Rio Tinto ( RIO ) has offered to supply aluminum to Japanese buyers at a premium of $350/metric ton for April-June shipments, up 79% from the current quarter and the highest quarterly premium since 2015, due to supply fears from the escalating Middle East war, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut, preventing shipments of raw materials, the war has forced cuts to...
Rio Tinto ( RIO ) has offered to supply aluminum to Japanese buyers at a premium of $350/metric ton for April-June shipments, up 79% from the current quarter and the highest quarterly premium since 2015, due to supply fears from the escalating Middle East war, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut, preventing shipments of raw materials, the war has forced cuts to aluminum production in the Middle East, which accounts for ~9% of global output. Rio Tinto ( RIO ), a top aluminum supplier because of smelters in Canada and Australia, had proposed a $250/ton premium before withdrawing it last week after U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran intensified and prices surged. Aluminum prices ( LMAHDS03:COM ) climbed back above $3,400/ton on Wednesday, helped by supply concerns and withdrawals from London Metal Exchange warehouses. The war is pressuring supply from the Persian Gulf, with withdrawals from LME warehouses - typically made when buyers take metal for physical consumption or export - indicating the market is concerned that aluminum shipments or deliveries might be delayed or reduced. "We see this shift in warehouse dynamics as a sign that the physical market is becoming more cautious," Sucden Financial analysts said in a note. Potentially relevant stocks include Alcoa ( AA ), Century Aluminum ( CENX ), Kaiser Aluminum ( KALU ), Rio Tinto ( RIO ), BHP ( BHP ), Constellium ( CSTM ). More on Rio Tinto and aluminum futures BHP Group Is A Better Fit For All-Weather Portfolios Than Rio Tinto Commodities: Trump's Words Offer Relief To Energy Markets Middle East Escalation Would Push Aluminum Above $4,000/T
Investors in SoundHound AI Inc (Symbol: SOUN) saw new options become available today, for the June 18th expiration. One of the key data points that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 99 days until expiration the newly available contracts represent a possible opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available f...
Investors in SoundHound AI Inc (Symbol: SOUN) saw new options become available today, for the June 18th expiration. One of the key data points that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 99 days until expiration the newly available contracts represent a possible opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available for the contracts with a closer expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the SOUN options chain for the new June 18th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $5.00 strike price has a current bid of 18 cents. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $5.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $4.82 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of SOUN, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $8.01/share today. Because the $5.00 strike represents an approximate 38% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 87%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 3.60% return on the cash commitment, or 13.27% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for SoundHound AI Inc, and highlighting in green where the $5.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls side of the ...
Investors in Verisk Analytics Inc (Symbol: VRSK) saw new options begin trading today, for the July 17th expiration. One of the key data points that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 128 days until expiration the newly trading contracts represent a potential opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available f...
Investors in Verisk Analytics Inc (Symbol: VRSK) saw new options begin trading today, for the July 17th expiration. One of the key data points that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 128 days until expiration the newly trading contracts represent a potential opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available for the contracts with a closer expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the VRSK options chain for the new July 17th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $200.00 strike price has a current bid of $13.50. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $200.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $186.50 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of VRSK, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $203.07/share today. Because the $200.00 strike represents an approximate 2% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 59%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 6.75% return on the cash commitment, or 19.25% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for Verisk Analytics Inc, and highlighting in green where the $200.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls ...
Investors in LyondellBasell Industries NV (Symbol: LYB) saw new options begin trading today, for the May 15th expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the LYB options chain for the new May 15th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $65.00 strike price has a current bid of $3.50. If an inves...
Investors in LyondellBasell Industries NV (Symbol: LYB) saw new options begin trading today, for the May 15th expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the LYB options chain for the new May 15th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $65.00 strike price has a current bid of $3.50. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $65.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $61.50 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of LYB, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $66.09/share today. Because the $65.00 strike represents an approximate 2% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 57%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 5.38% return on the cash commitment, or 30.24% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for LyondellBasell Industries NV, and highlighting in green where the $65.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $70.00 strike price has a current bid of $2.30. If an investor was to purchase shares of LYB stock at the current price level of $66.09/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $70.00. Considering the ca...
