The wealthy live in a different reality, and they often flaunt it arrogantly in front of others. Here, we share some absurd situations witnessed by drivers of Reddit, who observed firsthand how affluent individuals behave while being driven around.
Navigating city traffic on a daily basis is no simple task. Drivers encounter all sorts of passengers, each with their own unique stories, expectations, and distinct personalities.
In this instance, drivers share their experiences transporting wealthy individuals, recounting the unexpected situations that can arise when dealing with such extravagant and highly idiosyncratic personalities. Get ready to read some unusual things about wealthy people.
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"My father drove one of the comedians from blue collar comedy tour and he said he heard him talking to someone about how much merchandise they sold at the show that he was just performing. I thought that was kinda cool."

#drivers #Share

Imprisoned hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs will remain in federal lockup for an additional two months, according to Bureau of Prisons records, after a news report exposed numerous prison rules he has been violating behind bars.
Combs is serving a 50-month sentence at the federal prison at Fort Dix in Southern New Jersey after he was found guilty of two Mann Act violations at his sensational New York trial last summer. A jury of 12 acquitted the near-billionaire of the more serious federal charges of racketeering and **** trafficking, rejecting prosecutors' case that Combs Enterprises staff formed a top-down criminal enterprise or that his "freak off" parties constituted **** trafficking.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Sean "Diddy" Combs Reportedly Ran Fort Dix Prison Cell Like a Luxury Suite With Paid Staff
Tupac Murder Trial Highlights a Persistent Diddy Conspiracy Theory

#imprisoned

Any semblance of sizzle has been pounded out of McDonald's (MCD) stock.
Shares of the high-calorie fast food seller dropped below $230 for the first time in more than four years on Monday.
Today's move is being driven by a relatively bearish note from Guggenheim ******* yst Gregory Francfort.
"It seems difficult to get positive on shares now without better evidence of a catalyst path over the next 12 months," Francfort said. "1Q27 comparisons do seem to get a lot easier than the Street models, which could be a catalyst, but we would like to see fundamental reasons that MCD's franchisees are buying into entry level value menu efforts or ops improvements than can drive traffic."
Francfort maintained a Neutral rating on McDonald's stock.

#guggenheim

Paris Hilton turned the streets of Paris into her personal runway during Paris Fashion Week. The socialite was racing against the clock as she made her way to the Elie Saab show, documenting the chaotic journey on Instagram. Even with traffic working against her, Hilton made sure she arrived in true fashion-week style in a black sheer dress.
For the outing, Paris Hilton wore a dramatic black Elie Saab creation covered in intricate lace and floral detailing. The floor-length gown featured a high neckline, long sleeves, and a figure-hugging silhouette. Its extensive sheer sections made it anything but conservative.
Black floral appliqués were strategically scattered across the transparent fabric. This created an elaborate pattern from the neckline all the way down the skirt. The see-through material revealed the black undergarments beneath, while the fitted construction emphasized Hilton's figure. Toward the bottom, layers of lace and textured detailing gave the gown a romantic and dramatic finish.
Getting the glamorous dress to the show proved to be an adventure of its own. Hilton revealed in the video that traffic meant she had to abandon her ride and make her way through the Paris streets on foot. At one point, she could be seen hurrying along the sidewalk as her long sheer gown trailed behind her.
Making the situation even more impressive, Hilton wrote that she was "running in 6 inch heels" to reach the Elie Saab show. She paired the gown with towering black platform heels and a quilted black Chanel handbag with a gold chain strap. Oversized black sunglasses and a voluminous blonde updo, with loose face-framing pieces, completed the look.

#elie #saab #sheer #fashion

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its yearlong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 235 in 70 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in September 2025. As with most of the military's statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.
The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed what appeared to be an explosion destroying a moving boat, which the military said was a go-fast vessel.
The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama in August that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing smugglers.

