5 days ago
VYMI mirrors VYM's rules-based dividend methodology across 1,500 non-US stocks and has outperformed its domestic twin by 11 percentage points over the past year.
VYMI's $22 billion in **** ets is dwarfed by VYM's $83 billion, revealing how overlooked international dividend investing remains despite paying higher yields.
IDV concentrates its international yield hunt into roughly 100 holdings at a 0.50% fee, making it the higher-income, higher-risk alternative to VYMI's diversified approach.
Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset's free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don't waste another minute; learn more here.
Ask a typical income investor for a Vanguard dividend ETF, and you'll hear Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA:VYM) before the question is finished. Ask about its overseas sibling, and you'll usually get a blank stare. Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (NASDAQ:VYMI) runs the same playbook outside the United States, pays a fatter distribution, and has quietly outperformed its famous American cousin over the past year. Even the established international name in the category, iShares International Select Dividend ETF (CBOE:IDV), doesn't get much airtime alongside the domestic heavyweights.
#international #vanguard
VYMI's $22 billion in **** ets is dwarfed by VYM's $83 billion, revealing how overlooked international dividend investing remains despite paying higher yields.
IDV concentrates its international yield hunt into roughly 100 holdings at a 0.50% fee, making it the higher-income, higher-risk alternative to VYMI's diversified approach.
Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset's free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don't waste another minute; learn more here.
Ask a typical income investor for a Vanguard dividend ETF, and you'll hear Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA:VYM) before the question is finished. Ask about its overseas sibling, and you'll usually get a blank stare. Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (NASDAQ:VYMI) runs the same playbook outside the United States, pays a fatter distribution, and has quietly outperformed its famous American cousin over the past year. Even the established international name in the category, iShares International Select Dividend ETF (CBOE:IDV), doesn't get much airtime alongside the domestic heavyweights.
#international #vanguard
12 days ago
October WTI crude oil (CLV26) closed up +0.79 (+0.88%) on Wednesday, and October RBOB gasoline (RBV26) closed down -0.0313 (-1.00%).
Crude oil and gasoline prices settled mixed on Wednesday, with crude oil posting a fresh 6-week high. Crude prices rallied Wednesday as hostilities escalated between the US and Iran, raising concerns about prolonged disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Crude prices also gained after weekly EIA inventories unexpectedly declined. However, crude gains were limited amid signs of larger crude supplies leaving the Strait of Hormuz, easing supply concerns.
I've Been Taking a Beating on This AI Energy Stock. Here's Where I'm Looking to Add More Shares – and Why.
This Geothermal Stock Is Soaring Today After a Major Google Deal
As US Bond Selloff Accelerates, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says a Stronger Yen is Coming
#prices #hormuz #energy #closed
Crude oil and gasoline prices settled mixed on Wednesday, with crude oil posting a fresh 6-week high. Crude prices rallied Wednesday as hostilities escalated between the US and Iran, raising concerns about prolonged disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Crude prices also gained after weekly EIA inventories unexpectedly declined. However, crude gains were limited amid signs of larger crude supplies leaving the Strait of Hormuz, easing supply concerns.
I've Been Taking a Beating on This AI Energy Stock. Here's Where I'm Looking to Add More Shares – and Why.
This Geothermal Stock Is Soaring Today After a Major Google Deal
As US Bond Selloff Accelerates, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says a Stronger Yen is Coming
#prices #hormuz #energy #closed
13 days ago
Riverwater Partners, an investment management company, released its 'Small Cap Strategy' Q2 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. The Small Cap Strategy underperformed the Russell 2000 in the second quarter as the benchmark experienced one of its strongest risk-on rallies in recent memory, although the strategy remained ahead year-to-date. The quarter was defined by accelerating AI investment, energy market disruptions, and renewed investor appetite for higher-beta stocks, creating headwinds for the firm's quality-focused approach and healthcare positioning. Despite this, stock selection contributed positively in energy, materials, and financials, while healthcare and consumer discretionary detracted due to the fund's disciplined avoidance of speculative businesses. Looking ahead, the firm remains cautiously optimistic, focusing on opportunities created by market dislocations, including AI infrastructure enablers, select consumer companies, healthcare innovators, and energy businesses trading below intrinsic value. The strategy continues to emphasize high-quality companies with strong management teams and attractive valuations, positioning the portfolio for a potential rotation away from speculative market leadership. In addition, please check the Strategy's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Riverwater Partners Small Cap Strategy highlighted Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY). The Fund exited its position in Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY), a leading eyewear brand and retailer that offers eyeglasses and sunglasses, and contact lenses, during the quarter. On August 31, 2026, Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) closed at $24.60 per share. Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) fell 17.78% over the past month while its shares lost 3.72% over the past 52 weeks. Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) has a market capitalization of $3.04 billion with a 52-week trading range between $14.96 - $31.00.
