Block’s (SQ) Afterpay division and strong partner base are boosting its prospects in the ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) market. Its partnership with several brands, including Curology, Helzberg Diamonds, Journeys, Rawlings Sporting Goods, and Zenni Optical, is noteworthy.Afterpay’s BNPL offering is now available to Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google Play users. The expansion bodes well for the Afterpay division, on which Block estimates that consumers have spent more than $72 billion since its acquisition. Block levera ...

Group 1: BP and Trinidad and Tobago Agreement - BP plc has signed a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with Trinidad and Tobago for the exploration and production of natural gas in the shallow water block NCMA 2 [1] - The PSA aims to increase Trinidad and Tobago's natural gas output to enhance the supply for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, addressing the country's dwindling natural gas supply [2] - Block NCMA 2 is located in the North Coast Marine Area at a water depth of approximately 200 meters, marking the second agreement signed by Trinidad and Tobago to boost natural gas output [3] Group 2: Industry Context - Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries is actively promoting exploration and production activities to attract investments in the upstream segment [2] - The first agreement to increase natural gas output was signed with Shell plc for the Modified U(c) block in September 2024, which was the most sought-after area in the shallow water auction [3]

Core Viewpoint - The stock prices of H&R Block and Intuit declined significantly following reports that the Trump transition team is considering the development of a free tax-filing app, which could pose a competitive threat to both companies [1][2][3]. Group 1: Stock Market Reaction - Intuit's stock fell by 5%, marking its worst performance since August 23, when it dropped nearly 7% [1]. - H&R Block's stock decreased by 8%, indicating it is on track for its worst day since 2020 [1]. Group 2: Government Initiative - The proposed tax-filing app would be part of President-elect Donald Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency," which aims to reduce government spending [2]. - The initiative is led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, highlighting its high-profile backing [2]. Group 3: Competitive Landscape - A new tax-filing app from DOGE would directly compete with existing services from H&R Block and TurboTax [3]. Group 4: Existing Government Programs - The Biden administration has already implemented a pilot Direct File program through the IRS, allowing qualified taxpayers to file directly via a government portal [4]. - The IRS also provides free filing services for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $79,000 or less [4]. Group 5: Transparency Issues - Both Intuit and H&R Block have faced criticism for their handling of free filing options, lacking transparency in offering these services [5]. - H&R Block was subject to a Federal Trade Commission complaint for misleading marketing of free filing products and mishandling users' tax data [6]. - Intuit agreed to pay $141 million in restitution for deceiving low-income Americans into paying for tax services that should have been free [6].

Donald Trump's election has shaken up financial markets in a way that few elections have. Stocks soared broadly on his victory with financials and energy stocks leading the way, while some sectors fell, including real estate, which is sensitive to interest rates, and consumer staples, which could get hit by tariffs.Bond yields initially jumped, a sign that bond investors anticipated interest rates would stay elevated due to tax cuts and other economic stimulus, as well as the impact of tariffs and larger de ...

One company that likely won't be happy to exit this week is Block (SQ -2.80%). Its stock was on the rise across the past few trading days thanks to a set of fresh -- and bullish -- evaluations of the fintech by analysts tracking its fortunes. As a consequence its share price had risen nearly 12% week to date as of Thursday night, according to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Post-earnings updates Somewhat counterintuitively, that cluster of positive new evaluations for Block came on the heel ...

BOSTON, Nov. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Block & Leviton announces that a securities fraud lawsuit has been filed against Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ: LILM, LILMW; OTC: LILMF) and certain of its executives. Investors who have lost money in their Lilium N.V. investment should contact the firm to learn more about how they might recover those losses. For more details, visit https://blockleviton.com/cases/lilmf. What is this all about? Lilium N.V. and certain executives have been sued for securities fraud, alleging th ...

H&R Block will pay $7 million and change some of its practices under a proposed settlement that would resolve a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit alleging that the company made deceptive claims about "free" tax filing. The FTC filed an administrative lawsuit against H&R Block in February, charging that the company advertised its online tax filing products as "free" even though many consumers could not file for free, the regulator said in a Tuesday (Nov. 12) press release. The lawsuit also charged that ...

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H&R Block (NYSE: HRB ) just reported their normal uneventful Q1, and shares declined 6.5%, now giving up most of the gains since reporting their big FY24 and guiding FY25 well above consensus. Individual investor and family office principal with over 20 years of investment experience. I favor fundamental analysis and look for individual issues and asset classes that are out of favor and represent a good risk/reward trade off. I often employ options strategies, covered calls on companies I own that have gott ...

Investment Strategy - HODL strategy is unlikely to generate significant alpha or maintain a high Sharpe ratio over the long term [1] - Active management and minimizing opportunity costs are essential for seeking alpha [1] - High positive returns do not necessarily equate to generating high alpha [1] Analyst Background - The analyst specializes in fundamental equity research, global macro strategy, and top-down portfolio construction [1] - The analyst holds a degree in Business Economics from UCLA and a Master of Accounting from UMich Ross School of Business [1] - The analyst is a senior analyst at a multi-strategy hedge fund [1] Disclosure - The analyst has no stock, option, or derivative positions in any mentioned companies and no plans to initiate such positions within the next 72 hours [2] - The article expresses the analyst's own opinions and is not compensated by any company mentioned [2] - Seeking Alpha's disclosure states that past performance is no guarantee of future results and no investment advice is being given [3] - Seeking Alpha analysts are third-party authors, including both professional and individual investors, who may not be licensed or certified [3]