Tensions are reportedly rising behind the scenes at Old Trafford as the Glazer family grow increasingly frustrated with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's leadership. Despite the INEOS founder taking control of football operations earlier this year, the club has slumped to its worst start to a league campaign in nearly four decades.
Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in United in 2024, a deal worth £1.2 billion that handed his INEOS group total control over football operations. The agreement included an additional £245 million injection to upgrade Old Trafford's fading infrastructure, taking his overall financial commitment to approximately £1.5bn. However, two years on, the anticipated revival has failed to materialise.
Instead of progressing, the Red Devils find themselves embroiled in a deepening crisis. They are currently enduring an eight-game winless run across all competitions, managing just a single Premier League victory so far this term. Hovering a perilous two points above the foot of the table, this represents United's poorest start to a campaign in almost 40 years.
Watching from afar, the Glazer family are reportedly astonished by the rapid decline under the new sporting regime. A source close to the American owners told the Daily Mail that the current situation is "a travesty and not what they expected or were promised." The insider added that the Glazers feel "they have never run the club this way."
The frustration runs deep, with the current hierarchy allegedly viewing the INEOS approach as a complete failure. According to ESPN, the Glazers believe Ratcliffe "couldn't have masterminded a worse situation" at Old Trafford.

#league

Fennville Public Schools has hired Derrick DeVries as Director of Athletics and Community Recreation.
DeVries takes over for Tony Stennett, who stepped down from the position.
DeVries was a star basketball player at Calvin University and was recently ******* ociate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Knights the past four years.
"He is a graduate of Calvin University and comes to us with a wealth of experience in coaching and managing teams and athletes, athletic operations including logistical planning of camps and tournaments, athlete development, and has served as the director of youth and team camps," Fennville Public Schools said in a statement.
More: Tony Stennett steps down as Fennville Director of Athletics and Recreation

#director #tony #stennett

On Thursday, the Houston Comets unveiled a new brand identity. According to a team announcement, the release "represents a defining moment in the return of one of the most iconic franchises in women's sports."
Revealed during a celebration at POST Houston, the new identity marks the beginning of the Comets' next chapter. The evening brought together Comets legends, fans, partners, and community leaders for a first look at the franchise's new era, and it all culminated with the unveiling of the team's new logo.
As the Comets prepare to return to the court in 2027, the brand identity honors the franchise's historic championship legacy while also introducing a bold, modern look for a new generation of fans.
One of the WNBA's original eight franchises, the Comets established the league's first dynasty by winning four consecutive championships from 1997 through 2000. The brand identity pays homage to that foundation while looking ahead to the new era of the team and its connection to its fans.
"This is a landmark moment for the Comets, for Houston, and for the continued growth of women's sports," said Gretchen Sheirr, president of business operations for the Houston Rockets and Comets. "This franchise helped define the early years of the WNBA, and we are incredibly proud to honor that championship history while building something modern, bold, and distinctly Houston for the future."

#houston #identity #team #moment

AUBURN — A sudden addition to Auburn basketball's staff appears unlikely, at least for the time being, as head coach Steven Pearl addressed the firing of general manager Brian Kloman following the Tigers' 80-68 win in an exhibition against Samford on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Neville Arena.
Auburn's coaching staff is taking a by-committee approach to general manager duties, Pearl said. He did not provide a timeline for an eventual general manager hire, nor did he expressly state the program would look for someone to fill that role.
"As a staff, (we will) just kind of go through some of the things that Brian (Kloman) was doing and try and divvy up some of those responsibilities, and collectively as a group, work through those things together," Pearl said.
Brett Whiteside, listed as Auburn's executive senior **** ociate athletics director, was name-dropped by Pearl as someone who is expected to help the program amid its general manager change. According to his staff biography, Whiteside "plays a key role in shaping the student-athlete experience through revenue-sharing operations, NIL strategy, education, and compliance."
The circumstance arises after Auburn fired Kloman on Monday, in the aftermath of international signee Mantas Rubstavicius voluntarily dismissing his eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA.

