2 days ago
I'm a fan of David Samson. The former Marlins executive turned host at Meadowlark Media speaks candidly, and usually supports his positions with solid evidence. He's been gracious with his time to our writers over the years. His prior conversations with Pablo Torre and John Skipper on The Sporting Class always made me think. Whether Marlins and Expos fans like him or his opinions are right more than wrong doesn't change my position.
But earlier this week, David stepped on a landmine. He declared that we don't need baseball on the radio anymore. David said, "We all live by the clock that is kernels of sand through an hourglass. So, radio will go the way of Kodak and Blockbuster. It doesn't mean the voices will go away. The voices will find a different way to get into your brain because you have a different way of engaging with content."
In my opinion, David couldn't be more wrong. The response to those remarks has been huge across social media. Most feel similar to yours truly. I respect David's knowledge of the baseball business. He ran the Miami Marlins for 15 years. He spent a few years with the Expos too. He's been a part of media deals on the team's side pointing out that teams "buy a block of time, and then go out and sell ads." Some clubs do that. But most big brands don't. Let's examine the issue a little deeper.
Reach matters in today's media climate. Nielsen data shows AM/FM radio reaches 87% of U.S. adults every week. Those numbers aren't from 10-15 years ago. They are from the first quarter of 2026. That beat smartphones at 82%, TV-connected devices at 78% and live TV at 71%. Even among adults 18-34, radio reaches 81%.
Is radio's revenue down from its peak? Yes. The industry produced over 21 billion in 2006. BIA projects local radio will earn $12.2 billion in 2026. That's still a lot of money even if it's less than what existed 20 years ago. Still, Samson said there is no money in radio. Twelve billion Benjamin's suggests otherwise.
#still
But earlier this week, David stepped on a landmine. He declared that we don't need baseball on the radio anymore. David said, "We all live by the clock that is kernels of sand through an hourglass. So, radio will go the way of Kodak and Blockbuster. It doesn't mean the voices will go away. The voices will find a different way to get into your brain because you have a different way of engaging with content."
In my opinion, David couldn't be more wrong. The response to those remarks has been huge across social media. Most feel similar to yours truly. I respect David's knowledge of the baseball business. He ran the Miami Marlins for 15 years. He spent a few years with the Expos too. He's been a part of media deals on the team's side pointing out that teams "buy a block of time, and then go out and sell ads." Some clubs do that. But most big brands don't. Let's examine the issue a little deeper.
Reach matters in today's media climate. Nielsen data shows AM/FM radio reaches 87% of U.S. adults every week. Those numbers aren't from 10-15 years ago. They are from the first quarter of 2026. That beat smartphones at 82%, TV-connected devices at 78% and live TV at 71%. Even among adults 18-34, radio reaches 81%.
Is radio's revenue down from its peak? Yes. The industry produced over 21 billion in 2006. BIA projects local radio will earn $12.2 billion in 2026. That's still a lot of money even if it's less than what existed 20 years ago. Still, Samson said there is no money in radio. Twelve billion Benjamin's suggests otherwise.
#still
2 days ago
49ers' 7-round 2027 NFL Draft according to PFF mock draft simulator during bye week appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Someone thinks the San Francisco 49ers got a steal in the DeForest Buckner trade. Do the 49ers plan on more deals? But this is a bye week for the 49ers. So let's look ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft and see what the Pro Football Focus mock simulator says they will get.
The 49ers are rolling with a record of 6-1, even though they're coming off a loss to the Falcons. It's looking like they will have a low first-round draft pick in 2027.
It's a great combination when a cornerback can flat-out run and also be a guy who can make tackles. And Brown brings those things to the field, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
#clutchpoints #mock #source
Someone thinks the San Francisco 49ers got a steal in the DeForest Buckner trade. Do the 49ers plan on more deals? But this is a bye week for the 49ers. So let's look ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft and see what the Pro Football Focus mock simulator says they will get.
The 49ers are rolling with a record of 6-1, even though they're coming off a loss to the Falcons. It's looking like they will have a low first-round draft pick in 2027.
It's a great combination when a cornerback can flat-out run and also be a guy who can make tackles. And Brown brings those things to the field, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
#clutchpoints #mock #source
2 days ago
Costco has built a reputation on low prices, bulk deals, and member-exclusive perks. But one of the warehouse club's most recognizable attractions is also one of its most controversial: the food court.
For many shoppers, a trip to Costco isn't complete without a $1.50 hot dog and soda, a slice of pizza, or another inexpensive bite after navigating the warehouse's crowded aisles.
The food court has become an important part of the Costco experience, reinforcing the retailer's value-focused image and giving members another reason to shop.
The hot dog deal, whose $1.50 price point has been locked in since 1985, is particularly iconic.
#built #bulk #deals #exclusive
For many shoppers, a trip to Costco isn't complete without a $1.50 hot dog and soda, a slice of pizza, or another inexpensive bite after navigating the warehouse's crowded aisles.
The food court has become an important part of the Costco experience, reinforcing the retailer's value-focused image and giving members another reason to shop.
The hot dog deal, whose $1.50 price point has been locked in since 1985, is particularly iconic.
#built #bulk #deals #exclusive
12 days ago
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) introduced central contracts in 2000 as a way to give them more control over their best players.
Last week, the ECB issued 39 central contracts to men's players for the 2026-27 season. Of them, 30 were full central contracts; the other nine were development contracts.
For the 2025-26 term, the ECB announced their women's central contracts at the end of November. Then, 17 players were on full contracts and four players were on 'skills' deals, akin to the men's development contracts.
Should a player receive an ECB central contract, the ECB effectively becomes their primary employer ahead of the county side that they also represent.
It is expected that the ECB will pay most or all of a centrally contracted player's salary, although that will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
#contracts #central #england #Cricket
Last week, the ECB issued 39 central contracts to men's players for the 2026-27 season. Of them, 30 were full central contracts; the other nine were development contracts.
For the 2025-26 term, the ECB announced their women's central contracts at the end of November. Then, 17 players were on full contracts and four players were on 'skills' deals, akin to the men's development contracts.
Should a player receive an ECB central contract, the ECB effectively becomes their primary employer ahead of the county side that they also represent.
It is expected that the ECB will pay most or all of a centrally contracted player's salary, although that will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
#contracts #central #england #Cricket
13 days ago
The OKC Thunder agreed to a five-year, $139 million rookie-scale contract extension with Cason Wallace on Sunday. ESPN's Shams Charania first reported the news.
Wallace averaged career highs of 8.6 points and 2.6 **** ists last season on 43.2% shooting from the field (35.1% from deep). He also recorded a league-leading 150 steals and earned an All-Defensive second team selection.
More: Lu Dort reflects on OKC Thunder legacy as 'new chapter' with Atlanta Hawks begins
OKC had until Monday to sign Wallace to a new deal and avoid him hitting restricted free agency next summer. It's a sign of confidence in the 22-year-old guard, who'll serve as the Thunder's top point-of-attack defender now that Lu Dort is gone.
It's also a sign of commitment from OKC's ownership group after the team made cost-cutting moves this summer. The Thunder traded Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in three separate deals for a combined seven second-round picks and didn't get any players in return. That helped it position itself $6.9 million underneath the second apron with one standard roster spot still open.
#sign #cason
Wallace averaged career highs of 8.6 points and 2.6 **** ists last season on 43.2% shooting from the field (35.1% from deep). He also recorded a league-leading 150 steals and earned an All-Defensive second team selection.
