WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge in the nation's capital agreed on Thursday to permanently dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a move that could prevent federal prosecutors from reviving the case under political pressure from President Donald Trump.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered the dismissal of David Hearn's case with "prejudice," which would block U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office from refiling the felony charge against him. The judge ruled nearly a month after hearing attorneys' arguments.
Hearn's lawyers say Trump administration officials have continued to falsely accuse the Maryland resident of vandalizing the reflecting pool despite Pirro's decision to drop the case on July 31. Trump responded by saying Pirro "choked" and "folded like an umbrella."
Edelman said the case presents "exceptional circumstances" that warrant dismissing the case permanently. He agreed with defense attorneys that the government "shot first and asked questions later" by charging Hearn in a "a lightning-fast indictment process."
"While the government wishes to hold open the possibility of the development of evidence that would support a future prosecution, its own representations make plain that such a possibility is theoretical at best, and more likely, is simply fanciful," the judge wrote.

#reflecting

Rick Ross is in hot water again after he was arrested in Miami over allegations involving his ex-girlfriend.
The latest arrest adds another legal chapter to Ross' history of run-ins with law enforcement. He has faced several arrests, including a 2011 marijuana possession arrest in Louisiana and a 2014 arrest in North Carolina over an outstanding warrant tied to a previous marijuana case.
Rick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II, rose to fame with his 2006 hit "Hustlin'" and became one of hip-hop's biggest names. The Mississippi-born Rapper later founded Maybach Music Group and built a career as both a successful recording artist and music executive.
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA
Ross' latest legal trouble began with an accusation from someone who once shared a home with him. The rapper was taken into custody in Miami-Dade County on Thursday after his ex-girlfriend contacted police and alleged that an argument between them had turned violent.

#Legal #marijuana

In the entertainment world, Rick Ross may be a household name, but a Miami judge made it clear that his celebrity status would not earn him special treatment in court.
American rapper, songwriter and music executive Rick Ross, whose legal name is William Roberts II, appeared before Judge Mindy Glazer following his arrest on battery charges in Miami. During the hearing, Ross' attorney, Bradley ******* nstein, reportedly asked for the rapper's release to be expedited because of his high-profile status.
Glazer did not appear persuaded by the argument. The judge stated that she did not know who Rick Ross was and emphasized that he would be treated fairly, just like everyone else appearing in her courtroom.
MORE: Rapper Rick Ross arrested on felony strangulation charge, mugshot released
Nov 4, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; American rapper Rick Ross announces his new album during a timeout between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

#ross #judge #glazer #name

How many women have been executed in the U.S. in the last 50 years?
What legal arguments did Pike's attorneys use for clemency?
What specific allegations did the report find credible against Dale Caldwell?
Full Summary
Christa Pike, Tennessee's only female death row inmate, has lost her final appeal after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in her imminent execution.

#full #court

By Andrew Chung
Sept 29 (Reuters) - The US Supreme Court on Tuesday let President Donald Trump's administration resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own without offering them the chance to show the harms they may face, bolstering a tool his administration has used for rapid expulsions as part of his immigration crackdown.
The court granted ‌the Justice Department's emergency request to put on hold Boston-based US District Judge Brian Murphy's ruling that the Department of Homeland Security's policy to remove migrants to so-called third ‌countries is unlawful. The court also agreed to hear arguments in the dispute in December, with a formal ruling on the policy to follow.
The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. Its three liberal justices dissented from the decision to let the deportations immediately resume pending the final outcome of the litigation.
Murphy's ruling came in a class-action lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups on behalf of migrants seeking to prevent the US government from sending them to third countries without notice and a chance to **** ert the harms they could face.

#migrants #chance #harms

On September 8, 2026, Reuters reported that Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ:PSKY) said California Attorney General Rob Bonta made television statements that contradict his own legal arguments against Paramount's request for a $1.88 billion bond in the ongoing court fight over its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD).
Bonta's office has argued the bond is unnecessary because Paramount voluntarily agreed to pause the deal's closing rather than wait for a court injunction. But Paramount described that same pause as equivalent to an injunction in media interviews, which it argues legally requires the states to post a bond under antitrust law. A hearing is scheduled for September 24.
Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ:PSKY) could protect a significant portion of its financial position if the court grants its $1.88 billion bond request. Paramount says the delay could cost it about $1.3 billion in fees to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders by the time the case concludes in April 2027. A bond would give Paramount a potential path to recover those losses if it ultimately defeats the states' challenge. It reduces the financial damage from a prolonged legal process.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) is receiving financial protection from the transaction's delay through Paramount's ticking fees. Paramount agreed to pay WBD shareholders approximately $7 million per day starting October 1 if the transaction does not close, creating a growing payment obligation for Paramount. It is also providing WBD shareholders with compensation for waiting. The arrangement gives WBD a financial benefit from the prolonged closing process even as the companies await a final legal resolution.
The legal dispute has not eliminated the strategic rationale for combining the two media companies. Paramount argues that the merger would strengthen the film and television industry and lead to more content while giving the combined company greater scale to compete with Netflix and Disney. For Paramount, completing the acquisition would speed up David Ellison's plan to build a larger media competitor. WBD shareholders would receive the transaction consideration rather than remain exposed to the company's standalone turnaround.

#paramount

Former President Obama on Friday slammed President Trump over his handling of how to approach artificial intelligence amid “doomsday” warnings coming from some in the tech industry about the technology’s potential existential threat to humanity.
Obama said during an interview at Colgate University in New York that the federal government must regulate AI, before referring to comments made by one Trump adviser.
“I heard one of Donald Trump’s main advisers on this make the argument that, ‘The market will take care of AI,'” the former president said. “‘These companies will solve the safety issues because they have every incentive to do so — if it turns out to be dangerous, people will just sue them, and they’re worried about financial liability.'”
“That’s not how we treat airlines,” Obama added. “Or drug companies, or food companies.”
Obama continued to say that AI could become a threat at a human level if it falls into the clutches of “bad humans” and if self-improving AI models realize they no longer need humans. He referred to Trump again in that his successor has said regulations on AI are “for losers.”