#general #manager #kloman #program

The Detroit Tigers nearly sent Tarik Skubal to the Milwaukee Brewers instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and newly revealed details suggest the deal was much closer to happening than anyone realized.
In fact, Milwaukee reportedly believed it had reached an agreement in principle with Detroit before Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris ultimately went in another direction.
The proposed deal would have landed Detroit three highly regarded position-player prospects, including one of baseball's most promising young infielders.
Instead, Harris chose a package built around outfielder Zyhir Hope and two pitching prospects.
Now that the Brewers have won the 2026 World Series, the behind-the-scenes details make Detroit's decision even more fascinating.

#harris #instead #details #deal

Rates stuck in a holding pattern, inflation still above target and the Fed hinting it may not be done yet. That mix keeps pressure on growth stories and puts steady cash payers back in the spotlight. Investors hunting for resilience and reliable income are watching this closely, because moments like this can reshape portfolios for years. This article walks through 3 dividend stocks exposed to this macro story.
The stocks covered next are just a sample to illustrate the idea. The full screen surfaced 18 more large-cap defensive dividend companies with income profiles and risk characteristics that also fit this tighter brief. If you want to identify and ******* yze your own shortlist of higher-conviction defensive payers right now, head straight into the Large-Cap Defensive Dividend Stocks (US) screener.
Overview: Consolidated Edison is a regulated utility that delivers electric, gas and steam services to customers across New York and parts of New Jersey.
Operations: Consolidated Edison generates almost all of its roughly US$17.7b revenue from US$12.1b CECONY electric, US$3.4b CECONY gas and US$872 million steam operations in the United States.

#edison #income

The USS Abraham Lincoln, the US aircraft carrier that has been deployed for nearly a year and has spent months supporting US military operations against Iran, is scheduled to dock in San Diego on Thursday afternoon.
It marks the end of a deployment that has been described as "one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era" and that became marked by a record-stretch at sea, repeated deployment extensions, and reports of supply shortages, and deteriorating morale and mental health among some crew members.
The Lincoln left San Diego last November, initially bound for the Pacific. But it was redirected to the Middle East after the US and Israel launched their war with Iran in late February. The carrier remained there until late August, when it was relieved by the USS George Washington and began its journey home.
Earlier in August, the Lincoln's deployment made headlines and faced scrutiny as reports began surfacing about poor living conditions aboard the ship, including shortages of supplies and water, plumbing problems, low morale, and worsening mental health among the roughly 5,000 personnel on the carrier. Two leading military newspapers also reported that there had been two attempts by sailors to jump overboard, causing concern among families and military health experts.
The reports prompted outrage from Democrats, while senior officials in the Trump administration pushed back. Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, called the reports "completely misrepresented", and when reporters asked Donald Trump if he thought the deployment had gone on too long, he responded: "Not nearly long enough" – a comment that angered some naval families.

#military #Health

When a caller mentioned that they are thinking about adding to their position in Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) during the October 2 episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer commented:
I think you're absolutely right... I want you to add to the Simon Property Group... What a great man he (David Simon, previous CEO) was, and he built a fabulous company, and you should buy more of it.
A September 8 question about buying Simon Property Group led Cramer to bring another real estate stock into the conversation.
Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) reported second-quarter real estate funds from operations of $3.29 per diluted share, up 7.9% year-over-year. Domestic property net operating income increased 8.5%. Occupancy at its U.S. malls and premium outlets remained at 96%, while base minimum rent increased 6.3% to $62.42 per square foot. Management raised its full-year real estate funds from operations outlook to $13.20 - $13.30 per share. These figures show rent and property-income growth without requiring an increase in occupancy. Leasing activity also remained substantial. During the earnings call, management reported signing approximately 1,200 leases covering more than 4.8 million square feet, with new-deal volume increasing more than 20%.
Stable occupancy does not mean every tenant is healthy. Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) absorbed approximately one million square feet of ****** e returned through retailer bankruptcies during the quarter. Management said it successfully re-leased the ****** e, helping maintain occupancy. That shows leasing strength, but also a reminder of the work required to preserve rental income. Additional retailer failures could bring more vacancies and replacement costs, even when demand for the properties remains sound.

