Layoff plans in October fell to the lowest level since 2023 as companies turned their attention to retaining existing employees and adding seasonal help ahead of the holidays.
US employers announced 43,994 job cuts in October, up slightly from September but down 71% from a year earlier, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Job cuts have been muted this year as the labor market stays in "low hire, low fire" mode. Announced cuts in the first 10 months of the year are at their lowest level since 2022.
"This is a low-fire environment," Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at Challenger, said in a statement. "Employers are holding on to the workers they have heading into the holidays, and the hiring they are announcing is largely short-term, seasonal work. Companies want the flexibility to meet holiday demand without adding permanent headcount."
Food companies announced nearly 10,000 layoffs in October, followed by the technology sector's 5,600 cuts. Tech companies have announced more than 170,000 job cuts this year, usurping their total for all of 2025.

#announced #since

An expert has broken down Queen Camilla's beach clean-up moment with King Charles on their Caribbean tour. She arrived over the weekend to join her husband for the final leg in Antigua and Barbuda on November 1, 2026. The monarch began the nine-day tour on his own on October 27, 2026, covering the Bahamas and Guyana before the final leg.
An expert has observed that Queen Camilla looked "uncomfortable" while helping clear a beach in Antigua, even blurting out a quick four-word warning to dodge a painful slip-up. King Charles and Queen Camilla joined local volunteers on the sands of Fort James Beach for the environmental initiative. The Queen opted to take off her shoes and walk barefoot to navigate the shoreline during the task.
However, per the Daily Express, lip-reading specialist Nicola Hickling has warned that walking shoeless amid a busy royal party carries its own risks. On examining the arrival footage, she remarked that Camilla's face was "worth watching here." The comment came as the royal made her way over the sand alongside her husband.
Hickling told the outlet that the Queen looked "slightly uncomfortable" as she abruptly moved away from King Charles. It was "possibly to avoid having her toes trodden on." Amid the clumsy shift, Her Majesty reportedly uttered the striking four-word line: "I must go easy."
The moment, however, passed without incident, and the couple carried on cheerfully. They even playfully crossed their litter pickers like swords, then took turns placing collected rubbish into a black bag. After that, the royal pair listened to Jennifer Meranto, founder and chief executive of Adopt a Coastline. She outlined the crucial effort to safeguard the island's shore. Two of the group's youth ambassadors joined Meranto for the briefing.

#beach

LSU's Lane Kiffin staunchly defends 24-team CFP while taking dig at other conferences appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Lane Kiffin can play coy sometimes, as many trolls choose to do, but the LSU head coach is making it perfectly clear where he stands on the proposed 24-team College Football Playoff.
Kiffin is not just in favor of this expected format change. He believes it is essential, particularly for an SEC that is brimming with parity and deeply passionate fan bases.
"I think it had to happen," Kiffin said, per On3's Jonathan Wagner. "You could say 12 is better, but not when you take into account the way college football is set up now. The conferences are so different, the four conferences. They are. They're different stadiums, they're different environments, they're different middle to bottom of them. So you're not playing equal schedules, they're not even close."
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#lane

The UC Bearcats didn't have long to celebrate their upset of eighth-ranked Texas Texas on Homecoming last week.
That's because the Bearcats now face undefeated and No. 6 Utah, which has the nation's longest active win streak at 13 games. The Utes' last loss was in last year's "Holy War" to rival BYU in Provo, 24-21 Oct. 18, 2025. The Bearcats would benefit if the Utes looked ahead to this year's BYU game, which Utah hosts Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
"I think for us, we need to show how much of an environment we have here," UC head coach Scott Satterfield said. " I know it's Halloween, but dress up and come out yelling in this game. We're going to need to have that home field advantage because it certainly helped us last week, and we know when we play here it's different for us because of that. Hopefully, our fans will show up and be loud."
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin and running back Wayshawn Parker have all taken direct snaps and are all threats as UC found out last year in a 45-14 walloping in Salt Lake City. Dampier threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 78 yards. Parker ran for 104 yards with a touchdown. Ficklin had just 14, but also scored and is every bit the runner Dampier is when in the game. Sometimes, they're both in the game.
"They do a lot of that and they have the talent to put out there," UC coach Scott Satterfield said. "It makes you have to go over all this stuff. Defensive coaches sit in the office all day anyway; it just makes them sit longer to go over all the formations you could get. We call it 'chasing ghosts'. You don't know what you're going to get."

