You Can Buy Love... (But It's Never Been More Expensive) U.S. adults will spend a record $29.1 billion on Valentine’s Day this year, according to estimates published by the National Retail Federation. You will find more infographics at Statista ">As Statista's (ironically named) Valentine Fourreau reports, this is up from last year’s $27.5 billion, with U.S. shoppers planning to spend $200 on aver...
You Can Buy Love... (But It's Never Been More Expensive) U.S. adults will spend a record $29.1 billion on Valentine’s Day this year, according to estimates published by the National Retail Federation. You will find more infographics at Statista ">As Statista's (ironically named) Valentine Fourreau reports, this is up from last year’s $27.5 billion, with U.S. shoppers planning to spend $200 on average per person , up from $189 in 2025. You will find more infographics at Statista According to the NRF, Valentine’s Day was one of the annual events that shoppers tended to splash out the most on last year. Where the average per person expected spend for the date was $188.81, it was slightly higher for Easter ($189.26), and lower for graduation ($119.54), Halloween ($114.45), Independence Day ($92.44), the Super Bowl ($91.58) and St. Patrick’s Day ($43.64). A lot of Americans are expected to celebrate the day. This year, 55 percent of U.S. adults are forecast to mark Valentine’s Day. This is based on a survey of 7,800 U.S. adults conducted between January 2 and January 8, 2026. The most common gifts consumers plan to give this year are candy (cited by 56 percent of respondents), followed by greeting cards and flowers (both 41 percent). Outside of significant others, 58 percent of respondents plan on purchasing gifts for other family members such as kids, parents or siblings this year, while 35 percent will be buying gifts for their pets. Tyler Durden Fri, 02/13/2026 - 16:40
Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, has been gaining ground in the U.S. over the past months, data showed, even as it draws global censure and regulatory scrutiny after being used to generate a wave of non-consensual sexualized images of women and minors. U.S. market share of the tool rose to 17.8% last month from 14% in December, and 1.9% in January 2025, according to data from research firm Apptopi...
Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, has been gaining ground in the U.S. over the past months, data showed, even as it draws global censure and regulatory scrutiny after being used to generate a wave of non-consensual sexualized images of women and minors. U.S. market share of the tool rose to 17.8% last month from 14% in December, and 1.9% in January 2025, according to data from research firm Apptopia. The increase bodes well for money-losing xAI, the Musk-owned startup behind Grok, which was launched about three years ago and has been spending aggressively to scale the infrastructure needed to stay competitive in Silicon Valley's artificial intelligence race.
Welcome to ETF IQ, a weekly newsletter dedicated to the $19 trillion global ETF industry. I’m Bloomberg News reporter and anchor Katie Greifeld . DIY ETFs There’s an ETF for everything, and it feels like everyone who’s anyone has their own. But let’s say you don’t. What’s an aspiring issuer to do? You could go about it the old-fashioned way and hire an entire ETF team, complete with traders, capit...
Welcome to ETF IQ, a weekly newsletter dedicated to the $19 trillion global ETF industry. I’m Bloomberg News reporter and anchor Katie Greifeld . DIY ETFs There’s an ETF for everything, and it feels like everyone who’s anyone has their own. But let’s say you don’t. What’s an aspiring issuer to do? You could go about it the old-fashioned way and hire an entire ETF team, complete with traders, capital markets folks and lawyers — a time- and money-intensive process. Alternatively, you could turn to a white-label issuer to handle the minutiae of getting a new fund off the ground. White-labelers handle all the behind-the-scenes work — think legal, regulatory and operational processes — leaving you, the sub-advisor, free to focus on your portfolio. Unsurprisingly, many of the ETF industry’s newcomers have opted to partner with a white-label issuer to get their ideas off the ground, leading to massive growth in the space. Take Tidal Financial Group, one of the largest white-label firms. It was behind 162 ETF launches just last year, according to Tidal’s website — more than a third of the more than 360 funds the firm services overall. So where does that leave you, and your great idea for a new ETF? First, consider whether it’s truly a new idea, says Aga Kuplinska, Tidal’s senior vice president of product development. Derivatives-based, income-oriented ETFs are all the rage — meaning new entrants need to find the white space, she told me on Bloomberg Television’s ETF IQ: So when we would say no: it’s typically when something’s been done — or done multiple times. Okay, fair. But let’s say you have a novel strategy, and you’ve figured out what resources you might need from Tidal. How much will it cost to bring your ETF to life? There’s no hard-and-fast figure, Kuplinska said... It depends on the existing resources of the issuers. It can be anything from $250,000 per an ETF or up. It really depends. “Or up.” What factors drive the price up? Here’s Kuplinska: As the ETF invites ...