#occupancy #NYSE #management #estate

For decades, no investment portfolio has been more closely watched by investors than Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE:BRKA)(NYSE:BRKB). Now-retired CEO Warren Buffett always had a knack for spotting amazing deals hiding in plain sight, leading to a greater-than-6,000,000% outperformance of the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) since the mid-1960s.
But investors might not realize that a "secret" Buffett portfolio exists within Berkshire Hathaway. In the June-ended quarter, this $863 million portfolio sent shares of artificial intelligence (AI) superstars Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)(NASDAQ:GOOG) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) packing. Meanwhile, this under-the-radar fund has built up a significant position in two S&P 500 index funds: the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT:SPY) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT:VOO).
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ****** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
In 1998, Buffett's Berkshire acquired reinsurance company General Re for about $22 billion in an all-stock deal. While the reinsurance operations were the crown jewel of this buyout, General Re also owned a specialty investment firm, New England ****** et Management (NEAM). When the deal closed in December 1998, NEAM became a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.

#Portfolio #buffett #general #neam

Fast food giant Wendy's faced a fresh wave of permanent store closures on Friday for the second weekend in a row as one of its biggest franchisees scrambled to restructure operations in the aftermath of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
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#fast #closures #Friday

As Houthi militants in Yemen attacked ships with missiles and drones in the Red Sea early last year, top U.S. officials gathered at the Pentagon to prepare military options for President Donald Trump. Their meetings repeatedly grew tense.
On one side were Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, then overseeing U.S. operations in the Middle East, and other hawks ready for action. The general was keen on military action not only against the Houthis but also against Iran, which had backed the Yemeni paramilitary group for years with weapons and training, according to people familiar with the matter. Like others, they spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations.
On the other side were officials hesitant to launch military strikes so early in the second Trump administration, including the Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who suggested that new U.S. **** sments of what military action might yield would be wise before presenting the president with military options.
That triggered an abrupt response from Kurilla, people familiar with the matter said.
“General,” Kurilla said, “the time for **** sments is over.”

#military #Trump #president #options

Constance Zimmer underwent three surgeries for breast cancer earlier this year.
Returning to Instagram to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Sunday, the Entourage actress revealed that she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or Stage 0 breast cancer, in March. Detected early, DCIS is when abnormal cells are contained inside the milk ducts and have not spread to surrounding tissue.
"The mental toll that followed was overwhelming on certain days as I began talking to many more doctors then I would've liked (sic)," she recalled. "Feeling like my options were limited and most suggested what was the quickest way to get this mass out ASAP, which was a mastectomy."
But after meeting Dr. Kristi Funk, Zimmer opted for a lumpectomy.
"She was the first doctor to make me feel like what I wanted mattered and that made me weep with joy," the 55-year-old continued. "It did take three surgeries - three weeks in a row, but she did it, she saved my breast and it looks good too!"
And while she was recovering from the operations, Zimmer was on the press tour for the FX show Love Story, in which she played Ann Messina Freeman, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's mother.

#year

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its yearlong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 235 in 70 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in September 2025. As with most of the military's statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.
The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed what appeared to be an explosion destroying a moving boat, which the military said was a go-fast vessel.
The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama in August that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing smugglers.