#last #utah #utes #scott

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When did we lose the art of enjoyment? These days, the average person loves a think piece—specifically, having their own and putting it out there for the world to see. It stems from this new access we have on the internet to each other. On ****** es like TikTok, Instagram, and X and Threads, we can reach beyond our narrow circles into the phones of literally anyone else. Out of this environment, we've normalized an even more extreme parasocial nature between celebrities, influencers, and each other. The new internet landscape involves users ****** yzing and critiquing anyone who chooses to try or put themselves out there, serving as amateur publicists, stylists, and brand-image architects. There's an element of this new world order that's thrilling—our opinions matter! But...what's that phrase about opinions again?
I'd argue that we've critiqued ourselves into mass hysteria, conflating personal opinion with expertise. Just because someone has something to say doesn't mean they actually know what they're saying. There once was a time when people took the time to learn, gain experience, and work in a specific field so they're equipped to handle certain industries. But now, everyone simply thinks they know enough about everything. And it's making fashion and entertainment commentary less fun for everyone involved.
Over the last few weeks, with Fashion Month, the Emmys, and the VMAs, we were inundated with sartorial opinions on the internet. Top of mind for me was Shailene Woodley's Emmys look.
Kevin Winter - Getty Images

#anyone #know #time

Prince Harry has opened up about the emotional toll of leaving his royal life behind, revealing that he slipped into a two-week depression after relocating to Canada with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their young son, Prince Archie.
The Duke of Sussex, 42, reflected on the difficult period during an appearance on MasterClass, explaining that his departure from the high-pressure environment he had grown accustomed to triggered an unexpected physical and emotional response.
"Being in Canada, away from the stressful environment where presumably my body was just pumped full of adrenaline, within two or three days, I experienced this adrenaline crash, something that I'd never experienced before," Harry recalled.
Prince Harry has opened up about the emotional toll of leaving his royal life behind, revealing that he slipped into a two-week depression after relocating to Canada with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their young son, Prince Archie. (Netflix)
The royal admitted that the sudden absence of stress left him struggling to carry out even the simplest tasks around the house.

#prince #canada #opened

When Prince Harry first left the U.K., he didn't immediately adjust.
The Duke of Sussex, 42, teamed up with neuroscientist Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor for a new MasterClass released on Thursday, October 8, ******* led Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss, in which viewers can "Discover new ways to process grief and loss so you can find your way back to you."
In the MasterClass, Harry recalled emotional turbulence after moving from England to Canada in late 2019 with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their son, Prince Archie, born in May 2019, People reported.
DMART/ZDS/Danny Martindale/WENN/Newscom/The Mega Agency
"Being in Canada, away from the stressful environment where presumably my body was just pumped full of adrenaline, within two or three days, I experienced this adrenaline crash, something that I'd never experienced before," Harry recounted. "It was as if I needed stress in order to get the adrenaline to make my brain function because I became useless around the house."

#harry #adrenaline #prince #masterclass

Prince Harry's life after stepping away from royal duties came with an unexpected struggle!
After years of living under intense pressure, the Duke of Sussex has revealed that leaving the royal environment did not immediately bring the relief he expected. Instead, the change left him dealing with an emotional crash that made everyday life difficult and forced him to confront feelings he had spent years pushing aside.
After marrying Meghan Markle and welcoming their son Prince Archie, Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals in 2020. It began building a new life outside the United Kingdom, a decision that would reshape Harry's relationship with royal life, his family and his own grief.
MEGA
Harry's move away from royal life was supposed to give him and his family ****** e, but the sudden change brought an unexpected struggle. After years of living under intense pressure, he said the relief of getting away was followed by an emotional crash that left him struggling to function.

#years #unexpected

Prince Harry reveals that he experienced a two-week period of depression after moving to Canada with Meghan Markle and their son, Prince Archie, in 2019
The Duke of Sussex recalls an "adrenaline crash" after years of living with stress and unresolved grief
In a new MasterClass, Harry also discusses panic attacks, the death of Princess Diana and his journey toward healing
Prince Harry is opening up about a difficult period after moving to Canada with Meghan Markle and their young son, Prince Archie.
In a deeply personal new MasterClass, out Oct. 8, the Duke of Sussex, 42, recalls experiencing an "adrenaline crash" within days of arriving in Canada in late 2019, after years of living in what he describes as a stressful environment.