#boat #caribbean

TikToker Kenni Lee (relatablekenni) shared a strange night out that left her questioning a stranger's intentions. Lee said a woman approached her group after one of Lee's friends had stepped away. The woman then invited Lee alone to the dance floor. Lee said the woman quickly focused on another man instead.
Lee said a friend later pulled Lee away after noticing the strange interaction.. The woman returned and claimed the man had tried to traffic her. Lee said she found the claim confusing, since she had seen the two of them interacting closely just before. The woman later offered to buy Lee a drink, but Lee insisted on getting it herself.
Lee said she barely drank the beverage before giving it to her friends. Later, the woman asked Lee and her friends to walk her to her car. The group walked through an alley before the woman said she could not find it. She then pointed to a dark residential street far from the nightlife area.
Lee said her friends refused to continue because the location felt suspicious. The woman then claimed she needed a bathroom and walked behind a large truck. Lee said the woman did not actually use the bathroom before returning. Moments later, a white Tesla pulled up and asked where everyone was going.
According to Lee, the woman then entered the stranger's car, despite her earlier claims of fear. Lee questioned the driver, who said he came from the Bay Area. The woman immediately said she came from the Bay Area too, according to Lee. Lee then gave her a backup number and stayed on the phone temporarily.

#according

The Trump administration is airing campaign-style television ads using money Congress approved for border security upgrades, efforts to combat drug trafficking and memorials for officers killed in the line of duty, according to federal spending records.
Democrats say the ads break multiple federal laws by using taxpayer money for political purposes that Congress never authorized. The White House defends the ads as public service announcements.
One of the spots closely resembles a 30-second video produced by the Trump campaign in 2024. The latest ad features President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth advocating for the Iran war. They feature disclosures saying they are “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
On Sept. 19, a few days before the ads began airing, the White House Office of Management and Budget added $20 million to a Department of Homeland Security budget line designated for “commemorative events,” according to publicly disclosed OMB data. Congress approved the spending for those events in Trump’s 2025 domestic spending package, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, and intended it for “Line-of-Duty death memorials, Department or agency anniversaries, and commendation ceremonies,” according to a House budget committee report.
The next day, Sept. 20, DHS awarded a $20 million contract for a “national media campaign” to the LMD Agency, a Maryland-based public relations and media firm that had previously worked for the department. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

#Trump

In December 2025, about a month before the U.S. invaded Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, President Trump had a secret meeting with Elon Musk, Time magazine reports. This was roughly seven months after Musk left his role in the Trump administration at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
During this meeting, Trump "spent hours" talking to Musk's Grok chatbot, including asking how Venezuelans would respond to the capture of their president, a source told Time. Just a few months earlier, in September, Trump began ordering U.S. military strikes against Venezuelan boats that Trump alleged were involved in drug trafficking.
People had apparently been turning to Grok asking about the boat strikes and political climate in Venezuela, as The Atlantic reported at the time. So Grok told Trump that Maduro was a "deeply unpopular dictator and that many Venezuelans would likely celebrate his downfall," Time reported.
When such celebrations indeed happened after the U.S. invaded on January 3, Trump apparently "came away thinking Grok was ingenious," that source told Time.
So perhaps it should come as no surprise that in June of this year, the Pentagon's head of AI said that the military used Grok Gov to deploy and strike targets during the Iran War.

#grok #told #musk

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been given a simple piece of advice as their family adjusts to life in the UK. Relationship expert Georgina Vass suggested that the couple focus on "honest communication." This comes as the couple helps their children navigate the major transition.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, after leaving the country back in 2020. The family is now believed to be living in the Cotswolds after relocating from California.
Speaking to "Gloucestershire Live", relationship expert Georgina Vass said the couple could help their children adapt by "modelling adaptation through honest communication about the hurdles, complicated feelings, and exciting opportunities." The expert also suggested creating consistent routines around school, meals, bedtime, and weekends. According to Vass, familiar routines could help reduce feelings of disruption while the children settle into their new surroundings.
Her advice also focused on Harry and Meghan's relationship. She said staying emotionally connected during disagreements and sharing disappointments could help couples develop stronger trust and mutual support. She added, "Relationships strengthened by adversity can develop greater resilience, honesty, and confidence in their ability to survive difficulty together as a team."
The move has also brought changes to Archie and Lilibet's education. The Sussexes' kids were initially registered at a British school in September. However, reports claimed the children later switched schools because of security and logistical concerns surrounding the route to that specific school. The school has not been publicly identified for safeguarding reasons. Reports suggested heavy traffic during rush hour had significantly increased the journey time, creating additional concerns around security.

#children #prince #expert

Jonathan Taylor Thomas may face criminal charges after he allegedly ******* aulted a deputy when he was detained during a traffic stop
The Ventura County District Attorney's Office confirmed to PEOPLE that a case has been submitted
It was not immediately clear how long prosecutors will need to review the case before making a decision
Jonathan Taylor Thomas may face criminal charges after he allegedly ******* aulted a deputy when he was detained during a traffic stop last month.
The Ventura County District Attorney's Office confirmed to PEOPLE that a case has been submitted and is being reviewed.

