A report says that Prince Harry's hopes for reconciliation are in doubt after his latest interview. It coincided with King Charles welcoming the Sultan of Oman for a historic state visit to the UK. The news emerged after the Duke of Sussex revisited family matters and voiced hopes for a reunion during his recent sit-down with Zach Baron.
In a landmark moment, King Charles hosted the Sultan of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, on Tuesday. It marked the first state visit by an Omani ruler to the UK in 44 years. The talks focused on boosting trade, defence, and Middle East peace efforts. Oman is seen as a key UK ally, and the King's meeting was expected to lead the headlines.
However, the significant diplomatic engagement was overshadowed after Prince Harry chose the same day to release his first tell-all interview since returning to Britain. However, the non-working royal's exclusive conversation drew major public attention and ended up taking center stage instead.
Commenting on the overlap, broadcaster Carole Malone and Daily Express royal editor Emily Ferguson weighed in. They suggested the repeated clashes in timing show Harry is not seeking reconciliation.
Appearing on the Royals Unscripted podcast, Malone said, "Charles will want to placate because he's of an age where he doesn't want to not be speaking to his son again. But I think Wills now is going to be taking the reins on this because what's happening now is that they are going to damage the royal brand… if this happens every time the royals are going to have a big event on."

#prince #malone

Real Madrid played some of their best football of the season to secure an important 4-1 victory over Sevilla in La Liga.
The performance was a confidence boost for Jose Mourinho's side ahead of El Clasico, with the manager's changes playing a particularly important role.
Yan Diomande has written his name into Real Madrid's history books, becoming the youngest player to score and provide an ******* ist in the same La Liga match for the club in the 21st century.
He achieved the milestone at 19 years and 338 days, surpassing Jude Bellingham's previous record of 20 years and 51 days.
The achievement highlights the impressive attacking talent Madrid have in Diomande, who continues to demonstrate his ability to influence matches in different ways.

#real #diomande #important

All of a sudden, that 24-team College Football Playoff format might be front and center for an SEC dreaming of getting five, six, ten of its members into the postseason tournament.

Yes, the CFP is supposed to use a new metric – which is really a twist on what it already utilizes – that gives more respect to the strengths of schedules. That's supposed to boost the SEC – give, say, 2025 Texas credit for losing at Ohio State, even though it went 9-3 – but there are two issues with that, at least when it comes to what we're projecting below.

First, the College Football Playoff always falls back on record ranking. If there's a debate in the Grapevine meeting room – it's nice; the food is tremendous – 10-2 is a lot easier to sell than 9-3, which is why we haven't seen Power Four programs with three pre-conference championship losses leapfrog those with two or fewer.

And second, even though the upsets are coming – last Saturday probably wasn't an outlier – there's no way, no how, no chance the committee will put in a 9-3 power conference team in over an 11-1 Power Four program.

That's where the SEC comes in. A few weeks ago, it looked like the conference would own the CFP. And then Florida started losing. So did LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Now, as we're doing this just past the midway point in the season, there are just four SEC teams left – Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee – with fewer than two losses, and all of them have one.

So how many SEC teams will make the College Football Playoff? Our best guess is three, and it'll take a shoehorn to make that happen. (By the way, we're still bullish on Kentucky, but we're predicting a few close losses over the next few weeks.)
– Why the 24-Team CFP Probably Won't Suck
Oct 17, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) walks off the field with his arm in a sling after the game against the Indiana Hoosiers Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Projected Final Record: 13-0
Remaining Games: at App State, Troy, at Southern Miss, at UConn, Coastal Carolina

This will likely be a big debate if Boise State keeps on rolling and goes 12-1 with a Pac-12 **** le, with its only loss coming to Oregon in the season opener. James Madison won't have any Power Four wins – last year's team didn't either – but if it's 13-0, it'll be tough to leave out.
Projected Final Record: 9-3
Remaining Games: at Auburn, Alabama, Texas, at Tennessee, at Arkansas
Here's where the strength of schedule emphasis kicks in. The call is that the committee would rank a three-loss LSU over a Big 12 or ACC team – it's my favorite CFP line, because I swear I've seen a little box behind glass that the committee goes to when it's in a pinch that says – … because it's Alabama.

There's still one more LSU loss coming somewhere – like, at Tennessee – but Alabama is everything in the brief history of the College Fo

Steelers fans overwhelmed Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, boosting the road team's effort to overcome a 13-0 halftime deficit and a 16-3 fourth-quarter deficit.
Tackle Tristan Wirfs isn't upset with Buccaneers fans for the lack of in-person support.
"Can you blame them?" Wirfs said, via JoeBucsFan.com. "You know, we're 1-4 and haven't really given them much to cheer about.
"So, yeah, it sucks. It sucks when you're going ****** near silent count at home. But you've got to give [fans] something to cheer for."
The Bucs are now 1-5. And the fans didn't have much to cheer for on Sunday, as the double-digit margin melted into a loss.