More: Lu Dort reflects on OKC Thunder legacy as 'new chapter' with Atlanta Hawks begins
OKC had until Monday to sign Wallace to a new deal and avoid him hitting restricted free agency next summer. It's a sign of confidence in the 22-year-old guard, who'll serve as the Thunder's top point-of-attack defender now that Lu Dort is gone.
It's also a sign of commitment from OKC's ownership group after the team made cost-cutting moves this summer. The Thunder traded Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in three separate deals for a combined seven second-round picks and didn't get any players in return. That helped it position itself $6.9 million underneath the second apron with one standard roster spot still open.
#sign #cason
13 days ago
The OKC Thunder agreed to a five-year, $139 million rookie-scale contract extension with Cason Wallace on Sunday. ESPN's Shams Charania first reported the news.
Wallace averaged career highs of 8.6 points and 2.6 **** ists last season on 43.2% shooting from the field (35.1% from deep). He also recorded a league-leading 150 steals and earned an All-Defensive second team selection.
More: Lu Dort reflects on OKC Thunder legacy as 'new chapter' with Atlanta Hawks begins
OKC had until Monday to sign Wallace to a new deal and avoid him hitting restricted free agency next summer. It's a sign of confidence in the 22-year-old guard, who'll serve as the Thunder's top point-of-attack defender now that Lu Dort is gone.
It's also a sign of commitment from OKC's ownership group after the team made cost-cutting moves this summer. The Thunder traded Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in three separate deals for a combined seven second-round picks and didn't get any players in return. That helped it position itself $6.9 million underneath the second apron with one standard roster spot still open.
#year #team
Wallace averaged career highs of 8.6 points and 2.6 **** ists last season on 43.2% shooting from the field (35.1% from deep). He also recorded a league-leading 150 steals and earned an All-Defensive second team selection.
More: Lu Dort reflects on OKC Thunder legacy as 'new chapter' with Atlanta Hawks begins
OKC had until Monday to sign Wallace to a new deal and avoid him hitting restricted free agency next summer. It's a sign of confidence in the 22-year-old guard, who'll serve as the Thunder's top point-of-attack defender now that Lu Dort is gone.
It's also a sign of commitment from OKC's ownership group after the team made cost-cutting moves this summer. The Thunder traded Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in three separate deals for a combined seven second-round picks and didn't get any players in return. That helped it position itself $6.9 million underneath the second apron with one standard roster spot still open.
#year #team
23 days ago
Trillion-dollar conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKA)(NYSE:BRKB) entered 2026 in uncharted territory for the first time in more than half a century. On Dec. 31, Warren Buffett, the company's longtime CEO, who oversaw a greater-than-6,000,000% outperformance of the benchmark S&P 500 since the mid-1960s, retired as CEO. His successor, Greg Abel, is now in charge of Berkshire's $350 billion investment portfolio.
While the Oracle of Omaha had a knack for spotting amazing deals hiding in plain sight, he wasn't infallible. Decisions made in the years leading up to his retirement with No. 1 holding Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) have cost Berkshire Hathaway up to $112 billion in would-be gains.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x 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 »
Image source: Getty Images.
Warren Buffett began building a position in the "Apple" of his eye in the first quarter of 2016. While artificial intelligence is all the rage today, Buffett was more interested in consumers' draw to the brand when he initially invested. Apple has an exceptionally loyal customer base that's shown a willingness to pay premium prices for its physical products (iPhone, iPad, and Mac).
#warren
While the Oracle of Omaha had a knack for spotting amazing deals hiding in plain sight, he wasn't infallible. Decisions made in the years leading up to his retirement with No. 1 holding Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) have cost Berkshire Hathaway up to $112 billion in would-be gains.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x 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 »
Image source: Getty Images.
Warren Buffett began building a position in the "Apple" of his eye in the first quarter of 2016. While artificial intelligence is all the rage today, Buffett was more interested in consumers' draw to the brand when he initially invested. Apple has an exceptionally loyal customer base that's shown a willingness to pay premium prices for its physical products (iPhone, iPad, and Mac).
#warren
23 days ago
Martha Stewart has spent more than five decades building a business empire, and the lifestyle mogul is now revealing the financial advice she has carried with her throughout her career.
At 85, the businesswoman has built a sprawling brand spanning media and merchandising, but she says much of what she knows about business came from experience rather than formal education.
The advice comes from a career that has included enormous deals, a public company, major setbacks, and a remarkable return to the business world as she continued finding ways to turn her ideas into valuable business opportunities.
MPI099/Capital Pictures / MEGA
For Stewart, financial success does not appear to come from relying on yesterday's achievements.
#Career #pictures
At 85, the businesswoman has built a sprawling brand spanning media and merchandising, but she says much of what she knows about business came from experience rather than formal education.
The advice comes from a career that has included enormous deals, a public company, major setbacks, and a remarkable return to the business world as she continued finding ways to turn her ideas into valuable business opportunities.
MPI099/Capital Pictures / MEGA
For Stewart, financial success does not appear to come from relying on yesterday's achievements.
#Career #pictures
23 days ago
Hollywood superstar Ben Affleck ended up using MLB legends Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan as examples of how athletes shouldn't act on camera.
All the best sports athletes have to face the camera at some point. They do it regularly for press conferences and media appearances, but those don't involve acting. For those at the very top, though, advertisements and endorsement deals mean they do have to act a little.
Some, like NBA superstar LeBron James or the NFL's Patrick Mahomes can do it well. Others have struggled with it at times. Often, they work with the biggest Hollywood superstars on such projects. Ben Affleck is among those, and he recently used two MLB stars as examples of what not to do.
Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan are two of the greatest pitchers ever. Clemens built a 24-year career with 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a record seven Cy Young Awards. Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, winning 324 games and setting MLB records with 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters.
They were undoubtedly great at what they did. However, they weren't so good on camera, and that's exactly what Affleck pointed out.
#affleck #clemens #examples #athletes
All the best sports athletes have to face the camera at some point. They do it regularly for press conferences and media appearances, but those don't involve acting. For those at the very top, though, advertisements and endorsement deals mean they do have to act a little.
Some, like NBA superstar LeBron James or the NFL's Patrick Mahomes can do it well. Others have struggled with it at times. Often, they work with the biggest Hollywood superstars on such projects. Ben Affleck is among those, and he recently used two MLB stars as examples of what not to do.
Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan are two of the greatest pitchers ever. Clemens built a 24-year career with 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a record seven Cy Young Awards. Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, winning 324 games and setting MLB records with 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters.
They were undoubtedly great at what they did. However, they weren't so good on camera, and that's exactly what Affleck pointed out.
#affleck #clemens #examples #athletes
24 days ago
For decades, no investment portfolio has been more closely watched by investors than Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE:BRKA)(NYSE:BRKB). Now-retired CEO Warren Buffett always had a knack for spotting amazing deals hiding in plain sight, leading to a greater-than-6,000,000% outperformance of the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) since the mid-1960s.
But investors might not realize that a "secret" Buffett portfolio exists within Berkshire Hathaway. In the June-ended quarter, this $863 million portfolio sent shares of artificial intelligence (AI) superstars Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)(NASDAQ:GOOG) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) packing. Meanwhile, this under-the-radar fund has built up a significant position in two S&P 500 index funds: the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT:SPY) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT:VOO).
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x 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 »
Image source: Getty Images.
