Ondo Perps zavedl perpetual futures na $HYPE a umožní obchodování s pákou až 10x v rámci RWA kolaterálu. Obchodníci tak mohou spekulovat na Hyperliquid bez opuštění tohoto modelu.
Ondo Perps Adds $HYPE to Its RWA Derivatives Platform@OndoPerps has listed $HYPE perpetual futures, opening leveraged exposure to the @HyperliquidX ecosystem for traders who hold institutional-grade real-world asset collateral. The listing allows traders to go long or short on the native token of the Hyperliquid L1 with up to 10x leverage, around the clock.
Hyperliquid is a Layer-1 blockchain with an integrated decentralized exchange, most known for perpetual futures trading. $HYPE is the native token of the Hyperliquid network, used for securing the L1 and governance voting. The addition of $HYPE to Ondo Perps gives traders a way to gain directional exposure to that ecosystem without leaving the RWA collateral framework that Ondo has built.
How the RWA Collateral Model WorksThe listing reflects a broader design philosophy that sets Ondo Perps apart from most on-chain derivatives venues. Ondo's main differentiator is its collateral structure, which lets traders post tokenized securities rather than only stablecoins. Existing RWA perpetual markets force traders into an inefficient model where they can only post stablecoins as collateral, even if they already hold the tokenized asset. This double-collateralization means capital is locked up twice for the same economic exposure, limiting position sizing and doubling the cost of capital.
Ondo Perps uses a prime-brokerage-style design that lets traders use the tokenized equities or US Treasury tokens they already hold directly as margin, without selling them. By listing $HYPE within that framework, traders can now back a leveraged position on Hyperliquid's native token while continuing to earn yield from tokenized equity exposure held as collateral.
The move comes as Ondo, already a major issuer of tokenized US Treasuries and equities, works to build broader trading infrastructure amid growing Wall Street interest in tokenization and 24/7 markets. In the week of July 13, perpetual futures on real-world assets generated $25.1 billion in volume on Hyperliquid, representing 52 percent of the platform's $48.2 billion total and marking the first time RWA markets out-traded every crypto category on the venue combined. The $HYPE listing positions Ondo Perps at the crossroads of that momentum, combining crypto-native token exposure with an RWA-backed collateral layer.
Sources:
Ondo Finance: Introducing Ondo Perps
CoinDesk: Ondo drops blockchain plans for private high-speed trading network
Cryptopolitan: Ondo Finance prepares RWA perpetual contracts platform
ASTER zůstává v úzkém pásmu pod 50denním SMA, zatímco Aster spouští AOS-2 a od září začne 400 milionů ASTER z týmové a poradenské alokace podléhat vestingu. Nejbližší support je 0,58 USD.
ASTER has barely moved out of its late-July range, with buyers defending the lower side while repeated attempts to break higher continue to fail.
The quiet price action comes as Aster introduces several changes that could affect ASTER supply in different directions. AOS-2 is now live, millions of tokens have recently been bought back, and team and advisor vesting is set to begin after the token’s first anniversary in September.
Key Takeaways
ASTER remains trapped below key resistance.
AOS-2 introduces an expensive four-year lock.
Buybacks depend directly on platform activity.
September introduces a larger supply test.
ASTER Has Been Unable to Reclaim the 50-Day SMA
ASTER was trading around $0.60 on August 13, still below the 50-day simple moving average that has capped the token since June.
ASTER daily price chart tracking support levels near the lower Fibonacci boundary in August 2026.
The last meaningful break came around June 17. ASTER briefly moved above the average but failed to hold the advance, and subsequent attempts have stalled around the same area.
Instead of extending the decline, price has spent most of the period since late July inside a much tighter range.
Its lower boundary has also become clearer. ASTER has fallen toward $0.58 twice and bounced on both occasions, establishing the area as the nearest swing low and the strongest visible support below current price.