#deficit #steelers #james

Week 6 in the NFL has come and gone, and what a week it was! We saw some wild games across the league, with plenty of scoring, overtime, upsets- you name it! But what were the biggest fantasy football storylines to come from all that?
Caleb Williams is back! And back in a big way for the Bears, going 305/1/0 on 30 of 36 passes, in a win over the Atlanta Falcons. It also appears that Williams has reinvigorated the fantasy potential of Luther Burden and Colston Loveland, who were both off to mixed starts this season. It's also somewhat good to see that their defense is still terrible, which will only further boost Williams' production. They'll be forced into higher-scoring games, which is great for fantasy production.
So many of us want to believe that Kyle Pitts will be an elite tight end, but the lack of consistent production makes it tough to put him in our lineups every week. He's looked good over the last two weeks, but that's been bolstered by some touchdowns. Drake London still leads the team in target share, but if Michael Penix is willing to look to Pitts in the red zone, the touchdown upside will be there for him. I continue to think that Pitts is a low-end TE1 on most weeks, given the overall offensive potential of the Falcons.
While it was only his second game this season, Omar Cooper Jr. looked great for the Jets. A big 103 yards on 6 receptions and one touchdown pushed him to the top of the box score against the Patriots. It's also nice to see him do this while Garrett Wilson was also playing for the Jets. However, the question becomes: is this sustainable? Once Breece Hall gets back to the Jets offense, their overall dynamic might change, but Cooper Jr. has a role right now.
Is Noel the key to the Texans offense? The run game certainly isn't great; we know how good Nico Collins is, but they are missing another element, and Noel is shaping up to be that answer. Coming into this week, he led the Texans with 17.5 yards per reception and 13.35 yards per target. He brought this into the matchup versus the Jaguars and ended with 4/107/1, which is certainly his ceiling outcome, but this is the third straight week he's had either 80-plus receiving yards or a touchdown.

#week #back

President Donald Trump's portfolio managers bought as much as $30 million in Meta stock and ******* eX debt in August as purchases made in his name continue to be highly active.
A newly released financial disclosure shows more than 500 securities transactions in August, including up to $25 million in Meta stock and $5 million in ******* eX debt. His portfolio also invested in AT&T, Netflix and Chevron. In contrast, he sold shares of Advanced Micro Devices, T-Mobile, Dell Technologies and Nvidia.
Democrats have criticized moves made by the president's portfolio managers in the past. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Robert Garcia sent a lengthy letter to Trump in August, saying they want to know who are the money managers in charge of his investments.
"One ******* ysis estimates that you reported more than 14,000 stock trades, worth up to $1.06 billion during your first year in office. The total is likely higher as these reports don't even include transactions worth less than one thousand dollars," reads a passage of the letter.
"The sheer volume of this trading activity and the timing of a number of transactions, raise questions about whether you are using your knowledge of government activities, your official authority, or the vast megaphone provided by the Presidency to make investments or move markets to your personal benefit—and about whether you have been making decisions that boost your portfolio at the expense of taxpayers, the economy, and national security," it adds.

#million #Stock

Young Americans are reconsidering the value of a college degree given the high cost of college and the prospect of taking on student loan debt, which is prompting some colleges and universities to cut tuition costs to attract students and boost enrollment.
A report by Bloomberg noted that several colleges and universities have announced plans to lower their tuition either this year or in the next academic year when students arrive on campus in fall 2027. For example, Emory & Henry University historically offered significant merit scholarships amounting to up to $23,000 to help students negate some of the $40,000 price tag they faced, the report noted.
However, the school moved to reduce tuition by half to $19,900 for undergraduate students this academic year to lower the sticker price students are evaluating, while still offering merit scholarships up to $5,000 and covering tuition costs for certain in-state students from Virginia who meet income criteria.
"Our tuition reduction plan was just one piece of a larger strategic enrollment strategy," said Dr. Louise "Lou" Fincher, president of Emory & Henry University, told FOX Business. "Ultimately, we wanted our published tuition to better reflect the real cost of an Emory & Henry education."
College President Warns Ai Could Strengthen Education – Or Create Dangerous Shortcuts: 'It's How We Manage It'

