. Failing that, the loan has the potential to get stuck on underwriters’ balance sheets. “Tougher deals probably will not get brought to the market, or they may struggle to get syndicated,” said Kelly Byrne , founder and CEO of alternative credit manager Mountain Point Credit. A spokesperson for JPMorgan declined to comment. Silver Lake, the private equity owner of Qualtrics, declined to comment. When banks lined up much of the $100 billion of debt tied to leveraged buyouts, credit spreads were at multiyear tights and investors were eager to put cash to work. Demand was so strong a $8.75 billion financing to fund the buyout of medical-device maker Hologic Inc. won the tightest margins for a buyout loan since the financial crisis, several people said. That imbued underwriters with confidence. Read More: Bankers Bet Big on 2026 After Underwriting $65 Billion in Deals Any retreat by banks could give private credit firms an opening to reclaim business from Wall Street. Direct lenders swooped in to take debt off banks’ balance sheets four years ago, setting up an intense rivalry. Recently banks have clawed back an advantage . For banks, steep discounts can result in losses. They usually have flexibility to sweeten pricing by up to 1.25 percentage points through a “flex” feature on buyout loans. For example, a loan underwritten at ...
TLDR Samsung confirmed it will begin mass-producing Tesla’s next-gen AI6 chips at its Taylor, Texas plant in the second half of 2027 The announcement was made by Samsung’s Foundry head at a shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday The production stems from a $16.5 billion multiyear deal Samsung signed with Tesla in July last year Samsung also signed an MOU with AMD to supply HBM4 memory for AMD’s next-g...
TLDR Samsung confirmed it will begin mass-producing Tesla’s next-gen AI6 chips at its Taylor, Texas plant in the second half of 2027 The announcement was made by Samsung’s Foundry head at a shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday The production stems from a $16.5 billion multiyear deal Samsung signed with Tesla in July last year Samsung also signed an MOU with AMD to supply HBM4 memory for AMD’s next-gen MI455X AI accelerators Samsung Electronics stock rose 7.5% in Seoul, outperforming the Kospi index which gained 5% Samsung Electronics President and Head of Foundry Business Han Jin-man addressed shareholders on Wednesday with two pieces of news that the market clearly liked. Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., 0L2T.L Samsung stock jumped 7.5% in Seoul. The broader Kospi index rose 5% on the same day, meaning Samsung outpaced the market on the back of the announcements. Han confirmed that Samsung’s Taylor fabrication plant in Texas will begin volume production of Tesla’s next-generation AI chip in the second half of 2027. He described the Tesla collaboration — spanning autonomous driving and robotics — as “a great opportunity” for its foundry business. The chip in question is Tesla’s AI6. Elon Musk confirmed on X last year that Samsung’s Taylor facilities would handle production of it. The production timeline follows a $16.5 billion multiyear deal the two companies signed in July 2024. That contract was a major win for Samsung’s foundry arm, which has been working to close the gap with rival TSMC. AMD Partnership Beyond Tesla, Samsung used the shareholders’ meeting to announce a separate memorandum of understanding with Advanced Micro Devices. Under the MOU, Samsung will supply HBM4 — high-bandwidth memory — for AMD’s next-generation Instinct MI455X AI accelerators. The MI455X GPU is central to AMD’s Helios rack-scale architecture for AI infrastructure. The agreement also covers potential supply of advanced memory for AMD’s sixth-generation EPYC processors. On top of the memory deal,...
iShares Global REIT ETF (REET 0.48%) offers broader global exposure and a lower fee, while iShares Select U.S. REIT ETF (ICF 0.92%) focuses on a concentrated U.S. REIT lineup with higher volatility and lower yields. Both REET and ICF track real estate investment trusts, but their approaches differ: REET casts a wide net across global markets, while ICF focuses on a select group of large-cap U.S. R...
iShares Global REIT ETF (REET 0.48%) offers broader global exposure and a lower fee, while iShares Select U.S. REIT ETF (ICF 0.92%) focuses on a concentrated U.S. REIT lineup with higher volatility and lower yields. Both REET and ICF track real estate investment trusts, but their approaches differ: REET casts a wide net across global markets, while ICF focuses on a select group of large-cap U.S. REITs. This comparison unpacks their costs, risk profiles, and portfolio makeup to help investors decide which may better match their real estate allocation goals. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric REET ICF Issuer IShares IShares Expense ratio 0.14% 0.32% 1-yr return (as of 2026-03-16) 6.5% 4.2% Dividend yield 3.5% 2.7% Beta 0.95 0.98 AUM $4.6 billion $2.0 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. ICF charges about double the annual fee of REET, making REET the more affordable option for cost-conscious investors. REET also offers a higher payout, with a 3.5% yield versus ICF’s 2.7%. Performance & risk comparison Metric REET ICF Max drawdown (5 y) -32.14% -34.75% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,004 $1,117 What's inside ICF is built around just 30 U.S. real estate investment trusts and has a long track record, with 25.1 years since its launch. Its top holdings include Equinix Reit Inc (EQIX 0.14%), Welltower Inc (WELL 0.17%), and American Tower Reit Corp (AMT 2.04%), which together account for a substantial slice of the fund. This concentrated approach leads to sector purity—100% real estate—with no exposure to international markets or other sectors. The fund goes ex-dividend on March 17, 2026. In contrast, REET owns 325 holdings spanning both developed and emerging markets, offering exposure to a wider variety of property types and geographies. Its top positions—Welltower Inc, Prologis Reit Inc (PLD 0.62%)Equinix Reit Inc—reflects its glob...
Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF (NASDAQ:VNQI) stands out for its lower fees and higher yield, while State Street SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:RWX) offers a more concentrated international property portfolio and a higher recent one-year return. Both VNQI and RWX target the international real estate sector, offering exposure to a wide range of property companies outs...
Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF (NASDAQ:VNQI) stands out for its lower fees and higher yield, while State Street SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:RWX) offers a more concentrated international property portfolio and a higher recent one-year return. Both VNQI and RWX target the international real estate sector, offering exposure to a wide range of property companies outside the United States. This comparison looks at how these two funds stack up on cost, yield, performance, and portfolio construction to help investors navigate their differences. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VNQI RWX Issuer Vanguard SPDR Expense ratio 0.12% 0.59% 1-yr return (as of March 18, 2026) 12.9% 14.1% Dividend yield 4.3% 3.4% Beta 0.91 0.90 AUM $4.2 billion $310.5 million Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. VNQI charges lower fees, with an expense ratio roughly one-fifth that of RWX, and it also pays a higher dividend yield, which may appeal to cost- and income-focused investors. Performance & risk comparison Metric VNQI RWX Max drawdown (5 y) -35.77% -35.89% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $820 $803 What's inside RWX tracks the Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Select Real Estate Securities Index, focusing on international property companies with 121 holdings. Top names include Mitsui Fudosan Co Ltd (8801.T), Swiss Prime Site Reg (SIX: SPSN.SW), and Scentre Group (ASX: SCG.AX). These three holdings make up about 13% of the portfolio, with the largest position -- Mitsui Fudosan -- alone accounting for roughly 8%. The fund has a 19+ year track record and offers a relatively concentrated approach to global real estate. VNQI, by contrast, casts a much wider net with more than 700 holdings. Its three largest positions are Mitsubishi Estate Co Ltd (8802.T), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG.AX), and Mitsui Fudosan Co Ltd -- with these combined holdings ...