Michael Burry sees a cliff. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund sees a runway. While the "Big Short" investor has warned that Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:PLTR) could fall 58% based on a bearish Head & Shoulders pattern, the Nordic investment behemoth just did the opposite of panic — it went big. Norges Bank Investment Management disclosed a $5.15 billion new stake in Palantir, turning a technical...
Michael Burry sees a cliff. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund sees a runway. While the "Big Short" investor has warned that Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:PLTR) could fall 58% based on a bearish Head & Shoulders pattern, the Nordic investment behemoth just did the opposite of panic — it went big. Norges Bank Investment Management disclosed a $5.15 billion new stake in Palantir, turning a technical debate into a live battle between chart skeptics and institutional conviction. A $2 Trillion Fund M
The AITO M8 extended-range SUV, a mid-to-large new energy model, on display at the 23rd Guangzhou International Auto Show on Nov. 28, 2025. Photo: VCG Drivers remain legally liable for their vehicles, even when using advanced assistance systems and vacating the driver’s seat, China’s top court ruled in a guiding case released on Friday. The Supreme People’s Court issued the case to establish a uni...
The AITO M8 extended-range SUV, a mid-to-large new energy model, on display at the 23rd Guangzhou International Auto Show on Nov. 28, 2025. Photo: VCG Drivers remain legally liable for their vehicles, even when using advanced assistance systems and vacating the driver’s seat, China’s top court ruled in a guiding case released on Friday. The Supreme People’s Court issued the case to establish a unified legal standard for courts nationwide. The ruling clarifies that, until full autonomy is achieved, human drivers retain primary responsibility, even when assistance technology is engaged. This decision sets a critical legal precedent as automakers race to deploy increasingly advanced technology, reinforcing that “hands-off” features do not absolve drivers of responsibility amid a growing regulatory crackdown on misuse and misleading marketing.
tupungato The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is speeding up scrutiny of Microsoft ( MSFT ) as part of an ongoing investigation to check if the company illegally monopolizes parts of the enterprise software market with its cloud software and AI services, including Copilot, Bloomberg News reported. In recent weeks, the regulator has issued civil investigative demands to companies that compete with Mi...
tupungato The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is speeding up scrutiny of Microsoft ( MSFT ) as part of an ongoing investigation to check if the company illegally monopolizes parts of the enterprise software market with its cloud software and AI services, including Copilot, Bloomberg News reported. In recent weeks, the regulator has issued civil investigative demands to companies that compete with Microsoft in the business software and cloud computing markets. The demands feature queries on Microsoft's licensing and other business practices, the report added , citing people with knowledge of the matter. At least half a dozen companies have received the requests. Microsoft and the FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha. The FTC is searching for evidence that Microsoft makes it difficult for customers to use Windows, Office, and other products on rival cloud services. The agency is also asking for information on Microsoft’s bundling of AI, security, and identity software into other products, including Windows and Office, the report noted. However, no final decisions have been made yet. Since complaints came from customers and competitors about its licensing practices, Microsoft has made some changes aimed at easing policies and, in particular, helping smaller European cloud providers more easily host Microsoft products, the report added. Last year, Microsoft signed an agreement with a group representing European cloud providers that takes more steps to address the concerns. Microsoft has noted that some of its products are not fully interoperable with competing clouds because the technology underneath some features is different, the report added. The investigation into licensing restrictions relates to rules changes Microsoft first introduced in 2019. Those changes also have been scrutinized by U.K. regulators, and many of the questions in the FTC demand appear to echo that work, according to the report. The FTC sent Microsoft a deman...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images The last year has been a fantastic time for investors with exposure to South Korea. Driven by excitement over the semiconductor space and related technologies, there has been a flurry of activity in that market. Major market indices are up significantly, outperforming the S&P 500 and even the NASDAQ. This follows years of underperformance driven by broader ...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images The last year has been a fantastic time for investors with exposure to South Korea. Driven by excitement over the semiconductor space and related technologies, there has been a flurry of activity in that market. Major market indices are up significantly, outperforming the S&P 500 and even the NASDAQ. This follows years of underperformance driven by broader economic and demographic issues that the country faces. Over the next few years, there is a real opportunity for investors in the market to do incredibly well by banking on continued success for some of the leading industries in South Korea. But if you have an investment horizon that extends beyond the next 5 to 10 years, you should tread cautiously. Investors are right to be excited Data by YCharts The last year has been more or less a miracle for those with exposure to South Korea’s economy. In the chart above, for instance, you can see how the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF ( EWY ) has performed over the last 12 months. This ETF is up an astounding 142.5%. By comparison, the S&P 500 is up only 15.9% while the NASDAQ is up 18.2%. For those not familiar, EWY is an ETF that gives investors exposure to large and mid sized companies in South Korea. It currently has 82 holdings in it. And the largest of these is none other than Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ). Other major holdings include the who’s who of South Korean companies including Hyundai and KB Financial Group ( KB ). Data by YCharts This is exciting, but it is important that we take a step back and assess the situation over a longer investment horizon. This is because, if we look at just the past five years, for instance, we get a very different picture. In the chart above, you can see that it's up only 54.4% over this window of time. By comparison, the S&P 500 is up 90.7% while the NASDAQ is up 70.6%. This is evidence that the recent surge truly has been recent. And it begs the question of what exactly has caused this ju...
On TikTok, creators are combing through the Epstein files for views and clout. | Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images "where are you? Are you ok , I loved the torture video," reads one email, allegedly sent by Jeffrey Epstein in 2009. The reply, from a redacted address, states: "I am in china I will be in the US 2nd week of may." Her face hovering over a screenshot of the exchange, a TikTok cre...
