amphotora/iStock via Getty Images Over the past three months, NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF ( QQQI ) has outperformed the Invesco QQQ Trust ( QQQ ). Data by YCharts Even though QQQ has outperformed QQQI over the long term, it is not surprising that QQQI outperformed QQQ in recent months due to the way it is structured. Data by YCharts This is because QQQI combines the concentrated tech exposure ...
amphotora/iStock via Getty Images Over the past three months, NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF ( QQQI ) has outperformed the Invesco QQQ Trust ( QQQ ). Data by YCharts Even though QQQ has outperformed QQQI over the long term, it is not surprising that QQQI outperformed QQQ in recent months due to the way it is structured. Data by YCharts This is because QQQI combines the concentrated tech exposure that QQQ provides with an actively managed covered call overlay. As such, when tech stocks ( XLK ) are soaring, QQQ outperforms QQQI. However, in a market where they flounder, QQQI tends to outperform QQQ. Given that recently increasing caution has been put on mega-cap tech stocks due to their massive AI CapEx commitments this year with uncertain return profiles, and there are major concerns about valuations and AI disruption of the software industry, QQQ has been floundering, which means that the covered calls that QQQI employs are helping it to outperform by giving it additional cash flow without having to forfeit much, if anything, in the way of upside so far this year. This is exactly the type of environment where covered call strategies shine. However, what about moving forward? Should investors continue to play QQQI, or should they switch back to QQQ, or perhaps should they avoid mega-cap tech altogether? In this article, I will break down QQQI in more detail and share my take on the stock. The Structural Flaws That Could Undermine Long-Term Returns I last wrote about QQQI back in December, when I highlighted how the yield looks great, and the performance looks great, yet there are some structural flaws that will lead to long-term total return underperformance. These include the relatively high expense ratio of 0.68%, the fact that its performance looks artificially good, given that, since its inception, its underlying index has performed very well, and it has only been in business a little over two years. Additionally, while its monthly distributions and its high ann...
WaraJenny/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The last time I covered Diageo plc ( DEO ), I highlighted how the stock was trading at decade-lows despite the solid turnaround potential, especially now that the new CEO took over. Following weak guidance due to ongoing US and China pressure and a significant dividend cut, the stock fell back to what I 'd call an attractive valuation, with ...
WaraJenny/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The last time I covered Diageo plc ( DEO ), I highlighted how the stock was trading at decade-lows despite the solid turnaround potential, especially now that the new CEO took over. Following weak guidance due to ongoing US and China pressure and a significant dividend cut, the stock fell back to what I 'd call an attractive valuation, with the new CEO taking what I consider to be the right steps towards a turnaround even sooner than I expected. Internal Developments Diageo plc IR DEO reported an expectably weak H1 FY '26, with an adjusted FCF of $1.53 billion (down $164 million YoY), which is in line with my previous expectations, with persistent weakness in North America and Asia Pacific, which is in line with the broader industry, while emerging markets and Europe helped offset this to some degree. However, the stock dropped as a result of the company 's outlook reduction and dividend cut (to $0.20 per share vs. previous $0.405), moving to a dividend payout policy between 30% and 50%, as DEO now expects organic net sales to drop 2-3% due to further weakness in the US and China, although they continue to expect an increase in FCF to $3 billion in FY '26 (compared to $2.7 billion in FY '25), boosted by their Accelerate cost savings program. Note that I also highlighted the potential to see this dividend cut a couple of months ago when I began covering DEO, although I also mentioned that it would hurt the stock price. Still, now that it happened, we 're talking about a similar valuation to when the previous analysis was released and improved financial flexibility, which I believe to be the right call for the new CEO, who is a veteran in the industry that 's known for Tesco 's ( TSCDF ) turnaround under even harsher conditions. Diageo 's CEO also talked about the way he views this rate cut during their Q2 FY '26 Earnings Call , which I totally agree with, being similar to the direction I was expecting him to st...
Disagreement among Caricom members hampers unified response on Cuban sovereignty and US intervention in the region Caribbean countries have pledged to support Cuba through a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a US fuel embargo, after a leaders summit defined by regional divisions over Washington’s policies. The decision to send humanitarian assistance to Cuba was announced during a press conferenc...
Disagreement among Caricom members hampers unified response on Cuban sovereignty and US intervention in the region Caribbean countries have pledged to support Cuba through a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a US fuel embargo, after a leaders summit defined by regional divisions over Washington’s policies. The decision to send humanitarian assistance to Cuba was announced during a press conference on Friday to mark the end of the four-day Caribbean Community (Caricom) meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, which secretary of state Marco Rubio attended to discuss US relations with Caribbean governments. Continue reading...
When I found out my father had been adopted, I was curious to know more about his side of the family. Nothing could have prepared me for what I would discover … Above my grandma’s bed hung a framed black‑and-white photograph of my dad. As a small child I quietly admired it; his luminous eyes, dark hair and gentle smile. He embodied a tender yet spirited early adulthood, staring into the future. Ha...
When I found out my father had been adopted, I was curious to know more about his side of the family. Nothing could have prepared me for what I would discover … Above my grandma’s bed hung a framed black‑and-white photograph of my dad. As a small child I quietly admired it; his luminous eyes, dark hair and gentle smile. He embodied a tender yet spirited early adulthood, staring into the future. Handsome and seeking. As I grew older, I would discover that it was not, in fact, a photograph of my dad but of a man called Elvis Presley. Apparently he was very famous. My grandma had been a lifelong fan. My parents laughed – an adorable mistake – but I felt a hot pulse of humiliation. Continue reading...
