ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is proving that scale, discipline, and cash flow still matter. With $52 billion in operating cash flow, rising production from Guyana and Brazil, and 43 straight years of dividend growth, this energy titan may offer stability amid volatile markets. The upsi
ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is proving that scale, discipline, and cash flow still matter. With $52 billion in operating cash flow, rising production from Guyana and Brazil, and 43 straight years of dividend growth, this energy titan may offer stability amid volatile markets. The upsi
If you follow quantum computing stocks , you've probably seen some version of this headline: "Wall Street is loading up on Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) ." The article in question probably pointed to 13F filings showing that leading money managers like Vanguard, BlackRock , and State Street hold tens of millions of shares of the pure play. At first glance, that might look like a massive endorse...
If you follow quantum computing stocks , you've probably seen some version of this headline: "Wall Street is loading up on Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) ." The article in question probably pointed to 13F filings showing that leading money managers like Vanguard, BlackRock , and State Street hold tens of millions of shares of the pure play. At first glance, that might look like a massive endorsement. Vanguard, the largest asset manager on the planet, has a position in Rigetti worth roughly $577 million. That must mean something, right? In fact, though, Vanguard's large position in Rigetti has nothing to do with the convictions of its fund managers. It exists because the stock is a component of broad indexes like the Russell 2000 . Vanguard offers numerous passively managed funds -- like the Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund -- that track a specific index. That means holding every stock in that benchmark index in the same proportion -- or weighting -- as the index does. Continue reading
Proposal will be at heart of offer to US as Trump considers whether to attack Iran Iran is refusing to export its 300kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium , but is willing to dilute the purity of the stockpile held in Iran under the supervision of the UN nuclear inspectorate the IAEA, Iranian sources have said. The proposal will be at the heart of the offer Iran is due to make to the US in the n...
Proposal will be at heart of offer to US as Trump considers whether to attack Iran Iran is refusing to export its 300kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium , but is willing to dilute the purity of the stockpile held in Iran under the supervision of the UN nuclear inspectorate the IAEA, Iranian sources have said. The proposal will be at the heart of the offer Iran is due to make to the US in the next few days, as US president Donald Trump weighs whether to use his vast naval build up in the Middle East to attack Iran. Continue reading...
As consumer confidence has collapsed, investors have increasingly turned to more defensive names when it comes to retailers. This has helped Walmart 's (NASDAQ: WMT) stock get off to a strong start to the year, up about 13% year to date, as of this writing. With the retail giant recently reporting its fourth-quarter results, let's take a closer look to see whether the stock's momentum can continue...
As consumer confidence has collapsed, investors have increasingly turned to more defensive names when it comes to retailers. This has helped Walmart 's (NASDAQ: WMT) stock get off to a strong start to the year, up about 13% year to date, as of this writing. With the retail giant recently reporting its fourth-quarter results, let's take a closer look to see whether the stock's momentum can continue. One of the more interesting things about the Walmart story over the past few years is that the retailer has been attracting more affluent shoppers. This has been an important growth driver, especially as lower-income consumers have been stressed due to inflation and tariffs. This showed up once again in Q4, with the company calling out strength in households earning more than $100,000 a year, while sales from households making below $50,000 were weak. Continue reading
mphillips007/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images I previously covered D.R. Horton, Inc. ( DHI ) in December 2025, discussing why I had upgraded the stock to a Buy then, as the Fed embarked on their rate-cutting path and the home builder's net sales orders grew in FQ4'25, significantly aided by the expanded margin of safety arising from the prior correction/bottoming. In this article, I shall discus...