Amazon and Flock Safety have ended a partnership that would've given law enforcement access to a vast web of Ring cameras. The decision came after Amazon faced substantial backlash for airing a Super Bowl ad that was meant to be warm and fuzzy, but instead came across as disturbing and dystopian. The ad begins with a young girl surprised to receive a puppy as a gift. It then warns that 10 million ...
Amazon and Flock Safety have ended a partnership that would've given law enforcement access to a vast web of Ring cameras. The decision came after Amazon faced substantial backlash for airing a Super Bowl ad that was meant to be warm and fuzzy, but instead came across as disturbing and dystopian. The ad begins with a young girl surprised to receive a puppy as a gift. It then warns that 10 million dogs go missing annually. Showing a series of lost dog posters, the ad introduces a new "Search Party" feature for Ring cameras that promises to revolutionize how neighbors come together to locate missing pets. Read full article Comments
anamejia18/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Grupo Cibest S.A. ( CIB ) is an interesting growth play in the global banking sector due to its combination of good growth prospects, high profitability, attractive valuation compared to Latam peers, and a high-dividend yield. Business Overview Grupo Cibest is a financial holding company based in Colombia, which was set up as part of the recent reorgani...
anamejia18/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Grupo Cibest S.A. ( CIB ) is an interesting growth play in the global banking sector due to its combination of good growth prospects, high profitability, attractive valuation compared to Latam peers, and a high-dividend yield. Business Overview Grupo Cibest is a financial holding company based in Colombia, which was set up as part of the recent reorganization of Bancolombia into a simpler business structure. Grupo Cibest was created as a new parent company holding stakes in several entities across the group instead of being owned directly by Bancolombia. As banks are highly regulated, this new holding structure is expected to give more flexibility for the group to pursue M&A activity, perform share buybacks, and potential divestments in the future. Its current market value is about $20 billion, and its shares trade in the U.S. as an ADR on the New York Stock Exchange. Group structure (Grupo Cibest) The group is based in Colombia but is also present in some other Latin American countries, including Panama, El Salvador, and Guatemala. In these countries, the bank has entered the markets through acquisitions between 2007 and 2013. At the end of last September 2025 , Grupo Cibest’s total assets amounted to some $90 billion, and its loan book was around $68 billion, showing that the company has a relatively small size in the global banking sector. Its most important unit is Bancolombia, which is Colombia’s leading financial institution and has a long history, with some 150 years in operation offering banking services to individual and commercial customers throughout the country. It has a market share of about 28% regarding loans and 27% for deposits, showing its strong position in the banking market in Colombia. By segment, about 70% of its earnings are generated by Bancolombia, while other units have smaller weights within the group, and no one generates more than 10% of the group’s earnings. Regarding its growth strategy, it...
Markel Lee Simmons The highly anticipated SpaceX ( SPACE ) initial public offering could be issued with two tiers of shares to give certain shareholders greater voting power. According to sources cited by Bloomberg, a dual listing would enable SpaceX ( SPACE ) CEO Elon Musk to maintain control of the company, mirroring his majority control over Tesla ( TSLA ) despite owning a minority stake in the...
