(RTTNews) - Zoox announced plans to expand its autonomous vehicle operations into Phoenix and Dallas, as the company broadens testing of its robotaxi technology across the U.S. The company said it will begin operations in Phoenix while also expanding testing activities in Dallas. To support the expansion, Zoox plans to open new depots in Phoenix and Dallas and a Fusion Center facility in Scottsdal...
(RTTNews) - Zoox announced plans to expand its autonomous vehicle operations into Phoenix and Dallas, as the company broadens testing of its robotaxi technology across the U.S. The company said it will begin operations in Phoenix while also expanding testing activities in Dallas. To support the expansion, Zoox plans to open new depots in Phoenix and Dallas and a Fusion Center facility in Scottsdale, creating hundreds of jobs. The Scottsdale Fusion Center will serve as a command center for fleet operations, including teleguidance, mission control, and rider support, helping coordinate vehicles in real time and manage complex driving scenarios. Zoox said the new markets will allow it to test its autonomous driving technology in diverse conditions. Phoenix provides an environment to evaluate performance in extreme heat and dust, while Dallas offers varied weather conditions and complex road networks. Initially, the company will deploy a small fleet of retrofitted SUVs to conduct manual mapping before progressing to autonomous testing, with a safety driver present during early testing phases. With the additions of Phoenix and Dallas, Zoox's testing fleet now operates in 10 U.S. markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, Seattle, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Earnings Call Insights: 3D Systems Corporation (DDD) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Jeffrey Graves opened by highlighting execution on 2025 savings initiatives and new product launches, reporting that momentum is building into 2026. He stated, "Overall, revenue increased 16% sequentially, above our guidance of 8% to 10% growth." The CEO emphasized strength in both printer and material sales, notably ...
Earnings Call Insights: 3D Systems Corporation (DDD) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Jeffrey Graves opened by highlighting execution on 2025 savings initiatives and new product launches, reporting that momentum is building into 2026. He stated, "Overall, revenue increased 16% sequentially, above our guidance of 8% to 10% growth." The CEO emphasized strength in both printer and material sales, notably from the dual laser SLA 750 platform for automotive and the new MJP 300W Plus wax printer for jewelry manufacturing. He described three key growth initiatives: aerospace and defense (A&D), personalized health services (PHS), and dental. Graves detailed that the aerospace and defense segment achieved 16% growth in 2025 and the company continues to expect over 20% growth for 2026, driven by investments in metal casting and direct metal printing technologies. He announced a major expansion in the Littleton, Colorado facility, adding up to 80,000 square feet to meet anticipated demand from secure U.S.-based manufacturing for national security and space applications. In healthcare, the CEO reported that PHS reached double-digit growth and became the largest healthcare segment, with over 18,000 personalized planning cases and 260,000 customized patient implants provided in 2025. He also highlighted the commercial launch and growing adoption of the NextDent jetted denture platform. Graves described new regulatory clearances in dental, including in New Zealand, Colombia, and Chile, with European and additional South American and Asian markets expected to follow. Interim CFO Phyllis Nordstrom stated, "Fourth quarter consolidated revenue was $106.3 million, an increase of 3% year-over-year, adjusting for Geomagic." She added, "Non-GAAP operating expenses were $43 million, down 23% or $13 million from the prior year period when adjusting for Geomagic." Outlook The company is limiting financial guidance to the first quarter of 2026 due to geopolitical uncertainty, expecting revenue in ...
Shares of Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) have buckled below $100 again. It's the first time in more than 10 months that the entertainment giant isn't trading in the triple digits. It's an odd stock chart for a company that has more good news than bad in that span of time, but the markdowns aren't entirely unjustified. Disney is a provider of premium travel experiences worldwide, vulnerable when the globa...