#prince #sussex

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

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

Dividend-paying stocks are taking a beating as surging Treasury yields make bonds a more competitive income source, creating a difficult environment for baby boomers who lean on dividend funds and individual stocks to cover living expenses in retirement.
Utilities, real estate, and materials have all experienced share-price declines as climbing bond yields have drawn income-seeking investors away from dividend stocks. The 10-year Treasury yield has remained north of 5%, recently hovering between 5.2% and 5.3%, while the 20-year has hit 5.68% and the 30-year has reached 5.62% — marks last seen more than two decades ago, according to Benzinga.
The pain shows up clearly in fund performance. The Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD) lost 7.59% over the trailing month, and the iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY) shed 6.02% in the same window, according to CNBC. The Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VYM) gave back 3.85% over the past month. The WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund (DGRW) stands apart, with its heavy tilt toward technology helping limit its one-month loss to just 0.81%.
The Federal Reserve raised its overnight rate by a quarter percentage point on Sept. 16, and markets are pricing in additional increases, keeping pressure on rate-sensitive dividend sectors. The 10-year yield touched 5.342% and the 30-year reached 5.683%, their highest marks in 24 years, driven in part by rising public debt, geopolitical tensions, and the prospect of a prolonged high-rate environment.
Despite the pressure, financial advisors caution retirees against making reactive moves. "The worst thing that a retiree could do is sell a high-quality dividend payer at depressed prices to chase income somewhere else in the stock market just to get higher yield," Timothy Chubb, chief investment officer at Girard, a Univest Wealth Division, told CNBC. Chubb said he would rather own a company growing 4% to 5% annually with a 3% dividend yield than pursue an 8% yield from a deteriorating business.

#Dividend #yield #month #treasury

Republicans are swamping House and Senate races with an unprecedented flood of late ad spending as the party tests whether hundreds of millions of dollars can buy it some reprieve from the eroding political environment that’s threatening longtime Republican states and districts.
Since the start of September, Republicans have made more than $700 million worth of new advertising bookings in congressional races alone, according to an NBC News ******* ysis of data from AdImpact, a political ad-tracking firm. That’s new money on top of what had already been committed to those races in ad reservations made over the summer.
By comparison, Democrats booked more than $430 million in new ad reservations across those races last month.
The disparity is greatest in the battle for the Senate majority, where almost 7 of every 10 newly booked advertising dollars are coming from Republicans. That’s led by a massive, late investment in the Senate race in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico is threatening a longtime Republican seat and the GOP has poured in almost $150 million in new ad dollars to back up its nominee, Ken Paxton.
The gap is smaller in the House, where a bit less than 6 in 10 of those new ad dollars are coming from the GOP.

#senate #dollars #House #republican

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

The FDA said two samples tested positive for the parasite.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday it has found a potential source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak that was tied to lettuce over the summer.
The agency collected samples during its onsite inspections of Taylor Farms de Mexico facilities, it said.
Two samples tested positive for the parasite, Cyclospora, according to the FDA. One positive sample was from a tank that held outgoing wastewater from a processing facility, the agency said. The second positive sample was from a drainage ditch of an iceberg lettuce grower, it noted.
"While there is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred in this outbreak, the positive samples show that Cyclospora was present in the environment where lettuce was grown and processed,” the FDA wrote in an update on its website.

#lettuce #tested #Food

This summer, we took a family vacation to Oregon to hike in the Pacific Northwest. Not surprisingly, we saw a bunch of people decked out in clothing made by Columbia, the huge sportswear company founded in Portland in 1938, and named for the nearby river.
We also saw a lot of people wearing Patagonia clothes. Named after the vast geographic region at the southern tip of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile, Patagonia was founded by climber Yvon Chouinard in 1973 to provide durable climbing equipment and outdoor wear. The company heavily supports environmental causes and donates profits from the sale of their jackets, fleeces and other gear to ecological protection. The company even sued President Trump in 2017, for shrinking federal lands protections.
In addition to environmental causes, Patagonia has also championed the LGBTQ community by partnering with the Human Rights Campaign to oppose state legislation targeting their rights. This summer, though, the company sued one member of that community.
Wyn Wiley is an activist from Bend, Oregon, who focuses on environmental and LGBTQ+ issues, promoting acceptance of queer identities in the environmentalist and outdoors communities, and promoting awareness of climate change and its effects.
In October of 2018, Wiley created the character Pattie Gonia and produced short-form outdoors activism content on Instagram and TikTok, while dressing in drag. The first posted video garnered more than 100 million views. Pattie Gonia has 1.8 million Instagram followers and claims to have raised $3.7 million for environmental causes, including $1 million raised last year on a 100-mile hike. In 2022, Pattie Gonia partnered with The North Face, another outdoor gear juggernaut, for their 2022 "Summer of Pride" series, which consisted of outdoor community-building events focused on local LGBTQ+ engagement and acceptance.