#obama #president #university

Definium Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DFTX) has now delivered a third consecutive positive Phase 3 readout for its LSD-based medication, the second in generalized anxiety disorder. The result puts the company on a viable route toward a potential FDA approval of an LSD-based treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, and considering how closely psychedelic stocks have historically traded on each other's data, the reading carries far more weight than Definium's own ticker.
On September 14, Definium Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DFTX) announced that its drug DT120, an orally disintegrating tablet formulation of LSD, was successful in Panorama, the company's second late-stage anxiety trial. Over 12 weeks, patients who received a 100-microgram dose experienced a 9.8-point decline on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, a typical clinical measure, compared to a 4.7-point drop with placebo.
The resulting 5.1-point placebo-adjusted improvement is similar to what the company's first pivotal anxiety trial, Voyage, showed back in August: an 11.6-point improvement versus 6.2 for placebo, a 5.4-point separation that Jefferies called one of the strongest placebo-adjusted efficacy results ever seen in generalized anxiety disorder, and that Stifel simply described as "a clean win."
Psychedelic equities have a history of trading as a group rather than as individual names, and this tendency applies both ways. In February 2026, when Compass Pathways, the sector's other clinical leader developing a psilocybin-based drug for treatment-resistant depression, reported positive late-stage data, shares of Definium Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DFTX), Atai Beckley, GH Research, and Helus Pharma all rose, some by double digits.
That correlation is significant here because Definium's win is an independent validation of the broader therapeutic argument on which Compass and others are betting: a single dose of a classic psychedelic, administered in a controlled clinical setting, can produce lasting improvements in serious mental health conditions via pathways different from existing SSRIs and other standard-of-care drugs.

#definium #placebo

On August 6, Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE:WPM) reported second-quarter net earnings of $543 million on $929 million of revenue, both records. Through the first half, net earnings rose 106% to $1.1 billion. During the quarter, the company also made net upfront cash payments of $4.5 billion relative to mineral stream interests, and it now carries $2.0 billion of total debt against $100 million of cash on hand. Here is what that trade looks like up close.
Start with what the streaming model does when prices climb. Wheaton sold 14% more gold equivalent ounces than a year ago, but the average realized gold equivalent price jumped 61% in Q2, and that higher price explains most of the revenue surge. Costs per ounce rose from $406 to $568, yet the cash operating margin per ounce still grew 65% to $3,875, faster than gold itself appreciated. Operating cash flow hit $650 million in the quarter and $1.4 billion for the half.
The second argument is that plenty of growth hasn't arrived yet. Only about 3% of this year's production comes from **** ets still in construction or ramp-up, and the company forecasts a rise of roughly 50% to 1,200,000 gold equivalent ounces by 2030. Some of that ramp has dates attached. Ivanhoe now expects commercial production at Platreef in the fourth quarter of 2026, and Montage Gold is targeting first gold at Koné in late Q4. Effective April 1, Wheaton expanded its share of silver production from Antamina from 33.75% to 67.5% through the newly acquired BHP Antamina PMPA.
Growth on this scale wasn't free. Wheaton had no bank debt at the end of 2025. On April 1, it drew $1.5 billion on a new two-year term loan to help pay for Antamina, and finance costs that were negligible a year ago now take a real bite. Net debt stands at $1.9 billion. Taxes are heavier too. Wheaton paid $109 million of global minimum tax on June 24, and another Cdn$346 million is due around March 31, 2027.
Operations also gave investors a few reasons for caution. Gold ounces produced slipped 2.6% year over year, so the 6% rise in gold equivalent production leaned heavily on the Antamina purchase. Gold output at Salobo fell 11% on lower grades. At Constancia, it fell 35% after mining at the higher-grade Pampacancha pit finished in the fourth quarter of 2025. Hemlo Mining said on July 20 that its second-quarter output fell below the first quarter's, and Rio2 said on May 15 that Fenix missed planned tonnes and grade in Q1. And because the revenue jump came mainly from price, the same leverage works in reverse if metals slip.

#wheaton

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) is trying to recover after an 8.5% decline, with Bernstein defending the stock as "wired to win" and highlighting that data centers account for only 38% of its electrification order book. This supports the argument that the company's utility exposure extends beyond AI power demand alone. That diversification is a real consideration, but it does not directly address the concern raised by GLJ Research. The firm's Sell rating is not based on doubts about AI-driven power demand. Instead, GLJ Research argues that GE Vernova is still a fundamentally cyclical gas-turbine manufacturer, while its current valuation reflects an **** umption that the ongoing boom can remain permanent.
GE Vernova shares stabilized after an 8.5% decline triggered by GLJ Research's new Sell rating and broader concerns that a slowdown in AI spending could weigh on the company's order book. Bernstein **** yst Sunaina Ocalan directly challenged the view that GE Vernova's outlook depends mainly on AI infrastructure spending:
While data center orders were $5 billion in H1 2026, or about 38% of electrification orders, the remaining 62% was utility-driven. Utility spend should continue to grow, supported by grid reliability and resilience investments. A slowdown in data center demand may alleviate generation bottlenecks but would do little to address existing grid constraints.
Bernstein continues to rate the stock a Buy with a $1,298 price target, while nearly 80% of **** ysts covering GE Vernova also have a Buy rating. In a separate development, the company announced a wind turbine supply agreement with Eurus Energy Holdings in **** an.
GLJ Research's Gordon Johnson argued that GE Vernova's turbines being sold out does not justify the stock trading at roughly 38.9x forward EV/EBITDA at the time the report was released. Johnson described the company as "a cyclical gas turbine manufacturer priced as a secular compounder," highlighting the premium valuation placed on a fundamentally cyclical business. His model estimates 2027 EBITDA at $7.42 billion, which is 22% below Wall Street consensus. The lower forecast is partly based on the timing of turbine orders, as equipment scheduled for 2027 delivery was ordered in 2024, before the company introduced its more recent price increase.

