5 days ago
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) stock market index has more than doubled from its 2022 bear market low point, but it faces a number of challenges that could derail its current bull run.
Rising oil prices are stoking inflation, which prompted the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates at its September meeting, and additional hikes might be on the way. This alone has been enough to spark a correction in the broader market in the past, but investors are also wrestling with a potential slowdown in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure spending, which is impacting some of the largest stocks in the S&P 500.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 16x 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 »
To top things off, the S&P is trading at a very expensive valuation, leaving it particularly vulnerable to a sharp sell-off. Fortunately, there is a way investors can capitalize on a downturn based on almost 70 years' worth of history.
The U.S. and Iran have been engaged in a geopolitical conflict since February, resulting in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz waterway, through which 25% of the world's seaborne oil transits each day. Moreover, the ongoing war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen recently knocked even more oil supply offline, while Ukraine and Russia also continue targeting one another's energy infrastructure.
#rising
Rising oil prices are stoking inflation, which prompted the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates at its September meeting, and additional hikes might be on the way. This alone has been enough to spark a correction in the broader market in the past, but investors are also wrestling with a potential slowdown in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure spending, which is impacting some of the largest stocks in the S&P 500.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 16x 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 »
To top things off, the S&P is trading at a very expensive valuation, leaving it particularly vulnerable to a sharp sell-off. Fortunately, there is a way investors can capitalize on a downturn based on almost 70 years' worth of history.
The U.S. and Iran have been engaged in a geopolitical conflict since February, resulting in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz waterway, through which 25% of the world's seaborne oil transits each day. Moreover, the ongoing war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen recently knocked even more oil supply offline, while Ukraine and Russia also continue targeting one another's energy infrastructure.
#rising
2 months ago
On September 10, Imperial Petroleum Inc. (NASDAQ:IMPP), a company involved in seaborne transportation of crude oil, dry bulk, and petroleum products, released its second quarter results. With a topline figure of $87.1 million, the company delivered record quarterly revenue, which also resulted in 139.9% year-over-year growth. Imperial's adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter stood at $41.7 million, while the Q2 adjusted net income of $35.3 million exhibited around 163% growth in comparison with Q2 FY25.
Ralf Gosch/Shutterstock.com
Several factors contributed to the second quarter topline growth. A 6.9 vessel rise in the company's average fleet size was the primary growth enabler. Other factors include encouraging dynamics across the drybulk segment, and higher rates for both drybulk and tankers amid the geopolitical uncertainties. Operating income for the quarter jumped to a near-record level of $33.4 million, which translates into a 307.3% growth relative to Q2 FY25. Imperial posted an adjusted EPS of $0.76 for the reported quarter, which almost doubled compared to the same quarter a year prior.
At the back of efficient fleet management, management remained focus on strengthening its financial position. The company ended the quarter with no debt, and its liquidity position also remained resilient. Cash and cash equivalents, including time deposits, increased from $179.1 million at the end of 2025 to $245.2 million as of June 30, 2026. The company added that its cash base had increased further to approximately $260 million as of the September 10 results release.
Certain areas of weakness warrant a closer examination. During the reported quarter, fleet operational utilization went down from 83.1% in prior year's second quarter to 73.5%. There was a substantial increase in some of the underlying operating expenses. For instance, the vessel operating expense stood at $14.4 million compared to $8.4 million during Q2 FY25. This $6 million rise can be attributed to Imperial's larger fleet size. Similarly, the voyage expenses also jumped from $10.7 million in last year's Q2 to $22.1 million for Q2 FY26. The incremental voyage expenses stemmed from higher bunkers' rates, as well as a 58.4% jump in spot days.
#fleet
Ralf Gosch/Shutterstock.com
Several factors contributed to the second quarter topline growth. A 6.9 vessel rise in the company's average fleet size was the primary growth enabler. Other factors include encouraging dynamics across the drybulk segment, and higher rates for both drybulk and tankers amid the geopolitical uncertainties. Operating income for the quarter jumped to a near-record level of $33.4 million, which translates into a 307.3% growth relative to Q2 FY25. Imperial posted an adjusted EPS of $0.76 for the reported quarter, which almost doubled compared to the same quarter a year prior.