#students #university #Education #cost

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Credit: Marvel Studios
Blatantly picking your favorite kid is one of those ultimate parenting taboos, right? And yet, Chris Hemsworth hasn't been shy about how he handles the topic with his three kids. Funny enough, when Hemsworth brought up his thoughts on playing faves with family members, it led to a bunch of fans who are pointing out something similar about what Thor does in the ordered Marvel movies. At least he's consistent, right?
Let's talk out this fun connection.
Chris is one of three kids himself, and since all the Hemsworth brothers have paved their own path in show business, there's been a lot of talk over the years about who "the best" is. While one might think that means Chris might treat all his kids equally given that experience, that's not necessarily the case. As he revealed:

#might

Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson debated for the first time Tuesday in Maine, trading attacks over President Donald Trump, the cost of living and abortion in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
Maine is central to Democrats’ path to the Senate majority as they try to capitalize on Trump’s unpopularity. Jackson tried to do just that Tuesday by tying Collins to Trump, name-checking him at least 20 times in one hour of debating on WGME-TV.
“It matters who you stand with,” Jackson said in his opening statement. “I don’t owe Donald Trump and the billionaires anything. I don’t fight for billionaires like she does.”
Collins, meanwhile, emphasized multiple instances when she opposed the Trump administration.
She also sought to localize the race and pitch her seniority — and her perch as chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee — as a boost to Maine. She touted $1.5 billion in federal funds that she has brought home to the state for 672 projects in the last five years, “from Madawaksa to Kittery, from Eastport to Rumford.”

#maine #tuesday #donald #susan

Disney raised prices on many of its theme park offerings today, coinciding with the start of the company’s new fiscal year. But consumers aren’t pushing back the way they did a few years ago.
Disney’s price hikes are an annual October ritual for the company, and it’s always a tricky balancing act between increasing revenue and consumers’ willingness to pay.
Many ticket types, passes and add-ons at Disneyland are not increasing at all this time. But premium products are getting more expensive, like the highest-level, skip-the-line service at Walt Disney World, which could now run just shy of the $500 mark during peak demand.
It’s a reflection of the company’s strategy: Spread the price boosts across different audiences, while leaving bottom-tier prices - like the slowest season, one-day, one-park tickets - unchanged.
Its theme parks strategy, Disney said, has evolved over time. Higher-priced premium products and add-ons, alongside targeted discounts and a refresh of older attractions, allowed the company this summer to generate the strongest parks and cruises revenue in two years.

#disney #company #consumers

Rising interest rates have the US on a collision course with the need to finally deal with its bloated debt pile, Goldman Sachs warns.
"Persistently higher rates would boost interest expense as a share of GDP — a key gauge of the cash outflows needed to service the debt — and push the debt-to-GDP ratio up to 132% by 2035, 10 percentage points above our baseline, raising the odds that deficit reduction becomes necessary sooner to stabilize the debt," Goldman Sachs strategist Pierfrancesco Mei wrote in a new note on Tuesday.
US Treasury yields have climbed aggressively this year, effectively pushing up the country's debt servicing costs. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) has surged more than 115 basis points, from around 4.10% late last year to a 24-year high of around 5.28% at present.
Read more: How soaring Treasury yields could hit your finances
This sustained sell-off across the bond market has been fueled by inflation brought on by the US war on Iran, which prompted the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates last month. The economy's resilience in the face of pricing pressures has also contributed to the sell-off.

#points #yields

Rising interest rates have the US on a collision course with finally having to deal with its bloated debt pile, warns Goldman Sachs.
"Persistently higher rates would boost interest expense as a share of GDP—a key gauge of the cash outflows needed to service the debt—and push the debt-to-GDP ratio up to 132% by 2035, 10 percentage points above our baseline, raising the odds that deficit reduction becomes necessary sooner to stabilize the debt," said Goldman Sachs strategist Pierfrancesco Mei in a new note on Tuesday.
US Treasury yields have climbed aggressively this year, effectively pushing up the country's debt servicing costs. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield has surged more than 115 basis points, from around 4.10% late last year to a 24-year high of around 5.28% at present.
This sustained sell-off across the bond market has been fueled by inflation brought on by the US war on Iran, which prompted the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates last month. The economy's resilience in the face of pricing pressures has also contributed to the sell-off.
What's happening in the bond market couldn't come at a worse time for US debt watchers.