Riverwater Partners Small Cap Strategy stated the following regarding Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"We also sold Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) and Canada Goose (GOOS) during the quarter as we redeployed capital into the new positions described above. WRBY is a name we like, though we believe a lot of AI hype was built into the stock around the glasses launch. The unveiling of the glasses was somewhat underwhelming and we would potentially underwrite the stock again at lower levels."
Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 36 hedge fund portfolios held Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) at the end of the second quarter which was 48 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Riverwater Partners Small Cap Strategy highlighted Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY). The Fund exited its position in Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY), a leading eyewear brand and retailer that offers eyeglasses and sunglasses, and contact lenses, during the quarter. On August 31, 2026, Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) closed at $24.60 per share. Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) fell 17.78% over the past month while its shares lost 3.72% over the past 52 weeks. Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) has a market capitalization of $3.04 billion with a 52-week trading range between $14.96 - $31.00.
Riverwater Partners Small Cap Strategy stated the following regarding Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"We also sold Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) and Canada Goose (GOOS) during the quarter as we redeployed capital into the new positions described above. WRBY is a name we like, though we believe a lot of AI hype was built into the stock around the glasses launch. The unveiling of the glasses was somewhat underwhelming and we would potentially underwrite the stock again at lower levels."
Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 36 hedge fund portfolios held Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) at the end of the second quarter which was 48 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to
16 days ago
Interested in Qnity Electronics, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.
AI, advanced packaging and thermal management are Qnity Electronics' primary growth drivers. The company says its advanced-packaging business could double over the next several years, while thermal-management demand is growing even faster.
Qnity is expanding clean-room and manufacturing capacity in Delaware and Taiwan to address semiconductor-materials demand, particularly in advanced logic, HBM and DRAM. Node migration toward 2-nanometer and gate-all-around designs is also increasing materials intensity and benefiting its CMP business.
The company targets margin expansion through higher-value products and a transformation program expected to generate about $100 million in EBITDA benefits over several years. Capital priorities include organic capacity and R&D investment, selective bolt-on acquisitions and share repurchases mainly to offset dilution.
Is Wingstop's Growth Story Losing Steam?
#management #several
AI, advanced packaging and thermal management are Qnity Electronics' primary growth drivers. The company says its advanced-packaging business could double over the next several years, while thermal-management demand is growing even faster.
Qnity is expanding clean-room and manufacturing capacity in Delaware and Taiwan to address semiconductor-materials demand, particularly in advanced logic, HBM and DRAM. Node migration toward 2-nanometer and gate-all-around designs is also increasing materials intensity and benefiting its CMP business.
The company targets margin expansion through higher-value products and a transformation program expected to generate about $100 million in EBITDA benefits over several years. Capital priorities include organic capacity and R&D investment, selective bolt-on acquisitions and share repurchases mainly to offset dilution.
Is Wingstop's Growth Story Losing Steam?
#management #several
18 days ago
KiiChain has integrated TRON (CRYPTO: $TRX) into its on-chain foreign exchange platform, adding support for 24/7 stablecoin payments, swaps and treasury operations across a network that carries more than $90 billion in circulating USDT (CRYPTO: $USDT).
The KiiChain App will support deposits, swaps and yield vaults for TRON-based **** ets, including USDT issued under the TRC20 standard. The companies said the connection is designed to give users and businesses continuous access to foreign exchange liquidity without relying on traditional banking hours.
KiiChain already serves more than 200 enterprise clients and 360,000 registered users. TRON DAO spokesperson Sam Elfarra said more than $500 million in on-chain FX transaction volume is already flowing through KiiChain on TRON, giving the integration an operating base beyond a standard network expansion.
More From Cryptoprowl:
MEXC TradFi Gala Concludes With Over 170,000 Registrations and $4.3 Billion in Daily Trading Volume
#kiichain #foreign #exchange
The KiiChain App will support deposits, swaps and yield vaults for TRON-based **** ets, including USDT issued under the TRC20 standard. The companies said the connection is designed to give users and businesses continuous access to foreign exchange liquidity without relying on traditional banking hours.
KiiChain already serves more than 200 enterprise clients and 360,000 registered users. TRON DAO spokesperson Sam Elfarra said more than $500 million in on-chain FX transaction volume is already flowing through KiiChain on TRON, giving the integration an operating base beyond a standard network expansion.
More From Cryptoprowl:
MEXC TradFi Gala Concludes With Over 170,000 Registrations and $4.3 Billion in Daily Trading Volume
#kiichain #foreign #exchange
20 days ago
OpenAI's head of data centers, Chris Malone, has left the company, adding to a string of senior executive departures at the artificial intelligence lab this year.
TechCrunch first reported his departure. Malone, who brought experience from data center roles at Meta and Google, came aboard in March 2025, and his exit arrives amid OpenAI's sweeping infrastructure expansion — one that envisions committing around $600 billion to compute through 2030, per CNBC.
