Market Signal Briefing

With AI enthusiasm, geopolitical conflict, and tariff uncertainty pulling markets in different directions, companies with predictable cash flows, durable infrastructure moats, and rising dividends may be the ideal setups for 2026.

Investors may want to look north of the border and consider these three Canadian companies with predictable (some might say boring) business models that could be perfectly positioned in 2026. These three stocks won't make headlines, but they might quietly make you money.

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TC Energy: A Toll Booth on North America’s Energy Network TC Energy Today

$63.78 -0.17 (-0.26%)

As of 03:42 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$43.59▼

$65.57Dividend Yield4.03%

P/E Ratio27.40

Price Target$72.50

There is no shortage of angles for investors in 2026. The tech trade, fueled by artificial intelligence, remains a fertile area. The conflict with Iran has also pushed defense and cybersecurity stocks to the forefront.

However, both of those investment theses rely on energy. That explains why TC Energy NYSE: TRP is a stock to consider for 2026. The Calgary-based company transports and delivers natural gas and crude oil using its network of pipelines throughout North America.

Energy stocks were expected to perform well in 2026 before the conflict in Iran sent crude oil prices surging.

Now, with the potential that oil prices may remain higher for longer, it makes sense to invest in companies that make up the network oil and gas need to move through, regardless of price.

Health Indicator for TC Energy TradeSmith's Health IndicatorA long-term volatility-based measure designed for securities held 12 months or longer.

Green: Strong and healthy uptrend with normal pullbacks.

Yellow: Significant pullback but still within expected volatility.

Red: Dropped beyond expected volatility; considered unhealthy.

Green Zone (22m+)

1-Year History

Mar 25 Jun 25 Sep 25 Dec 25 Mar 26

TRP's financial health is in the Green zone, according to TradeSmith. TRP has been in this zone for over 22 months.

This is a rock-solid company that has been in TradeSmith’s Green Zone for nearly two years. One reason for that is that the company generates 98% of its comparable EBITDA from rate-regulated or long-term take-or-pay contracts. In 2025, TC Energy put $8.3 billion in new projects into service. Each project came in significantly under budget, which may not be priced into the stock, despite TRP stock being up over 16% in the last 12 months.

Investing in TRP stock will require a little conviction. Institutional ownership, while still leaning bullish over the past 12 months, fell sharply in the last two quarters. Yet the stock price has been resilient, particularly in the three-month period ending March 17, during which TRP is up more than 18%.

Canadian National Railway: A Coast-to-Coast Freight Powerhouse The next two Canadian stocks are freight railways. First up is Canadian National Railway NYSE: CNI. This is the only railroad in North America that connects the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts. That creates a similar, but different, toll booth effect for energy companies, but applied to long-haul freight.

Canadian National Railway Today

CNI

Canadian National Railway

$100.33 -1.66 (-1.62%)

As of 03:42 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$90.74▼

$113.08Dividend Yield2.67%

P/E Ratio18.51

Price Target$118.91

Transportation stocks (i.e., transports) have sold off hard on two different occasions in 2026. But neither the AI scare nor the tariff shock affected Canadian railways. That doesn’t mean there are no tariff concerns. In its most recent earnings report, the company reported approximately CAD $350 million (approx. $255 million) in revenue losses from tariffs and flat volumes for 2026. However, in the last two quarters, Canadian National Railway has posted record grain shipments.

That could explain why institutional buying moved from bearish to bullish in the fourth quarter. It also supports the forward outlook for 12% growth in earnings.

Analysts’ price targets have been coming down since the company’s last earnings report. However, CNI stock still has a consensus price target of over $118 as of March 17, which would provide 16% upside. Helping investors wait for that growth, the company just raised its dividend by 3% and announced a new share buyback authorization for up to 24 million shares.

A Cross-Border Rail Growth Story Canadian Pacific Kansas City NYSE: CP is another rail stock to consider. The company is the only single-line railroad between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This is a key advantage at a time when supply chain resilience is a key part of corporate strategy. 

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Today

CP

Canadian Pacific Kansas City

$80.02 -0.57 (-0.71%)

As of 03:42 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$66.49▼

$89.42Dividend Yield0.82%

P/E Ratio24.79

Price Target$92.00

The former Canadian Pacific Railway merged with Kansas City Southern in 2021. Investors might be unimpressed by a 6.2% growth in the CP stock price over the last five years, but this is still a story in the early innings. The synergies are still flowing through to the bottom line.

Like Canadian National Railway, CP faces tariff uncertainty. Specifically, the company is projecting a C$200 million (approx. $146 million U.S.) impact from tariffs in the next 12 months.

One of the concerns about Canadian Pacific is its valuation.

At 25x earnings, it’s trading at a premium to the rail stock average. However, analysts forecast 14% earnings growth over the next 12 months and have a consensus price target of $92, which is approximately 14% upside. 

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A drone image shows Petrobras' Alberto Pasqualini refinery in the city of Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Diego Vara Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesRIO DE JANEIRO, March 18 (Reuters) - Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras' (PETR3.SA), opens new tab refineries ‌are set to operate at 98.5% of capacity in April, amid what is becoming ​a "longer-than-expected" conflict in the Middle ​East, Chief Executive Magda Chambriard said on ⁠Wednesday.

The executive also told reporters ​that three refineries are currently operating above ​installed capacity. The firm is reevaluating its scenarios for 2026 due to the U.S.-Israel conflict ​with Iran, she added.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

While most of ​the diesel Brazil consumes is produced locally by ‌Petrobras, ⁠about 25% of the fuel is imported, leaving the country vulnerable to higher oil prices abroad since the war ​began in ​the ⁠Middle East.

To increase diesel production, Chambriard said last week the company's ​refineries were already operating at 97% ​of ⁠capacity, up from around 91% last year. It also postponed maintenance stoppages at two ⁠of ​them.

Reporting by Fabio Teixeira ​and Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Writing by Fernando Cardoso; ​Editing by Kylie Madry and Natalia Siniawski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

The fresh capital gives the company flexibility to scale production and infrastructure around its blockbuster $816 million Space Development Agency contract to build 18 missile-warning satellites.

RKLB stock is moving. See the chart and price action here.  A $1 Billion Financial BoosterOn Tuesday, Rocket Lab entered an at-the-market equity distribution agreement allowing it to sell up to $1 billion in common stock over time. 

The facility replaces an exhausted $750 million program and pressured shares on dilution fears, but it significantly expands Rocket Lab's financial firepower for long-cycle defense and space programs.

