Why did gold fail to protect portfolios during the latest market shock? In this episode of Merryn Talks Money, Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Evy Hambro, global head of thematic and sector investing at BlackRock, about the violent moves in gold and silver, the new energy risk premium, and why commodities may be entering a powerful new cycle. They discuss inflation, interest rates, energy securit...
Why did gold fail to protect portfolios during the latest market shock? In this episode of Merryn Talks Money, Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Evy Hambro, global head of thematic and sector investing at BlackRock, about the violent moves in gold and silver, the new energy risk premium, and why commodities may be entering a powerful new cycle. They discuss inflation, interest rates, energy security, mining valuations, AI-driven demand for materials, and why investors may need to rethink how much exposure they have to gold, energy and broader commodity equities. (Source: Bloomberg)
The 34-year-old plumber last month secured the Green party its first byelection victory and a record fifth concurrent MP. She discusses the problem with career politicians – and being screamed at by voters Hannah Spencer presents nothing like a politician – open, frank, friendly, wearing hot-pink joggers. I don’t want to say I’ve never encountered these qualities in an MP, but I’ve never encounter...
The 34-year-old plumber last month secured the Green party its first byelection victory and a record fifth concurrent MP. She discusses the problem with career politicians – and being screamed at by voters Hannah Spencer presents nothing like a politician – open, frank, friendly, wearing hot-pink joggers. I don’t want to say I’ve never encountered these qualities in an MP, but I’ve never encountered them in the same person. Her house tells the story of her recent byelection victory . The path and the hall are filled with mostly empty cardboard boxes that once contained leaflets. When Spencer, 34, won Gorton and Denton in Greater Manchester for the Greens last month, there was a 26% swing from Labour. She won more than 40% of the vote, up 28 percentage points on the party’s performance in the 2024 general election. It was billed as a shock to the political establishment, a seismic blow to Labour (who were knocked into third place) and a reality check for Reform, who had peacocked their certain victory beforehand yet finished a distant second. But it wasn’t that much of a surprise to the Greens. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia actively pursue regressive policies, watchdog finds Governments in five EU member states are “consistently and intentionally” eroding the rule of law, Europe’s leading civil liberties group has warned, while democratic standards are deteriorating in six more, including historically strong democracies. Drawing on evidence from more than 40 N...
Exclusive: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia actively pursue regressive policies, watchdog finds Governments in five EU member states are “consistently and intentionally” eroding the rule of law, Europe’s leading civil liberties group has warned, while democratic standards are deteriorating in six more, including historically strong democracies. Drawing on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as “dismantlers” that were actively weakening the rule of law. Continue reading...
A huge rise in internet users under the age of 30 has fuelled an increase in online violence against women and girls with devastating real-life effects, activists say Activists and lawyers in Africa are calling for urgent action to protect women, girls and boys as digital violence surges across the continent. A massive rise in internet users, coupled with huge numbers of people aged under 30 , has...
A huge rise in internet users under the age of 30 has fuelled an increase in online violence against women and girls with devastating real-life effects, activists say Activists and lawyers in Africa are calling for urgent action to protect women, girls and boys as digital violence surges across the continent. A massive rise in internet users, coupled with huge numbers of people aged under 30 , has fuelled an increase in gendered online violence across the continent, according to experts, by giving perpetrators new tools to control and silence women and girls, and influence boys. Continue reading...
About 6.4 million Nigerian children are expected to be acutely malnourished by the end of the year, putting impossible pressure on scarce treatment centres Zuwaira Hanafi stood in shock as four doctors rushed past her to enter the ward where her eight-month-old daughter, Hambali, lay semiconscious. At the entrance to the healthcare facility in Kaita community in Nigeria’s northern Katsina state, m...
About 6.4 million Nigerian children are expected to be acutely malnourished by the end of the year, putting impossible pressure on scarce treatment centres Zuwaira Hanafi stood in shock as four doctors rushed past her to enter the ward where her eight-month-old daughter, Hambali, lay semiconscious. At the entrance to the healthcare facility in Kaita community in Nigeria’s northern Katsina state, medical personnel were using colour-coded tape to measure the diameter of children’s arms and determine their levels of malnutrition. A steady stream of mothers, some as young as 15, filtered through with children, many of them, like Hambali, arriving in a critical state. Zuwaira Hanafi watches over eight-month-old Hambali as she is treated for acute malnutrition Continue reading...
The AOR jazzer behind smash hit The Way It Is veered off into the avant garde. But he’s having sudden mainstream acclaim. ‘Well,’ he says as he releases yet another album, ‘it’s nicer than being ignored’ When people tell you they remember exactly where they were when JFK was shot, they don’t often add that the room erupted in cheers and shouts of: “Hooray! Nixon can take over!” Speaking via Zoom f...