OpenAI said in a statement that the company had "recently reorganized" its "infrastructure organization to support the scale and pace of our work," adding that it has "a strong, deeply experienced data center team in place, with clear leadership and the technical expertise to execute our plans." Under the new structure, Malone's reporting line shifted away from OpenAI President Greg Brockman and moved to OpenAI Vice President Sachin Katti, who ***** umed oversight of the group, according to TechCrunch. Responsibility for data center strategy is now distributed across a handful of leaders: Uday Ruddarraju heads the data center team, Brent Mayo manages the build and delivery program, and Spas Lazarov oversees data center engineering.
Malone's exit is one piece of a broader pattern of attrition at the top of the company. According to TechCrunch, Business Insider put the total count of senior departures in 2026 at 13, with a notable cluster occurring in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser announced she was leaving after nine months on the job and will be replaced by Dali Rajic, who most recently served as president and chief operating officer of cybersecurity company Wiz. Her departure came just days after Brad Lightcap, who spent eight years at OpenAI, including a four-year run as chief operating officer, said he was leaving to start a new venture. Before those exits, product and business chief Fidji Simo stepped down last month to manage a chronic illness, and Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch left in April for health reasons.
#openai #officer #president
TechCrunch first reported his departure. Malone, who brought experience from data center roles at Meta and Google, came aboard in March 2025, and his exit arrives amid OpenAI's sweeping infrastructure expansion — one that envisions committing around $600 billion to compute through 2030, per CNBC.
OpenAI said in a statement that the company had "recently reorganized" its "infrastructure organization to support the scale and pace of our work," adding that it has "a strong, deeply experienced data center team in place, with clear leadership and the technical expertise to execute our plans." Under the new structure, Malone's reporting line shifted away from OpenAI President Greg Brockman and moved to OpenAI Vice President Sachin Katti, who ***** umed oversight of the group, according to TechCrunch. Responsibility for data center strategy is now distributed across a handful of leaders: Uday Ruddarraju heads the data center team, Brent Mayo manages the build and delivery program, and Spas Lazarov oversees data center engineering.
Malone's exit is one piece of a broader pattern of attrition at the top of the company. According to TechCrunch, Business Insider put the total count of senior departures in 2026 at 13, with a notable cluster occurring in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser announced she was leaving after nine months on the job and will be replaced by Dali Rajic, who most recently served as president and chief operating officer of cybersecurity company Wiz. Her departure came just days after Brad Lightcap, who spent eight years at OpenAI, including a four-year run as chief operating officer, said he was leaving to start a new venture. Before those exits, product and business chief Fidji Simo stepped down last month to manage a chronic illness, and Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch left in April for health reasons.
#openai #officer #president
21 days ago
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Papa Johns has named KM Capital as its new franchise partner in Mexico. Under the agreement of this new partnership, KM Capital will ******* ume leadership of 44 existing franchised restaurants across the country, which the company said is a priority market for Papa Johns International.
KM Capital will also focus on expanding the brand across the country with continued investments in operations, branding, and restaurant growth. The Mexico-based private investment and advisory firm was founded in 1986 and focuses on middle-market companies across Mexico and Latin America. In a statement, Papa Johns' Global Chief Development Officer John Matter said KM Capital brings local expertise, commercial discipline, and a strategic growth mindset need to support the brand's next phase in the market.
"Together, we are focused on enhancing the customer experience, growing our presence in the market and building a stronger Papa Johns brand for consumers across Mexico," he said.
KM Capital's executive leadership team recently met with Papa Johns' executives to align on growth plans, market priorities and long-term development opportunities for Mexico. In a statement, Enrique Ruiz Mandujano, founding partner and CEO said Mexicans have a "strong passion for pizza, and we see an opportunity to grow the Papa Johns' brand by delivering great pizzas and expanding our reach to serve more communities across the country."
#papa #capital #country #development
Papa Johns has named KM Capital as its new franchise partner in Mexico. Under the agreement of this new partnership, KM Capital will ******* ume leadership of 44 existing franchised restaurants across the country, which the company said is a priority market for Papa Johns International.
KM Capital will also focus on expanding the brand across the country with continued investments in operations, branding, and restaurant growth. The Mexico-based private investment and advisory firm was founded in 1986 and focuses on middle-market companies across Mexico and Latin America. In a statement, Papa Johns' Global Chief Development Officer John Matter said KM Capital brings local expertise, commercial discipline, and a strategic growth mindset need to support the brand's next phase in the market.
"Together, we are focused on enhancing the customer experience, growing our presence in the market and building a stronger Papa Johns brand for consumers across Mexico," he said.
KM Capital's executive leadership team recently met with Papa Johns' executives to align on growth plans, market priorities and long-term development opportunities for Mexico. In a statement, Enrique Ruiz Mandujano, founding partner and CEO said Mexicans have a "strong passion for pizza, and we see an opportunity to grow the Papa Johns' brand by delivering great pizzas and expanding our reach to serve more communities across the country."
#papa #capital #country #development
26 days ago
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) traders have traditionally looked to exchanges such as Binance for the fastest read on where the cryptocurrency is heading. New research suggests that relationship may be starting to flip.
The high-frequency trading team at Synth, a financial forecasting firm, **** yzed second-by-second trades since January and found that moves in Kalshi's 15-minute Bitcoin contracts increasingly predict what Binance does next, according to research published Tuesday.