Much of the structure created during the earlier move higher disappeared during the decline from June’s high, giving $0.58 more significance than another short-term intraday level. Losing it could expose deeper parts of the previous range.
A sustained move above the 50-day SMA would change that picture on the upside after weeks of failed recovery attempts.
AOS-2 Creates Demand, but at a High Price
Aster published the framework for AOS-2 on July 28, extending its open listing system to perpetual markets. The protocol then put AOS-2 into effect on August 11.
Eligible projects seeking a perpetual listing must stake 1 million ASTER, locked for four years with no early exit. Applications then pass through an on-chain validator vote before an approved market can proceed toward launch.
AOS-2 enters into force.
The Aster Open Standards began with AOS-1, which opened spot listings to projects meeting a published set of criteria.
AOS-2 now extends the same principle to perpetual markets, where listing has traditionally depended on private negotiation.
Under… pic.twitter.com/sFtII7bcMl
— Aster 🥷 (@Aster_DEX) August 11, 2026
At ASTER’s current price, that means committing roughly $600,000 worth of tokens for four years.
For ASTER holders, the mechanism has an obvious benefit: every successful application creates direct token demand and removes those tokens from liquid circulation for an extended period.
The same requirement could also limit how widely AOS-2 is used.
Committing hundreds of thousands of dollars for four years is a substantial cost, particularly for smaller projects or teams that may have other options for securing a perpetual listing. AOS-2 can only become a meaningful token sink if enough projects decide that the listing opportunity justifies tying up that much capital.
That makes adoption more important than the launch itself. A handful of applications would have a limited effect on supply, while broader use would begin turning the new standard into a measurable source of long-term ASTER demand.
Buybacks Add Demand, but Their Size Can Change Quickly
Aster’s updated tokenomics direct 99% of daily platform fees toward automated ASTER buybacks. Purchased tokens are distributed to veASTER stakers, while an equal amount is burned from reserves.
The latest official update shows 2,851,653.28 ASTER purchased between July 27 and August 10.
The matching burn initially comes from the team allocation. Aster says the mechanism is intended to continue until total token supply falls from its original 8 billion toward 3 billion ASTER.
The structure combines two effects: platform revenue creates open-market purchases, while the corresponding reserve burn reduces supply elsewhere.
But the 99% figure can look stronger than it is without considering the size of the fee pool behind it. Buybacks expand when trading activity and fee revenue rise and shrink when activity slows. They are therefore not a fixed source of demand.
The latest figures provide some scale. Buying 2.85 million ASTER over roughly two weeks would translate to around 5.7 million tokens per month if that pace were sustained.
That becomes particularly relevant when compared with the supply schedule approaching in September.
September Could Put Aster’s Token Sinks to the Test
Aster’s official tokenomics allocate 400 million ASTER, or 5% of the original supply, to the team and advisors. The allocation carries a full one-year cliff followed by 40 months of linear vesting.
ASTER’s TGE took place on September 17, 2025, putting the end of that cliff around the token’s first anniversary next month.
The entire 400 million allocation will not become liquid at once. Once vesting begins, spreading the allocation evenly across 40 months works out to roughly 10 million ASTER per month.
That is notably larger than the recent buyback pace. If Aster continued purchasing tokens at roughly the rate reported between July 27 and August 10, monthly buybacks would absorb around 5.7 million ASTER – well below the roughly 10 million scheduled to vest each month.
The comparison is not exact. Buybacks fluctuate with platform revenue, while vesting only makes tokens available and does not mean they will automatically be sold.
Still, September changes the balance. Until now, buybacks and long-term locks have been removing or restricting supply without the team vesting schedule working against them. From next month, the market may have to absorb newly available tokens at the same time.
Even a portion of those vested tokens reaching the market could matter if ASTER remains stuck in its current range. With $0.58 already serving as the nearest established support, additional selling pressure would give that level a more serious test.
The next question for ASTER is therefore not simply whether AOS-2 launches successfully or whether buybacks continue. It is whether those mechanisms can absorb enough supply once vesting begins.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile, and readers should conduct their own research before making investment decisions.