In 1998, Buffett's Berkshire acquired reinsurance company General Re for about $22 billion in an all-stock deal. While the reinsurance operations were the crown jewel of this buyout, General Re also owned a specialty investment firm, New England ****** et Management (NEAM). When the deal closed in December 1998, NEAM became a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
#Portfolio #buffett #general #neam
But investors might not realize that a "secret" Buffett portfolio exists within Berkshire Hathaway. In the June-ended quarter, this $863 million portfolio sent shares of artificial intelligence (AI) superstars Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)(NASDAQ:GOOG) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) packing. Meanwhile, this under-the-radar fund has built up a significant position in two S&P 500 index funds: the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT:SPY) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT:VOO).
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x 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 »
Image source: Getty Images.
In 1998, Buffett's Berkshire acquired reinsurance company General Re for about $22 billion in an all-stock deal. While the reinsurance operations were the crown jewel of this buyout, General Re also owned a specialty investment firm, New England ****** et Management (NEAM). When the deal closed in December 1998, NEAM became a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
#Portfolio #buffett #general #neam
24 days ago
A joke about an old romance has put Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson back in the headlines. The comedian is looking back on it with humor, while she, according to a source, is still sensitive about the subject. The source also says she has taken a firm stance on how she deals with Davidson, and it is not a "chapter of her life she's willing to discuss."
Pete Davidson, 32, recently spoke about his past with Kim Kardashian, calling himself "one of the survivors — the few and the proud." He went on to add, "We're like the Marines." The comedian also maintained that he still has "a lot of love" for the Skims founder, 45. Davidson also added that Kardashian respected his privacy, but the constant cameras were still too much for him. "I knew what I was getting into," he said.
Following his remarks on their brief relationship, a source close to Kardashian spoke to In Touch. The source said Kim remains "hyper sensitive" about Davidson. She has reportedly told people she won't discuss that chapter of her life and "would prefer if they didn't bring it up." The source drew a contrast with her marriage to Kanye West. Leaving West brought relief and freedom, the source said. Davidson ending their relationship, by comparison, brought "rejection and devastation."
According to the source, Davidson knows he hurt Kardashian and feels terrible about it. The source also claimed he is "genuinely happy" that she has moved on with someone else. He would nonetheless "love to build a friendship" with his ex, the source said. Kardashian, however, sees things differently. The source said she has chosen to "draw a firm line under the past" and has essentially banished Pete Davidson from her personal universe. "She wishes him the best," adds the source, "but doesn't need his apologies or friendship."
The source also described how deeply the breakup affected her. It reportedly "crushed her ego" and took a long time to process. The 45-year-old was said to be "madly in love" and convinced they had a future, even if the relationship was short.
#davidson #pete #relationship
Pete Davidson, 32, recently spoke about his past with Kim Kardashian, calling himself "one of the survivors — the few and the proud." He went on to add, "We're like the Marines." The comedian also maintained that he still has "a lot of love" for the Skims founder, 45. Davidson also added that Kardashian respected his privacy, but the constant cameras were still too much for him. "I knew what I was getting into," he said.
Following his remarks on their brief relationship, a source close to Kardashian spoke to In Touch. The source said Kim remains "hyper sensitive" about Davidson. She has reportedly told people she won't discuss that chapter of her life and "would prefer if they didn't bring it up." The source drew a contrast with her marriage to Kanye West. Leaving West brought relief and freedom, the source said. Davidson ending their relationship, by comparison, brought "rejection and devastation."
According to the source, Davidson knows he hurt Kardashian and feels terrible about it. The source also claimed he is "genuinely happy" that she has moved on with someone else. He would nonetheless "love to build a friendship" with his ex, the source said. Kardashian, however, sees things differently. The source said she has chosen to "draw a firm line under the past" and has essentially banished Pete Davidson from her personal universe. "She wishes him the best," adds the source, "but doesn't need his apologies or friendship."
The source also described how deeply the breakup affected her. It reportedly "crushed her ego" and took a long time to process. The 45-year-old was said to be "madly in love" and convinced they had a future, even if the relationship was short.
#davidson #pete #relationship
27 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its yearlong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 235 in 70 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in September 2025. As with most of the military's statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.
The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed what appeared to be an explosion destroying a moving boat, which the military said was a go-fast vessel.
The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama in August that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing smugglers.
#boat #caribbean
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 235 in 70 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in September 2025. As with most of the military's statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.
The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed what appeared to be an explosion destroying a moving boat, which the military said was a go-fast vessel.
The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama in August that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing smugglers.
#boat #caribbean
29 days ago
Selma Blair has revealed new details about the career fallout she faced following a controversial Instagram comment she made amid the Israel-Hamas war in February 2024.
The veteran star said she lost her entire career and the team that supported it — talent agency CAA, a manager of 30 years, a lawyer and personal and book publicists — in the wake of leaving a comment widely criticized as anti-Islamic under a video posted by immigration reform advocate Abraham Hamra. Though she apologized, Blair noted it wasn't enough and not only did she lose that team but also brand deals, payment for a supposed Super Bowl advertisement, her son's godmother and more. So much that, she says, she came to learn "what erased feels like."
More from The Hollywood Reporter
The IDF Calls Gaza Documentary 'NAZA' "Distorted, Misleading and Disingenuous"
Selma Blair Set for Bridget Stokes' Mystical Coming of Age Film 'Schmoolie The Deathwatcher'
#Career #Instagram #Israel #islamic
The veteran star said she lost her entire career and the team that supported it — talent agency CAA, a manager of 30 years, a lawyer and personal and book publicists — in the wake of leaving a comment widely criticized as anti-Islamic under a video posted by immigration reform advocate Abraham Hamra. Though she apologized, Blair noted it wasn't enough and not only did she lose that team but also brand deals, payment for a supposed Super Bowl advertisement, her son's godmother and more. So much that, she says, she came to learn "what erased feels like."
More from The Hollywood Reporter
The IDF Calls Gaza Documentary 'NAZA' "Distorted, Misleading and Disingenuous"
Selma Blair Set for Bridget Stokes' Mystical Coming of Age Film 'Schmoolie The Deathwatcher'
#Career #Instagram #Israel #islamic
1 month ago
Musk predicts Starlink (SPCX) could carry a majority of global internet within 10 years, powered by a 100x bandwidth increase from V3 satellites.
Enterprise revenue surged 108%, fueled by airline deals with American Airlines (AAL) and Southwest (LUV) and over $6 billion in Starshield contracts.
Just released. Our ****** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and ****** eX made the cut. Enter your email to see the other nine names and why SPCX earned its spot. The report is free. Enter your email and see the full list.
On the August 4, 2026 earnings call, ****** eX (NASDAQ:SPCX) chief executive Elon Musk predicted Starlink could carry the bulk of global internet traffic within 10 years, driven by a next-generation satellite that multiplies delivered bandwidth dramatically.
This morning, in a post on X, he expanded on just how big that could be:
#starlink #enter #internet
Enterprise revenue surged 108%, fueled by airline deals with American Airlines (AAL) and Southwest (LUV) and over $6 billion in Starshield contracts.
Just released. Our ****** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and ****** eX made the cut. Enter your email to see the other nine names and why SPCX earned its spot. The report is free. Enter your email and see the full list.
On the August 4, 2026 earnings call, ****** eX (NASDAQ:SPCX) chief executive Elon Musk predicted Starlink could carry the bulk of global internet traffic within 10 years, driven by a next-generation satellite that multiplies delivered bandwidth dramatically.