The correlation between a preceding Kalshi move and Binance's subsequent 0-to-2-second move rose from 0.036 in January to 0.145 in June and 0.173 in August.
The correlation remains modest in absolute terms. What stands out is that it has grown almost fivefold in eight months, which Synth says has occurred alongside rising liquidity and trading volume on Kalshi.
#second
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) traders have traditionally looked to exchanges such as Binance for the fastest read on where the cryptocurrency is heading. New research suggests that relationship may be starting to flip.
The high-frequency trading team at Synth, a financial forecasting firm, **** yzed second-by-second trades since January and found that moves in Kalshi's 15-minute Bitcoin contracts increasingly predict what Binance does next, according to research published Tuesday.
The correlation between a preceding Kalshi move and Binance's subsequent 0-to-2-second move rose from 0.036 in January to 0.145 in June and 0.173 in August.
The correlation remains modest in absolute terms. What stands out is that it has grown almost fivefold in eight months, which Synth says has occurred alongside rising liquidity and trading volume on Kalshi.
#second
26 days ago
Crossroads Capital LLC, an investment management firm, published its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Fund increased by 11.5% net of fees and expenses during the quarter. Since its founding, the fund has compounded at a net rate of 17.9%. By the end of June 2026, the fund's overall non-delta-adjusted gross and net exposures were 115.0% and 86.9%, respectively. In Q2, the S&P 500 rebounded 14.9%, its best since 2020, as market uncertainty eased. The oil market showed a transition, with Brent crude prices fluctuating. AI and semiconductors thrived, with 25% earnings growth. The quarter underscored a key principle: risk is priced continuously but resolved discontinuously. Small-cap benchmarks hit new highs, though the Magnificent 7 saw modest gains. In Q2, market activity focused on adjustments rather than facts, capitalizing on high option premiums. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Crossroads Capital highlighted Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS). Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) is a technology company focusing on developing full-stack infrastructure to service the global AI industry. On August 19, 2026, Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) closed at $223.90 per share. The one-month return of Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) was 1.33%, and its shares gained 238.32% over the past 52 weeks. Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) has a market capitalization of $60.87 billion.
Crossroads Capital stated the following regarding Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Eighteen months ago, Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) was a Russian-adjacent carve-out of Yandex, the Russian Google, with no anchor customer, a cash burn, and an open question as to whether capital markets would touch it. You had to squint at it in order to see a viable business that was arguably trading below liquidation value. On August 12th, the company reported a second quarter with $582.3 million in revenue and a 50% adjusted EBITDA margin in its core AI cloud business. Today Nebius is an AI infrastructure platform with roughly $46B of committed contract value from Microsoft and Meta, priority Nvidia silicon secured through Nvidia's own $2B equity stake, and a target of almost 5 GW of contracted power by year-end(with over 75% of it owned rather than leased). Moreover, it has a funding structure in which roughly 50-60% of capex is covered by customer prepayments; the balance was raised this spring as $4B of oversubscribed convertibles with coupons of 1.25% and 2.625%. Sub-1.3% paper to 2031 is the bond market's answer to any question regarding Nebius' long-term prospects—and a question we couldn't have fully answered a year ago at any price.
The Meta relationship remains the keystone: $27B over five years, split between $12B of dedicated capacity on one of the first large-scale Vera Rubin deployments (starting early 2027) and $15B on w
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Crossroads Capital highlighted Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS). Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) is a technology company focusing on developing full-stack infrastructure to service the global AI industry. On August 19, 2026, Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) closed at $223.90 per share. The one-month return of Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) was 1.33%, and its shares gained 238.32% over the past 52 weeks. Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) has a market capitalization of $60.87 billion.
Crossroads Capital stated the following regarding Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Eighteen months ago, Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) was a Russian-adjacent carve-out of Yandex, the Russian Google, with no anchor customer, a cash burn, and an open question as to whether capital markets would touch it. You had to squint at it in order to see a viable business that was arguably trading below liquidation value. On August 12th, the company reported a second quarter with $582.3 million in revenue and a 50% adjusted EBITDA margin in its core AI cloud business. Today Nebius is an AI infrastructure platform with roughly $46B of committed contract value from Microsoft and Meta, priority Nvidia silicon secured through Nvidia's own $2B equity stake, and a target of almost 5 GW of contracted power by year-end(with over 75% of it owned rather than leased). Moreover, it has a funding structure in which roughly 50-60% of capex is covered by customer prepayments; the balance was raised this spring as $4B of oversubscribed convertibles with coupons of 1.25% and 2.625%. Sub-1.3% paper to 2031 is the bond market's answer to any question regarding Nebius' long-term prospects—and a question we couldn't have fully answered a year ago at any price.
The Meta relationship remains the keystone: $27B over five years, split between $12B of dedicated capacity on one of the first large-scale Vera Rubin deployments (starting early 2027) and $15B on w
27 days ago
Microsoft's Azure surpassed $100 billion in annual revenue, grew 43% year-over-year, and is guided to roughly 45% growth next quarter.
