The US economy is stacking up wins, even if it doesn't feel that way for many households because of the resurgence in inflation.
The economy has now posted 78 consecutive months of expansion, the sixth-longest business cycle since 1854, per new ***** ysis from The Kobeissi Letter. This is well above the long-term average of 49 months and the median of 38 months.

By comparison, the longest period for the US economy without a recession was between 2009 and 2020, at 128 months. The record of course was broken by the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, which ground the economy to a halt.
Read more: Scaramucci: Lots of Americans 'feel left out of the system'

"Unconventional monetary policy, historically large budget deficits, alongside the AI investment boom, appear to be extending the duration of business cycles. The data says the US economy is remarkably strong," The Kobeissi Letter team said.
Meanwhile, the US economy is nearing an impressive achievement on the unemployment front.
The US unemployment rate is nearing a record number of consecutive months below 5%, Truist chief strategist Keith Lerner said in a note on Monday. The longtime record dates back to the mid-1960s.

#letter #consecutive

Sept 16 (Reuters) - Top U.S. banks raised their prime lending rate on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve lifted its benchmark interest rate, a ‌move that would increase borrowing costs for consumers and businesses with ‌loans.
Following the Fed's first rate hike since 2023, the prime rate of JPMorgan , Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, KeyCorp, Huntington Bancshares, Fifth Third Bancorp and Truist Financial from Thursday will rise to 7% from 6.75%.
The Fed raised rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday and flagged further increases in borrowing costs in the coming ‌months as policymakers focus on ⁠addressing persistent inflation.
Shares of big banks ended lower amid broader weakness in U.S. stocks. BofA closed down 2.7%, Citi 2.4%, Wells ⁠Fargo 3%, and JPMorgan 1%. Morgan Stanley slipped 1.9% and Goldman Sachs fell 4%.
The prime rate, which follows the federal funds rate, is used by U.S. banks as a reference for setting rates on many financial products such as credit cards and ‌personal loans.

#prime #jpmorgan #raised

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

The lineups are out for tonight's series-opening showdown between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies. There's no major shakeup but there is a return to the lineup for one familiar face after he started Thursday's contest on the bench.
Ozzie Albies is back in the starting lineup for the Braves. Here's how the rest of Atlanta's lineup is looking:
Sale takes the mound tonight at TruistPark 💪 pic.twitter.com/sZRngGjbvQ
Ozzie has hit .249/.304/.411 so far this season with a wOBA of .311 and a wRC+ of 95. His big triple against the Rays on Thursday helped push Atlanta past Tampa Bay and gave them what could amount to being a very crucial win if all continues to go well for the Braves as far as this particular series is concerned.
Outside of that, there are no major changes from yesterday and in fact, this is the same group of nine batters that squared off against Aaron Nola last week. The bottom of the order is slightly different but the players remain the same. For what it's worth, Ronald Acuña Jr. has an OPS of 1.076 against Nola in 56 pat-bats. Austin Riley has done a similar level of damage as well with an OPS of 1.111 over 62 ABs. Mike Yastrzemski and Drake Baldwin have both been successful as well (1.046 and 1.056 OPS, respectively) against Nola but they both have much smaller sample sizes (16 and 8 ABs, respectively) to go with. Let's see if that turns into a factor during tonight's contest.

#lineup #major

This week's ETF Zoo crew takes a lay of the land as summer comes to a close and some new and interesting developments crop up. ETF.com hosts Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research, and Sumit Roy, Senior ETF ****** yst, are joined in this episode by Cinthia Murphy, Director of Research at TMX VettaFi, and James Seyffart, CFA, CAIA, Senior Research ****** yst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Together the group talks about some of the big M&A announcements lately, dig into the AI chokepoint perspective, and more.
You can view this episode here or on our YouTube channel or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
M&A land grab in full swing. Billions in ETF acquisitions, including Victory Capital/First Eagle, Vanguard/Altruist, and more, signal that scale instead of organic growth now drives the industry. The Zoo crew debated whether firms are buying hit products, talent, or distribution, and what could be ahead for the industry.
Leverage and gambling push into new territory. Defiance's hourly-reset leveraged ETFs barely differ from daily resets despite pulling in huge fees, while Korea and ****** an crack down on single-stock leverage entirely. New NHL-linked sports-betting ETFs raised bigger concerns about routing gambling risk through the same rails as retirement savings.
AI concentration is everywhere, even where you don't expect it. Thematic and datacenter ETFs quietly hold the same chokepoint stocks like Micron and Nvidia, sparking debate over whether that's a feature or a vulnerability. However, real revenue growth at companies like Anthropic and OpenAI kept the Zoo Crew from sounding the alarm just yet.

