10 days ago
On September 17, Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) and Bolt, a leading European shared mobility platform, announced a strategic partnership to develop and deploy autonomous mobility services across Europe. This sent shares of Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) higher, and the stock ended the trading session with gains of nearly 6%.
The partnership will combine Lucid Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:LCID) software-defined vehicle platform with Bolt's European data, operating infrastructure, and mobility expertise. The companies will be looking to develop and launch autonomous mobility services at scale, using vehicles based on Lucid Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:LCID) upcoming Midsize platform.
Bolt plans to deploy at least 25,000 fully autonomous vehicles across multiple European cities and countries, supporting its ambitious goal of having 100,000 autonomous vehicles on its platform by 2035.
The financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.
The deal comes as Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) continues to face significant financial pressure. The company has been pursuing an ambitious expansion strategy. However, its revenue growth has not yet been enough to offset substantial operating losses and the high costs ****** ociated with building its global factories.
#lcid #european #platform #partnership
The partnership will combine Lucid Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:LCID) software-defined vehicle platform with Bolt's European data, operating infrastructure, and mobility expertise. The companies will be looking to develop and launch autonomous mobility services at scale, using vehicles based on Lucid Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:LCID) upcoming Midsize platform.
Bolt plans to deploy at least 25,000 fully autonomous vehicles across multiple European cities and countries, supporting its ambitious goal of having 100,000 autonomous vehicles on its platform by 2035.
The financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.
The deal comes as Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) continues to face significant financial pressure. The company has been pursuing an ambitious expansion strategy. However, its revenue growth has not yet been enough to offset substantial operating losses and the high costs ****** ociated with building its global factories.
#lcid #european #platform #partnership
11 days ago
JEPI, DIVO, and GPIX each pay near 8% monthly yields while growing share price by writing calls on only a portion of holdings.
GPIX has beaten SPY with an 80% return since its 2023 launch by capping its options overlay at just 25 to 75% of the portfolio.
DIVO's tactical options sleeve delivers a lower 6% yield but drives 72% five-year price appreciation, nearly matching SPY's gains.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
Covered call ETFs have a reputation problem. For years, the category was defined by funds like QYLD and XYLD that wrote at-the-money calls on entire index portfolios, harvested rich premiums, and quietly bled principal every time markets rallied. Investors got their monthly check and watched their share price drift lower. That is the trap worth avoiding.
#gpix #calls #lower #years
GPIX has beaten SPY with an 80% return since its 2023 launch by capping its options overlay at just 25 to 75% of the portfolio.
DIVO's tactical options sleeve delivers a lower 6% yield but drives 72% five-year price appreciation, nearly matching SPY's gains.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
Covered call ETFs have a reputation problem. For years, the category was defined by funds like QYLD and XYLD that wrote at-the-money calls on entire index portfolios, harvested rich premiums, and quietly bled principal every time markets rallied. Investors got their monthly check and watched their share price drift lower. That is the trap worth avoiding.
#gpix #calls #lower #years
11 days ago
Credit card companies are racing to claim a place at the checkout when AI agents start shopping on behalf of consumers—even as shoppers remain skeptical of letting bots spend their money.
Mastercard rolled out a payment option Thursday that lets people give an AI agent a virtual card and allow it to buy things online without checking in before each purchase. Cardholders can limit how much it spends, restrict which retailers it buys from, or require approval before checkout.
"This is a land grab for infrastructure standards," Phil Bruno, chief strategy and growth officer at payments company ACI Worldwide, told Fortune. "If they set the standards for agentic commerce, they can keep the commerce in their environments for decades to come."
Rival Visa partnered with Alchemy earlier this year and has also announced its own AI shopping and payment product, Visa Intelligent Commerce, which the company says is still being deployed. Similarly, Meta has Muse, which can search for products and navigate checkout, but presents the purchase for the user's final approval.
It seems, though, that shoppers appear far more interested in using AI to find a deal than letting it pay. Just 7% of U.S. and U.K. consumers surveyed who buy fashion items said they would allow an AI ***** istant to make purchases without approval under predefined conditions, according to research commissioned by ACI Worldwide. More than half said they were uncomfortable allowing AI to purchase on their behalf.
#purchase #consumers
Mastercard rolled out a payment option Thursday that lets people give an AI agent a virtual card and allow it to buy things online without checking in before each purchase. Cardholders can limit how much it spends, restrict which retailers it buys from, or require approval before checkout.
"This is a land grab for infrastructure standards," Phil Bruno, chief strategy and growth officer at payments company ACI Worldwide, told Fortune. "If they set the standards for agentic commerce, they can keep the commerce in their environments for decades to come."
Rival Visa partnered with Alchemy earlier this year and has also announced its own AI shopping and payment product, Visa Intelligent Commerce, which the company says is still being deployed. Similarly, Meta has Muse, which can search for products and navigate checkout, but presents the purchase for the user's final approval.
It seems, though, that shoppers appear far more interested in using AI to find a deal than letting it pay. Just 7% of U.S. and U.K. consumers surveyed who buy fashion items said they would allow an AI ***** istant to make purchases without approval under predefined conditions, according to research commissioned by ACI Worldwide. More than half said they were uncomfortable allowing AI to purchase on their behalf.
#purchase #consumers
11 days ago
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) stock has returned about 57% over the past year, against about 17% for the S&P 500. On the earnings it has already banked, that price looks expensive. But those earnings carry STELARA, which is losing share to biosimilar competition. What looks dear on earnings already reported comes down sharply on the earnings ***** ysts expect.
At about $270 a share, Johnson & Johnson trades at about 28.3 times its trailing earnings. That figure sits on adjusted earnings: normalized net income with stock-based compensation added back, meant to sit closer to the basis ***** ysts use in their forecasts than a GAAP figure would, though the two measures are not defined identically. Measured as market value against consensus net income, the multiple on fiscal 2026 earnings is about 24.1 times, and on the earnings expected for 2027 it is about 20.9 times.
Those trailing twelve months were not a clean run. STELARA cost Johnson & Johnson about 460 basis points of operational sales growth in the second quarter of 2026. Strip it out and the company grew double digits in that quarter on the same basis, on management's own account.
The trailing multiple measures today's price against a period burdened by slowing STELARA revenue. The rest of the portfolio kept growing. Revenue over the trailing twelve months is close to $98 billion, and the company has 28 products and platforms that each sell more than $1 billion a year.
Immunology shows both sides at once. TREMFYA grew 71% in the second quarter of 2026, and it remains the fastest-growing advanced therapy in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. STELARA is shrinking under biosimilars in that same segment.
#johnson #earnings
At about $270 a share, Johnson & Johnson trades at about 28.3 times its trailing earnings. That figure sits on adjusted earnings: normalized net income with stock-based compensation added back, meant to sit closer to the basis ***** ysts use in their forecasts than a GAAP figure would, though the two measures are not defined identically. Measured as market value against consensus net income, the multiple on fiscal 2026 earnings is about 24.1 times, and on the earnings expected for 2027 it is about 20.9 times.
Those trailing twelve months were not a clean run. STELARA cost Johnson & Johnson about 460 basis points of operational sales growth in the second quarter of 2026. Strip it out and the company grew double digits in that quarter on the same basis, on management's own account.
The trailing multiple measures today's price against a period burdened by slowing STELARA revenue. The rest of the portfolio kept growing. Revenue over the trailing twelve months is close to $98 billion, and the company has 28 products and platforms that each sell more than $1 billion a year.
Immunology shows both sides at once. TREMFYA grew 71% in the second quarter of 2026, and it remains the fastest-growing advanced therapy in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. STELARA is shrinking under biosimilars in that same segment.
#johnson #earnings
11 days ago
Choosing between a niche equipment provider and a diversified industry **** an requires balancing high growth potential against established stability. Here is how Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ:AEHR) and KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) compare for investors.
Aehr Test Systems focuses on specific stress-testing solutions for power semiconductors and memory, while KLA provides broad process control tools used across the entire chip-making industry. While they both operate in the same sector, their scale and risk profiles differ significantly, making them attractive to different types of portfolios.