Management now has a flexible tool to fund capex, acquisitions and working capital as its backlog swells, without locking into a single large, dilutive overnight offering. 

For a company pushing to industrialize satellite manufacturing and bring the Neutron medium-lift rocket online, that optionality is strategically valuable.

From Launch Provider To Defense PrimeRocket Lab's transformation hinges on its expanding role inside the Pentagon's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. 

The headline piece is the $816 million SDA award to design and build 18 Tracking Layer Tranche 3 satellites, focused on global missile warning and tracking, including hypersonic threats.

The deal layers on top of an earlier $515 million SDA Transport Layer-Beta Tranche 2 contract for another 18 satellites, lifting Rocket Lab's cumulative SDA awards above $1.3 billion and solidifying it as a key national security contractor. 

With backlog nearing $2 billion and defense work anchoring Rocket Lab's growth, the new $1 billion offering looks less like a lifeline and more like ammunition for a company aiming to join the ranks of next-generation space and defense primes. 

RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares have gained more than 300% over the past year. The chart below shows the 1-year performance of Rocket Lab stock compared to other defense contractors:

RKLB Stock Price: According to data from Benzinga Pro, Rocket Lab shares were down 8.61% at $71.82 at the time of publication Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Rocket Lab Corp.

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 18, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) between April 30, 2024 and January 13, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important May 11, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Trip,com securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Trip.com class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=50668 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 11, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants recklessly understated the regulatory risk facing Trip.com as a result of its monopolistic business activities; and (2) as a result, defendants' statements about Trip.com's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Trip.com class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=50668 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/288998

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

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The lawsuit filed by Compass challenged Zillow's rules on how homes are marketed.

Key Takeaways Skyward shares fell 15.1% YTD, lagging peers despite strong operating results.SKWD posted 26.7% revenue growth and 46% EPS growth in Q4, with an improved combined ratio.SKWD leverage is set to rise to 28-29% after the Apollo deal, above the industry's 15.4% average. Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. (SKWD - Free Report) has struggled to keep pace with the broader market despite delivering strong operating results. Shares are down 15.1% year to date, lagging both the industry and the S&P 500, while peers like Allstate Corporation (ALL - Free Report) and Heritage Insurance (HRTG - Free Report) have seen more modest declines.

YTD Price Performance – SKWD, ALL, HRTG, Industry & S&P 500 Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

That gap brings the focus to a key question: is the pullback an opportunity, or a signal of rising risks?

Let’s dig deeper.

The P&C cycle appears to be easing, with pricing momentum slowing and competition picking up. Skyward ended 2025 with debt-to-capital below 11%, but that is expected to rise to 28–29% following the Apollo acquisition. Meanwhile, the industry average for total debt to total capital was at 15.4% at the end of 2025. Even if the deal is strategically sound, the jump in leverage introduces near-term uncertainty.

Does Valuation Reflect Skepticism?On valuation, SKWD appears inexpensive on the surface. The stock trades at about 9.24X forward 12-month earnings compared with its three-year median of 12.92X and 26.77X of the industry. Meanwhile, peers like Allstate and Heritage aren’t exactly expensive either, trading at 8.12X and 5.89X forward earnings, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Execution Remains Strong as Mix EvolvesOperationally, the company continues to deliver. Fourth-quarter 2025 revenue grew 26.7% year over year to $385.6 million, while adjusted earnings rose 46% to $1.17 per share. Underwriting execution supported the results.

Gross written premiums witnessed strong momentum, supported by Specialty Programs, Accident & Health and Surety. Also, the combined ratio improved 730 basis points from the prior-year quarter to 88.5%, while underwriting income jumped to $41 million, up roughly 235% year over year. Those are tangible markers that profitability improved alongside growth.

The core bull case centers on a more cycle-resilient earnings mix. Roughly half of the portfolio is positioned in areas viewed as less exposed to traditional property and casualty cycles, helping the company emphasize risk-adjusted returns rather than pure volume. The Apollo acquisition adds another lever with capital-light fee income and profit-commission upside.

What Do Estimates for SKWD Say?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 revenues points to a year-over-year increase of 26.4% and 12.2%, respectively. The jump aligns with mix shift and Apollo integration. The consensus mark for 2026 and 2027 earnings signal 18.3% and 14.8% growth, respectively. It has witnessed two upward estimate revisions over the past month and no downward movement. SKWD beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 16.1%

Bottom LineThe pullback in Skyward reflects higher leverage and more cautious industry expectations rather than any meaningful deterioration in fundamentals. While near-term sentiment may stay restrained, strong execution and an evolving, more diversified earnings mix support the longer-term outlook. Backed by positive estimate revisions and a solid growth outlook, SKWD currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Shares of Lululemon Athletica Inc (NASDAQ:LULU) were on track to close 4.6% higher on Wednesday, but analysts say the retailer faces continued challenges in North America and lacks a clear leadership path to drive recovery.

Jefferies analysts reiterated a Hold rating on the stock with a $170 price target, citing “green shoots” in full-price selling but noting that overall guidance remains soft.

Lululemon’s North American revenue for 2026 is expected to decline 1% to 3%, with first-quarter comps projected to fall in the mid-single digits. Canada, previously a stabilizer, is now expected to track slightly below US results, reflecting growing sensitivity to markdowns.

Margins are under pressure, with fourth-quarter gross margin dropping 550 basis points to 54.9% due to tariffs and higher markdowns. Jefferies forecasts a continued margin decline in early 2026, signaling limited near-term profitability improvement despite management highlighting new product launches and experiential activations like Studio Yet in Los Angeles and pop-ups at the BNP Paribas Open.

China remains the bright spot, with fourth-quarter revenue up 28% and comps up 26%. For 2026, the region is expected to grow about 20%, and Lululemon’s balance sheet is strong, with $1.8 billion in cash and $600 million in revolver capacity, alongside $1.2 billion in buyback authorization.

However, Jefferies cautioned that without a permanent CEO to reset strategy and accountability, investor conviction remains low. “Until a credible CEO is in place, investors are left underwriting hope,” analysts wrote.

Jefferies sees Lululemon as “dead money” for now: solid cash and China growth provide support, but North American softness and leadership uncertainty weigh on the stock’s outlook.

Key Takeaways DOCU reported Q4 fiscal 2026 earnings of $1.01 per share, beating estimates and rising 17.4% year over year.DOCU posted revenues of $836.9M, up 7.8% y/y, driven by 8% growth in subscription revenues.DOCU issued fiscal 2027 revenue guidance above estimates, with steady margin and ARR growth expectations. Docusign, Inc. (DOCU - Free Report) reported impressive fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both earnings and revenues beating their respective Zacks Consensus Estimate.