This morning, in a post on X, he expanded on just how big that could be:
#starlink #enter #internet
1 month ago
Pricing alone does not decide where people buy their clothes.
With a number of retail chains competing for the off-price, on-trend fashion crown, it's easy for one brand to fall out of favor. Consumers seem to have an enduring love for Marshalls and TJ Maxx, while the popularity of Ross Dress for Less has grown steadily in recent years.
These brands drive sales by foot traffic, and that's a battle the aforementioned chains have been winning.
"Off-price apparel remained on solid footing in Q2 2026, with Ross leading the segment. Visits to Ross Dress for Less rose 16.4% year over year (YoY), while dd's DISCOUNTS grew 8.4%. TJX's TJ Maxx and Marshalls, meanwhile, saw visits hover around last year's levels — significantly outperforming traditional apparel, which declined 3.5% YoY," according to data from Placer.ai.
In the battle for customers looking for deals on trendy, fashionable clothes, Cato has been struggling, and now plans to close about 15% of its retail stores.
#less #retail
With a number of retail chains competing for the off-price, on-trend fashion crown, it's easy for one brand to fall out of favor. Consumers seem to have an enduring love for Marshalls and TJ Maxx, while the popularity of Ross Dress for Less has grown steadily in recent years.
These brands drive sales by foot traffic, and that's a battle the aforementioned chains have been winning.
"Off-price apparel remained on solid footing in Q2 2026, with Ross leading the segment. Visits to Ross Dress for Less rose 16.4% year over year (YoY), while dd's DISCOUNTS grew 8.4%. TJX's TJ Maxx and Marshalls, meanwhile, saw visits hover around last year's levels — significantly outperforming traditional apparel, which declined 3.5% YoY," according to data from Placer.ai.
In the battle for customers looking for deals on trendy, fashionable clothes, Cato has been struggling, and now plans to close about 15% of its retail stores.
#less #retail
1 month ago
Automattic has a new interim chief financial officer: Jeremy Klaperman, the CFO of the company's WordPress VIP Enterprise business unit. The news, shared internally on Friday, follows last week's attempted ouster of Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg, which ultimately resulted in the departure of the board members who voted him out and other executives, including then-CFO Mark Davies. Davies was briefly interim CEO before Mullenweg retook the position.
In a Slack post, Mullenweg shared that Klaperman had previously acted as Automattic CFO when Davies had been on sabbatical. He noted that the board — whose new members have yet to be announced — will still need to evaluate internal and external candidates for the position before a final decision is made.
In addition, Mullenweg said in the post that a candidate to become the company's chief legal officer had also just verbally accepted the position, replacing Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan, who has also since left the company alongside Davies. TechCrunch recently reported that Davies and Missan had signed reciprocal severance deals during Mullenweg's 33-hour leave of absence before he returned as CEO.
"I have 100% confidence in our cash and financial position," Mullenweg's post concluded, adding "There is still work to do, but everything is within our control and depends only on Automattic's ability to execute."
In subsequent updates, Mullenweg also said to "stay tuned" for board announcements, and noted that special advisor and creator of Wolfram|Alpha, Stephen Wolfram, will continue in his position. The company's next board meeting is scheduled for September 23.
#klaperman
In a Slack post, Mullenweg shared that Klaperman had previously acted as Automattic CFO when Davies had been on sabbatical. He noted that the board — whose new members have yet to be announced — will still need to evaluate internal and external candidates for the position before a final decision is made.
In addition, Mullenweg said in the post that a candidate to become the company's chief legal officer had also just verbally accepted the position, replacing Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan, who has also since left the company alongside Davies. TechCrunch recently reported that Davies and Missan had signed reciprocal severance deals during Mullenweg's 33-hour leave of absence before he returned as CEO.
"I have 100% confidence in our cash and financial position," Mullenweg's post concluded, adding "There is still work to do, but everything is within our control and depends only on Automattic's ability to execute."
In subsequent updates, Mullenweg also said to "stay tuned" for board announcements, and noted that special advisor and creator of Wolfram|Alpha, Stephen Wolfram, will continue in his position. The company's next board meeting is scheduled for September 23.
#klaperman
1 month ago
Pricing alone does not decide where people buy their clothes.
With a number of retail chains competing for the off-price, on-trend fashion crown, it's easy for one brand to fall out of favor. Consumers seem to have an enduring love for Marshalls and TJ Maxx, while the popularity of Ross Dress for Less has grown steadily in recent years.
These brands drive sales by foot traffic, and that's a battle the aforementioned chains have been winning.
"Off-price apparel remained on solid footing in Q2 2026, with Ross leading the segment. Visits to Ross Dress for Less rose 16.4% year over year (YoY), while dd's DISCOUNTS grew 8.4%. TJX's TJ Maxx and Marshalls, meanwhile, saw visits hover around last year's levels — significantly outperforming traditional apparel, which declined 3.5% YoY," according to data from Placer.ai.
In the battle for customers looking for deals on trendy, fashionable clothes, Cato has been struggling, and now plans to close about 15% of its retail stores.
#price
With a number of retail chains competing for the off-price, on-trend fashion crown, it's easy for one brand to fall out of favor. Consumers seem to have an enduring love for Marshalls and TJ Maxx, while the popularity of Ross Dress for Less has grown steadily in recent years.
These brands drive sales by foot traffic, and that's a battle the aforementioned chains have been winning.
"Off-price apparel remained on solid footing in Q2 2026, with Ross leading the segment. Visits to Ross Dress for Less rose 16.4% year over year (YoY), while dd's DISCOUNTS grew 8.4%. TJX's TJ Maxx and Marshalls, meanwhile, saw visits hover around last year's levels — significantly outperforming traditional apparel, which declined 3.5% YoY," according to data from Placer.ai.
In the battle for customers looking for deals on trendy, fashionable clothes, Cato has been struggling, and now plans to close about 15% of its retail stores.
#price
1 month ago
Two years of Synopsys (SNPS) earnings calls show management changing what it explains. The company used to open on problems, some outside its control and some its own. The August 2026 call is built around a joint product with Ansys, agentic AI, and a new way to charge for its design IP. Most of that switch is earned, but parts of it are still a promise.
Synopsys Once Opened Its Calls With Bad News
Management used to point to underperformance in the IP business, where expected deals did not arrive, and to challenges at a major foundry customer that were having a sizable impact. The CEO said it plainly on an earlier call: "new export restrictions disrupted design starts in China."
None of that comes up on the August 2026 call. China does not come up. The closest thing to the old worry is that design starts outside AI have stopped declining.
Synopsys Now Leads With Multiphysics Fusion And Agentic AI
#China
Synopsys Once Opened Its Calls With Bad News
Management used to point to underperformance in the IP business, where expected deals did not arrive, and to challenges at a major foundry customer that were having a sizable impact. The CEO said it plainly on an earlier call: "new export restrictions disrupted design starts in China."
None of that comes up on the August 2026 call. China does not come up. The closest thing to the old worry is that design starts outside AI have stopped declining.
Synopsys Now Leads With Multiphysics Fusion And Agentic AI
#China
1 month ago
The federal government is preparing to cash out a chunk of its stake in GlobalFoundries (GFS). A new filing shows Washington plans to sell as many as 9.9 million shares of the semiconductor firm, months after agreeing to take an equity position in the company.
For investors watching GFS stock, the move raises questions about what comes next, even as GlobalFoundries lands new government-backed deals in quantum computing and silicon photonics. Here is what the filing means, and why the government owned shares of GlobalFoundries stock in the first place.