Aehr Test Systems designs and sells specialized equipment for the testing and stabilization of semiconductor products in various forms, including wafers and singulated dies. The company focuses on the high-growth silicon carbide market for electric vehicles and high-bandwidth memory for artificial intelligence infrastructure. In its 2026 fiscal year (FY), which ended May 29, its five largest customers accounted for nearly 70% of net sales, and customer concentration like this adds a layer of risk to the business.
In FY 2026, revenue reached $50.0 million, representing a decline of 15.2% compared to the previous year. This contraction followed a period of higher operating costs, resulting in a net loss of $7.1 million for the period. The net margin, which represents the percentage of revenue remaining as profit after all expenses, was -14.3% in the latest fiscal year.
As of its May 2026 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio is zero, indicating that the company has no debt relative to its shareholder equity. The current ratio, which measures a company's ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term **** ets, is 10.3x. Free cash flow, defined as cash from operations minus capital expenditures, was a negative $5.4 million for the fiscal year ended in May.
#year #equipment
Aehr Test Systems focuses on specific stress-testing solutions for power semiconductors and memory, while KLA provides broad process control tools used across the entire chip-making industry. While they both operate in the same sector, their scale and risk profiles differ significantly, making them attractive to different types of portfolios.
Aehr Test Systems designs and sells specialized equipment for the testing and stabilization of semiconductor products in various forms, including wafers and singulated dies. The company focuses on the high-growth silicon carbide market for electric vehicles and high-bandwidth memory for artificial intelligence infrastructure. In its 2026 fiscal year (FY), which ended May 29, its five largest customers accounted for nearly 70% of net sales, and customer concentration like this adds a layer of risk to the business.
In FY 2026, revenue reached $50.0 million, representing a decline of 15.2% compared to the previous year. This contraction followed a period of higher operating costs, resulting in a net loss of $7.1 million for the period. The net margin, which represents the percentage of revenue remaining as profit after all expenses, was -14.3% in the latest fiscal year.
As of its May 2026 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio is zero, indicating that the company has no debt relative to its shareholder equity. The current ratio, which measures a company's ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term **** ets, is 10.3x. Free cash flow, defined as cash from operations minus capital expenditures, was a negative $5.4 million for the fiscal year ended in May.
#year #equipment
11 days ago
Interested in Keysight Technologies Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.
AI data-center demand is driving strong growth in Keysight's wireline business, particularly around 1.6T and emerging 3.2T networking, silicon photonics, co-packaged optics and system-level testing.
Demand currently exceeds supply, with Keysight expanding manufacturing capacity, supplier agreements and component sourcing; revenue beyond its typical order-to-revenue window was approaching $100 million.
Keysight expects additional growth from 6G, aerospace and defense, semiconductors and software-defined vehicles. The company anticipates 6G acceleration in the first half of 2028 and plans to maintain investment while targeting incremental margins of at least 40% when growth exceeds 5%.
3 Lesser-Known Quantum Plays the Market May Be Overlooking Right Now
#exceeds #lesser
AI data-center demand is driving strong growth in Keysight's wireline business, particularly around 1.6T and emerging 3.2T networking, silicon photonics, co-packaged optics and system-level testing.
Demand currently exceeds supply, with Keysight expanding manufacturing capacity, supplier agreements and component sourcing; revenue beyond its typical order-to-revenue window was approaching $100 million.
Keysight expects additional growth from 6G, aerospace and defense, semiconductors and software-defined vehicles. The company anticipates 6G acceleration in the first half of 2028 and plans to maintain investment while targeting incremental margins of at least 40% when growth exceeds 5%.
3 Lesser-Known Quantum Plays the Market May Be Overlooking Right Now
#exceeds #lesser
12 days ago
Crane Company (NYSE:CR) announced a definitive agreement on September 14 to acquire Trillium Flow Technologies' U.S. pump business for approximately $240 million. The operations primarily serve municipal water and wastewater customers and are expected to generate approximately $115 million in full-year revenue. Closing is expected in the fourth quarter, subject to regulatory approvals and customary conditions.
The acquisition would add Floway, Wemco, Roto-Jet and WSP to Process Flow Technologies. Their installed equipment base supports service, repair, retrofit and replacement demand, giving the transaction a recurring-revenue rationale.
Crane Company (NYSE:CR) disclosed a price of approximately 14.6 times estimated 2026 adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is a company-defined non-GAAP measure based on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, with further adjustments. The announcement did not specify the target's adjustments or provide a GAAP reconciliation.
Water and wastewater systems require reliable pumping equipment throughout their operating lives. An established installed base creates opportunities to sell replacement parts, restore equipment, and upgrade performance long after the original sale.
For Crane Company (NYSE:CR), those customer relationships could make revenue less dependent on winning entirely new projects. Service capability and product familiarity may also help retain customers when equipment eventually needs replacement.
#NYSE
The acquisition would add Floway, Wemco, Roto-Jet and WSP to Process Flow Technologies. Their installed equipment base supports service, repair, retrofit and replacement demand, giving the transaction a recurring-revenue rationale.
Crane Company (NYSE:CR) disclosed a price of approximately 14.6 times estimated 2026 adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is a company-defined non-GAAP measure based on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, with further adjustments. The announcement did not specify the target's adjustments or provide a GAAP reconciliation.
Water and wastewater systems require reliable pumping equipment throughout their operating lives. An established installed base creates opportunities to sell replacement parts, restore equipment, and upgrade performance long after the original sale.
For Crane Company (NYSE:CR), those customer relationships could make revenue less dependent on winning entirely new projects. Service capability and product familiarity may also help retain customers when equipment eventually needs replacement.
#NYSE
12 days ago
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), maker of the da Vinci surgical robots, trades at about $382, some 36% below its 52-week high. Even so, you pay about 35.9 times trailing adjusted earnings. That is normalized net income with stock-based compensation added back, a basis meant to sit closer to the one ****** ysts forecast on, though the two are not defined identically. ****** ysts' forecasts run to 2027, the year Intuitive plans to start lowering what customers pay per use on some instruments.
The shares were trading about 11% lower the day after second-quarter results in July showed slower US procedure growth. US da Vinci procedures grew 12% in the second quarter, against 14% in the first. Management pointed to two likely causes, with the CFO noting that some customers say coverage changes are delaying deferrable procedures, alongside a little of the law of large numbers.
What the price still pays for is revenue growing faster than procedures. On the first-quarter call, the CFO credited that largely to da Vinci 5 and its higher pricing. More than half of the da Vinci systems Intuitive placed in the second quarter were da Vinci 5.
On ****** ysts' 2026 estimates, today's price is about 35.1 times earnings. On their 2027 estimates, it is about 31.4 times. The revenue forecast behind that looks modest: about 13.1% growth a year through 2027, against 20.7% growth over the past twelve months.
Consensus has earnings and revenue growing at a similar pace between 2026 and 2027, so margins hold roughly steady. Intuitive enters that stretch with an operating margin of 31.3% over the past twelve months, above its three-year average of 27.7%.
#intuitive #analysts #year #procedures
The shares were trading about 11% lower the day after second-quarter results in July showed slower US procedure growth. US da Vinci procedures grew 12% in the second quarter, against 14% in the first. Management pointed to two likely causes, with the CFO noting that some customers say coverage changes are delaying deferrable procedures, alongside a little of the law of large numbers.
What the price still pays for is revenue growing faster than procedures. On the first-quarter call, the CFO credited that largely to da Vinci 5 and its higher pricing. More than half of the da Vinci systems Intuitive placed in the second quarter were da Vinci 5.
On ****** ysts' 2026 estimates, today's price is about 35.1 times earnings. On their 2027 estimates, it is about 31.4 times. The revenue forecast behind that looks modest: about 13.1% growth a year through 2027, against 20.7% growth over the past twelve months.
Consensus has earnings and revenue growing at a similar pace between 2026 and 2027, so margins hold roughly steady. Intuitive enters that stretch with an operating margin of 31.3% over the past twelve months, above its three-year average of 27.7%.