#land #chokepoint

Northern Kentucky University's men's basketball program announced its full slate of non-conference games with the Norse set to host five games at Truist Arena.
Northern Kentucky opens the 2026-27 season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, taking on UTEP as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon. The Norse will stay in the Mount Rushmore State for a matchup with South Dakota on Nov. 4. As previously announced, NKU then heads to College Station, taking on Texas A&M on Nov. 6. It marks the first time the Norse have played Texas A&M since the 2017-18 campaign. Northern Kentucky wraps up its four-game road trip to open the season at Chaifetz Arena, where they'll take on Saint Louis on Nov. 10.
Both Texas A&M and Saint Louis reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Then, the Norse start a four-game homestand leading into Thanksgiving, opening their home schedule on Nov. 14 against Central Michigan. Last season, NKU beat the Chippewas by 24 in Mount Pleasant. Northern Kentucky will then host Georgia Southern on Nov. 23 and Bellarmine on Nov. 25 as part of a a multi-team event with those teams playing each other at Truist Arena Nov. 24. Northern Kentucky's matchup with Georgia Southern will be the first in program history, while this season's matchup vs. Bellarmine marks the 80th all-time, with the Norse leading the series 45-34.
NKU has four out-of-conference games in December, taking on Defiance on Dec. 8, before facing South Carolina State on Dec. 11, both at Truist Arena. The Norse wrap up their non-Horizon League schedule by taking on ETSU in Johnson City on Dec. 15, before traveling up to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take on Harvard on Dec. 20. It'll mark the first time that the Norse and Crimson have faced off, while the Norse traveled to ETSU last season.

#taking #texas

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Is it time to reduce your equity holdings? I suspect it is for the vast majority of investors. That's not to say I have a clue of how stocks will perform next week or even next year. I don't. It's because I believe that investing involves discipline. Here are five warning signs that it's time to dial back on equities.
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READ ALSO: Vanguard's Altruist Deal May Shake Up Robo-Advice and Goals Are the New Blueprint for Portfolio Construction
I'm a believer in setting an ****** et allocation target and sticking to it. That means reducing stocks when they have been hot and buying more when they turn cold. There is ample evidence that most investors do just the opposite: They get greedy and buy high, then panic and sell low. Because stocks have been surging since 2023, if you haven't rebalanced back to your target, you are likely way out of whack and aggressively invested.

#daily #next #back #concerned

TFC and USB pay the same $0.52 quarterly dividend, but TFC's has been frozen for 4 years while USB guides to another ~4% raise in Q3 2026.
Truist is returning over 100% of earnings to shareholders via a $5 billion buyback program, explicitly sidelining per-share dividend growth.
Just released. Our **** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Two of America's largest regional banks just paid shareholders the exact same dividend. Truist Financial (NYSE:TFC) sent investors $0.52 per share on September 1, 2026, matching to the penny the $0.52 per share U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) distributed on July 15, 2026. Identical payments, similar business models, same sector. The similarity ends there. One of these dividends is quietly accelerating. The other has been frozen for four years.
The starting point for any dividend comparison is yield, and here Truist wins on the surface. With shares trading at $50.74 and an annualized forward payout of $2.08, TFC yields roughly 4.1%. U.S. Bancorp, at $62.35 with the same $2.08 annualized, yields closer to 3.3%.

#Dividend #Share

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There hasn't been this much buzz about ticket charges since the Department of Justice settled its long-running antitrust case against Live Nation, the owner of Ticketmaster.
But this isn't about concerts and the gargantuan markups on the resale marketplace. And the story is much bigger than almost anything else in ***** et management and financial advice this year: Vanguard is buying the fintech-powered RIA custodian Altruist. From an ETF angle, the deal could affect the platform fees that issuers pay other custodians — or decline to, which can limit their distribution.
"The RIA platforms / custodians could not have been happy to hear of the Vanguard / Altruist arrangement," said Neil Bathon, managing partner of Fuse Research Network, noting that the deal stands to boost distribution of Vanguard ETFs via its model portfolios. "It is only natural to ***** ume that Vanguard's core positioning as the industry's most efficient operator will reflect itself in downward pressure on platform fees."
Sign up for The Daily Upside at no cost for premium ***** ysis on all your favorite stocks.