Bank of America Just Declared a 'Generational Entry Point' in U.S. Bonds. Why Investors Should Be Backing Up the Truck on Treasuries Here.
Mark Cuban Says He Was Dizzy for Months, So He Built a VR Fix That Does at Home 'Much Of What A 180k Machine' Does
JPMorgan Gives Up Forecasting Iran War Endgame as Trump Tells Reporters 'Anything Could Happen With Me'
#globalfoundries #months #filing
For investors watching GFS stock, the move raises questions about what comes next, even as GlobalFoundries lands new government-backed deals in quantum computing and silicon photonics. Here is what the filing means, and why the government owned shares of GlobalFoundries stock in the first place.
Bank of America Just Declared a 'Generational Entry Point' in U.S. Bonds. Why Investors Should Be Backing Up the Truck on Treasuries Here.
Mark Cuban Says He Was Dizzy for Months, So He Built a VR Fix That Does at Home 'Much Of What A 180k Machine' Does
JPMorgan Gives Up Forecasting Iran War Endgame as Trump Tells Reporters 'Anything Could Happen With Me'
#globalfoundries #months #filing
1 month ago
Corning (GLW) stock took a sharp hit this week after the company opened the door to a potential $2 billion equity offering that could dilute existing shareholders. The stock dropped 13.7% on Sept. 14, marking its worst one-day decline in years. At the same time, Corning is expanding its capacity and signing major deals with some of the world's biggest tech companies, including Nvidia (NVDA) and Amazon (AMZN). Its latest Verizon (VZ) agreement alone covers over 80 million miles of optical fiber and connectivity products through 2032. Corning shares have since recovered, shifting attention away from dilution fear to whether the capital raise was a sensible decision, how much stock Corning actually sells, how quickly Optical Communications grows, and whether new capacity generates the returns management expects.
Let's find out more on what matters for investors now.
Bank of America Just Declared a 'Generational Entry Point' in U.S. Bonds. Why Investors Should Be Backing Up the Truck on Treasuries Here.
Mark Cuban Says He Was Dizzy for Months, So He Built a VR Fix That Does at Home 'Much Of What A 180k Machine' Does
JPMorgan Gives Up Forecasting Iran War Endgame as Trump Tells Reporters 'Anything Could Happen With Me'
#Stock #sept
Let's find out more on what matters for investors now.
Bank of America Just Declared a 'Generational Entry Point' in U.S. Bonds. Why Investors Should Be Backing Up the Truck on Treasuries Here.
Mark Cuban Says He Was Dizzy for Months, So He Built a VR Fix That Does at Home 'Much Of What A 180k Machine' Does
JPMorgan Gives Up Forecasting Iran War Endgame as Trump Tells Reporters 'Anything Could Happen With Me'
#Stock #sept
1 month ago
On September 18, Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) announced it will sell every share it holds in Alexforbes, a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Two buyers are splitting the stake. Alexforbes will repurchase roughly 372.8 million shares itself, and ARC AF Holdings will take about 74.1 million more. The package is worth about $185 million, a small number for a company managing $1.642 trillion. But the message matters more than the money. A plan Prudential laid out in August is now turning into signed agreements.
The logic is easy to follow. Prudential wants to operate in fewer places and put its money, people and attention where it thinks it can win for years. Andy Sullivan, the chief executive, says the aim is to lean harder on ***** et management, retirement and protection, and get those units working together more closely. David Legher, who leads emerging markets, called Alexforbes a successful investment, so this reads as a planned exit rather than a retreat from a problem.
The core business is giving management room to be choosy. On August 4, Prudential reported second-quarter net income of $985 million, up from $533 million a year earlier. That happened even though a charge from the yearly ***** umption update grew to $299 million from $134 million, so the underlying engine ran strong enough to absorb a bigger hit. The company also returned $743 million to shareholders in the quarter and held $4.2 billion in highly liquid ***** ets at the parent level. That does not look like a seller in a hurry.
Start with what has not happened yet. The deals are expected to close in the first half of 2027, and they still need Alexforbes shareholders to approve the buyback, along with regulatory sign-off. Until then, $185 million is an agreed price, not cash in the bank. Prudential also said New Veld's involvement continues before completion, so the company stays tied to the ***** et for now.
Then there is the size. Set against those trillions in ***** ets, this sale will not move results either way. Its value is strategic, and strategy takes years to judge. Prudential is giving up a foothold in a partnership it called important, and its remaining businesses have their own snags. Sales in Prudential of ***** an are suspended, and management said that weighed on international results even as earnings held up.
#august #money
The logic is easy to follow. Prudential wants to operate in fewer places and put its money, people and attention where it thinks it can win for years. Andy Sullivan, the chief executive, says the aim is to lean harder on ***** et management, retirement and protection, and get those units working together more closely. David Legher, who leads emerging markets, called Alexforbes a successful investment, so this reads as a planned exit rather than a retreat from a problem.
The core business is giving management room to be choosy. On August 4, Prudential reported second-quarter net income of $985 million, up from $533 million a year earlier. That happened even though a charge from the yearly ***** umption update grew to $299 million from $134 million, so the underlying engine ran strong enough to absorb a bigger hit. The company also returned $743 million to shareholders in the quarter and held $4.2 billion in highly liquid ***** ets at the parent level. That does not look like a seller in a hurry.
Start with what has not happened yet. The deals are expected to close in the first half of 2027, and they still need Alexforbes shareholders to approve the buyback, along with regulatory sign-off. Until then, $185 million is an agreed price, not cash in the bank. Prudential also said New Veld's involvement continues before completion, so the company stays tied to the ***** et for now.
Then there is the size. Set against those trillions in ***** ets, this sale will not move results either way. Its value is strategic, and strategy takes years to judge. Prudential is giving up a foothold in a partnership it called important, and its remaining businesses have their own snags. Sales in Prudential of ***** an are suspended, and management said that weighed on international results even as earnings held up.
#august #money
1 month ago
On August 10, Ferguson Enterprises Inc. (NYSE:FERG) reported results for the quarter ended June 30, and the numbers show a company growing straight through a soft housing market. Sales rose 4.6% to $8.8 billion, and management lifted its outlook for the full year. But profit grew more slowly than sales, and that gap is what makes this report worth a closer look.
The strongest engine was non-residential work, where US revenue jumped 8% on share gains in what management called a mixed market. Large capital projects are part of the story, with open order volumes growing and bidding activity strong, so there is a pipeline behind the current numbers. Housing, roughly half of revenue, is the weak spot. Yet residential sales still rose 2% in the US even though new construction is weak and repair work is soft, which means Ferguson is beating its markets rather than riding them.
Capital deployment is the second pillar. Ferguson closed five acquisitions in the quarter, and on July 13, it announced a deal for FWI Holdings, known as FloWorks, an industrial distributor of valves and flow-control products that is expected to close in the third quarter. The eight deals announced this year carry about $1.4 billion in annualized revenue, a second growth path alongside organic sales. Net debt sits at 1.3 times adjusted EBITDA, a level management calls strong. The company also returned cash, buying back $202 million of stock in the quarter and declaring a $0.89 dividend payable October 7 to holders of record on August 21. Management raised its full-year sales outlook to mid-single-digit growth, before counting FloWorks.