#intuitive #analysts #year #procedures
12 days ago
Logistic Properties of the Americas (NYSEAMERICAN:LPA) moved closer to selling Parque Logístico Lima Sur after Peru's antitrust authority, INDECOPI, approved the transaction on September 11. FIBRA Prime would acquire the entire 1.3-million-square-foot logistics park for $145 million. Customary administrative closing matters remain outstanding.
Management expects approximately $85 million of net proceeds after debt repayment and before taxes, with Mexico the intended destination. Approval advances the financing of that expansion, while the investment case rests on replacing an established income stream.
Lima Sur generated $10.3 million of cash net operating income, or cash NOI, during the 12 months ended March 31, 2026. Cash NOI is a company-defined non-IFRS measure of property income after operating expenses, adjusted to remove straight-line rental accounting. It excludes corporate overhead, financing costs, income taxes, and other non-property items.
Logistic Properties of the Americas (NYSEAMERICAN:LPA) has demonstrated an ability to develop, lease and operate logistics ***** ets. Second-quarter revenue increased 26.1% to $14.7 million, while stabilized portfolio occupancy reached 100% as of June 30.
Mexico already contributes revenue. Two properties acquired in Puebla in August 2025 generated approximately $0.5 million during the second quarter. That provides an operating foothold for deploying proceeds.
#cash #logistic #nyseamerican #Mexico
Management expects approximately $85 million of net proceeds after debt repayment and before taxes, with Mexico the intended destination. Approval advances the financing of that expansion, while the investment case rests on replacing an established income stream.
Lima Sur generated $10.3 million of cash net operating income, or cash NOI, during the 12 months ended March 31, 2026. Cash NOI is a company-defined non-IFRS measure of property income after operating expenses, adjusted to remove straight-line rental accounting. It excludes corporate overhead, financing costs, income taxes, and other non-property items.
Logistic Properties of the Americas (NYSEAMERICAN:LPA) has demonstrated an ability to develop, lease and operate logistics ***** ets. Second-quarter revenue increased 26.1% to $14.7 million, while stabilized portfolio occupancy reached 100% as of June 30.
Mexico already contributes revenue. Two properties acquired in Puebla in August 2025 generated approximately $0.5 million during the second quarter. That provides an operating foothold for deploying proceeds.
#cash #logistic #nyseamerican #Mexico
12 days ago
Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:STX) announced on September 9 that its subsidiary, Seagate HDD Cayman, completed the redemption and exchange of its remaining 3.50% exchangeable senior notes due 2028 on September 8. Approximately $150.7 million of principal was retired through a settlement involving approximately $150.97 million in cash and 1,647,862 ordinary shares.
For notes submitted for exchange, principal was paid in cash, and the exchange obligation above principal was settled in shares, with cash for fractional shares where applicable. The share delivery therefore satisfied an existing contractual obligation.
Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:STX) has removed a 2028 maturity and the remaining settlement uncertainty attached to this instrument. Based on the approximately $150.7 million principal balance and 3.50% coupon, the transaction eliminates roughly $5.3 million of annual stated interest. That is a calculated annualized saving before taxes and any interest income lost on the cash used.
Recent cash generation supports the ability to absorb the payment. As of July 3, 2026, Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:STX) reported $1.704 billion in cash and cash equivalents. Fiscal fourth-quarter free cash flow was $1.118 billion. This company-defined non-GAAP measure is operating cash flow less acquisitions of property, equipment, and leasehold improvements.
The settlement cash payment equals approximately 8.9% of that reported cash balance. Although the July figure predates settlement, it provides a useful measure of the transaction's scale.
#technology #million #exchange
For notes submitted for exchange, principal was paid in cash, and the exchange obligation above principal was settled in shares, with cash for fractional shares where applicable. The share delivery therefore satisfied an existing contractual obligation.
Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:STX) has removed a 2028 maturity and the remaining settlement uncertainty attached to this instrument. Based on the approximately $150.7 million principal balance and 3.50% coupon, the transaction eliminates roughly $5.3 million of annual stated interest. That is a calculated annualized saving before taxes and any interest income lost on the cash used.
Recent cash generation supports the ability to absorb the payment. As of July 3, 2026, Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:STX) reported $1.704 billion in cash and cash equivalents. Fiscal fourth-quarter free cash flow was $1.118 billion. This company-defined non-GAAP measure is operating cash flow less acquisitions of property, equipment, and leasehold improvements.
The settlement cash payment equals approximately 8.9% of that reported cash balance. Although the July figure predates settlement, it provides a useful measure of the transaction's scale.
#technology #million #exchange
12 days ago
Cognyte Software Ltd. (NASDAQ:CGNT) reported on September 9 that revenue for the fiscal second quarter ended July 31, 2026, increased 12.0% to $109.2 million. Total software revenue, comprising software and software services, rose 20.9% to $100.8 million.
Company-defined non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA increased 35.7% to $14.9 million. The measure adds depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, restructuring costs, and other specified adjustments to GAAP operating income. Yet quarterly billings fell to $76.3 million from $93.0 million. The central question is whether a more profitable revenue mix can produce stronger cash generation while sustaining future growth.
The portfolio transition is visible in the revenue base. Total software revenue represented more than 92% of sales. Recurring revenue, primarily support contracts and subscription offerings, reached $56.2 million, or 51.4% of total revenue.
For Cognyte Software Ltd. (NASDAQ:CGNT), a larger recurring base could make revenue more predictable and support continued product investment. Renewals also create opportunities to expand customer relationships without rebuilding the sales pipeline from scratch. The benefit depends on retention and expansion within those accounts.
Profitability improved under both accounting measures. GAAP operating margin increased to 4.3% from 2.8%, while adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 13.6% from 11.3%. That combination strengthens the case that the transition is improving operating economics, even after recognizing expenses excluded from adjusted results.
#gaap #NASDAQ
Company-defined non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA increased 35.7% to $14.9 million. The measure adds depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, restructuring costs, and other specified adjustments to GAAP operating income. Yet quarterly billings fell to $76.3 million from $93.0 million. The central question is whether a more profitable revenue mix can produce stronger cash generation while sustaining future growth.
The portfolio transition is visible in the revenue base. Total software revenue represented more than 92% of sales. Recurring revenue, primarily support contracts and subscription offerings, reached $56.2 million, or 51.4% of total revenue.
For Cognyte Software Ltd. (NASDAQ:CGNT), a larger recurring base could make revenue more predictable and support continued product investment. Renewals also create opportunities to expand customer relationships without rebuilding the sales pipeline from scratch. The benefit depends on retention and expansion within those accounts.
Profitability improved under both accounting measures. GAAP operating margin increased to 4.3% from 2.8%, while adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 13.6% from 11.3%. That combination strengthens the case that the transition is improving operating economics, even after recognizing expenses excluded from adjusted results.
#gaap #NASDAQ
12 days ago
Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $181 million on September 9, down 25% from $241 million a year earlier. Company-defined non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA fell to $13 million from $70 million. This measure excludes net financial income, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation, and certain unusual or nonrecurring items from net income.
Management attributed the disruption primarily to an advertising-algorithm problem affecting IL MAKIAGE. Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) expects third-quarter revenue to decline approximately 5% year over year, with adjusted EBITDA of $18 million to $20 million. The sequential improvement describes a narrowing year-over-year revenue decline.
Management's diagnosis centers on distorted advertising signals that impair IL MAKIAGE's ability to reach suitable customers at acceptable acquisition costs. Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) is testing changes with its largest advertising partner to retrain the algorithm. If those changes restore profitable customer acquisition, the existing brand could recover without a fundamental overhaul of its products.
Other brands provide operating evidence beyond that hypothesis. SpoiledChild delivered double-digit quarterly revenue growth, and management expects at least 35% growth for 2026, approaching $350 million in revenue. Management expects METHODIQ's first-year revenue to exceed SpoiledChild's first-year result.
These results support the argument that Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) can build additional brands using its technology platform. A broader sales base could gradually reduce dependence on IL MAKIAGE, while successful customer retention would help recover upfront advertising spending over multiple purchases.