At the back of efficient fleet management, management remained focus on strengthening its financial position. The company ended the quarter with no debt, and its liquidity position also remained resilient. Cash and cash equivalents, including time deposits, increased from $179.1 million at the end of 2025 to $245.2 million as of June 30, 2026. The company added that its cash base had increased further to approximately $260 million as of the September 10 results release.
Certain areas of weakness warrant a closer examination. During the reported quarter, fleet operational utilization went down from 83.1% in prior year's second quarter to 73.5%. There was a substantial increase in some of the underlying operating expenses. For instance, the vessel operating expense stood at $14.4 million compared to $8.4 million during Q2 FY25. This $6 million rise can be attributed to Imperial's larger fleet size. Similarly, the voyage expenses also jumped from $10.7 million in last year's Q2 to $22.1 million for Q2 FY26. The incremental voyage expenses stemmed from higher bunkers' rates, as well as a 58.4% jump in spot days.
#fleet
2 months ago
EuroDry (EDRY) has surged nearly 350% over the past year, driven by strong technical momentum and robust ***** yst sentiment.
Shares set an all-time high at the end of August 2026.
EDRY maintains a 100% "Buy" technical opinion from Barchart.
Analysts rate EDRY as "Strong Buy," but Morningstar flags it as 18% overvalued, highlighting the need for disciplined risk management.
Valued at $141 million, EuroDry (EDRY) is an owner and operator of drybulk vessels and a provider of seaborne transportation for drybulk cargoes. It operates 11 dry bulk carriers across the Ultramax, Kamsarmax, Panamax, and Supramax classes.
#edry #strong #barchart
Shares set an all-time high at the end of August 2026.
EDRY maintains a 100% "Buy" technical opinion from Barchart.
Analysts rate EDRY as "Strong Buy," but Morningstar flags it as 18% overvalued, highlighting the need for disciplined risk management.
Valued at $141 million, EuroDry (EDRY) is an owner and operator of drybulk vessels and a provider of seaborne transportation for drybulk cargoes. It operates 11 dry bulk carriers across the Ultramax, Kamsarmax, Panamax, and Supramax classes.
#edry #strong #barchart
2 months ago
Oil prices surged above $120 a barrel in April as the Iran conflict choked the Strait of Hormuz and traders feared the worst.
Since then, something unexpected has happened. Prices have been falling. Not because the conflict ended, but because the market found a way around it.
Goldman Sachs ***** ysts Daan Struyven and Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby published a note this week laying out why the energy market's recovery matters, what it means for different parts of the energy sector, and why crude oil faces less upside risk than many investors might expect, Bloomberg reported.
The Strait of Hormuz is the single most important oil chokepoint in the world. About a third of the globe's seaborne oil passes through it on the way from Persian Gulf exporters to global buyers.
When the Iran conflict escalated earlier this year, flows collapsed. Goldman estimates total crude and oil-product exports through the Strait fell to roughly 5 to 6 million barrels per day in March, down from about 22 to 24 million barrels per day before the conflict, Bloomberg reported.
#Iran #goldman #crude
Since then, something unexpected has happened. Prices have been falling. Not because the conflict ended, but because the market found a way around it.
Goldman Sachs ***** ysts Daan Struyven and Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby published a note this week laying out why the energy market's recovery matters, what it means for different parts of the energy sector, and why crude oil faces less upside risk than many investors might expect, Bloomberg reported.
The Strait of Hormuz is the single most important oil chokepoint in the world. About a third of the globe's seaborne oil passes through it on the way from Persian Gulf exporters to global buyers.
When the Iran conflict escalated earlier this year, flows collapsed. Goldman estimates total crude and oil-product exports through the Strait fell to roughly 5 to 6 million barrels per day in March, down from about 22 to 24 million barrels per day before the conflict, Bloomberg reported.
#Iran #goldman #crude
3 months ago
Trump's "economic D-Day" against Iran is built around one of Washington's most powerful weapons: access to the U.S. financial system. The problem is that the deeper Washington pushes into Iran's remaining trade, the bigger the targets become.
China buys more than 80% of Iran's seaborne crude. Iraq relies on Iranian gas for as much as 40% of its electricity generation. Turkey imported 4.5 bcm of Iranian gas in the first half of this year, while India still maintains a heavily one-sided trade relationship with Tehran. The UAE, once one of Iran's most important commercial and financial conduits, has already suspended dealings with Tehran.