Investors in Visa Inc (Symbol: V) saw new options become available today, for the July 17th expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 128 days until expiration the newly available contracts represent a potential opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available for the contract...
Investors in Visa Inc (Symbol: V) saw new options become available today, for the July 17th expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 128 days until expiration the newly available contracts represent a potential opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available for the contracts with a closer expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the V options chain for the new July 17th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $310.00 strike price has a current bid of $16.65. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $310.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $293.35 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of V, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $313.09/share today. Because the $310.00 strike represents an approximate 1% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 58%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 5.37% return on the cash commitment, or 15.32% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for Visa Inc, and highlighting in green where the $310.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the cal...
The International Energy Agency agreed on Wednesday to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the effects on energy markets of the war in the Middle East. The Paris-based organisation said it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from its members’ emergency reserves. It’s a larger stock than the 182.7 million barrels that were released in ...
The International Energy Agency agreed on Wednesday to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the effects on energy markets of the war in the Middle East. The Paris-based organisation said it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from its members’ emergency reserves. It’s a larger stock than the 182.7 million barrels that were released in 2022 by the IEA’s 32 member countries in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. IEA member countries currently hold over 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks, with a further 600 million barrels of industry stocks held under government obligation. Advertisement In response to US and Israel strikes, Iran has attacked commercial ships across the Persian Gulf, escalating a campaign of squeezing the oil-rich region as global energy concerns mount. Iran has effectively stopped cargo traffic in the narrow Hormuz Strait through which about a fifth of all oil is shipped from the Persian Gulf towards the Indian Ocean. It has also targeted oilfields and refineries in Gulf Arab nations, aiming at generating enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to end their strikes. 02:00 Iran war sends oil prices surging, prompting panic buying and rationing in parts of Asia Iran war sends oil prices surging, prompting panic buying and rationing in parts of Asia G7 Energy ministers on Tuesday said they supported in principle “the implementation of proactive measures to address the situation, including the use of strategic reserves”.
Countries must seek energy independence through renewable resources and nuclear energy for their national security, and to avoid the “choke points” of fossil fuel supply, the former US secretary of state John Kerry has warned. The war in Iran has sent oil prices soaring, as refineries and fields have closed down in several Middle Eastern countries and many tankers are stranded in the strait of Hor...
Countries must seek energy independence through renewable resources and nuclear energy for their national security, and to avoid the “choke points” of fossil fuel supply, the former US secretary of state John Kerry has warned. The war in Iran has sent oil prices soaring, as refineries and fields have closed down in several Middle Eastern countries and many tankers are stranded in the strait of Hormuz, with economic impacts beginning to be felt around the world. “The key takeaway here is that it has emphasised, again, the degree to which fuel – oil and gas, particularly – is a security challenge. Energy independence is even more important going forward, because you don’t want to be the prisoner of a choke point or your economy being greatly disrupted as a result of that,” he told the Guardian. 2:21 How the Iran conflict could affect prices around the world – video explainer Kerry said the war in Iran, led by the US and Israel, was not an oil war “per se”, in that it was not based on competition for oil resources, but the conflict was revealing a dependence on oil that had made many developed economies fragile. “The lesson in the early days here is that people have started to figure out: ‘Whoops, how do we not be dependent on other countries for our energy?’” he said. “They now have all understood what these choke points mean to their economic viability. We have to be more aggressive in our transition [to clean energy], for sure.” China embarked on this strategy in 2019, he said, and had moved “at a staggering pace” to remove its reliance on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy, he said. The economic and national security impacts of the oil shock could do more to push the world quickly to clean energy than calls for climate action have done, he suggested. “In the 1970s with the oil embargo, there was a massive interruption, and it resulted in a speed up of the transition to finding other sources of energy. On the other hand, in the 1990s you had a [situation] wh...