#ventura

On September 17, Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) announced an upgraded Pluggable Optical Line System that covers the full C-band and fits in a compact QSFP module, the same slot ordinary transceivers use. That is a lot of networking gear shrunk into a plug, and it follows a quarter of 34% revenue growth. Here is what the launch means, and where the stock's story gets harder to read.
Start with what the product does. The upgraded system can pack 32 wavelengths onto a single pair of fibers, which Coherent says adds up to as much as 25.6Tbps of traffic on links running 2km to 200km. It is designed for the latest 800G coherent optics, and it configures itself, handling link setup and laser safety without a technician tuning each connection. Coherent also says the system is generally available and already shipping in high volume, in 400G and 800G versions that work with existing network setups. Madhu Krishnaswamy, who runs the company's telecom transport unit, describes the goal as easing the usual trade-off between raw performance and operational simplicity.
The launch also sits on top of a business that is already moving. On August 12, Coherent reported results for its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended June 30: revenue of $2.05 billion, up 34% from a year earlier. Non-GAAP earnings per share rose to $1.74 from $1.00, and CEO Jim Anderson noted that for the full year, that measure grew more than twice as fast as revenue. Management guided to revenue of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2027, and Anderson says AI data centers are increasingly moving from copper to optical links.
Now look at the two versions of profit. Coherent's non-GAAP earnings came to $1.74 per share, but under GAAP the figure was $1.19. The gap comes from items management leaves out, including stock-based pay, amortization on acquired intangibles, and restructuring and integration costs. Operating margin shows it more clearly, at 21.8% on a non-GAAP basis and 12.4% under GAAP. Some of those costs are non-cash, but they are real, and anyone anchoring on the higher figure is skipping them.
Then there is how much weight this launch can carry. The announcement puts no sales figure on the product, so its contribution to a company that booked $2.05 billion in a quarter cannot be sized from what has been published. The bullish story also rests on management's own read of where AI networks are headed, and on a capacity build-out that CFO Sherri Luther says gets priority in spending. Money spent on capacity only pays off if the demand management describes keeps arriving.

#gaap #revenue #launch #anderson

On September 9, 2026, Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) reported its first quarterly results as a public company, with total revenue up 10% year over year to $208 million and same-store sales accelerating to 2.3% growth from 1.7% in the prior quarter. It was primarily driven by transaction growth even as the restaurant industry faced weak traffic trends. Net income fell to $37 million from $59 million a year earlier. It showed non-routine expenses, advertising fund timing, and higher interest costs following the company's July initial public offering, partially offset by a $14 million gain on the sale of corporate-owned stores.
Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) is gaining customers while its brand remains a major competitive advantage. The firm added 83 stores in the second quarter. It grew its customer base and increased systemwide sales 10% to $1.21 billion. Jersey Mike's also earned the No. 1 ranking among U.S. quick-service restaurant brands in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index, surpassing Chick-fil-A after 11 consecutive years at the top. It gives the newly public company a strong foundation for continued customer and franchisee growth.
The business has substantial whitespace for long-term unit growth. Jersey Mike's ended the quarter with 3,378 locations and maintains a domestic development pipeline of more than 1,600 stores, with more than 90% of that pipeline coming from existing franchisees. Management estimates that the U.S. market could eventually support roughly 7,500 locations and sees potential to reach approximately 15,000 stores globally. It gives the business a long runway for franchise-led revenue and royalty growth.
Digital engagement and transaction growth give Jersey Mike's more avenues to increase sales. Digital sales represented 43% of systemwide sales in the second quarter, up from 41% a year earlier. Same-store sales increased 2.3% mainly because customers placed more transactions. Jersey Mike's also had more than 12.5 million active MyMike's loyalty members in 2025. It provides the company with a large customer database that it can use to increase frequency and personalize marketing as it expands.
Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) still faces a significant profitability challenge despite its revenue growth. Second-quarter revenue jumped 10% to $208 million. However, net income fell 37% to $37 million from $59 million a year earlier. Management attributed part of the decline to advertising-fund timing and higher interest expense. It shows that revenue growth has not yet translated into comparable bottom-line growth for shareholders.