The AOR jazzer behind smash hit The Way It Is veered off into the avant garde. But he’s having sudden mainstream acclaim. ‘Well,’ he says as he releases yet another album, ‘it’s nicer than being ignored’ When people tell you they remember exactly where they were when JFK was shot, they don’t often add that the room erupted in cheers and shouts of: “Hooray! Nixon can take over!” Speaking via Zoom from his home in Williamsburg, Virginia, one of the oldest towns in the US, Bruce Hornsby shrugs and says: “Well, that was my experience!” It was the day before his ninth birthday and the whoops of delight came from his classmates, all of which is recalled on an impressionistic track from his new album Indigo Park: “I was really alarmed and confused / Watching the children parroting parents’ views.” Until now, Hornsby has rarely written autobiographical lyrics, so people don’t know all that much about him. His biggest song, The Way It Is, was a piece of social commentary, the product of a liberal upbringing in the segregated south. His aunt campaigned against the likes of Senator Harry F Byrd, who opposed the desegregation of Virginia’s schools in the 1950s. Continue reading...
The president may not be benefiting directly from betting markets, but he has encouraged a culture that treats politics like a casino floor Odd things are happening in the markets. Last Monday, 15 minutes before Donald Trump posted an announcement that “productive talks” with Iran had taken place, oil traders placed half a billion dollars’ worth of bets on the future price of oil. Trump’s statemen...
The president may not be benefiting directly from betting markets, but he has encouraged a culture that treats politics like a casino floor Odd things are happening in the markets. Last Monday, 15 minutes before Donald Trump posted an announcement that “productive talks” with Iran had taken place, oil traders placed half a billion dollars’ worth of bets on the future price of oil. Trump’s statement triggered a drop in crude oil prices, and it seems as if some people knew that the announcement was coming, and so a profitable wager was made. Do not be envious; some people are just born lucky. We do not know if the transactions were made with prior knowledge of political developments, but it’s a hell of a coincidence. It all appears “abnormal for sure”, an oil analyst told the BBC . Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
More than half of roles could be hit and young shop workers in particular could lose out, trade body warns More than half of retail jobs could be affected by reform to guaranteed working hours, making it harder for shops to employ people – particularly young workers – in part-time roles, the industry’s lobby group has warned. From April, the Employment Rights Act will introduce new protections for...
More than half of roles could be hit and young shop workers in particular could lose out, trade body warns More than half of retail jobs could be affected by reform to guaranteed working hours, making it harder for shops to employ people – particularly young workers – in part-time roles, the industry’s lobby group has warned. From April, the Employment Rights Act will introduce new protections for workers on sick pay, sexual harassment, parental leave and trade union recognition. Continue reading...
Thanim Rahman had every reason to smile when his LinkedIn profile picture was taken in September 2025. Wearing his graduation gown, cap and hood, he holds a red-ribboned degree certificate — computer science first class — with the “Open to Work” badge displayed to attract recruiters. Six months, 50 applications and only one interview later, that picture tells a different story: he’s still unemploy...
Thanim Rahman had every reason to smile when his LinkedIn profile picture was taken in September 2025. Wearing his graduation gown, cap and hood, he holds a red-ribboned degree certificate — computer science first class — with the “Open to Work” badge displayed to attract recruiters. Six months, 50 applications and only one interview later, that picture tells a different story: he’s still unemployed. Once a global hub for entry-level jobs, London is now the epicenter of a growing youth joblessness crisis that is threatening to blight the futures of hundreds of thousands of people and fuel a backlash against Prime Minister Keir Starmer ’s Labour government in key municipal elections in just over a month. Young people drawn to the British capital for its rich cultural life and opportunities are finding the junior roles that traditionally launched careers, from marketing to HR traineeships, increasingly hard to find in a labor market upended by artificial intelligence and global turmoil. “When I went into computer science, I was expecting quite a lot of demand for the skills that I worked for,” said Rahman, a graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London. “But then we’re in 2026 now and people are talking about having AI replacing software developers, and it is hard to compete with a technology that makes mistakes, but can be easily fixed by a senior.” The 22-year-old, who lives with his parents in Ilford in east London, described job-hunting as “demoralizing,” noting that it can take weeks for new roles to appear on LinkedIn. The number of graduate roles in London fell from around 13,000 in 2019 to just over 2,000 at the start of 2026, according to Adzuna, a job-search website. Around one in four 16-24 year-olds in the capital are looking for work, the highest proportion in the UK. Young people in other European capitals like Madrid or Paris are faring better. Like developed economies everywhere, AI is reshaping white collar work in Britain. But the problem of youth un...