mphillips007/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images I previously covered D.R. Horton, Inc. ( DHI ) in December 2025, discussing why I had upgraded the stock to a Buy then, as the Fed embarked on their rate-cutting path and the home builder's net sales orders grew in FQ4'25, significantly aided by the expanded margin of safety arising from the prior correction/bottoming. In this article, I shall discuss why I am reiterating my Buy rating for the DHI stock albeit after a slight correction, thanks to their ability to leverage their vertically integrated land development/construction/mortgage financing capabilities and the ongoing incentives to drive robust sales along with the use of their rich cash flows to generate value through dividend hikes/share repurchases. My stock price caution is attributed to the overbought RSIs and the elevated short interest ratio, with investors recommended to wait a little longer and add nearer to the 50/100/200 day moving averages of $153s/$148s - with those levels also nearer to the established uptrend support line since the March 2020 bottom. DHI Boasts Numerous Levers To Drive Profitable Growth DHI 1Y Stock Price (Trading View) Since my last Buy rating, DHI has generated an excellent double digits return profile compared to the sideways wider market. Much of their outperformance is attributed to the Fed's prior rate cuts in late 2025, with the 30Y Fixed Rate Mortgage Averages finally moderating to 6.01% as of February 19, 2026 and the 15Y rate to 5.35% , down from the November 2023 highs of 7.79% and 7.03%, albeit still a distance away from the 2019 averages of 4.13% and 3.28%, respectively. These developments have already contributed to the improving housing affordability index of 116.5x by January 2026 , compared to the average of 100.27x observed between FY2022 and FY2025, albeit still a distance away from the 152.7x reported in FY2019 . Otherwise, it is undeniable that the cheaper borrowing costs and the consequently elevated home bu...
Canopy Growth (NASDAQ: CGC) is a high-risk investment that should be considered only by the most aggressive investors. That's the big story and, ultimately, why I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. But if you are considering it, you'll want to think about these key facts before you hit the buy button. One of the first major warning signs is that the stock is trading around $1. That's penny sto...
Canopy Growth (NASDAQ: CGC) is a high-risk investment that should be considered only by the most aggressive investors. That's the big story and, ultimately, why I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. But if you are considering it, you'll want to think about these key facts before you hit the buy button. One of the first major warning signs is that the stock is trading around $1. That's penny stock land , an area of the market that is known for being high risk. Stock prices generally only fall that low when a company is struggling. Sure, there could be a huge upside opportunity if a penny stock turns around, but there's material downside risk if the company's business doesn't prove sustainable over the long term. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Long-time rivals play for gold on Sunday at 2026 Games Tensions are high between two teams Status of Canada’s Sidney Crosby still uncertain The US and Canada are prepared for a stormy men’s ice hockey final on Sunday as the long-time rivals face off for Winter Olympic gold . This year’s Olympics mark the first time NHL players have competed at the Winter Games since 2014, meaning many of the best ...
Long-time rivals play for gold on Sunday at 2026 Games Tensions are high between two teams Status of Canada’s Sidney Crosby still uncertain The US and Canada are prepared for a stormy men’s ice hockey final on Sunday as the long-time rivals face off for Winter Olympic gold . This year’s Olympics mark the first time NHL players have competed at the Winter Games since 2014, meaning many of the best players in the world will face each other on Sunday. While Canada are the betting favourites – and have won the most ice hockey golds in Olympic history – the US players say they have motivation to upset their northern neighbours. Continue reading...
Chancellor Friedrich Merz ’s conservative Christian Democratic Union party called for a ban on the use of social media networks such as Instagram and Tiktok for minors in Germany, a move that risks straining relations with the US digital services industry ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump next month. The party adopted a motion urging Merz’s government to introduce a legal minimum age ...
Chancellor Friedrich Merz ’s conservative Christian Democratic Union party called for a ban on the use of social media networks such as Instagram and Tiktok for minors in Germany, a move that risks straining relations with the US digital services industry ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump next month. The party adopted a motion urging Merz’s government to introduce a legal minimum age of 14 for social media use at its annual convention on Saturday, along with additional protections for those up to 16. The proposals mirrored those recently put forward by the CDU’s coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party. Merz has signaled his support for age restrictions, citing the risks social media pose to young people and to society as a whole. Networks including Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram and Facebook, Snap Inc., Elon Musk’s X and TikTok face mounting scrutiny across Europe over potentially harmful and addictive content, setting the stage for a possible clash with some of the largest US tech companies. Merz’s cabinet is expected