Start with the gap between sales and profit. Adjusted operating profit rose 2.9%, behind the 4.6% sales gain, and gross margin slipped 20 basis points to 31.0%. Ferguson notes that last year's gross margin was temporarily lifted by the timing of supplier price increases, which is fair context, but the direction is still down. Reported earnings per share of $3.43 rose 6.9%, while the adjusted figure of $3.39 grew a slower 5.3%.
Then there are the soft spots. About half of revenue comes from residential markets that management describes as subdued, so a 2% gain there is modest. Canada's sales slipped 1.9%, with a business divestment outweighing organic growth, and management calls the market there challenging, especially in residential. Management also describes the economic environment as uncertain, and the margin part of the guidance raise is small. The low end of the adjusted operating margin range moved from 9.4% to 9.5%, while the top stayed at 9.8%. The guidance also leaves out FloWorks, and net debt to adjusted EBITDA is 1.3 times, against 1.2 times a year ago.
#management
The strongest engine was non-residential work, where US revenue jumped 8% on share gains in what management called a mixed market. Large capital projects are part of the story, with open order volumes growing and bidding activity strong, so there is a pipeline behind the current numbers. Housing, roughly half of revenue, is the weak spot. Yet residential sales still rose 2% in the US even though new construction is weak and repair work is soft, which means Ferguson is beating its markets rather than riding them.
Capital deployment is the second pillar. Ferguson closed five acquisitions in the quarter, and on July 13, it announced a deal for FWI Holdings, known as FloWorks, an industrial distributor of valves and flow-control products that is expected to close in the third quarter. The eight deals announced this year carry about $1.4 billion in annualized revenue, a second growth path alongside organic sales. Net debt sits at 1.3 times adjusted EBITDA, a level management calls strong. The company also returned cash, buying back $202 million of stock in the quarter and declaring a $0.89 dividend payable October 7 to holders of record on August 21. Management raised its full-year sales outlook to mid-single-digit growth, before counting FloWorks.
Start with the gap between sales and profit. Adjusted operating profit rose 2.9%, behind the 4.6% sales gain, and gross margin slipped 20 basis points to 31.0%. Ferguson notes that last year's gross margin was temporarily lifted by the timing of supplier price increases, which is fair context, but the direction is still down. Reported earnings per share of $3.43 rose 6.9%, while the adjusted figure of $3.39 grew a slower 5.3%.
Then there are the soft spots. About half of revenue comes from residential markets that management describes as subdued, so a 2% gain there is modest. Canada's sales slipped 1.9%, with a business divestment outweighing organic growth, and management calls the market there challenging, especially in residential. Management also describes the economic environment as uncertain, and the margin part of the guidance raise is small. The low end of the adjusted operating margin range moved from 9.4% to 9.5%, while the top stayed at 9.8%. The guidance also leaves out FloWorks, and net debt to adjusted EBITDA is 1.3 times, against 1.2 times a year ago.
#management
1 month ago
Interested in Cardinal Health, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.
Cardinal Health expects growth to normalize in fiscal 2027 after fiscal 2026 benefited from unusually strong specialty growth, customer onboarding, acquisitions and solid healthcare utilization. Management said all five operating segments delivered double-digit earnings growth in fiscal 2026.
The company is expanding its specialty and at-home healthcare strategy through MSO platforms, bolt-on acquisitions and diabetes-related deals. Strive Medical has closed, while the AdaptHealth diabetes acquisition is expected to close in the second half of fiscal 2027, strengthening Cardinal's continuous glucose monitoring business.
Cardinal is prioritizing automated, small-parcel distribution of higher-value at-home products and plans to add three more automated distribution centers. Management also said cash flow was strong in fiscal 2026, putting the company about 90% of the way toward its previously announced $10 billion objective.
Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice?
#acquisitions
Cardinal Health expects growth to normalize in fiscal 2027 after fiscal 2026 benefited from unusually strong specialty growth, customer onboarding, acquisitions and solid healthcare utilization. Management said all five operating segments delivered double-digit earnings growth in fiscal 2026.
The company is expanding its specialty and at-home healthcare strategy through MSO platforms, bolt-on acquisitions and diabetes-related deals. Strive Medical has closed, while the AdaptHealth diabetes acquisition is expected to close in the second half of fiscal 2027, strengthening Cardinal's continuous glucose monitoring business.
Cardinal is prioritizing automated, small-parcel distribution of higher-value at-home products and plans to add three more automated distribution centers. Management also said cash flow was strong in fiscal 2026, putting the company about 90% of the way toward its previously announced $10 billion objective.
Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice?
#acquisitions
1 month ago
On September 15, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) announced that it had bought McMillan Insurance & Bonding Inc., an Englewood, Colorado, firm that operates as Innovise Business Consultants. Gallagher did not say what it paid. On its own, the deal is a footnote. But it is one of many, and the way those deals show up in earnings is where the debate over this stock really lives.
On July 30, Gallagher reported results for the quarter ended June 30, and the top line was hard to argue with. Revenue from its combined Brokerage and Risk Management businesses grew 24%, and organic growth, which leaves out acquisitions, was 6%. That second number shows clients are staying and spending. It was not confined to one corner, either, since organic fees in the risk management arm rose 12%. Management adds that retention is strong and customers want broader help from the platform. Adjusted earnings per share climbed to $2.84 from $2.30, which means growth is reaching profit once one-time acquisition costs are set aside.
Innovise fits the pattern. It sells surety bonds and commercial insurance brokerage with a focus on manufacturing, energy, construction and real estate, and Chairman and CEO J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr. said that niche expertise adds depth in Colorado. Jason McMillan's team will move into Gallagher's Denver office and work under Bret VanderVoort, who oversees retail property/casualty brokerage for the Western Zone. Buying specialists and folding them into existing offices is a repeatable playbook, and Gallagher closed 14 brokerage acquisitions in the first six months of 2026.
Now look at reported earnings, because that is where you see the cost. Diluted earnings per share fell to $1.25, from $1.40 in the second quarter of 2025, even though revenue jumped. Much of the gap between reported and adjusted results is the price of buying growth. Amortization of acquired intangibles alone weighs on brokerage net earnings by $218 million, up from $130 million a year ago, and integration costs rose as well. Adjusted figures set those aside, but they are real expenses, and they keep landing as long as Gallagher keeps buying.
Margins tell a similar story. The brokerage segment's adjusted EBITDAC margin, a stand-in for operating profit, slipped to 33.3% from 36.1%. Gallagher points to last year's interest income on cash raised for the ***** uredPartners deal, which closed in the third quarter of 2025, plus seasonality and newly added tuck-ins. That is a fair explanation. But the debt behind the deal is still here, including $9.55 billion of public debt, plus more in private placements and on a credit line. And the deal flow is thinner: brokerage acquisitions closed in the first six months of 2026 carried $107 million of annualized revenue, versus $354 million a year earlier, which puts more weight on organic growth.
#Growth
On July 30, Gallagher reported results for the quarter ended June 30, and the top line was hard to argue with. Revenue from its combined Brokerage and Risk Management businesses grew 24%, and organic growth, which leaves out acquisitions, was 6%. That second number shows clients are staying and spending. It was not confined to one corner, either, since organic fees in the risk management arm rose 12%. Management adds that retention is strong and customers want broader help from the platform. Adjusted earnings per share climbed to $2.84 from $2.30, which means growth is reaching profit once one-time acquisition costs are set aside.