After starting out as a child actor, the US artist found music. Now co-writing with Phoebe Bridgers, Haim and Kim Deal, her dogged, DIY career has been powered by conviction The title of Morgan Nagler’s solo debut, I’ve Got Nothing to Lose, and I’m Losing It, speaks to the sort of wisdom you can only accrue after several decades in the game, the kind that compels you to put your name to an album f...
After starting out as a child actor, the US artist found music. Now co-writing with Phoebe Bridgers, Haim and Kim Deal, her dogged, DIY career has been powered by conviction The title of Morgan Nagler’s solo debut, I’ve Got Nothing to Lose, and I’m Losing It, speaks to the sort of wisdom you can only accrue after several decades in the game, the kind that compels you to put your name to an album for the first time at the age of 47. But Nagler’s MO was there from day one, as an 11-year-old child actor going for a bit part as a popular girl on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “I showed up and there were 200 girls there,” says Nagler. “I remember thinking, I’m never gonna get this. So I decided to read the lines as a super-nerd.” The producers rewrote the part and hired her to kiss Carlton. Today, Nagler lives in the same neighbourhood as Will Smith himself – not Bel-Air but a semi-rustic enclave of Malibu, California, albeit in the guesthouse of her friends’ place rather than a celeb mansion. She started acting around age five, after her family moved from rural Oregon to California. She did it for two decades, taking parts in shows including Frasier, Star Trek and Clueless. But, at 26, Nagler jacked it all in to pursue music after realising how fulfilled she was playing guitar in her trailer between takes. Some people told her she was making a mistake, but she knew otherwise. Music, says Nagler, “is the only thing that makes me feel connected in any meaningful way. For me, that’s way more important than comfort or stability. I’ve always had this blind faith.” Continue reading...
Olga Yastremska/iStock via Getty Images Written by Nick Ackerman, co-produced by Stanford Chemist In the world of closed-end funds, they are often known for the relatively higher yields that they can deliver. They also often pay out monthly distributions, as that is seen as more friendly to income investors. The other key characteristic of closed-end funds is that the share price can trade wildly ...
Olga Yastremska/iStock via Getty Images Written by Nick Ackerman, co-produced by Stanford Chemist In the world of closed-end funds, they are often known for the relatively higher yields that they can deliver. They also often pay out monthly distributions, as that is seen as more friendly to income investors. The other key characteristic of closed-end funds is that the share price can trade wildly differently from their underlying net asset value. That creates opportunities that can be exploited in terms of discounts/premiums. Though a fund can regularly trade at discounts for extended periods of time, we emphasize relative discounts and premiums, as well as potential catalysts. Today, we'll be looking at two CEFs that both deliver monthly distributions (which they actually transitioned to from quarterly payers) and that are trading at absolute and relatively attractive discounts currently. These two look like they are ripe opportunities to add to an income investor's portfolio arsenal to generate monthly cash flow. #1 ArrowMark Financial Corp. ( BANX ) 1-Year Z-score: -2.73 Discount/Premium: -12.37% (based on 01/31/2026 estimated NAV) Distribution Yield: 9.35% Expense Ratio: 4.18% Leverage: 28.9% Managed Assets: $257 million Structure: Perpetual BANX's investment objective is “to provide shareholders with current income.” To achieve these investment objectives, they will invest primarily in “regulatory capital securities of financial institutions.” The fund carries a relatively high expense ratio given the underlying securities that are being held, which is not your traditional type of portfolio. When including leverage expenses, the fund's total expense ratio actually climbs to 6.71%. BANX is more of a unique investment fund that focuses on regulatory capital relief securities. Before the ArrowMark team took over the fund, it was more focused on investing in financial institutional debt and preferred (which is where the ticker "BANX" likely came from). These regula...