to approve draft legislation before the summer, with the aim of securing parliamentary passage in the second half of the year. Read More: Merz Risks Spat With Trump Over Social-Media Ban for Minors The CDU also called for regulations at the European level requiring platforms to introduce data protection-compliant age verification systems, arguing that simple self-declaration via a “click-through” isn’t sufficient. Harmonized age standards across the bloc would prevent users from circumventing national rules via other member states, the party said, advocating substantial fines for violations. Merz was reelected chairman by CDU party members on Friday, securing a strong mandate for another two years despite rising voter discontent with his policies and leadership style. Former chancellor Angela Merkel also attended the two-day gathering, her first appearance at a party conference since leaving office in 2021. Merz and Merkel represe...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images As artificial intelligence hype collides with market uncertainty, traditional diversification strategies are being challenged. Jing Roy, VP, Director and Portfolio Manager for Asset Allocation with TD Asset Management, joins MoneyTalk to discuss how investors can recalibrate asset allocation in a time of disruption. Transcript Greg Bonnell - The potential disrupti...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images As artificial intelligence hype collides with market uncertainty, traditional diversification strategies are being challenged. Jing Roy, VP, Director and Portfolio Manager for Asset Allocation with TD Asset Management, joins MoneyTalk to discuss how investors can recalibrate asset allocation in a time of disruption. Transcript Greg Bonnell - The potential disruptive impact of artificial intelligence has created some volatility in these markets recently. So how should investors be approaching portfolio construction amid all this uncertainty? Joining us now to discuss is Jing Roy, VP, Director and Portfolio Manager for Asset Allocation with TD Asset Management. Jing, great to have you back. Jing Roy - Thanks for having me. Greg Bonnell - We got a lot going on. We've got a lot to plow through here. There's been a lot of volatility recently in the markets. What's behind all this? Jing Roy - Well, the volatility index actually spiked by 7% -- 7 percentage points. But what's unique here is that the S&P 500 index was mostly flat. So when you look beneath the surface, actually there's a massive rotation out of companies at risk of being disrupted by AI, such as technology and business service companies. And that capital is rotating into old economy, brick-and-mortar stocks because they have more predictable business models. To give you a sense of the magnitude, software companies actually were down 20% versus staples, up 15%. So within the S&P 500 index, the dispersion in return is actually a three-sigma event. So we will call this a tail event. In this environment, it's very, very constructive for stock pickers and good active managers versus investors holding a passive index tracker. Greg Bonnell - So this AI disruptive threat we're looking at right now, how should we be thinking about this risk? Jing Roy - Well, this is really triggered by the release of Claude Cowork. So this agentic AI kind of operating system really called into questi...
Brett_Hondow Wells Fargo dug through the dizzying mix of tariff developments on Friday to call out Dollar Tree ( DLTR ) and Five Below ( FIVE ) as likely beneficiaries. Analyst Edward Kelly and his team think the Supreme Court ruling is likely to bring less volatility moving forward because any tariff decisions in the future are likely to come over a longer time frame. "Under IEEPA, Trump levied t...
Brett_Hondow Wells Fargo dug through the dizzying mix of tariff developments on Friday to call out Dollar Tree ( DLTR ) and Five Below ( FIVE ) as likely beneficiaries. Analyst Edward Kelly and his team think the Supreme Court ruling is likely to bring less volatility moving forward because any tariff decisions in the future are likely to come over a longer time frame. "Under IEEPA, Trump levied tariffs on countries w/little public vetting or notice period. Separately, today's decision could also delay/eliminate future price increases related to tariffs that haven't already been pushed through," Kelly noted that China tariffs are a big wild card. "Given prior effective tariff rates above 10% for China, it remains to be seen how additional Section 301 tariffs affect the calculus. We'll likely get additional color at next week's State of the Union," he wrote. However, the firm's initial analysis is that more specific Section 301 tariffs could have some exclusions similar to Trump's 2018-2019 tariffs. The takeaway is that it seems possible that the rates paid on China imports by retailers could be somewhat lower than the tariff in place before the SCOTUS ruling. "Given low fixed price points and high China exposure, DLTR and FIVE could see the biggest earnings benefits. The companies could use any upside to enhance value/quality or support margins," reasoned Kelly. While the giants of retail such as Target ( TGT ), Walmart ( WMT ), and Costco ( COST ) are also seen benefiting from a net lower tariff on Chinese imports, the near-term impact on the bottom line for Dollar Tree ( DLTR ) and Five Below ( FIVE ) is expected to be more significant. More on Dollar Tree and Five Below Mr. Market Hasn't Realized That Dollar Tree Is Still On Sale Five Below, Inc. (FIVE) Presents at ICR Conference 2026 Transcript Dollar Tree: Benefiting From Consumer Stress, But Facing Bigger Issues Corvex Management exits CCL, DLTR, raises stakes in VSTS, DIS, ORCL among Q4 moves Five Below earns...