#boat #caribbean

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

Elon Musk and his on-and-off girlfriend have broken up.
In a post shared on X on Friday, October 2, Shivon Zilis, who shares four children with the Tesla cofounder, 55, revealed that Musk had let her "go" with "no warning" just a week after seemingly being "in love."
"I feel happy that I got to show Elon how it feels to be deeply understood, nurtured, and peacefully loved with stability and gentleness. Given the tumultuous nature of his early life, his often tortured soul, and how hard he fights for humanity, I wanted him to feel the deepest and most stable form of love this world can provide. My heart is full knowing I got to do that, and I hope it leaves a lasting good effect," Zilis, 40, wrote.
Calling her and their four children together, twins Strider and Azure, 4, Arcadia, 2, and Seldon, 1, his "safe ******* e," Zilis said their home life served as a place for the tech giant to unwind after tough days in the field.
"We were always his safe ******* e. A place where all of us were overjoyed to see him and one that was always full of happiness and love, not war, in contrast to his otherwise militant existence (a needed break from the battlefield where he could recharge his heart and soul before heading back out)," the director of operations and special projects at Neuralink continued. "I loved being that counterbalancing place of safety, sense of calm, and love — and delighted in bringing a smile back to his face when he was down."

#love #musk #children #life

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

Titan International, Inc. (NYSE:TWI) announced a definitive agreement on September 21 to sell its Italtractor ITM undercarriage business to USCO S.p.A. The initial purchase price is approximately $207 million, while the stated total cash value reaches up to approximately $285 million. Understanding that difference is central to ******* sing the financial flexibility the disposal could create.
Titan International, Inc. (NYSE:TWI) expects approximately $23 million from closing adjustments and $11 million in dividends before closing. A further $6 million depends on ITM meeting specified 2026 performance criteria. The headline also includes $38 million in dividends received in earlier years.
Subtracting those historical dividends leaves approximately $247 million in potential future gross receipts, including the earnout, or $241 million without it. These calculations use the announced estimates and span different payment dates. Final adjustments, taxes, and transaction costs will determine how much cash becomes available for deployment.
The disclosed dollar amounts were translated at €1.00 to $1.148, the September 18, 2026 exchange rate. Currency movements could increase or reduce the eventual dollar receipts.
Titan International, Inc. (NYSE:TWI) intends to use part of the proceeds to reduce debt and pursue growth investments, including acquisitions and partnerships. The disposal would also concentrate resources on wheel and tire operations.

#september #announced

Just over a year ago, investors largely viewed IREN (IREN) as a bitcoin mining company. Today, the company supplies AI infrastructure to Microsoft (MSFT) and signs billion-dollar contracts with some of the biggest names in the AI market, including Nvidia (NVDA) and Dell Technologies (DELL). These developments provide evidence that IREN's shift toward AI infrastructure is translating into actual business activity, and the market has responded strongly to that progress. IREN shares have been rewarded with two strong moves over the last two months.
IREN's AI transformation centers on a major five-year agreement with Microsoft. The company entered into a $9.7 billion cloud services agreement with Microsoft, with 20% of the contract value paid upfront. Once fully commissioned, the deal is expected to generate nearly $1.94 billion in annualized run-rate revenue. That gives IREN a significant source of contracted business as it builds out its AI cloud operations.
Here's Another Little-Known Firm Jensen Huang's Nvidia Is Quietly Backing
MediaTek Is Stepping Up Competition Against Qualcomm With a New 2-Nanometer Chip. What This Means for QCOM Stock.
JPMorgan Changed Its Mind on Meta Stock After This Major AI Breakthrough