The U.S. Treasury can sanction tankers, traders and small Chinese refiners without creating much collateral damage outside the Iranian trade. Going after the major banks financing that commerce is different, however. The same is true of forcing Baghdad to choose between complying with Washington and keeping Iranian gas flowing to Iraqi power stations.
The Trump administration took a cautious approach on Monday. Its first round targeted nearly 60 individuals, companies and vessels and expanded sanctions across shipping, aviation, technology, gold and digital ***** ets, but left China's major banks untouched.
That leaves the most powerful part of Trump's threat still hanging over Iran's trading partners. If the first round fails to cut Iranian commerce sufficiently, Washington can move from sanctioning the networks built to evade U.S. restrictions to targeting the banks and companies that still have substantial business to lose in the United States.
#still #tehran #built #financial
China buys more than 80% of Iran's seaborne crude. Iraq relies on Iranian gas for as much as 40% of its electricity generation. Turkey imported 4.5 bcm of Iranian gas in the first half of this year, while India still maintains a heavily one-sided trade relationship with Tehran. The UAE, once one of Iran's most important commercial and financial conduits, has already suspended dealings with Tehran.
The U.S. Treasury can sanction tankers, traders and small Chinese refiners without creating much collateral damage outside the Iranian trade. Going after the major banks financing that commerce is different, however. The same is true of forcing Baghdad to choose between complying with Washington and keeping Iranian gas flowing to Iraqi power stations.
The Trump administration took a cautious approach on Monday. Its first round targeted nearly 60 individuals, companies and vessels and expanded sanctions across shipping, aviation, technology, gold and digital ***** ets, but left China's major banks untouched.
That leaves the most powerful part of Trump's threat still hanging over Iran's trading partners. If the first round fails to cut Iranian commerce sufficiently, Washington can move from sanctioning the networks built to evade U.S. restrictions to targeting the banks and companies that still have substantial business to lose in the United States.
#still #tehran #built #financial
3 months ago
PHENIX CITY, Ala. – When Trent Seaborn made his first start at quarterback for Thompson (AL), he was as nervous as any first-time starter would be. There was just one difference: Seaborn was just 14 years old and hadn't even started high school yet.
"I can remember it clear as day," Seaborn said. "I was so scared."
Four years later, Seaborn took the field for his final season opener in a Thompson uniform, and the difference was evident.
Not only has the Alabama commit grown a few inches, expanded his skill set and helped lead the Warriors to three state championships, but he has learned how to embrace the pressure that comes with being a starting quarterback.
"It's funny, I think back to all the other years I've played and I would be nervous before all the games," Seaborn said. "But it was kind of a different feeling when I stepped off the bus today. I just felt calm and collected."
#seaborn #years #nervous
"I can remember it clear as day," Seaborn said. "I was so scared."
Four years later, Seaborn took the field for his final season opener in a Thompson uniform, and the difference was evident.
Not only has the Alabama commit grown a few inches, expanded his skill set and helped lead the Warriors to three state championships, but he has learned how to embrace the pressure that comes with being a starting quarterback.
"It's funny, I think back to all the other years I've played and I would be nervous before all the games," Seaborn said. "But it was kind of a different feeling when I stepped off the bus today. I just felt calm and collected."
#seaborn #years #nervous
4 months ago
Chinese refiners largely stopped competing for Middle Eastern crude during the Iran conflict, leaving more Gulf cargoes available to Europe, India, and the rest of Asia just as traders prepared for a supply shock.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates China drew 41 million barrels from crude inventories during June, one of the largest monthly stock draws on record. Refiners met domestic demand from storage instead of replacing those barrels through imports, allowing Beijing to ride out the sharp jump in Middle Eastern crude prices caused by the conflict.
That inventory was accumulated well before the conflict. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates China spent much of 2025 buying roughly 900,000 barrels per day for strategic and commercial storage whenever prices softened.
Independent "teapot" refiners cut operating rates as weak refining margins, slowing fuel demand and higher crude prices squeezed profitability. Reuters reported that several refiners shifted purchases toward discounted Gulf grades and delayed Iranian cargoes, leaving millions of barrels floating offshore without immediate buyers.