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is ramping up efforts to strengthen its in-house AI chip design capabilities as part of its push to scale autonomous driving and robotics technology. Tesla’s Expansion into AI Chip Design Tesla has launched a recruiting campaign in South Korea, focusing on AI chip design engineering roles. Elon Musk highlighted a Tesla Korea listing for the position on social media, signali...
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is ramping up efforts to strengthen its in-house AI chip design capabilities as part of its push to scale autonomous driving and robotics technology. Tesla’s Expansion into AI Chip Design Tesla has launched a recruiting campaign in South Korea, focusing on AI chip design engineering roles. Elon Musk highlighted a Tesla Korea listing for the position on social media, signaling the company’s drive to deepen its expertise in AI-focused chip design, the Chosun Daily reported
Nadzeya Haroshka/iStock via Getty Images Energy sector stocks were in focus this week as the market absorbed earnings reports from companies including Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) and Devon Energy ( DVN ). Six S&P 500 energy companies reported quarterly results this week, with four surpassing earnings expectations, and one reporting in-line. On the revenue front, four topped Wall Street estimates,...
Nadzeya Haroshka/iStock via Getty Images Energy sector stocks were in focus this week as the market absorbed earnings reports from companies including Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) and Devon Energy ( DVN ). Six S&P 500 energy companies reported quarterly results this week, with four surpassing earnings expectations, and one reporting in-line. On the revenue front, four topped Wall Street estimates, while the remainder came in below forecasts. So far this year, the energy sector has gained ~23%, compared to the broader S&P500 index's slight gain in the same period. Below are the latest quarterly reports from top energy companies this week: Devon Energy ( DVN ) outlined $1B annual synergy target by 2027 following Coterra merger, signalling enhanced shareholder returns. The CEO also announced Devon’s increased investment in Fervo Energy, raising its stake to approximately 15% in the geothermal energy company. EQT ( EQT ) targets $3.5B in 2026 free cash flow with expansion in midstream and infrastructure investments. Management cited structural constraints in U.S. natural gas infrastructure, with CEO Toby Rice warning, "These price signals are unmistakable. The country needs more pipeline infrastructure and a permitting framework that allows the industry to get back to building critical infrastructure again." Occidental ( OXY ) targets 1.45M boe/d production in 2026 with $5.5B-$5.9B capital plan as cost efficiencies deepen. CEO Vicki Hollub outlined 2026 priorities: maintaining production base through safe operations, sustaining and growing dividends (including an 8% increase to the quarterly dividend), and further strengthening the financial position with continued net debt reductions. Expand Energy ( EXE ) outlined $0.20 margin uplift strategy amid 35%–40% gas demand growth forecast. In 2026, Expand Energy expects to run between 11 and 12 rigs and invest approximately $2.85 billion yielding an estimated daily production of approximately 7.5 Bcfe/d. Some notable names r...
GamePH/iStock via Getty Images Co-authored with Hidden Opportunities. Shapes are everywhere around us. You can see rectangles in windows, circles in wheels, straight lines in buildings and streets. Geometric shapes blend into our daily life without us putting much thought into them, until we do. And when you do, you realize that there is order, repetition, and familiarity with quiet logic behind i...
GamePH/iStock via Getty Images Co-authored with Hidden Opportunities. Shapes are everywhere around us. You can see rectangles in windows, circles in wheels, straight lines in buildings and streets. Geometric shapes blend into our daily life without us putting much thought into them, until we do. And when you do, you realize that there is order, repetition, and familiarity with quiet logic behind it. Everything fits together. Whether you are paying attention or not, the world is built on repeatable structures. Economics works in the same way. Every rent or utility payment, purchase made at the store, restocking of shelves, shipping of goods, even that bagel you had for breakfast, every expense you make is someone else's recurring income. No matter where in the country or in the world you go, rent doesn’t disappear, and energy doesn’t become unnecessary. Just like shapes, expenses are omnipresent. At High Dividend Opportunities , we focus on harnessing the potential of recurring essential expenses to create recurring cash flows. Here are our top picks to silence the noise and the narratives, and just focus on durable cash flows that quietly compound in the background. Pick #1: NNN – Yield 5.5% NNN REIT, Inc. ( NNN ) is one of the largest Triple Net Lease REITs in America, operating a high-quality portfolio of commercial real estate assets. The REIT reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings on February 11th, ending Q4 with a portfolio occupancy of 98.3% and a weighted-average lease term of 10.2 years. During Q4, the REIT made $183 million worth of acquisitions at a weighted-average lease term of 18.1 years, while disposing of $82.1 million in properties. This brings the full-year acquisition total to $931 million with a long weighted-average lease term of 17.6 years, and $190.5 million in dispositions (including 67 vacant properties) at a 6.4% cap rate. That is a terrific way to increase overall Net Operating Income, as seen from the numbers below. Source...
ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is proving that scale, discipline, and cash flow still matter. With $52 billion in operating cash flow, rising production from Guyana and Brazil, and 43 straight years of dividend growth, this energy titan may offer stability amid volatile markets. The upside may not be explosive, but the durability could be powerful. Stock prices used were the market prices of Feb. 13, 2026...
ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is proving that scale, discipline, and cash flow still matter. With $52 billion in operating cash flow, rising production from Guyana and Brazil, and 43 straight years of dividend growth, this energy titan may offer stability amid volatile markets. The upside may not be explosive, but the durability could be powerful. Stock prices used were the market prices of Feb. 13, 2026. The video was published on Feb. 19, 2026. Continue reading
9 Tips To Cut Your 2025 Tax Bill And File Smoothly Under New Rules Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), With tax season underway and the April 15 filing deadline approaching, taxpayers are being encouraged to review new changes introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to help minimize their tax bills and avoid filing delays. The IRS in Washington. Madalina Kilroy/The Epo...
9 Tips To Cut Your 2025 Tax Bill And File Smoothly Under New Rules Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), With tax season underway and the April 15 filing deadline approaching, taxpayers are being encouraged to review new changes introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to help minimize their tax bills and avoid filing delays. The IRS in Washington. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times The law, signed in July 2025, made several permanent revisions to the tax code. It also created a series of temporary deductions and expanded limits—many of which expire after 2028 or 2029 and come with strict income phaseouts. The IRS has urged taxpayers to review the new provisions carefully and use online tools at IRS.gov to help ensure smooth processing. Here are nine strategies to consider. 1. Revisit Itemizing Under the Higher SALT Cap The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) temporarily increased the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap f rom $10,000 to $40,000 for both single filers and married couples filing jointly. For 2025, the standard deduction is $15,750 for singles, $31,500 for married couples, and $23,625 for heads of household. Taxpayers whose total itemized deductions—including mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and state and local taxes—exceed those amounts may benefit from itemizing. However, the expanded SALT cap begins phasing out at $500,000 in modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and returns to $10,000 once MAGI reaches $600,000. Because many benefits phase out at specific income levels, reviewing your projected MAGI before making major financial moves—such as selling investments or doing a Roth conversion—can help protect valuable deductions. While most of your 2025 income is already set by filing season, certain contributions made before the April deadline, such as individual retirement account or health savings account funding, can still lower taxable income and help preserve income-sensitive tax breaks. 2. Calculate the Ove...
Leaders Coventry win 2-0 at struggling West Brom Leicester draw 2-2 at Stoke in Gary Rowett’s first game Championship leaders Coventry won away for the first time since 25 November and their 2-0 victory at The Hawthorns left West Brom , who have not won in nine league games and not scored a league goal in 360 minutes, deeper in relegation trouble. Coventry took the lead with their first attack of ...
Leaders Coventry win 2-0 at struggling West Brom Leicester draw 2-2 at Stoke in Gary Rowett’s first game Championship leaders Coventry won away for the first time since 25 November and their 2-0 victory at The Hawthorns left West Brom , who have not won in nine league games and not scored a league goal in 360 minutes, deeper in relegation trouble. Coventry took the lead with their first attack of the game, punishing West Brom’s high defensive line. Frank Onyeka won the ball in midfield, Milan van Ewijk sent a long ball over the top and Ephron Mason-Clark chested it down before lobbing goalkeeper Max O’Leary, who got a hand to the shot. Mason-Clark got the wrong side of Alfie Gilchrist, who tried in vain to clear the ball off the line and ended up in the back of the net. The forward’s seventh goal of the season was his first since Boxing Day. Continue reading...
The Pentagon and the Energy Department have airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is potential for the U.S. to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. (Image credit: Matthew Daly)
The Pentagon and the Energy Department have airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is potential for the U.S. to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. (Image credit: Matthew Daly)