New York governor Kathy Hochul will today (Monday) launch an 88-person exploratory committee to report on the feasibility and challenges of a formal bid to host the Winter Olympic Games, according to people with knowledge of the announcement who spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to do so publicly.
The potential bid would see New York City and Lake Placid partner to host the 2042 edition.
Earlier this year, Gov. Hochul told The Athletic that "significant" meetings had taken place as she seeks to return the Winter Olympics to New York state for the first time since 1980, which is best remembered for the Miracle on Ice when the U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviet Union. Gov. Hochul, while announcing the committee today, will also announce a $2.5 million funding commitment to create a monument in Lake Placid in honor of the Miracle on Ice team.
The Lake Placid-New York City Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Exploratory Committee will have an eight-strong leadership group, which will include Ashley Walden, the president and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, as well as representation from the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (both Democrats), sources said. It will also include Julie Su, appointed deputy mayor for economic justice of New York City by mayor Zohran Mamdani, as well as Hope Knight, the president of Empire State Development, the New York state economic development arm.
There is a 16-member sub-committee on finance, which includes John Collins, co-owner and operating partner of the New York Islanders, and Josh Cohen, the son of New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who works as the team's vice president of business development. Randy Levine, the owner of the New York Yankees, is one of 12 members of a legal sub-committee, which also includes Robert Landau, the executive vice-president of NBC Universal, the long-time broadcaster of the Olympics in the United States.

#city

EXCLUSIVE: Over decades at Disney, Mary Fossier employed the full force of the law against individuals and organizations that attempted to infringe on the House of Mouse's intellectual property. Now, after being canned by then Bob Iger-run company in late 2024, the ex-associate General Counsel is turning the law on Disney in a just filed discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination action.
Claiming she was fired in a round of layoffs "to make way for a younger and less qualified colleague," 29-year Disney vet Fossier's own attorneys claim their client "has been devastated both economically and emotionally by her wrongful discharge."
More from Deadline
Disney Layoffs Hit TV Development & Casting Executive Ranks
Dana Walden Addresses Disney Layoffs: "Technology Set Their Sights On Our Business"

#iger

For a subset of young workers, the name of the game is to squirrel away enough savings and investments so retirement can come early, substituting strategic personal finance for a lifetime of labor. (FIRE!)
It turns out that the post-pandemic boom and explosion of stock prices has already gifted many older Americans with a version of that lifestyle, according to Bank of America — and it's affecting the economy.
Labor force participation — which measures the share of people employed or seeking work among the total population — never recovered after the shock of the pandemic.
According to BofA's economics team, led by Aditya Bhave, the biggest driver behind the decline in overall labor force participation has been workers over age 55 leaving the workforce.
"This debunks a popular bearish narrative on the labor market: 'the u-rate would have been higher if participation hadn't fallen,'" Bhave wrote.

#according #workers #FIRE #americans

Coca-Cola ($KO) beats PepsiCo ($PEP) for generational portfolios with 63 consecutive dividend increases, wider margins, and 182% 10-year share gains versus 60%.
PepsiCo's free cash flow barely covers its 4.44% dividend yield, while Coca-Cola's expected $12.4B free cash flow dwarfs its $8.8B dividend payout.
A pending IRS appeals ruling and a premium P/E of 28 are the two risks that could crack Coca-Cola's otherwise dominant long-term case.
Just released. Our ***** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Coca-Cola didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat KO. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) or PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP): Which one better suits someone investing for retirement right now, knowing the shares may pass to the next generation? Looked at over several decades, Coca-Cola wins. PepsiCo pays the bigger yield today. Coca-Cola has the safer dividend, the stronger brand economics and fewer structural cracks.

#stocks

Kohl's is rolling out steep discounts for customers as it struggles to turn around its sales.
The department store chain revealed in its most recent earnings report that its comparable sales decreased 0.9% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, while recent Placer.ai data showed overall visits to Kohl's stores declined 1.4%.
Kohl's CEO Michael Bender said on the August earnings call that the company is "operating in a challenging macroeconomic environment" where customers are "experiencing persistent financial pressures from inflation in their everyday expenses, like gas and food."
Against this backdrop, Kohl's has taken several steps to make its merchandise more affordable. It introduced Deal Bar and Toy Towers in stores earlier this year, featuring products priced below $10. It also priced thousands of back-to-school items under $25 in July.
In its latest effort to win over price-conscious customers, Kohl's has made its annual Kohl's Deal Days savings event more generous this year.