#bernstein #turbine #Stock #data

On September 10, 2026, Copart, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRT) reported fourth-quarter results for the period ended July 31, 2026, and used the call to announce an all-cash acquisition of digital auto marketplace ACV Auctions. Revenue grew 2.4% to $1.2 billion, but gross profit fell 5.5% to $481.4 million and net income dropped 17.4% to $327.4 million. Diluted EPS came in at $0.35 against $0.41 a year earlier.
Wall Street spent the following days separating the deal from the quarter.
Barrington's Gary Prestopino saw enough in the transaction to move off the sidelines, upgrading Copart, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRT) to Outperform from Market Perform with a $40 target. His argument is that combining Copart's physical network with ACV's digital marketplace, at an implied equity value of $1.9 billion or $10.50 per share in cash, creates an end-to-end remarketing platform and opens a new growth vector in dealer-to-dealer and commercial vehicle auctions.
JPMorgan's Jash Patwa had already upgraded Copart, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRT) to Overweight from Neutral ahead of the print, raising his target to $40 from $32 on encouraging salvage industry channel checks, web scraping data showing Copart gaining share with a carrier across several states, and a collision cycle he sees turning more favorable as insurance penetration recovers.
Freedom Broker, which trimmed its target to $36 from $39 while keeping a Buy rating, called the report mixed but framed the ACV move as a strong pivot toward digital marketplace expansion.

#NASDAQ #cprt #auctions

Updated Sept. 17, 2026 2:46 pm ET
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(3 min)
1443 ET – Precious metal futures settle higher in New York, recovering from a swoon in the wake of yesterday’s Federal Reserve interest-rate increase. “My sense is that they will lag while we’re in a rate-hiking cycle, and right now we’re fairly clearly in a rate-hiking cycle,” says David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation. There are a lot of arguments in favor of gold, in terms of central bank buying and an alternative to the dollar, but the current macro environment “is not in any way textbook favorable for gold and silver,” he adds. Front-month gold settles up 0.3% to $4,360.20 a troy ounce, and silver rises 1.8% to $65.47 a troy ounce. (anthony.harrupwsj.com)
1118 ET – Gold futures recover losses that followed the Fed’s rate hike as Treasury yields move lower and the dollar slips, while oil prices extend their pullback to a second day. “Gold is rangebound with two-way risk, but the large bull market we had seen earlier in the year is considered on pause for now,” Pepperstone strategist Ahmad ******* iri says in a note. The bull market could continue at some stage with underlying drivers such as central bank demand, macro uncertainty, and fiscal concerns, he says. But “the path of oil prices and their transmission into Fed policy remains the single most important variable from now till year-end.” The December contract is up 0.4% in New York at $4,404.90 a troy ounce. Silver rises 2.3% to $66.44 a troy ounce. (anthony.harrupwsj.com)

#Gold #york #futures

Comments from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman calling for a more measured approach to frontier AI development contributed to a sharp selloff across neoclouds and data center stocks. Bernstein identified CoreWeave Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) as the most exposed name because of its rural footprint and focus on AI training. The concern represents a genuine structural argument. However, it marks the second time this year that the same group of stocks has faced concerns over the sustainability of AI demand. There is also an important tension within Bernstein's own note, which highlights CoreWeave's exposure while acknowledging that most of its backlog remains shielded by contracts.
Bernstein cautioned that a slowdown in AI training could weigh on data center developers. The warning followed Amodei's weekend comments urging the industry to deliberately slow the pace of frontier AI capability gains, along with similar remarks from Sam Altman. According to ****** yst Madison Rezaei, slower training activity would likely reduce demand for rural data center sites designed for latency-insensitive workloads. The ****** yst pointed out that rural and Tier 3 markets account for 70% of the industry's 488GW pipeline. CoreWeave was identified as the most exposed name in the firm's coverage. ****** yst Madison Rezaei remarked:
We estimate that 25% of their existing active U.S. power, with an additional ~74% of their contracted power, is situated in Tier 3 and Tier 4 markets.
However, there is a key counterpoint within Bernstein's own note:
The backlog is primarily comprised of take-or-pay contracts, so we do not anticipate a threat there but could see a pullback in demand for the contracted-not-yet-sold rural power if training development slows.

#training #analyst

Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $181 million on September 9, down 25% from $241 million a year earlier. Company-defined non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA fell to $13 million from $70 million. This measure excludes net financial income, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation, and certain unusual or nonrecurring items from net income.
Management attributed the disruption primarily to an advertising-algorithm problem affecting IL MAKIAGE. Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) expects third-quarter revenue to decline approximately 5% year over year, with adjusted EBITDA of $18 million to $20 million. The sequential improvement describes a narrowing year-over-year revenue decline.
Management's diagnosis centers on distorted advertising signals that impair IL MAKIAGE's ability to reach suitable customers at acceptable acquisition costs. Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) is testing changes with its largest advertising partner to retrain the algorithm. If those changes restore profitable customer acquisition, the existing brand could recover without a fundamental overhaul of its products.
Other brands provide operating evidence beyond that hypothesis. SpoiledChild delivered double-digit quarterly revenue growth, and management expects at least 35% growth for 2026, approaching $350 million in revenue. Management expects METHODIQ's first-year revenue to exceed SpoiledChild's first-year result.
These results support the argument that Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) can build additional brands using its technology platform. A broader sales base could gradually reduce dependence on IL MAKIAGE, while successful customer retention would help recover upfront advertising spending over multiple purchases.

#revenue #NASDAQ #advertising #expects

In July, Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella surprised AI stock investors with an uncomfortable way to think about what they were buying into.
As I wrote for TheStreet in "Microsoft CEO adds fuel to Palantir CEO's AI warning," Nadella argued that companies weren't merely paying for tokens. Moreover, they were feeding outside models the prompts, corrections, and institutional knowledge that eventually make those systems useful for their users.
"You essentially pay for intelligence twice, once with money, and again with something even more valuable," Nadella wrote in his July essay.
Days later, that warning became a central part of Palantir's bull case. Now, two months on, Palantir and Nvidia, two of the biggest names in the AI ******* e, are starting to act on it.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp pushed the argument further, which I covered in "Palantir CEO escalates Microsoft's AI warning."

#palantir #july #wrote

Wall Street has spent years obsessing over when the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates, but billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller thinks investors may be asking the wrong question.
The senior macro investor argues that U.S. interest rates are already too low and that future rate cuts aren't essential, according to the Financial Times.
His argument comes at a critical period.
Treasury bonds have been under selling pressure amid inflation fears, growing U.S. public debt, and considerable bond issuance by artificial intelligence startups, CNBC noted. And it puts the focus of market chatter back on borrowing rates.
Druckenmiller's warning came at a Piper Sandler conference in New York, where he also targeted Federal Reserve officials who say current monetary policy is restrictive.