#million #customer

On September 4, 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)' longtime chai latte devotees have turned against the company's reformulated recipe, introduced in March. It reduced sweetener and shifted from a pre-made concentrate to a new base with just two grams of sugar.
Customers have signed petitions, flooded Starbucks' corporate lines, and taken to Reddit and store review sites demanding the original formula back. Starbucks says the change gives customers more control over sweetness and has introduced new variations like Mango Cream Chai and Pumpkin Cream Chai.
Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)' broader turnaround remains intact despite the backlash over its chai reformulation. Global comparable sales increased 7.9% in fiscal Q3, with comparable transactions rising 4.2%. The company raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.55-$2.65 from $2.25-$2.45. Stronger customer traffic and higher earnings give investors evidence that one unpopular menu change has not derailed the recovery.
The chai backlash appears concentrated among loyal customers of one product rather than across Starbucks' broader customer base. The business introduced the new chai formula as part of a personalization strategy. Customers can customize sweetness and other ingredients. If Starbucks keeps transaction growth across its wider menu, the business could improve its product economics without materially damaging overall customer demand.
Starbucks is improving profitability while it executes its turnaround. Non-GAAP operating margin expanded 430 basis points year over year to 14.4% in fiscal Q3, while North America revenue increased 7% to $7.4 billion. These results give investors evidence that the company can improve margins and sales even as it experiments with its menu and customer experience.

#customer

On September 9, 2026, Reuters reported that Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) is recalling 201,976 Jeep vehicles in the U.S., including certain Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models. It happened after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found a software error that can prevent the tire-pressure monitoring system from detecting low tire pressure or alerting the driver, raising crash risk.
Dealers will update the affected radio-frequency hub software free of charge. The recall is the latest in a year that has already included a 1.5-million-vehicle Ram seat-belt recall, a 955,000-vehicle camera-glitch recall in August, and more than 1 million Wranglers and Gladiators recalled in June for fire risk.
The recall should carry a relatively limited direct financial burden because Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) can fix the defect with a software update. The recall covers 201,976 Jeep vehicles, but Stellantis does not need to replace a physical component. A software-based remedy should reduce parts and labor costs and allow dealers to complete the repair relatively quickly, limiting the recall's immediate impact on earnings and cash flow.
Stellantis has already begun rebuilding its financial performance, giving investors a stronger foundation to absorb another recall. Second-quarter net profit reached €293 million compared with a €1.87 billion loss a year earlier. Revenue surged 13% to €43.5 billion. The business also generated €1 billion in industrial free cash flow during the quarter, showing real improvement as CEO Antonio Filosa executes his turnaround plan.
Strong North American demand shows the recall has not yet undermined demand for Stellantis' key Jeep and Ram products. Second-quarter North American shipments increased 38% to 445,000 vehicles. It was backed up by refreshed models, including the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee and the Ram 1500. So the company enters this recall with improving volumes and strong demand for several of the brands that matter most to its North American turnaround.

#software

On September 9, 2026, Reuters reported that CEO Brian Niccol's first two years as Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) CEO have succeeded in bringing customers back to the coffee chain. Comparable sales rose 7.9% in the fiscal third quarter for a fourth straight quarter of improvement, but his "Back to Starbucks" restructuring has raised costs and squeezed margins along the way. Global operating margin has fallen to 12.9% from 15.8% two years earlier. Niccol, who marks his second anniversary in the role, now faces pressure to convert the sales recovery into the sustainable profit growth investors are demanding.
Niccol's turnaround strategy has already restored customer momentum at Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX). The "Back to Starbucks" strategy reversed six consecutive quarters of declining comparable sales as the company focused on reducing wait times, simplifying menus, improving store ambiance, and increasing staffing. Starbucks has moved beyond the sales deterioration that preceded Niccol's tenure. It gives investors a stronger foundation for the next phase of the turnaround. If management can sustain traffic gains while improving productivity, the sales recovery could provide a path toward stronger earnings growth.
The China joint venture with Boyu Capital gives Starbucks a more capital-efficient way to participate in China's growth. Starbucks sold control of its China retail operations to Boyu. It retained a 40% stake and continues to own and license its brand and intellectual property. The structure reduces Starbucks' direct capital requirements while allowing it to retain economic exposure to the Chinese market. Reuters cited ****** ysts who said the arrangement leaves Starbucks well positioned to convert stronger organic sales growth into profit growth, which could support returns as the recovery progresses.
Starbucks now has an opportunity to turn its customer investments into margin expansion. The firm committed at least $500 million toward labor as part of the restructuring. Niccol prioritized staffing and store improvements to rebuild the customer experience. That spending helped help the sales recovery. But it also pushed global operating margins down to 12.9% from 15.8% over two years. With sales now improving, management can focus more heavily on productivity, cost control, and operating leverage. It creates an opportunity for stronger earnings if it can improve margins without damaging customer traffic.
Labor tensions could undermine Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)' recovery and keep costs elevated. Starbucks has yet to reach a first contract with its U.S. barista union. The union called for a consumer boycott in August. Negotiations or labor actions could disrupt store operations, increase labor costs, and create reputational pressure just as Starbucks tries to improve profitability. Therefore, investors face a risk that labor issues could offset some of the productivity gains management needs to expand margins.