A Google event in Doha, Qatar. The company is among the tech companies declared ‘legitimate targets’ by Iran - NurPhoto/Noushad Thekkayil Iran has declared Google, Amazon and Microsoft “legitimate targets” for attack, publishing a hit list of tech company offices and data centres in the Middle East. The Iranian Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday said Tehran was preparing to pursue “enemy technology i...
A Google event in Doha, Qatar. The company is among the tech companies declared ‘legitimate targets’ by Iran - NurPhoto/Noushad Thekkayil Iran has declared Google, Amazon and Microsoft “legitimate targets” for attack, publishing a hit list of tech company offices and data centres in the Middle East. The Iranian Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday said Tehran was preparing to pursue “enemy technology infrastructure”. In a Telegram post, Tasnim listed 29 offices, data centres and research hubs owned by the seven companies in Qatar, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. It also named the US tech companies Nvidia, Palantir, IBM and Oracle as targets for attack. “As the regional war expands into an infrastructure war, the scope of Iran’s legitimate targets gradually broadens,” Tasnim said in a post titled “Iran’s new targets”. Last week, Amazon data centres in the UAE and Bahrain were attacked by Iranian drones. The locations listed include not just data centres but advertising sales offices and research centres in busy cities. The companies have not yet said if they have taken steps to protect staff, close offices or otherwise respond to the threat. Amazon evacuated employees from a damaged data centre last week. Iran also threatened to attack banks and other financial institutions on Wednesday, saying that people should stay outside a one-kilometre radius. Many of the tech companies named by Iran have significant operations in the Middle East, including several regional data centres, as governments and businesses demand local data storage, as well as major operations in Israel, a cybersecurity hub. Nvidia has around 5,000 staff in Israel and spent $7bn (£5.2bn) acquiring the Israeli start-up Mellanox in 2019. Google has a Doha data centre region, and Microsoft has said it plans to open a data centre in Saudi Arabia by the end of the year. Last week’s attacks against Amazon are believed to be the first military attacks against a US tech company’s data centres. The a...
The fast casual restaurant concept has taken America by storm. For diners, it offers a happy middle ground between the convenience of traditional fast food and the higher quality of a sit-down restaurant. Wall Street is also paying close attention after witnessing the success of industry leaders like Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has seen its stock price soar by over 4,000% after going public in 2...
The fast casual restaurant concept has taken America by storm. For diners, it offers a happy middle ground between the convenience of traditional fast food and the higher quality of a sit-down restaurant. Wall Street is also paying close attention after witnessing the success of industry leaders like Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has seen its stock price soar by over 4,000% after going public in 2006. Cava Group (CAVA +0.24%) aims to replicate the larger company's success with its unique spin on Mediterranean cuisine. But is the hype justified? Let's dig deeper to see if the stock still has millionaire-maker potential. Why Cava? While Cava had its initial public offering in 2023, the company has been around since 2006, when it opened its first restaurant in Maryland. The chain's Mediterranean concept allowed it to differentiate itself from the alternatives and appeal to increasingly health-conscious millennial and Gen Z consumers who gravitate toward its low-carb options. Like Chipotle, Cava offers an assembly line format where customers can select a base (such as rice or greens) and choose from a variety of proteins, toppings, and sauces. While there is debate about exactly how healthy fast casual food is, Cava has successfully positioned its brand image on the cleaner side of the industry, which contributes to its economic moat. And with just 439 locations (mainly on the U.S. West Coast), there is plenty of room to roll out its model in more areas. Business is booming -- with some caveats On the surface, Cava's business is doing quite well. Fourth-quarter revenue grew 21.2% to $272.8 million, which is significantly higher than comparable fast-casual chains like Chipotle, which only grew its top line by 4% in the period. Cava is also consistently profitable, with an operating income of $2.8 million in the period. This is welcome news because it significantly reduces the risk of dilutive capital raises in the future. That said, when you dig deeper into Cava's Q4 res...