#year #deal #recent #placer

Minutes from the Federal Reserve's September policy meeting reflect unanimous agreement among officials that interest rates needed to be higher to combat persistent inflation.
"Participants generally emphasized that inflation remained elevated while the labor market appeared to be near full employment, with some signs of strengthening, and that economic activity was expanding at a solid pace. Furthermore, almost all participants ****** sed that, while inflation risks were tilted to the upside, risks to the labor market had diminished and were now broadly balanced," minutes from the Sept. 16 meeting released Wednesday stated.
"Based on the outlook and the changing balance of risks, all participants viewed a higher target range for the federal funds rate as appropriate."
The Fed voted unanimously on Sept. 16 to raise rates, the first hike in three years. And at the time, most Federal Open Market Committee members saw a need for at least one more 25 basis point rate hike this year.
Markets were banking on a hike and expecting more to come.

#federal #hike #rates

Students at Cornell University began what was billed as a seven-hour sit-in on Wednesday in solidarity with "Jane Doe," the former student who alleges she was drugged and raped by multiple members of a fraternity on its Ithaca, N.Y., campus in October 2024.
"Seven hours for the seven hours she endured," a coalition of Cornell student groups said in an Instagram post announcing the demonstration. "Seven hours of solidarity. Seven hours demanding change."
About 80 students gathered in a campus dining hall named for Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison on Wednesday afternoon, according to NBC News. The protest was part of "Zero Day," which organizers described as an "economic blackout calling on students to disrupt business as usual by not attending class or spending on campus."
A Cornell University student sits with a sign during a campus-wide sit-in on Oct. 7.
The sit-in comes two days after thousands of people took part in a campus rally protesting Cornell's handling of Jane Doe's allegations. Demonstrators held signs accusing the school of protecting the alleged rapists and demanding accountability.

#hours #student #university

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
For workers wondering how far artificial intelligence could go, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has a straightforward answer — AI is going to change the job market, whether people are ready for it or not. Some jobs will disappear, others will change and new ones will likely emerge. But Dimon warned that the speed of that transition could matter just as much as the technology itself.
"As a business person, my view is don't put your head in the sand," Dimon said at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January. "It is what it is. We're going to deploy it. Will it eliminate jobs? Yes. Will it change jobs? Yes. Will it add some jobs? Probably."
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Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $100.

#earn #benzinga #chase

Rich Americans are getting richer, but not all equally. The K-shaped split that let high earners pull away from low earners now cuts through the top 1% too, with the ultra-rich far ahead of the rest.
The average household in the top 0.1% is now worth about $204 million, or 7.7 times as much as one in the rest of the top 1%, according to a Fortune ******* ysis of Federal Reserve data. That ratio is the highest in the Fed's quarterly series going back to 1989, up from 6.2 times at the end of 2019. Currently, the Fed counts 136,779 households in the top 0.1%
The top 0.1%'s wealth has more than doubled since the end of 2019, from $13.4 trillion to nearly $28 trillion in the second quarter of 2026. Over the same period, the rest of the top 1% saw its wealth grow 68%, from $19.3 trillion to $32.5 trillion. The top 0.1% now holds 15% of the nation's household wealth, up 0.5 percentage point since the first quarter.
"We are talking about continued redistribution upward and further concentration of wealth at the top," Markus Schneider, an ******* ociate professor of economics at the University of Denver, told Fortune.
The clearest difference between the two groups is what they own.