#lgbtq #summer

Jamie Oliver has stepped in to save the airfield and flying school where he trained to be a pilot.
The owners at Andrewsfield Aviation, near Braintree in Essex, said they were preparing to close operations because there was no successor lined up after they retired.
But the TV chef, who achieved his pilot licence in July, helped arrange new ownership to ensure the hangar doors remained open.
"Andrewsfield is a special place with so much potential," said Oliver, who is from Essex.
"It has an extraordinary history and is full of wonderful people with an exemplary training environment that has changed my life for the better."

#oliver #andrewsfield #braintree #stepped

Major League Baseball (MLB) leadership is no longer considering holding a game inside a national park, according to a letter commissioner Robert Manfred sent to officials in Teton county, Wyoming, on Thursday in what could be the league's biggest swing-and-a-miss off the diamond.
On 26 September, the Washington Post reported that MLB had reached out to the White House about staging a one-day game at Grand Teton national park in Wyoming. Teton county describes itself as a "a year-round resort community" and sits within the Jackson Hole valley. It's also a habitat for grizzly bears, osprey, bison and more.
News of MLB's outreach to the federal government quickly sparked concern about the impact that erecting a field and the infrastructure to hold spectators could have on the natural landscape and habitat of scores of wildlife that call the 310,000-acre (125,500-hectare) park home.
In the letter, Manfred noted that MLB had held games at places like the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina and the nation's oldest Negro Leagues stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. He added that MLB staff had been doing their due diligence to see whether a game at Grand Teton was possible and to evaluate the potential environmental impact.
"Since the story was reported, it has become clear that the local community does not want us to continue Grand Teton national park as a potential site," Manfred wrote.

#park #national

Roosevelt IV called Turner an unparalleled advocate for conservation and endangered species
Turner welcomed Mexican wolves, rare falcons and tortoises onto his western ranches
Turner was honored posthumously alongside the late Oscar de la Renta and Veronica Berti Bocelli at the 14th Annual Official First Ladies Luncheon during the United Nations General **** embly
One of Ted Turner's oldest friends is remembering the late media mogul and philanthropist's passion for environmental conservation.
Speaking on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the 14th Annual Official First Ladies Luncheon in New York City, organized by Fashion 4 Development during the United Nations General **** embly, Roosevelt IV remembered: "Ted was the most thoughtful and kind person I ever knew in my life."

#official #luncheon #nations #general

Queen guitarist Brian May repurposed 157 acres of former farmland in Dorset, England, in 2013 with the intention of transforming it into a "safe haven for wildlife"
In the years since its foundation, the reserve — known as May's Wood — has become home to more than 101,000 trees and shrubs plus new species of insects, birds and mammals
"We have a wonderful possibility to make an environment which our children and grandchildren will grow up and enjoy in harmony with the animals around them," he said when the project started
In 2013, Queen guitarist Brian May joined locals in Bere Regis, Dorset, England, to plant the first tree on what was once 157 acres of farmland. His goal was to transform the property into a "safe haven for wildlife." Over a decade later, the project has come a long way.
Approximately 600 trees and shrubs were planted during the ceremonial first day in September 2013, according to a press release at the time. That number has since grown to more than 100,000, and new species of insects, birds and small mammals have started inhabiting the land, according to a update on May's website marking the 10-year anniversary.

#guitarist

Airport security employees checking boarding passes and IDs will no longer be allowed to sit down while working, the Transportation Security Administration confirmed Tuesday.
All chairs are being removed from the travel document checker podiums at the entrance to checkpoints nationwide, the union representing the screeners said. The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 said it found out about the decision from its members and called it a “disregard for workers rights and safety.”
TSA defended the move, saying the document checkers are the first to interact with the traveling public and requiring them to stand will create a better experience for passengers.
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency said in a statement. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
The move comes nearly two months after TSA Administrator David ******* mins was confirmed to lead the agency.