#reserve

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)'s CFO Gonzalo Luchetti said the bank expects return on tangible common equity (RoTCE) to come in slightly above 11% in 2026, while also indicating that Citi will increase stock buybacks from the $13 billion repurchased in 2025. The bank plans to accelerate roughly $500 million of investment by year-end, including spending on severance and marketing intended to expand its credit-card and wealth-management businesses. Citi also expects to remove Banamex from its balance sheet in 2027, which will create an estimated $9 billion currency-translation adjustment loss.
The 11%+ target is meaningful because Citi's profitability has already improved materially. In the second quarter, Citi generated $24.8 billion of revenue, up 14% year over year, while net income rose 45% to $5.8 billion. Investment-banking revenue increased 44% to $1.55 billion, and net interest income increased 13%. Citi's SEC filing shows second-quarter RoTCE of 13.0%, versus 8.7% a year earlier, while the first half of 2026 produced a 13.1% RoTCE. The new guidance therefore suggests management believes profitability can remain above the longer-term 11%-13% RoTCE range Citi established for 2027-28, despite additional investment spending.
Kiev.Victor / Shutterstock.com
The bullish argument is that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) appears to be converting its multiyear restructuring into higher returns while simultaneously returning more capital to shareholders. The move from 8.7% RoTCE in the second quarter of 2025 to 13.0% in the second quarter of 2026 represents a substantial improvement in capital efficiency. Citi's efficiency ratio also improved to 57.4% from 62.7%, indicating that revenue growth is increasingly translating into operating leverage rather than being absorbed by expenses. That is particularly relevant because management now intends to spend another roughly $500 million on severance, marketing, and growth initiatives; if these investments produce the intended expansion in cards and wealth management, they could support revenue growth without derailing the profitability trajectory.
Capital returns provide another positive lever. Citi repurchased $13 billion of stock in 2025 and now expects to increase that amount, while its June 2026 CET1 ratio remained 12.78%, comfortably above its 11.6% standardized regulatory requirement. Buybacks can reduce tangible common equity and shares outstanding, potentially supporting both RoTCE and per-share earnings when executed below intrinsic value. Citi's tangible book value per share had already risen 7% year over year to $100.89 by June 30, 2026. The combination of higher operating profitability, shrinking share count, and improving capital efficiency strengthens the case for a valuation re-rating if Citi can sustain returns above 11%.

#rotce #citi #management

BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) reported that its investigational lung-cancer drug gotistobart produced a clinically meaningful overall-survival benefit in the Phase 3 PRESERVE-003 trial in patients with metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer whose disease had progressed after prior immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Reuters said gotistobart nearly doubled survival compared with standard-of-care chemotherapy, strengthening the case for the drug as a potential chemotherapy-free treatment in a population with significant unmet need.
The result builds on earlier Stage 1 data, where gotistobart reduced the risk of death by 54% versus docetaxel, with a hazard ratio of 0.46. Median overall survival was not yet reached for gotistobart versus 9.95 months for docetaxel, while the 12-month progression-free survival rate was 25.2% versus 0%. BioNTech is now awaiting the pivotal Stage 2 readout, making the latest result important not only for the drug's approval prospects but also for the credibility of BioNTech's broader transition from a COVID-vaccine company toward a multi-product oncology business.
The strongest bullish argument is that gotistobart now has repeated evidence of a meaningful survival advantage in a difficult-to-treat lung-cancer population. The earlier Stage 1 dataset showed 55.6% of patients alive in the gotistobart arm versus 23.8% with docetaxel, alongside a 54% reduction in the risk of death. The latest Phase 3 update reinforces that signal rather than introducing an entirely new hypothesis. If the pivotal Stage 2 data confirm the benefit, BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) could have a differentiated therapy capable of competing on survival rather than simply response rates, potentially supporting meaningful pricing power and a commercially attractive oncology franchise.
The result also strengthens BioNTech's broader oncology strategy because gotistobart is one piece of a much larger pipeline rather than a standalone bet. BioNTech says it has 14 ongoing pivotal trials and more than 10 novel combination programs, while its lung-cancer strategy spans more than 16 ongoing clinical trials and five Phase 3 programs. Gotistobart's success therefore provides validation for the company's immuno-oncology capabilities, while other ****** ets such as pumitamig and antibody-drug conjugates advance toward additional indications. BioNTech has identified 17+ late-stage or pivotal readouts through 2030+, creating the possibility that a successful gotistobart launch becomes the first major commercial proof point in its planned transition to a multi-product oncology company.

#stage #survival

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) is preparing **** et sales to address EU antitrust concerns surrounding its planned $40 billion acquisition of Kenvue, according to Reuters. The company is reportedly seeking to offer remedies that could secure European Commission approval by the September 29 deadline, avoiding a more extensive four-month investigation. Similar regulatory concerns have already emerged in Australia, where the deal received conditional approval after Kimberly-Clark agreed to divest Kenvue's Carefree and Stayfree brands.
The transaction is strategically important because it would create a consumer-health and personal-care company with approximately $32 billion of annual revenue and $7 billion of adjusted EBITDA. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) expects about $1.9 billion of annual cost synergies and $500 million of revenue synergies, although it expects to invest roughly $2.5 billion in cash to achieve the cost savings. Therefore, the scale of any EU divestitures will be critical to determining whether Kimberly-Clark can retain the expected economic benefits of the deal.
The strongest bullish argument is that Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) is actively working toward a regulatory solution rather than allowing the EU review to threaten the transaction. If the company can satisfy regulators through limited **** et sales, it could preserve the majority of Kenvue's revenue and earnings while moving ahead with the combination. The expected $1.9 billion in annual cost savings represents a substantial earnings opportunity relative to the combined company's roughly $7 billion adjusted EBITDA target, giving Kimberly-Clark significant potential to improve margins and cash generation after integration.
The Australian precedent also suggests that targeted divestitures could be sufficient to resolve competition concerns without materially undermining the broader deal. Securing EU approval by September 29 would be particularly positive because it would remove a major source of uncertainty and allow Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) to focus on integration and synergy execution. With Kenvue adding major brands across consumer health and personal care, successful completion could also broaden Kimberly-Clark's portfolio and reduce its reliance on its existing product categories.
The biggest risk is that the EU requires more substantial **** et sales than Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) currently expects. Giving up attractive Kenvue brands or businesses in Europe could reduce the revenue and EBITDA acquired through the transaction, while Kimberly-Clark would still have to bear much of the financing, transaction, and integration burden. That could make the $40 billion purchase price less attractive on a risk-adjusted basis, particularly if the divested **** ets are among Kenvue's stronger European businesses.