#revenue #NASDAQ #advertising #expects
Management attributed the disruption primarily to an advertising-algorithm problem affecting IL MAKIAGE. Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) expects third-quarter revenue to decline approximately 5% year over year, with adjusted EBITDA of $18 million to $20 million. The sequential improvement describes a narrowing year-over-year revenue decline.
Management's diagnosis centers on distorted advertising signals that impair IL MAKIAGE's ability to reach suitable customers at acceptable acquisition costs. Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) is testing changes with its largest advertising partner to retrain the algorithm. If those changes restore profitable customer acquisition, the existing brand could recover without a fundamental overhaul of its products.
Other brands provide operating evidence beyond that hypothesis. SpoiledChild delivered double-digit quarterly revenue growth, and management expects at least 35% growth for 2026, approaching $350 million in revenue. Management expects METHODIQ's first-year revenue to exceed SpoiledChild's first-year result.
These results support the argument that Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ:ODD) can build additional brands using its technology platform. A broader sales base could gradually reduce dependence on IL MAKIAGE, while successful customer retention would help recover upfront advertising spending over multiple purchases.
#revenue #NASDAQ #advertising #expects
12 days ago
The name "351 Exchange" comes from Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code ("IRC"). Section 351 permits a person to contribute appreciated property in exchange for shares of a newly formed corporation without recognizing a taxable event at the time of transfer, if certain rules are met.
In this application, the property being contributed is shares of stock or ETFs, in exchange for shares of a newly formed corporation, a new ETF.
To qualify, here are a few rules:
1) The contributor must be an eligible participant. In short, most can participate, but C corporations can cause issues, so they are generally excluded.
2) Each contributor must contribute a diversified portfolio. Diversification is defined by the IRS with two tests applied to each contributor's portfolio: Of the contributed portfolio, (1) the weight of the largest position must be no more than 25%, and (2) the sum of the weights of the top 5 positions must be no more than 50%.
#exchange #shares #section #contribute
In this application, the property being contributed is shares of stock or ETFs, in exchange for shares of a newly formed corporation, a new ETF.
To qualify, here are a few rules:
1) The contributor must be an eligible participant. In short, most can participate, but C corporations can cause issues, so they are generally excluded.
2) Each contributor must contribute a diversified portfolio. Diversification is defined by the IRS with two tests applied to each contributor's portfolio: Of the contributed portfolio, (1) the weight of the largest position must be no more than 25%, and (2) the sum of the weights of the top 5 positions must be no more than 50%.
#exchange #shares #section #contribute
12 days ago
Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) reported quarterly sales of $2.145 billion on September 9, up 2.5%. Company-defined non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA reached $274 million. The measure adjusts consolidated net income for interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, equity compensation, debt modification and extinguishment losses, offering expenses, and specified other income or expenses.
Consolidated net income rose 6.4% to $150 million, while GAAP diluted earnings per share increased 10% to $0.77. Diluted weighted-average shares declined approximately 2.5% to 193.4 million. Buybacks amplified an improvement that also had an operating foundation.
The company repurchased $169 million of equity during the quarter, against $62 million of operating cash flow. The investment question is whether cash generation can sustain capital returns alongside the spending needed to grow.
Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) benefits from demand for essential infrastructure products. Management highlighted municipal demand, fire protection, treatment plants, and data centers as areas of strength. These end markets provide several sources of business even when construction demand is uneven.
Expense discipline also helped. Quarterly selling, general and administrative expenses declined to $301 million from $302 million. Controlling overhead allows modest sales growth to contribute more to earnings. Stronger volumes would make further earnings gains easier to sustain.
#income #main #quarterly
Consolidated net income rose 6.4% to $150 million, while GAAP diluted earnings per share increased 10% to $0.77. Diluted weighted-average shares declined approximately 2.5% to 193.4 million. Buybacks amplified an improvement that also had an operating foundation.
The company repurchased $169 million of equity during the quarter, against $62 million of operating cash flow. The investment question is whether cash generation can sustain capital returns alongside the spending needed to grow.
Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) benefits from demand for essential infrastructure products. Management highlighted municipal demand, fire protection, treatment plants, and data centers as areas of strength. These end markets provide several sources of business even when construction demand is uneven.
Expense discipline also helped. Quarterly selling, general and administrative expenses declined to $301 million from $302 million. Controlling overhead allows modest sales growth to contribute more to earnings. Stronger volumes would make further earnings gains easier to sustain.
#income #main #quarterly
12 days ago
Sunbelt Rentals Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SUNB) reported on September 9 that fiscal first-quarter revenue increased 11.2% to $3.115 billion, including $2.927 billion of rental revenue, up 12.5%. The quarter ended July 31, 2026.
Management raised fiscal 2027 rental-revenue growth guidance to 7% through 10%, while increasing planned net rental-equipment capital expenditures to $2.4 billion through $2.8 billion. Demand supports expansion, but investors need to ****** s how much cash remains after funding the fleet.
North America Specialty rental revenue grew 25.3%, giving Sunbelt Rentals Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SUNB) a strong source of growth beyond general equipment rentals. Specialized services can deepen customer relationships and create opportunities to supply several needs on the same project.
The company estimated that the FIFA World Cup contributed 2.5 percentage points to quarterly rental-revenue growth. Serving complex events demonstrates the commercial value of a broad equipment network. The investment opportunity is to turn that capability into recurring work across industrial, energy and construction customers.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 8.7% to $1.315 billion. This company-defined non-GAAP measure adds taxes, net interest, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation and specified restructuring costs to net income. Its margin is adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue.
#rentals
Management raised fiscal 2027 rental-revenue growth guidance to 7% through 10%, while increasing planned net rental-equipment capital expenditures to $2.4 billion through $2.8 billion. Demand supports expansion, but investors need to ****** s how much cash remains after funding the fleet.
North America Specialty rental revenue grew 25.3%, giving Sunbelt Rentals Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SUNB) a strong source of growth beyond general equipment rentals. Specialized services can deepen customer relationships and create opportunities to supply several needs on the same project.
The company estimated that the FIFA World Cup contributed 2.5 percentage points to quarterly rental-revenue growth. Serving complex events demonstrates the commercial value of a broad equipment network. The investment opportunity is to turn that capability into recurring work across industrial, energy and construction customers.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 8.7% to $1.315 billion. This company-defined non-GAAP measure adds taxes, net interest, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation and specified restructuring costs to net income. Its margin is adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue.
#rentals
13 days ago
Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSEMKT:PPA) offers a long track record and broad industrial exposure, while Global X Defense Tech ETF (NYSEMKT:SHLD) provides a lower-cost, technology-focused approach to the defense sector.
Defense spending often stays resilient throughout various economic cycles, making aerospace and defense exchange-traded funds a popular choice for investors seeking sector-specific growth. While both funds target the same broad industry, they differ in their approach to legacy hardware versus emerging technologies and software-defined systems. This comparison looks at how the veteran PPA stacks up against the newer SHLD.
Metric
SHLD
PPA
#approach
Defense spending often stays resilient throughout various economic cycles, making aerospace and defense exchange-traded funds a popular choice for investors seeking sector-specific growth. While both funds target the same broad industry, they differ in their approach to legacy hardware versus emerging technologies and software-defined systems. This comparison looks at how the veteran PPA stacks up against the newer SHLD.
Metric
SHLD
PPA
#approach
14 days ago
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN) reported on August 14 that the European Medicines Agency has validated the Marketing Authorization Application for PF-07307405, the companies' experimental Lyme disease vaccine candidate, and will now begin the official review.
For a vaccine candidate first proposed in a 2020 collaboration deal between Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and French biotech Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), this represents the formal transition from years of clinical development into European regulatory review.
