Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Bridgewater Associates billionaire founder Ray Dalio warned that global monetary and geopolitical systems are breaking down. Speaking at the 2026 World Government Summit in Dubai last month, Dalio outlined a world "on the brink" of a capital war, where money and financial systems are weaponized through sanctions, capital controls and debt leverage. In a world like that, deciding how much to keep in domesti ...

The online brokerage gained significant traction in its new markets in the fourth quarter, just three years after hitting a regulatory brick wall in its original home China marketimage credit: Bamboo WorksKey Takeaways:Online brokerage Futu's revenue jumped 45% year-on-year, and its net profit surged 80% in the fourth quarter of 2025The company's overseas moomoo brand accounts for 55% of total funded accounts, with Malaysia becoming a major growth driver just three years after Futu entered the marketThe ban ...

Is the Lululemon Dip a Buy? The Bull and Bear Case After Earnings, Guidance - 24/7 Wall St. S&P 5006,701.20 -0.43% Dow Jones46,801.50 -0.48% Nasdaq 10024,729.50 -0.42% Russell 20002,499.87 -0.83% FTSE 10010,347.20 -0.26% Nikkei 22554,310.50 -0.47% Stock Market Live March 18, 2026: S&P 500 (SPY) Flat on Hot Inflation Reading Investing This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them. How to Add Us to Google News Send ...

Core Viewpoint - Energean has signed a $260 million deal to acquire Chevron's stakes in offshore Angola, marking a significant investment in West Africa's hydrocarbon sector [1][6]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - Energean is acquiring a 31% operated stake in Block 14 and a 15.5% non-operated stake in Block 14K [1]. - Block 14 currently produces approximately 42,000 barrels of oil per day, with Energean's share expected to be around 13,000 barrels per day [1][2]. - The acquisition includes net proven and probable reserves of 28 million barrels from Energean's prospective stake [2]. Group 2: Production and Infrastructure - Production from Block 14 is processed through multiple hubs, including Benguela and Tomboco, which have spare processing capacity [2]. - Block 14K, which includes the Lianzi field, produces around 2,000 barrels per day gross, with Energean's net share expected to be about 1,000 barrels per day [4]. Group 3: Financial Implications - The adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and exploration for the assets are projected to be $119 million in 2025 [5]. - Energean expects the acquisition to contribute immediately to cash flow and has agreed to contingent payments of up to $25 million per year, capped at $250 million total [5][6]. Group 4: Strategic Importance - The acquisition is seen as a landmark moment for Energean, aligning with its strategic focus on disciplined growth and geographic diversification [6]. - The Block 14 assets are characterized as high-quality and cash-generating, with potential for long-term growth through developments like PKBB [7].

Core Insights - US stocks have started 2026 on a negative note, with the S&P 500 down 1.4% year-to-date, while developed international equities have shown positive performance, highlighting the importance of geographic diversification for retirees [2][5] Fund Overview - The iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) tracks large- and mid-cap equities in developed markets outside the US and Canada, with $77.8 billion in assets and a competitive annual fee of 32 basis points [3] - EFA's top holdings include major global companies such as ASML, Roche, AstraZeneca, and Nestle, reflecting a buy-and-hold strategy with a low annual portfolio turnover of 4% [4] Performance Analysis - EFA has gained 2.34% year-to-date, contrasting with the 1.4% decline of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), driven by dollar weakness and a shift towards more affordable international valuations [5][8] - Over the past twelve months, EFA has returned 21.82%, outperforming SPY's 17.4%, although US equities have historically shown stronger growth over longer periods [6][8] Income Considerations - EFA provides dividends twice a year, with 2025 distributions totaling $3.25, resulting in a current yield of 2.29%, which is lower than the 10-year Treasury yield of 4.13%, indicating that EFA serves as an income supplement rather than a direct bond replacement [7]

Right now, wealthy residents of Dubai scrambling this week to book private jets and charters out of Oman or Saudi, wherever they can get out. A private jet now costing about $250,000 or more just to get you out of there. Now, this wealth flight marks a big turnaround for an emirate that until this week led the world in attracting millionaires.Last year, nearly 10,000 of the world's millionaires moved to Dubai, bringing along $63 billion in wealth. Dubai offered the three things that the wealthy want most. S ...