To European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the ribbon of rail snaking from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia across Angola to the Atlantic port of Lobito is “more than just infrastructure”. The Lobito Corridor rail upgrade is a flagship project of the EU’s €300 billion (US$346 billion) infrastructure drive, Global Gateway, launched to great fanfare in 2021 as a rival to B...
To European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the ribbon of rail snaking from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia across Angola to the Atlantic port of Lobito is “more than just infrastructure”. The Lobito Corridor rail upgrade is a flagship project of the EU’s €300 billion (US$346 billion) infrastructure drive, Global Gateway, launched to great fanfare in 2021 as a rival to Beijing’s own Belt and Road Initiative. It is also pivotal to the EU’s efforts to wean itself off...
This is the forum for daily political discussion on Seeking Alpha. A new version is published every market day. Please don't leave political comments on other articles or posts on the site. The comments below are not regulated with the same rigor as the rest of the site, and this is an 'enter at your own risk' area as discussion can get very heated. If you can't stand the heat... you know what the...
This is the forum for daily political discussion on Seeking Alpha. A new version is published every market day. Please don't leave political comments on other articles or posts on the site. The comments below are not regulated with the same rigor as the rest of the site, and this is an 'enter at your own risk' area as discussion can get very heated. If you can't stand the heat... you know what they say... More on Today's Markets: Pentagon prepares for potential ground operations in Iran - WaPo The Trump administration has sent mixed signals about the conflict’s direction, with President Trump expressing interest in negotiations while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the president is “prepared to unleash hell” if Iran does not abandon its nuclear ambitions. Trump himself denied plans to deploy ground troops, telling reporters, “I’m not putting troops anywhere.” Houthis claim first attack on Israel since Iran war began If Houthis attack commercial vessels as they have done in the past, there could be disruption to global trade through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an alternative route for getting crude from Saudi Arabia to Asia amid Iran’s near stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Senate advances Homeland Security funding bill as shutdown strains airports Mounting disruptions at airports, including long security lines and staffing shortages as unpaid TSA workers called out sick or resigned, increased pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal. Major hubs such as Atlanta, Houston and New York saw extended wait times, with lines stretching across terminals and even outside in some cases. Oil seen rising to start the week SA Analyst OANDA Group said a sustained move above $102.25 for WTI could trigger a fresh bullish leg toward $111–$124, while a break below $85.50 would invalidate the bullish view and expose downside toward the $81–$73 zone. Oil industry executives paint grim picture of Iran war supply disruption At the S&P Global's annual CERAWeek energ...
Infinitas Capital , a Swiss family office run by real estate heir Robin Lauber , plans to launch a new investment company that will seek a listing on Nasdaq Stockholm . Infinitas will parcel up stakes it holds in private technology companies, such as defense startup Destinus, into a new vehicle called Aureon Capital, Lauber said in an interview. The company will acquire other assets from Lauber’s ...
Infinitas Capital , a Swiss family office run by real estate heir Robin Lauber , plans to launch a new investment company that will seek a listing on Nasdaq Stockholm . Infinitas will parcel up stakes it holds in private technology companies, such as defense startup Destinus, into a new vehicle called Aureon Capital, Lauber said in an interview. The company will acquire other assets from Lauber’s broader network of wealthy individuals and family offices and plans to launch in mid-2026. The Lauber family made its money in real estate, with Robin Lauber diversifying through the family office into tech and other growth sectors. Aureon Capital will seek approval to list later in the year, and aims to raise as much as $20 million. Lauber picked Stockholm due to its strong retail investment culture. “You have such a wide retail adoption,” he said. “In Sweden, venture capital is happening in public markets.” Read More: Lauber Family Office Eyes Three Stockholm Listings This Year The move underscores a broader shift in private markets: as companies take longer to go public, much of the value has been captured by institutional investors well before retail backers can buy in. Vehicles such as Aureon Capital want to democratize access, but also come with risks such as opaque valuation logic and any potential mismatch between a fund’s share price and the value of its holdings. Lauber’s family office joins a growing number of investment firms for the ultra-wealthy opening up to external capital as the typically discreet money managers increase in scale and sophistication. The family holding company of billionaire compatriot Ernesto Bertarelli has courted funds from other wealthy individuals in recent years for hedge fund investments. The Dutch-German Brenninkmeijer dynasty behind clothing giant C&A AG has also increasingly opened up a business empire spanning real estate and private equity over the past decade, accelerating their efforts to shift their wealth away from the consu...