#daily #deal

Michael Harris II's clutch hit sparks wild controversy with Rockies originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Colorado Rockies Cole Carrigg found himself back on the field sooner than expected Sunday, one day after making an inappropriate gesture toward Atlanta Braves fans at Truist Park.
Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer initially indicated Carrigg would sit for "a couple days" following Saturday's incident, but the punishment ultimately lasted only six innings. Carrigg entered Sunday's game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning with Colorado trailing Atlanta 2-1.
The controversy began during Saturday's 2-1 loss when Carrigg attempted a diving catch on a ball hit by Michael Harris II in the eighth inning. Carrigg narrowly missed the ball, allowing two runs to score and giving Atlanta the lead.
Moments after getting to his feet, Carrigg was shown on the broadcast extending his middle finger toward the stands.

#sporting #toward

A possible solution for the Los Angeles Dodgers' offensive woes may have hit the waiver wire in the form of Luis Robert Jr.
Robert Jr. broke out years ago with the Chicago White Sox as one of the most promising players in the big leagues in the early 2020s, but in the last few seasons, he has experienced a fall from grace.
He was finally traded away from Chicago over the offseason to the Mets, who needed a veteran outfielder, but his fresh start has not gone as he expected.
Now, to save some money, the Mets put Robert Jr. on waivers to see if another team will pick him up.
Aug 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

#METS #Dodgers

CoreWeave (CRWV) shareholders have watched a rough stretch.
The stock fell about 17% over the past week as investors reacted to the company's plan to spend far more on data centers than expected.
That kind of spending scares people who want profits now, not years from now.
Shares recently traded near $86, down sharply from where they sat earlier in the month. But one ***** yst looked at the same numbers and reached the opposite conclusion.
Truist Securities thinks CoreWeave could nearly double from here. The firm sees a specific reason why the recent sell-off creates an opening rather than a warning.

#coreweave #shares #shareholders #stretch

Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST) delivered strong second-quarter 2026 financial results, highlighted by raised full-year guidance across key profitability metrics. The restaurant management software provider raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook to $805 million–$825 million, up from its previous projection of $790 million–$810 million. Management also raised its guidance for recurring gross profit streams, defined as subscription services and financial technology solutions gross profit, to $2,325 million–$2,355 million (23%–25% year-over-year growth).
For Q2 2026, total revenue reached $1.90 billion, climbing 23% year-over-year, while total gross profit reached $516 million. GAAP net income rose sharply to $154 million ($0.26 per diluted share) from $80 million ($0.13 per share) in Q2 2025. Adjusted EBITDA reached $221 million, inclusive of a $10 million one-time benefit from tariff refunds, which management plans to reinvest into strategic growth initiatives. Operational expansion remained robust: Annualized Recurring Run-Rate (ARR) surged 25% year-over-year to $2.4 billion, supported by 22% growth in Gross Payment Volume (GPV) to $60.7 billion. The company added a record 9,500 net new locations in the quarter, bringing its global active footprint to approximately 180,000 locations.
This raises a core question: Does Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST)'s operational momentum and platform expansion justify a valuation premium, or will increasing market saturation and macroeconomic pressure on restaurant spending cap further upside?
Bulls emphasize Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST)'s industry-leading software adoption and expanding ecosystem. Following the Q2 report, on August 12, Truist raised its price target on Toast to $39 from $33 on August 12, maintaining a Buy rating. The firm noted higher recurring gross profit estimates driven by location net adds and rising subscription SaaS ARPU as new product launches ramp up. Operational tailwinds received another boost on August 10 when Adyen announced an expanded partnership with Toast into the U.S., supporting Toast's more than $215 billion in annual GPV across 180,000 locations and scaling its global processing capabilities.
Bears argue that persistent inflation and consumer spending fatigue could pressure restaurant transaction volumes, impacting Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST)'s payment processing revenues. While DA Davidson raised its price target to $34 from $30 on August 10 following the Q2 beat, the firm maintained a Neutral rating, pointing to a balanced risk-reward profile. Additionally, Toast's Q2 EPS of $0.26 came in below certain consensus estimates despite top-line beats, reflecting ongoing investments in international scaling, enterprise sales, and AI features like Toast IQ Grow. Free cash flow also slowed to $130 million in Q2 2026 from $208 million in the prior-year period.