Author
Reporter at Coindoo
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP.
Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem.
To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem.
His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
Peter Schiff varuje, že Strategy může být nucena prodat další Bitcoin i akcie MSTR, aby podpořila cenu preferenční akcie STRC, která je stále pod 95 USD. Firma už prodala zhruba 1 690 BTC a akcie MSTR za 653 milionů USD.
Peter Schiff, a prominent gold advocate and persistent critic of Bitcoin, has expressed concerns that Michael Saylor, the executive chairman of Strategy, could be compelled to sell additional Bitcoin (BTC) and shares of MSTR in order to support the firm’s STRC preferred stock price.
Schiff’s Criticism of Strategy’s ApproachSchiff stated on X that despite recent efforts, STRC remains below the $95 mark. “Despite selling Bitcoin and $MSTR to raise cash and buy back $STRC, STRC is still trading below $95,” he wrote, emphasizing the company’s ongoing struggle to bring the preferred stock price closer to its original $100 target.
He argued that Saylor will be forced to sell more Bitcoin and discounted MSTR common shares in an attempt to push STRC back to $100, which, according to Schiff, is negative for holders of both Bitcoin and MSTR shares.
He claims that Saylor is going to have to sell a lot more Bitcoin and discounted common stock to raise the price of STRC to $100. That’s bad news for Bitcoin and MSTR. Sell both!
Schiff has intensified his criticism of Strategy’s capital management in recent weeks, alleging the company’s attempts to boost STRC have weakened shareholder value in its common stock and reduced direct Bitcoin exposure.
Last week, Strategy sold around 1,690 BTC, amounting to roughly $108.6 million. The firm used the proceeds to repurchase about 1.15 million STRC shares, aiming to bolster STRC’s price.
Additionally, the company sold roughly $653 million worth of MSTR common stock to reinforce its dollar reserves. Schiff has argued that these moves come at the cost of current shareholders, creating a cycle where Bitcoin and common shares are sold to defend STRC.
On August 10, Schiff described Strategy’s latest sale as evidence of growing challenges. He commented that Saylor appears to have relinquished the concept of “digital credit,” with MSTR now regularly selling Bitcoin for cash due to decreased lender confidence in Bitcoin as collateral.
Strategy is a technology and business intelligence company known for holding significant Bitcoin reserves. The firm has positioned STRC, a preferred stock product, as a critical pillar of its capital and liquidity management model.
Mini dictionary: STRC — Strategy’s Series C preferred stock, used by the company as part of its corporate financing approach to manage capital and provide liquidity. Preferred stock typically has fewer voting rights but is prioritized for dividends before common shareholders.
Strategy’s Perspective: “Digital Credit” and STRC LiquidityMichael Saylor has consistently presented STRC as central to Strategy’s so-called “digital credit” vision. He has emphasized the company’s goal of enhancing liquidity and stability in the security, and stated during a July earnings call that they remain “laser focused on Stretch,” the internal name for STRC.
Saylor noted that Strategy is seeking investors open to trading STRC at varying price levels, particularly those willing to buy below $99 to help stabilize and elevate the stock price back toward $100.
During a July earnings call, Saylor explained that the company wants investors willing to trade the security at different price levels, including those prepared to buy at prices below $99 and support a return to the $100 target.
In June, Saylor remarked that having the flexibility to sell Bitcoin assets is essential for Strategy to continue issuing digital credit via STRC.
Ongoing Debate Over Corporate StrategyDespite Saylor’s reassurances, Schiff remains unconvinced. He views the frequent asset sales as a sign of mounting financial pressure and questions the sustainability of the “digital credit” strategy if Bitcoin sales continue.
Earlier in August, Schiff described STRC as “an albatross around MSTR’s neck,” contending that its presence may force Strategy into recurrent Bitcoin sales and ongoing dilution of its common stock base.