#interest

VANDALIA, Ohio — President Donald Trump rallied Saturday for Republicans in Ohio’s competitive races for Senate and governor, predicting that the party will defy expectations in a choppy midterm election climate.
“I think we’re going to have a big surprise, because they don’t know what’s happening,” Trump said while speaking onstage inside a high school gymnasium near Dayton.
“Just get out and vote,” Trump added. “If you do that, we’re going to win, and we’re going to win big. And we’re going to shove it up their ***** .”
The visit, part of what White House officials have told NBC News will be a push through at least 17 states between now and Nov. 3, was aimed at boosting Sen. Jon Husted and GOP gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump, who won Ohio three times by comfortable margins, opened his speech with praise for both before moving into broader remarks to promote himself and his administration. He also offered support for local Rep. Mike Turner and for several House candidates in attendance, including Derek Merrin, the Republican running against longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in northwest Ohio.

#Trump #saturday #republicans #senate

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Just in time for the start of the 2026-27 NFL season, Hasbro has re-stocked its football-themed edition of the popular Guess Who? board game.
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Where to Watch the 2026 Hispanic Heritage Awards Live Online for Free With Los Tigres del Norte Headlining

#shop #celebration

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Thursday that Republicans face an “uphill climb” in next month’s midterm elections — and that the results may be a data point he reviews as he decides whether to run for president in 2028.
“Historically there’s always a bit of an uphill climb, and I think you definitely sense that,” Vance said in an interview with NBC News. “I also think you can sense a sense of cautious optimism, in the sense that, you know, people feel like the numbers are sort of moving, maybe in our direction.”
He added: “Politically, there’s just a recognition that it’s always going to be hard to win a midterm when you have the White House, the Senate and the House.”
Vance spoke aboard Air Force Two shortly after it landed on a return trip from Lakeland, Florida, where he campaigned for Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor. It was his latest headlining gig at a rally meant to boost support for the party’s candidates in what is expected to be a challenging year for the GOP.
Aside from the historical trends Vance mentioned, polls have shown President Donald Trump and the war in Iran highly unpopular among voters. A related rise in gas prices has added to a cascade of affordability concerns. And Americans are growing more skeptical of artificial intelligence and the large, power-hungry data centers being built to accommodate the technology. All of those issues could factor into voters’ choices in this fall’s key races for the House, the Senate and governor.

#vance #House #president

Search for Tom Holland's car collection and you'll find a dozen sites promising a seven-figure garage. Ask any of them for a photo, a registration or one post from Holland himself, and the list gets short fast. Here is the sorted version: what is confirmed, what is movie marketing, and what is internet filler.
The one car with real evidence behind it is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. In April 2022 Holland came back to Instagram with a photo beside a new Taycan, and the post was widely reported as a Turbo S.
A Porsche Taycan Turbo S, the model reported in Holland's 2022 post. Photo: Rutger van der Maar / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
It is a smart pick for an actor who plays a kid from Queens. The Turbo S makes roughly 750 horsepower on overboost, runs on an 800-volt electrical system that fast-charges quicker than most electric cars, and uses a two-speed rear transmission that nearly every other EV skips. Pricing starts north of $180,000 before options. It is also dead quiet, which makes speed easy to miss, a lesson Richard Hammond learned the expensive way.
Audi partnered with Marvel on Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017. The centerpiece was a short film in which Tony Stark lends Peter Parker a brand-new A8 for his driving test, with J.B. Smoove as the instructor losing a fight with the dashboard.

#turbo #fast #speed

By Waylon Cunningham
NEW YORK, Sept 29 (Reuters) - McDonald's is increasingly using artificial intelligence to guide menu prices across the U.S. and some global markets, a plan that aims to boost headquarters' profit but risks alienating customers and attracting antitrust scrutiny.
One pricing factor supercharged by AI: an estimate of how much each store's patrons are willing to pay.
The details of how that pricing system works, its extensive use of AI, the company's regulatory concerns and the tensions with its franchisees haven't been previously reported. For this story, Reuters reviewed screenshots of the company pricing engine taken in August and interviewed nine sources with first-hand knowledge of the burger chain's strategy.
McDonald's pricing ‌engine uses machine-learning algorithms to continually ****** yze data from millions of daily transactions across McDonald's nearly 14,000 restaurants and generate what the company calls "the optimal price" at each location for each menu item, from Big Macs to discounted coffee for seniors.