The OpenAI partnership, with IP rights through 2032 and $250 billion in contracted Azure services, gives MSFT a moat AMZN and GOOGL cannot replicate.
A $678 billion commercial backlog growing 84% year-over-year outpaces capex concerns, supporting continued accumulation before operating leverage emerges in earnings.
Act now: the **** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Microsoft didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
I hit the buy **** on on Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) again last week, and I will hit it again next month. The stock is down 6.91% over the past year and roughly flat year to date, sitting at $480.35. That is exactly the window I have been waiting for. The consolidation is the invitation.
#year #next #openai #googl
The OpenAI partnership, with IP rights through 2032 and $250 billion in contracted Azure services, gives MSFT a moat AMZN and GOOGL cannot replicate.
A $678 billion commercial backlog growing 84% year-over-year outpaces capex concerns, supporting continued accumulation before operating leverage emerges in earnings.
Act now: the **** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Microsoft didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
I hit the buy **** on on Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) again last week, and I will hit it again next month. The stock is down 6.91% over the past year and roughly flat year to date, sitting at $480.35. That is exactly the window I have been waiting for. The consolidation is the invitation.
#year #next #openai #googl
29 days ago
Oil prices have soared in recent months as a result of the almost complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade corridor connecting Asia and Europe. High fossil fuel prices have helped to drive up the profits of oil and gas companies around the globe, particularly in the United States and Europe. As a few companies boost production to fill the gap, some oil majors have seen record earnings in the first half of the year, a trend that is expected to continue for as long as Hormuz trade remains restricted.
Eight of the largest oil firms achieved combined profits of over $90 billion in the three months from April to June, following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran and the subsequent war. Iran's decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway between Oman and Iran that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, has led to the biggest disruption of fossil fuel supplies in the market's history. As a few oil majors from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East step in to fill the gap and oil prices are pushed higher, a few companies have come out on top.
The phenomenon has also demonstrated that the world remains overly dependent on fossil fuels, with countries willing to pay a premium to secure their oil and gas supplies in the face of major global shortages. Environmentalists are concerned about what this reliance means for climate change, as greenhouse emissions remain high. The lack of energy diversification and the heavy dependence on fossil fuels also poses a threat to energy security for many countries.
The eight companies ***** sed – Aramco, BP, Shell, Equinor, TotalEnergies, Eni, Chevron, and ExxonMobil – have almost doubled their combined profits, from just below $50 billion in the second quarter of 2025. The increase in oil prices has driven up consumer energy bills worldwide, while oil companies continue to profit. This has reignited the discussion around windfall tax, as governments call for oil companies to pay higher levies to subsidise energy bills and environmentalists believe extra taxes could help pay to address the environmental damage caused by oil operations.
The Brent Benchmark put oil prices at around $68 a barrel at the end of February, rising to highs of nearly $100 a barrel in May. Saudi Arabia's Aramco benefited the most from the price increase over the spring, reporting a 34 per cent rise in its quarterly net income, at over $33 billion. Aramco saw high profits even following damage to its infrastructure by drone and missile strikes from Iranian and Houthi forces. The company's record oil sales meant that it was responsible for more carbon emissions than any company in history, according to the database Carbon Majors.
#Companies #prices #hormuz #Europe
Eight of the largest oil firms achieved combined profits of over $90 billion in the three months from April to June, following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran and the subsequent war. Iran's decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway between Oman and Iran that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, has led to the biggest disruption of fossil fuel supplies in the market's history. As a few oil majors from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East step in to fill the gap and oil prices are pushed higher, a few companies have come out on top.
The phenomenon has also demonstrated that the world remains overly dependent on fossil fuels, with countries willing to pay a premium to secure their oil and gas supplies in the face of major global shortages. Environmentalists are concerned about what this reliance means for climate change, as greenhouse emissions remain high. The lack of energy diversification and the heavy dependence on fossil fuels also poses a threat to energy security for many countries.
The eight companies ***** sed – Aramco, BP, Shell, Equinor, TotalEnergies, Eni, Chevron, and ExxonMobil – have almost doubled their combined profits, from just below $50 billion in the second quarter of 2025. The increase in oil prices has driven up consumer energy bills worldwide, while oil companies continue to profit. This has reignited the discussion around windfall tax, as governments call for oil companies to pay higher levies to subsidise energy bills and environmentalists believe extra taxes could help pay to address the environmental damage caused by oil operations.
The Brent Benchmark put oil prices at around $68 a barrel at the end of February, rising to highs of nearly $100 a barrel in May. Saudi Arabia's Aramco benefited the most from the price increase over the spring, reporting a 34 per cent rise in its quarterly net income, at over $33 billion. Aramco saw high profits even following damage to its infrastructure by drone and missile strikes from Iranian and Houthi forces. The company's record oil sales meant that it was responsible for more carbon emissions than any company in history, according to the database Carbon Majors.
