COLUMBUS — Pleasant continues to make it look easy.
Yet to drop a set this season, the top-seeded Spartans continued that streak with a 3-0 victory over No. 4 seed Utica to win the Division V volleyball district championship Oct. 29 at Ohio Dominican University's Alumni Hall.
It is Pleasant's fourth straight district ***** le, and the victory puts them in the regional semifinals in the familiar O-rena at Ontario High School with a 6 p.m. start Wednesday, Nov. 4. The Spartans (25-0) will face Centerburg (23-2) after the third-seeded Trojans got by No. 7 North Union 3-1 in the first match at ODU Oct. 29.
"We're leaving everything out on the court. We know this is our last chance to do it. We haven't done it the past two years (which is win a state championship)," Pleasant senior libero Kam Roberts said. "I think we're hungry for it this year. We're working hard for it in practice, and it's really showing on the court."
Pleasant jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first set, ***** ping it to 13-2 and 19-5 before finishing it with a 25-10 victory. It set the tone for the night.

#pleasant #championship #court

Here are the 10 Peoria-area high school volleyball teams that won Illinois High School **** ociation regional championships on Thursday, Oct. 29, plus where they play next in the sectionals.
Local teams won regional plaques across each of the three smallest classes, seeing Brimfield, Illini Bluffs and Tremont win in Class 1A. Illinois Valley Central, Eureka and Kewanee claimed Class 2A **** les, while Washington, Dunlap, Morton and Limestone won in Class 3A.
How they won: Brimfield beat host ROWVA/Williamsfield, 25-18, 25-20 for a third consecutive regional plaque. This was the second time the Indians had beaten R/W, opening the regular season with a two-set victory.
What's next: Brimfield (21-10-1) plays Fulton (31-5) in the Wethersfield Sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
How they won: Illini Bluffs rallied from down a set to beat host Heyworth 23-25, 25-11, 25-23. IB has now won a regional **** le for the third time since 2023 highlighted by a 2024 Class 1A Elite Eight appearance.

#illinois

It's the final week of the regular season, as Alabama high school football has reached Week 10.
The 2026 AHSAA football playoffs, for the most part, are set with a lingering regional game left to be played here and there due to rescheduling issues in the wake of Hurricane Isaias.
Teams that play in Week 10 are mainly using the games as tune-up opportunities against competitive teams before postseason play begins. Others will enjoy playing their last game of the 2026 season.
Below are live scoring updates of Week 10 AHSAA football scores across the state.

#teams #play #alabama

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

What game should the South Jersey Gridiron Gang cover on Friday night in Week 8?
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Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 40 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email tmcgurkusatodayco.com. Follow him on Twitter at McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

#sports #jersey #gang #cast

Growing security concerns in the Middle East have cast doubt over several major combat sports events scheduled in the region. Recent missile and drone attacks targeting critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, have raised questions about whether upcoming sporting events can proceed as planned.
According to DW News, Ansar Allah, the Yemeni movement commonly known as the Houthis, has repeatedly targeted Riyadh airport. The report cited an October 10 attack that killed 12 people and injured around 300, adding to concerns about security in the region.
The uncertainty has also put the UFC's rumored December 5 Fight Night in the spotlight. The card is expected to feature Israel Adesanya against Shara Magomedov, but speculation has emerged that the event could be canceled or moved elsewhere. Dana White, however, has offered a different outlook, suggesting the UFC is still moving ahead with its plans for the Middle East.
The December 5 card is not the only UFC event attracting attention amid the regional tensions. UFC 333 is scheduled for October 24 in Abu Dhabi, where Alexander Volkanovski is set to defend his featherweight **** le against Movsar Evloev.
Boxing has also been caught up in the uncertainty. Canelo Alvarez's planned October 31, 2026, fight against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh could face complications, with prominent boxing figures, including WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, voicing concerns about security following the airport attacks.

