CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. (Cboe CA: CBST) (OTCQB: CBSTF) ("The Cannabist Company†or "the Company†), one of the most experienced cultivators, manufacturers and retailers of cannabis products in the United States, today announced that it has entered into a forbearance agreement (the "Forbearance Agreement†), with an ad hoc group of noteholders (the "Forbearing Noteholders†) of the Company's 9.25% Senior Secured Notes due December 31, 2028 (the "9.25% Senior ...

Key Points Warren Buffett stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025. But his investing legacy continues through Berkshire's various holdings. Buffett likes stocks with strong competitive moats and global brand names. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › In just a couple of weeks, we'll see the final moves that Berkshire Hathaway made to its venerable portfolio under the direct guidance of Warren Buffett, the legendary investor who stepped down as CEO at the end of 2025, after ...

Apple (AAPL) hasn’t had a great start to the year, losing nearly 5% so far. But that hasn’t stopped analysts at Evercore ISI from calling AAPL stock their top hardware pick for 2026. The bullish catalysts sound familiar — strong product cycle and healthy consumer demand — but there’s one factor that investors desperately wanted to hear about: artificial intelligence (AI). Apple’s Siri assistant is set to receive an AI upgrade, which has excited users around the world. This won’t be a small tweak, either. ...

Group 1 - SGA's U.S. Large Cap Growth Strategy reported a portfolio return of -1.3% (Gross) and -1.4% (Net) in Q3, underperforming the Russell 1000 Growth Index which returned 10.5% and the S&P 500 Index which returned 8.1% [1] - The investment objective of SGA is to focus on high-quality growth businesses expected to achieve consistent mid-teens earnings growth, along with stable revenue and cash flow [1] - In Q3, lower-quality stocks and cyclical industries outperformed, negatively impacting SGA's investment style [1] Group 2 - Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was highlighted as a key stock in SGA's third-quarter investor letter, with a one-month return of -3.15% and a 52-week gain of 11.49% [2] - As of December 31, 2025, Apple Inc. closed at $271.86 per share, with a market capitalization of $4.035 trillion [2] - Apple contributed positively to portfolio returns in Q3, benefiting from strong performance across all geographies, including a rebound in China [3] Group 3 - Apple managed to navigate tariff impacts effectively, with continued demand for its products supported by subsidies in China [3] - Despite challenges in talent acquisition and AI development, Apple's results remained robust, with management guiding for mid to high single-digit top-line growth in the upcoming quarter [3] - Strong buyback activity and stable valuation further supported Apple's stock performance, even as investor attention shifted towards AI [3]

Summary of Conference Call Notes Industry Overview - **Industry**: China Internet and E-commerce - **Key Policy**: Extension of the National Trade-In Program into 2026 Core Insights - **Policy Support**: The extension of the trade-in program is seen as a potential positive for e-commerce platforms, helping to mitigate the high-base effect in the first half of 2026 [1][2] - **Subsidy Details**: The initial batch of subsidies for 2026 amounts to RMB 62.5 billion, which is lower than the RMB 81 billion issued in the first batch of 2025 [3] - **Eligible Products**: The number of eligible home appliance categories has decreased from 12 in 2025 to 6 in 2026, which includes refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, computers, and water heaters [4] - **Subsidy Amounts**: Consumers purchasing eligible home appliances will receive a subsidy of 15% of the selling price, with a maximum of RMB 1,500 per unit. This is a reduction from the maximum subsidy of RMB 2,000 per unit in 2025 [4] - **Digital Products Subsidy**: For digital and smart products, including mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, and newly added smart glasses, consumers will receive a 15% subsidy on products priced up to RMB 6,000, with a maximum subsidy of RMB 500 per unit [5][6] Additional Considerations - **Adoption Rate Concerns**: Despite the inclusion of smart glasses in the subsidy program, the expected adoption rate may be limited, indicating potential challenges for e-commerce platforms like JD.com [1] - **Overall Impact**: The overall benefit to major e-commerce platforms is expected to be limited due to the high base of comparison and the smaller subsidy size compared to previous years [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. has entered into an agreement to sell its Virginia subsidiary, Green Leaf Medical of Virginia, LLC, for a total consideration of $130 million, following a go-shop process that identified a superior acquisition proposal [1][8]. Transaction Details - The sale involves the purchase of all equity interests of Green Leaf Virginia for $130 million, with $117.5 million payable in cash at closing and $12.5 million held in escrow for post-closing adjustments [3]. - The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close early in 2026 [4]. Financial Implications - The company plans to use a portion of the net proceeds from the transaction to redeem its Senior Secured Notes [5]. Strategic Review - A special committee of independent directors has been formed to explore strategic alternatives, including asset sales and mergers, in light of ongoing operational and financial challenges [9]. Background Information - The Cannabist Company, formerly known as Columbia Care, operates 77 facilities across 12 U.S. jurisdictions, including 61 dispensaries and 16 cultivation and manufacturing facilities [11].

