This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Most paid tax preparers lack requirements for educational standards or professional testing, opening the way each year for billions of dollars in illegitimate tax credit claims and subjecting taxpayers to the risk of audits and penalties, the Government Accountability Office said. Paid tax preparers without professional credentials — or 58% of all paid prepare ...

Moderately bullish activity in Wal-Mart (WMT), with shares up $1.45, or 1.15%, near $127.25. Options volume relatively light with 32k contracts traded and calls leading puts for a put/call ratio of 0.43, compared to a typical level near 1.06. Implied volatility (IV30) is higher by 0.1 points near 27.22,and above the 52wk median, suggesting an expected daily move of $2.18. Put-call skew steepened, indicating increased demand for downside protection, following a downgrade to Hold at HSBC. Published first o ...

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is included among the Goldman Sachs Dividend Stocks: Top 14 Stock Picks. Wells Fargo Increases Exxon Mobil (XOM) Price Forecast, Maintains Bullish View On February 24, Wells Fargo analyst Sam Margolin raised the price recommendation on Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) to $183 from $156. He maintained an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm said Exxon’s stock has helped lead the broader index higher and is undergoing a re-rating. Wells Fargo views this multiple ex ...

This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors is slashing its U.S. workforce by about 12%, excluding hourly production workers in manufacturing, logistics and quality, the company said Tuesday. The plan was launched to reallocate resources following the launch of Gravity, the company’s first SUV model, and to support a new phase of discipline and “margin progress ...

Nordic American Tanker Shipping (NAT) operates a leading Suezmax fleet. Shares are up more than 93% over the past 52 weeks. NAT is trading at a new 52-week high. The stock maintains a 100% “Buy” technical opinion from Barchart and has strong momentum. Today’s Featured Stock Valued at $1.04 billion, Nordic American Tanker Shipping (NAT) operates one of the largest fleets of Suezmax tankers in the world. The fleet consists of 24 Suezmax tankers, including two newbuilds. What I’m Watching I found ...

International stocks have steadily lagged the S&P 500 for the last 15 years. That kind of chronic underperformance doesn't build a good reputation and it certainly doesn't inspire investors to throw their money at it. Many people will label the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ: VXUS) (or any international fund for that matter) a "bad" fund. But you can't call a fund bad if you only look at it through the lens of performance. It ignores how the portfolio is structured, what its core strategy ...

For Europe's oil ang gas firms geopolitics is in the driving seat - analyst Proactive uses images sourced from Shutterstock JP Morgan sees geopolitics reclaiming the driver’s seat for European oil and gas equities, arguing that a higher risk premium has helped push oil prices up, and dragged energy shares higher year-to-date in the process. The bank's analysts, in a note, said the sector’s recent performance has “re-coupled to rallying oil prices” after a stretch of “positive decoupling” in the second ha ...

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is included among the Goldman Sachs Dividend Stocks: Top 14 Stock Picks. JPMorgan Raises McDonald’s (MCD) Valuation, Calls Stock Attractive on Pullbacks On February 24, JPMorgan analyst John Ivankoe raised the price target on McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) to $325 from $305. He kept an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm said the higher target reflects a revaluation of the restaurant group for “growth quality.” JPMorgan also said investors should consider buying ...

Lowe’s reported higher fourth-quarter sales as continued growth in its business supplying professional builders helped it to offset weakness in the home improvement market. - Getty Images Lowe’s is expecting a flat home-improvement market in 2026 as stalled housing sales, high interest rates and economic uncertainty continue to lead homeowners to delay remodeling and repair projects. “Our outlook for 2026 remains cautious given the persistent volatility in the housing macro,” said Chief Executive Marvin ...

QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is included among the Goldman Sachs Dividend Stocks: Top 14 Stock Picks. Loop Capital Upgrades Qualcomm (QCOM) to Buy, Sees Stock Nearing Turning Point Photo by Vitaly Taranov on Unsplash A February 24 report by CNBC said Loop Capital sees QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) nearing a turning point. The firm believes some of the pressures that weighed on the stock are starting to ease, while new growth opportunities are beginning to take shape. Analyst Gary Mobley upg ...