The application is based on the Phase 3 VALOR trial, a placebo-controlled, randomized study of 9,437 participants aged five and older from high-incidence Lyme disease locations in US, Canada, and Europe. Participants got four doses on a phased schedule: one at months 0, 2, and 5-9, followed by a fourth dosage around a year later, shortly before the start of the next Lyme season. Topline data released in March 2026 demonstrated efficacy of over 70% in reducing confirmed Lyme disease cases, with the vaccine generally tolerated and no safety issues detected. However, the statistical picture was less clean than the headline efficacy suggests. The first prespecified **** ysis, which served as the primary endpoint, showed 73.2% efficacy but failed the trial's predefined statistical criterion because the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval was 15.8%, below the required 20%. A second prespecified **** ysis showed 74.8% efficacy and did meet that threshold.
Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), the smallest of the two partners, views the vaccine as a clean competitive setup. According to the company, PF-07307405 is the most advanced Lyme disease vaccine candidate currently in clinical development, a rare spot in the vaccine industry where new entrants often face competition from existing treatments. Under the terms of the 2020 partnership and license agreement, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) will have exclusive rights to produce and commercialize the vaccine if it is approved, while Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN) will benefit as a development partner.
The institutional stance is very different between the two companies, reflecting their very different sizes. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is still a strong name in the institutional **** e, with hedge fund ownership stable at 83 funds in the second quarter of 2026, the same as the first quarter, reflecting its position as a large, diversified pharmaceutical holding, rather than a name driven by a specific pipeline event. Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), however, has little hedge fund exposure, with only 4 funds holding a position in the second quarter, up from 1 in the first quarter, reflecting the continued lack of visibility of the smaller partner among institutional investors.
#vaccine #pfizer #NYSE
For a vaccine candidate first proposed in a 2020 collaboration deal between Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and French biotech Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), this represents the formal transition from years of clinical development into European regulatory review.
The application is based on the Phase 3 VALOR trial, a placebo-controlled, randomized study of 9,437 participants aged five and older from high-incidence Lyme disease locations in US, Canada, and Europe. Participants got four doses on a phased schedule: one at months 0, 2, and 5-9, followed by a fourth dosage around a year later, shortly before the start of the next Lyme season. Topline data released in March 2026 demonstrated efficacy of over 70% in reducing confirmed Lyme disease cases, with the vaccine generally tolerated and no safety issues detected. However, the statistical picture was less clean than the headline efficacy suggests. The first prespecified **** ysis, which served as the primary endpoint, showed 73.2% efficacy but failed the trial's predefined statistical criterion because the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval was 15.8%, below the required 20%. A second prespecified **** ysis showed 74.8% efficacy and did meet that threshold.
Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), the smallest of the two partners, views the vaccine as a clean competitive setup. According to the company, PF-07307405 is the most advanced Lyme disease vaccine candidate currently in clinical development, a rare spot in the vaccine industry where new entrants often face competition from existing treatments. Under the terms of the 2020 partnership and license agreement, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) will have exclusive rights to produce and commercialize the vaccine if it is approved, while Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN) will benefit as a development partner.
The institutional stance is very different between the two companies, reflecting their very different sizes. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is still a strong name in the institutional **** e, with hedge fund ownership stable at 83 funds in the second quarter of 2026, the same as the first quarter, reflecting its position as a large, diversified pharmaceutical holding, rather than a name driven by a specific pipeline event. Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), however, has little hedge fund exposure, with only 4 funds holding a position in the second quarter, up from 1 in the first quarter, reflecting the continued lack of visibility of the smaller partner among institutional investors.
#vaccine #pfizer #NYSE
14 days ago
A company that specializes in autonomous power deployment said it has raised $31.8 million to scale its operations, with investments from major groups including Google and Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV). California-based Planted said the new capital expands its robotic fleet. The company said the funding also supports the launch of Sage, its next-generation robot, as demand outpaces the company's current capacity.Planted on September 15 said the funding round was led by Piva Capital and RA Capital Management Planetary Health, with participation from Gigascale Capital and Open AI-backer Khosla Ventures, along with Google and BEV. Gigascale Capital was founded by former Meta executive Mike Schroepfer."Globally, solar needs to be deployed about five times faster than it is today to hit the scale experts project we'll need by 2050, and the gap is growing as the industry confronts constraints involving supply chains, land, interconnection, and skilled labor," said Eric Brown, CEO of Planted. "The way to close that gap is to turn the construction of a power plant into a manufacturing problem: building robots and deployment systems, not just projects. We have robots in the field proving the model works today. This round is how we scale it."
Brown's group on Tuesday said a record 664 GW of solar photovoltaic power was installed worldwide last year, but noted terawatts of new generation capacity are needed to meet projected demand. The company said it combines planning software, high-density terrain-following solar arrays, storage, and field robotics into one system, which enables Planted to build on parcels of land that legacy trackers cannot use. The company said its system also delivers twice the energy per acre, resulting in smaller project footprints and a lower profile on the landscape.Planted said its array "is simplified, designed for automation, and defined in software," and thus can deliver new power generation capacity in months rather than years. Planted's most recent build, a 28-MW behind-the-meter project serving a neocloud data center, went from first call to power in 10 months, with field construction completed in under three months.Planted on Tuesday said the company's development model "is proven and bankable," and noted its projects carry independent engineering validation and project financing. The company completed Bowes Solar, an 11-MW project in Illinois for Cultivate Power, and will next build Aligned Climate Capital's Armoracia project on 16 acres, 10 fewer than the original design required. The denser redesign moved the project through local review after the initial layout was rejected, according to the company. Planted, which deployed more than 10 MW in 2025, is on track for 100 MW in 2026, a 10x jump in a single year, with a project pipeline of more than 20 GW.The company said Sage, the next-generation robot, will be deployed later this year.
#Solar
Brown's group on Tuesday said a record 664 GW of solar photovoltaic power was installed worldwide last year, but noted terawatts of new generation capacity are needed to meet projected demand. The company said it combines planning software, high-density terrain-following solar arrays, storage, and field robotics into one system, which enables Planted to build on parcels of land that legacy trackers cannot use. The company said its system also delivers twice the energy per acre, resulting in smaller project footprints and a lower profile on the landscape.Planted said its array "is simplified, designed for automation, and defined in software," and thus can deliver new power generation capacity in months rather than years. Planted's most recent build, a 28-MW behind-the-meter project serving a neocloud data center, went from first call to power in 10 months, with field construction completed in under three months.Planted on Tuesday said the company's development model "is proven and bankable," and noted its projects carry independent engineering validation and project financing. The company completed Bowes Solar, an 11-MW project in Illinois for Cultivate Power, and will next build Aligned Climate Capital's Armoracia project on 16 acres, 10 fewer than the original design required. The denser redesign moved the project through local review after the initial layout was rejected, according to the company. Planted, which deployed more than 10 MW in 2025, is on track for 100 MW in 2026, a 10x jump in a single year, with a project pipeline of more than 20 GW.The company said Sage, the next-generation robot, will be deployed later this year.
#Solar
14 days ago
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN) reported on August 14 that the European Medicines Agency has validated the Marketing Authorization Application for PF-07307405, the companies' experimental Lyme disease vaccine candidate, and will now begin the official review.
For a vaccine candidate first proposed in a 2020 collaboration deal between Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and French biotech Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), this represents the formal transition from years of clinical development into European regulatory review.
The application is based on the Phase 3 VALOR trial, a placebo-controlled, randomized study of 9,437 participants aged five and older from high-incidence Lyme disease locations in US, Canada, and Europe. Participants got four doses on a phased schedule: one at months 0, 2, and 5-9, followed by a fourth dosage around a year later, shortly before the start of the next Lyme season. Topline data released in March 2026 demonstrated efficacy of over 70% in reducing confirmed Lyme disease cases, with the vaccine generally tolerated and no safety issues detected. However, the statistical picture was less clean than the headline efficacy suggests. The first prespecified **** ysis, which served as the primary endpoint, showed 73.2% efficacy but failed the trial's predefined statistical criterion because the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval was 15.8%, below the required 20%. A second prespecified **** ysis showed 74.8% efficacy and did meet that threshold.
Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), the smallest of the two partners, views the vaccine as a clean competitive setup. According to the company, PF-07307405 is the most advanced Lyme disease vaccine candidate currently in clinical development, a rare spot in the vaccine industry where new entrants often face competition from existing treatments. Under the terms of the 2020 partnership and license agreement, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) will have exclusive rights to produce and commercialize the vaccine if it is approved, while Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN) will benefit as a development partner.
The institutional stance is very different between the two companies, reflecting their very different sizes. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is still a strong name in the institutional **** e, with hedge fund ownership stable at 83 funds in the second quarter of 2026, the same as the first quarter, reflecting its position as a large, diversified pharmaceutical holding, rather than a name driven by a specific pipeline event. Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), however, has little hedge fund exposure, with only 4 funds holding a position in the second quarter, up from 1 in the first quarter, reflecting the continued lack of visibility of the smaller partner among institutional investors.
#disease
For a vaccine candidate first proposed in a 2020 collaboration deal between Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and French biotech Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), this represents the formal transition from years of clinical development into European regulatory review.
The application is based on the Phase 3 VALOR trial, a placebo-controlled, randomized study of 9,437 participants aged five and older from high-incidence Lyme disease locations in US, Canada, and Europe. Participants got four doses on a phased schedule: one at months 0, 2, and 5-9, followed by a fourth dosage around a year later, shortly before the start of the next Lyme season. Topline data released in March 2026 demonstrated efficacy of over 70% in reducing confirmed Lyme disease cases, with the vaccine generally tolerated and no safety issues detected. However, the statistical picture was less clean than the headline efficacy suggests. The first prespecified **** ysis, which served as the primary endpoint, showed 73.2% efficacy but failed the trial's predefined statistical criterion because the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval was 15.8%, below the required 20%. A second prespecified **** ysis showed 74.8% efficacy and did meet that threshold.
Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), the smallest of the two partners, views the vaccine as a clean competitive setup. According to the company, PF-07307405 is the most advanced Lyme disease vaccine candidate currently in clinical development, a rare spot in the vaccine industry where new entrants often face competition from existing treatments. Under the terms of the 2020 partnership and license agreement, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) will have exclusive rights to produce and commercialize the vaccine if it is approved, while Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN) will benefit as a development partner.
The institutional stance is very different between the two companies, reflecting their very different sizes. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is still a strong name in the institutional **** e, with hedge fund ownership stable at 83 funds in the second quarter of 2026, the same as the first quarter, reflecting its position as a large, diversified pharmaceutical holding, rather than a name driven by a specific pipeline event. Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN), however, has little hedge fund exposure, with only 4 funds holding a position in the second quarter, up from 1 in the first quarter, reflecting the continued lack of visibility of the smaller partner among institutional investors.
#disease
14 days ago
A company that specializes in autonomous power deployment said it has raised $31.8 million to scale its operations, with investments from major groups including Google and Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV). California-based Planted said the new capital expands its robotic fleet. The company said the funding also supports the launch of Sage, its next-generation robot, as demand outpaces the company's current capacity.Planted on September 15 said the funding round was led by Piva Capital and RA Capital Management Planetary Health, with participation from Gigascale Capital and Open AI-backer Khosla Ventures, along with Google and BEV. Gigascale Capital was founded by former Meta executive Mike Schroepfer."Globally, solar needs to be deployed about five times faster than it is today to hit the scale experts project we'll need by 2050, and the gap is growing as the industry confronts constraints involving supply chains, land, interconnection, and skilled labor," said Eric Brown, CEO of Planted. "The way to close that gap is to turn the construction of a power plant into a manufacturing problem: building robots and deployment systems, not just projects. We have robots in the field proving the model works today. This round is how we scale it."
Brown's group on Tuesday said a record 664 GW of solar photovoltaic power was installed worldwide last year, but noted terawatts of new generation capacity are needed to meet projected demand. The company said it combines planning software, high-density terrain-following solar arrays, storage, and field robotics into one system, which enables Planted to build on parcels of land that legacy trackers cannot use. The company said its system also delivers twice the energy per acre, resulting in smaller project footprints and a lower profile on the landscape.Planted said its array "is simplified, designed for automation, and defined in software," and thus can deliver new power generation capacity in months rather than years. Planted's most recent build, a 28-MW behind-the-meter project serving a neocloud data center, went from first call to power in 10 months, with field construction completed in under three months.Planted on Tuesday said the company's development model "is proven and bankable," and noted its projects carry independent engineering validation and project financing. The company completed Bowes Solar, an 11-MW project in Illinois for Cultivate Power, and will next build Aligned Climate Capital's Armoracia project on 16 acres, 10 fewer than the original design required. The denser redesign moved the project through local review after the initial layout was rejected, according to the company. Planted, which deployed more than 10 MW in 2025, is on track for 100 MW in 2026, a 10x jump in a single year, with a project pipeline of more than 20 GW.The company said Sage, the next-generation robot, will be deployed later this year.
#project #next
Brown's group on Tuesday said a record 664 GW of solar photovoltaic power was installed worldwide last year, but noted terawatts of new generation capacity are needed to meet projected demand. The company said it combines planning software, high-density terrain-following solar arrays, storage, and field robotics into one system, which enables Planted to build on parcels of land that legacy trackers cannot use. The company said its system also delivers twice the energy per acre, resulting in smaller project footprints and a lower profile on the landscape.Planted said its array "is simplified, designed for automation, and defined in software," and thus can deliver new power generation capacity in months rather than years. Planted's most recent build, a 28-MW behind-the-meter project serving a neocloud data center, went from first call to power in 10 months, with field construction completed in under three months.Planted on Tuesday said the company's development model "is proven and bankable," and noted its projects carry independent engineering validation and project financing. The company completed Bowes Solar, an 11-MW project in Illinois for Cultivate Power, and will next build Aligned Climate Capital's Armoracia project on 16 acres, 10 fewer than the original design required. The denser redesign moved the project through local review after the initial layout was rejected, according to the company. Planted, which deployed more than 10 MW in 2025, is on track for 100 MW in 2026, a 10x jump in a single year, with a project pipeline of more than 20 GW.The company said Sage, the next-generation robot, will be deployed later this year.
#project #next
14 days ago
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years in a unanimous decision on Wednesday, with central bankers now seeing a second hike this year to arrest sticky inflation.
The Federal Open Market Committee voted to raise its benchmark interest rate to the range of 3.75% to 4% from 3.5% to 3.75%, the first rate hike since July 2023, as renewed tensions in the Middle East drive oil prices higher and raise concerns about broadening price pressures.
"We now have data broadly defined that says the economy has indeed strengthened," Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh said in a press conference following the meeting. "Underlying growth is higher. Inflation is the problem. Stable prices have been the problem for, now, more than five and a half years.
"So what the committee decided to do today was take an action to ensure a timely return to our price stability."
Noting that the economy is essentially at full employment, Warsh said he thinks the Fed can tame inflation without depressing growth.
#committee #rate
The Federal Open Market Committee voted to raise its benchmark interest rate to the range of 3.75% to 4% from 3.5% to 3.75%, the first rate hike since July 2023, as renewed tensions in the Middle East drive oil prices higher and raise concerns about broadening price pressures.
"We now have data broadly defined that says the economy has indeed strengthened," Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh said in a press conference following the meeting. "Underlying growth is higher. Inflation is the problem. Stable prices have been the problem for, now, more than five and a half years.
"So what the committee decided to do today was take an action to ensure a timely return to our price stability."
Noting that the economy is essentially at full employment, Warsh said he thinks the Fed can tame inflation without depressing growth.
#committee #rate
14 days ago
Choosing between Advance Auto Parts (NYSE:AAP) and Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ:LUNR) requires balancing the steady but challenged automotive retail sector against the high-stakes, high-growth arena of ******* e infrastructure.
Advance Auto Parts operates as a massive retailer for vehicle maintenance, while Intuitive Machines focuses on lunar landers and orbital services. These two businesses represent very different risk-to-reward profiles for 2026 portfolios.
Advance Auto Parts operates as an automotive aftermarket parts retailer, serving both everyday do-it-yourselfers and professional installers like garages or dealerships. In its latest annual report, filed for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2026, the company noted it operates over 4,000 stores across North America. As an established player among retail stocks, its strategy relies on balancing these two customer bases, with professional sales accounting for nearly 50% of its total revenue.