#NVIDIA

On August 6, Aflac (NYSE:AFL) reported second-quarter numbers that point in opposite directions. Net earnings climbed to $825 million, helped along by investment losses that shrank to $153 million from $421 million a year ago. Adjusted earnings, though, fell 7.7% to $883 million. Both numbers are real, but they answer different questions. Which measure you trust changes the story, so here is what sits underneath.
Start with the yen, because it is muddying the picture. The average rate was 159.45 to the dollar, 9.3% weaker than a year earlier, and that cost adjusted earnings $0.05 a share. Take the currency out of the first half and adjusted earnings per share rose 4.1% to $3.57. ******* an is also running more profitably. Its pretax adjusted margin widened to 34.3% from 32.0% as claims took a smaller bite out of premiums, and yen-based pretax adjusted earnings rose 3.4%. So part of the decline in ******* an's dollar-reported profit is currency, not operations.
The US business is still growing at the top line. Net earned premiums rose 2.3% to $1.5 billion, and sales climbed 2.6% to $349 million, led by group voluntary benefits along with dental and vision plans. In ******* an, the refreshed Tsumitasu life policy and the new Anshin Palette medical product grew strongly in the quarter, and first-half sales rose 7.0% to ¥37.3 billion. Then there is the cash. Aflac returned $1.3 billion to shareholders in the quarter, $983 million of it through buybacks, and declared a $0.61 third-quarter dividend, payable September 1 to holders of record on August 19, 2026. Management notes 43 straight years of dividend increases through 2025 and says the board is on a path to extend that in 2026.
The catch is that ******* an's profit gains came from lower claims, not a bigger business. Net earned premiums in yen fell 3.7%, mainly because of a new external reinsurance deal and older limited-pay policies reaching paid-up status. Premium persistency, the share of policies customers keep, slipped to 92.7% from 93.7%. ******* an's pretax adjusted earnings still fell 2.1% once currency is stripped out, and new sales dipped 5.6% in the quarter against a tough comparison for the Miraito cancer product, which launched in March 2025.
The US segment has its own soft spot. Pretax adjusted earnings fell 4.6% to $370 million, and the margin narrowed to 20.9% from 22.5% as claims and benefits took a bigger share of premiums. Corporate and Other swung to a $10 million pretax adjusted loss from a $20 million gain a year earlier, with interest expense up 21.6% to $62 million. And adjusted book value per share, excluding foreign currency remeasurement, slid to $41.22 at June 30 from $42.97 a year earlier.

#earnings #fell

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 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.

#

Toward the end of the lightning round on September 17, a caller asked for Mad Money's host Jim Cramer's thoughts on Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM), and he replied:
It's been an incredible stock. It's a real estate investment trust, basically. And you know, we know that they shred, 3% yield, down 20 points from its high. I think it's a buy.
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM) operates a highly durable business model centered on physical records management, secure document destruction, and expanding digital infrastructure. In Q2, total revenue reached $2.03 billion, representing an 18.7% increase year-over-year and 16.8% organic growth. The core physical storage business provides reliable cash flow, with storage rental revenue expanding 11.5% year-over-year excluding foreign-exchange effects across a global customer base of 240,000. Adjusted funds from operations grew 17% to $432.7 million, or $1.44 per share.
At the same time, management has channeled capital into scaling higher-growth segments, including digital solutions, ***** et lifecycle management, and data center operations. The data center segment posted 39% revenue growth during the second quarter, securing 110 megawatts in new leases through July and increasing power capacity across major enterprise markets. Operating as a real estate investment trust, the company maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.864 per share, offering shareholders a forward yield of over 3%.
On the other hand, Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM) faces risks inherent to capital-intensive real estate infrastructure expansion. Rapid buildouts of data center power capacity demand substantial capital expenditure, leading to elevated leverage across the balance sheet. Long-term debt, net of the current portion, reached approximately $17.1 billion at the end of the second quarter, increasing sensitivity to interest rate fluctuations and refinancing costs.

#revenue #Growth

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) reported on September 15 that fiscal 2027 second-quarter revenue from continuing operations increased 1.1% to $71.6 million. For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, GAAP operating income from continuing operations reached $4.2 million, compared with a $4.6 million loss a year earlier.
However, gross profit included a $7.7 million tariff refund relating to prior-period imports. Subtracting that benefit from reported operating income, with all other items unchanged, produces an illustrative operating loss of approximately $3.5 million and an operating margin of negative 4.9%.
The quarter therefore shows improving customer demand alongside an earnings recovery that still depends heavily on refunds.
Direct-channel performance gives Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) tangible evidence of customer traction. Direct revenue increased 8.0% to $65.4 million, while comparable sales rose 9.2%. Management attributed the comparable-sales improvement to better e-commerce conversion and higher average transaction values across direct channels.
That combination matters because stronger conversion means more shoppers complete purchases, while larger transactions support revenue without requiring equivalent growth in customer traffic. Continued momentum could help spread store, distribution, and corporate costs across a larger sales base.