#concerns

Five Pensacola area volleyball teams now know their path to the Final Four after brackets were released Oct. 18. District tournaments were supposed to wrap Oct. 16 but wrapped a day later locally after teams got an exception due to damages from Hurricane Isaias
Navarre (6A), Pensacola Catholic (3A) and Jay (Rural) already knew they were in the field by winning their respective district ***** les, while Gulf Breeze (5A) and Booker T. Washington (4A) picked up at-large bids. No local teams qualified for the FHSAA's brand new Open Division, though a couple that did had direct ramifications on Region 1 brackets.
Playoff action will start with regional quarterfinals on Oct. 20 for classes 1A-3A and Oct. 21 for classes 4A-6A. Regional semifinals for all classes will be Oct. 24, followed by regional finals for Rural and 1A-3A on Oct. 27 and 4A-6A on Oct. 28.
All roads lead to Polk State College and the Winter Haven Health Center for the state semifinals and finals, which will take place Nov. 2-7.
Below are the regional brackets featuring Pensacola-area teams and what to know in each classification. District champions are marked with an asterisk (*) and will host a regional quarterfinal unless matched up with a higher-seeded district champion.

#regional #state

Republican efforts to reduce national gas prices in the weeks before Election Day were derailed in the Senate by infighting among GOP lawmakers and members of the administration who could not agree on how to ease consumers’ pain at the pump.
The divisions within the Senate Republican conference over how to lower gas and diesel prices — even if temporarily — were driven primarily by geographic differences.
Senators from oil-refining states shot down proposals from farm-state senators to ban the export of diesel or to loosen restrictions on the sale of E15 gasoline with higher ethanol content.
“You’re talking about regional politics, and it gets bogged down in the politics of energy, and the fiefdoms around it,” said Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former Senate leadership aide.
There were divisions that went beyond geography, too.

#republican

Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh is to become the first winner of The Theatres Trust's lifetime achievement award.
The former Coronation Street star from Accrington, Lancashire, is being recognised for her exceptional performances on stage and screen, as well as her work in championing regional theatres.
Hesmondhalgh, who played Hayley Cropper for more than 15 years, said she was "very honoured" with the accolade which will be presented to her at the inaugural Great British Theatres Awards in London on 2 November.
She is currently starring in BBC One's The Celebrity Traitors. Here's a look at her career and campaigning work.
Julie Hesmondhalgh is currently starring in BBC One's The Celebrity Traitors [BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry]

#starring

By Olena Harmash and Vladyslav Smilianets
KYIV, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Russia pounded Ukraine with waves of missiles and drones on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and hitting residential buildings, industrial facilities and infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said.
One Russian missile slammed into an apartment block in the northern ‌city of Pryluky, killing at least nine people including three children, regional governor Vyacheslav Chaus said.
Dozens of rescuers picked through the rubble at the ‌site where several sections of the five-story building collapsed, Reuters video showed.
Emergency workers used ladders to get to the upper floors of what remained of the building. Around 40 people were wounded, the governor said.

#people #reuters #least #olena

The size of your Social Security check changes the nest egg you need more than any differences between states.
Under the 4% rule, each additional $100 a month in benefits cuts the savings a single retiree needs by about $30,000, regardless of state.
A maximum earner who delays to 70 can cover the average comfortable budget on Social Security alone, with essentially nothing saved—but very few qualify for the maximum benefit.
For a single retiree, your monthly Social Security benefit shapes the savings you need more than your address does—there's no second check to fall back on.
But regional costs of living matter, too. An Investopedia ******* ysis of federal cost and benefit data found that the savings a typical single American age 65 or older needs for a comfortable retirement is about $898,000. The least expensive state, North Dakota, runs about $644,000, while the priciest, New Jersey, costs about $1.02 million—a spread of about $375,000.

#security #check #retiree

Russia on Monday sought to downplay reports that a laboratory technician had died of plague, even as President Donald Trump said Washington was closely monitoring the situation and offered US help.
Reports on Friday that pneumonic plague had killed a 28-year-old woman named Darya Shipilova, who had been working for the anti-plague institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region, sparked alarm.
"We're looking at it very strongly, we just heard about it," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked what Washington was going to do about the risk of plague coming from Russia.
"We'll help them, we'll help them as much as we can."
The Russian news outlet People of Baikal, citing unnamed sources close to the regional security services, said the dead woman may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube.