Markel Lee Simmons The highly anticipated SpaceX ( SPACE ) initial public offering could be issued with two tiers of shares to give certain shareholders greater voting power. According to sources cited by Bloomberg, a dual listing would enable SpaceX ( SPACE ) CEO Elon Musk to maintain control of the company, mirroring his majority control over Tesla ( TSLA ) despite owning a minority stake in the company. As part of his recent trillion-dollar compensation package, Musk’s stake in Tesla ( TSLA ) would increase to 25%. An IPO offering dual-class shares is commonly employed among founder-led companies that want to maintain control without putting up a lot of capital. The shares are often structured to give the holder as much as double the votes as ordinary shares. The space exploration company is also adding board members to “help steer the IPO and drive Musk’s space ambitions beyond its core rocket and satellite business,” Bloomberg said, citing sources familiar with the matter. The IPO, targeted for the second half of 2026, is currently valued at ~$1.5 trillion, with proceeds expected to give the company as much as $50B to fund its Mars ambitions. More on SpaceX SpaceX-xAI Deal: Building America's New Icon SpaceX IPO's $700 Billion Valuation Increase Benchmarked By Rocket Lab RONB: With The SpaceX-xAI Merger, Musk Aims For The Stars But May Land In The Sun ULA investigates Vulcan rocket motor issue during Space Force launch Musk discusses interplanetary life, more, at xAI all-hands meeting amid founder turnover
Hyperscale Data ( GPUS ) has established an at-the-market equity program to sell up to ~$35.4M of its 13% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock. The company intends to use a majority of net proceeds to acquire Bitcoin and potentially purchase precious metals, including gold, silver, and copper. A smaller portion of proceeds may be allocated to working capital and general corpora...
Hyperscale Data ( GPUS ) has established an at-the-market equity program to sell up to ~$35.4M of its 13% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock. The company intends to use a majority of net proceeds to acquire Bitcoin and potentially purchase precious metals, including gold, silver, and copper. A smaller portion of proceeds may be allocated to working capital and general corporate purposes, including potential repayment or refinancing of future debt or capital stock. GPUS shares down 8.6% post-market. More on Hyperscale Data Hyperscale Data reaffirms weekly Bitcoin buying as shares fall 5% Hyperscale Data bitcoin holdings rise to 539.59 Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Hyperscale Data Financial information for Hyperscale Data
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Friday closed up +0.05%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed up +0.10%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed up +0.18%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26 ) rose +0.03%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Friday closed up +0.05%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed up +0.10%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed up +0.18%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26 ) rose +0.03%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures...
Longeveron Inc. ( LGVN ) has appointed Stephen H. Willard as chief executive officer, effective February 11, 2026. Willard succeeds Than Powell, who had been serving as interim CEO. More on Longeveron Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Longeveron Historical earnings data for Longeveron Financial information for Longeveron
Longeveron Inc. ( LGVN ) has appointed Stephen H. Willard as chief executive officer, effective February 11, 2026. Willard succeeds Than Powell, who had been serving as interim CEO. More on Longeveron Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Longeveron Historical earnings data for Longeveron Financial information for Longeveron
Power companies say they're better prepared for extreme weather, but challenges remain to electricity production as the state's demand grows (Image credit: Ron Jenkins)
Power companies say they're better prepared for extreme weather, but challenges remain to electricity production as the state's demand grows (Image credit: Ron Jenkins)
Wall Street entered 2026 all-in — record-low cash, minimal hedging , maximum conviction. Six weeks later, a slew of consensus trades are misfiring. AI was supposed to be the can’t-miss trade. Instead, it became the threat — not to the companies building it, but to the asset-light businesses it could replace. Software firms, wealth managers, brokers, tax advisers — across the white-collar world, a ...