Shares of Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) have buckled below $100 again. It's the first time in more than 10 months that the entertainment giant isn't trading in the triple digits. It's an odd stock chart for a company that has more good news than bad in that span of time, but the markdowns aren't entirely unjustified. Disney is a provider of premium travel experiences worldwide, vulnerable when the global economy is coming under fire. Inflationary pressures are percolating, especially with the cost of the fuel required to get families going on road trips and on airplanes to get to its leading theme parks skyrocketing. With more money now going to fill up the tank -- as well as the unemployment rate creeping higher -- there will be less money to go around to hit up the multiplex, subscribe to premium streaming video services, and hop on a cruise ship. Advertisers also tend to pare back when the economy is iffy. Why pay up for a lead when the target of that campaign is less likely to part with shrinking disposable income? Continue reading
The dollar index (DXY00) today is up +0.27%. The dollar is seeing support from today's upward spike in oil prices to the $100 per barrel area, which is hawkish for Fed policy. Also, higher oil prices are beneficial for the dollar since the US is the world's largest oil-producing country. Join 200K+ Subscribers: The dollar continued to be undercut by last Friday's weak US economic news, which inclu...
The dollar index (DXY00) today is up +0.27%. The dollar is seeing support from today's upward spike in oil prices to the $100 per barrel area, which is hawkish for Fed policy. Also, higher oil prices are beneficial for the dollar since the US is the world's largest oil-producing country. Join 200K+ Subscribers: The dollar continued to be undercut by last Friday's weak US economic news, which included the -92,000 decline in US Feb payrolls and the -0.2% m/m decline in US Jan retail sales. Swaps markets are discounting the odds at 4% for a -25 bp rate cut at the next policy meeting on March 17-18. The dollar continues to be undercut by a poor outlook for interest rate differentials, with the FOMC expected to cut interest rates by at least -25 bp in 2026, while the BOJ and ECB are expected to raise rates by at least +25 bp in 2026. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) today is down -0.45%. The euro is being undercut by the dollar's strength. Also, the latest surge in oil prices is negative for the euro since the Eurozone economy is heavily dependent on imported oil and natural gas. Swaps are discounting a 1% chance of a +25 bp rate hike by the ECB at its next policy meeting on March 19. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is up +0.39%. The yen is seeing weakness on today's new upward spike in oil prices. High oil prices weigh on Japan's economy, which depends heavily on imported energy. The markets are discounting a +5% chance of a BOJ rate hike at the next meeting on March 19. April COMEX gold (GCJ26) is down -53.1 (-1.02%), and May COMEX silver (SIK26) is up +0.164 (+0.19%). Gold prices are trading lower today amid long liquidation and a stronger dollar. In addition, today's fresh upward spike in oil prices puts pressure on President Trump to end the war with Iran sooner rather than later. Still, precious metals have underlying support from safe-haven demand tied to worries that the US and Israeli war against Iran will drag on. Iran's Assembly of Experts over the weekend appointed hardliner Mojtaba Kham...
adamkaz/E+ via Getty Images TransMedics' ( TMDX ) stock continues to trend higher, with investors seemingly becoming more comfortable with seasonality and growing competition. The company's financial performance also remains robust, and this should persist into 2026. I previously highlighted the importance of TransMedics’ heart and lung trials. At the time, I felt the company's stock would perform...
adamkaz/E+ via Getty Images TransMedics' ( TMDX ) stock continues to trend higher, with investors seemingly becoming more comfortable with seasonality and growing competition. The company's financial performance also remains robust, and this should persist into 2026. I previously highlighted the importance of TransMedics’ heart and lung trials. At the time, I felt the company's stock would perform well, due to resilient growth and trial tailwinds. While the stock is fairly flat since then, I am now more "Neutral" as TransMedics’ growth is likely to continue moderating in 2026, and margins will come under pressure from trial investments. Market Conditions TransMedics' OCS was used in 5,139 transplants in the U nited States in 2025, an increase of roughly 38% YoY. This represented a 26% share of heart, lung, and liver transplants, although TransMedics' share varies significantly across organs. While there is still room for further liver market share gains, and the number of organ transplants will continue to grow at a solid pace, TransMedics' needs to achieve greater penetration in heart and lung transplants to create meaningful upside for investors. Table 1: TransMedics US Transplant Market Share (source: Created by author using data from TransMedics) Competition now appears to be less of a concern, which likely stems from TransMedics' continued market share gains. This relates both to the proliferation of alternative perfusion devices and the continued adoption of normothermic regional perfusion. Competition will continue to increase, but TransMedics believes that its device has a meaningful performance and economic advantage, even at a higher price point. Figure 1: Heart, Liver and Lung Machine Perfusion Devices Approved by the FDA (source: Strata Critical Medical) Figure 2: Normothermic Regional Perfusion Penetration Rate (source: Strata Critical Medical) TransMedics' competitive positioning could also be improved by the release of data demonstrating the economic ...
Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn/iStock via Getty Images In today's uncertain environment, generating sufficient retirement income is harder than ever. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the broader stock market ( SPY ) remains near all-time highs and currently sits in very overvalued territory , with the likes of Howard Marks warning that the next decade could very well be a lost one . This m...
Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn/iStock via Getty Images In today's uncertain environment, generating sufficient retirement income is harder than ever. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the broader stock market ( SPY ) remains near all-time highs and currently sits in very overvalued territory , with the likes of Howard Marks warning that the next decade could very well be a lost one . This makes retiring on indexed funds with a 4% target withdrawal rate a bit of a risky proposition. Second, dividend income, while certainly available today, can be very treacherous to generate, given how several sectors are facing issues right now. For example, REITs ( VNQ ) have been in the doldrums for quite some time due to interest rates remaining at elevated levels and significant overbuilding in various sectors. This has even led some stalwarts like W.P. Carey ( WPC ) and Crown Castle ( CCI ) to slash their dividends. Moreover, private credit ( BIZD ) is very much out of favor, with negative headlines wreaking havoc and recent Federal Reserve rate cuts leading to dividend cuts across the space, even from reliable blue-chip names like Golub Capital BDC ( GBDC ). Alternative asset managers, which have been some of the most dynamic dividend growers in recent years, are selling off hard on private credit concerns as well, including powerhouse names like Blackstone ( BX ) and Ares Management ( ARES ). Meanwhile, energy ( XLE ) and infrastructure ( UTF ) remain sound fundamentally, but their equity prices have soared higher recently, leading some to wonder if they are still attractive investments right now. The Big Retirement Income Question Investors Are Facing The question has then become: How do you generate dependable passive income from dividends without worrying about significantly overpaying? In this article, I will explain the simple strategy I use to generate a 7%+ yielding portfolio while keeping the process relatively simple and stress-free. My thesis is quite simple....
Suspects Linked to IED At Gracie Mansion Made Pro-ISIS Statements In Custody When "suspicious devices" turned up outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday during dueling protests , the media quickly sought to gaslight the public about what really happened. “ Two people in custody after ‘suspicious devices' ignited outside NYC mayor's official residence ,” NBC New York reported. FAKE NBC NEWS NY PUSH FALS...
Suspects Linked to IED At Gracie Mansion Made Pro-ISIS Statements In Custody When "suspicious devices" turned up outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday during dueling protests , the media quickly sought to gaslight the public about what really happened. “ Two people in custody after ‘suspicious devices' ignited outside NYC mayor's official residence ,” NBC New York reported. FAKE NBC NEWS NY PUSH FALSE NARRATIVE OF NYC MAYOR ZO AND WIFE UNDER ATTACK FOR MUSLIM BELIEFS https://t.co/RHYJofBmBx (*Witnesses say the attackers shouted “allahu akbar” as they threw the bombs at the protestors.) pic.twitter.com/TH5ZsE1Vao — Politics On 𝕏 (@PoliticsOnX) March 9, 2026 However, despite the narrative that was initially pushed by the media, the suspect who allegedly lit and threw the two improvised explosive devices near Mayor Zohran Mamdani's official residence was actually a Muslim counter-protester. And by Monday morning, federal authorities were calling it ISIS-inspired terrorism. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood at a press conference alongside Mamdani and confirmed that suspects Amir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested on Saturday and remained in custody. Both men were being prosecuted in federal court in Manhattan. Kayumi is a rich kid whose family came from Afghanistan. Both reportedly made pro-ISIS statements while in custody. Federal agents have already executed search warrants in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where the two men lived, and at a related address in New Jersey. Investigators are also reviewing the suspects' travel history, including trips to Turkey and locations described as potential terror training grounds. "The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death," Tisch said in a post following the incident. NYPD sources a...