Oracle $ORCL, of all companies, would like a word about the future of software. On its latest earnings call, Larry Ellison grabbed one of tech’s nastier new panic phrases — the SaaS-apocalypse — and used it to try to argue that AI’s shakeout won’t bury Oracle but could instead leave the old enterprise giant standing tall in a stronger position. “Thank God we have these coding tools now that allow ...
Oracle $ORCL, of all companies, would like a word about the future of software. On its latest earnings call, Larry Ellison grabbed one of tech’s nastier new panic phrases — the SaaS-apocalypse — and used it to try to argue that AI’s shakeout won’t bury Oracle but could instead leave the old enterprise giant standing tall in a stronger position. “Thank God we have these coding tools now that allow us to build a comprehensive set of software — agent-based software — to automate an ecosystem like health care or financial services,” Ellison said. “That is why we think we are a disruptor. That is why we think the SaaS-apocalypse applies to others, but not to us.” That’s a striking line from a company better known for corporate plumbing than Silicon Valley prophecy, and it landed on the same day Oracle reported $17.2 billion in quarterly revenue, cloud revenue up 44% to $8.9 billion, cloud infrastructure revenue up 84% to $4.9 billion, and remaining performance obligations up 325% to $553 billion, with Oracle saying most of that jump came from large-scale AI contracts. Software investors have spent the past several weeks wondering whether AI agents and AI coding tools are about to make parts of the application layer look a lot less sacred. In early February, software and services stocks had shed about $830 billion in market value over six trading days as investors worried that new AI tools were pushing into legal work, sales, marketing, data analysis, and other lucrative corners of enterprise software. That’s the panic Ellison walked into — and that he, being Larry Ellison, immediately tried to turn into a competitive advantage. Oracle CEO Mike Sicilia made the same case in a bit more detail, saying, “I do not agree with that at all” about the idea that AI coding tools will spell the end of SaaS, and arguing that Oracle is using those tools to speed product development and embed AI agents directly into its software suites. “Yes, some smaller or single-focused SaaS players...
peshkov Matt Gertken, BCA Research chief geopolitical and U.S. political strategist, warned that an extended disruption of oil supply is the most likely outcome of the ongoing Iran conflict. In an interview with CNBC, Gertken estimated the disruption could last for weeks, though likely not longer than a month. While the U.S. Navy has the capability to clear the Strait of Hormuz, the administration...
peshkov Matt Gertken, BCA Research chief geopolitical and U.S. political strategist, warned that an extended disruption of oil supply is the most likely outcome of the ongoing Iran conflict. In an interview with CNBC, Gertken estimated the disruption could last for weeks, though likely not longer than a month. While the U.S. Navy has the capability to clear the Strait of Hormuz, the administration faces a difficult choice. With the election looming, officials are reluctant to take aggressive action that would cause a short-term spike in oil prices, and their attempts to manage multiple goals simultaneously “all sort of skew toward a larger and a longer shock,” according to Gertken. In his analysis, Gertken assigns a 70% probability to a massive oil shock and only a 30% chance of de-escalation. He argued that negotiations are likely to fail because Iran has already demonstrated its willingness to endure U.S. strikes rather than dismantle its nuclear program, a strategy that appears to be “bearing fruit” from Tehran’s perspective. The domestic political landscape compounds the challenge for the administration. Unlike the Iraq war, which began with over 70% public approval, current support for the conflict sits at approximately 40%. With oil prices surging to $85 or $90 per barrel, Gertken warned there would be an “enormous drop in support for the president.” Looking at market implications, Gertken said volatility ( VIX ) for equity markets has likely not peaked yet and commodities are expected to continue climbing. Investors should brace for ongoing physical disruptions to oil infrastructure. “We’ll keep seeing refineries catch fire. We’ll keep seeing ships struck and catch fire,” he said, noting that the situation surrounding mining the Strait of Hormuz adds further uncertainty. Iran remains incentivized to maintain high economic costs for the conflict, which Gertken believes will likely force a “major spectacular incident” before the U.S. can fully secure passage th...