#earners

America's older households sit on nearly $140 trillion in wealth, and much of it showed up recently.
Households age 55 and over held around three-quarters of the nation's total net worth in the second quarter of 2026, according to an Oct. 1 report from Bank of America Institute, based on ******* ysis of Federal Reserve data. "With equity markets rising strongly," wrote senior economist David Michael Tinsley, those households have seen "a more than 20% increase in their net worth over the past two years."
That rally has run on AI. The Magnificent Seven accounted for more than half of the S&P 500's gains last year, Fortune reported in April, and Goldman Sachs strategists found technology stocks drove 85% of the index's return through mid-May this year. "AI-driven return has been the single most important structural driver of equity performance," Capgemini's Luca Russignan told Yahoo Finance in June. Boomers own 54% of all U.S. stocks.
That's a lopsided split. Americans 55 and over make up about 31% of the population, according to Census Bureau estimates, but control roughly 75% of its net worth.
The pile gives many older Americans what the institute calls "considerable capacity to spend on travel and other leisure categories." Add their growing share of the population and their extra free time, and they become an increasingly influential market for businesses chasing consumer dollars. The BofA report focused mainly on the economic implications of a growing mass of older consumers, but the generational wealth composition was striking.

#households #institute #according #report

You've probably heard the cliché "it takes money to make money." And there's some truth to the premise. In the business world, you'll usually need at least a little seed capital to start.
If you're an investor with average income, however, you might be surprised how easily you could become a millionaire. And not from brilliantly lucky stock-picking, either; attempting to outperform the overall market can undermine your performance, in fact. The key, rather, is making disciplined contributions to the cause -- no matter how seemingly modest -- even when you don't want to make them. That's often when sticking with your plan helps the most.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
And $500 per month would do the trick, given enough time. Here's how, and why.
There's no denying that in the economic environment of 2026, coming up with an extra $500 per month can feel like a pretty tall order. For most households willing to buckle down on discretionary spending, though, it's possible. And if you're willing to invest that money in an S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) index fund that matches the broad market's average annual gain of 10%, in 30 years you'd be sitting on a little over $1.1 million (or slightly less if you're not contributing this cash to a tax-sheltering retirement account).

#NVIDIA #you 're #flashing #down

AGNC's Q2 spread income of 40 cents per share covered its 36-cent dividend, but the payout has been cut three times since 2015.
Annaly raised its quarterly dividend from $0.70 to $0.75, while Dynex rebounded to 6.4% economic return after both posted Q1 losses.
If Q3 spread income falls below 36 cents or book value drops below $8.38, shareholders' own capital funds the dividend and a cut becomes likely.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
AGNC Investment (NASDAQ:AGNC) is a mortgage REIT that borrows short-term money in the repo market, buys agency mortgage-backed securities, and keeps the spread between bond yields and borrowing costs. Leverage of 7.4 times tangible equity magnifies both gains and losses.

#times

The 10-year Treasury yield recently touched its highest level in roughly two decades, north of 5.3%, per CNBC.
When the 10-year Treasury yield rises, stocks can become less attractive because investors can earn higher yields on safer bonds, and higher borrowing costs can weigh on companies and their growth. At the same time, older bonds with lower interest rates lose market value compared with newer, higher-yielding bonds.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
In short, this yield is the interest rate the U.S. government pays to borrow for 10 years and is a key benchmark for global borrowing costs and economic outlook.
Here's a difference that matters. A Treasury note pays you the same coupon in year 10 that it pays you in year one. A growing dividend you can find in a stock doesn't sit still. It compounds. Buy the right business today, and the income it hands you a decade from now can be meaningfully larger than what it pays this year, on top of whatever the stock itself is worth by then.

#treasury

By Ann Saphir
Oct 7 (Reuters) - The interest rate on the most common US home loan jumped last week to its highest in almost ‌three years, worsening affordability for buyers four weeks before elections that ‌will decide if President Donald Trump's Republicans keep control of Congress.
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surged 19 basis points to 7.49% in the week ended October 2, the Mortgage Bankers **** ociation said on Wednesday. It was last higher in November 2023.
Mortgage rates are tied closely to the yield on US 10-year Treasury notes, which earlier this week ‌hit a 24-year high, ⁠driven by worries over inflationary pressures from soaring oil prices and data showing stronger US economic growth.
The cost of living is ⁠the top issue on Americans' minds as they decide how they will vote on November 3, a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday showed, and is one reason why Trump's approval rating is at a record low of 32%.