DOCU’s adjusted earnings (excluding 57 cents from non-recurring items) were $1.01 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6 cents and increased 17.4% from the year-ago quarter’s level. Total revenues were $836.9 million, which beat the consensus estimate by $8.7 million and improved 7.8% on a year-over-year basis.

DOCU’s shares have lost 44.4% over the past year compared with a 5.1% decline of the industry. The Zacks S&P 500 composite has risen 21.3% in the said time frame.

DOCU’s Segmental RevenuesSubscription revenues totaled $819 million, increasing 8% year over year. The figure beat our estimate of $809.6 million. Professional services and other revenues of $17.9 million fell 3% from the year-ago quarter’s level, surpassing our expectation of $16.5 million. Billings amounted to $1 billion, up 10% year over year. The figure topped our estimate of $998.1 million.

The non-GAAP gross margin was 81.8% compared with 82.3% a year ago, beating our estimate of 81.2%. The non-GAAP gross profit of $684.1 million grew 7.1% year over year and outpaced our expectation of $671 million. The non-GAAP operating margin was 29.5%, up 70 basis points from the year-ago quarter’s level. The figure beat our estimate of 28.4%.

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow of DocusignDocusign exited the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 with cash and cash equivalents of $602.4 million compared with $648.6 million at the end of fiscal 2025. Net cash generated by operating activities was $377.2 million for the reported quarter. Free cash flow generation was $350.2 million.

DOCU’s Q1 & FY27 GuidanceFor the first quarter of fiscal 2027, DOCU expects revenues to be between $822 million and $826 million, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $813.4 million.

The non-GAAP gross margin and the non-GAAP operating margin are expected to be in the range of 80.8-81.2% and 29-29.5%, respectively. Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average outstanding shares are expected to be in the range of 196-201 million.

For fiscal 2027, the company expects revenues to be between $3.484 billion and $3.496 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $3.42 billion.

DOCU anticipates the annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth rate to be between 8.25% and 8.75%. The non-GAAP gross margin and the non-GAAP operating margin are expected to be 81.5-82% and 30-30.5%, respectively. Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average outstanding shares are expected to be in the range of 190-195 million.

Docusign currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Recent Earnings SnapshotTrane Technologies (TT - Free Report) reported impressive fourth-quarter 2025 results.TT’s quarterly earnings of $2.86 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.4% and increased 9.6% from the year-ago quarter’s level.

TT’s total revenues of $5.1 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by 1.3% and rallied 5.5% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.

Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH - Free Report) registered mixed results for third-quarter fiscal 2026. BAH’s earnings per share of $1.77 beat the consensus mark by 40.5% and increased 14.2% from the year-ago quarter’s level.

BAH’s revenues of $2.6 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.9% and were down 10.2% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.

Q4: 2026-03-18 Earnings SummaryEPS of $1.67 beats by $0.11

 |

Revenue of

$7.64B

(-1.66% Y/Y)

beats by $131.03M

Macy's, Inc. (M) Q4 2025 Earnings Call March 18, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Pamela Quintiliano - Head of Investor Relations
Antony Spring - CEO & Chairman
Thomas Edwards - COO & CFO

Conference Call Participants

Blake Anderson - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Matthew Boss - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Brooke Roach - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Dana Telsey - Telsey Advisory Group LLC
Oliver Chen - TD Cowen, Research Division
Paul Lejuez - Citigroup Inc. Exchange Research
Simeon Siegel - Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Research Division
Michael Binetti - Evercore ISI Institutional Equities, Research Division
Robert Drbul - BTIG, LLC, Research Division
Jay Sole - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Marni Shapiro - The Retail Tracker

Presentation

Operator

Greetings, and welcome to the Macy's, Inc. Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this call is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the call over to Pamela Quintiliano, Vice President of Investor Relations. Pamela, you may now begin.

Pamela Quintiliano
Head of Investor Relations

Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone, and thanks for joining us. With me on the call today are Tony Spring, our Chairman and CEO; and Tom Edwards, our COO and CFO.

Along with our fourth quarter 2025 press release, a Form 8-K has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the presentation has been posted on the Investors section of our website, macysinc.com and is being displayed live during today's webcast. Unless otherwise noted, the comparisons we provide will be versus 2024. All references to our prior expectations, outlook or guidance refer to information provided on our December 3 earnings call.

On today's call, we will refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations of these measures can be found in our earnings presentation and SEC filings available at www.macysinc.com/investors. All references to comp sales throughout today's prepared

Vertiv Holdings Co (VRT) JPMorgan Industrials Conference 2026 March 18, 2026 8:05 AM EDT

Company Participants

Giordano Albertazzi - CEO & Director
Craig Chamberlin - Executive VP & CFO

Conference Call Participants

C. Stephen Tusa - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Presentation

C. Stephen Tusa
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

All right. We'll kick off day 3 here at the JPMorgan Industrials Conference. We're very happy to have Craig Chamberlin as well as Gio Albertazzi from Vertiv. I think Gio is fresh off a flight back from GTC.

Question-and-Answer Session

C. Stephen Tusa
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

So before getting into that, maybe just starting every fireside this conference with a bit of an overview on just maybe your -- the Middle Eastern situation and how we should look at that in the context of Vertiv.

Giordano Albertazzi
CEO & Director

Well, of course, the situation will unfold in the next few days or weeks for us. Certainly, an area in which we operate in terms of markets we serve with some manufacturing capacity there. We feel pretty good in terms of the supply chain resilience that we have built over the years. In terms of the market is a subpart of our EMEA market. So it would be probably premature to think about what the actual impact is, but we see good resilience across the spectrum. But time will tell. It's a little bit premature still.

C. Stephen Tusa
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Yes. But you haven't heard any of any of the -- I know there was some activity that was ramping there that's probably a bit deferred, but you haven't really heard any news about any of those projects that are not really moving through.

Giordano Albertazzi
CEO & Director

No

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 18, 2026) - Los Andes Copper Ltd. (TSXV: LA) (OTCQX: LSANF) ("Los Andes" or the "Company") announces that Queen's Road Capital Investment Ltd. ("QRC") is exercising the conversion rights attaching to the US$5,000,000 eight per cent convertible debenture issued to QRC on June 2, 2021 (the "Convertible Debenture") effective April 8, 2026 (the "Conversion Date"). The Convertible Debenture is convertible into common shares of the Company at a price of CAD$10.82 per common share.

