Kimberly Prost and Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza vow US reprisals will not affect work of international criminal court When the Canadian Kimberly Prost learned Donald Trump’s administration had imposed sanctions on her, it came as a shock. For years, she has sat as a judge at the international criminal court, weighing accusations of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity; now she is on the same list as terrorists and those involved in organised crime. “It really was a moment of a bit of disbelief,” she said. Continue reading...

Starting next year, MLS will align itself with big European leagues and become a summer-to-spring operation. Executives see the change as an opportunity Few constants have endured from MLS’s 1996 debut to now. It’s still an operational soccer league, for one thing. There’s the name itself, although its initial logo was shelved in 2015 for its current shield-and-kickstand. Eight of the 10 teams that launched the league remain involved, though each one has changed their name, crest, or both over time. Another rare constant will soon fade into the rearview: the league’s schedule. MLS has run spring-to-fall/winter since its launch, more specifically from late February to early December in recent years. Preseason kicks off at the start of each new year, three weeks or so after the previous season’s championship bout. It’s a pretty well-ironed routine, even as ancillary competitions like the Leagues Cup and Club World Cup shuffle the middle bits each year. Continue reading...

With more than 200 possible symptoms, long Covid isn’t easy to treat and diagnose. Rolled-back federal funding has led longhaulers to ask: is this all in my head? I am 30ft below the surface of the Blue Grotto, a crystalline diving hole in central Florida. Between the water’s embrace and the restriction of my wetsuit, my blood pressure finally stabilizes. The long, deep breaths I pull from my respirator keep my heart rate nice and low. I feel lighter than I have since April 2022, when I first contracted long Covid. I feel childlike at the fact that I can do this at all – get scuba certified – when on land I’m often confined to a wheelchair or a walker. Continue reading...

MU vs. TSM: Which Semiconductor Stock Has the Edge Right Now? Zacks Investment Research

Moonshot AI, the Chinese start-up behind the powerful Kimi artificial intelligence models, has added at least another US$700 million to its war chest after launching another funding round that could value it at up to US$12 billion. The new round, which comes just over a month after its last one, could almost triple Moonshot’s previous valuation of US$4.3 billion amid exploding investor interest in China’s AI enterprises. It was jointly led by existing investors including Alibaba Group Holding,...

Every time the phone rings, Erik Daley can practically hear private equity coming for America’s 401(k)s. The line has been ringing a lot lately at his modest consulting business in Portland, Oregon. For at least the past year he's been getting a half-dozen calls a week from private equity and other firms interested in his company, and even more since the start of 2026. He’s gotten used to hearing the same question from the other end: How much for your firm? What makes little Multnomah Group a hot property: It offers advice to 401(k) retirement plans. What was once a glossless business has since become a prize for buyout firms, which see the steady growth of the $14 trillion market for US defined-contribution retirement plans as a potential source of juicy returns. Among big backers are firms such as Genstar Capital and General Atlantic. “The primary purpose is to try and infiltrate the retail marketplace,” Daley says of the overtures. To him, the endgame is obvious: to “monetize” the nation’s 70 million 401(k) account holders. These days, private equity is entering every corner of the vast 401(k) ecosystem that ordinary Americans count on for their golden years. Industry giants, which want to sell their products to everyday investors, have hired experts from traditional asset management companies and begun to win over brand-name mutual funds. They’ve crashed conferences, co-opted trade groups and pushed for friendly regulations, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Smaller players have bought up hundreds of independent gatekeepers — consultants, advisers and third-party administrators. Interviews with dozens of people from across the industry, from private equity executives to individual advisers, show how broad and deep the push is. Some buyout shops see profit in handling retirement plans and ancillary businesses. Others see higher-end wealth management and its more lucrative fees as an attractive target at a time when the rich keep getting richer. Re...

Uber Technologies Inc. is planning to spend more than $100 million to build fast-charging, autonomous-vehicle charging stations in the US, the latest move to establish itself as a critical player in the robotaxi industry. The company said in a statement on Wednesday that it will focus on building the new high-capacity charging hubs starting in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Dallas — markets where it also plans to launch public robotaxi services with technology partners to compete with Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo. The amount will cover site development costs, equipment, grid connection and associated capital expenditure for developing the charging infrastructure, a spokesperson said. Owning some chargers \ The rideshare giant is battling Wall Street skeptics who have doubts about the future of its human-driven ride-hailing platform as autonomous vehicles become more commonplace. It is spending on a growing number of items to establish itself as the leading robotaxi provider and operations partner for companies that develop the self-driving technology. Read More: Uber Pushes Back on the Robotaxi Skeptics With New CFO San Francisco-based Uber has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in autonomous-vehicle companies like Lucid Group Inc. , Nuro Inc. and Wayve Technologies Inc. , as well as fleet management companies like Moove and Avomo. Part of those deals also include commitments from Uber to purchase fleets of robotaxis, which it plans to eventually launch at scale on its popular ride-hailing platform. Uber's autonomous strategy has been met with mixed reactions from investors, as shares of the company have declined 14% so far this year. More bearish analysts continue to believe Uber and peer Lyft Inc. will continue to shrink in value as Waymo and other operators expand their services to the public this year. The company, for its part, is bullish. It has said it expects to offer autonomous vehicles on the Uber app in at least 10 cities by the end of 2026. I...