Core Insights - Brown Advisory's Large-Cap Growth Strategy reported a net return of -0.88% in Q3 2025, underperforming the Russell 1000 Growth Index due to underweighting speculative momentum-driven stocks despite significant exposure to AI [1] - Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was highlighted as a key stock, achieving a one-month return of 5.33% and a 52-week gain of 16.91%, with a market capitalization of $4.2 trillion as of December 3, 2025 [2] - The Information Technology sector contributed positively in absolute terms but detracted from relative performance, with Apple Inc. being the largest detractor despite its nearly 25% return during the period [3] Company Performance - Apple Inc. reported revenue of $102.5 billion for the September quarter, marking an 8% year-over-year increase, and was held by 166 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q3 2025, up from 156 in the previous quarter [4] - The consensus estimates for Apple Inc.'s EPS growth for Fiscal Year 2028 are projected at 8%, with low single-digit sales growth, which does not align with the growth criteria of Brown Advisory's strategy [3][4] - The company is ranked 8th among the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds, indicating strong interest from institutional investors [4]

Group 1 - Baron Opportunity Fund reported a 5.44% return in Q3 2025, underperforming against the Russell 3000 Growth Index's 10.41% and the S&P 500 Index's 8.12% [1] - The underperformance was attributed to disappointing results from certain portfolio holdings and the strong performance of mega-cap stocks not included in the fund [1] - The letter provided a detailed update on AI and highlighted the fund's top 5 holdings for 2025 [1] Group 2 - Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had a one-month return of 3.46% and a 52-week gain of 17.52%, closing at $268.56 per share with a market capitalization of $3.986 trillion on November 19, 2025 [2] - The fund's non-ownership of Apple Inc. accounted for 43% of its underperformance in the IT sector year-to-date [3] - Apple Inc. reported revenue of $102.5 billion in the September quarter, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase [4]

Group 1 - JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon advocates for full engagement in meetings, emphasizing that checking devices is unacceptable and that focus is essential in the boardroom [1][3][4] - Dimon expresses a zero-tolerance approach towards distractions, stating that notifications and personal texts during meetings are disrespectful and waste time [3][4] - In contrast, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna believes that banning devices in a technology company like IBM is impractical, as laptops and tablets are integral to daily work [2] Group 2 - Krishna differentiates meeting etiquette based on size and purpose, suggesting that large meetings serve more as communication vehicles rather than true meetings [5] - For smaller meetings, Krishna emphasizes the importance of attention and would discourage distractions, indicating that participants should be fully present [5][6] - The debate reflects a broader scrutiny of workplace routines as digital distractions increasingly impact collaboration [6]

Core Viewpoint - AMZN stock shows strong operating performance and financial status despite a year-to-date gain of about 10%, which lags behind the Nasdaq-100's 20% increase, indicating consistent earnings growth driven by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and e-commerce efficiency gains [1][3] Valuation - Current valuations for AMZN are considered justified due to the durability of AWS's competitive advantage, ongoing margin expansion, and investments in logistics automation and AI infrastructure, despite elevated multiples [3][5] Growth - Amazon's top line has grown at an average rate of 11.3% over the past three years, with revenues increasing from $604 billion to $670 billion in the last year, and quarterly revenues rising by 13.3% to $168 billion [8] Profitability - AMZN's operating income over the last 12 months was $76 billion, representing an operating margin of 11.4%, with a cash flow margin of 18.1%, producing nearly $121 billion in operating cash flow [8] Financial Stability - AMZN's debt stood at $134 billion with a market capitalization of $2.6 trillion, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.2%. The company has $93 billion in cash, leading to a cash-to-assets ratio of 13.7% [11] Market Resilience - AMZN has shown resilience during economic downturns, performing slightly better than the S&P 500 index in terms of stock decline and recovery speed during significant market events [9][12]