#Companies #prices #hormuz #Europe
1 month ago
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Softbank Group Corp. unveiled a new stake in Capital One and disclosed that it sold 71.5% of its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Holdings during the second quarter in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Institutional investors, including wealth management entities, endowments, pension funds, hedge funds and others, are required to file a list of their holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter with the Wall Street regulator.
In the most recent quarter, ended June 30, Softbank disclosed it had acquired 276,811 shares of Capital One, valued at $55.5 million, as of the end of the period. Its other acquisition during the same quarter was a 10,718 stake in Life360, a provider of GPS-based location sharing services, which Softbank valued at $488,500.
Softbank also disclosed that it sold 1.4 million shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, amounting to 71.5% of its stake in the firm, for $269.8 million, during the second quarter of 2026.
(Reporting by Suzanne McGee; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
#stake #million #capital
Institutional investors, including wealth management entities, endowments, pension funds, hedge funds and others, are required to file a list of their holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter with the Wall Street regulator.
In the most recent quarter, ended June 30, Softbank disclosed it had acquired 276,811 shares of Capital One, valued at $55.5 million, as of the end of the period. Its other acquisition during the same quarter was a 10,718 stake in Life360, a provider of GPS-based location sharing services, which Softbank valued at $488,500.
Softbank also disclosed that it sold 1.4 million shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, amounting to 71.5% of its stake in the firm, for $269.8 million, during the second quarter of 2026.
(Reporting by Suzanne McGee; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
#stake #million #capital
1 month ago
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) just announced an acquisition that could give major competition to NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) in AI-inference. On August 6, AMD said it has agreed to buy chip startup Taalas as specialized inference chips become a critical area of focus for semiconductor makers. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The company plans to integrate Taalas' technology into its accelerator roadmap and develop system-level solutions combining it with AMD Instinct graphics processing units (GPUs).
"AMD is building a full-stack AI platform that gives customers the flexibility to deploy the right compute solutions for every AI workload," Vamsi Boppana, senior vice president of AMD's Artificial Intelligence Group, said in a statement.
The acquisition strengthens AMD's AI portfolio by offering it differentiated inference performance and efficiency. The move also highlights the rising importance for leading GPU makers to offer integrated systems with several different components and chips rather than standalone processors.
The acquisition itself follows a string of smaller inference-focused deals made by AMD. Back in November, the company acquired MK1, an AI software startup specializing in high-speed inference. It also acquired MEXT in June and added FastFlowLM to its artificial intelligence group in July. Together, these moves may strengthen AMD's AI inference capabilities to compete with giants such as Nvidia.
#taalas
The company plans to integrate Taalas' technology into its accelerator roadmap and develop system-level solutions combining it with AMD Instinct graphics processing units (GPUs).
"AMD is building a full-stack AI platform that gives customers the flexibility to deploy the right compute solutions for every AI workload," Vamsi Boppana, senior vice president of AMD's Artificial Intelligence Group, said in a statement.
The acquisition strengthens AMD's AI portfolio by offering it differentiated inference performance and efficiency. The move also highlights the rising importance for leading GPU makers to offer integrated systems with several different components and chips rather than standalone processors.
The acquisition itself follows a string of smaller inference-focused deals made by AMD. Back in November, the company acquired MK1, an AI software startup specializing in high-speed inference. It also acquired MEXT in June and added FastFlowLM to its artificial intelligence group in July. Together, these moves may strengthen AMD's AI inference capabilities to compete with giants such as Nvidia.
#taalas
1 month ago
Our ******* ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Performance was driven by record fiber address delivery, with the first half of 2026 exceeding the peak construction period of late 2025 due to expanded capacity and strong execution.
Management attributed the decline in total operating revenues to discrete adjustments to wholesale revenues and legacy copper and cable pressures, which were partially offset by a 13% increase in residential fiber revenue.
The company is leveraging its position as the largest E-ACAM recipient to accelerate fiber deployment in hard-to-reach rural areas, converting copper footprints to fiber to mitigate legacy headwinds.
Strategic positioning has shifted toward a fiber-centric model, with 60% of the total footprint now served by fiber and 80% of addresses capable of gigabit speeds.
#total #copper #tell #management
Performance was driven by record fiber address delivery, with the first half of 2026 exceeding the peak construction period of late 2025 due to expanded capacity and strong execution.
Management attributed the decline in total operating revenues to discrete adjustments to wholesale revenues and legacy copper and cable pressures, which were partially offset by a 13% increase in residential fiber revenue.
The company is leveraging its position as the largest E-ACAM recipient to accelerate fiber deployment in hard-to-reach rural areas, converting copper footprints to fiber to mitigate legacy headwinds.
Strategic positioning has shifted toward a fiber-centric model, with 60% of the total footprint now served by fiber and 80% of addresses capable of gigabit speeds.
#total #copper #tell #management
1 month ago
Robinhood this week unveiled a financial instrument that lets anyone feel like they, too, can make money by backing Y Combinator startups.