Key Takeaways The average 401(k) and IRA balance rose 11% and 7%, respectively, between Q4 2024 and Q4 2025, according to a recent Fidelity analysis. Some financial advisors believe that savers are more likely to stash away money in retirement accounts when the stock market is performing well. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. ASK Over the past year, ret...
Key Takeaways The average 401(k) and IRA balance rose 11% and 7%, respectively, between Q4 2024 and Q4 2025, according to a recent Fidelity analysis. Some financial advisors believe that savers are more likely to stash away money in retirement accounts when the stock market is performing well. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. ASK Over the past year, retirement savers have watched their balances grow substantially thanks to a booming stock market and increased contributions. A recent analysis by Fidelity looked at tens of millions of IRA and 401(k) accounts and found the average 401(k) balance had increased more than 11% between Q4 2024 and Q4 2025. The average IRA balance rose 7% during that time. In 2025, the S&P 500 gained nearly 18% largely due to strong growth in AI stocks such as NVIDIA (NVDA), Meta (META), and Alphabet (GOOGL). The solid performance of the stock market may have encouraged savers to stash more in their retirement accounts, according to some financial advisors. "I have seen that once clients experience the benefit of a rising market and the power of compounding interest, they tend to be more motivated to continue to fund their retirement accounts," wrote Zachary Bachner, a certified financial planner (CFP) at Summit Financial Consulting, in an email. What This Means For You Long-term success in retirement savings depends on consistency. Regular contributions help you build wealth steadily without trying to time the market. In Q4 2025, total IRA contributions were up 23% from the previous year. Additionally, the number of IRA accountholders making contributions increased 25%. While seeing the market reach record highs might spur savers to contribute more to their retirement accounts, Joon Um, a CFP and owner at Secure Tax & Accounting, notes that people shouldn't just invest more because of strong market performance. "We try to remind clients not to chase markets. The goal isn’t investing more because ...
A woman who picked out Andy Malkinson in a video identity parade after being raped has told a jury she later had doubts he was the man who had attacked her after seeing him in court, but police officers told her she had "got the right man" and it was just "trial nerves".
A woman who picked out Andy Malkinson in a video identity parade after being raped has told a jury she later had doubts he was the man who had attacked her after seeing him in court, but police officers told her she had "got the right man" and it was just "trial nerves".
Scott Barbour/Getty Images News Shell ( SHEL ) said Monday it agreed to sell Jiffy Lube International and its Premium Velocity Auto subsidiary to an affiliate of private equity firm Monomoy Capital Partners for $1.3B, as the company continues to dispose of non-core assets while seeking to focus on higher-return businesses. The sale includes the Jiffy Lube brand and a network of franchised...
Scott Barbour/Getty Images News Shell ( SHEL ) said Monday it agreed to sell Jiffy Lube International and its Premium Velocity Auto subsidiary to an affiliate of private equity firm Monomoy Capital Partners for $1.3B, as the company continues to dispose of non-core assets while seeking to focus on higher-return businesses. The sale includes the Jiffy Lube brand and a network of franchised stores which are owned and operated by independent franchisees, in addition to franchised stores that are owned and operated by Premium Velocity; Shell ( SHEL ) will retain its Pennzoil Quaker State, Rotella and other Shell lubricants brands, along with marketing, manufacturing and distribution of lubricants in the U.S. and Canada. "By capitalizing on a strong market opportunity, this divestment allows us to monetize an asset that is not central to Shell's lubricant's portfolio in the U.S. and reinvest in opportunities that generate higher returns," the company's president of the Downstream, Renewables and Energy Solutions segment said. Shell ( SHEL ) trades +1.7% on Monday as oil stocks post broad gains alongside surging crude oil prices caused by the Middle East war. More on Shell Shell: Integrated Gas Is In Demand Shell: Positioned To Benefit From A Potential Capital Rotation Into European Energy Shell's Latest Results Disappoint, But External Factors Merit A Rating Upgrade
Oleksandr Todorov/iStock via Getty Images In October 2024, I wrote my first and only article about WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. ( WBTN ) here on Seeking Alpha. Titled “Webtoon: The Most Undiscovered User Attention Opportunity On The Market,” the piece focused on WEBTOON’s large, engaged base of users, strong liquidity position, and potential growth runway. In the article, I argued that WEBTOON could...