Jeremy Edwards/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Before the attack started on Feb. 28, lingering concerns about inflation had kept the Fed wary of extending last year’s interest rate cuts. Although several measures of pricing pressure had stabilized at lower levels relative to recent history, Fed officials expressed caution about declaring victory in fully taming the price spike that peaked at 9....
Jeremy Edwards/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Before the attack started on Feb. 28, lingering concerns about inflation had kept the Fed wary of extending last year’s interest rate cuts. Although several measures of pricing pressure had stabilized at lower levels relative to recent history, Fed officials expressed caution about declaring victory in fully taming the price spike that peaked at 9.0% year over year for the Consumer Price Index in June 2022. The inflation trend has since fallen dramatically, and remained relatively stable in the mid-2% range, which is modestly above the Fed’s 2% target. But the cautious optimism that had accompanied the disinflation could be ancient history due to the war. The concern is that the sharp rise in energy costs will reignite inflation and force the central bank to react by keeping monetary policy tighter for longer. It’s uncertain how long the surge in oil, gasoline, and natural gas prices will last, and so it’s debatable how, if, or when the Fed should respond. This gray area for policy will take time to clear. The longer the war lasts, the deeper the ambiguity about what comes next for policy decisions. The critical questions: When will the war end, and what will follow in terms of economic consequences? It’s all speculation at this point, but analysts are considering an array of possibilities. Much of the analysis centers on how soon oil exports will rebound through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains essentially closed due to the war and accounts for roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne exports. The basic calculus: the longer exports are blocked, the bigger the hit on supply, which in turn will bring longer-lasting upside pressure to energy prices, estimates Capital Economics via the FT. The challenge for the Fed is deciding which scenario is likely and setting monetary policy appropriately. But with no clear end to the war in sight as of this writing, the near-term outlook is as cloudy as ever for energy costs an...
Drew Angerer TikTok is delving deeper into music. The platform on Wednesday announced a "Play Full Song" feature as part of its tie-up with Apple Music ( AAPL ) to let users listen to a particular song completely that was used in making the short video clip. The feature notably will link the two apps and allow users to keep scrolling videos while music discovered continues to play. "Tapping into t...
Drew Angerer TikTok is delving deeper into music. The platform on Wednesday announced a "Play Full Song" feature as part of its tie-up with Apple Music ( AAPL ) to let users listen to a particular song completely that was used in making the short video clip. The feature notably will link the two apps and allow users to keep scrolling videos while music discovered continues to play. "Tapping into the music you love should feel effortless," said Apple Music’s Ole Obermann. "With Play Full Song, Apple Music subscribers can move easily from discovering a track on TikTok to listening to it in full instantly, without breaking the flow." A new "Listening Party" feature was also announced by the platforms, where people can listen to their favorite artist's music in real-time and socialize with them in chat. ByteDance had previously poured its efforts into standalone music projects like TikTok Music, but that app was shut down in November 2024 as the company decided to partner with streaming services rather than compete with them. Albeit TikTok is not a music app, the platform continues to play an important role in popularizing songs, both old and new, through viral trends in which Gen Z and millennial audiences participate heavily. More on Apple, TikTok, etc. Apple: Rising Free Cash Flow Expectations Strengthen The Bull Case Apple's Agentic Moment Is Here - But It Isn't Siri The MacBook Neo Is A Brilliant Move For Apple, But A Worrying Sign For The Economy Apple’s 'game changer' MacBook Neo gets rave reviews on pricing and design Apple's MacBook Neo price stands out as higher memory, CPU costs drive up notebooks: TrendForce
Drew Angerer TikTok is delving deeper into music. The platform on Wednesday announced a "Play Full Song" feature as part of its tie-up with Apple Music ( AAPL ) to let users listen to a particular song completely that was used in making the short video clip. The feature notably will link the two apps and allow users to keep scrolling videos while music discovered continues to play. "Tapping into t...