The principal amount of the Convertible Debentures plus accrued interest up to but excluding the Conversion Date is US$5,043,333 (the "Conversion Amount"). Applying the current exchange rate of US$1.00:CAD1.37, the Conversion Amount in Canadian dollars is CAD$6,909,366.

Under the terms of the indenture governing the Convertible Debenture, the maximum number of common shares of the Company which may be issued on conversion of the Debentures without further TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") approval is 558,502 common shares, which corresponds to $6,042,991 of the Conversion Amount, leaving a difference of CAD$866,375 of the Conversion Amount outstanding. The Corporation will be applying to the TSXV for the approval of the conversion of CAD$866,375 of the Conversion Amount into common shares at $10.82 for a total of 80,071 common shares, bringing the total number of shares issuable on conversion of the Conversion Amount to 638,573 common shares.

About Queen's Road Capital Investment Ltd.

QRC is a dividend paying, leading financier to the global resource sector. The Company is a resource focused investment company, making investments in privately held and publicly traded companies. The Company acquires and holds securities for long-term capital appreciation, with a focus on convertible debt securities and resource projects in advanced development or production located in politically safe jurisdictions.

About Los Andes Copper Ltd.

Los Andes Copper Ltd. is an exploration and development company with an 100% interest in the Vizcachitas Project in Chile. The Company is focused on progressing the Project, which is located along Chile's most prolific copper belt, into production. Vizcachitas is one of the largest copper deposits in the Americas not controlled by the majors and the Company believes it will be Chile's next major copper mine.

The Project is a copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit, located 150 kilometers north of Santiago, in an area of very good infrastructure. An independent technical report for the PFS, prepared in accordance with NI 43-101, is available on the Company's SEDAR profile.

Los Andes Copper Ltd. is listed on the TSX-V under the ticker: LA.

Qualified Persons

Antony Amberg CGeol FGS, the Company's Interim CEO, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

E-Mail: [email protected] or visit our website at: www.losandescopper.com
Follow us on twitter @LosAndesCopper
Follow us on LinkedIn Los Andes Copper Ltd

Certain of the information and statements contained herein that are not historical facts, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia), Securities Act (Ontario) and the Securities Act (Alberta) ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend"; statements that an event or result is "due" on or "may", "will", "should", "could", or might" occur or be achieved; and, other similar expressions. More specifically, Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward-Looking Information. Such Forward-Looking Information includes, without limitation, the timing of and ability to obtain TSX-V and other regulatory approvals and the prospects, details related to and timing of the Vizcachitas Project. Such Forward-Looking Information is based upon the Company's assumptions regarding global and Chilean economic, political and market conditions and the price of metals and energy and the Company's production. Among the factors that have a direct bearing on the Company's future results of operations and financial conditions are changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, a change in government policies, competition, currency fluctuations and restrictions and technological changes, among other things. Should one or more of any of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from any conclusions, forecasts or projections described in the Forward-Looking Information. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise Forward-Looking Information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/289056

Source: Los Andes Copper Ltd.

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BENSALEM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Law Offices of Howard G. Smith continues its investigation on behalf of IperionX Limited (“IperionX” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: IPX) investors concerning the Company's possible violations of federal securities laws. IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN IPERIONX LIMITED (IPX), CONTACT THE LAW OFFICES OF HOWARD G. SMITH ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS. Contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss your legal rights by email a.

So far Tencent has been seen as a cautious artificial intelligence player. Tencent wants to bring artificial intelligence agents into its WeChat social media app, the Chinese tech firm's president said on Wednesday, a move that could change how hundreds of millions of users interact with the platform in the Asian nation and beyond.

Agents—programs that execute real-life tasks such as sending emails or booking flights—are being touted as AI's next frontier after chatbots such as ChatGPT.

Their incorporation into WeChat may alter how people in the world's second-largest economy use the so-called "super-app" that already boasts social messaging, digital payments and a long list of other features.

Tencent, also the world's largest video game publisher, reported a 16% jump in full-year net profit on Wednesday, with gaming still the main business driver even as it extends its AI push.

The company has sought in recent years to integrate AI into WeChat, known as Weixin in China.

"We hope to create AI agents in Weixin, which could leverage Weixin's close connection with users," company president Martin Lau told reporters.

"It will be a highly diverse ecosystem, encompassing mini-programs, content, commerce, social networking and payments," Lau added, without giving details such as when the service would become available.

On Wednesday, Tencent said net profit for 2025 came to 224.8 billion yuan ($32.6 billion), beating estimates of 221.9 billion yuan in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

The company, which owns the developer of popular eSports including "League of Legends", has sizable operations in other sectors from cloud computing to entertainment.

Despite being China's most valuable tech company by market capitalization, so far Tencent has been seen as a cautious AI player, although founder Pony Ma has vowed to increase investment in the sector.

"Our highly resilient and cash generative core businesses provides us with the resources to fund our increasing investments in AI," Ma said in a statement Wednesday.

Agent fever Like its rivals Alibaba, Baidu and ByteDance, Tencent has recently branched out into the world of AI agents with its WorkBuddy app.

The Shenzhen-based company has also been among the Chinese tech giants racing to take advantage of a surge in interest in the country in OpenClaw—an AI agent platform created by an Austrian programmer that has fascinated the tech world.

Tencent and others are offering simplified installation and affordable coding plans to help users host OpenClaw agents on cloud servers.

Earlier this month, the company's cloud computing arm organized an OpenClaw setup event at its headquarters, which drew more than 1,000 attendees, with similar events planned across China.

The increasing capabilities of Tencent's main large-language AI model, and AI agent tools such as WorkBuddy and new offering QClaw, "are encouraging early signs that these investments will unlock new opportunities," the company said.

The Financial Times reported this month that the White House was debating whether Tencent's investment in US and Finnish gaming groups pose a national security risk.

Discussions over its stakes in "Fortnite" creator Epic Games, Riot Games and Supercell revolve around the implications for US user data privacy, the British newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter.

"We have been engaged in constructive discussions with the relevant US regulators for quite some time now," said Tencent president Lau.

"Things are moving in a positive direction" with the overall risk "manageable," he said.

"While there are due processes to be followed in the US, other regions are actually very keen for us to invest in gaming companies."

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Blackstone shares are trending higher. Why is BX stock advancing? Blackstone Leads Major Pharma Financing DealThe combined company is expected to generate roughly $1 billion in revenue this year, offering a more stable backdrop for lenders.