#plague #Russia #reports #pneumonic

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

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, Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:IRT) and Centerspace announced a definitive all-stock merger agreement. It creates a combined middle-market apartment REIT with a pro forma equity market capitalization of about $5.0 billion and a total enterprise value of approximately $8.1 billion, encompassing more than 44,000 units.
The combined company will retain the Independence Realty Trust name and NYSE ticker "IRT." IRT's Scott Schaeffer continues as Chairman and CEO. The management projects the deal will be roughly 5% accretive to 2027 Core FFO per share for shareholders of both companies.
The merger gives Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:IRT) higher scale and significantly broader geographic diversification. The combined company will own 44,354 apartment units across 163 communities in 17 states, with 58% of pro forma NOI coming from Sunbelt markets, 27% from the Midwest, and 15% from the Mountain West. The overall footprint reduces reliance on any single regional apartment market while keeping substantial exposure to markets with strong population and employment growth.
IRT can apply its existing value-creation strategy across a much larger portfolio. Its value-add renovation program has delivered about a 16% historical return on investment. The firm expects to grow its Wi-Fi initiative and other technology and income-generating programs across Centerspace's properties. Management also expects approximately $24 million in annualized synergies. It supports roughly 5% accretion to 2027 Core FFO per share on a leverage-neutral basis.
The all-stock structure allows the companies to chase greater scale without adding acquisition debt. IRT and Centerspace expect the combined company to retain BBB/BBB investment-grade credit ratings and maintain a well-laddered debt maturity profile. Centerspace shareholders will receive IRT shares and own approximately 22% of the combined company. It gives them exposure to the larger platform. Management also expects the transaction to improve access to capital markets and reduce the combined firm's cost of capital over time.

#management

Recent initial public offering NB Bancorp (NBBK) is the IPO Stock Of The Week as it attempts to find support at a key level and with the stock within striking distance of a new buy point. This regional banking name also sits on Investor's Business Daily's IPO Leaders screen.
Massachusetts-based NB Bancorp is the holding company for Needham Bank, which was founded in 1892.
On July 22, NB Bancorp said its earnings growth accelerated to 33% in the second quarter, up from 9% in the first quarter. That was fueled by net interest margin expansion to 4% along with solid loan and deposit growth. Revenue jumped 46% from the year-ago period, to $74.7 million.
For the third quarter, ***** ysts expect NB Bancorp to earn 59 cents per share on revenue of $77.3 million. Those are respective year-over-year increases of 30% and 49%. Also, third-quarter earnings come due in late October.
And for the full year, Wall Street expects the banking leader to earn $2.14 per share, a 25% year-over-year increase. ***** ysts see further growth of 22% in 2027, according to IBD MarketSurge.

#revenue

The price of jet fuel averaged $4.53 USD per gallon for the week ending Sept. 18, according to the latest Airlines for America U.S. Jet Fuel Index.
Driven by the war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran at the end of February 2026, this price is a nearly 80% increase from the national average a year ago.
As a result, almost every major and regional airline has had to keep reworking its networks to maximize jet fuel use and ruthlessly cut any flights not bringing in the expected traffic.
Airline chief executives have also been sounding the alarm on what prolonged jet fuel prices could mean for the industry.
"If fuel prices remain as high as they are right now, I think that that's going to require some adjustments in terms of our capacity planning as we take a look into the future," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said at the annual Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference in California on Sept. 16, Airline Geeks reported.