On TikTok, creators are combing through the Epstein files for views and clout. | Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images "where are you? Are you ok , I loved the torture video," reads one email, allegedly sent by Jeffrey Epstein in 2009. The reply, from a redacted address, states: "I am in china I will be in the US 2nd week of may." Her face hovering over a screenshot of the exchange, a TikTok creator claims the timing aligns with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's schedule, before speculating that the word "torture" could refer to documented abuses of Palestinian detainees. The video has drawn close to 700,000 views. Another TikTok pushes back. Netanyahu met Chinese officials in Jerusalem - not Beijing - during that period, the second creator notes … Read the full story at The Verge.
Wirestock/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Rising income from its deposit hedge continues to do wonders for NatWest Group ( NWG ). The British bank just reported its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results , beating expectations right across the board. Profit for the year grew 21% to £5.83 billion, easily clearing consensus of £5.60 billion, while fourth quarter profit of £1.48 billion beat by ...
Wirestock/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Rising income from its deposit hedge continues to do wonders for NatWest Group ( NWG ). The British bank just reported its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results , beating expectations right across the board. Profit for the year grew 21% to £5.83 billion, easily clearing consensus of £5.60 billion, while fourth quarter profit of £1.48 billion beat by nearly 20%. Revenue for both periods also surpassed analysts' estimates. At the start of the week, NatWest revealed it had agreed to a deal to buy wealth firm Evelyn Partners for around £2.7 billion. This marks the bank’s first major piece of M&A since the U.K. government disposed of its remaining stake in the lender last year. The price tag does appear to have weighed on the stock. Despite strong financial results, NatWest's shares are currently off around 14% from last week's close, limiting its ADSs to a circa 5% return since my last update in October. While far from being bad, it's a much worse showing than Lloyds ( LYG ) and Barclays ( BCS ), NatWest's closest comps. With NatWest now only trading for around 1.5 times its tangible net asset value, I believe this is a dip worth buying. While higher than a few years ago, this valuation looks too modest relative to the bank's high-teens return on tangible equity. For that reason, I remain bullish. I upgrade shares to " Strong Buy." Data by YCharts Structural Hedge Still Doing Its Thing Regular readers will know that NatWest's deposit hedging program has been key to its investment case. To recap, the bank's balance sheet is funded in large part with rate-insensitive deposits, including roughly £135 billion in non-interest-bearing accounts. The "problem" with these funds is that they don't have a defined maturity date, so investing them in assets of a similar profile (cash at the central bank, for example) would introduce a large amount of interest rate risk into NatWest's income statement. Source: NatWest Group Q4 2025 Resu...
Consumer discretionary enters earnings season with brand-driven demand, digital momentum and easing costs, even as macro volatility and cautious spending linger.
Consumer discretionary enters earnings season with brand-driven demand, digital momentum and easing costs, even as macro volatility and cautious spending linger.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is escalating scrutiny of Microsoft and has sought answers from the company's rivals on the tech giant's licensing and other business practices, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. The agency has sent civil investigative requests in recent weeks to Microsoft's competitors in the enterprise software and cloud computing markets, according to the report, citing p...
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is escalating scrutiny of Microsoft and has sought answers from the company's rivals on the tech giant's licensing and other business practices, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. The agency has sent civil investigative requests in recent weeks to Microsoft's competitors in the enterprise software and cloud computing markets, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter, which said at least half a dozen companies had received the demands. The FTC is also seeking information about Microsoft's bundling of AI, security and identity software into its offerings, Bloomberg said.
We Are/DigitalVision via Getty Images For some time now, diversification felt more like a liability than an advantage. A select group of US mega-cap growth stocks, led by the “Magnificent 7”, accounted for the bulk of market returns. Investors with exposure to non-US equities, small- and mid-cap stocks, or value-oriented strategies – segments largely disconnected from the AI theme – were left wait...
We Are/DigitalVision via Getty Images For some time now, diversification felt more like a liability than an advantage. A select group of US mega-cap growth stocks, led by the “Magnificent 7”, accounted for the bulk of market returns. Investors with exposure to non-US equities, small- and mid-cap stocks, or value-oriented strategies – segments largely disconnected from the AI theme – were left waiting for broader leadership to reemerge. The start of 2025 marked a notable shift in this narrative with non-US equities taking the lead amid geopolitical tensions, a weakening US dollar, rising fiscal support abroad, and an overall reassessment of "American Exceptionalism." Momentum continued to broaden into 2026, as US small-cap and value stocks joined the advance. Sector participation has widened as well, with seven of the 11 sectors outperforming the S&P 500 to start the year, led by cyclical groups including Energy and Materials. The seemingly forgotten benefits of diversification are once again becoming increasingly apparent. Source: Morningstar, Inc. US Large Growth is represented by MSCI USA Growth. US Small Cap is represented by MSCI USA Small Cap. Non-US is represented by MSCI ACWIxUSA. US Large Value is represented by MSCI USA Value. This would not be the first time investors have heard talk of a regime shift. Similar narratives surfaced repeatedly over the past decade, only to fade as US mega cap growth stocks reasserted their dominance. So why might this episode be different? The key distinction is policy. Unlike many technology companies, most of the other sectors within the equity market are more sensitive to traditional policy tailwinds or headwinds. Broad market participation typically emerges when overall policy stimulus is rising, not falling. Today, both fiscal and monetary policy appear sufficiently supportive to sustain the breadth of market leadership that we’ve seen begin to emerge. On the fiscal side, stimulus is accelerating meaningfully. According ...