In his 1961 novel The Winter of Our Discontent, John Steinbeck wrote of loss, "It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone." The death of NASA's Exploration Upper Stage today represents the inverse of that sentiment. The world of spaceflight is so much brighter now that its light has gone out. The rocket's death came via a seemingly pedestrian notice pos...
In his 1961 novel The Winter of Our Discontent, John Steinbeck wrote of loss, "It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone." The death of NASA's Exploration Upper Stage today represents the inverse of that sentiment. The world of spaceflight is so much brighter now that its light has gone out. The rocket's death came via a seemingly pedestrian notice posted on a government procurement website: "NASA/MSFC intends to issue a sole source contract to acquire next-generation upper stages for use in Space Launch System (SLS) Artemis IV and Artemis V from United Launch Alliance (ULA)." Read full article Comments
As fans of FX’s new limited series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette search for real-life versions of the characters' wardrobes, they're running into roadblocks. According to Google Trends, searches for “Calvin Klein 90s” shot up 850% in the US the week Love Story premiered. When customers found more fleece joggers and graphic tees on its website than the sleek basics they were l...
As fans of FX’s new limited series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette search for real-life versions of the characters' wardrobes, they're running into roadblocks. According to Google Trends, searches for “Calvin Klein 90s” shot up 850% in the US the week Love Story premiered. When customers found more fleece joggers and graphic tees on its website than the sleek basics they were looking for, some turned to secondhand sellers. PVH Corp., the apparel conglomerate that bought the Calvin Klein brand from the designer of the same name in 2003, declined to comment on its CBK strategy—or lack thereof—citing a quiet period ahead of its next earnings release. Dina Katgara, Bloomberg News Consumer Reporter, joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. She speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. (Source: Bloomberg)
Professor25/iStock via Getty Images By Jennifer Nash The latest employment report showed that 92,000 jobs were lost in February, down from January's 126,000 addition. This figure was worse than the projected addition of 58,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate inched up to 4.4%, coming in higher than the forecasted 4.3% rate. Here is an excerpt from the Employment Situation Summary released t...
Professor25/iStock via Getty Images By Jennifer Nash The latest employment report showed that 92,000 jobs were lost in February, down from January's 126,000 addition. This figure was worse than the projected addition of 58,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate inched up to 4.4%, coming in higher than the forecasted 4.3% rate. Here is an excerpt from the Employment Situation Summary released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Total nonfarm payroll employment edged down by 92,000 in February, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.4 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment in health care decreased, reflecting strike activity. Employment in information and federal government continued to trend down. Household Survey Data: Both the unemployment rate, at 4.4 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 7.6 million, changed little in February. Establishment Survey Data: Total nonfarm payroll employment edged down by 92,000 in February, following an increase in January (+126,000). Employment in health care decreased in February, reflecting strike activity. Employment in information and federal government continued to trend down. Payroll employment changed little on net in 2025. Here is a snapshot of the monthly change in nonfarm employment over the last five years. The 3-month moving average is currently at 6,000. For another view, here is the monthly percent change in nonfarm employment since 2000. We've added a 12-month moving average to highlight the long-term trend. The latest 12-month moving average is at 13,000. Unemployment, Recessions, and Market Trends The next chart illustrates the relationship between unemployment, recessions, and the S&P Composite since 1948. Unemployment is typically a lagging indicator that moves inversely to equity prices (the top series in the chart). Notice the rising unemployment peaks in 1971, 1975, and 1982, which coincided with bear markets. A similar pattern briefly emerged d...
Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date: The following changes to the S&P 100, S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400, and S&P SmallCap 600 will take effect before the market opens on Monday, March 23, as part of the quarterly rebalance. The changes ensure that each index is more representative of its market–capitalization range. The companies...
Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date: The following changes to the S&P 100, S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400, and S&P SmallCap 600 will take effect before the market opens on Monday, March 23, as part of the quarterly rebalance. The changes ensure that each index is more representative of its market–capitalization range. The companies being removed from the S&P SmallCap 600 are no longer representative of the small–cap market space. NAPCO Security Technologies Inc. (NASD: NSSC) will replace Alexander & Baldwin Inc. (NYSE: ALEX) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Friday, March 13. An investor group comprised of MW Group and funds affiliated with DivcoWest and Blackstone Real Estate is acquiring Alexander & Baldwin in a deal that is expected to close soon, pending final closing conditions. NEW YORK, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI") will make the following changes to the S&P 100, S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400, and S&P SmallCap 600 indices: Story Continues S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/. FOR MORE INFORMATION: S&P Dow Jones Indices index_services@spglobal.com Media Inquiries spdji.comms@spglobal.com Cision Vie...
Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares of Capital One Financial Corporation ( COF ) have been a modest performer over the past year, gaining about 6%. However, recent performance has been worse, with shares steadily dropping over $60 so far in 2026. There are growing concerns about the economic outlook, with job growth weak and the Iran conflict sparking a large rise in oil pr...
Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares of Capital One Financial Corporation ( COF ) have been a modest performer over the past year, gaining about 6%. However, recent performance has been worse, with shares steadily dropping over $60 so far in 2026. There are growing concerns about the economic outlook, with job growth weak and the Iran conflict sparking a large rise in oil prices. This type of price shock could stress consumers already facing a difficult affordability environment, and with its focus on credit card lending, Capital One is very exposed to consumer credit trends. I last covered COF in October , upgrading shares to a “ B uy,” which was a very poor call, and the stock is down 17% since then. With such a changed macro picture, now is a good time to revisit shares and determine next steps. Seeking Alpha We have seen crude oil prices rise significantly over the past few months, rallying from the $50s toward $90. This is a material price shock, and while it will take some time to filter through to gas prices, it could potentially lift headline inflation by ~0.3%-0.5%. Because oil is a key cost for transportation, it can have a knock-on effect on many good prices beyond consumers’ spending at the pump. All else equal, this shock will reduce consumers’ discretionary spending power and weaken the economy. A massive uncertainty is whether this conflict ends shortly or spirals further, which, frankly, is unknowable. While I believe the economy can withstand $80-$100 oil, a move past $100 makes recession a greater risk. Ultimately, there are multiple causes of default cycles in consumer credit, but oil has historically played a role. Before the financial crisis, oil prices approached $150, and gasoline jumped from $2 to $4 in a year. That coincided with a large rise in delinquencies. From 2014 to 2019, gasoline prices were fairly low, and consumer credit performance was consistently strong. Post-COVID, we saw oil prices (alongside many other ...
World number one Luke Littler got his UK Open defence off to a winning start, overcoming Damon Heta 10-3 with another 'Big Fish' checkout along the way. The tournament at Minehead, Somerset, sees more than 100 PDC Tour card holders take on 16 amateur qualifiers and a further 16 players from the Winmau Challenge and Development tours. As the world's top 32 entered the fray in round four, Littler to...
World number one Luke Littler got his UK Open defence off to a winning start, overcoming Damon Heta 10-3 with another 'Big Fish' checkout along the way. The tournament at Minehead, Somerset, sees more than 100 PDC Tour card holders take on 16 amateur qualifiers and a further 16 players from the Winmau Challenge and Development tours. As the world's top 32 entered the fray in round four, Littler took out 170 to move 7-2 ahead - a day after having notched two in his first Premier League win of the year. He signed off in style shortly afterwards with a 120 finish comprising treble 20, double 20 and double 10. Other action saw Michael van Gerwen edge past Nathan Aspinall 10-8 after coming from 4-2 down. Describing Aspinall as "a fighter", Van Gerwen told ITV he had kept "cool, especially at the end of the game" but admitted he had given "The Asp" too many chances. Meanwhile, world number two Luke Humphries beat Luke Woodhouse 10-3, Gian van Veen - ranked three - was beaten 10-7 by Rob Cross, and Danny Noppert hit a nine-darter during his 10-4 win over Dimitri van den Bergh.
A week into one of the biggest ever disruptions to global energy markets, oil prices still remain far below levels seen in previous crises. But a growing chorus of energy executives and traders is warning that every day that war rages on brings the world closer to a tipping point — with several predicting $100 crude within days. Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has all but halted — making...
A week into one of the biggest ever disruptions to global energy markets, oil prices still remain far below levels seen in previous crises. But a growing chorus of energy executives and traders is warning that every day that war rages on brings the world closer to a tipping point — with several predicting $100 crude within days. Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has all but halted — making reality what had long been considered a worst-case scenario for the energy markets. There were signs on Friday that some of the initial oil market calm was dissipating, as Brent crude prices soared past $90 a barrel — taking their gain to more than a quarter this week. Ellen Wald, President of Transversal Consulting and Atlantic Council Senior Fellow, joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. She speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. (Source: Bloomberg)
The latest earnings report from discount food retailer Grocery Outlet (GO +3.63%) certainly didn't leave a good taste in many investor mouths. This was compounded by several analyst recommendation downgrades and price target cuts. According to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence, the company's shares lost more than 33% of their value over the week. A slide in "comps" Grocery Outlet's n...
The latest earnings report from discount food retailer Grocery Outlet (GO +3.63%) certainly didn't leave a good taste in many investor mouths. This was compounded by several analyst recommendation downgrades and price target cuts. According to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence, the company's shares lost more than 33% of their value over the week. A slide in "comps" Grocery Outlet's net sales for its fourth quarter of 2025 were $1.22 billion, a year-over-year improvement of almost $11%. Yet the retailer's comparable sales saw a decline, dipping by almost 1% from the fourth quarter 2024 figure. On the bottom line, net income not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) rose by 29% to $18.7 million, or $0.19 per share. Although net sales essentially met the consensus analyst estimate, Grocery Outlet missed on profitability, as pundits tracking the stock had modeled a non-GAAP (adjusted) net income figure of $0.21 per share. In its earnings release, the company said its performance was affected by delays in federal food benefits and strengthening competition, among other factors. It said it was launching a "business optimization plan," which includes the closure of 36 stores. Expand NASDAQ : GO Grocery Outlet Today's Change ( 3.63 %) $ 0.23 Current Price $ 6.57 Key Data Points Market Cap $622M Day's Range $ 6.32 - $ 6.64 52wk Range $ 6.20 - $ 19.41 Volume 730K Avg Vol 2.7M Gross Margin 30.27 % Weaker-than-expected guidance Grocery Outlet also proffered guidance for the entirety of 2026. Despite the closures, ultimately its store count should rise, with 30 to 33 net new openings. In terms of financials, net sales are expected to land at $4.6 billion to slightly over $4.7 billion, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.45 to $0.55. The company's "comps" are expected to range from flat to a 2% decline. Both ranges fell short of 2025's almost $4.7 billion on the top line and $0.76 per share adjusted net profit. They were also well bel...