Private Credit Grapples With Withdrawal PressuresBlackstone disclosed that its flagship private‑credit fund, BCRED, saw a spike in redemption requests earlier this month. The news followed similar moves by Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, both of which limited withdrawals at their private‑credit funds after investors attempted to pull out unusually large amounts.

The wave of redemption caps raised broader questions about liquidity in the private‑credit ecosystem. The industry has grown rapidly by offering loans that banks stepped away from after 2008, but the mismatch between illiquid assets and investors expecting periodic liquidity has become a point of stress.

Economist Mohamed El‑Erian has cautioned that markets are dealing with two major sources of uncertainty at once: the escalating Middle East conflict and mounting strain in private credit. While they may seem unrelated, he argues the risks can reinforce each other rather than cancel out.

The TechnicalsBlackstone is trading about 0.4% above its 20-day SMA, but it remains 18.9% below its 100-day SMA, showing a short-term bounce inside a still-damaged longer-term trend. Shares are down 21.61% over the past 12 months and are positioned much closer to their 52-week lows than highs.

RSI is at 41.39, which sits in neutral territory but still reflects softer demand than you'd see in a sustained uptrend. Meanwhile, MACD is at -7.1052 versus a signal line of -7.7478, a bullish configuration that suggests downside momentum is easing even though the trend is still negative.

RSI in the 30–50 range with bullish MACD indicates momentum leaning bullish.

Key Resistance: $136.50 Key Support: $105.00 Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $169.40. Recent analyst moves include:

JP Morgan: Neutral (Lowers Target to $122.00) (Mar. 3) Barclays: Equal-Weight (Lowers Target to $126.00) (Mar. 2) RBC Capital: Initiated with Outperform (Target $179.00) (Feb. 24) Benzinga Edge Rankings: The Benzinga Edge scorecard for Blackstone highlights its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:

Momentum: Weak (Score: 7.39) — The stock's trend strength is poor versus the broader market, consistent with its position well below longer-term moving averages. Quality: Neutral (Score: 65.38) — Fundamentals screen as steady, suggesting the main debate is price/trend rather than balance-sheet stress. The Verdict: Blackstone’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a quality-leaning profile with very weak momentum, which often points to a "wait for confirmation" setup for trend traders. If the bounce is real, improving momentum would likely show up first as sustained trade back above key moving averages and a push toward the mid-$130s resistance zone.

BX Price Action: Blackstone shares were up 2.46% at $114.76 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro.

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Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) stock is up 8% in afternoon trading on Wednesday, with shares changing hands at around $228. The broader market is not participating, though: the S&P 500 is down on the day, making Cloudflare stock’s move stand out even more sharply against the tape.

The catalyst is not a single news item. Instead, it’s the growing investor conviction that as NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) powered AI workloads scale beyond the data center and push toward the edge, Cloudflare is a network those workloads will need to pass through. That thesis is gaining traction fast.

NVIDIA’s AI Boom Creates a New Kind of Infrastructure Winner NVDA stock is essentially flat today, but the company’s recent earnings report continues to reshape how investors think about the AI infrastructure stack. NVIDIA reported $68.13 billion in quarterly revenue, up 73.2% year over year, with data center revenue alone hitting $62.31 billion, up 75%

This story relates directly to Cloudflare. AI agents need to reach users, query APIs, execute tasks, and return results in real time. Every one of those interactions has to travel across a network. Cloudflare sits in front of more than 20% of all websites, making it one of the most logical beneficiaries of that traffic explosion.

Cloudflare’s Own Numbers Back the Story Cloudflare’s Q4 FY2025 results, reported on February 10, were genuinely strong across every dimension that matters for a company at this stage of growth. Revenue came in at $614.51 million, up 33.6% year over year, beating the consensus estimate of $591.24 million by 3.94%. Non-GAAP EPS was $0.28, beating the $0.27 estimate. Furthermore, Cloudflare’s free cash flow hit $99.44 million, a 16% margin that more than doubled year over year.

The enterprise pipeline is what really caught Wall Street’s attention, though. Cloudflare closed its largest annual contract value deal ever, averaging $42.5 million per year. Also, Cloudflare’s total new annual contract value (ACV) grew nearly 50% year over year, the fastest pace since 2021.

Additionally, Cloudflare’s remaining performance obligations grew 48% year over year. These aren’t just vanity metrics, and 48% growth means the backlog is building fast.

CEO Matthew Prince framed Cloudflare’s AI positioning directly, asserting, “If agents are the new users of the web, Cloudflare is the platform they run on and the network they pass through.”

Prince went even further, describing an AI flywheel where “more agents drive more code to Cloudflare Workers, which fuels demand for our performance, security, and networking services.” That’s a compounding growth loop, not a one-time tailwind.

Analyst Sentiment and the Valuation Reality The analyst community is mostly constructive on NET stock. RBC and Stifel have remained bullish on Cloudflare, while UBS adjusted its share-price target to $210 but maintained a Neutral rating.

The consensus analyst target for Cloudflare stock sits at $232.43, with 17 analysts rating it a Buy and 5 rating it a Strong Buy against just 3 Sell-side ratings combined. At today’s price, NET is trading fairly close to the consensus analyst target of $232.43.

Meanwhile, Cloudflare’s valuation isn’t cheap by any traditional measure. The forward P/E sits around 175x, and the price-to-sales ratio is 34x trailing revenue.

With NET stock, you’re paying for a future where agentic AI traffic becomes a massive, monetizable flow across Cloudflare’s network. If that future arrives on schedule, the current multiple may be sustainable. On the other hand, if the AI agent buildout stalls or hyperscalers decide to internalize more edge delivery, Cloudflare stock could face valuation pressure.

For context on where retail sentiment has been, we recently noted that Reddit was firmly bullish on NET stock even as the valuation math looked stretched. That dynamic has not resolved.

Reddit sentiment scores for Cloudflare stock ranged from 68 to 78 throughout early March, with peak engagement hitting 1,538 upvotes and 140 comments in a single overnight window on March 10. Retail conviction is high. Whether fundamentals catch up to that conviction is the real question.

What to Watch NET shares are up 98% over the past year, and the stock has cleared its 50-day moving average of $186.17 with room to spare. The 52-week high of $260 is the next meaningful technical reference point.

Cloudflare also raised $2 billion in 2030 convertible senior notes to fund its growth buildout, giving it a long runway to invest in AI edge infrastructure without needing to tap equity markets.