Walmart CEO John Furner, left, and Target CEO Michael Fiddelke. Walmart (L) | Getty Images (R) When Walmart and Target report holiday earnings this quarter, investors may quickly brush off those results. Instead, they will likely focus more on the two big-box retailers' futures under new CEOs and the outlook for U.S. consumers in 2026. Both companies had leadership changes this month: Walmart CEO John Furner and Target CEO Michael Fiddelke, both longtime company insiders, took on their roles on Feb. 1. The rival retailers have contended with the same economic challenges. U.S. consumers are still spending, but buying selectively, as inflation and tariffs fuel higher prices for groceries and other essentials and cause some shoppers to think twice about discretionary purchases. Yet while both Walmart and Target have new CEOs, their paths forward look distinctly different. Walmart's stock has shot up by about 163% over the past five years and has risen about 24% over the last year, as of Tuesday's market close. It hit a 52-week high Tuesday. Shares of Target, on the other hand, have tumbled by about 40% over the past five years and dropped 9% over the past year. The retailers' stock market performances reflect their sharp divergence in sales results. Walmart is attracting shoppers across incomes and gaining momentum with online sales and higher-margin businesses like advertising. Target is struggling with slower sales and weaker store traffic . Walmart expects its full-year net sales to rise by 4.8% and 5.1%. Target, on the other hand, is on track for a full-year sales decline. Walmart CEO John Furner inherited a business that's "fundamentally sound" and "on a great trajectory," said Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData. "In many ways, his job is to keep the ship steady and see what he can do to add to the speed," he said. On the other hand, Target CEO Michael Fiddelke has to "sell the Target of the future" after four years of roughly flat a...

In an aerial view, two-story single family homes line the streets on Jan. 14, 2026 in Thousand Oaks, California. Kevin Carter | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates dropped last week to the lowest level in a month, prompting more current borrowers to seek savings in a refinance. While lower rates didn't give potential buyers much incentive, the run on refinances was enough to push total mortgage demand 2.8% higher compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $832,750 or less, decreased to 6.17% from 6.21%, with points remaining unchanged at 0.56, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. "Treasury yields ended the week lower as weaker data on retail sales and home sales outweighed better-than-expected readings on the job market for January," said Joel Kan, MBA's vice president and deputy chief economist in a release. As a result, applications to refinance a home loan rose 7% for the week and were 132% higher than the same week one year ago. Last year, rates were 76 basis points higher. While that annual jump may seem large, refinancing was at extremely low levels at this time last year. "Refinance applications increased across all loan types, marking the strongest week for refinancing since mid-January," Kan added. Get Property Play directly to your inbox CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe here to get access today . Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home dropped 3% for the week and were just 8% higher than the same week one year ago. While lower mortgage rates are making homes slightly more affordable, new supply is not coming onto the market fast enough, and concern over the broader economy has consumers sitting on the sidelines. Mortgage rates didn't move at all ...

Expenses that made sense during your peak earning years can drain your resources once you stop working.

Immunocore to report fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results and host call on February 25, 2025

Full Year Net Sales were $610 million, up 18%, driven by strong Vita Coco Coconut Water growth of 26%

Strong financial and operational performance in 2025 Strong financial and operational performance in 2025

Une solide performance financière et opérationnelle au cours de l’exercice 2025 Une solide performance financière et opérationnelle au cours de l’exercice 2025

-- Approval decisions from EMA, UK and Switzerland regulators for obicetrapib and obicetrapib/ezetimibe fixed dose combination expected in 2H26 -- -- Phase 3 PREVAIL CVOT blinded event rate tracking in line with observed event rate in BROADWAY--

EyePoint scopes out new commercial chief to prepare for Duravyu launch Fierce Pharma

Why we sued over the Micron project (Guest Opinion by Bonita Siegel) Syracuse.com

Taiwan semiconductor firm joins UA program as it enters Arizona market The Business Journals