#pricing #company #engine #cunningham

For the recently reported second quarter, PicS N.V. (NASDAQ:PICS) outperformed relative to its previous guidance across all profitability metrics. The total account base for the company went up to 70.4 million during the second quarter, showcasing a 10% jump from the prior year. Moving on to the bottom line figures, the adjusted earnings before tax, without factoring in costs ******* ociated with stock-based compensation came in at R$291 million for the quarter. This represented a 2.1% outperformance relative to the company's R$285 million guidance. Similarly, compared to the R$245 million projection, adjusted net income for the period actually stood 15.5% higher at R$283 million.
welcomia/Shutterstock.com
The second quarter concluded with strong financial and operating momentum for PicS. The company recorded a 9% annual and 2% sequential growth in its client base, which went up to 45.4 million active users. The total credit portfolio jumped to R$31.9 billion, exceeding management's guidance by 3%. This outperformance came due to a higher number of mature credit card cohorts, and accelerated origination within secured and partly secured categories. An additional factor that accounted for the credit portfolio growth was management's measured expansion into higher risk areas such as newer platform credit and private payroll lending.
Managerial revenue rose to R$3,730 million, topping guidance by 3.6%, and net interest income reached R$2,002 million, 5.4% above projections, boosted by growing credit income. Total cash in totaled R$136.4 billion, up 17% from a year earlier and 9% from the previous quarter, with customers bringing in an average of approximately R$45.4 billion to the platform each month. Total deposits climbed to R$35.8 billion, a 45% yearly jump and 10% quarterly rise.
Some concerns related to the company's loan portfolio emerged during the quarter. Non-performing loans more than 90 days overdue increased to 9.8% of the credit portfolio during the quarter, up 93 basis points sequentially. Stage 3 exposure, which includes a broader set of credit-impaired loans, reached 12.9% of the total credit portfolio.

#million #credit #quarter #Portfolio

On September 9, 2026, Chewy, Inc. (NYSE:CHWY) reported fiscal second-quarter net sales of $3.33 billion, up 7.3% year over year, and adjusted earnings per share of $0.36, nearly double the roughly $0.18 ******* ysts had expected, prompting the company to raise its full-year revenue and profitability outlook. CEO Sumit Singh said the broader pet market did not meaningfully recover during the quarter but also did not deteriorate further, with Chewy continuing to outperform the category by two to three times through share gains across its established and newer businesses.
Chewy, Inc. (NYSE:CHWY)'s recurring revenue base is solid. It gives the company greater visibility into future sales. Autoship sales jumped by 9.3% year over year to $2.82 billion and represented 84.6% of total net sales. The growing contribution from subscription-based purchases gives Chewy a more predictable revenue stream and reduces its exposure to fluctuations in discretionary pet spending.
Chewy is also building growth engines beyond its core retail business. Chewy Health, which includes veterinary care and pharmacy services, delivered triple-digit revenue growth. Specialty categories such as equine and exotics recorded a seventh consecutive quarter of mid-double-digit growth. These businesses give Chewy additional opportunities to increase customer spending and diversify its sources of revenue as the overall pet market matures.
Chewy is combining customer growth with stronger profitability and shareholder returns. The firm added 208,000 net active customers during the quarter. It takes its customer base to 21.7 million while returning $200 million to shareholders through share repurchases. Management also noted structural SG&A leverage, automation, and AI-driven cost reductions as contributors to margin expansion. It shows that Chewy can improve earnings while investing in customer acquisition and growth.
Part of Chewy, Inc. (NYSE:CHWY)'s profitability improvement came from benefits that may not recur. CFO Chris Deppe said the quarter's profitability upside included about $10 million from timing benefits and more than $5 million from discrete benefits. Those items boosted the latest results but do not provide a recurring earnings contribution. It means investors may need to lower their expectations for the pace of margin expansion in future quarters.

#customer

Though it's down by 33% over the last five years, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) climbed from about $130 in early 2020 to over $4,800 in early November 2021, which would have been sufficient to turn an investment of $27,000 into about $1 million. It's natural for investors to wonder if another historic run is in the cards for the coin, given that it's more widely known now than it was then.
Today, with a market cap of $292 billion as of Sept. 15, Ethereum can still grow your wealth substantially, but it probably won't be a millionaire maker for those with small positions anytime soon. Let's first look at the math to see why, then examine its upcoming catalysts.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our **** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Ethereum isn't going to be a millionaire-maker investment from here, even if you're willing to pony up a lot more capital than most investors have on hand or are willing to allocate to a lottery ticket, and even if it becomes the next cryptocurrency to explode.
Turning $10,000 into $1 million requires a 100x gain, which would boost Ethereum's market cap to $29.2 trillion.