#week #rate

American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT) traded at around $165 on October 6, within five dollars of its 52-week low of $160.06.
The company keeps 45.41% of revenue as operating profit on a portfolio of communications towers leased to wireless carriers. A business that profitable sitting at a 52-week low is usually a disagreement about the future rather than the present.
READ ALSO: What is eBay's (EBAY) Economic Moat, and is it Widening or Narrowing?
A tower is difficult to replicate for reasons that have nothing to do with engineering. Local authorities restrict where new structures can go, so an existing site near a highway or a dense suburb cannot simply be copied next door.
The economics follow from that scarcity. The first tenant on a tower covers the construction and the ground lease, and each additional tenant is close to pure margin. Gross margin of 73.77% is what that layering produces, and the 45.41% operating margin is what survives after the overheads.

#NYSE

The US trade deficit jumped to more than $100 billion in August as importers wrestled with a new round of President Trump's tariffs and continued to bring in billions of dollars' worth of components for AI data centers.
The total gap: $105.6 billion, a 13.8% increase from July's revised $92.8 billion deficit, the highest level since early 2025, when importers stocked up ahead of Trump's "Liberation Day" and a later four-month surge in imports that pushed average monthly trade deficits north of $120 billion.
Imports rose in August by 4.3%, compared with a 1.4% increase in exports. The US brought in $420.8 billion in total imports in August against $315.2 billion in exports.
In an **** ysis, Capital Economics said the "sharp rise in imports suggests third quarter GDP growth will be well below our current forecast of 4.0%," suggesting that the final annualized figure could be closer to 2.5%."
"The relatively broad-based rise in goods imports mean net trade was still a drag overall," the group added.

#billion #imports #total #increase

A civilian cargo ship has sunk and its crew is missing after being attacked by drones in the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials say.
A second vessel - carrying grain - was also hit within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. Its 18 crew were rescued.
Radev did not say who was behind the attacks, which come as Russia intensifies strikes in the Black Sea, particularly the eastern side, as part of its war against Ukraine.
Moscow has not commented on the latest incident, a day after it was accused by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of striking a civilian vessel carrying corn. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the attacks were "unacceptable".
Air and sea drones were involved in the attacks at about 03:00 (23:00 GMT), some 70 miles (112 km) off the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria, Radev said.

#radev #carrying

Even famed "bond king" Bill Gross is warning investors about the risks of owning longer-term bonds, arguing that excessive debt and current macroeconomic conditions have made them increasingly risky. But his recommendation comes with one important exception.
In a Sept. 30 op-ed for the Financial Times, Gross, who co-founded ***** et management giant Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), put it bluntly: "Don't own bonds."
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028. Here are 4 reasons why retirees can't afford to waste time
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one

#gross #bill #bonds

What if I told you that the biggest risk from the next market crash isn't the crash itself? It might be what investors do to their portfolios to try to avoid the crash.
In today's economic environment, there are legitimate reasons for concern. Inflation is high. Oil prices have soared. Interest rates are on the rise. The Shiller CAPE ratio, which measures stock prices relative to inflation-adjusted earnings over the past 10 years, is at its second-highest level of all time.
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 »
But selling stocks and moving to cash to avoid the decline creates a whole new set of problems. First, you have to be correct in your prediction that a crash is coming and the timing of it. Second, you have to decide when the right time is to get back into stocks (and have the actual discipline to do it).
I'd rather own an ETF that gives me the confidence to remain invested in stocks through the crash.

#missed #investors #prices

One of the secrets of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) and its success in the stock market has been its focus on value. Whether led by former Chief Executive Officer Warren Buffett or its current leader, Greg Abel, Berkshire has always focused on buying stocks when they are significantly below their intrinsic value.
On top of that, Berkshire's management team has sought companies that have significant advantages over their competitors -- an economic moat -- operating in a mature industry with reliable cash flow.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
That strategy has helped Berkshire Hathaway build an investment portfolio valued at about $350 billion -- and generate returns that averaged 19.7% during the past 60 years, nearly double the S&P 500's (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) return.
In today's go-go market, which is focused so heavily on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technological advances, it's easy to forget that there are some great value stocks available -- and at comparatively dirt cheap prices. Three such stocks currently in Berkshire's portfolio are American Express (NYSE: AXP), The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), and DaVita (NYSE: DVA). Here's the case for buying and holding each of them right now.