#toast #gross #raised #billion

Chris Sale had not finished a game in seven years. He had not thrown a pitch 100 miles per hour in eight.
Thursday night, the 37-year-old Braves' lefthander did both.
Sale scattered five hits, struck out 11 and did not walk a batter as he shut out the Dodgers 1-0 at Truist Park.
The last time Sale went nine innings, he was wearing a Red Sox jersey. It was June 5, 2019 in Kansas City. Since then he had Tommy John surgery, broke a rib and won a Cy Young Award at age 35. He barely pitched for four of those years, 31 starts total from 2020 through 2023.
But Thursday night, Sale pitched like those seven years were just a bad dream.

#seven #Braves

Novig Promo Code TSNEWS: Spend $10, Get $25 Bonus for MLB, NFL Preseason (Aug. 27) originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Tonight's slate features some absolute blockbuster matchups that are perfect for putting your new bonus to work. We can dive right into the American League clash between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees under the bright lights at Yankee Stadium. Or, if the National League is more your style, we've got a heavyweight showdown at Truist Park with the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Atlanta Braves.
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#promo #code #here #spend

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not hold back when reflecting on a "tough" loss to the Atlanta Braves.
Over the Dodgers' current dynasty, the team has been known for playing good to even great defense, making minimal mental mistakes, and delivering in big moments.
From the end of the 2010s and the start of the 2020s, the Dodgers **** erted their dominance numerically over the regular season, but over the last few years, they have taken their foot off the gas and pushed themselves in a grittier direction.
This change has paid dividends as they have relied on better starting pitching and experienced players, helping them play a tighter brand of baseball.
Aug 26, 2026; **** berland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts reacts against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images

#angeles #dave #roberts #georgia

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki left the game against the Atlanta Braves due to an apparent finger injury.
Sasaki had been struggling without his best stuff before being pulled. He was in the fourth inning, where he had already allowed a run and had two runners on base, one at second and another at third, with one out.
Pitching coach Mark Prior, translator Will Ireton, and the Dodgers trainer examined his hand and called for Sasaki to be pulled.
The Dodgers announced that it was a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.
Aug 26, 2026; ******* berland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images

#Dodgers #sasaki #starting

Aug 26, 2026, 9:35 am EDT
Asset management giant Vanguard said it has agreed to acquire Altruist, a fintech that provides registered investment advisor firms with a trading platform and technology.
Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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#management

Vanguard Group agreed to acquire Altruist, a wealth technology and custody platform serving independent financial advisers, the companies announced Wednesday. The transaction is worth around $4 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Altruist's platform combines a self-clearing brokerage with tools covering account opening, trading, portfolio management, billing, and reporting for independent wealth-management firms. The company competes with Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments in providing custodial and administrative services to independent financial advisers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Following the close of the deal, Altruist is expected to operate as a standalone business, retaining its leadership, brand, and distinct operating model, the companies said. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close later this year. Financial terms were not disclosed by the companies.
Vanguard first invested in Altruist in 2020, according to the company. The acquisition advances Vanguard chief executive officer Salim Ramji's broader effort to diversify the firm's revenue streams beyond its low-fee index funds by building out a financial advice business. Vanguard itself plans to become an anchor client for parts of the Altruist platform.
"Altruist's mission to make financial advice more accessible, more affordable, and help advisers scale their practices, that very much rhymes with what we're trying to do here at Vanguard," Ramji said. "That's really how this acquisition was born."

#platform #advisers #Companies

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 06: Ozzie Albies #1 reacts with Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves following the 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Truist Park on May 6, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) Getty
Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias entered Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park with Atlanta leading 4-3 in the ninth inning.
Iglesias gave up a leadoff triple to Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, putting the tying run on third base.
The Braves right-hander proceeded to strike out first baseman Freddie Freeman and induce a Mookie Betts groundout, respectively. Iglesias intentionally walked Max Muncy before getting Tommy Edman to fly out to end the game.
Braves star second baseman Ozzie Albies commented on Iglesias' heroics after the game.

#getty

Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW) is heading into its September 2 earnings report with a strong growth narrative. Prior to earnings, on August 20, TD Cowen raised its price target on the stock to $370 from $300 while maintaining a Buy rating.
The firm is not alone, Deutsche Bank, Truist, Bofa, and UBS have all raised their targets recently. Almost everyone is talking about Cortex Code, an AI-powered coding agent built directly into the Snowflake data cloud.
Branded as CoCo, the AI coding tool has driven Snowflake's best sequential growth in its history. We know that AI is improving Snowflake's growth story, but how much of the improvement is already priced in?
For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Snowflake achieved revenue of $1.39 billion, representing 33% year-over-year growth. According to CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy, the milestone quarter reported product revenue of $1.33 billion, up 34% year-over-year, marking the strongest sequential dollar growth in company history.
Remaining performance obligations were $9.21 billion, representing 38% year-over-year growth. Cortex Code and Snowflake Intelligence, in particular, are becoming central for Snowflake's vision of the Agentic Enterprise.