#airlines #price #index

On August 6, James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) reported results for the quarter ended June 30 and beat its own numbers by enough to raise guidance just three months into the fiscal year. Net sales jumped 64% year over year to $1.475 billion, adjusted EBITDA climbed 79% to $422.1 million, and both figures came in ahead of what management had originally guided investors to expect. For a company that closed a transformative acquisition less than a year earlier, that kind of overshoot forces a reassessment of the growth story ahead.
The headline growth number is inflated by the AZEK Exteriors deal folded into the base, so the more telling figure is the 12% pro forma net sales growth, which also beat original guidance. Siding & Trim, the core fiber cement business, posted organic net sales growth of 20% as North American fiber cement volumes returned to growth for the first time in several quarters. CEO Aaron Erter tied that to share gains against vinyl and other competing materials, along with programs like ColorPlus and Expanded Statement drawing more of the higher-end repair and remodel market. Adjusted EBITDA margin in that segment expanded 140 basis points to 33.5%, powered by favorable pricing, cheaper raw materials, and continued savings from the company's Hardie Manufacturing Operating System even as freight costs rose.
Management also said cost synergies from the AZEK integration are running ahead of schedule and revenue synergies are on track, evidenced by newly expanded nationwide distribution partnerships with Boise Cascade and other regional distributors. In Deck, Rail & Accessories, sell-through accelerated every month of the quarter and outpaced shipments, pulling channel inventory back to normal levels and setting up a cleaner back half of the year. Free cash flow more than doubled to $254.2 million, and the company used the cash to pay down $400 million of senior unsecured notes.
Erter was careful to frame the beat as execution rather than a healthier market, telling investors the company is "not ***** uming a housing market improvement" for the rest of fiscal 2027. Part of the quarter's strength came from an easy comparison, since channel inventory was deliberately reduced a year earlier, and management said that benefit is expected to moderate as the year goes on. Deck, Rail & Accessories net sales actually fell 5% on a pro forma basis because the company intentionally cut production to work down channel inventory, leaving the segment with an operating loss of $3.3 million for the quarter.

#Growth #sales #management

On September 16, Evolution Petroleum Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:EPM) held its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 earnings call, and the numbers told a story of a company climbing out of a rough patch. Revenue jumped 20% sequentially to $24.2 million as oil prices realized before hedge settlements shot up 49% year over year to $90.74 a barrel. Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $6.5 million. After a bruising third quarter, the fourth quarter finally looked like the recovery management had promised investors back in May.
The fourth-quarter turnaround wasn't just about crude. NGL prices realized $32.49 a barrel, up 27% year over year, and because Evolution leaves its NGL production entirely unhedged, every dollar of that gain flowed straight through. That combination of higher liquids pricing, growing production, and the roll-off of a prior-period transportation adjustment at the Delhi Field pushed operating cash flow to $6.8 million in the quarter, nearly double the $3.5 million generated in the third quarter.
Behind the quarterly numbers sits a longer-term shift in how Evolution makes money. The company closed a roughly $16 million acquisition of mineral and royalty acreage in the Permian's Midland Basin after the fiscal year ended, adding about 3,420 net royalty acres and more than 200 barrels of oil equivalent per day of current production, all without Evolution spending a dime on development. That mirrors what's already happening in the SCOOP/STACK play, where fourth-quarter production climbed 14% year over year to 1,275 BOE per day while unit operating costs fell to $10.33 a barrel. Evolution also replaced more than 100% of the 2.6 million barrels of oil equivalent it produced during the year, ending fiscal 2026 with 27.2 million barrels of proved reserves, an outcome that matters directly to a dividend now in its 52nd consecutive quarter.
Not every part of the business bounced back. Average daily production fell 4% year over year to 6,901 barrels of oil equivalent per day, largely because the flush production from new Chaveroo wells that boosted last year's fourth quarter has since tapered off. Natural gas pricing remained the softest spot in the portfolio, especially at the Jonah Field, where CEO Kelly Loyd said "regional differentials have weighed on realizations" even as broader demand for gas keeps growing. CFO Ryan Stash noted that stronger oil and NGL results helped offset "continued weakness in natural gas realizations, particularly at Jonah."