#NVIDIA #value #stocks

Umberto Pizzi, who has died aged 88, was a paparazzo who documented Italy's Dolce Vita era, specialising in candid shots of the actors, television personalities, politicians and ***** orted hangers-on who made up the emerging class of nouveau riche.
Pizzi himself spurned the term "paparazzi", which he thought conveyed an attitude of hostility towards photojournalists. He preferred to think of his role as a kind of modern-day Petronius, documenting the spectacles and excesses of the era through its best-known personalities. He photographed stars of Italian cinema such as Marcello Mastroianni and Vittorio Gassman, as well as Hollywood golden couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
In the 1970s and 1980s he ventured into the realms of Italian culture, politics and the global aristocracy. He photographed John Paul Getty III during his time in Rome and trod on bullets on his way to the scene where the former prime minister Aldo Moro was kidnapped in 1978. His archive, comprising around two million images, spanned two republics and more than 60 years of history, from economic boom to the season of protest, through to the modern era of mass communication.
The film-maker Tinto Brass pictured by Pizzi with the actress Sandra Milo, 1987 - UMBERTO PIZZI DA/Fotogramma
From the early 2000s he worked for the web publication Dagospia, which became notorious for its section headed "Cafonal": roughly, the uncouth, ostentatious rich. One Pizzi image that encapsulated the new era showed a table of important people stuffing themselves with food. Another was of Northern League and Forza Italia members dousing a reclining woman with champagne during a birthday party.

#dolce #vita #petronius

Iran's top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States' war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse.
A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure.
The main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas where a UK maritime agency reported on Sunday another tanker struck by an unknown projectile.
"If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of foreign ambassadors.
"There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions," he continued, adding "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.

#sunday #Israel

Officials say it will be a staging facility for people who are self-deporting.
A new facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, may begin receiving undocumented families with children, local officials and immigrant rights advocates say.
The 528-bed facility will house families with children, unaccompanied minors, and single adult females as they await removal inside renovated former Air Force barracks at England Airpark, a former military base that now houses the Alexandria International Airport and an immigration detention facility, according to a draft agreement between ICE and the England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD) reviewed by ABC News.
A communications manager for EEIDD told ABC News the facility could start receiving people "within the next week or two."
The facility would be the second constructed to house children since President Donald Trump's second term began but is the first to hold unaccompanied minors who are usually held in shelters under the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services before deportation or release.

#facility #alexandria #officials #House

By Jana Choukeir and Doina Chiacu
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States exchanged new threats on Sunday, with President Donald Trump warning Iran would fail economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn't make a deal, and the Iranian ‌military saying it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack.
The conflict has looked stalemated for months, with no sign either side was ready ‌for concessions even as it has deepened a global energy crisis, cratered swathes of Iran's economy and spilled over into new regional escalations.
In a phone call with a Fox News reporter, Trump said Iran's leaders should make a deal, rot economically or be wiped out, the reporter said.
However, with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian expected in New York this week for the United Nations General ***** embly, Trump said he would be open to meeting him, the Fox reporter added.

#reporter #Iran #make

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

#customer

On September 9, 2026, Reuters reported that Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s Google will invest at least €13 billion, or about $15.1 billion, in AI infrastructure in Finland over the next two years, its biggest European investment, including three new data centers and a 22-year deal for up to 50% of the output of one of Finland's two nuclear power plants. The agreement with Finnish utility Fortum is Google's first nuclear energy deal outside the United States, and Fortum's stock jumped as much as 15.5% on the news, its biggest gain in Europe that day.
Finland gives Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) a potentially more cost-efficient location for its expanding AI infrastructure. Google plans to invest at least €13 billion ($15.1 billion) in three new data centers and related infrastructure in Finland during 2027 and 2028. The country's cold climate can reduce the need for energy-intensive cooling. The investment will also help grid improvements, clean-energy projects and battery storage.
The 22-year nuclear power agreement gives Google greater control over a critical input for AI infrastructure. Google will purchase up to 50% of the electricity generated by Finland's Loviisa nuclear plant, providing a long-term source of low-carbon power for its data-center operations. The agreement also gives Fortum greater economic certainty to extend and upgrade the plant through 2050. Google and Fortum plan to explore more nuclear and renewable projects.
Alphabet has strong demand drivers that can justify investment in AI capacity. The firm has increased its 2026 global capital investment target to $195 billion-$205 billion as it seeks to capture growing AI computing demand. Google is using the additional infrastructure to support Gemini, Search, Maps, and YouTube. It gives Alphabet multiple major products through which it can monetize greater AI capacity over time.
The Finland project adds another major commitment to Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s already enormous AI spending program. Alphabet expects to spend $195 billion-$205 billion on capital investment globally in 2026. The Finnish project will require at least another €13 billion during 2027 and 2028. Investors need Alphabet to make enough incremental revenue and cash flow from AI services to justify an infrastructure buildout that is rapidly increasing the company's capital requirements.