Wall Street entered 2026 all-in — record-low cash, minimal hedging , maximum conviction. Six weeks later, a slew of consensus trades are misfiring. AI was supposed to be the can’t-miss trade. Instead, it became the threat — not to the companies building it, but to the asset-light businesses it could replace. Software firms, wealth managers, brokers, tax advisers — across the white-collar world, a decade of margin expansion repriced in weeks, sending shock waves through private debt markets loaded with loans to the same companies. This week crystallized the damage. The S&P 500 headed for its worst stretch since November before Friday’s rebound on a benign inflation print, with AI disruption fears cascading through markets of all stripes. But the pain didn’t stop at stocks. Gold whipsawed, briefly dipping below $5,000 Thursday before recovering to end the week higher. Silver swung 11% in a single session. Bitcoin , still nearly half off its October high, briefly sank below $66,000. Even in credit, the consensus bet broke down: junk bonds, while roughly flat, lagged investment grade by the widest margin in months. Across asset classes, the favored trades are losing to the unfavored ones — fast. Two forces are making it worse. One is positioning. Bank of America Corp.’s January investor survey found cash at a record low of 3.2%, with nearly half of managers holding no downside protection, the least since 2018. The other is the web of leverage linking seemingly unrelated portfolios, where a liquidation in one corner fuels selling in another. The trades nobody wanted — energy , staples, Treasuries — are leading the year. The favorites are trailing the underdogs. The consensus coming into 2026 has gone wrong in six weeks flat. The crowding that caused it is putting portfolio managers on high alert. “The big risk here is additional vol-shock type episodes,” said James Athey , a portfolio manager at Marlborough Investment Management. “Everything looks highly correlated and t...
Bet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images The significant negative revisions to EV buildout plans have forced many would-be suppliers to rethink their strategies. BorgWarner ( BWA ) has chosen to embrace a flexible approach where it maintains its capabilities in EV powertrain components while looking for other market opportunities. The company has started picking up hybrid vehicle awards but surprised the...
Bet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images The significant negative revisions to EV buildout plans have forced many would-be suppliers to rethink their strategies. BorgWarner ( BWA ) has chosen to embrace a flexible approach where it maintains its capabilities in EV powertrain components while looking for other market opportunities. The company has started picking up hybrid vehicle awards but surprised the Street with a sizable partnership that targets data center power supply with its preexisting portfolio offerings. Although BorgWarner did reasonably well in the fourth quarter, it was the data center power announcement that spiked the shares, driving a 22% single-day move and over 50% appreciation since my last article . I’m concerned that data center hype and elevated expectations will bring quite a bit more volatility into the share price, particularly as deliveries won’t start until 2027 and it will take time to scale up the business. On the other hand, BorgWarner is finally getting more of its due, and I see upside to expectations in both the core auto supply and emerging data center businesses. A Beat, With Particular Strength in Margins Stronger-than-expected build rates in the fourth quarter, particularly in North America, already biased auto suppliers like BorgWarner to outperform on revenue in the fourth quarter, but management did particularly well on margins. Revenue rose 4% as reported and 0.8% in organic terms, good for a 1.5% beat versus the Street. While other auto suppliers have done even better, BorgWarner has been held back (and underperformed underlying production) due to headwinds from canceled EV programs, particularly in the battery business. Gross margin improved 60 bp yoy and 200 bp qoq to 20.5%, beating by 150 bp, with the company seeing some benefits from compensation from OEM partners on those EV programs that are underperforming, pushed out, or canceled altogether. Adjusted operating income rose 21%, with margin up almost two points to 12%, beat...
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s landslide electoral victory on Sunday signals a troubling shift: Japan’s unsettling turn to the right. In a post-US-led world order, safeguarding Japan’s security will require reaffirming, not abandoning, its post-war pacifist constitution. At the recent World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a telling admissi...
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s landslide electoral victory on Sunday signals a troubling shift: Japan’s unsettling turn to the right. In a post-US-led world order, safeguarding Japan’s security will require reaffirming, not abandoning, its post-war pacifist constitution. At the recent World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a telling admission about the US-led international rules-based order: it was never truly fair. Canada benefited from...