In FY 2025, revenue reached $8.6 billion, representing a revenue decline of roughly 5.4% compared to the previous year. Despite this decline, the company reported a net income of $44.0 million. This resulted in a thin net margin, a measure of how much profit a company keeps from its total sales, of about 0.5%.
As of its January 2026 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio was 2.4x. This ratio measures total debt against shareholder equity, with a higher number suggesting more reliance on borrowing. The so-called current ratio, which tracks the ability to pay short-term debts with short-term ******* ets, was 1.7x. Free cash flow, defined as cash from operations minus capital expenditures, was negative $298.0 million for the year.
#parts #operates #total #ratio
Advance Auto Parts operates as a massive retailer for vehicle maintenance, while Intuitive Machines focuses on lunar landers and orbital services. These two businesses represent very different risk-to-reward profiles for 2026 portfolios.
Advance Auto Parts operates as an automotive aftermarket parts retailer, serving both everyday do-it-yourselfers and professional installers like garages or dealerships. In its latest annual report, filed for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2026, the company noted it operates over 4,000 stores across North America. As an established player among retail stocks, its strategy relies on balancing these two customer bases, with professional sales accounting for nearly 50% of its total revenue.
In FY 2025, revenue reached $8.6 billion, representing a revenue decline of roughly 5.4% compared to the previous year. Despite this decline, the company reported a net income of $44.0 million. This resulted in a thin net margin, a measure of how much profit a company keeps from its total sales, of about 0.5%.
As of its January 2026 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio was 2.4x. This ratio measures total debt against shareholder equity, with a higher number suggesting more reliance on borrowing. The so-called current ratio, which tracks the ability to pay short-term debts with short-term ******* ets, was 1.7x. Free cash flow, defined as cash from operations minus capital expenditures, was negative $298.0 million for the year.
#parts #operates #total #ratio
16 days ago
As we prepare some crucial showdown games in Week 5, let's tie a bow on Week 4 in our latest Touchdown/Chunk Play/First Down/Behind the Chains retrospective:
Touchdown
PURE BULLDAWG: We turn south to Las Cruces, and one of the most impressive wins so far among the Class 6A ranks this season, that being Las Cruces High's 41-0 beatdown of Hobbs.
The offensive sluggishness that defined the early portion of the season seems to be a thousand miles in the rear-view mirror after Las Cruces rolled into Hobbs and put the hammer down on the Eagles.
The transition period for Las Cruces clearly is over, and you can now see the Bulldawgs have gained their bearings in real time.
#touchdown #hobbs #down #first
Touchdown
PURE BULLDAWG: We turn south to Las Cruces, and one of the most impressive wins so far among the Class 6A ranks this season, that being Las Cruces High's 41-0 beatdown of Hobbs.
The offensive sluggishness that defined the early portion of the season seems to be a thousand miles in the rear-view mirror after Las Cruces rolled into Hobbs and put the hammer down on the Eagles.
The transition period for Las Cruces clearly is over, and you can now see the Bulldawgs have gained their bearings in real time.
#touchdown #hobbs #down #first
16 days ago
Sue Bird took center stage in Apple TV's recently-released three-part docuseries on the history of UConn women's basketball, which focused its second episode on the program's bitter, longstanding rivalry with Pat Summit's Tennessee.
Bird starred for Geno Auriemma from 1998 to 2002, a stretch that included two Final Four matchups with the Volunteers and served as the apex of tensions between the two programs. The Hall of Famer praised the Apple TV production for a nostalgic look back at her legendary run with the program and for spotlighting the themes that have defined Auriemma's four decades leading UConn.
"I finally got a chance to check out 'The Dynasty: UConn Huskies,' the doc that was on Apple TV," Bird said on her "Bird's Eye View" podcast Monday. "And listen, I loved it. I think we can all agree, right from the jump, that it is so well done. It is a wonderful documentary."
"There were certain players or certain eras touched on more, but I think what has always united us as players, whether you played together or not, was that we all had very similar experiences. The journey might have been different, but the arc was really, really similar. So, you definitely got a sense of what it was like to play at the University of Connecticut."
As one of the most recognizable stars from UConn's turn-of-the-century teams, Sue Bird was closely involved with the production in the documentary. The star point guard provided perspective on UConn's rivalry with Tennessee, ranging from humbling regular-season losses as an underclassman to a memorable 23-point drubbing in the 2002 Final Four, while also reflecting on getting busted at a bar with her Huskies teammates and an Auriemma mental breakdown that led him to hide under the Gampel Pavilion bleachers.
#bird #Apple #final
Bird starred for Geno Auriemma from 1998 to 2002, a stretch that included two Final Four matchups with the Volunteers and served as the apex of tensions between the two programs. The Hall of Famer praised the Apple TV production for a nostalgic look back at her legendary run with the program and for spotlighting the themes that have defined Auriemma's four decades leading UConn.
"I finally got a chance to check out 'The Dynasty: UConn Huskies,' the doc that was on Apple TV," Bird said on her "Bird's Eye View" podcast Monday. "And listen, I loved it. I think we can all agree, right from the jump, that it is so well done. It is a wonderful documentary."
"There were certain players or certain eras touched on more, but I think what has always united us as players, whether you played together or not, was that we all had very similar experiences. The journey might have been different, but the arc was really, really similar. So, you definitely got a sense of what it was like to play at the University of Connecticut."
As one of the most recognizable stars from UConn's turn-of-the-century teams, Sue Bird was closely involved with the production in the documentary. The star point guard provided perspective on UConn's rivalry with Tennessee, ranging from humbling regular-season losses as an underclassman to a memorable 23-point drubbing in the 2002 Final Four, while also reflecting on getting busted at a bar with her Huskies teammates and an Auriemma mental breakdown that led him to hide under the Gampel Pavilion bleachers.
#bird #Apple #final
16 days ago
On September 10, MasterCraft Boat Holdings (NASDAQ:MCFT) reported a fiscal fourth quarter that looked nothing like the one a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled, margins expanded across the legacy business, and the company closed out a year defined by its May 15 acquisition of Marine Products Corporation. But buried inside those same results was a $10.1 million writedown that tells a very different story about one corner of the business.
MasterCraft's core boat business is the reason the quarter worked at all. Legacy net sales, meaning the business before the acquisition, climbed 21.5% year over year to $96.6 million in the fourth quarter, powered by the next generation X Series lineup and less discounting at the dealer level. That combination of volume and pricing pushed legacy adjusted EBITDA margin up 730 basis points to 19.3%, up from 12% a year earlier. Once the newly acquired Chaparral and Robalo brands are added in, which contributed for only six weeks after the deal closed on May 15, consolidated fourth quarter net sales reached $129.9 million, up 63.4%, and adjusted EBITDA hit $20.5 million, up 114.9%.
The company also cleaned up its channel. Dealer field inventory for the legacy business fell 30% year over year, with turnover now running ahead of pre-pandemic levels, a sign dealers are selling boats rather than sitting on them. Full-year adjusted net income reached $30.2 million, or $1.76 per diluted share, up from $15.1 million, or $0.92 per share, in fiscal 2025. The company generated $22.3 million in free cash flow for the year and, as of June 30, held $43.9 million in cash, zero debt, and a fully available $75 million credit line. MasterCraft's own retail sales grew low single digits for the year even as the broader powerboat industry fell mid to high single digits, and the newer Robalo brand posted high single-digit retail growth in the fishing boat category.
The picture gets murkier once you look past the flagship brand. The Leisure segment, home to the Crest and Balise pontoon boats, saw fourth-quarter sales fall 11.2% year over year to $12.1 million, and the company booked a $10.1 million non-cash impairment against Crest brand ******* ets tied to what management called current category conditions. On a GAAP basis, that charge combined with acquisition costs and purchase accounting adjustments turned the quarter into a net loss of $7 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, compared to net income of $5.5 million a year earlier. Operating expenses rose $23.1 million in the quarter, including $5.9 million in transaction costs tied to the acquisition.