#billion #Google #investment #googl

On September 8, 2026, Reuters reported that ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) plans to work with major customers. It includes Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM), Nvidia, Intel, Samsung, and SK Hynix to adapt its next-generation "High NA" extreme ultraviolet lithography tools so they can print larger data-center chips. It addresses a current limitation where the newer machines use a smaller mask than ASML's widely deployed standard EUV tools.
ASML targets a pilot production line using the larger masks by 2031 and high-volume manufacturing readiness by 2033. Chief technology officer Marco Pieters said these changes could lift the productivity of these systems by roughly 40%.
The larger-mask project could create a new growth opportunity for ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) while helping TSMC manufacture larger AI chips more efficiently. ASML plans to use its High NA EUV tools to handle chips as large as today's biggest data-center processors. The business expects the larger masks to increase system productivity by 40%. It could scale up demand for its next-generation equipment and help TSMC improve the economics of producing increasingly large and complex chips.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)'s planned use gives ASML a clear path toward commercializing the technology. TSMC plans to introduce High NA EUV into advanced-node high-volume production from 2030. ASML aims to show its larger-mask technology through a pilot line in 2031. TSMC's commitment could give ASML greater visibility into future equipment demand. Early use could help TSMC maintain its advanced-chip manufacturing advantage.
The collaboration could solidify both companies' positions as chipmakers develop larger and more powerful processors. ASML can extend its High NA roadmap beyond its current chip-size limitation. TSMC can prepare its manufacturing processes for the next generation of AI chips. The partnership gives ASML an opportunity to deepen its relationship with one of its largest customers and gives TSMC access to a technology that could support future advanced-chip production.

#asml #technology #plans #next

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

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Forgent Power Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:FPS) reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of approximately $462 million on September 15, up 94% year over year. Bookings reached $1.503 billion, increasing 375%, while backlog stood at $3.0 billion as of June 30, 2026.
The reported 3.3 times book-to-bill ratio compares quarterly bookings with quarterly revenue. Bookings and backlog are operating measures of order activity and outstanding contractual work, respectively. Neither represents cash collected, and backlog does not guarantee the timing of future revenue.
Forgent Power Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:FPS) expects fiscal 2027 revenue of $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion, implying 76% growth at the midpoint. The question is whether factories, employees, and working capital can support that expansion while preserving cash generation.
Forgent Power Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:FPS) already has evidence of stronger production economics. Fourth-quarter operating income reached $91.9 million, compared with $8.3 million a year earlier. Operating cash flow was $74 million, exceeding the quarter's $31 million of capital expenditures.
Those results suggest that rising output is beginning to cover the costs of expansion. Management attributed stronger profitability partly to revenue growing faster than operating costs as new campuses approached target production levels.

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Sempra (NYSE:SRE) added a long-term customer commitment on September 14, when its infrastructure subsidiary announced a 20-year sales and purchase agreement with Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE:PBR). The agreement covers approximately 0.8 million tonnes annually of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.
Supply will come from the subsidiary's contracted liquefaction capacity at Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 in Texas. The project is under construction, with trains 3 and 4 expected to begin commercial operations in 2030 and 2031, respectively. The agreement improves visibility into future sales, while the earnings contribution depends on delivery and contract economics.
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) becomes the infrastructure subsidiary's first South American LNG customer. That broadens the geographic base of buyers and establishes a commercial relationship extending over two decades.
For Sempra (NYSE:SRE), the practical benefit is an external buyer for part of the subsidiary's contracted capacity. Securing that relationship before startup could reduce the need to find buyers for the covered volumes as production approaches, while supporting longer-term supply planning.
The annual commitment equals approximately 6.2% of Phase 2's planned 13-million-tonne annual capacity. This provides a measure of scale, although it does not establish the percentage of capacity still available for sale.

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