The situation underlines a significant divide between Strategy’s approach to capital management and the concerns raised by external critics such as Schiff.
Asset SoldAmount/ValuePurposeBitcoin (BTC)1,690 BTC / $108.6 millionRepurchase 1.15 million STRC sharesMSTR Common Stock$653 millionBolster cash reservesDisclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cboe BZX podala návrh na první 3x pákový Bitcoin ETF v USA. Fond od Volatility Shares má sledovat denní výkonnost Bitcoinu násobenou třemi prostřednictvím futures na CME.
The Cboe BZX Exchange has filed a proposed rule change to list and trade the first-ever 3x leveraged Bitcoin ETF in the US. The filing, designated SR-CboeBZX-2026-065, was submitted on August 10, 2026, and represents a meaningful escalation in the arms race of crypto-linked investment products available to American traders.
Volatility Shares LLC, the firm behind the product, is sponsoring a suite of 3x leveraged funds covering Bitcoin, Ether, Gold, Silver, Crude Oil, and Natural Gas. For Bitcoin specifically, the fund would aim to deliver daily investment results equal to three times the performance of Bitcoin, achieved through first- and second-month CME Bitcoin futures contracts.
What triple leverage actually means
A 3x leveraged ETF does exactly what it sounds like: it multiplies the daily return of its underlying asset by three. If Bitcoin futures rise 2% in a day, the fund targets a 6% gain. If they fall 2%, you’re looking at a 6% loss.
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That daily reset is the part most people gloss over, and it matters enormously. Over longer holding periods, the compounding effect of daily rebalancing can cause the fund’s returns to diverge significantly from simply tripling Bitcoin’s cumulative return. A volatile, sideways market can eat into returns even if the underlying asset ends up flat. These products are designed for short-term trading, not buy-and-hold retirement portfolios.
The US market already has 2x leveraged Bitcoin ETFs. Europe got ahead of the curve, with 3x Bitcoin exchange-traded products beginning to trade in November 2025. This Cboe filing would bring the US in line with what European investors have already had access to for months.
Structure and regulatory path
One of the more interesting wrinkles in the filing is the fund’s legal structure. Rather than registering under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which governs traditional mutual funds and most ETFs, the 3x Bitcoin fund would be structured as a commodity pool. That’s a meaningful distinction because it places the product under a different regulatory framework, one overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than the SEC’s investment company rules.
The filing also relies on amended generic listing standards that Cboe developed between 2025 and 2026. These standards essentially create a streamlined pathway for listing certain types of derivative-based ETFs without requiring individual SEC approval for each product, provided they meet pre-established criteria.
There’s one important caveat: shares of the fund cannot actually begin trading until the associated S-1 registration statement becomes effective. The exchange approval was granted on the same date as the filing, but that doesn’t mean the fund is immediately available. The SEC still needs to greenlight the registration, and no specific listing date has been confirmed.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
MSCI navrhuje vyřadit Strategy a Metaplanet z indexů Global Investable Market Indexes kvůli novým pravidlům pro neprovozní firmy. Pokud bude návrh schválen, změny by přišly v listopadové revizi indexu.
MSCI has proposed excluding Bitcoin (BTC) treasury firms Strategy and Metaplanet from its Global Investable Market Indexes (GIMI) under a new eligibility framework targeting firms it classifies as non-operating companies, according to a consultation document.
Strategy, Metaplanet among firms facing possible removal from MSCI indexThe proposal would introduce additional quantitative screens to identify corporate issuers whose business operations are closer to investment vehicles than to traditional operating companies.
Strategy and Metaplanet are among three current constituents of the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index (ACWI IMI) that would be excluded if the proposal is approved. The third company identified for potential exclusion is Yellow Cake, a UK-based firm.
MSCI noted that its proposed framework is designed to identify companies that create value primarily by accumulating and holding non-operating assets, generate limited cash from actual business operations and rely heavily on market movements or external capital to grow.