#bradley

SPX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SPXC) announced on September 15 that it completed the acquisition of FIS Water, LLC for approximately $410 million in cash, including certain tax attributes. The acquired business is expected to generate approximately $105 million of revenue in 2026.
That is FIS Water's full-year revenue forecast; its contribution to consolidated 2026 results will reflect the ownership period. The stated cash consideration equals approximately 3.9 times expected annual revenue, making profitability and cash conversion central to the investment case.
FIS Water expands the products SPX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SPXC) can supply to cooling customers. Its filtration and flow-control products remove solids, maintain water quality, and regulate water movement in commercial and industrial cooling systems, including data centers.
The business has joined the HVAC segment, covering heating, ventilation and air conditioning, within its Cooling operations. Its products complement existing cooling-tower offerings, while its valves and actuators also fit the recently acquired Neptronic controls business.
The strategic attraction is customer overlap. Management identified shared customers, engineering specifications and sales channels, and plans to use its global distribution and equipment-manufacturer relationships to support growth.

#cooling #NYSE

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.

#agreement #petr #supply #term

California Resources Corporation (NYSE:CRC) announced on September 17 that it had agreed to sell its Uinta Basin **** ets, located mostly in Utah and Colorado, to an undisclosed buyer for $90 million in cash. The company had come to own the Uinta **** ets, which span about 100,000 net acres, after it acquired Berry Corp last year. However, CRC considered them non-core to its operations. The net proceeds from the sale will be used for shareholder returns and other corporate purposes.
Francisco Leon, President and CEO of California Resources Corporation, commented:
"Today's transaction strengthens our business. The monetization of our Uinta Basin **** ets sharpens our focus on California and captures additional value from the Berry merger. This transaction enhances our capital allocation flexibility, allowing us to invest in higher-return opportunities within the Golden State and supports our shareholder return strategy. The sale also helps offset the purchase price of our recent midstream transaction."
The transaction is expected to close by year-end, subject to the receipt of certain third-party consents and other customary conditions.
The sale will allow CRC to redeploy the $90 million toward **** ets that are central to its operating strategy while avoiding additional capital commitments to Uinta. The company already stated in its Q2 earnings call that Uinta has higher capital intensity, higher break-evens, lower crude quality, higher transportation and operating costs, and steeper declines. Therefore, the sale removes a portfolio distraction at a time when CRC is concentrating investment in California infrastructure and production.

#uinta #assets #transaction #capital

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

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) announced on September 8 that it had secured a loan of up to $1.9 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy to support the restart of a shuttered nuclear power plant in Iowa. The Duane Arnold Energy Center ceased operations in 2020 after 45 years of service. The plant is now expected to resume operations in early 2029, pending regulatory approvals.
The federal funding is intended to help restore the facility and add reliable generation capacity as the US electricity demand soars to record levels amid the AI boom. To help meet the growing demand, President Trump is making efforts to accelerate the expansion of nuclear energy. He has signed an executive order to get 10 large conventional reactors under construction by 2030 and has also called for federal funding to support the restart of shuttered nuclear plants.
John Ketchum, Chairman, President, and CEO of NextEra Energy, commented:
"Restarting Duane Arnold is about delivering new power to meet new demand while generating billions of dollars in economic value for Iowans. Just as importantly, it shows how America can support rapid economic growth and rising electricity demand while helping keep power affordable for existing customers. By bringing new generation online to serve new demand, we can strengthen the grid, create hundreds of good-paying jobs and help ensure Iowa families and businesses are not asked to bear the costs of growth. We appreciate the Administration's leadership in advancing America's nuclear renaissance and share its commitment to an all-of-the-above energy strategy that expands supply, strengthens energy security and keeps America competitive."
Photo by Frédéric Paulussen on Unsplash

#duane #arnold

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