#barrel

On September 4, RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) announced that its Pratt & Whitney business was investing $25 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Niepołomice, Poland.
The site produces complex tubular ****** emblies for both military and commercial engines. The expanded facility will begin operations in 2028 and create over 120 jobs.
Niepołomice already delivers precision components for several engines, including the F135, Pratt & Whitney GTF, and the PW800. The initiative complements the $100 million investment announced in April to boost production and enhance capabilities at the company's facility in Rzeszów, Poland.
The capacity expansion reflects the company's confidence in sustained demand for both commercial and military engine production over the coming years, which is supported by a record backlog of $289 billion at the end of Q2, increasing 22% year-over-year.
This further strengthens RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX)'s manufacturing footprint in Europe, especially in Poland – which is already the company's largest presence outside the U.S. with more than 9,500 employees. The expansion will enhance its regional supply chain capabilities.

#Manufacturing

This story was originally published on Bisnow, the newsroom global commercial real estate reads first. To receive daily news and **** ysis, subscribe to Bisnow's free suite of newsletters.
The following article is a collaboration between Bisnow and business tech publication IT Brew.
It was Thanksgiving week in 2022 — a time when most employees are hard to find, let alone critical pieces of data center power infrastructure. And Kurt Bogle needed a transformer.
Bogle, then a senior regional director of critical facilities operations at NTT Global Data Centers, oversaw seven operational buildings around Chicago and Virginia and a staff of about 150 people. After a transformer failed a test, Bogle had to find a replacement and coordinate a swap with the on-site managers — all without disrupting service.
Thankfully, Bogle found a spare, but his experience illustrates the importance of systems thinkers at data centers who know how to acquire the resources necessary to maintain data centers' high uptime expectations. Given supply chain limitations and a steady build-out of data centers, such expertise is more crucial than ever — and there are signs a labor shortage is underway, threatening Big Tech's artificial intelligence ambitions and the reliable operation of mission-critical facilities.

#data #critical

President Donald Trump's administration says it has approved the sale of nearly 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a policy shift for the US that has raised concerns from some members of Congress.
Saudi Arabia has sought for years to buy the world's most advanced warplane, equipped with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection.
Washington had resisted, partly because it supplies F-35s to its ally Israel, which is guaranteed under US law to receive top-of-the-range American weapons compared with those its regional neighbours can access.
Congress has 30 days to scrutinise or attempt to block the $24bn (£17.8bn) sale to Riyadh, which is the largest customer for US weapons.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, a Democrat, opposed the sale on Thursday.

#saudi

The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) lost a key New Jersey water-quality certification for Northeast Supply Enhancement, or NESE, after a September 8 federal appeals court ruling reported by Reuters on September 9. The Third Circuit vacated the certification and returned the matter to state regulators. The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) said that, at this time, it did not expect the ruling to adversely affect construction or the anticipated in-service timeline.
The project, which Reuters described as costing approximately $1 billion, expands the existing Transco network through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) continues to target fourth-quarter 2027 service. The investment question is whether the permit review can be resolved quickly enough to protect both that schedule and the economics of the investment.
The commercial rationale rests on delivering additional gas into a constrained market. The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) says demand continues to grow in areas including Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island. Planned capacity of approximately 400,000 dekatherms per day would expand the system's ability to serve those markets.
NESE also builds on existing infrastructure. The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) plans pipeline loops, compressor work, and connections to the Transco system. Those connections give the added capacity access to an established transportation network and regional delivery points, although substantial construction remains necessary.
The remand leaves a route for reconsideration by New Jersey regulators. For The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB), the favorable scenario is a replacement certification that addresses the court's findings without requiring substantial redesign or disrupting the construction sequence.

