Michael Burry's recent critique of Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) strikes at the heart of the moat debate in the software industry. Burry, famous for his contrarian views, suggests that Palantir's competitive advantage is not necessarily its superior predictive modeling or its Gotham interface, but rather a sophisticated form of vendor lock-in characterized by the obstruction of data tr...
Michael Burry's recent critique of Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) strikes at the heart of the moat debate in the software industry. Burry, famous for his contrarian views, suggests that Palantir's competitive advantage is not necessarily its superior predictive modeling or its Gotham interface, but rather a sophisticated form of vendor lock-in characterized by the obstruction of data transfer. The NYPD Controversy Burry's argument centers on a public dispute between Palantir and the N
ClearBridge Appreciation ESG Strategy underperformed the benchmark S&P 500 Index in the fourth quarter of 2025. The strategy fund initiated a new position in Arista Networks ( ANET ) ( ANET:CA ), Boston Scientific ( BSX ), Amphenol ( APH ), and Ferguson Enterprises ( FERG ) in Q4. The fund exited Oracle ( ORCL ), Canadian Pacific Kansas City ( CP ) ( CP:CA ), Lennar ( LEN ) ( LEN.B ), and Texas In...
ClearBridge Appreciation ESG Strategy underperformed the benchmark S&P 500 Index in the fourth quarter of 2025. The strategy fund initiated a new position in Arista Networks ( ANET ) ( ANET:CA ), Boston Scientific ( BSX ), Amphenol ( APH ), and Ferguson Enterprises ( FERG ) in Q4. The fund exited Oracle ( ORCL ), Canadian Pacific Kansas City ( CP ) ( CP:CA ), Lennar ( LEN ) ( LEN.B ), and Texas Instruments ( TXN ) during the quarter. Source: Fund Letter More on Oracle, Arista Networks Arista Networks, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Arista Networks: Expect Growth To Pick Up In The Second Half Of 2026 Oracle: A Look At The 6.6% Yielding Preferred Shares
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) is arguably one of the biggest beneficiaries of global infrastructure construction for artificial intelligence (AI). Companies are under pressure to create high-performance chips to design, train, and run AI applications. The stock of TSMC (as the company is also known) is trading up 170% in the last five years, and the company projects that its reven...
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) is arguably one of the biggest beneficiaries of global infrastructure construction for artificial intelligence (AI). Companies are under pressure to create high-performance chips to design, train, and run AI applications. The stock of TSMC (as the company is also known) is trading up 170% in the last five years, and the company projects that its revenue will have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25% through 2029. And that's probably a conservative number when you consider that the AI market size is projected to have a CAGR of 30.6% through 2033, growing to roughly $3.5 trillion. If TSMC can hit even its own projections, I predict the company will push its market capitalization to nearly $3 trillion before 2030. Here's how it should get there. Continue reading
Colin Anderson Productions pty ltd/DigitalVision via Getty Images Back in late November of last year, I decided to take a look at Standex International ( SXI ). At that time, I found myself impressed with the strong operational growth that the company was exhibiting. Strategic acquisitions and strength in certain segments, like Electronics and Engineering Technologies, ended up paying off nicely. ...
Colin Anderson Productions pty ltd/DigitalVision via Getty Images Back in late November of last year, I decided to take a look at Standex International ( SXI ). At that time, I found myself impressed with the strong operational growth that the company was exhibiting. Strategic acquisitions and strength in certain segments, like Electronics and Engineering Technologies, ended up paying off nicely. Future growth for the company looked practically guaranteed, especially thanks to its purchase of Amran/Narayan (now known as Standex GRID). But unfortunately, even with that expansion, I remained concerned about the valuation of the company. I argued at the time that shares were rather lofty. Not so expensive, especially in light of the growth that the company had been exhibiting, to justify a bearish outlook. But certainly lofty enough to make a bullish assessment irrational. Since calling the company a ‘hold’ back then, we have seen shares rise another 6.4%. That's comfortably above the 1.5% rise that the S&P 500 saw over the same window of time. In light of this upside, I figured it would be a good idea to revisit the company. What I see is a firm that is continuing to expand nicely. But once again, valuation remains problematic. Even with management forecasting strong growth for the 2026 fiscal year in its entirety, the best thing I can do is to call it a ‘hold’ candidate at this point in time. I Just Can’t Turn Bullish on This One Since writing about Standex International late last year, investors have been given data covering one additional operating quarter. That happens to be the second quarter of the 2026 fiscal year . And in all honesty, I would say it was a great quarter. Revenue for that time was $221.3 million. That represents an increase of 16.6% over the $189.8 million the business reported the previous year. According to management, this jump was fueled in large part by acquisition activities. That alone added $17.8 million to the top line. Author - SEC EDG...