#code #raised

Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW) is heading into its September 2 earnings report with a strong growth narrative. Prior to earnings, on August 20, TD Cowen raised its price target on the stock to $370 from $300 while maintaining a Buy rating.
The firm is not alone, Deutsche Bank, Truist, Bofa, and UBS have all raised their targets recently. Almost everyone is talking about Cortex Code, an AI-powered coding agent built directly into the Snowflake data cloud.
Branded as CoCo, the AI coding tool has driven Snowflake's best sequential growth in its history. We know that AI is improving Snowflake's growth story, but how much of the improvement is already priced in?
For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Snowflake achieved revenue of $1.39 billion, representing 33% year-over-year growth. According to CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy, the milestone quarter reported product revenue of $1.33 billion, up 34% year-over-year, marking the strongest sequential dollar growth in company history.
Remaining performance obligations were $9.21 billion, representing 38% year-over-year growth. Cortex Code and Snowflake Intelligence, in particular, are becoming central for Snowflake's vision of the Agentic Enterprise.

#cortex #raised #sequential

Baseball fans will get one of the best pitching matchups of the season on Friday when the Atlanta Braves visit the Milwaukee Brewers to open a three-game series at American Family Field.
The headline attraction is on the mound, where Atlanta ace Chris Sale will go head-to-head with Milwaukee flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET, and the game will be available to stream on ESPN Unlimited.
MORE: MLB Power Rankings, 30 teams ranked worst to first: Brand new top 3
Jul 23, 2026; **** berland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitchers the ball against the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Date: Friday, Aug. 21, 2026

#chris #first

Target Corporation (TGT), a large U.S. retailer, is heading into its second-quarter earnings with strong momentum. TGT stock is up 56% year-to-date (YTD), touching a new 52-week high of $156.47 on Aug. 13. More importantly, Wall Street has high hopes that the company will beat estimates and has already started to price in that possibility. Many **** ysts have raised the target price for Target's stock.
Let's find out what **** ysts are expecting from Target this quarter.
Home Depot CEO Takes Medical Leave. What This Means for HD Stock Ahead of Earnings.
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Analysts have been raising Target's price target before its Q2 earnings report on Aug. 19, believing its turnaround story is gaining momentum. Jefferies initiated coverage with a "Buy" rating and a $177 price target, which is the highest price estimate now, implying a 16% upside from current levels. Telsey Advisory has raised the price target to $170 while maintaining a "Buy" rating. Piper Sandler has lifted its target to $146 from $127, although it retained a "Hold" rating. Truist also moved its target to $147 from $130.

#high #raised

The National League Cy Young race has turned into one of the most competitive individual award battles in MLB. Several elite starters have put together seasons that would make them serious contenders in almost any other year, but only one pitcher will ultimately take home the hardware.
MLB.com's latest expert poll has five pitchers standing above the rest: Jacob Misiorowski, Cristopher Sánchez, Chris Sale, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chase Burns.
MORE: MLB catcher Jake Rogers breaks a 122-year-old record
Jun 19, 2026; ****** berland, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Jacob Misiorowski has emerged as the clear favorite after a dominant season with Milwaukee. The hard-throwing right-hander has overwhelmed hitters with elite velocity and has separated himself from the rest of the field in the latest MLB.com voting. Misiorowski previously led the league in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP during the season, and his combination of run prevention and swing-and-miss ability has made him extremely difficult to hit.

#rest

The New York Mets' roster overhaul during the 2025 offseason has not gone to plan. As of Aug. 16, they are 55-69 and last place in the National League East. They are 18 ½ games out of first, as well as 11 games back of the last Wild Card spot.
This development has been due to a variety of reasons, mainly injuries and simple player underperformance. A player that exemplifies this would be center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
The Mets acquired his services in an offseason trade with the Chicago White Sox. They exchanged infielder Luisangel Acuña for Robert.
MORE: Pete Crow-Armstrong's MVP chances take a hit after update on Shohei Ohtani
Aug 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#credit