Banks led by JPMorgan Chase & Co. are facing pushback on the terms of a $7.2 billion debt deal to fund Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ’s takeover of Bubble Wrap maker Sealed Air Corp. , according to people familiar with the matter. Potential buyers of about $2.45 billion of Sealed Air’s bonds and $4.7 billion of loans have raised concerns about some of the provisions, including a clause that would give ...
Banks led by JPMorgan Chase & Co. are facing pushback on the terms of a $7.2 billion debt deal to fund Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ’s takeover of Bubble Wrap maker Sealed Air Corp. , according to people familiar with the matter. Potential buyers of about $2.45 billion of Sealed Air’s bonds and $4.7 billion of loans have raised concerns about some of the provisions, including a clause that would give private equity firm CD&R the option to spin off either Sealed Air’s food or protective reporting units, the people said, asking not to be named because discussions are private. While a spinoff of the businesses has always been a possibility, some investors see a tougher market for borrowers as an opening to push back, given it could leave them with a weaker pool of assets backing their debt. As a result, many of them have only signed up to buy if certain lender protections are strengthened, the people said. The deal had roughly $5 billion in orders across all tranches on Friday, the people said. Demand for the bonds roughly matched the deal size, while orders for the $4.1 billion dollar-denominated loan, led by JPMorgan, have been slower, they added. Commitments for that part of the deal are due March 31, and there’s still time to draw more buyers across the board in the coming days. Representatives for JPMorgan and CD&R declined to comment. A representative for Sealed Air didn’t respond to a request for comment. Wall Street banks entered 2026 prepared to offload buyout debt, but that task has grown more challenging as concerns about the economic effects of the Iran War and artificial intelligence disruptions weigh on investors’ appetite for risk. While JPMorgan pushed through about $15 billion of debt backing the record Electronic Arts Inc. buyout, it required shifting the debt mix multiple times and seizing upon brief windows of market calm. An added overhang for CD&R is the bankruptcy filing two months ago from its portfolio company Multi-Color Corp., the people said. So...
Global data center spending is expected to soar to $1.7 trillion by 2030, according to Dell'Oro Group. In line with that outlook, The Motley Fool's research suggests leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies could boost capital spending by around 50% or more in 2026. Those estimates point to big opportunities for chipmakers and the companies building the data centers that power AI. Here are t...
Global data center spending is expected to soar to $1.7 trillion by 2030, according to Dell'Oro Group. In line with that outlook, The Motley Fool's research suggests leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies could boost capital spending by around 50% or more in 2026. Those estimates point to big opportunities for chipmakers and the companies building the data centers that power AI. Here are three AI infrastructure stocks to consider buying for the long term. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
MikeMareen/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF ( NATO ) warrants a Hold rating due to mixed factors for the fund. While geopolitical instability and military expenditure have been fueling NATO’s top holdings, these factors are already priced in. Additionally, NATO’s top-weighted companies have been showing signs of deceleration. This risk of slowdown is coupl...
MikeMareen/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF ( NATO ) warrants a Hold rating due to mixed factors for the fund. While geopolitical instability and military expenditure have been fueling NATO’s top holdings, these factors are already priced in. Additionally, NATO’s top-weighted companies have been showing signs of deceleration. This risk of slowdown is coupled with high government debt, which will stunt further growth for NATO. Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF—Overview and Compared ETFs NATO is a passively managed ETF that seeks to capture defense and aerospace companies that are in North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, member countries. With its inception in October 2024, the fund has 81 holdings and $100M in AUM. Due to the fund’s objectives, 97.7% of the ETF’s weight is in the industrials sector. For comparison purposes, other funds examined are First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF ( MISL ), State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF ( XAR ), and Global X Defense Tech ETF ( SHLD ). MISL captures companies that receive at least 50% of their revenue from hypersonic, directed energy, autonomous, air mobility, and other defense industries. XAR also captures aerospace and defense but uses a modified equal-weight index and therefore has a blend of small-, mid-, and large-cap holdings. SHLD captures defense companies focusing on cybersecurity, drone systems, and military artificial intelligence. NATO Compared: Performance, Expense Ratio, and Dividend Yield Because the NATO ETF has existed less than two years, we do not have a lengthy performance history for the fund. However, since its inception, NATO has returned almost 50%. By comparison, the S&P 500 Index has returned 11% since October 2024. Due to multiple conflicts and high defense spending, all compared defense and aerospace ETFs have also seen market-beating returns. 3-Year Total Return: NATO and Compared Defense & Aerospace Funds (Seeking Alpha) In addition ...