#

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) reported on September 15 that fiscal 2027 second-quarter revenue from continuing operations increased 1.1% to $71.6 million. For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, GAAP operating income from continuing operations reached $4.2 million, compared with a $4.6 million loss a year earlier.
However, gross profit included a $7.7 million tariff refund relating to prior-period imports. Subtracting that benefit from reported operating income, with all other items unchanged, produces an illustrative operating loss of approximately $3.5 million and an operating margin of negative 4.9%.
The quarter therefore shows improving customer demand alongside an earnings recovery that still depends heavily on refunds.
Direct-channel performance gives Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) tangible evidence of customer traction. Direct revenue increased 8.0% to $65.4 million, while comparable sales rose 9.2%. Management attributed the comparable-sales improvement to better e-commerce conversion and higher average transaction values across direct channels.
That combination matters because stronger conversion means more shoppers complete purchases, while larger transactions support revenue without requiring equivalent growth in customer traffic. Continued momentum could help spread store, distribution, and corporate costs across a larger sales base.

#bradley

Musk predicts Starlink (SPCX) could carry a majority of global internet within 10 years, powered by a 100x bandwidth increase from V3 satellites.
Enterprise revenue surged 108%, fueled by airline deals with American Airlines (AAL) and Southwest (LUV) and over $6 billion in Starshield contracts.
Just released. Our ****** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and ****** eX made the cut. Enter your email to see the other nine names and why SPCX earned its spot. The report is free. Enter your email and see the full list.
On the August 4, 2026 earnings call, ****** eX (NASDAQ:SPCX) chief executive Elon Musk predicted Starlink could carry the bulk of global internet traffic within 10 years, driven by a next-generation satellite that multiplies delivered bandwidth dramatically.
This morning, in a post on X, he expanded on just how big that could be:

#starlink #enter #internet

Pricing alone does not decide where people buy their clothes.
With a number of retail chains competing for the off-price, on-trend fashion crown, it's easy for one brand to fall out of favor. Consumers seem to have an enduring love for Marshalls and TJ Maxx, while the popularity of Ross Dress for Less has grown steadily in recent years.
These brands drive sales by foot traffic, and that's a battle the aforementioned chains have been winning.
"Off-price apparel remained on solid footing in Q2 2026, with Ross leading the segment. Visits to Ross Dress for Less rose 16.4% year over year (YoY), while dd's DISCOUNTS grew 8.4%. TJX's TJ Maxx and Marshalls, meanwhile, saw visits hover around last year's levels — significantly outperforming traditional apparel, which declined 3.5% YoY," according to data from Placer.ai.
In the battle for customers looking for deals on trendy, fashionable clothes, Cato has been struggling, and now plans to close about 15% of its retail stores.

#less #retail

Pricing alone does not decide where people buy their clothes.
With a number of retail chains competing for the off-price, on-trend fashion crown, it's easy for one brand to fall out of favor. Consumers seem to have an enduring love for Marshalls and TJ Maxx, while the popularity of Ross Dress for Less has grown steadily in recent years.
These brands drive sales by foot traffic, and that's a battle the aforementioned chains have been winning.
"Off-price apparel remained on solid footing in Q2 2026, with Ross leading the segment. Visits to Ross Dress for Less rose 16.4% year over year (YoY), while dd's DISCOUNTS grew 8.4%. TJX's TJ Maxx and Marshalls, meanwhile, saw visits hover around last year's levels — significantly outperforming traditional apparel, which declined 3.5% YoY," according to data from Placer.ai.
In the battle for customers looking for deals on trendy, fashionable clothes, Cato has been struggling, and now plans to close about 15% of its retail stores.