Esin Tellioglu/iStock via Getty Images Introduction Simon Property Group ( SPG ) has long been one of my favorite REITs. This has been despite the idea that malls are dead. For the last several years, REITs have also been considered dead money. Combine this with SPG's 2020 dividend cut and the higher-for-longer interest rate environment, the REIT's share price has been suppressed. I'm a believer that all stocks fall and underperform, but quality stocks won't stay down for long. Because of their portfolio consisting of malls & outlets, investors may have viewed SPG as a risky REIT. But their performance has been great, up close to 11% in the past year. As a result, I think their performance is priced in here. Going forward, I think the REIT could see little upside. In this article, I discuss Simon Property Group's latest performance, fundamentals, and why I think their strong showing is currently reflected in their share price. Previous Thesis I last covered Simon Property Group back in December in an article titled: Appears Fairly Valued, But Dividend Growth Could Ignite The Next Rally. SPG reported strong Q3 earnings, showing robust fundamentals. This was evidenced by their revenue growth of 8.1%, 5.6% increase in FFO, and their $0.05 dividend increase to $2.20 per share. This resulted in outperformance of the S&P ( SP500 ). As a result, I saw shares as fairly valued with little upside to their price target of $191 a share. Since then, SPG has surpassed this; it is now trading at $200 a share. This resulted in another outperformance of the index, with SPG up over 9% compared to 1% for the S&P. Seeking Alpha Mixed Quarter but Solid Performance Overall SPG reported their Q4 earnings with mixed results. FFO of $3.27 missed estimates by $0.22. FFO also fell from $3.68 the year prior. SPG's performance was impacted by restructuring efforts by Catalyst Brands that resulted in a $0.31 loss. If not for this and another loss of $0.06, FFO would have amounted to $3.49, accor...

Justin Paget/DigitalVision via Getty Images A turnaround is hard enough when end-market conditions are supportive, but American Vanguard ( AVD ) has had to restructure the business while dealing with ongoing challenges in crop input demand across multiple markets. I expect to see further operational improvements in 2026, but I am concerned the demand backdrop will still be challenging, and I continue to believe that 15% EBITDA targets are ambitious. AVD shares are basically flat since my last update , underperforming Corteva ( CTVA ) and Bayer ( BAYRY ), while outperforming FMC Corporation ( FMC ), though truthfully none of these much larger companies are a good comp for American Vanguard’s business. My margin assumptions aren’t changing much, as management has been executing on turnaround initiatives, but I’m more bearish on the revenue outlook than I was a year ago. While there is meaningful potential here if the turnaround really bears fruit, this is a high-risk name with a lot of operational and execution risk. Core Conditions Are Still Challenging Between end-market developments and management’s guidance, 2025 results are going to come in below my expectations, and I do see some risk of weakness in the fourth quarter. While management’s initial guidance for FY’25 was in line with my expectations ($565 million to $595 million versus my estimate of $585 million), those numbers have fallen through the year on weak demand in areas like soil fumigants for potatoes and horticultural products, as well as a decision to walk away from some low-margin business in international markets. On top of all that, the market itself was relatively weak, as persistently low crop prices have limited farmer spending on productivity inputs like pest and weed control. AVD has benefited some from a 2025 planting shift from soybeans to corn (soy has never traditionally been a major market for AVD), and the third quarter saw some strength in herbicide demand. Still, the most recent update...

Credit markets are growing less forgiving, and missteps will cost investors more in 2026, according to KKR & Co . Losses from a recent selloff in software-company debt have underscored the need to diversify and lean toward higher-quality credit, the firm said in a quarterly note to clients. Strong demand has pushed corporate bond trading to record trading and kept spreads near multi-decade lows. But KKR said a maturing credit cycle — with frothy equity valuations and credit losses continuing to normalize — means investors may need to be more selective. “Credit mistakes are probably going to be punished more severely than what we have seen in years past,” said Tal Reback , KKR’s global investment strategist for credit and markets. “There is no room for error.” While many assets appear “priced to perfection”, volatility can erupt quickly as monetary policy, persistent inflation and tariffs work their way through the system and geopolitical tensions flare up, KKR said. KKR also pointed to the risk of “rolling recessions,” in which distress and default pressure hit sectors unevenly — making outcomes more “path dependent.” KKR highlighted widening performance gaps across sectors and asset classes, and said the divide between stronger and weaker credits is likely to become more pronounced. Even within the riskiest slice of the market, US CCC-rated junk bonds have significantly outperformed similarly rated leveraged loans. “So it’s a back-to-basics type of mentality of ‘fundamentals are really going to matter,’” Reback said. “You’re going to have to be hyper-conscious of how technicals play a part in this market.”