Innovise fits the pattern. It sells surety bonds and commercial insurance brokerage with a focus on manufacturing, energy, construction and real estate, and Chairman and CEO J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr. said that niche expertise adds depth in Colorado. Jason McMillan's team will move into Gallagher's Denver office and work under Bret VanderVoort, who oversees retail property/casualty brokerage for the Western Zone. Buying specialists and folding them into existing offices is a repeatable playbook, and Gallagher closed 14 brokerage acquisitions in the first six months of 2026.
Now look at reported earnings, because that is where you see the cost. Diluted earnings per share fell to $1.25, from $1.40 in the second quarter of 2025, even though revenue jumped. Much of the gap between reported and adjusted results is the price of buying growth. Amortization of acquired intangibles alone weighs on brokerage net earnings by $218 million, up from $130 million a year ago, and integration costs rose as well. Adjusted figures set those aside, but they are real expenses, and they keep landing as long as Gallagher keeps buying.
Margins tell a similar story. The brokerage segment's adjusted EBITDAC margin, a stand-in for operating profit, slipped to 33.3% from 36.1%. Gallagher points to last year's interest income on cash raised for the ***** uredPartners deal, which closed in the third quarter of 2025, plus seasonality and newly added tuck-ins. That is a fair explanation. But the debt behind the deal is still here, including $9.55 billion of public debt, plus more in private placements and on a credit line. And the deal flow is thinner: brokerage acquisitions closed in the first six months of 2026 carried $107 million of annualized revenue, versus $354 million a year earlier, which puts more weight on organic growth.
#Growth
1 month ago
On September 15, Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:JAZZ) completed its acquisition of privately held Actio Biosciences for $820 million upfront, adding a clinical-stage epilepsy drug called ABS-1230 to its rare disease pipeline. The deal lands weeks after Jazz posted its highest quarterly revenue ever on August 3, and raised its full-year guidance, so a fresh acquisition now sits on top of a business that was already accelerating. The question for investors is whether that combination adds up to durable growth or just a bigger bill.
ABS-1230 targets KCNT1-related epilepsy, a rare and hard-to-treat form of the disease. In an early clinical proof-of-concept trial, children who received the drug experienced meaningful seizure reductions, and preclinical testing showed it inhibited KCNT1 across every pathogenic mutation researchers evaluated, hinting it could work across the whole patient population rather than a narrow subset. The FDA has already granted ABS-1230 Orphan Drug, Rare Pediatric Disease and Fast Track designations, and accepted it into the agency's Rare Disease Evidence Principles process, a set of regulatory advantages that can speed a drug toward approval.
The acquisition also arrives while Jazz's existing business is firing on multiple cylinders. Second-quarter revenue climbed 16% year over year to $1.2 billion, the company's highest quarterly total on record, and management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $4.6 billion to $4.75 billion. Growth was not confined to one product. Xywav sales rose 13% to $471 million on 525 net new patients, Epidiolex grew 16% to $292 million, and Zepzelca jumped 42% to $106 million. Zanidatamab, sold as Ziihera in biliary tract cancer, also received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for a form of colorectal cancer, adding another avenue for the oncology franchise Jazz has been building beyond its epilepsy and sleep businesses.
None of that came free. The $820 million upfront payment for Actio lands on top of $4.4 billion in long-term debt that Jazz already carried as of June 30, even after the company used part of its cash to repay $1.0 billion of exchangeable notes that matured this year. Cash, equivalents and investments stood at $2.2 billion at that point, meaning the Actio payment alone accounts for a meaningful share of the company's liquid resources.
Jazz's recent history also shows how acquisitions can distort the bottom line before they pay off. A $905.4 million in-process research and development charge tied to the 2025 Chimerix acquisition pushed second-quarter 2025 GAAP earnings to a loss of $11.74 per share, and a smaller $77 million IPR&D charge from the AbCellera and Werewolf deals still dented second-quarter 2026 results. ABS-1230 itself remains early, with only proof-of-concept data in hand and no late-stage trial results yet. The portfolio is not without setbacks, either. Jazz is moving to voluntarily drop the second-line indication for Zepzelca in meta
ABS-1230 targets KCNT1-related epilepsy, a rare and hard-to-treat form of the disease. In an early clinical proof-of-concept trial, children who received the drug experienced meaningful seizure reductions, and preclinical testing showed it inhibited KCNT1 across every pathogenic mutation researchers evaluated, hinting it could work across the whole patient population rather than a narrow subset. The FDA has already granted ABS-1230 Orphan Drug, Rare Pediatric Disease and Fast Track designations, and accepted it into the agency's Rare Disease Evidence Principles process, a set of regulatory advantages that can speed a drug toward approval.
The acquisition also arrives while Jazz's existing business is firing on multiple cylinders. Second-quarter revenue climbed 16% year over year to $1.2 billion, the company's highest quarterly total on record, and management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $4.6 billion to $4.75 billion. Growth was not confined to one product. Xywav sales rose 13% to $471 million on 525 net new patients, Epidiolex grew 16% to $292 million, and Zepzelca jumped 42% to $106 million. Zanidatamab, sold as Ziihera in biliary tract cancer, also received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for a form of colorectal cancer, adding another avenue for the oncology franchise Jazz has been building beyond its epilepsy and sleep businesses.
None of that came free. The $820 million upfront payment for Actio lands on top of $4.4 billion in long-term debt that Jazz already carried as of June 30, even after the company used part of its cash to repay $1.0 billion of exchangeable notes that matured this year. Cash, equivalents and investments stood at $2.2 billion at that point, meaning the Actio payment alone accounts for a meaningful share of the company's liquid resources.
Jazz's recent history also shows how acquisitions can distort the bottom line before they pay off. A $905.4 million in-process research and development charge tied to the 2025 Chimerix acquisition pushed second-quarter 2025 GAAP earnings to a loss of $11.74 per share, and a smaller $77 million IPR&D charge from the AbCellera and Werewolf deals still dented second-quarter 2026 results. ABS-1230 itself remains early, with only proof-of-concept data in hand and no late-stage trial results yet. The portfolio is not without setbacks, either. Jazz is moving to voluntarily drop the second-line indication for Zepzelca in meta
1 month ago
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Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) is in talks to increase its loan to SoftBank's Vision Fund II from $5.4 billion to as much as $9 billion, potentially giving the ******* anese conglomerate additional financing capacity for its massive investment in OpenAI.
The deal size has not yet been determined, according to Bloomberg.
Apollo has previously extended financing to SoftBank's venture capital arm in 2021. The lender increased the facility by another $900 million last year, bringing its total size to $5.4 billion. NAV financing allows private capital managers to raise liquidity by using investments held with their funds as collateral.
Read Also:KKR Doubles Private Debt Deals to $80 Billion as AI Spending Explodes
#capital #finance #management
Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) is in talks to increase its loan to SoftBank's Vision Fund II from $5.4 billion to as much as $9 billion, potentially giving the ******* anese conglomerate additional financing capacity for its massive investment in OpenAI.
The deal size has not yet been determined, according to Bloomberg.
Apollo has previously extended financing to SoftBank's venture capital arm in 2021. The lender increased the facility by another $900 million last year, bringing its total size to $5.4 billion. NAV financing allows private capital managers to raise liquidity by using investments held with their funds as collateral.
Read Also:KKR Doubles Private Debt Deals to $80 Billion as AI Spending Explodes
#capital #finance #management
1 month ago
Walmart exists to serve, said David Guggina, the president and CEO of its U.S. division.