#williams #NYSE #jersey #construction

On August 5, Kinetik Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KNTK) reported the strongest quarterly results in company history and raised its full-year 2026 guidance. The Permian-focused midstream operator posted net income, including noncontrolling interest, of $123.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, while Adjusted EBITDA climbed to $280.8 million. Management didn't stop at celebrating the number. It used the quarter as the launchpad for a string of expansion decisions that stretch out to 2028.
The Midstream Logistics segment, Kinetik's largest, grew Adjusted EBITDA 35% year over year to $204.8 million in the second quarter, even though processed natural gas volumes held flat at 1.74 Bcf/d. That flat number actually undersells the quarter. It came despite roughly 250 million cubic feet per day of gas that had been shut in because of weak Waha-area pricing, with stronger natural gas liquid recoveries, condensate yields, and favorable commodity spreads carrying the segment instead.
Management is betting the growth continues well past 2026. In May, Kinetik reached a final investment decision on Kings Landing II, a roughly $260 million project that will lift sour gas processing capacity across the company's Delaware North complex above 700 MMcf/d and push total system capacity to 2.7 Bcf/d when it comes online in mid-2028, earlier than previously communicated. The ECCC Pipeline, which links the system's northern and southern halves between Eddy and Culberson Counties, is now in service, and right-of-way work has already begun on a follow-on expansion for 2027.
Kinetik also locked in new firm Gulf Coast access for residue gas starting in 2027 and signed fresh natural gas liquids transport agreements, both aimed at getting better prices for the gas it moves. On the back of that momentum, Kinetik raised its full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance to a range of $1.04 billion to $1.1 billion, a 7% ***** p from the guidance it issued in February.
Not every part of the business is moving in the same direction. The Pipeline Transportation segment posted Adjusted EBITDA of $83.0 million in the quarter, down 14% year over year, a decline the company attributes to last year's divestiture of its equity stake in EPIC Crude Holdings. That sale removed a source of cash flow the rest of the business now has to make up for. Kinetik also expects gas curtailments to keep running at an average of 25 million cubic feet per day through the second half of 2026, on top of the Waha-driven shut-ins that already weighed on the quarter. Its own pricing ***** umptions underline the regional problem: the company is now modeling Waha Hub natural gas at negative $0.26 per MMBtu for the full year, meaning gas in parts of the Permian is priced so low that moving it out of the basin is the whole game.

#quarter

On the September 11 episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer expressed strong optimism for Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) ahead of its upcoming **** yst presentation, as he said:
Thursday, we have two important **** yst meetings. Brinker... We have them all the time on the show. Brinker, you know, is Chili's, and the company never fails to wow me. I think this meeting will be no exception.
Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) continues to demonstrate operational strength across the casual dining sector, driven by sustained customer traffic and menu innovation at Chili's Grill & Bar. In its fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the company generated $1.54 billion in total revenue, bringing full-year revenues to $5.81 billion. Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter reached $3.07, representing a 23% year-over-year increase.
Chili's reported a 5.6% increase in comparable store sales, marking its 21st consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales growth. The sustained momentum has been supported by the ongoing success of the $10.99 "3 for Me" everyday value platform as well as targeted menu launches, including the Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich, which helped support traffic as Chili's continued positioning its value proposition against fast-food offerings. According to the company's CEO Kevin Hochman, the Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich "overdelivered" on the management's estimates.
Despite consistent top-line momentum, Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) faces ongoing execution risks **** ociated with sticky cost inflation and broader macroeconomic pressures on consumer spending. Elevated wholesale prices for core commodities, especially beef and produce, continue to weigh on restaurant operating costs, while wage growth across regional markets keeps labor expenses elevated.

#elevated #analyst

Our ******* ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Management is deliberately shifting the business model toward a more diversified energy company by balancing legacy long-life non-operated ******* ets with high-margin mineral and royalty interests.
The fourth quarter recovery was driven by the roll-off of temporary operational items, increased production, and improved operating costs per barrel, which more than doubled adjusted EBITDA sequentially.
Portfolio resilience was demonstrated by stronger liquids pricing and improved operations offsetting persistent natural gas pricing headwinds and regional differentials.
The company maintains a 'steady as she goes' outlook for oil demand while anticipating long-term natural gas demand growth from LNG expansion and data center power needs.