Robinhood Venture Fund II (RVII) is expected to become a publicly traded fund on August 13 at an opening price of $25 per share.
The fund intends to raise as much as $200 million, Reuters reports, and use that money to invest in startups founded by current and former Y Combinator participants, should those startups agree to sell their shares.
While any retail investor can buy shares in the fund, they will not directly hold any shares in the startups. Investors will be able to trade their shares in the fund, but it's unclear how much profit they can expect to make should the YC companies manage big exits.
The fund intends to pay the 2/20 fees typical in the VC world to another entity owned by Robinhood, plus tack on extra fees. That means Robinhood's unit will collect 2% of the net returns as a management fee, plus other fees, taking the total to just over 4%, the company said. The fund will also pay the Robinhood unit 20% "carried interest" (commonly called "carry"). That means if enough Y Combinator companies have good exits for the fund to make money, that Robinhood unit will get 20% of the resulting returns.
#combinator #shares #money #unit
Robinhood Venture Fund II (RVII) is expected to become a publicly traded fund on August 13 at an opening price of $25 per share.
The fund intends to raise as much as $200 million, Reuters reports, and use that money to invest in startups founded by current and former Y Combinator participants, should those startups agree to sell their shares.
While any retail investor can buy shares in the fund, they will not directly hold any shares in the startups. Investors will be able to trade their shares in the fund, but it's unclear how much profit they can expect to make should the YC companies manage big exits.
The fund intends to pay the 2/20 fees typical in the VC world to another entity owned by Robinhood, plus tack on extra fees. That means Robinhood's unit will collect 2% of the net returns as a management fee, plus other fees, taking the total to just over 4%, the company said. The fund will also pay the Robinhood unit 20% "carried interest" (commonly called "carry"). That means if enough Y Combinator companies have good exits for the fund to make money, that Robinhood unit will get 20% of the resulting returns.
#combinator #shares #money #unit
1 month ago
By Michael Erman and Christy Santhosh
Aug 4 (Reuters) - Merck reported higher-than-expected second-quarter sales on Tuesday and raised its full-year revenue forecast on the strength of its top-selling cancer treatment Keytruda.
The U.S. drugmaker reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5% from a year earlier and above ******* ysts' average estimate of $16.36 billion, according to LSEG data.
Merck reported a loss for the quarter due to a $5.7 billion charge from its acquisition of cancer drug developer Terns Pharmaceuticals.
The company's reported loss in the quarter was 13 cents per share, including the $2.31 per share charge from the deal. ******* ysts had expected a larger adjusted loss per share of 27 cents, and Merck shares rose 0.6% to $128.54 in early trading.
#quarter #billion
Aug 4 (Reuters) - Merck reported higher-than-expected second-quarter sales on Tuesday and raised its full-year revenue forecast on the strength of its top-selling cancer treatment Keytruda.
The U.S. drugmaker reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5% from a year earlier and above ******* ysts' average estimate of $16.36 billion, according to LSEG data.
Merck reported a loss for the quarter due to a $5.7 billion charge from its acquisition of cancer drug developer Terns Pharmaceuticals.
The company's reported loss in the quarter was 13 cents per share, including the $2.31 per share charge from the deal. ******* ysts had expected a larger adjusted loss per share of 27 cents, and Merck shares rose 0.6% to $128.54 in early trading.
#quarter #billion
2 months ago
July 30, 2026, 12:31 pm EDT
“Stocks for the long run” calcified into cliché almost from the moment it was coined—and it may not even be true.
Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
#july #reserved #calcified
“Stocks for the long run” calcified into cliché almost from the moment it was coined—and it may not even be true.
Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
#july #reserved #calcified
2 months ago
For a long time, IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) was considered a Bitcoin mining operation company, but the company's cloud approach and AI deals have successfully transitioned it into a vertically integrated AI cloud provider.
The company came under the spotlight when it announced raising its year-end AI Cloud annualized run-rate revenue target to more than $4 billion, up from $3.7 billion, on July 20. The stock rallied nearly 20% after this news.
Out of the new target, roughly 85% is already under contract, as IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) won multi-year cloud services deals with key AI developers, reflecting $2.8 billion in total contract value.
A testament to the company's scaled AI Cloud business is the expansion of 3MW of self-built AI Cloud capacity to 480MW being delivered this year, with expectations of the 1.2GW level in 2027. There's no doubt the company is expanding its customer base across hyperscalers, enterprises and AI developers, but investors want to know whether this announcement actually means something in the long term or if the growth prospects have already been priced in.
The news supports the earlier revenue projection by Freedom Capital. The firm expects the company's revenue to "explode" from $717 million this year to $3.1 billion and $8.5 billion in FY27 and FY28, respectively. The company's latest AI Cloud update provides additional revenue visibility for a business that is expanding at a rapid pace.
#billion #year #revenue #company
The company came under the spotlight when it announced raising its year-end AI Cloud annualized run-rate revenue target to more than $4 billion, up from $3.7 billion, on July 20. The stock rallied nearly 20% after this news.