#even

Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) has been on a strong rally this year, posting gains of over 110% since the beginning of 2026. The outperformance has been driven by an unusually sharp surge in global refining margins amid the war in the Middle East, which has significantly tightened the world's refining capacity and reduced supplies of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
Given Phillips 66's substantial outperformance compared to the wider market, investors may be questioning whether the stock's record-setting run has reached its peak. However, the ****** ysts over at BMO Capital see further upside ahead. On September 17, the firm raised its price target on PSX from $260 to $310, while maintaining an 'Outperform' rating on the shares. The target boost implies an upside of 13% from the current levels and even exceeds the stock's all-time high of over $274 achieved earlier this month.
BMO Capital highlighted Phillips 66's integrated business model, noting that it has gained momentum and outperformed its individual segments, supported by strong execution across the portfolio. While Refining and Renewables remain the cyclical leaders, BMO also sees a favorable medium-term growth outlook for the company's Midstream business.
BMO Capital's vote of confidence comes amid a broader optimism surrounding Phillips 66, with ****** ysts from Morgan Stanley, Raymon James, UBS, and several others also improving their respective outlooks on PSX. This suggests that Wall Street expects the ongoing refining upcycle to last longer than previously expected, particularly following the renewed escalations between Iran and the United States.
The supply disruptions now extend beyond the troubled region, as a recent wave of Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries has further reduced global refining capacity and provided further support to margins.

#further #margins #amid

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) received a boost on September 15 when the company announced that it had secured an approximately $80 million contract for its Deepwater Conqueror ultra-deepwater drillship in Equatorial Guinea. The estimated 170-day campaign with an undisclosed operator is expected to begin next year, directly following the rig's current contract in the US Gulf.
Built in 2016, the DSME 12000-design Deepwater Conqueror can operate in water depths of up to 12,000 feet and drill to a maximum depth of 40,000 feet.
The $80 million award provides Transocean with additional contract revenue and improves visibility into the company's future revenue base. If the award includes attractive day rates and limited mobilization costs, it could contribute positively to operating margins and cash flows. The company's backlog stood at approximately $6.7 billion as of August 5, 2026.
The contract could also improve the utilization of its high-value drilling rig. Since ultra-deepwater rigs require substantial investment, securing work for an idle or underutilized rig could help spread fixed operating costs over a larger revenue base. Deepwater Conqueror will move directly from its US Gulf contract to Equatorial Guinea, avoiding a gap between the two programs.
The latest award also provides Transocean with an alternative destination for its rigs. The company had already signaled in its Q2 earnings call that the growing demand for new deepwater contracts in Africa would also help offset a decline in awards in the US Gulf.

#deepwater #contract #gulf #equatorial

Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) has significantly outperformed the wider market this year, posting gains of over 56% since the beginning of 2026. A major catalyst behind this growth was the 20-year fee-based agreement that the company signed with ExxonMobil last month.
While there are concerns that the stock's rally may have topped out, the **** ysts over at TD Cowen see further growth ahead. On September 18, the firm upgraded TRGP from 'Hold' to Buy', while also boosting its price target from $275 to $350. The revised target implies an upside of almost 20% from the current levels and even exceeds the stock's record high of just under $308 achieved last month.
TD Cowen cited Targa's expected Permian Basin wet gas growth and peer-leading EBITDA growth for the upgrade. The **** yst expects the company's free cash flow yield to rise from 6% in 2026 to more than 10% in 2028, compared with an estimated 8.5% FCF yield for peers in 2030. The improvement is expected to be driven by EBITDA growth from new processing plants and the completion of a major capital project in the Speedway NGL pipeline.
According to TD Cowen, a key driver for Targa's growth is the rising wet gas production in the Permian, which means that the **** yst's thesis is tied to physical volume growth rather than simply a higher-commodity price **** umption.
Targa's recently announced deal with ExxonMobil provides greater visibility into future volumes and infrastructure demand. The company has also planned three new natural gas processing plants in the Permian Delaware as part of the deal, with an aggregate capacity of roughly 825 MMcf/day. Targa expects this agreement to add significantly to its "strong growth rate well into the next decade and bolster its outlook for durable and growing adjusted free cash flow over the long term".

#exxonmobil #ebitda

Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with a presence in over 70 countries. The stock has delivered gains of over 23% since the beginning of 2026 and even hit its all-time high earlier in March, driven primarily by soaring oil prices and solid earnings amid supply disruptions in the Middle East.
Following a slight pullback over the last few months, Shell has started to regain momentum, and Morgan Stanley expects the rally to continue. On September 3, the investment bank upgraded SHEL from 'Equal Weight' to 'Overweight', while also raising its price target from $81.60 to $101.30. The target boost implies an upside of 9% from the current levels and even exceeds Shell's previous record high of almost $95 per share achieved earlier this year.
Morgan Stanley noted that the concerns surrounding Shell's long-term resource longevity have now eased, with the company now positioned to sustain production growth through 2030 and stabilize output thereafter. The ******* yst firm believes that while the stock has been weighed down due to its dividend policy, there is now "potential for a significant acceleration. As a result, Morgan Stanley promoted SHEL to top-pick status.
Shell completed the acquisition of ARC Resources earlier this month, addressing the resource-depletion concerns that have weighed down its valuation. The $16.4 billion deal has significantly expanded the energy giant's gas reserves and will boost its production by 370,000 boed. Additionally, the strategic move expands Shell's exposure to the North American gas market and bolsters its position in a region that is emerging as a key player in the global LNG supply.
Shell's recent upstream investments provide further support to Morgan Stanley's bullish thesis. The company announced earlier this month that it had agreed to acquire a 30% interest in BP's Conifer exploration prospect in the US Gulf, and a 50% stake in the Tupinamba exploration block in Brazil's Santos Basin. Additionally, it also recently signed a preliminary agreement for the acquisition of production rights over Ghana's South Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points ‌oil and gas block.