Drew Angerer TikTok is delving deeper into music. The platform on Wednesday announced a "Play Full Song" feature as part of its tie-up with Apple Music ( AAPL ) to let users listen to a particular song completely that was used in making the short video clip. The feature notably will link the two apps and allow users to keep scrolling videos while music discovered continues to play. "Tapping into the music you love should feel effortless," said Apple Music’s Ole Obermann. "With Play Full Song, Apple Music subscribers can move easily from discovering a track on TikTok to listening to it in full instantly, without breaking the flow." A new "Listening Party" feature was also announced by the platforms, where people can listen to their favorite artist's music in real-time and socialize with them in chat. ByteDance had previously poured its efforts into standalone music projects like TikTok Music, but that app was shut down in November 2024 as the company decided to partner with streaming services rather than compete with them. Albeit TikTok is not a music app, the platform continues to play an important role in popularizing songs, both old and new, through viral trends in which Gen Z and millennial audiences participate heavily. More on Apple, TikTok, etc. Apple: Rising Free Cash Flow Expectations Strengthen The Bull Case Apple's Agentic Moment Is Here - But It Isn't Siri The MacBook Neo Is A Brilliant Move For Apple, But A Worrying Sign For The Economy Apple’s 'game changer' MacBook Neo gets rave reviews on pricing and design Apple's MacBook Neo price stands out as higher memory, CPU costs drive up notebooks: TrendForce
Shares of Domo ( DOMO ) opened more than 22% higher on Wednesday after the company posted better-than-expected third-quarter results. The stock advanced 22.15% to $5.35 during early trading hours. The company posted adjusted earnings of $0.03 per share and revenue of $79.62M, exceeding analysts' estimates by $0.06 and $0.97M, respectively. Subscription revenue rose 2% Y/Y to $73.4M. For the full y...
Shares of Domo ( DOMO ) opened more than 22% higher on Wednesday after the company posted better-than-expected third-quarter results. The stock advanced 22.15% to $5.35 during early trading hours. The company posted adjusted earnings of $0.03 per share and revenue of $79.62M, exceeding analysts' estimates by $0.06 and $0.97M, respectively. Subscription revenue rose 2% Y/Y to $73.4M. For the full year, the company’s non-GAAP earnings came in at -$0.03 per share on revenue of $318.9M. Domo reported record quarterly billings of $111.2M, which CEO Joshua James attributed to higher retention, an expanding partner ecosystem, and accelerated adoption of the consumption model. “Our platform is well-positioned to benefit from the rapid adoption of AI in the market,” James added. The company did not provide any guidance as it is in the process of evaluating strategic alternatives. However, the management expects GAAP revenue to remain relatively flat with a modest improvement in non-GAAP EPS and positive adjusted free cash flow for the upcoming fiscal year, as per CFO Tod Crane. Several research analysts revised their price target on the stock following its results. DA Davidson reportedly lowered its price target on Domo to $6.00 from $10.00, but maintained a Neutral rating. The firm said it was waiting for clearer upside to the revenue growth outlook before turning more constructive on the shares. Meanwhile, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered its price target on the firm to $8.00 from $13.00 while maintaining an Overweight rating. More on Domo Domo, Inc. (DOMO) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Domo: AI Is Making This Company Obsolete Domo outlines AI-driven platform strategy with record $111.2M Q4 billings and 88% gross retention Domo Q4 2026 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Domo
Oil prices remained in a holding pattern on Wednesday morning as the International Energy Agency announced a record release of petroleum reserves by member countries to avoid a supply crunch. The S&P 500 fell slightly, despite a strong earnings report fom Oracle. The IEA said its 32 member nations agreed to jointly release 400 million barrels of oil.