#price

On August 19, Ferrovial (NASDAQ:FER) announced it had been selected to deliver the I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes, a 26-mile project running between Nashville and Murfreesboro. It is the largest single capital investment in Tennessee's history and the state's first public-private partnership. The price tag is $9.2 billion, though Ferrovial isn't carrying it alone, since its DriveTN consortium also counts Transurban and Tikehau Star Infra as partners.
Choice lanes are familiar ground for Ferrovial, which has replicated the model in Washington, D.C., Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth. On Virginia's 66 Express corridor, similar lanes shaved up to 50% off peak-hour travel times. That is the pitch for I-24, a stretch of highway that already ranks among the region's most jammed: drivers who opt in get steadier speeds, and those in the free lanes should see less traffic too.
The business behind the bid looks healthy, too. Ferrovial's July 28 results showed adjusted EBITDA up 21.6% on a like-for-like basis to €746 million over the first six months of the year, with U.S. highways doing most of the lifting. Those roads are sending cash home as well, since Ferrovial received €357 million in dividends from North America. And the construction order book reached an all-time high of €18 billion, so plenty of work is already in hand. The pipeline keeps filling: Ferrovial bid on I-285 East in Georgia in July, and its D35 Highway bid in the Czech Republic was the most cost-effective submitted, with technical evaluation still underway.
Beyond the roads, the balance sheet looks sturdy. Ferrovial ended the first half with €1.3 billion in net cash, excluding infrastructure projects, meaning cash outweighs debt outside those projects. The airport arm is progressing too: Ferrovial has finished funding the $1.1 billion in equity it pledged for New Terminal One at JFK, and construction there is 92% complete.
Start with the line that looks worst on the page. Net profit for the first half of 2026 came in at €258 million, versus €540 million for the same period of 2025. That earlier figure included capital gains from ******* et rotation, which makes the comparison harsh, but the mismatch is still there: EBITDA climbed while reported profit fell.

#first #million #choice

The price of jet fuel averaged $4.53 USD per gallon for the week ending Sept. 18, according to the latest Airlines for America U.S. Jet Fuel Index.
Driven by the war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran at the end of February 2026, this price is a nearly 80% increase from the national average a year ago.
As a result, almost every major and regional airline has had to keep reworking its networks to maximize jet fuel use and ruthlessly cut any flights not bringing in the expected traffic.
Airline chief executives have also been sounding the alarm on what prolonged jet fuel prices could mean for the industry.
"If fuel prices remain as high as they are right now, I think that that's going to require some adjustments in terms of our capacity planning as we take a look into the future," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said at the annual Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference in California on Sept. 16, Airline Geeks reported.

#airlines #price #index

On September 17, Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) announced an upgraded Pluggable Optical Line System that covers the full C-band and fits in a compact QSFP module, the same slot ordinary transceivers use. That is a lot of networking gear shrunk into a plug, and it follows a quarter of 34% revenue growth. Here is what the launch means, and where the stock's story gets harder to read.
Start with what the product does. The upgraded system can pack 32 wavelengths onto a single pair of fibers, which Coherent says adds up to as much as 25.6Tbps of traffic on links running 2km to 200km. It is designed for the latest 800G coherent optics, and it configures itself, handling link setup and laser safety without a technician tuning each connection. Coherent also says the system is generally available and already shipping in high volume, in 400G and 800G versions that work with existing network setups. Madhu Krishnaswamy, who runs the company's telecom transport unit, describes the goal as easing the usual trade-off between raw performance and operational simplicity.
The launch also sits on top of a business that is already moving. On August 12, Coherent reported results for its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended June 30: revenue of $2.05 billion, up 34% from a year earlier. Non-GAAP earnings per share rose to $1.74 from $1.00, and CEO Jim Anderson noted that for the full year, that measure grew more than twice as fast as revenue. Management guided to revenue of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2027, and Anderson says AI data centers are increasingly moving from copper to optical links.
Now look at the two versions of profit. Coherent's non-GAAP earnings came to $1.74 per share, but under GAAP the figure was $1.19. The gap comes from items management leaves out, including stock-based pay, amortization on acquired intangibles, and restructuring and integration costs. Operating margin shows it more clearly, at 21.8% on a non-GAAP basis and 12.4% under GAAP. Some of those costs are non-cash, but they are real, and anyone anchoring on the higher figure is skipping them.
Then there is how much weight this launch can carry. The announcement puts no sales figure on the product, so its contribution to a company that booked $2.05 billion in a quarter cannot be sized from what has been published. The bullish story also rests on management's own read of where AI networks are headed, and on a capacity build-out that CFO Sherri Luther says gets priority in spending. Money spent on capacity only pays off if the demand management describes keeps arriving.