Chinese tech giant ByteDance is hiring for nearly 100 open roles within its artificial intelligence division in the US, as it aims to compete with American firms. Bloomberg’s Alexandra Levine discusses the plans and implications with Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
Chinese tech giant ByteDance is hiring for nearly 100 open roles within its artificial intelligence division in the US, as it aims to compete with American firms. Bloomberg’s Alexandra Levine discusses the plans and implications with Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
Cloud Haircare, the affordable luxury haircare brand founded by the visionary team behind It's a 10 Haircare, is continuing its rapid national rollout across both retail and e-commerce channels, with availability on Amazon alongside new launches at CVS, H-E-B, Giant Eagle, and an upcoming expansion to Sally Beauty in April 2026. The expansion builds on Cloud's growing retail footprint, including i...
Cloud Haircare, the affordable luxury haircare brand founded by the visionary team behind It's a 10 Haircare, is continuing its rapid national rollout across both retail and e-commerce channels, with availability on Amazon alongside new launches at CVS, H-E-B, Giant Eagle, and an upcoming expansion to Sally Beauty in April 2026. The expansion builds on Cloud's growing retail footprint, including its existing nationwide presence at Walmart, further cementing the brand as a major force in modern h
By Gaurav Sharma, CEO of io.netVitalik Buterin recently declared 2026 the year to “take back lost ground in computing self-sovereignty.” He shared the changes he’s made personally: replacing Google Docs with Fileverse, Gmail with Proton Mail, Telegram with Signal, and experimenting with running large language models locally on his own ...
By Gaurav Sharma, CEO of io.netVitalik Buterin recently declared 2026 the year to “take back lost ground in computing self-sovereignty.” He shared the changes he’s made personally: replacing Google Docs with Fileverse, Gmail with Proton Mail, Telegram with Signal, and experimenting with running large language models locally on his own ...
Get a jump start on the US trading day with Matt Miller and Dani Burger on "Bloomberg Open Interest." Walmart waving a warning flag — the world’s largest retailer citing trade and labor concerns, adding to cautious market moves. At the same time, OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a record deal that could top $100 billion. Booking Holdings beats expectations — we’ll speak exclusively with CEO Glenn F...
Get a jump start on the US trading day with Matt Miller and Dani Burger on "Bloomberg Open Interest." Walmart waving a warning flag — the world’s largest retailer citing trade and labor concerns, adding to cautious market moves. At the same time, OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a record deal that could top $100 billion. Booking Holdings beats expectations — we’ll speak exclusively with CEO Glenn Fogel on competing in the age of AI. And gold charging toward $5,000 as traders eye the Fed and rising geopolitical risks. (Source: Bloomberg)
March NY world sugar #11 (SBH26 ) today is down -0.15 (-1.06%), and May London ICE white sugar #5 (SWK26 ) is down -5.60 (-1.372%). Sugar prices gave up an early advance today and turned lower as the dollar's strength sparked long liquidation in sugar futures. The dollar index ($DXY)...
March NY world sugar #11 (SBH26 ) today is down -0.15 (-1.06%), and May London ICE white sugar #5 (SWK26 ) is down -5.60 (-1.372%). Sugar prices gave up an early advance today and turned lower as the dollar's strength sparked long liquidation in sugar futures. The dollar index ($DXY)...
NexusTek today announced enhancements to NexusTek Private Cloud, which is now powered by Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure, delivering a more reliable and cost-predictable alternative for organizations reevaluating VMware virtualization costs in the wake of Broadcom's licensing changes and industry consolidation. VMware customers are facing 4–5x renewal cost increases, reduced support options,...
NexusTek today announced enhancements to NexusTek Private Cloud, which is now powered by Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure, delivering a more reliable and cost-predictable alternative for organizations reevaluating VMware virtualization costs in the wake of Broadcom's licensing changes and industry consolidation. VMware customers are facing 4–5x renewal cost increases, reduced support options, and mandatory bundles—creating significant uncertainty for IT teams charged with keeping infrastruc
Hanizam/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund Q4 2025 Commentary. Small Cap Opportunity Fund A Shares (without sales charge*) posted a return of 1.71% in fourth quarter 2025. Healthcare, materials and information technology were the leading contributors among equity sectors; consumer discretionary and communication services detr...
Hanizam/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund Q4 2025 Commentary. Small Cap Opportunity Fund A Shares (without sales charge*) posted a return of 1.71% in fourth quarter 2025. Healthcare, materials and information technology were the leading contributors among equity sectors; consumer discretionary and communication services detracted and energy was flat. The Fund underperformed the Russell 2000 Value Index in the period. Leading contributors in the First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund this quarter included Hecla Mining Company ( HL ), Axogen, Inc. ( AXGN ), FormFactor, Inc. ( FORM ), Kaiser Aluminum Corporation ( KALU ) and OUTFRONT Media Inc ( OUT ). Hecla Mining is the largest producer of silver in the US and Canada. The company reported better-than-expected earnings for its most recent quarter, driven by above-consensus production volume and improved efficiency. Higher commodity prices have also been a tailwind. We think the company is a high-quality operator, and we like Hecla's focus on strengthening its balance sheet. Axogen develops products and technologies for nerve regeneration and repair. The company reported better-than-expected results for its most recent quarter. During the quarter, the Food and Drug Administration also approved a biologics license application for the company's primary product, Avance Nerve Graft. The license provides 12 years of market exclusivity in the US and paves the way for broader insurance coverage, which may increase the commercial potential of the product. FormFactor designs and manufactures testing and measurement equipment, with an emphasis on probe cards that allow chipmakers to test products at the wafer level before they are packaged and installed in devices like cell phones. The company reported better-than-expected results for its most recent quarter as demand for FormFactor's testing products grew due to the increasing level and complexity of test...