Rare-earth refiner Phoenix Tailings Inc. has raised $30.2 million from investors, including metals trader Traxys North America LLC , to expand facilities that recover key minerals from mining waste. The company, which processes rare-earth elements in the US, raised the funds through a Series B round that values the firm at $360 million, according to Chief Executive Officer Nick Myers. Phoenix also signed a memorandum of understanding with Traxys to work toward an offtake agreement for rare-earth metals, he said. Other investors in Phoenix include Olive Tree Capital Inc. and Geodesic Alliance Fund LP , Myers said. The capital raise comes as the US steps up efforts to build a critical-minerals supply chain independent of China. Rare earths – a set of 17 metallic elements – are used in products ranging from smartphones and electric vehicles to fighter jets. China controls roughly 60% of the world’s mined rare-earth output and more than 90% of global refining capacity, according to an October report by the International Energy Agency. The funding “came together very fast, in about three months, and the excitement around rare earths is what caused that,” said Myers. “There’s money available for companies to scale up.” Myers said Phoenix would use the funds to expand its facilities, extract more types of rare-earth elements and hire executives, including a chief financial officer. Traxys, one of the largest traders of niche metals like rare earths, has recently made deeper inroads to the US mining business, signing on to handle purchases of raw materials for the White House’s $12 billion Project Vault stockpiling initiative.

After a number of years of consistent underperformance, dividend ETFs are demonstrating once again why they belong in a portfolio. This year, while the S&P 500 is virtually flat and the tech sector sits in the red, the WisdomTree U.S. Total Dividend ETF , which could be considered a broad benchmark for the dividend stock universe, is up nearly 6% (as of 2/12/26). High-yield strategies have generally done even better. Not only are income investors enjoying some long-overdue capital growth from their dividend portfolios, but they're also able to capture 3%-4% yields, and sometimes more, on the side. Continue reading

U.S. cross-country skiers Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher power to a silver medal in the men's team sprint. U.S. women led by Jessie Diggins finish off the podium. (Image credit: Lars Baron)

(RTTNews) - Enpro Inc. (NPO), an industrial technology company, on Wednesday reported loss that was primarily driven by a pre-tax, non-cash charge related to the termination and settlement of the company's U.S. defined benefit pension plan in the fourth quarter compared with the

格隆汇2月18日｜印度通信部关于英国人工智能伙伴关系的声明。

AC Immune ( ACIU ) has disclosed that its partner Janssen Pharmaceuticals of Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) has temporarily paused enrollments in a mid-stage trial for their jointly developed Alzheimer’s candidate ACI-35.030/JNJ-2056. The companies are advancing ACI-35.030/JNJ-2056 as part of a licensing and commercialization deal they signed in 2015, allowing the Swiss biotech to initially receive as much as $509M from the New Jersey- based pharma giant. The Phase 2b study ReTain was designed to evaluate the effect of the anti-phospho-Tau vaccine candidate on the cognitive decline of those with preclinical Alzheimer's disease. “While the Phase 2b Retain trial continues, enrollment has been temporarily paused while Janssen evaluates aspects of the trial (including recruitment),” AC Immune ( ACIU ) said in an SEC filing on Tuesday. However, the company ruled out any impact on its liquidity position from J&J’s ( JNJ ) decision and noted that its existing capital resources will be adequate to fund its operating requirements into Q3 2027. More on AC Immune, Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson: Fraud Claim Dismissal Today Is Not A Sign Talc Litigation Is Over Johnson & Johnson: Strong Momentum Heading Into 2026 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript J&J gains monthly dosing approval for Rybrevant Faspro J&J hit with $250K jury verdict in Philadelphia talc powder case

Activision Blizzard UK Ltd said the ad for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was targeted at adults.

Investing.com -- Palantir was upgraded by Mizuho on Wednesday, with analysts citing a rare combination of rapid growth, accelerating momentum, and expanding margins.

Global Payments press release ( GPN ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $3.18 beats by $0.02 . Revenue of $2.32B (+1.3% Y/Y) in-line. Announces share repurchase authorization of $2.5 billion Entering into $550 million accelerated share repurchase plan 2026 Outlook Constant currency adjusted net revenue growth of approximately 5% excluding dispositions. Adjusted operating margin expansion of approximately 150 basis points. Adjusted earnings per share of $13.80 to $14.00 vs. $13.78 consensus, or growth of 13% to 15%. More on Global Payments Global Payments Is Trading As If It Has Negative Growth Global Payments: A Promising Setup For 2026 Global Payments: Buy This Undervalued Growth Company While It's Still Inexpensive Global Payments Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Global Payments