#quarter #launch #anderson

McDonald's (MCD) stock fell 14.2% over the past 12 months, versus roughly 14.3% for the S&P 500, and now sits near its 52-week low. Over roughly the same stretch, management changed how it explains weak traffic. It used to point at customers outside its control. It now points at its own restaurants, and that makes the stock a different bet.
Who Did McDonald's Say Was Pulling Back?
About a year ago, on the second-quarter 2025 call, the lead worry sat outside the company. The CEO put it this way: "Visits across the industry by low-income consumers once again declined by double digits." The value message of that period leaned on core menu pricing, which management said shapes how customers judge value most.
So What Does McDonald's Say Went Wrong Instead?
In the latest call, for the second quarter of 2026, low-income consumers did not come up by name. The backdrop still comes up: industry traffic in several of its largest markets stayed flat to negative. The lead, though, is a miss of its own making. U.S. comparable sales grew 0.8%, and the CEO said the company did not execute at the level it needed.

#TRAFFIC

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) has secured Madrid as the fourth city covered by its partnership with WeRide, bringing Spain into its rapidly expanding autonomous vehicle network. The company's broader AV strategy covers more than 30 partners, while Uber expects to commit more than $10 billion across AV investments, infrastructure, and vehicle offtake over the coming years. At the center of that strategy is Uber's decision not to build self-driving technology itself. Instead, the company wants to become the indispensable demand layer for whichever AV providers ultimately emerge as winners. Yet the diversification strategy is facing pressure in key areas. One of its most prominent AV partners is pulling back, while another remains under an active safety investigation.
Uber, WeRide, and AVOMO have secured Spain's first national permit covering level 4 autonomous passenger vehicles. The permit was issued by Spain's Directorate General of Traffic and allows the companies to begin deployment preparations on public roads in Madrid. Under the permit, WeRide can test its GXR vehicles and conduct roadmapping throughout Madrid in preparation for a commercial launch planned for year-end. The rollout will begin with 20 vehicles, each supervised by an in-car specialist, operating across high-demand areas of Greater Madrid. Madrid becomes the fourth city included in the Uber-WeRide partnership, which plans to reach 15 cities globally by 2030. The expansion also fits Uber's broader ******* et-light AV strategy, which includes more than 30 partnerships while Uber expects to commit over $10 billion across AV investments, infrastructure, and vehicle offtake over the coming years.
The diversification of Uber's AV network does not eliminate risks from individual partners. Uber and Waymo confirmed in late June that their Phoenix partnership had ended, while Waymo is reportedly considering a broader exit from its relationship with Uber. This comes even as Uber executives have publicly criticized Waymo's model while investing substantial capital in competing fleets. Avride is facing a separate challenge, with the NHTSA investigating the Uber AV partner after multiple crashes. At the same time, Tesla is ramping up its own Cybercab fleet, while Waymo has raised $16 billion to accelerate its independent growth. Together, these moves could reduce Waymo's reliance on Uber while increasing competitive pressure on Uber's AV platform.

#madrid #waymo

Six months into a conflict that has proven complex, costly, and highly unpopular, there remains no end in sight to the war in Iran. That's left the energy market — and the ****** ysts and strategists who study it — with a deep lack of clarity.
"For the first time since the start of the Iran conflict, we don't have a baseline view," commodities strategists at JPMorgan, led by Natasha Kaneva, wrote to clients on Thursday. "We simply don't know how to model the endgame."
As the war enters its seventh month, the conflict has broadened to multiple fronts.
In the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz — the world's most critical chokepoint for global energy flows — remains essentially closed to through traffic as Tehran's Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to threaten vessels in the region. Daily crossings of the waterway have remained in the low double digits, far below the average of more than 120 daily transits before the outbreak of war.
Read more: How oil price shocks ripple through your wallet, from gas to groceries

#Iran

Bunker fuel prices for ships remain at historically elevated levels, keeping pressure on vessel operating costs even as the marine-fuel supply squeeze that followed disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has eased at major fueling hubs.
In Singapore, the world's largest bunkering center, very-low-sulphur fuel oil, or VLSFO, was ******* sed at about $908 per metric ton this week, while marine gasoil (MGO) stood at $1,448 per ton and high-sulphur fuel oil at roughly $770 per ton, according to ******* yst Ship & Bunker.
At Rotterdam, Europe's busiest port, VLSFO was about $731 per ton, compared with $804 per ton in Houston and $1,005 per ton in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
The premium at Fujairah, the Middle East's principal bunker hub, shows the continuing impact of constrained traffic and supply-chain disruption in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Bunkering activity at Fujairah has recovered to about 40% of its prewar level, according to industry comments reported from the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference, but remains well below normal.
Costs still far above January