Kpler estimated in late May that Chinese seaborne crude imports had fallen to 6.78 million barrels per day, the lowest level in nearly a decade, down from 8.5 million bpd in April and well below the 2025 average of 10.66 million bpd. Refinery intake, however, declined far less sharply, indicating that refiners were meeting the difference by drawing inventories.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates China drew 41 million barrels from crude inventories during June, one of the largest monthly stock draws on record. Refiners met domestic demand from storage instead of replacing those barrels through imports, allowing Beijing to ride out the sharp jump in Middle Eastern crude prices caused by the conflict.
That inventory was accumulated well before the conflict. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates China spent much of 2025 buying roughly 900,000 barrels per day for strategic and commercial storage whenever prices softened.
Independent "teapot" refiners cut operating rates as weak refining margins, slowing fuel demand and higher crude prices squeezed profitability. Reuters reported that several refiners shifted purchases toward discounted Gulf grades and delayed Iranian cargoes, leaving millions of barrels floating offshore without immediate buyers.
Kpler estimated in late May that Chinese seaborne crude imports had fallen to 6.78 million barrels per day, the lowest level in nearly a decade, down from 8.5 million bpd in April and well below the 2025 average of 10.66 million bpd. Refinery intake, however, declined far less sharply, indicating that refiners were meeting the difference by drawing inventories.
4 months ago
Ed Sheeran stepped out to attend Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding in N.Y.C. on July 3
Sheeran was spotted in a powder blue tux, while his wife Cherry Seaborn wore a yellow dress
Sheeran and have collaborated on several occasions since touring together in 2012
Ed Sheeran is part of "The A Team"!
The "Perfect" singer-songwriter, 35, and wife Cherry Seaborn stepped out for his longtime friend Taylor Swift's star-studded wedding to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on July 3. The pair were spotted in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood before heading uptown to Madison Square Garden for the expected celebration. Sheeran rocked a powder blue tux with a T-shirt and Nike sneakers, while Seaborn wore a yellow dress with platform heels and a silver clutch.
Sheeran was spotted in a powder blue tux, while his wife Cherry Seaborn wore a yellow dress
Sheeran and have collaborated on several occasions since touring together in 2012
Ed Sheeran is part of "The A Team"!
The "Perfect" singer-songwriter, 35, and wife Cherry Seaborn stepped out for his longtime friend Taylor Swift's star-studded wedding to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on July 3. The pair were spotted in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood before heading uptown to Madison Square Garden for the expected celebration. Sheeran rocked a powder blue tux with a T-shirt and Nike sneakers, while Seaborn wore a yellow dress with platform heels and a silver clutch.
4 months ago
Brent crude has fallen more than 20% in the past month, sliding from triple digits during the worst of the Iran war to around $72 a barrel today. WTI sits near $70. That kind of move usually means one thing: the crisis is over. It isn't, not quite.
The Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint that carries roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil, spent nearly four months effectively shut after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on Feb. 28. Iran mined the strait, fired on tankers and closed the lane to anyone it considered hostile. The U.S. and Iran signed an interim memorandum of understanding on June 17 meant to reopen Hormuz to toll-free traffic and wind the war down over a 60-day window.
It hasn't gone smoothly. Iran briefly reclosed the strait in April over what it called ceasefire violations. As recently as June 25 through 28, Iran and the U.S. traded a fresh round of strikes: drones hit a container ship, the U.S. retaliated, and Tehran hit a vessel carrying Qatari oil before both sides agreed to pause ahead of new talks in Doha. Shipping is still moving under a daily quota system run by Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy, hundreds of vessels remain stranded in the Gulf, and war-risk insurance premiums are still many times above pre-war levels.
Call it half-open. Saudi Arabia has started loading tankers again at Ras Tanura, and the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar are all pushing more crude onto the water, with Gulf flows reportedly climbing back to roughly 75% of prewar levels. That's enough to crater oil prices and scramble the math for nearly every energy stock with Middle East exposure, even as the underlying conflict simmers.
That combination, falling prices, a still-fragile peace, and a region racing to restore lost output, creates an odd set of winners. Some obvious oil and gas names are nursing real wounds from the war while betting on a clean recovery. Others made their money from the chaos itself and now have to prove they can hold onto it once the chaos fades. Here are five stocks caught in that transition.
The Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint that carries roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil, spent nearly four months effectively shut after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on Feb. 28. Iran mined the strait, fired on tankers and closed the lane to anyone it considered hostile. The U.S. and Iran signed an interim memorandum of understanding on June 17 meant to reopen Hormuz to toll-free traffic and wind the war down over a 60-day window.