Oleksandr Todorov/iStock via Getty Images In October 2024, I wrote my first and only article about WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. ( WBTN ) here on Seeking Alpha. Titled “Webtoon: The Most Undiscovered User Attention Opportunity On The Market,” the piece focused on WEBTOON’s large, engaged base of users, strong liquidity position, and potential growth runway. In the article, I argued that WEBTOON could produce significant returns for investors in the event that it could successfully drive revenue growth with its marketing war chest, improve operating leverage, and drive sustainably positive bottom-line profits. Unfortunately, this thesis has largely not come to pass. Sales growth has been meager since my initial article, and the firm’s considerable operating expenses have driven ongoing operating losses. While management did report a +$19 million adjusted EBITDA figure for FY 2025, in my eyes, the lack of progress on top-line growth, significant expense base, and uncertain timeline on the Disney partnership make the stock much less attractive than it used to be. I believe that WEBTOON will eventually become a growing, profitable business, but holding the stock right now comes with significant opportunity costs. With so many excellent places to invest your capital, why pick WBTN? Thus, my downgrade. Today, I’ll touch on updates with the company since my previous coverage, highlight the valuation, and make the case that it’s time to tap out of WEBTOON’s story, at least for now. Sound good? Let’s dive in. Financials As I just mentioned, the financial profile of WEBTOON can best be characterized by two key things: Incredibly meager growth. Breakeven economics. Let me break this down. Similar to Spotify ( SPOT ), WEBTOON’s creator revenue-share model means that the company’s top-line revenue is not a particularly meaningful statistic. With three-quarters of all money coming in the door going directly back out to pay creators that generate content for the platform, WEBTOON’s g...
Keir Starmer's hope was always that 2026 would be the year that voters would start to feel better off. Clearly, it might then follow that this would revive Labour's flagging electoral fortunes and his own popularity. Since the start of the year, we have seen an almost monomaniacal focus from the prime minister on bringing down the cost of living — an obsessive level of message discipline that is r...
Keir Starmer's hope was always that 2026 would be the year that voters would start to feel better off. Clearly, it might then follow that this would revive Labour's flagging electoral fortunes and his own popularity. Since the start of the year, we have seen an almost monomaniacal focus from the prime minister on bringing down the cost of living — an obsessive level of message discipline that is required, take it from me, if you want your point to land with the general public. Well, that whole strategy has now been upended by events in the Middle East. Starmer was out today warning that “every household and business in the UK” will be affected by the rise in energy prices. In a year that has already surprised and shocked, oil at more than $110 a barrel was in no one's 12-month lookahead (partly because oil has been mostly impervious to recent geopolitical crises). But now mortgage rates are already heading back up again and the AA today told car owners to drive less to protect themselves from rising fuel costs. But the number that will truly cut through is the suggestion today that inflation could be back at nearly 5% by September if oil continues this surge through the second quarter (the key for analysts is how long energy prices stay high for, more than the absolute level they hit given the UK’s energy cap is based on a three-month average). Having all but nailed on a cut in interest rates next week, traders now see a chance the Bank of England hikes rates later this year. The BOE is itself bruised by allegations the committee was slow to raise rates after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and so will want to be clearly seen acting with alacrity. This graph is striking: UK gilts became the worst hit bonds in Europe as we are particularly sensitive to energy price shocks — they are now up at the highest level since April’s tariff chaos (though still well below Liz Truss days). This too will add to government borrowing costs which had also been heading down. Investors ...