#shel #production #energy #Stock

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) has substantially outperformed the wider market this year, supported by an unusually sharp surge in global refining margins as the prolonged Iran crisis has significantly tightened global refining capacity and reduced supplies of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
With Marathon up by over 150% since the beginning of 2026, there are now concerns that the stock may have topped out. However, the ****** ysts over at Morgan Stanley are convinced that the rally still has further room to run. On September 14, Morgan Stanley ****** yst Joe Laetsch significantly raised the firm's price target on MPC from $265 to $453, while reaffirming an 'Overweight' rating on the shares.
The target boost reflects an upside of over 9% from the current price level and even exceeds the stock's record high of just under $411 per share achieved earlier this month. The Morgan Stanley update comes amid broader Wall Street optimism surrounding the American refining giant, with ****** ysts from Raymon James, UBS, and several others also improving their respective outlooks on MPC.
Morgan Stanley's vote of confidence suggests that Wall Street expects the ongoing refining upcycle to last longer than previously expected, especially given the fresh wave of attacks between Washington and Tehran. Even if the conflict in the Middle East subsides, the region's refined fuel output is expected to remain relatively tight, since the damaged or idled refineries in the Middle East are likely to take some time to return to full operations.
As the largest refiner by volume in the United States, Marathon has significant operating leverage to capitalize on the current high-margin environment. The company already demonstrated its ability to translate the high crack spreads into material earnings when it delivered an almost fourfold increase in profits in the second quarter.

#morgan #marathon #stanley #middle

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) has been on a strong rally, posting gains of over 140% since the beginning of 2026. The strong performance is fuelled by an unusually sharp surge in global refining margins as the ongoing disruptions have significantly reduced the world's refining capacity and tightened supplies of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
While there are now investor concerns that the stock may have topped out, Wall Street sees further upside ahead. On September 14, Morgan Stanley ******* yst Joe Laetsch significantly boosted the firm's price target on VLO from $255 to $411, while maintaining an 'Equal Weight' rating on the shares. The revised target implies an upside of almost 4% from the current levels and even exceeds the stock's all-time high of just under $400 per share.
The higher price objective is supported by the possibility that Valero can translate the favorable refining environment into material earnings and cash flows. The company did exactly that in the second quarter, when it posted its highest-ever Q2 profit and topped Wall Street expectations.
It seems like the high-margin environment is here to stay following a fresh wave of attacks between the US and Iran. Even if the attacks stop and a potential peace agreement is achieved, the damaged or idled refineries in the Middle East are likely to take some time to return to full operations, keeping refined-fuel markets relatively tight. Notably, the supply disruptions also extend beyond the troubled region, as a recent series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries has further constrained global refining capacity.
Valero's FCC Unit optimization project at its St. Charles Refinery will allow it to capitalize even further on the high-priced environment. Expected to be completed in the third quarter, the $230 million initiative will help enhance the facility's ability to produce high-value products.

#even #environment #wall #strong

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) received a boost on September 16 after CEO Scott Strazik stated that the company's backlog could hit the $200 billion mark "very early" in 2027, sooner than Wall Street had expected. The company expects the "strong and durable demand" to drive accelerated growth after its backlog had reached $167 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2026.
GEV has gained by almost 50% over the last year but is down by more than 14% over the last month, reflecting growing investor concerns surrounding the AI trade. The stock also came under pressure on September 14 when GLJ Research slammed it with a 'Sell' rating and a Street-low price target of $470, describing the company as "a cyclical gas turbine manufacturer priced as a secular compounder".
The update builds on extraordinarily strong momentum for GE Vernova, powered by the incredibly strong demand for its power equipment amid the AI data center boom. The company's backlog of $176 billion at the end of Q2 grew $13 billion from the previous quarter and was up 37% YoY, providing it with visibility into earnings well into the 2030s.
Notably, GE Vernova is translating this demand into financial improvement rather than simply a very large order book. The company's revenue grew by 22% YoY to $11.1 billion in the second quarter, while its free cash flow reached $5.1 billion, already exceeding its full-year 2025 level. Given the high demand, GEV raised its 2026 revenue forecast to $45.5 billion-$46.5 ⁠billion, up from its previous range of $44.5 billion-$45.5 billion.
The ongoing AI boom has been a major growth catalyst for GE Vernova, as its data ⁠center-related orders exceeded $5 billion in the first half of this year, more than double 2025's total. According to Barron's, power availability has become a key constraint for data center operators, and this strong demand has effectively constrained GEV's turbine capacity, which can support pricing and the value of scarce delivery slots.