#company #improved #demand #NVIDIA

This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter.
Adolfson & Peterson has tapped John Herrera, a company veteran who joined when he was a teenager, as its next chief operating officer, according to a Tuesday announcement from the builder.
In his capacity as COO, Herrera will focus on leadership across the Minneapolis-based firm's national operations, per the announcement.
Prior to his appointment, Herrera served as the regional president of AP Mountain States, which includes Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. He will remain based in Colorado during his tenure as COO.
The appointment comes amid a broader executive shuffle at AP that began early last year when the firm tapped Brad Hendrickson as its COO in March 2025. Less than a year later, then-CEO Jeff Hansen announced his retirement, with Hendrickson lined up as successor.

#construction #dive #Colorado

Interested in Truist Financial Corporation? Here are five stocks we like better.
Truist will sell its $5.5 billion near-prime auto loan portfolio and exit its Regional Acceptance Corporation business, which was roughly break-even despite high loan yields. The transaction is expected to modestly improve earnings, tangible book value and credit metrics.
The bank reaffirmed its financial outlook, including third-quarter net interest income growth of about 1.5%, full-year growth of 1% to 1.5%, and its $5 billion share-repurchase plan. The sale is expected to generate approximately $950 million in capital but reduce net interest margin by 4 to 5 basis points.
New CEO Mike Lyons is accelerating a broader portfolio and capital-allocation review, with Truist emphasizing relationship banking, deposits, commercial lending, payments, wealth management and potentially credit cards, mortgages and home equity lending.
Smart Money Shifts: U.S. Bancorp Pairs Tech With Yield

#truist #financial #loan #credit

Some refiners in ******* an this week rushed to buy Oman's crude for earlier loadings after Saudi Arabia shut down its key pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, traders with knowledge of the purchases told Bloomberg on Wednesday.
Late last week, Saudi Arabia was forced to temporarily shut down the East-West oil pipeline following drone attacks launched from the territory of Iraq close to the Iranian border on Thursday. The shutdown of the pipeline is a precautionary measure, after the attacks resulted in a number of injuries, the world's top crude oil exporter said.
The 750-mile-long East-West pipeline became Saudi Arabia's vital oil route to bypass the Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East conflict started and Hormuz was closed to shipping traffic. Thanks to the East-West pipeline, the Kingdom has managed to re-route most of its crude loadings from the western ports in the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Apart from announcing the shutdown of the pipeline and condemning the attacks, Saudi Arabia has not officially updated the market either on the extent of the damage or the timelines for repairs.
The repairs could take three to five weeks, two regional officials briefed on the matter told The ******* ociated Press.

#hormuz #strait

Walk into a Burlington Stores (NYSE:BURL) location on a Saturday afternoon, and you will see the mechanism of the company's business model in action. It's a literal hunt for value: a customer finds a name-brand jacket at a steep discount, checks the tag, and takes it to the register. Burlington operates as an off-price retailer of apparel, footwear, and home goods. With the stock priced at $228.73 as of Sept. 15, 2026, it has fallen by 15% over the past 12 months, a period marked by significant operational expansion and active navigation of the retail sector.
Our proprietary Hidden Gems scoring system ****** igns Burlington Stores an overall Superscore of 78 out of 100, placing it in the Strong category. The Superscore is an AI-powered metric that evaluates a company's overall strength by combining financial performance, product-market position, technological capabilities, leadership quality, and relative valuation. It represents the unification of all our scores into a single score for public companies, with five rating bands: Exceptional (90-100), Strong (75-89), Above Average (60-74), Average (40-59), and Cautious (0-39).
This 78 Superscore places the company in the Top ~14% of every company we score. This ****** ysis provides a data-driven signal to help you weigh the company's operational strengths against its risks as part of your own due diligence.
Accelerated store growth: Management successfully opened 104 net new stores in fiscal 2025, executing a long-term strategy to reach 2,000 total locations.
Operational efficiency gains: Gross margin reached 46% in Q2 fiscal 2026, driven by improved inventory turnover and a sophisticated supply chain that distributes goods from six regional centers.

#strong