Oil prices remained in a holding pattern on Wednesday morning as the International Energy Agency announced a record release of petroleum reserves by member countries to avoid a supply crunch. The S&P 500 fell slightly, despite a strong earnings report fom Oracle. The IEA said its 32 member nations agreed to jointly release 400 million barrels of oil.
Japanese digital-wallet provider PayPay Corp. is guiding investors that it will price its US initial public offering at $16 per share, below its marketed range, people familiar with the matter said, as the deal moves forward despite market turbulence. The SoftBank Group Corp .-backed company is poised to price about 55 million American depositary receipts, putting the deal on track to raise $880 m...
Japanese digital-wallet provider PayPay Corp. is guiding investors that it will price its US initial public offering at $16 per share, below its marketed range, people familiar with the matter said, as the deal moves forward despite market turbulence. The SoftBank Group Corp .-backed company is poised to price about 55 million American depositary receipts, putting the deal on track to raise $880 million, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing a private matter. PayPay had marketed the ADRs, which each represent one common share, at $17 to $20 apiece. The company is set to price the IPO on Wednesday, according to terms of the deal seen by Bloomberg News. The offering drew institutional-investor demand for multiple times the available ADRs, people familiar with the matter said . PayPay did not respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours in Tokyo. PayPay is pushing ahead with its offering against the backdrop of market turbulence sparked by the hostilities in the Middle East. Even before the Iran conflict began, PayPay was stepping into a challenging environment for IPOs, with some US listings of financial-technology firms fizzling. At the $16 price, PayPay would have a market value of about $10.7 billion, based on the outstanding shares listed in its filings. PayPay was seeking a valuation of more than $10 billion, although SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son had pushed for a valuation as high as $20 billion. PayPay started in 2018 as a joint venture with Vision Fund-backed Indian payments company Paytm. The company soon zoomed past Rakuten Group Inc.’s Rakuten Pay in capturing users, thanks to heavy marketing, aggressive subsidies and SoftBank’s support in signing on merchants around Japan. As of December, the number of PayPay users reached about 72 million in a country of roughly 123 million. Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Mizuho Financial Group and Morgan Stanley are working on the IPO. The company is expected to deb...
There are lots of options for video doorbells that store footage locally — including these from Eufy, Reolink, SwitchBot, Tapo, and Aqara. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Recently, Ring ran a Super Bowl ad for its Search Party feature showing how it uses AI to scan footage from Ring cameras and video doorbells to help find lost dogs. It sounds neighborly — until you consider that t...
There are lots of options for video doorbells that store footage locally — including these from Eufy, Reolink, SwitchBot, Tapo, and Aqara. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Recently, Ring ran a Super Bowl ad for its Search Party feature showing how it uses AI to scan footage from Ring cameras and video doorbells to help find lost dogs. It sounds neighborly — until you consider that the same system could theoretically search footage for anything or anyone . Combined with longstanding concerns around Ring’s ties to law enforcement — including a recent proposed integration with law enforcement technology company Flock Safety — the ad has prompted some users to look for alternatives to Ring. If you are uncomfortable continuing to use your Ring cameras and are wondering what to do, we’ve rounded up all your options: From how to lock down your Ring hardware if you don’t want to or can’t swap it out, to doorbell cameras that don’t rely on cloud-processing — including those that store footage locally. Why are people looking to ditch Ring? The core concern is that Ring footage is processed and stored in the cloud. While Ring encrypts videos in transit and at rest, the company can access footage while it’s processed for features such as AI-powered video descriptions , video search , and Search Party . While Ring has said that it does not share data or video footage with ICE or any federal law enforcement agencies, and that only its users can share their footage with local law enforcement, many people are concerned about what might happen if Ring changes its policies. Ring maintains that it is not conducting mass surveillance. However, Ring’s founder and CEO Jamie Siminoff continues to be vocal in his belief that more cameras and more AI can help solve crime. He was the one who brought back video sharing with law enforcement after his predecessor ended the company’s prior police-sharing feature . Ring — like any cloud provider — can be compelled to provide footag...