#kimberly #revenue #ebitda

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) cut its full-year 2026 identical-sales forecast excluding fuel to 0.2%–0.8% from 1%–2%, reflecting a sharper-than-expected slowdown in consumer demand. Second-quarter identical sales rose just 0.2%, down from 3.4% a year earlier and below the 0.9% ****** yst estimate.
The weakness reflects pressure on middle- and lower-income consumers, while a Cyclospora outbreak reduced quarterly identical sales by roughly 35 basis points and Medicare prescription-drug pricing changes created an approximately 140-basis-point headwind for pharmacy revenue. Importantly, Kroger maintained its full-year adjusted FIFO operating-profit forecast of $5.0 billion–$5.2 billion and delivered adjusted EPS of $1.09, ahead of the $1.06 consensus.
The strongest bullish argument is that The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is currently protecting earnings despite the deterioration in sales momentum. Second-quarter adjusted EPS increased 5% year over year to $1.09, while adjusted FIFO operating profit was $1.076 billion. Kroger's gross margin rate actually increased by 13 basis points, although the overall gross-margin percentage was 22.4% versus 22.5% a year earlier, suggesting that pricing, sourcing, and cost-management initiatives are helping offset weaker volumes. The company's higher-margin businesses are also becoming increasingly important: adjusted e-commerce sales grew 20% in the quarter, and Kroger Precision Marketing profit increased 24%. That mix shift gives Kroger an earnings lever even when supermarket traffic and comparable sales are weak.
There is also evidence that management is actively responding to the competitive pressure rather than simply accepting slower growth. CEO Greg Foran has been pursuing tighter sourcing, simpler operations and lower prices, with Reuters reporting plans to cut prices across thousands of products to regain shoppers from Walmart, Costco and Aldi. The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)'s balance sheet provides room to fund that strategy: its net debt-to-adjusted-EBITDA ratio was 1.91x, below its stated target range of 2.30x–2.50x, while the company repurchased $1.0 billion of shares in the second quarter and $1.2 billion year to date. It also raised its dividend 11%, marking the 20th consecutive year of increases. If sales stabilize while e-commerce, retail media and cost efficiencies continue expanding, the unchanged $5.0 billion–$5.2 billion operating-profit forecast could prove more important to valuation than the reduced top-line outlook.

#year

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is increasing the expected cost of its fiscal 2026 restructuring plan by about $700 million to roughly $2.8 billion as it simultaneously ramps up spending to capture demand for AI cloud services. The additional costs include severance, contract terminations and other exit expenses, with some restructuring directly linked to adopting AI across parts of the organization.
Oracle had already recorded $1.8 billion of restructuring expenses in fiscal 2026, compared with $299 million in fiscal 2025, showing how materially the company is accelerating its operational transformation. The restructuring comes alongside an unusually large AI investment cycle. Oracle booked more than $30 billion of new AI cloud contracts in its latest quarter, lifting its remaining performance obligations/revenue backlog to $664 billion, while roughly half of that backlog is expected to convert into revenue over the next 36 months.
The strongest bull argument is that the additional restructuring expense is part of a broader shift toward a higher-growth cloud and AI business rather than simply a deterioration in cost control. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)'s restructuring program is explicitly aimed at improving efficiency while reallocating resources toward cloud-based offerings and second-generation cloud infrastructure. If the $2.8 billion restructuring program reduces lower-growth costs and enables Oracle to redirect personnel and capital toward AI infrastructure, the near-term earnings pressure could support stronger operating leverage later as cloud revenue scales.
More importantly, the restructuring is occurring against evidence that AI demand is already translating into contracted revenue. Oracle added more than $30 billion of AI cloud contracts in one quarter, pushing its backlog to $664 billion, above the $639.89 billion ******* yst estimate. Management said most of the newly contracted revenue would not require substantial incremental capital because customers are using prepayments or supplying their own hardware. That is particularly important because Oracle's biggest weakness has been the mismatch between rapid infrastructure investment and current cash generation. If customer-funded capacity continues to reduce Oracle's upfront capital burden, the company could convert its huge backlog into revenue without proportionally increasing its cash burn.
The early financial evidence also supports the possibility that the AI strategy is beginning to improve Oracle's growth profile. Revenue in the recent quarter rose 30% year over year to $19.3 billion, adjusted EPS reached $1.92 versus the $1.74 ******* yst consensus, and Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) raised its fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS forecast from $8.05 to $8.10. Meanwhile, first-quarter free cash flow of negative $5.4 billion was substantially better than both the expected negative $9.56 billion and the previous-quarter negative $11.48 billion. If this trajectory continues, the $700