#security #confirmed #document

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN) dropped 5.55% to $15.82 on September 16, 2026, close to its 52-week low. The price movement was triggered by a profit warning at a Barclays conference. Huntington brought down its 2027 EPS guidance from above $1.90 to the range of $1.75-$1.83, and its 2026 net interest income growth from 39%-43% to roughly 35%. What matters more than these numbers is the reason behind them. Deposit costs are rising, and loan pricing is tightening, and it landed on the day the Fed delivered its first interest rate hike since 2023. The drop therefore raises the question: is this an oversold bank or the opening crack in regional-bank margins?
A well-run bank has just lowered its guidance, citing intense competition for deposits and loans. If Huntington feels the margin pressure, then it is likely that its peers feel the same. This explains why Fifth Third shares slid 4.1% on the same afternoon alongside the whole financials group. The Fed's new hike makes the environment more unfavorable for the group in the near term. While rate increases eventually lift ***** et yields, banks must immediately offer higher deposit yields to retain balances, squeezing net interest margins in the near term. Furthermore, accelerated commercial real estate loan payoffs reduced total earning ***** ets, though these early payoffs lower credit risk on the loan book.
The selloff leans too much into the reset. A move to $1.75-$1.83 from above $1.90 is a modest single-digit trim. Huntington sustains its profit as well as its operational performance. Loans reached $189 billion from $50 billion in 2015. Deposits touched $222 billion. And one of the company's biggest growth engines, value-added fee income, compounded at a 14% annual rate since mid-2024, with year-to-date growth near 32%. The income helps offset a notable portion of the spread pressure and offers a competitive edge against pure spread lenders.
A higher-for-longer rate environment carries trade-offs for commercial banks. It drives up deposit expenses, reflecting the margin pressure Huntington reported. It also expands loan yields as credit ***** ets reprice. Deposit beta determines the net effect by measuring how much of each benchmark rate increase the bank transfers to depositors. After the rate hikes, deposit costs typically rise further, so betting on a near-term peak takes some faith. A lower beta allows fee revenue to support earnings, whereas a higher beta keeps the squeeze sustained over multiple quarters.

#bank #interest #Growth

On September 9, 2026, Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $5.68 billion, up 24.3% year over year, and earnings per share of $7.37, beating the $6.78 ******* yst consensus. Yet shares fell roughly 10-15% after same-store sales grew just 3.2%, below the 3.8% Wall Street had expected.
CEO Darren Rebelez described a "volatile" fuel environment during the quarter. Same-store fuel gallons sold declined 0.3% as elevated prices pushed customers toward fewer gallons per visit, more frequent trips, and cheaper fuel grades.
Fuel profitability more than offset softer gallon volumes. Fuel gross profit jumped 19.6% to $446.9 million as the fuel margin expanded to 47.8 cents per gallon from 41.0 cents a year earlier. It shows Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY)'s pricing discipline can protect profitability even when customers buy fewer gallons. Prepared food added another source of margin strength, with same-store sales rising 4.8% and margins expanding to 59.3% from 58.0%.
Strong earnings growth gives Casey's a solid start to fiscal 2027. EBITDA grew 17.1% to $485.1 million, while net income rose 27.1% to $273.7 million. It shows that Casey's can grow earnings despite softer same-store sales. The firm also delivered $5.68 billion of revenue, up 24% year over year and above the $5.56 billion ******* yst estimate. It gives investors evidence that the overall business remains capable of producing strong growth.
Casey's is expanding its store base and integrating Fikes. The business said the Fikes integration remains ahead of schedule and maintained its plan to open at least 120 stores in fiscal 2027 through construction and acquisitions. Ongoing unit growth can expand Casey's geographic reach, increase purchasing scale, and support long-term revenue growth even if mature-store sales remain uneven.

#fuel #revenue

Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) reported second-quarter 2026 net revenue of RMB15.7 billion, up 6% year over year, in results released September 15. Revenue on its international platform increased more than 50%, highlighting a promising source of expansion against slower group growth.
Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) also recognized a RMB5.2 billion antimonopoly penalty in general and administrative expenses. The investment question extends beyond that charge: can international expansion generate enough profitable growth to offset pressure on domestic monetization?
International expansion gives Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) a potential route to reducing dependence on revenue earned from domestic travel. A broader customer base could make growth less reliant on a single market's commercial practices and regulatory environment.
The opportunity is especially attractive if new customers become repeat users. Over time, repeat bookings could reduce acquisition spending per transaction and allow technology and service costs to be spread across more revenue. That would turn international scale into operating leverage, with profits growing faster than sales.
Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) also grew accommodation revenue 6% year over year despite a regulator-imposed revenue reduction. That result offers some evidence of resilience, although reservation growth and the revenue earned from those reservations remain separate considerations.