The $225 level and the 52-week high represent the next meaningful technical reference points worth watching for NET stock. The company’s Q1 FY2026 guidance of $620 million to $621 million in revenue gives investors a clear near-term benchmark, and any update to that outlook or enterprise deal flow commentary will be a potential catalyst to track.

To sum it up, Cloudflare’s AI edge story is real. Going forward, the question will be whether today’s share price already reflects the positive assumptions.

Trade Outcomes, Not Opinions.Most investors are forced to guess how the market will react to news rather than trading the news itself. Kalshi flips that model by letting you trade directly on real world outcomes like interest rates, inflation prints, recessions, and the results are shocking.

Each market is simple. You predict whether something will happen or not. If you are right, the contract pays out. Everyday people are printing money based on things they already know, and having a blast at the same time. Get started now!

, /PRNewswire/ -- Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP announces that investors with losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against PayPal Holdings, Inc. ("PayPal" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: PYPL).

IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR PAYPAL INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE BEFORE APRIL 20, 2026 (LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between February 25, 2025 and February 2, 2026, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) PayPal had overstated its ability to execute on its business initiatives; (2) PayPal was not effectively executing on Branded Checkout initiatives; (3) PayPal had unduly dismissed investor concerns of competition; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us.
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150 (Toll-Free: 888-773-9224)
Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Charles Linehan
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com.

SOURCE Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP

By PYMNTS  |  March 18, 2026

 | 

Alibaba is reportedly increasing its AI and computing storage prices by up to 34%.

That’s according to a report Wednesday (March 18) from Bloomberg News, which says this places the Chinese tech giant among several of its contemporaries hoping to make the most of heavy demand following major tech investments.

The price increases include a 5% to 34% hike on the company’s T-Head artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips and a 30% uptick in price for Alibaba’s Cloud Parallel File Storage service.

The company this week announced it had created a new business group dedicated to AI, led by CEO Eddie Wu and known as the Alibaba Token Hub (ATH) Business Group.

The unit combines several divisions within the company, with the goal of capitalizing on the opportunity presented by AI agents powered by tokens. Wu argued in a letter shared in the announcement that these are due to take on a growing share of digital work. ATH takes its name from the tokens generated by AI models, Wu added.

“ATH is built around a single organizing mission: create tokens, deliver tokens and apply tokens,” he said.

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Also this week, Alibaba debuted an AI tool for its enterprise customers. The company’s Wukong offering is available as a standalone desktop application or as part of the latest iteration of DingTalk, Alibaba’s AI-powered workplace platform.

According to the firm’s announcement, Wukong can “coordinate multiple agents to handle complex tasks within a single interface.”

Other companies raising their pricing for AI-related service include Tencent, which recently announced a more than fourfold increase for its Hunyuan foundation models on its agent developer platform.

Another Chinese firm, Baidu, plans to increase the price of its artificial intelligence cloud products by as much as 30% from next month, a spokesperson told Bloomberg.

As the Bloomberg report points out, these price increases are a response to increasing concerns that steep AI investments have not produced sufficient returns.

In other artificial intelligence news, PYMNTS wrote last week about a string of recent funding announcements that show how the market is moving toward infrastructure that helps businesses run AI across everyday workflows. The companies raising capital are developing everything “from agent infrastructure and compute platforms to governance software and industry-specific operating systems designed for actual work environments,” that report said.

“At the center is the recognition that deploying AI in enterprises is significantly harder,” PYMNTS added. “Companies need orchestration layers for AI agents, governance systems to monitor model behavior, compute infrastructure for large-scale inference and vertical software that embeds AI across industries. Investors are now backing startups that deliver these operational essentials.”

For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.

Geopolitical events like our present moment reinforce a broader point: energy security matters.

getty

Global energy markets react quickly to geopolitical risk, and the current conflict involving Iran is a reminder of just how interconnected energy supply and global stability really are.

The biggest concern for markets right now is the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day, about one-fifth of global supply, normally pass through that narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to global markets.

Even the possibility of disruption in that region can move markets swiftly. In recent days, oil prices briefly surged toward $120 per barrel before pulling back into the $80–$90 range as markets responded to headlines and shifting expectations surrounding the conflict.

That kind of volatility reflects a simple reality: the world runs on oil. Global demand currently sits around 100 million barrels per day, and when supply risk increases, even temporarily, prices tend to respond quickly.

For U.S. producers, and especially those in Texas, moments like this highlight the importance of reliable domestic production. The United States remains the world’s largest oil producer, pumping more than 13 million barrels per day, and plays a key role in stabilizing global supply during periods of geopolitical uncertainty.

But while higher prices can support domestic production, volatility is never ideal for markets or consumers. Rising crude prices eventually show up in gasoline prices, transportation costs, and the broader economy.

Why I Believe Oil Prices Will Remain StrongI’ve been predicting higher oil prices for several months for a few key reasons.

First, rig counts are down, which means fewer wells are being drilled. Less drilling today ultimately leads to lower production tomorrow.

Second, oil wells naturally decline over time, which means existing production falls unless new wells replace that output.

Third, global demand isn’t going anywhere. When the world needs oil, and we don’t have enough of it, prices go up. That’s simple Economics 101.

The fourth factor is geopolitical risk, which is exactly what we’re seeing today. Conflicts that threaten supply routes or regional production can quickly introduce volatility and upward price pressure.

Because of these factors, I believe oil prices will likely average in the $70–$80 range after this summer, with a longer-term floor closer to $65–$70 per barrel.

I’m also hopeful that natural gas prices remain above $3, which would support continued investment in domestic energy production.

The Bigger Picture: Energy SecurityEvents like this reinforce a broader point: energy security matters.

Stable, reliable energy production, both here in the United States and around the world, remains critical to economic stability. Energy markets will continue to react to geopolitical developments, but the fundamentals remain the same: supply, demand, and the world’s need for dependable energy.

Shareholders with losses of $50,000 or more are encouraged to contact the firm.

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that investors with losses related to Oracle Corporation ("Oracle" or the "Company") (NYSE: ORCL) have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit.

IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN ORACLE CORPORATION (ORCL), CLICK HERE BEFORE APRIL 6, 2026 (THE LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between June 12, 2025 and December 16, 2025, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Oracle's AI infrastructure strategy would result in massive increases in CapEx without equivalent, near-term growth in revenue; (2) the Company's substantially increased spending created serious risks involving Oracle's debt and credit rating, free cash flow, and ability to fund its projects, among other concerns; and (3) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us.
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz,
Email us at: [email protected]
Call us at: 310-914-5007
Visit our website at: www.frankcruzlaw.com
Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.  