On September 13, Reuters reported that Anthropic is in talks to bring NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) in as an anchor investor in what could become one of the largest IPOs in history, potentially raising as much as $100 billion at a valuation of around $2 trillion. Nvidia is reportedly considering an investment of up to $10 billion. Anthropic's annualized revenue run rate has reportedly increased from about $9 billion in 2025 to more than $65 billion by mid-2026, with the company targeting as much as $200 billion of revenue by 2028.
The strategic significance for Nvidia is greater than the potential financial return from the investment: Anthropic is a major buyer and user of AI computing infrastructure, and Reuters reported that it has committed $30 billion to Microsoft Azure infrastructure powered by Nvidia chips. Anthropic is also pursuing major capacity agreements with other providers and developing custom chips, making its future hardware choices strategically important to Nvidia.
The move would also deepen an already established relationship. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) has previously disclosed an investment and technology partnership with Anthropic, while its fiscal 2026 filing said it had entered into an agreement to invest up to $10 billion in Anthropic. Nvidia generated $215.9 billion of fiscal 2026 revenue, up 65%, with Data Center revenue up 68%, demonstrating the enormous economic leverage of continued AI infrastructure spending.
The strongest bullish argument is that an equity investment could help NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) protect and expand one of the fastest-growing sources of demand for its GPUs. Anthropic's reported annualized revenue growth from $9 billion to more than $65 billion in roughly 18 months implies a rapidly expanding need for training and inference capacity. Its reported $30 billion commitment to Microsoft Azure powered by Nvidia systems provides a particularly direct link between Anthropic's growth and Nvidia's infrastructure demand. Anthropic is also reportedly committing $45 billion to rent AI computing capacity from Nscale, with that infrastructure expected to use Nvidia's Vera Rubin chips, indicating that the relationship can translate into future-generation hardware demand rather than being limited to Nvidia's existing products.
The investment could also strengthen Nvidia's position as AI workloads shift from model training toward large-scale inference and agentic AI. Nvidia recently said Anthropic is evaluating its Vera CPU for CPU-intensive agentic workloads, while Nvidia has positioned Blackwell Ultra and the Vera Rubin platform around the rapidly expanding inference market. Nvidia has disclosed visibility into more than $1 trillion of ***** ulative Blackwell and Rubin revenue from the beginning of 2025 through 2027, with Anthropic among the model developers contributing to that ecosystem. A successful Anthropic IPO would therefore potentially create a well-capitalized AI customer capable o

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is reportedly exploring the sale of several mass-market personal care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick, in a portfolio reshaping effort that could generate more than $1 billion. The company is working with Goldman Sachs on the potential divestiture. Personal care accounted for roughly 17% of Colgate-Palmolive's 2025 net sales, or about $3.5 billion, while oral care remains the company's largest business.
The move comes as Colgate faces pressure in its North American business. Although the company recently reported a 4.9% increase in net sales, organic sales in North America declined 3%, highlighting competitive pressure in a mature market. The strategy is also consistent with a broader consumer-goods shift toward simplifying portfolios and concentrating capital on higher-growth categories. Unilever, Nestlé, and other major consumer companies have similarly been selling slower-growing or non-core businesses.
The biggest positive is that Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) could become a more focused and potentially higher-quality business. Selling brands that no longer fit its highest-priority growth areas would allow management to concentrate capital, marketing spending, and management attention on oral care, pet nutrition, and other businesses where Colgate has stronger competitive advantages. The company's decision would therefore be less about abandoning personal care altogether and more about improving the quality of the remaining portfolio.
A sale could also unlock meaningful shareholder value. If the divestitures generate more than $1 billion, Colgate would have additional capital that could be used for debt reduction, share repurchases, acquisitions, or investment behind its strongest brands. In a mature consumer-staples company, disciplined capital allocation can have an outsized impact on earnings growth and shareholder returns. There is also evidence that portfolio simplification is becoming increasingly attractive across the consumer-goods industry. The Wall Street Journal has highlighted how companies such as Unilever and Nestlé are shedding businesses that add complexity without providing sufficient growth. The underlying argument is that the benefits of owning a very broad portfolio have diminished as consumer preferences become more fragmented and smaller brands become better at responding to trends.
Most importantly, the divestiture could improve Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)'s strategic focus at a time when North American competition is challenging. Rather than allocating resources to defend slower-growing personal-care brands, management could direct investment toward categories and geographies with better long-term growth prospects. That could ultimately support margins and organic growth even if the immediate revenue base becomes smaller.

#personal #NYSE #Portfolio

Broyhill ***** et Management, a Charlotte-based firm, issued its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, which is available for download here. The Broyhill Equity Composite gained 8.8% in Q2, trailing the MSCI All Country World Index's 15.1% and the MSCI ACWI Value Index's 10.8%. For the first half, the Composite returned 2.3%, versus 11.5% for the Index. The letter highlights that a significant portion of the shortfall occurred in April due to market dynamics and geopolitical events, with tech, particularly semiconductors, driving recent gains. Broyhill notes its lack of direct semiconductor exposure but acknowledges potential interest in the sector if opportunities arise, maintaining its investment philosophy focused on capital protection in fragile market conditions. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Broyhill ***** et Management highlighted ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW). ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) is a cloud-based software company that provides a platform for automating and managing digital workflows. On September 14, 2026, ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) closed at $142.35 per share. Over the past month, ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) returned 18.32%, but its shares are down 24.15% over the past year. ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) has a market capitalization of $147.19 billion, and its stock has traded within a 52-week range of $81.24 to $194.73.
Broyhill ***** et Management stated the following regarding ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW), added in May, fell 21%. The general argument against software fits it poorly. The Now ***** ist annual contract value target was raised by 50% to $1.5 billion, customers spending more than $1 million on it grew 130% year over year, more than half of new business is now priced on consumption rather than seats, and the gross renewal rate is 97%. That is not the profile of an obvious AI victim. While we exited other related exposure where we could not frame the range of outcomes with enough confidence to hold the position (HubSpot and Intuit), we added to ServiceNow."
ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 115 hedge fund portfolios held ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) at the end of the second quarter, compared to 108 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) 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 benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