#million #legacy
MasterCraft's core boat business is the reason the quarter worked at all. Legacy net sales, meaning the business before the acquisition, climbed 21.5% year over year to $96.6 million in the fourth quarter, powered by the next generation X Series lineup and less discounting at the dealer level. That combination of volume and pricing pushed legacy adjusted EBITDA margin up 730 basis points to 19.3%, up from 12% a year earlier. Once the newly acquired Chaparral and Robalo brands are added in, which contributed for only six weeks after the deal closed on May 15, consolidated fourth quarter net sales reached $129.9 million, up 63.4%, and adjusted EBITDA hit $20.5 million, up 114.9%.
The company also cleaned up its channel. Dealer field inventory for the legacy business fell 30% year over year, with turnover now running ahead of pre-pandemic levels, a sign dealers are selling boats rather than sitting on them. Full-year adjusted net income reached $30.2 million, or $1.76 per diluted share, up from $15.1 million, or $0.92 per share, in fiscal 2025. The company generated $22.3 million in free cash flow for the year and, as of June 30, held $43.9 million in cash, zero debt, and a fully available $75 million credit line. MasterCraft's own retail sales grew low single digits for the year even as the broader powerboat industry fell mid to high single digits, and the newer Robalo brand posted high single-digit retail growth in the fishing boat category.
The picture gets murkier once you look past the flagship brand. The Leisure segment, home to the Crest and Balise pontoon boats, saw fourth-quarter sales fall 11.2% year over year to $12.1 million, and the company booked a $10.1 million non-cash impairment against Crest brand ******* ets tied to what management called current category conditions. On a GAAP basis, that charge combined with acquisition costs and purchase accounting adjustments turned the quarter into a net loss of $7 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, compared to net income of $5.5 million a year earlier. Operating expenses rose $23.1 million in the quarter, including $5.9 million in transaction costs tied to the acquisition.
#million #legacy
16 days ago
EAST LANSING – What would a "measuring stick" performance for Michigan State football against Notre Dame look like before Big Ten play begins the following week?
Pat Fitzgerald countered with a more existential question.
"Can you define what that means?" the first-year coach said Monday, Sept. 14. "I don't know what that means. It's like 'guns ablazing.' What does that mean?"
GET READY: More Fitzmagic at Notre Dame? MSU coach has good history in South Bend
The term was then defined as what – beyond a win – are the two or three things he wants to see from the 2-0 Spartans as they take the road for the first time to face the No. 3 Irish (2-0). But Fitzgerald's attention wasn't even on traveling to the college football mecca in South Bend, Indiana.
#first #east
Pat Fitzgerald countered with a more existential question.
"Can you define what that means?" the first-year coach said Monday, Sept. 14. "I don't know what that means. It's like 'guns ablazing.' What does that mean?"
GET READY: More Fitzmagic at Notre Dame? MSU coach has good history in South Bend
The term was then defined as what – beyond a win – are the two or three things he wants to see from the 2-0 Spartans as they take the road for the first time to face the No. 3 Irish (2-0). But Fitzgerald's attention wasn't even on traveling to the college football mecca in South Bend, Indiana.
#first #east
16 days ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Bob Mackie, the fashion designer whose visually provocative Hollywood style defined glamour for the 1970s — including putting Carol Burnett in some of her kookiest getups and Cher in her raciest ones — died Monday. He was 87.
"He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do," a read statement on his social media accounts. "His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world."
Dubbed the "Designer to the Stars," Mackie won nine Emmy Awards, a Tony Award and was nominated for three Oscars, including one for Barbra Streisand's "Funny Lady," in which she wore a sheer batwing gown. He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Science's Hall of Fame in 2002.
He designed gowns for Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone, Diana Ross and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and concert costumes for Pink. When Marilyn Monroe delivered a breathy, seductive take on "Happy Birthday" at a fundraiser for President John F. Kennedy and the Democratic National Committee, she did it in a sheer, beaded gown that Mackie dreamed up in a sketch.
His influence can be seen in the styles of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. His archival pieces are worn today by the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy, Miley Cyrus and Zendaya, the latter who wore a Mackie gown to honor Cher at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. When Taylor Swift wanted to look like a showgirl on the cover of her 2025 album "The Life of a Showgirl," she turned to some Mackie originals.
#fame #fashion #showgirl
"He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do," a read statement on his social media accounts. "His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world."
Dubbed the "Designer to the Stars," Mackie won nine Emmy Awards, a Tony Award and was nominated for three Oscars, including one for Barbra Streisand's "Funny Lady," in which she wore a sheer batwing gown. He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Science's Hall of Fame in 2002.
He designed gowns for Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone, Diana Ross and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and concert costumes for Pink. When Marilyn Monroe delivered a breathy, seductive take on "Happy Birthday" at a fundraiser for President John F. Kennedy and the Democratic National Committee, she did it in a sheer, beaded gown that Mackie dreamed up in a sketch.
His influence can be seen in the styles of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. His archival pieces are worn today by the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy, Miley Cyrus and Zendaya, the latter who wore a Mackie gown to honor Cher at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. When Taylor Swift wanted to look like a showgirl on the cover of her 2025 album "The Life of a Showgirl," she turned to some Mackie originals.
#fame #fashion #showgirl
16 days ago
Female athletes have spoken out against a controversial sports gambling advert starring actress Sydney Sweeney.
The advert has gone viral online and features American Sweeney naked but covering parts of her body with various pieces of sporting equipment.
It has sparked a strong reaction, with many female athletes criticising its ******* ualisation of women in sport, and how they are being defined by their appearance rather than their achievements as sportswomen.
Amy Hunt, who became a four-time European champion earlier this summer, referenced the advert after she ran a season's best 22.10 seconds to finish fourth in the 200m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday.
"Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like," Hunt said in her post-race interview with BBC Sport.
#sport #advert #athletes
The advert has gone viral online and features American Sweeney naked but covering parts of her body with various pieces of sporting equipment.
It has sparked a strong reaction, with many female athletes criticising its ******* ualisation of women in sport, and how they are being defined by their appearance rather than their achievements as sportswomen.
Amy Hunt, who became a four-time European champion earlier this summer, referenced the advert after she ran a season's best 22.10 seconds to finish fourth in the 200m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday.
"Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like," Hunt said in her post-race interview with BBC Sport.
#sport #advert #athletes
16 days ago
MADRID (AP) — Changes are expected to the new Madring track next year after its lackluster debut at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
Organizers said they are open to trying to improve the layout that produced virtually no overtaking opportunities and drew widespread criticism from Formula 1 drivers. The lack of track action was criticized by fans as well as F1 returned to Madrid after a 45-year absence.
Event director Luis García Abad said that governing body FIA has already indicated the changes that might be needed on the urban track that mixes existing roads and purpose-built sections. Madrid signed a 10-year contract to be on the F1 calendar.
"Well, to be honest, FIA has clearly defined how to improve the circuit layout, and we will be open to that because we will have to refurbish the circuit for next year," Abad told Motorsport.com.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli won Sunday's race after pole-sitter Lando Norris caught an unlucky break with the timing of the deployment of the virtual safety car. Norris ended third, behind Max Verstappen.
#track #improve
Organizers said they are open to trying to improve the layout that produced virtually no overtaking opportunities and drew widespread criticism from Formula 1 drivers. The lack of track action was criticized by fans as well as F1 returned to Madrid after a 45-year absence.
Event director Luis García Abad said that governing body FIA has already indicated the changes that might be needed on the urban track that mixes existing roads and purpose-built sections. Madrid signed a 10-year contract to be on the F1 calendar.
"Well, to be honest, FIA has clearly defined how to improve the circuit layout, and we will be open to that because we will have to refurbish the circuit for next year," Abad told Motorsport.com.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli won Sunday's race after pole-sitter Lando Norris caught an unlucky break with the timing of the deployment of the virtual safety car. Norris ended third, behind Max Verstappen.
#track #improve