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Seasoned Digital Innovator and Revenue Leader to Bring Transformational Vision to Detroit's NBC Affiliate

, /PRNewswire/ -- Graham Media Group today announced that Stephanie Slagle has been appointed Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager of WDIV Local 4, Detroit's NBC affiliate. Slagle, who has served as the company's Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, expands her leadership to include full oversight of one of the country's most respected local television stations.

Slagle is a rare kind of broadcast leader — one who carries the instincts of a legacy media veteran and the urgency of a digital entrepreneur. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, she has held roles ranging from Research Director and New Media Sales Director to Director of Digital Strategy and Chief Innovation Officer, building a uniquely comprehensive command of both the business and the craft of local media. Her defining characteristic, however, is not her résumé — it is her track record of building things that didn't exist before.

In 2017, while at Dispatch Broadcast Group, Slagle founded and launched Pixelent Digital, a full-service digital agency embedded within WBNS-TV that delivered data-driven results across brand strategy, programmatic display, connected TV, native advertising, search, social, and more. It was a bold bet — a startup inside a legacy broadcaster — and it worked.

"Stephanie has built a digital agency from the ground up inside a traditional broadcast company — and made it work," said Catherine Badalamente, President & CEO of Graham Media Group. "She understands legacy media's greatest strengths — trusted journalism, deep community roots, and loyal audiences — and she knows how to layer digital capability and innovation on top of that foundation in ways that create real business results. WDIV Local 4 is in extraordinary hands."

During her nine years with Dispatch Broadcast Group — acquired by TEGNA in 2019 — Slagle built and managed digital departments across WBNS-TV, WBNS Radio, and The Columbus Dispatch. Among her milestones: leading WBNS to become the first station in the Columbus market to launch an OTT channel, years before streaming became a boardroom priority across the industry.

Since joining Graham Media Group in 2019, Slagle has led revenue-generating strategy for the company, advancing key strategic initiatives and building a scalable, high-performing sales organization that leverages data, technology, and an integrated approach to audience engagement.

"I believe deeply in local media — in its purpose, its power, and its future," said Slagle. "WDIV Local 4 is one of the great local news brands in this country, and I am honored to help lead it forward. The opportunity in front of us is to take everything that makes this station trusted and essential — and build the digital infrastructure, the revenue innovation, and the team culture that ensures it remains that way for the next generation. I can't wait to get to work."

Slagle resides in Michigan with her husband, Jay Slagle.

About Graham Media Group: Graham Media Group is the authentic, local voice passionately informing and celebrating our communities. Comprising seven local media powerhouses—KPRC (Houston), WDIV (Detroit), WSLS (Roanoke), KSAT (San Antonio), WKMG (Orlando), WJXT (Jacksonville), and WCWJ (Jacksonville)—plus Graham Digital, Omne, and Social News Desk, we deliver local news, programming, advertising solutions, and digital media tools across television, online, mobile, streaming, podcasts, and audio devices. Our dynamic, local brands extend well beyond traditional broadcast television, helping to inform, celebrate, and knit together the communities we serve. Headquartered in Detroit, Graham Media Group is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC).

Learn more at www.grahammedia.com.

SOURCE Graham Media Group

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 18, 2026 / Aegis Capital Corp. (www.aegiscapcorp.com)a full-service wealth management, financial services and investment banking firm is pleased to announce Robert Herje has joined the firm as a Managing Director

Robert is a trusted resource for institutional and individual clients for their fixed income needs, with a focus on municipal bonds. His 40 years of experience as a fixed income investment consultant make him an important ally to investors looking for high-quality fixed income investments. His knowledge of the region and the credit markets have helped him build strong relationships throughout the industry. He can help build portfolios that are both suitable and performance driven. Rob is also a licensed adviser who works with clients to achieve their goals through the recommendation of separately managed accounts and managed investment models tailored to each client.

Robert Eide Aegis' CEO commented: "Robert brings 40 years of investment industry experience and a wealth of investment knowledge. I am excited and honored that he chose Aegis to deliver world-class financial service and guidance to his valued clients."

Michael Pata Aegis' Head of Business Development commented: "Rob brings a deep understanding and extensive experience with fixed income securities. His practice is grounded in long-standing client relationships and comprehensive advice. His decision to join Aegis reflects the strength of our culture and our continued momentum in attracting experienced advisers."

About Aegis Capital Corporation

Aegis Capital Corporation "Aegis" has been in business for over 40 years catering to the needs of private clients, institutions and corporations. Aegis was founded in 1984 and offers its investment representatives a conflict free service platform and is able to provide a full range of products and services including investment banking, wealth management, insurance, retirement planning, structured products, private equity, alternatives, equity research, fixed income and special purpose vehicles.Aegis is able to provide quality service through its primary clearing relationship with RBC Clearing & Custody whose parent company, Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY), is one of the world's leading diversified financial services companies. Member: FINRA / SIPC.

Any questions contact:
Michael Pata, Head of Business Development
Telephone: 1-212-813-1010
[email protected]
www.aegiscapcorp.com

SOURCE: Aegis Capital Corp.

Disclaimer: The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document.

, /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita today highlighted continued progress in value-based kidney care, underscoring how sustained investment in coordinated care models is translating into improved outcomes for people living with kidney disease. That progress is evident across both industry partnerships with major insurers and scaled programs sponsored by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).

For more than two decades, DaVita has invested in care innovation to address the complex, fragmented experience faced by people living with kidney disease. Value-based models enable whole-person, longitudinal care rather than episodic treatment.

CKCC Results Show Momentum as the Model Matures

DaVita's progress is reflected in results from the Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting (CKCC) option within CMMI's Kidney Care Choices model. As the largest ongoing federal value-based kidney care demonstration, CKCC enables providers and physicians to test and refine coordinated care approaches at scale.

Recently published performance results through 2024 show continued year-over-year improvements as the model matures.

Stronger quality outcomes: DaVita achieved a 9% improvement in its Total Quality Score, driven by gains in optimal treatment starts, patient activation and behavioral health support. Greater shared savings: DaVita entities have delivered more than $200 million in shared savings since the program's inception. High Performers recognition: DaVita and its physician partners drove an outsized impact, accounting for 34% of the program's High Performers Pool while representing just 28% of participants. Beyond program metrics alone, these improvements are associated with meaningful downstream effects on clinical quality and long-term population health.