#servicenow #management #quarter #investor

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)'s CFO Gonzalo Luchetti said the bank expects return on tangible common equity (RoTCE) to come in slightly above 11% in 2026, while also indicating that Citi will increase stock buybacks from the $13 billion repurchased in 2025. The bank plans to accelerate roughly $500 million of investment by year-end, including spending on severance and marketing intended to expand its credit-card and wealth-management businesses. Citi also expects to remove Banamex from its balance sheet in 2027, which will create an estimated $9 billion currency-translation adjustment loss.
The 11%+ target is meaningful because Citi's profitability has already improved materially. In the second quarter, Citi generated $24.8 billion of revenue, up 14% year over year, while net income rose 45% to $5.8 billion. Investment-banking revenue increased 44% to $1.55 billion, and net interest income increased 13%. Citi's SEC filing shows second-quarter RoTCE of 13.0%, versus 8.7% a year earlier, while the first half of 2026 produced a 13.1% RoTCE. The new guidance therefore suggests management believes profitability can remain above the longer-term 11%-13% RoTCE range Citi established for 2027-28, despite additional investment spending.
Kiev.Victor / Shutterstock.com
The bullish argument is that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) appears to be converting its multiyear restructuring into higher returns while simultaneously returning more capital to shareholders. The move from 8.7% RoTCE in the second quarter of 2025 to 13.0% in the second quarter of 2026 represents a substantial improvement in capital efficiency. Citi's efficiency ratio also improved to 57.4% from 62.7%, indicating that revenue growth is increasingly translating into operating leverage rather than being absorbed by expenses. That is particularly relevant because management now intends to spend another roughly $500 million on severance, marketing, and growth initiatives; if these investments produce the intended expansion in cards and wealth management, they could support revenue growth without derailing the profitability trajectory.
Capital returns provide another positive lever. Citi repurchased $13 billion of stock in 2025 and now expects to increase that amount, while its June 2026 CET1 ratio remained 12.78%, comfortably above its 11.6% standardized regulatory requirement. Buybacks can reduce tangible common equity and shares outstanding, potentially supporting both RoTCE and per-share earnings when executed below intrinsic value. Citi's tangible book value per share had already risen 7% year over year to $100.89 by June 30, 2026. The combination of higher operating profitability, shrinking share count, and improving capital efficiency strengthens the case for a valuation re-rating if Citi can sustain returns above 11%.

#year #management

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) is preparing ***** et sales to address EU antitrust concerns surrounding its planned $40 billion acquisition of Kenvue, according to Reuters. The company is reportedly seeking to offer remedies that could secure European Commission approval by the September 29 deadline, avoiding a more extensive four-month investigation. Similar regulatory concerns have already emerged in Australia, where the deal received conditional approval after Kimberly-Clark agreed to divest Kenvue's Carefree and Stayfree brands.
The transaction is strategically important because it would create a consumer-health and personal-care company with approximately $32 billion of annual revenue and $7 billion of adjusted EBITDA. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) expects about $1.9 billion of annual cost synergies and $500 million of revenue synergies, although it expects to invest roughly $2.5 billion in cash to achieve the cost savings. Therefore, the scale of any EU divestitures will be critical to determining whether Kimberly-Clark can retain the expected economic benefits of the deal.
The strongest bullish argument is that Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) is actively working toward a regulatory solution rather than allowing the EU review to threaten the transaction. If the company can satisfy regulators through limited ***** et sales, it could preserve the majority of Kenvue's revenue and earnings while moving ahead with the combination. The expected $1.9 billion in annual cost savings represents a substantial earnings opportunity relative to the combined company's roughly $7 billion adjusted EBITDA target, giving Kimberly-Clark significant potential to improve margins and cash generation after integration.
The Australian precedent also suggests that targeted divestitures could be sufficient to resolve competition concerns without materially undermining the broader deal. Securing EU approval by September 29 would be particularly positive because it would remove a major source of uncertainty and allow Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) to focus on integration and synergy execution. With Kenvue adding major brands across consumer health and personal care, successful completion could also broaden Kimberly-Clark's portfolio and reduce its reliance on its existing product categories.
The biggest risk is that the EU requires more substantial ***** et sales than Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) currently expects. Giving up attractive Kenvue brands or businesses in Europe could reduce the revenue and EBITDA acquired through the transaction, while Kimberly-Clark would still have to bear much of the financing, transaction, and integration burden. That could make the $40 billion purchase price less attractive on a risk-adjusted basis, particularly if the divested ***** ets are among Kenvue's stronger European businesses.

#revenue

BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) reported that its investigational lung-cancer drug gotistobart produced a clinically meaningful overall-survival benefit in the Phase 3 PRESERVE-003 trial in patients with metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer whose disease had progressed after prior immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Reuters said gotistobart nearly doubled survival compared with standard-of-care chemotherapy, strengthening the case for the drug as a potential chemotherapy-free treatment in a population with significant unmet need.
The result builds on earlier Stage 1 data, where gotistobart reduced the risk of death by 54% versus docetaxel, with a hazard ratio of 0.46. Median overall survival was not yet reached for gotistobart versus 9.95 months for docetaxel, while the 12-month progression-free survival rate was 25.2% versus 0%. BioNTech is now awaiting the pivotal Stage 2 readout, making the latest result important not only for the drug's approval prospects but also for the credibility of BioNTech's broader transition from a COVID-vaccine company toward a multi-product oncology business.
The strongest bullish argument is that gotistobart now has repeated evidence of a meaningful survival advantage in a difficult-to-treat lung-cancer population. The earlier Stage 1 dataset showed 55.6% of patients alive in the gotistobart arm versus 23.8% with docetaxel, alongside a 54% reduction in the risk of death. The latest Phase 3 update reinforces that signal rather than introducing an entirely new hypothesis. If the pivotal Stage 2 data confirm the benefit, BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) could have a differentiated therapy capable of competing on survival rather than simply response rates, potentially supporting meaningful pricing power and a commercially attractive oncology franchise.
The result also strengthens BioNTech's broader oncology strategy because gotistobart is one piece of a much larger pipeline rather than a standalone bet. BioNTech says it has 14 ongoing pivotal trials and more than 10 novel combination programs, while its lung-cancer strategy spans more than 16 ongoing clinical trials and five Phase 3 programs. Gotistobart's success therefore provides validation for the company's immuno-oncology capabilities, while other ***** ets such as pumitamig and antibody-drug conjugates advance toward additional indications. BioNTech has identified 17+ late-stage or pivotal readouts through 2030+, creating the possibility that a successful gotistobart launch becomes the first major commercial proof point in its planned transition to a multi-product oncology company.

