Core Viewpoint - Wall Street is increasingly adopting cryptocurrencies, with major financial institutions like Bank of America advising clients to allocate a portion of their portfolios to digital assets [1] Group 1: Bank of America's Involvement - Bank of America has increased its stake in Bitmine Immersion Technologies, owning 3,162,085 shares valued at $85.8 million as of Q4 2025, representing a 1,668% increase from its previous holding of 178,808 shares [2] - The bank is recommending a 1%-4% allocation of client portfolios to digital assets, indicating a strategic shift towards embracing cryptocurrencies [1] Group 2: Bitmine Immersion Technologies - Bitmine Immersion transitioned from Bitcoin mining to establishing an Ethereum treasury, with Tom Lee from Fundstrat appointed as chairman [3] - The company aims to acquire 5% of the total ETH supply, currently holding 4,371,497 ETH, which is 3.62% of the total supply, making it the largest corporate ETH treasury [4][5] - Despite its ambitions, Bitmine is facing challenges as the market experiences a crypto winter, with ETH losing 35% of its value in the last three months and BMNR stock down 37% in the same period [5]

Of course, not everyone has the time — or the back muscles — to dig for gold in a riverbed. But you don’t need a pan to get in on the action. Gold has long been prized as a store of value — and some of the biggest names in finance are urging investors to make room for it in their portfolios.“It’s emotional, some days you find $15,000, some days you don’t find anything,” Goza said.And payday is never a sure thing.Still, hunting for treasure is often grueling. As another prospector put it, gold “doesn’t jump ...

There’s a new heavyweight fighting for the future of decentralized finance on Capitol Hill. The Hyperliquid Policy Center, or HPC, announced its debut on Wednesday, positioning itself as a resource for U.S. policymakers on DeFi and derivatives like perpetual futures. In a press release, founder and CEO Jake Chervinsky said that blockchains are poised to become the bedrock of the financial system, and the U.S. must choose between adopting new rules to support the technology or to “wait and watch as other nat ...

FedEx delivered its bluntest message yet about its approach toward fast fashion and other low-cost parcel shippers at last week’s Investor Day event, doubling down on its shift in recent years toward more high-margin B2B logistics relationships and premium direct-to-consumer shipments. E-commerce sellers looking for cheap, no-frills home delivery: Goodbye. And B2C retailers with more specialized needs for high-quality shipping and reliability? Be ready to pay a larger premium and lots of surcharges. “Ou ...

Core Viewpoint - The merger between Devon Energy Corporation and Cotera Energy is expected to create significant shareholder value through enhanced operational efficiencies, increased free cash flow, and a robust capital return strategy, including higher dividends and share repurchases. Group 1: Merger and Strategic Outlook - The merger is positioned to create an industry leader that delivers differentiated value to investors, with a focus on capital returns through higher dividends and a significant share repurchase authorization [1][4] - The combined portfolio will leverage a world-class position in the Delaware Basin, expected to generate over half of total production and cash flow, supported by a decade of top-tier inventory [3][4] - The merger is anticipated to deliver $1 billion in annual pretax run-rate synergies by year-end 2027, enhancing operational efficiency and free cash flow generation [2][3] Group 2: Financial Performance and Capital Returns - Devon Energy generated $3.1 billion in free cash flow in 2025, allowing for $2.2 billion in returns to shareholders through dividends, share buybacks, and debt retirement [14] - The quarterly dividend was increased by 9% to $0.24 per share, with plans for a further 31% increase following the merger, reflecting confidence in the combined company's cash return capabilities [15] - The company reduced its shares outstanding by approximately 5% over the past year and anticipates a new share repurchase authorization of over $5 billion post-merger [15][16] Group 3: Operational Efficiency and Business Optimization - Devon Energy achieved an impressive reserve replacement rate of 193% at a finding and development cost of just over $6 per BOE, indicating strong operational execution [6] - The company has captured 85% of its $1 billion business optimization target within a year, with a focus on leveraging technology and continuous improvement to drive further efficiencies [9][21] - Capital efficiency improved by over 15% from preliminary 2025 outlook, enabling the company to extract more value from every dollar invested [7][8] Group 4: Production and Cost Management - Production optimization efforts led to free cash flow of $700 million in Q4, driven by strong new well performance and improved base production management [5] - Operating costs significantly improved, reflecting enhanced reliability and operational efficiency, with capital spending finishing 4% better than guidance [5][10] - The company expects production to average around 830,000 BOE per day in Q1 2026, despite weather-related downtime [16]

If you want to retire with money in the bank, it's important to start early and invest consistently. There are many strategies for success, and one popular way of saving for retirement is investing in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs provide easy diversification, often at a low price, and ETFs that track indexes can provide steady gains over many years or even decades. Image source: Getty Images. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known compa ...

Management views New Approach Methodologies (NAMS) and AI as long-term enabling technologies rather than immediate disruptors to regulated safety assessment environments.Manufacturing segment growth was hindered by the loss of a major commercial cell therapy client, though Microbial Solutions maintained strong performance across all testing platforms.Discovery Services volume declines impacted DSA revenue, while pricing and mix remained stable across the broader segment.The acquisition of KF Cambodia is a s ...

Consumers need to watch for signs that their favorite retailer may face bankruptcy risks, because a bankrupt retailer may not honor returns or gift cards. As someone who has covered retail for over 30 years, I have noticed some telltale signs. Less inventory: Before its most recent bankruptcy, JCPenney's shelves were often missing common sizes and were more barren than usual. Fewer workers: Cutting back on labor saves money in the short term. Lack of cleanliness: When a retailer tries to save money, it ...

Performance was anchored by the vacation ownership business, where management converted high owner engagement into recurring demand and predictable cash flow. The company achieved 8% gross vacation ownership sales growth, driven by a 6% increase in Volume Per Guest (VPG) and accelerating tour flow that peaked in the fourth quarter. Management attributed sustained consumer demand to a deliberate shift toward higher-quality demographics, with average FICO scores rising above 740 and household incomes ex ...

Core Insights - The company's performance was driven by strong subscription growth across various areas, compensating for a year of low weather activity that affected transactional volumes [1] - Management decided to terminate the AccuLink acquisition due to the high opportunity cost associated with an extended FTC review process, opting to prioritize agility in a fast-changing tech environment [1] - The divestiture of Verisk Marketing Solutions indicates a strategic shift to focus solely on data analytics and technology for the global insurance industry [1] Strategic Initiatives - The 'Coreline Reimagine' program is nearing completion, having released 22 out of the 20 targeted modules aimed at enhancing value realization during the renewal process [1] - The company is positioning AI as a productivity and value-add layer on top of its proprietary data, rather than as a standalone product, to improve carrier accuracy and efficiency [1] - The company's role as a regulatory intermediary is emphasized by its filing of over 2,000 products annually and maintaining daily contact with all 50 state regulators [1] Leadership Changes - The appointment of Steve Cotterer to lead the claims business reflects an increased focus on transforming insurance workflows through the integration of data and AI [1]