Core Insights - The company reported a net loss of $91 million, primarily due to non-cash charges including $57 million in depreciation and a $31 million fair value adjustment on derivatives [1] - Quarterly revenue reached a record $93 million, driven by an increase in Bitcoin mining capacity to 25 exahash, maintaining 2% of the global network [1] - Strategic geographic diversification between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres helped mitigate seasonal curtailments, with operations in Paraguay achieving nearly 100% uptime during Canadian winter [1] Financial Performance - The $91 million net loss was largely attributed to non-cash charges, indicating a focus on long-term asset depreciation rather than immediate cash flow issues [1] - The record revenue of $93 million reflects successful scaling of operations and effective management of mining capacity [1] Strategic Initiatives - The company implemented a 'dynamic HODL' strategy, realizing $14 million in value through call options on pledged Bitcoin, allowing for fleet upgrades without cash outlay [1] - The '10/10' Binance flash crash was noted as a significant event that disrupted institutional trust and initiated a prolonged bottoming process in the crypto ecosystem [1] - The company is avoiding high-leverage debt for expansion, opting for a pragmatic approach to build tier three data centers to meet high-margin AI and HPC demand [1] Market Positioning - The company is transitioning from a pure-play miner to a diversified infrastructure provider, focusing on sovereign data needs and military spending in NATO and Latin American markets [1]

Group 1 - Garry Tan, President and CEO of Y Combinator, criticized California's economic conditions, highlighting issues such as high unemployment, homelessness, and housing prices [1][2] - The Financial Times column by Michael Moritz warned that California's billionaire tax plan may backfire due to the state's reliance on a few wealthy individuals [3] - David Sacks suggested Y Combinator consider opening an office in Austin to mitigate risks associated with California's fiscal and political pressures [4] Group 2 - Sacks emphasized the importance of geographic diversification for Y Combinator, noting the growing startup ecosystem in Austin following relocations by major figures like Elon Musk [4] - Tan acknowledged the potential for expansion into Austin or Cambridge if California's wealth tax is put to a vote, while also noting that startups in the San Francisco Bay Area achieve product-market fit at a rate 2.5 times that of Austin [5] - Y Combinator has a history of backing significant tech companies, including Airbnb, Reddit, and DoorDash [6]

Core Insights - AB InBev's third-quarter 2025 results highlight the stabilizing role of Latin America, which offsets the ongoing softness in the U.S. beer market, with U.S. revenues declining 0.8% year over year due to lower volumes and cautious consumer behavior [1][7] U.S. Market Performance - In the U.S., sales to retailers fell 2.5% year over year, and sales to wholesalers declined 2.7%, reflecting industry-wide pressure on beer consumption [2] - Despite the decline in sales volumes, disciplined revenue management and productivity initiatives led to EBITDA growth of 0.4% and margin expansion of 42 basis points, demonstrating AB InBev's ability to maintain profitability in a challenging environment [2] Latin America Performance - Latin America showed healthier fundamentals, with Colombia achieving low-teen revenue growth driven by record-high volumes, premium brand momentum, and market share gains, resulting in mid-single-digit EBITDA growth [3] - Brazil, despite facing adverse weather and a weak consumer environment, benefited from pricing discipline and cost control, with revenues per hectoliter rising 6.5% and EBITDA remaining flat with 68 basis points of margin expansion [3] - Mexico also experienced steady growth, with low-single-digit revenue gains in the quarter and mid-single-digit growth in the first three quarters of 2025, supported by premium brands and strong traction in no-alcohol offerings [4] Overall Company Performance - AB InBev's geographic diversification and strength in Latin America, along with effective revenue management, helped cushion the impact of U.S. beer market weakness, reinforcing the company's ability to deliver EBITDA growth and margin expansion [5] - The company's shares have gained 8.5% in the past three months, outperforming the industry's growth of 2% [6] Valuation and Earnings Estimates - AB InBev trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 15.73X, which is higher than the industry's 14.19X multiple [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AB InBev's 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 3.7% and 12.3%, respectively, although earnings estimates have been revised downward in the past 30 days [10]

Core Insights - Standard Premium Finance Holdings, Inc. is positioning itself for growth in the insurance premium finance market, which is projected to generate approximately $60 billion in annual loan originations and grow at a compound annual rate of roughly 10% [2][3] Company Overview - Standard Premium has expanded its operations to 40 licensed states and has more than doubled its available capital through a $115 million credit facility, enhancing its capacity for portfolio growth and geographic diversification [1][4] - The company has financed premiums on over $2 billion of property and casualty insurance policies since its inception in 1991 [4] Market Trends - The U.S. insurance premium finance market is experiencing growth driven by the expansion of the excess and surplus (E&S) insurance market [2] - There is ongoing industry consolidation, yet fragmentation remains, presenting opportunities for technology-driven companies and potential mergers and acquisitions [3] Strategic Objectives - For 2026, Standard Premium aims to achieve geographic diversification, grow its loan portfolio, improve diluted earnings per share, and evaluate the possibility of uplisting to NASDAQ, contingent on market conditions and regulatory approvals [3]