Patients with access to CKCC and related value-based care programs are more likely to:

Begin kidney replacement therapy with a planned or optimal start, including increased use of home-based treatment options. Experience lower rates of central venous catheter (CVC) use, supporting safer treatment initiation. Have fewer missed treatments, reflecting stronger engagement and care coordination. "People living with kidney disease often manage multiple chronic conditions, and strong outcomes depend on close collaboration across the care team," said Dr. Jeff Giullian, chief medical officer for DaVita. "Through value-based models like CKCC, DaVita works alongside partner physicians and care teams to better coordinate care beyond kidney disease and across settings. That shared approach supports earlier intervention, more prepared treatment starts, and better-informed decisions about dialysis, transplantation and care at home."

A Significant and Growing Commitment to Value-Based Care

DaVita has been engaged in value-based care arrangements for more than two decades and now manages more than $5 billion in medical costs under management. Across these models, value-based kidney care is linked to higher transplant rates and greater patient understanding of their condition, enabling more informed, proactive health decisions.

"Value-based kidney care is showing what's possible when providers are given the time and stability to invest in coordinated care," said Misha Palecek, chief transformation officer for DaVita. "We're seeing better-prepared patients, improved experiences and encouraging economics. The lessons emerging from kidney care can help inform how other complex, chronic conditions are managed across the healthcare system — if we stay the course."

Supporting Long-Term Innovation in Kidney Care

DaVita is encouraged that its integrated kidney care programs are demonstrating early signs of financial sustainability alongside improved outcomes. These results reinforce that continued focus on kidney care can drive meaningful gains in healthcare innovation more broadly, with coordinated, accountable care models offering a blueprint for transformation across the healthcare system.

To learn more about DaVita's approach to value-based kidney care, visit DaVita.com/IKC.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. As a comprehensive kidney care provider, DaVita has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more than 25 years. DaVita cares for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journey— from slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping support transplantation. This includes ensuring they are supported at home, in dialysis centers, in the hospital and in skilled nursing facilities. As of December 31, 2025, DaVita served approximately 295,000 patients at 3,242 outpatient dialysis centers, of which 2,657 centers were located in the United States and 585 centers were located in 14 other countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, helped improve health access and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care community to adopt a higher quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations. Various important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, including the risks identified in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. DaVita disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, except as may be otherwise required by law.

Media Contact:
DaVita Newsroom
[email protected]

SOURCE DaVita

Key Takeaways Energy sector gains as oil spikes, with Exxon Mobil benefiting from tighter supply and rising prices.Gold hits record highs amid inflation fears and geopolitical stress, boosting Franco-Nevada outlook.Defense stocks like Lockheed Martin see tailwinds from rising military spend and security demand. About one-fifth of globally traded oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and the current geopolitical escalation is not limited to a single chokepoint. Disruptions are spreading across multiple key Middle East shipping lanes. Security concerns are increasingly affecting routes such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (a key link between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and the broader Red Sea shipping corridor). Together, these routes handle a substantial share of global energy shipments and container trade, amplifying the scale of supply-side risks.

The resulting surge in crude prices is once again adding to inflationary pressures, even as major central banks maintain a “higher-for-longer” policy stance. Elevated interest rates and firm bond yields are tightening financial conditions, putting downward pressure on equity valuations.

Cross-Asset Volatility Reshapes Market DynamicsGlobal financial markets are thus navigating one of the most complex macro regimes in decades, marked by cross-asset volatility and shifting capital flows. Safe-haven demand has surged simultaneously, driving gold to record highs and reflecting a clear investor pivot toward capital preservation amid heightened uncertainty.

Sectoral Divergence Driving Equity PerformanceInvestors are increasingly rotating toward commodities and real assets as hedges against inflation and currency volatility. In this environment, equities are no longer moving at the same pace and sectoral divergence is widening, with energy, defense and resource-linked industries emerging as key beneficiaries of the evolving geopolitical landscape.

30-Day Price Performances of the Sectors
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Energy (Upstream Oil & Gas, LNG)The most immediate beneficiary of the crisis is the energy sector, as oil prices have surged sharply in recent weeks amid supply disruptions, with an estimated 20 million barrels per day (U.S. Energy Information Administration data) at risk due to Hormuz-related constraints. This surge has two key implications. First, energy companies typically show a strong correlation with oil prices, leading to significant expansion in revenue and cash flow, which directly boosts earnings and free cash flow. Second, the supply outlook remains tight, with limited spare capacity and ongoing logistical bottlenecks, such as tanker availability and refining constraints, indicating that elevated prices could persist longer than in typical geopolitical spikes. At the same time, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG - Free Report) markets are also tightening, particularly in Asia, as supply disruptions and the rerouting of shipments further strain availability.

Two stocks under investors’ radar right now are Exxon Mobil (XOM - Free Report) and Cheniere Energy (LNG - Free Report) . Each stock presently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Precious Metals & Mining (Gold, Silver)Gold’s surge reflects a combination of geopolitical hedging and monetary uncertainty. With inflation risks rising again due to energy shocks and central banks delaying rate cuts, real yields remain volatile. However, geopolitical stress has outweighed these rate headwinds, pushing gold to record highs. Demand is being supported by multiple structural drivers, including increased safe-haven buying amid war, shipping disruptions and financial market volatility. At the same time, de-dollarization trends are gaining traction, with several emerging economies boosting gold reserves to hedge against currency risks. Currency pressures in oil-importing nations such as India are also contributing to stronger gold demand. Notably, gold continues to attract inflows despite elevated interest rates, signaling a shift from cyclical to more structural demand dynamics.

Stocks like Franco-Nevada (FNV - Free Report) with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) remain well positioned to benefit, as higher realized gold prices are likely to drive operating leverage, supporting earnings growth and margin expansion. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Defense & Strategic InfrastructureThe defense and security sector is also emerging as a key beneficiary of rising geopolitical tensions. Ongoing conflicts and global fragmentation are driving higher military spending across regions, along with increased focus on protecting energy infrastructure and shipping routes. Investments in cybersecurity and surveillance are also picking up, and such environments typically support long-term defense spending growth. At the same time, disruptions in shipping and energy logistics are increasing demand for maritime security, naval systems and alternative supply routes. Higher tanker costs and rerouting challenges are further highlighting the need for stronger and more resilient infrastructure.

In this context, companies like Lockheed Martin (LMT - Free Report) and RTX Corporation (RTX - Free Report) , both carrying a Zacks Rank #3, are well positioned to benefit. Overall, defense contractors and infrastructure players tied to energy security are likely to gain from long-duration government contracts, strong backlog visibility and stable cash flows, offering a defensive growth profile amid ongoing macro volatility.