#NASDAQ

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is about to significantly expand its operations in Venezuela. The company's CFO, Eimear Bonner, revealed at a Barclays conference on September 8 that the American oil giant plans to more than double the number of oil rigs it operates in the country as part of its five-year plan ‌to increase output.
The statement follows the company's recent announcement that its joint venture partnerships in Venezuela would invest more than $7 billion to more than double oil ⁠output to 600,000 barrels per day by 2031. The current production from Chevron's three Venezuelan JVs totals around 290,000, which is all exported to the United States.
The move builds on Chevron's longstanding presence in Venezuela, as it was the only American oil major that continued operating in the country under a special US license, allowing it to produce and export oil despite the sanctions.
The expansion comes alongside a much larger agreement between Washington and Caracas announced this month, which gave the US majority control over around 20% of Venezuela's proven crude reserves. The White House has now invited American oil companies to revive and modernize the South American country's oil infrastructure and more than double its crude production in the next few years.
Chevron has maintained operations in Venezuela since 1923 and even stayed through the nationalizations that forced ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips to exit in 2007. This gives it a significant competitive advantage, since it already has a longstanding relationship with the state-owned PDVSA and extensive experience operating in the country's complex regulatory environment.

#around

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

#morgan #marathon #stanley #middle

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

#even #environment #wall #strong

On August 6, Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) reported earnings of $1.84 per diluted share for the quarter that closed on June 30, up from $1.75 a year earlier, and lifted most of its full-year targets. Here is the odd part. The company moved less volume than it did a year ago and still grew profit. Understanding how that works, and how long it can last, is the whole story.
Start with pricing, because that is the engine. Core price on total revenue added 5.3% to growth, which helped lift total revenue by 4.6%. Inside the related business, price contributed 4.1% in the restricted portion and 7.8% in the open market. Management says price beat cost inflation, and the margin backs that up. Adjusted EBITDA reached $1.42 billion at a 32.1% margin, matching the prior year even after Republic absorbed a 50 basis point drag from event-driven landfill volumes it received in 2025.
Cash generation is just as sturdy. Through the first half of 2026, operations produced $2.38 billion, and adjusted free cash flow came to $1.58 billion. That paid for $860 million of acquisitions and $1.04 billion returned to shareholders, so Republic is buying growth and rewarding owners from the same pool. The board added 4.5 cents to the quarterly dividend, setting it at $0.670 per share with an October 2 record date and payment on October 15. Management also raised full-year revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow guidance, and set adjusted earnings at $7.23 to $7.28 per share.
The catch is that volume is moving the wrong way. Average yield added 3.4% to total revenue, while volume took away 1.6%, and the related business gave up 1.9% to volume. That makes this a price-led story, and price can only carry so much weight if volumes keep shrinking. Acquisitions also supplied 1.1% of the 4.6% total growth, so organic growth is smaller than the headline suggests.
Other lines were softer too. The environmental solutions business slipped 0.2%, so it added no lift. Recycled commodities sold for an average of $136 per ton at Republic's recycling centers, which is $13 lower than a year earlier. Margin only matched last year's level, and adjusted earnings per share rose 4.5%, just under revenue growth, so profit grew in step with sales rather than faster.

#year

Warren Buffett propelled Berkshire Hathaway to six decades of market-beating returns, so it's no surprise that retail investors around the world look to him for advice. The billionaire aims to select quality companies when they're undervalued, then benefit over time as their earnings grow and the stock prices take off. Buffett has invested throughout market environments, from bull markets to bear markets, and has experienced market crashes -- and over time, he's scored a clear win by sticking to his investing principles.
Buffett no longer leads the investing decisions at Berkshire Hathaway -- he handed that role over to his hand-picked successor, Greg Abel, at the start of the year and just this week turned the chairman position over to his son, Howard Buffett. However, Warren Buffett, now chairman emeritus, has continued to speak publicly about investing. And we also may refer to his past words of advice, which continue to ring true today.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ****** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
In fact, one comment from Buffett looks particularly interesting right now, given certain elements of uncertainty that have weighed on the market recently, from higher inflation to worries about spending on artificial intelligence (AI). Buffett says many investors make this one mistake. Let's find out what it is and consider how to avoid this common -- and costly -- error.
Image source: The Motley Fool.

#investors #warren #missed

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