Most Read from Fast Company
Priority Pass members are getting a huge airport upgrade over the next 12 months
Experts say Trump ballroom interiors represent 'historic monarchies' over American ideals
Martha Stewart reflects on her empire, Kris Jenner, prison, and Snoop
#david #fast #pass #Trump
Most Read from Fast Company
Priority Pass members are getting a huge airport upgrade over the next 12 months
Experts say Trump ballroom interiors represent 'historic monarchies' over American ideals
Martha Stewart reflects on her empire, Kris Jenner, prison, and Snoop
#david #fast #pass #Trump
1 month ago
DTE Energy holds 2.4 GW of signed data center deals with between 5 and 6 GW more in the pipeline, supporting a $148 price target and 13% upside.
CEO Joi Harris confirmed Oracle's 1.4 GW project is under construction and Google's 1 GW deal could drive $5 billion in incremental capex through 2032.
CMS Energy's $24 billion capital plan and WEC's premium valuation both support DTE's forward P/E of 16 as reasonable and undervalued.
Read More: Avoid these 13 retirement mistakes before they derail your future (sponsor)
DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) is quietly turning into one of the most direct Michigan plays on hyperscale data center power demand. With 2.4 gigawatts of executed data center agreements already in hand and another five to six gigawatts in the pipeline, the AI-era load story is now a real earnings catalyst.
#billion
CEO Joi Harris confirmed Oracle's 1.4 GW project is under construction and Google's 1 GW deal could drive $5 billion in incremental capex through 2032.
CMS Energy's $24 billion capital plan and WEC's premium valuation both support DTE's forward P/E of 16 as reasonable and undervalued.
Read More: Avoid these 13 retirement mistakes before they derail your future (sponsor)
DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) is quietly turning into one of the most direct Michigan plays on hyperscale data center power demand. With 2.4 gigawatts of executed data center agreements already in hand and another five to six gigawatts in the pipeline, the AI-era load story is now a real earnings catalyst.
#billion
1 month ago
On September 15, CareTrust REIT (NYSE:CTRE) announced it had closed on a $400 million skilled nursing portfolio in the Southwest, effective September 1, and unveiled a reloaded $600 million investment pipeline behind it. The deal covers 2,622 licensed beds triple net leased back to the existing operator, sourced off-market and structured through a joint venture that put roughly $380 million of CareTrust's own capital to work. It is the latest entry in a buying spree that has now pushed the company's 2026 investment total past $1.9 billion.
The new portfolio is expected to generate a stabilized yield of about 8.6%, in line with the 8.7% blended yield CareTrust has posted across two dozen deals closed so far in 2026. That consistency matters more than any single transaction. The company has now closed roughly $710 million in investments in the third quarter alone, including a small UK care home purchase in mid-August, on top of the $899.6 million it closed in the second quarter at an 8.9% yield.
Management says the $600 million pipeline of near-term, actionable deals, about half of it aimed at the senior housing operating portfolio, does not even include a set of larger transactions still being pursued, so the deal flow may not be finished. The balance sheet backs up that ambition. CareTrust ended the second quarter, on June 30, 2026, with net debt to annualized normalized EBITDA of just 1.01x, and as of the September announcement it still had $725 million available under its revolver plus $612 million of remaining ATM capacity. That combination let the company raise its full year 2026 guidance on August 6 to normalized FFO of $2.03 to $2.06 per share, an increase of 16.2% at the midpoint over 2025, even before this latest acquisition was on the books.
This growth has come with a real cost to existing shareholders. Diluted weighted average shares outstanding rose from about 192.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 to 234.2 million a year later, as CareTrust leaned on forward equity offerings and its ATM program to fund the buying spree. The company still had $439 million of expected net proceeds sitting in unsettled forward equity contracts as of September 15, meaning more shares are still coming.
The second quarter also carried a $4.7 million provision for loan losses, a line that did not appear in the prior year period and is worth watching as the loan and financing receivable book grows alongside the property portfolio. Interest expense rose to $15.3 million in the quarter from $13.0 million a year earlier, and 2026 guidance leans on rent escalators of just 2.5% a year, a modest built-in growth rate once the acquisition pace eventually slows. The company's own risk disclosures flag reliance on tenants to keep meeting their lease obligations, along with exposure to healthcare reform, staffing requirements, and currency swings tied to its UK operations.
#still
The new portfolio is expected to generate a stabilized yield of about 8.6%, in line with the 8.7% blended yield CareTrust has posted across two dozen deals closed so far in 2026. That consistency matters more than any single transaction. The company has now closed roughly $710 million in investments in the third quarter alone, including a small UK care home purchase in mid-August, on top of the $899.6 million it closed in the second quarter at an 8.9% yield.
Management says the $600 million pipeline of near-term, actionable deals, about half of it aimed at the senior housing operating portfolio, does not even include a set of larger transactions still being pursued, so the deal flow may not be finished. The balance sheet backs up that ambition. CareTrust ended the second quarter, on June 30, 2026, with net debt to annualized normalized EBITDA of just 1.01x, and as of the September announcement it still had $725 million available under its revolver plus $612 million of remaining ATM capacity. That combination let the company raise its full year 2026 guidance on August 6 to normalized FFO of $2.03 to $2.06 per share, an increase of 16.2% at the midpoint over 2025, even before this latest acquisition was on the books.
This growth has come with a real cost to existing shareholders. Diluted weighted average shares outstanding rose from about 192.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 to 234.2 million a year later, as CareTrust leaned on forward equity offerings and its ATM program to fund the buying spree. The company still had $439 million of expected net proceeds sitting in unsettled forward equity contracts as of September 15, meaning more shares are still coming.
The second quarter also carried a $4.7 million provision for loan losses, a line that did not appear in the prior year period and is worth watching as the loan and financing receivable book grows alongside the property portfolio. Interest expense rose to $15.3 million in the quarter from $13.0 million a year earlier, and 2026 guidance leans on rent escalators of just 2.5% a year, a modest built-in growth rate once the acquisition pace eventually slows. The company's own risk disclosures flag reliance on tenants to keep meeting their lease obligations, along with exposure to healthcare reform, staffing requirements, and currency swings tied to its UK operations.
#still
1 month ago
Top media leaders across print, digital and broadcast warned about AI's impacts on journalism at the inaugural Status Summit last week.
Why it matters: News publishers recognize that they need to embrace AI to survive the transition to an agentic web, but they refuse to broker deals with companies they feel are illegally scraping their content.
What they're saying: Speaking onstage to Status founder Oliver Darcy last Wednesday, New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said large language model developers "as far as we see it ... have engaged in theft of intellectual property and creative expressive work on a scale that is unprecedented."
As it relates to the Times, they've "stolen our stuff," she said.
The Times, which has sued OpenAI and Microsoft in a landmark copyright lawsuit, has struck partnerships with AI firms, such as Amazon, when they believe terms are equitable.
#darcy #york
Why it matters: News publishers recognize that they need to embrace AI to survive the transition to an agentic web, but they refuse to broker deals with companies they feel are illegally scraping their content.
What they're saying: Speaking onstage to Status founder Oliver Darcy last Wednesday, New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said large language model developers "as far as we see it ... have engaged in theft of intellectual property and creative expressive work on a scale that is unprecedented."
As it relates to the Times, they've "stolen our stuff," she said.
The Times, which has sued OpenAI and Microsoft in a landmark copyright lawsuit, has struck partnerships with AI firms, such as Amazon, when they believe terms are equitable.
#darcy #york