Earnings Call Insights: Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) Q4 2025 Management View James Risoleo, President, CEO & Director, opened the call stating, "2025 was another strong year for Host. We delivered operational improvements across our portfolio driven by rate growth and out-of-room spending, and we continue to successfully allocate capital through dispositions, portfolio reinvestment, share repurchas...
Earnings Call Insights: Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) Q4 2025 Management View James Risoleo, President, CEO & Director, opened the call stating, "2025 was another strong year for Host. We delivered operational improvements across our portfolio driven by rate growth and out-of-room spending, and we continue to successfully allocate capital through dispositions, portfolio reinvestment, share repurchases and dividends." He emphasized that adjusted EBITDAre reached $1,757 million for the year, a 4.6% increase, and highlighted that portfolio performance exceeded initial 2025 guidance by notable margins. Risoleo elaborated on the sale of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort and the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole for $1.1 billion, calling it "an opportunistic transaction to create immediate and tangible value for our shareholders." He detailed that the sale price represents an 11% unlevered IRR and an EBITDA multiple "more than 4 turns higher than our company's recent trading multiple." The CEO noted that Host recognized $17 million of net adjusted EBITDAre from the sale of 16 condo units and expects to recognize an additional $20 million to $25 million from remaining units. Risoleo said, "We returned nearly $860 million of capital to shareholders in 2025, including share repurchases." He also highlighted $644 million invested in capital expenditures, with major renovation programs on track. Sourav Ghosh, Executive VP & CFO, stated, "Comparable hotel food and beverage revenue for the quarter grew approximately 6%, driven by outlet revenue and banquet contribution per group room night." He added that resort outlet growth was led by Maui and that spa revenue was up 6% while golf revenue grew 14%. Outlook Management guided for 2026 adjusted EBITDAre midpoint of $1,770 million and expects comparable hotel total RevPAR growth of 2.5% to 4%, with comparable hotel RevPAR growth of 2% to 3.5%. The comparable hotel EBITDA margin is anticipated ...
Earnings Call Insights: Community Health Systems (CYH) Q4 2025 Management View Kevin Hammons, President, CEO & Director, opened by expressing gratitude for his appointment as permanent CEO and highlighted that "the fourth quarter was in line with our updated expectations, reflecting sequential margin expansion with higher acuity and a slight improvement in payer mix and continued cost controls." H...
Earnings Call Insights: Community Health Systems (CYH) Q4 2025 Management View Kevin Hammons, President, CEO & Director, opened by expressing gratitude for his appointment as permanent CEO and highlighted that "the fourth quarter was in line with our updated expectations, reflecting sequential margin expansion with higher acuity and a slight improvement in payer mix and continued cost controls." Hammons discussed milestone achievements, including a 13% rise in ER visits over two years in Knoxville following investments, a 20% increase in births at Grandview Medical Center driven by a $10 million investment, a 35% increase in inbound transfers in Carlsbad, and a 16% rise in heart surgeries in Longview, Texas. He emphasized ongoing divestitures, capital structure improvements, and reduced leverage from 7.4x at year-end 2024 to 6.6x at year-end 2025. Hammons stated, “with proceeds from transactions completed or to be completed in 2026, we are creating a path for additional debt reduction and deleveraging.” Jason Johnson, CFO & Executive VP, stated, "For the fourth quarter, CHS delivered results generally consistent with the expectations. The company continued to execute well on the controllable aspects of the business and was able to deliver expansion in adjusted EBITDA margin on a sequential basis. thus achieving the midpoint of our updated guidance for the full year 2025." Outlook Jason Johnson outlined initial 2026 guidance: net revenue of $11.6 billion to $12.0 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $1.34 billion to $1.49 billion, cash flows from operations of $600 million to $700 million, and capital expenditures of $350 million to $400 million. Johnson explained that the lower guidance reflects the impact of completed and pending divestitures as well as one-time or out-of-period items that benefited 2025 results. He noted, “The guidance range with net revenue and adjusted EBITDA both coming in below full year 2025 levels reflects the impact of divestitures completed in 2025...
Ruling allows California's claims over allegedly addictive design features and child safety tools to proceed, with a hearing scheduled before a final decision.
Ruling allows California's claims over allegedly addictive design features and child safety tools to proceed, with a hearing scheduled before a final decision.