#biontech #survival

On September 13, Reuters reported that Anthropic is in talks to bring NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) in as an anchor investor in what could become one of the largest IPOs in history, potentially raising as much as $100 billion at a valuation of around $2 trillion. Nvidia is reportedly considering an investment of up to $10 billion. Anthropic's annualized revenue run rate has reportedly increased from about $9 billion in 2025 to more than $65 billion by mid-2026, with the company targeting as much as $200 billion of revenue by 2028.
The strategic significance for Nvidia is greater than the potential financial return from the investment: Anthropic is a major buyer and user of AI computing infrastructure, and Reuters reported that it has committed $30 billion to Microsoft Azure infrastructure powered by Nvidia chips. Anthropic is also pursuing major capacity agreements with other providers and developing custom chips, making its future hardware choices strategically important to Nvidia.
The move would also deepen an already established relationship. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) has previously disclosed an investment and technology partnership with Anthropic, while its fiscal 2026 filing said it had entered into an agreement to invest up to $10 billion in Anthropic. Nvidia generated $215.9 billion of fiscal 2026 revenue, up 65%, with Data Center revenue up 68%, demonstrating the enormous economic leverage of continued AI infrastructure spending.
The strongest bullish argument is that an equity investment could help NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) protect and expand one of the fastest-growing sources of demand for its GPUs. Anthropic's reported annualized revenue growth from $9 billion to more than $65 billion in roughly 18 months implies a rapidly expanding need for training and inference capacity. Its reported $30 billion commitment to Microsoft Azure powered by Nvidia systems provides a particularly direct link between Anthropic's growth and Nvidia's infrastructure demand. Anthropic is also reportedly committing $45 billion to rent AI computing capacity from Nscale, with that infrastructure expected to use Nvidia's Vera Rubin chips, indicating that the relationship can translate into future-generation hardware demand rather than being limited to Nvidia's existing products.
The investment could also strengthen Nvidia's position as AI workloads shift from model training toward large-scale inference and agentic AI. Nvidia recently said Anthropic is evaluating its Vera CPU for CPU-intensive agentic workloads, while Nvidia has positioned Blackwell Ultra and the Vera Rubin platform around the rapidly expanding inference market. Nvidia has disclosed visibility into more than $1 trillion of **** ulative Blackwell and Rubin revenue from the beginning of 2025 through 2027, with Anthropic among the model developers contributing to that ecosystem. A successful Anthropic IPO would therefore potentially create a well-capitalized AI customer capable of

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is increasing the expected cost of its fiscal 2026 restructuring plan by about $700 million to roughly $2.8 billion as it simultaneously ramps up spending to capture demand for AI cloud services. The additional costs include severance, contract terminations and other exit expenses, with some restructuring directly linked to adopting AI across parts of the organization.
Oracle had already recorded $1.8 billion of restructuring expenses in fiscal 2026, compared with $299 million in fiscal 2025, showing how materially the company is accelerating its operational transformation. The restructuring comes alongside an unusually large AI investment cycle. Oracle booked more than $30 billion of new AI cloud contracts in its latest quarter, lifting its remaining performance obligations/revenue backlog to $664 billion, while roughly half of that backlog is expected to convert into revenue over the next 36 months.
The strongest bull argument is that the additional restructuring expense is part of a broader shift toward a higher-growth cloud and AI business rather than simply a deterioration in cost control. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)'s restructuring program is explicitly aimed at improving efficiency while reallocating resources toward cloud-based offerings and second-generation cloud infrastructure. If the $2.8 billion restructuring program reduces lower-growth costs and enables Oracle to redirect personnel and capital toward AI infrastructure, the near-term earnings pressure could support stronger operating leverage later as cloud revenue scales.
More importantly, the restructuring is occurring against evidence that AI demand is already translating into contracted revenue. Oracle added more than $30 billion of AI cloud contracts in one quarter, pushing its backlog to $664 billion, above the $639.89 billion ****** yst estimate. Management said most of the newly contracted revenue would not require substantial incremental capital because customers are using prepayments or supplying their own hardware. That is particularly important because Oracle's biggest weakness has been the mismatch between rapid infrastructure investment and current cash generation. If customer-funded capacity continues to reduce Oracle's upfront capital burden, the company could convert its huge backlog into revenue without proportionally increasing its cash burn.
The early financial evidence also supports the possibility that the AI strategy is beginning to improve Oracle's growth profile. Revenue in the recent quarter rose 30% year over year to $19.3 billion, adjusted EPS reached $1.92 versus the $1.74 ****** yst consensus, and Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) raised its fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS forecast from $8.05 to $8.10. Meanwhile, first-quarter free cash flow of negative $5.4 billion was substantially better than both the expected negative $9.56 billion and the previous-quarter negative $11.48 billion. If this trajectory continues, the $700 mi

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is reportedly exploring the sale of several mass-market personal care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick, in a portfolio reshaping effort that could generate more than $1 billion. The company is working with Goldman Sachs on the potential divestiture. Personal care accounted for roughly 17% of Colgate-Palmolive's 2025 net sales, or about $3.5 billion, while oral care remains the company's largest business.
The move comes as Colgate faces pressure in its North American business. Although the company recently reported a 4.9% increase in net sales, organic sales in North America declined 3%, highlighting competitive pressure in a mature market. The strategy is also consistent with a broader consumer-goods shift toward simplifying portfolios and concentrating capital on higher-growth categories. Unilever, Nestlé, and other major consumer companies have similarly been selling slower-growing or non-core businesses.
The biggest positive is that Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) could become a more focused and potentially higher-quality business. Selling brands that no longer fit its highest-priority growth areas would allow management to concentrate capital, marketing spending, and management attention on oral care, pet nutrition, and other businesses where Colgate has stronger competitive advantages. The company's decision would therefore be less about abandoning personal care altogether and more about improving the quality of the remaining portfolio.
A sale could also unlock meaningful shareholder value. If the divestitures generate more than $1 billion, Colgate would have additional capital that could be used for debt reduction, share repurchases, acquisitions, or investment behind its strongest brands. In a mature consumer-staples company, disciplined capital allocation can have an outsized impact on earnings growth and shareholder returns. There is also evidence that portfolio simplification is becoming increasingly attractive across the consumer-goods industry. The Wall Street Journal has highlighted how companies such as Unilever and Nestlé are shedding businesses that add complexity without providing sufficient growth. The underlying argument is that the benefits of owning a very broad portfolio have diminished as consumer preferences become more fragmented and smaller brands become better at responding to trends.
Most importantly, the divestiture could improve Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)'s strategic focus at a time when North American competition is challenging. Rather than allocating resources to defend slower-growing personal-care brands, management could direct investment toward categories and geographies with better long-term growth prospects. That could ultimately support margins and organic growth even if the immediate revenue base becomes smaller.

#colgate #company #care