Payment giants Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISV) and Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) announced a major strategic global partnership on August 4. The deal integrates Mastercard Merchant Cloud into Fiserv Commerce Hub, creating a unified connection for enterprise merchants across online, mobile, and in-store channels. Building on this momentum, Fiserv separately partnered with Stuut Technologies on August 5 to bring agentic AI-enabled automation to B2B enterprise receivables via SnapPay and Commerce Hub. While both agreements showcase how payment rails and software are converging, the underlying financial trajectories of these two companies present a stark contrast.
Bornfree / Shutterstock.com
Mastercard Incorporated is operating at peak efficiency. In Q2 2026, net revenue rose 14% year-over-year (12% currency-neutral) to $9.3 billion, driven by an 8% increase in gross dollar volume to $2.9 trillion, a 12% jump in cross-border volume, and 20% growth in value-added services. Adjusted net income reached $4.5 billion, yielding an adjusted diluted EPS of $5.04, up 21% from Q2 2025. Operating margins expanded to an exceptional 61.1%, proving Mastercard's elite pricing power and operating leverage even as card issuance hit $3.7 billion.
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISV), on the other hand, faces execution hurdles in its corporate turnaround. In Q2 2026, GAAP revenue dropped 4% year-over-year to $5.29 billion, while adjusted revenue fell 4% to $4.96 billion. Adjusted EPS fell 26% to $1.84, missing Wall Street expectations. Top-line contraction was seen across both key segments: Merchant Solutions declined 1% organically, and Financial Solutions dropped 8%. Compounding the pressure, management slashed full-year 2026 organic revenue guidance to between (1%) and 0% (down from 1%–3%) and trimmed adjusted EPS guidance to $7.20–$7.40 (down from $8.00–$8.30), citing transformation costs and elevated technology spending.
Mastercard's bull case is supported by its dominant duopoly position, high operating margins of 61.1%, and strong secular tailwinds from the ongoing shift from cash to digital payments. The company's value-added services, including cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and ***** ytics, are expanding rapidly at around 20%, while resilient cross-border travel provides additional growth and downside protection. Truist ***** yst Matthew Coad highlighted these strengths when raising his price target for Mastercard to $633 from $554 while maintaining a Buy rating on August 5. On the downside, Mastercard's elevated valuation leaves limited room for execution missteps. Capital One's portfolio migration presents a near-term headwind, while increased regulatory scrutiny of swipe fees and a 22% rise in customer rebates in Q2 could pressure long-term yields.

#mastercard #august #revenue #fisv

Playing without All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, the Arizona Diamondbacks didn't miss a beat on offense and steamrolled the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday, Aug. 15, at Truist Park.
The Diamondbacks (66-58) have won four of their last six games overall, with five straight road wins over Atlanta. They have a chance for a three-game series sweep on Sunday, Aug. 16, with a trip to Boston to play the contending Red Sox up next.
Nolan Arenado hit two home runs, a two-run shot in the third inning and a solo homer in the seventh, and totaled four runs batted in to lead a 13-hit attack for the Diamondbacks, who remain in a National League wild card position.
Ildemaro Vargas lined a three-run home run just over the left field wall in the top of the ninth, and the Diamondbacks dealt the NL East-leading Braves (73-50) their worst home defeat this season.
The Diamondbacks, with Marte dealing with left knee soreness that forced him out of Friday night's game early on and kept him out of Saturday's lineup, got another injury scare when hot-hitting catcher Gabriel Moreno took a foul tip off his protector but near his groin area.

#game

There's been some nasty weather in the forecast all day for metro Atlanta. It's been threatening and threatening and threatening to roll in and finally it's close enough to where the grounds crew at Truist Park has gone ahead and put the tarp on the field ahead of Tuesday's contest between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets.
We'll have more for y'all once the details come in but for now, anticipate that tonight's game won't be starting on time.

#we 'll

By all accounts, it's been an absolutely brutal season for Mets pitcher Kodai Senga. And even when there was something to celebrate, it still didn't exactly go his way.
After a solid first three seasons in MLB and an All-Star appearance in 2023, Senga's numbers ballooned amid injuries this year. But despite his 8.12 ERA in 16 appearances, Senga had an opportunity to go for his first-career save on Monday against the first-place Braves.
Senga was able to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and record the save in the 8-5 win. But rookie teammate Carson Benge was seemingly unaware of the milestone for Senga. Instead of keeping the baseball for the pitcher, Benge threw the final out into the Truist Park stands.
Senga could only watch as that keepsake was lost for good.
Now, there could have been an effort to retrieve the baseball. But with it being the final out of a road game, it was nearly impossible to get someone out there in time to set up an exchange with the fan.

#final #star