#billion #year #data #center

Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) has declined by around 17% since hitting its record high in May, likely as a result of rising bond yields, lack of visibility on the company's 5% growth guidance through the end of the decade, and the recently closed equity offering intended to fund the midstream operator's strategic acquisitions.
However, BMO Capital sees this pullback as an opportunity and on September 15, the firm upgraded ENB from 'Market Perform' to 'Outperform', while also slightly raising its price target from C$79 to C$79.50. The target boost implies an upside of 18% from the current levels.
The **** yst believes that Enbridge's scale, limited commodity exposure, and diversified **** ets are underappreciated. BMO also cited the company's improving visibility on growth, robust backlog, opportunistic acquisitions, and improved balance sheet as reasons behind the upgrade.
Enbridge's aggressive expansion strategy adds significantly to its bull case. The company announced on September 9 that it would acquire Tallgrass Energy's crude oil business for $2.55 billion in cash, expanding its US liquids pipeline network by buying a majority ‌stake in the Pony Express Pipeline and other **** ets. The midstream operator expects the acquisition to be accretive to distributable cash flow per share in the first full year of ownership.
Similarly, Enbridge announced last month that it had agreed to acquire Salt Creek Midstream's crude oil gathering business for $600 million in cash, further bolstering its presence in the prolific Permian Basin. The acquired **** ets have an average remaining contract life of about 10 years, providing ⁠stable long-term cash flows.

#visibility #target

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The Social Security trust fund is projected to be depleted by the end of 2032 — at which point benefits could be automatically cut by as much as 22% on average, according to the 2026 Trustees Report (1) put out by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Now, two Democrat lawmakers have proposed a solution that would not only avoid the cut but also boost benefits for some older Americans on the program.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
A single line on your car insurance policy could be inflating your premium by up to 30% — here's what to change

#Social #benefits #democrat

On September 17, Ferrari N.V. (NYSE:RACE) announced a partnership with the technology company Rakuten Group, Inc., effective January 1, 2027. The announcement gives no scope and no price tag, so it works better as a signal than as a number. The real substance sits in the results Ferrari posted on July 30, when it raised its 2026 guidance because buyers are ordering more personalization than the company expected.
In the second quarter, revenue rose 8%, but operating profit rose 10%, which means each euro of sales is leaving more behind. Ferrari credits a richer mix of cars, with the F80 helping, along with more buyers paying up for personalization. Strip out currency swings, and the gap widens, with revenue up 11% and operating profit up 16%. Deliveries of the Purosangue and the 296 Speciale family grew even in the middle of a planned model changeover.
Cash and demand back that up. Industrial free cash flow jumped 39% to €276 million, and Ferrari also returned more than €800 million to shareholders through a dividend and buybacks. Racing helped too, as higher sponsorships and engine rentals to other Formula 1 teams lifted revenue. Meanwhile, the order book covers 2027 in full, and the new 12Cilindri Manuale is already fully allocated, which is about as strong a demand signal as a carmaker can send. Those trends are why revenue guidance moved up to about €7.60 billion from about €7.50 billion.
Part of the strength is timing. Operating profit got a boost from temporarily lower depreciation and amortization while Ferrari swaps out models, and the company says those charges will climb once the new cars enter production. Net profit also leaned on a 23.0% tax rate, which reflects an estimated benefit from the new Patent Box. Neither says much about how profitable the cars themselves are.
Costs are climbing too. Higher industrial and marketing expenses weighed on operating profit, EBITDA margin slipped to 39.0% from 39.7% a year earlier, and management expects heavier brand, racing and digital spending for the year. Currency is a drag as well, mostly from the dollar and the yen, which is why 11% growth at constant currency shrank to 8% as reported. Deliveries totaled 3,366 cars while the 296 GTS, Roma Spider and SF90 XX family wound down, and sponsorship, commercial and brand revenue grew just 2%. And the whole outlook leans on current visibility into the Middle East crisis, which Ferrari cannot control.

#Ferrari