It hasn't gone smoothly. Iran briefly reclosed the strait in April over what it called ceasefire violations. As recently as June 25 through 28, Iran and the U.S. traded a fresh round of strikes: drones hit a container ship, the U.S. retaliated, and Tehran hit a vessel carrying Qatari oil before both sides agreed to pause ahead of new talks in Doha. Shipping is still moving under a daily quota system run by Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy, hundreds of vessels remain stranded in the Gulf, and war-risk insurance premiums are still many times above pre-war levels.
Call it half-open. Saudi Arabia has started loading tankers again at Ras Tanura, and the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar are all pushing more crude onto the water, with Gulf flows reportedly climbing back to roughly 75% of prewar levels. That's enough to crater oil prices and scramble the math for nearly every energy stock with Middle East exposure, even as the underlying conflict simmers.
That combination, falling prices, a still-fragile peace, and a region racing to restore lost output, creates an odd set of winners. Some obvious oil and gas names are nursing real wounds from the war while betting on a clean recovery. Others made their money from the chaos itself and now have to prove they can hold onto it once the chaos fades. Here are five stocks caught in that transition.
5 months ago
A top 2027 wide receiver has named Alabama football as his future home.
Osani Gayles, a four-star wide receiver from IMG Academy in Florida, announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide Saturday, June 27, choosing Alabama over Stanford and Washington.
Gayles, the No. 46 player and the No. 8 wide receiver in the 2027 recruiting class per 247Sports' composite rankings, is the first wide receiver to join Alabama's latest recruiting class, one headlined by five-star quarterback Elijah Haven.
Gayles is Alabama's third four-star commit, joining Georgia running back Nigel Newkirk and Alabama quarterback Trent Seaborn.
ALABAMA FOOTBALL 2027 RECRUITING: Who is Alabama football latest commit? Crimson Tide recruiting live updates
Osani Gayles, a four-star wide receiver from IMG Academy in Florida, announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide Saturday, June 27, choosing Alabama over Stanford and Washington.
Gayles, the No. 46 player and the No. 8 wide receiver in the 2027 recruiting class per 247Sports' composite rankings, is the first wide receiver to join Alabama's latest recruiting class, one headlined by five-star quarterback Elijah Haven.
Gayles is Alabama's third four-star commit, joining Georgia running back Nigel Newkirk and Alabama quarterback Trent Seaborn.
ALABAMA FOOTBALL 2027 RECRUITING: Who is Alabama football latest commit? Crimson Tide recruiting live updates
5 months ago
The average price of a gallon of gas in the United States has fallen below $4 for the first time since March 30, according to AAA, after the U.S. and Iran signed a preliminary agreement to end their war.
Gas prices have fallen for nearly four straight weeks, just in time for the summer driving season. The average price of gas had climbed from $2.98 a gallon before the war started to as high as $4.56, driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which carried around 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade before the war.
President Trump hailed the falling gas prices at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday, telling reporters that "we're hitting in the threes now for gasoline, and that'll come down a lot lower."
It's not clear, though, how quickly oil and gas prices may fall. **** yst Matt Wright of Kpler, a trade **** ytics company based in Brussels, wrote in a recent blog post that the number of tankers entering the Persian Gulf could rise to 12 a day — around half of pre-war levels — in 30 days. Oil and gas companies are expected to act with caution due to the lingering uncertainty over the agreement, suggesting that prices may fall slowly in the coming months.
Gas prices have fallen for nearly four straight weeks, just in time for the summer driving season. The average price of gas had climbed from $2.98 a gallon before the war started to as high as $4.56, driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which carried around 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade before the war.
President Trump hailed the falling gas prices at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday, telling reporters that "we're hitting in the threes now for gasoline, and that'll come down a lot lower."
It's not clear, though, how quickly oil and gas prices may fall. **** yst Matt Wright of Kpler, a trade **** ytics company based in Brussels, wrote in a recent blog post that the number of tankers entering the Persian Gulf could rise to 12 a day — around half of pre-war levels — in 30 days. Oil and gas companies are expected to act with caution due to the lingering uncertainty over the agreement, suggesting that prices may fall slowly in the coming months.