Out of the new target, roughly 85% is already under contract, as IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) won multi-year cloud services deals with key AI developers, reflecting $2.8 billion in total contract value.
A testament to the company's scaled AI Cloud business is the expansion of 3MW of self-built AI Cloud capacity to 480MW being delivered this year, with expectations of the 1.2GW level in 2027. There's no doubt the company is expanding its customer base across hyperscalers, enterprises and AI developers, but investors want to know whether this announcement actually means something in the long term or if the growth prospects have already been priced in.
The news supports the earlier revenue projection by Freedom Capital. The firm expects the company's revenue to "explode" from $717 million this year to $3.1 billion and $8.5 billion in FY27 and FY28, respectively. The company's latest AI Cloud update provides additional revenue visibility for a business that is expanding at a rapid pace.
#billion #year #revenue #company
2 months ago
The chipmaker sent shareholders a fortune in cash, yet the stock itself went nowhere fast. Here's what owners actually got for their patience and what the trade-off really cost them.
Qualcomm (QCOM)'s stock has seen better days, trading around $170.32 a share after a recent 25% pullback from its one-month high. But behind the stock chart's noise is a much simpler story: the company has been a quiet, large cash-return machine. Over the last five years, Qualcomm handed back $43 billion to its owners through dividends and buybacks, an amount equal to 24% of its entire current market value. The question for any investor is whether that cash was a reward for a great business or a consolation prize for a stock that dramatically lagged the market.
The company's cash machine is built on two very different engines.
That $43 billion gusher, which dwarfs the $5.7 billion returned by the median S&P 500 company over the same period, comes from a business with formidable profitability. Qualcomm's operating margin over the last twelve months was 26%, well above the index median of 18.4%. The cash is generated by its two core segments: QCT, which designs the Snapdragon chipsets that power countless smartphones and, increasingly, cars and other connected devices; and QTL, its high-margin technology licensing arm.
Of the total returned to shareholders, $26 billion came from share repurchases, and another $17 billion was paid out as dividends. This is the financial brute force that underpins the investment case: a mature, highly profitable business dedicated to rewarding its owners.
#cash
Qualcomm (QCOM)'s stock has seen better days, trading around $170.32 a share after a recent 25% pullback from its one-month high. But behind the stock chart's noise is a much simpler story: the company has been a quiet, large cash-return machine. Over the last five years, Qualcomm handed back $43 billion to its owners through dividends and buybacks, an amount equal to 24% of its entire current market value. The question for any investor is whether that cash was a reward for a great business or a consolation prize for a stock that dramatically lagged the market.
The company's cash machine is built on two very different engines.
That $43 billion gusher, which dwarfs the $5.7 billion returned by the median S&P 500 company over the same period, comes from a business with formidable profitability. Qualcomm's operating margin over the last twelve months was 26%, well above the index median of 18.4%. The cash is generated by its two core segments: QCT, which designs the Snapdragon chipsets that power countless smartphones and, increasingly, cars and other connected devices; and QTL, its high-margin technology licensing arm.
Of the total returned to shareholders, $26 billion came from share repurchases, and another $17 billion was paid out as dividends. This is the financial brute force that underpins the investment case: a mature, highly profitable business dedicated to rewarding its owners.
#cash
2 months ago
We recently published Bill Miller Portfolio: Top 10 Stock Picks. United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) is one of the top stock picks.
Postal giant United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)'s shares are up by 9.3% over the past year and by 11% year-to-date. The firm was in the news recently after the US Postal Inspector General raised the need to reevaluate its contract with the USPS. The contract is United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)'s air cargo contract, and the oversight body advised contract termination in order to shift cargo to cheaper ground-based transportation instead of air freight. The Inspector General pointed towards the nature of the contract to outline that minimum volume commitments had forced the USPS to fly its cargo instead of using land transportation.
Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com
United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) is also currently in the process of expanding its portfolio of temperature-controlled facilities. According to a press release, the firm is investing $48 million in 27 facilities across the US. Following United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)'s first quarter earnings report, UBS lowered the firm's share price target to $123 from $125 and kept a Buy rating on the shares.
While we acknowledge the risk and potential of UPS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than UPS and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
Postal giant United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)'s shares are up by 9.3% over the past year and by 11% year-to-date. The firm was in the news recently after the US Postal Inspector General raised the need to reevaluate its contract with the USPS. The contract is United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)'s air cargo contract, and the oversight body advised contract termination in order to shift cargo to cheaper ground-based transportation instead of air freight. The Inspector General pointed towards the nature of the contract to outline that minimum volume commitments had forced the USPS to fly its cargo instead of using land transportation.
Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com
United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) is also currently in the process of expanding its portfolio of temperature-controlled facilities. According to a press release, the firm is investing $48 million in 27 facilities across the US. Following United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)'s first quarter earnings report, UBS lowered the firm's share price target to $123 from $125 and kept a Buy rating on the shares.
While we acknowledge the risk and potential of UPS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than UPS and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
2 months ago
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