Businesses are vying for a refund, with nearly $175bn on the line, but customers are unlikely to benefit from reversal At 8am, two hours before the US supreme court officially slapped down Donald Trump ’s “liberation day” tariffs on 20 February, Joseph Spraragen’s phone was already ringing off the hook. The seasoned New York-based attorney and his 40-strong specialised trade team at Grunfeld, Desi...
Businesses are vying for a refund, with nearly $175bn on the line, but customers are unlikely to benefit from reversal At 8am, two hours before the US supreme court officially slapped down Donald Trump ’s “liberation day” tariffs on 20 February, Joseph Spraragen’s phone was already ringing off the hook. The seasoned New York-based attorney and his 40-strong specialised trade team at Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt (GDLSK) had spent months filing hundreds of lawsuits for heavy-hitter clients, including luxury brands Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, in protest of the US president’s decision to impose sweeping import taxes last April. Continue reading...
The question of who owns and authorizes the month holds particular relevance amid attacks on Black history in the US There is a myth that persists about Black History Month that can be heard in the common gripe: “They gave us the shortest month of the year” (they, the unnamed powers that be). Jarvis Givens, the author of I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month , hates it....
The question of who owns and authorizes the month holds particular relevance amid attacks on Black history in the US There is a myth that persists about Black History Month that can be heard in the common gripe: “They gave us the shortest month of the year” (they, the unnamed powers that be). Jarvis Givens, the author of I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month , hates it. “Every time I hear that backhanded comment it doesn’t seem right,” said Givens, an associate professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. “If you know anything about the basic origins of Black History Month then you know that we weren’t ‘given’ anything.” The question of who owns and authorizes Black History Month holds particular relevance now, in its centennial year, and at a time when efforts to celebrate, preserve, and acknowledge Black people’s past in this country are under attack. Official recognition of Black American resistance to centuries of racial injustice is being challenged by local , state , and national efforts to restrict, ban and possibly criminalize such information in public schools, universities and other institutions. So the sentiment that Black history can be quite literally given or taken away by state officials is valid. Saida Grundy is an associate professor of sociology and African American studies at Boston University, and the author of Respectable: Politics and Paradox in Making the Morehouse Man Continue reading...
Ever since Netflix dropped its documentary series, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, the supermodel has been under fire. But is there another motive behind all the controversy? “I was rooting for you,” Tyra Banks famously berated a contestant on America’s Next Top Model some 20 years ago. But who, now, is rooting for Tyra Banks? The supermodel and reality-TV mogul has been under fire...
Ever since Netflix dropped its documentary series, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, the supermodel has been under fire. But is there another motive behind all the controversy? “I was rooting for you,” Tyra Banks famously berated a contestant on America’s Next Top Model some 20 years ago. But who, now, is rooting for Tyra Banks? The supermodel and reality-TV mogul has been under fire from all sides ever since Netflix dropped its documentary series, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model. Long-circling scrutiny of the show’s tasteless extremes, frequent body-shaming and blatant failures of duty of care have come to rest on Banks herself, with viewers, Top Model contestants and even her former friends all expressing outrage at her apparent lack of repentance. Continue reading...
With David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance poised to buy Warner Bros Discovery, the president is tightening his grip on the US media For many years, Donald Trump has trashed CNN and has taught his loyal followers to do the same. During the 2016 presidential campaign, angry chants of “ CNN sucks! ” reverberated at his campaign rallies, and he still jumps at every opportunity to disparage star CNN jour...
With David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance poised to buy Warner Bros Discovery, the president is tightening his grip on the US media For many years, Donald Trump has trashed CNN and has taught his loyal followers to do the same. During the 2016 presidential campaign, angry chants of “ CNN sucks! ” reverberated at his campaign rallies, and he still jumps at every opportunity to disparage star CNN journalists such as Kaitlan Collins. Continue reading...
After a Grammy and a global breakthrough, the 26-year-old singer could sweep the board at next week’s Brits. Her closest collaborators explain her massive appeal Saturday’s Brit awards will feature performances from heavy hitters such as Harry Styles and Mark Ronson – but all eyes will be on Olivia Dean, the Londoner who has become one of the UK’s biggest breakouts in years, thanks to her second a...
After a Grammy and a global breakthrough, the 26-year-old singer could sweep the board at next week’s Brits. Her closest collaborators explain her massive appeal Saturday’s Brit awards will feature performances from heavy hitters such as Harry Styles and Mark Ronson – but all eyes will be on Olivia Dean, the Londoner who has become one of the UK’s biggest breakouts in years, thanks to her second album The Art of Loving and its mega-smash UK No 1 single Man I Need. Nominated for five awards, this year’s ceremony is likely to serve as a coronation for Dean, who has found international success on a scale that most contemporary British artists struggle to achieve. The Art of Loving focuses on love in all its permutations, applying meditations on friendship and romance to a light, gauzy blend of bossa nova, throwback R&B and indie-pop. Dean delivers each song with unfussy exuberance – she somehow captures both the otherworldly poise of Diana Ross and the charm of your best friend killing it at karaoke – and has become the voice of a generation whose romantic lives have been complicated by dating apps and other digitally mediated mating rituals. Continue reading...
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gifted new sniper rifles to top government and military officials following a weeklong ruling party congress celebrating his leadership, with state media highlighting an image of his teenage daughter taking aim at a shooting range as her increasingly prominent appearances fuel speculation Kim is grooming her as a future leader. Kim presented the rifles to senior par...
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gifted new sniper rifles to top government and military officials following a weeklong ruling party congress celebrating his leadership, with state media highlighting an image of his teenage daughter taking aim at a shooting range as her increasingly prominent appearances fuel speculation Kim is grooming her as a future leader. Kim presented the rifles to senior party and military officials on Friday, calling them a sign of his “absolute trust” and gratitude for...