#fuel #strait #hormuz #supply

U.S. diesel prices have moved into record territory. The national average price of diesel climbed to a record $6.23 per gallon on Sept. 14, after first breaking above the $6 threshold last week. And diesel is hitting new highs again today at around $6.31. According to AAA data, the national average diesel price reached about $6.05 per gallon on Sept. 11, 2026, surpassing the previous record established in June 2022. The latest price is roughly 68% higher than the level of about $3.71 per gallon a year ago, highlighting the extraordinary speed of the rally.
The surge is being driven by a global shortage of refined petroleum products rather than crude oil alone. Disruptions to Middle Eastern energy infrastructure, sharply reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and attacks on Russian refineries have reduced the availability of diesel and other middle distillates. The situation has become serious enough that diesel prices are now adding to broader inflation concerns while simultaneously creating a potentially attractive environment for U.S. refiners.
Crude Oil Prices Sharply Lower as Middle East Disruptions Ease
Crude Oil Prices Retreat as Supply Fears Ease
Why UBS Just Turned Bearish on NuScale Power Stock

#Diesel

On the September 11 episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer expressed strong optimism for Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) ahead of its upcoming **** yst presentation, as he said:
Thursday, we have two important **** yst meetings. Brinker... We have them all the time on the show. Brinker, you know, is Chili's, and the company never fails to wow me. I think this meeting will be no exception.
Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) continues to demonstrate operational strength across the casual dining sector, driven by sustained customer traffic and menu innovation at Chili's Grill & Bar. In its fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the company generated $1.54 billion in total revenue, bringing full-year revenues to $5.81 billion. Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter reached $3.07, representing a 23% year-over-year increase.
Chili's reported a 5.6% increase in comparable store sales, marking its 21st consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales growth. The sustained momentum has been supported by the ongoing success of the $10.99 "3 for Me" everyday value platform as well as targeted menu launches, including the Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich, which helped support traffic as Chili's continued positioning its value proposition against fast-food offerings. According to the company's CEO Kevin Hochman, the Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich "overdelivered" on the management's estimates.
Despite consistent top-line momentum, Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) faces ongoing execution risks **** ociated with sticky cost inflation and broader macroeconomic pressures on consumer spending. Elevated wholesale prices for core commodities, especially beef and produce, continue to weigh on restaurant operating costs, while wage growth across regional markets keeps labor expenses elevated.

#elevated #analyst

NBIS revenue surged 454% to $582M with a $37.49B contracted backlog, while ALAB posted its eighth straight EPS beat on 104% revenue growth.
GPUs are worthless without high-speed interconnects, making cables, switches, and optical modules the AI industry's most critical and most overlooked bottleneck.
CRDO plunged 42% last month despite delivering 114.7% revenue growth and guiding for over 85% full-year growth in fiscal 2027.
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The interconnect layer beneath AI clusters is the current bottleneck. GPUs are useless if they cannot exchange gradients and tokens at line rate, and the cables, switches, retimers, and optical modules that carry that traffic have become the constraint the industry is racing to relieve. One data point frames the pressure: (NASDAQ:ALAB) said PCIe 6 products already made up more than 50% of its total revenue in Q2, up from one third in Q1, evidence that the connectivity generation shift is happening in quarters, not years.

#gpus #cables

Some refiners in ******* an this week rushed to buy Oman's crude for earlier loadings after Saudi Arabia shut down its key pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, traders with knowledge of the purchases told Bloomberg on Wednesday.
Late last week, Saudi Arabia was forced to temporarily shut down the East-West oil pipeline following drone attacks launched from the territory of Iraq close to the Iranian border on Thursday. The shutdown of the pipeline is a precautionary measure, after the attacks resulted in a number of injuries, the world's top crude oil exporter said.
The 750-mile-long East-West pipeline became Saudi Arabia's vital oil route to bypass the Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East conflict started and Hormuz was closed to shipping traffic. Thanks to the East-West pipeline, the Kingdom has managed to re-route most of its crude loadings from the western ports in the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Apart from announcing the shutdown of the pipeline and condemning the attacks, Saudi Arabia has not officially updated the market either on the extent of the damage or the timelines for repairs.
The repairs could take three to five weeks, two regional officials briefed on the matter told The ******* ociated Press.

#hormuz #strait