The proposed screening process would consist of two stages. The first is a Core Screen designed to determine whether a company has sufficient operating assets. Companies that fail the Core Screen would then be assessed under an Exclusion Screen based on five financial ratios.
These measures include operating asset intensity, expense intensity, cash flow, fair value intensity and capital dependence. Under the proposal, a company would be considered ineligible for inclusion if it triggers at least four of the five flags.
Proposed 2-Step Additional Eligibility Screen. Source: MSCIFor current index constituents, MSCI has proposed less stringent thresholds and additional safeguards intended to reduce unnecessary index turnover. Companies already included in the index would need to fail the relevant screens for two consecutive annual filing periods before being removed.
The proposal would also create a public watchlist for companies that fail the screens based only on their latest filings but have not yet met the two-year requirement.
Ethereum (ETH) treasury firm SharpLink has been placed among this proposed watchlist, alongside Center Laboratories and Lydia Holding. MSCI noted that it could remove companies from the watchlist if they fail the screens again during the next annual review.
The potential changes stand as a major test for the affected companies because inclusion in major equity indexes can influence institutional investment and the funds that track those benchmarks.
MSCI emphasized that the consultation may or may not result in implementing the proposed changes. The index provider is seeking feedback from market participants through September 30.
Following the consultation period, MSCI expects to announce its decision on or before October 16. If the proposal is adopted, MSCI would implement the changes as part of the November Index Review.
MSCI’s latest consultation follows an earlier debate over how to treat Bitcoin-heavy treasury companies in major equity indexes. In November, the index provider considered whether Strategy and other digital asset treasuries should remain eligible for its benchmarks, a move that raised concerns about potentially significant passive fund outflows from these companies' stocks.
Únik dat z francouzského daňového úřadu DGFiP údajně odhalil záznamy o 678 437 lidech a firmách, včetně držitelů bitcoinu. Data mohou posloužit k cíleným podvodům a phishingu.
In brief
A reported breach of France’s tax authority exposed data tied to 678,437 people and businesses.
The records allegedly include income figures, addresses, tax identifiers, and family information.
The data could help criminals craft targeted scams against wealthy taxpayers and Bitcoin holders.
A hacker is selling a trove of French tax records that could expose more than 678,000 people and businesses, including Bitcoin holders, to phishing, identity theft, and targeted attacks.
According to a report by French cybersecurity outlet FrenchBreaches, a hacker is selling records allegedly stolen from France’s tax authority, the DGFiP, during a June breach for several thousand euros.
Myriad: Bitcoin's next move? Click to make your prediction.“More bad news for Bitcoiners living in the leading country for wrench attacks,” Chief Security Officer at Bitcoin security platform Casa Jameson Loop wrote on X. “The French tax authority has been hacked, and 678K records leaked.”
FrenchBreaches said the database contains records on 392,867 individuals and 285,570 professionals, including 26,805 people with reference tax income of at least $116,000, 386 above $1.16 million, and eight above $11.6 million; the hacker is reportedly offering the file for several thousand dollars.
FrenchBreaches said a sample of the leaked data included names, birth details, home and email addresses, phone numbers, income figures, withholding tax rates, family status, dependents, and tax-share information.
“There DGFiP officially confirms the intrusion in its information system,” FrenchBreaches wrote in an update. Stolen credentials were used in late June to access and extract taxpayer data, and the number of people affected remains under investigation, the firm added.
According to FrenchBreaches, the attacker used stolen VPN credentials and an internal search tool to extract names, contact details, tax identifiers, income figures, withholding rates, and family information before officials cut off access.
“A scammer with real tax information and knowing of the existence of an old approach to the DGFiP could, for example, construct a fraudulent message that is much more credible than a simple fake generic email,” FrenchBreaches wrote.
While the FrenchBreaches report focused on the data leak, it comes amid a rise in wrench attacks, in which criminals use violence or threats to steal cryptocurrency.
In July, CertiK reported 52 attacks worldwide during the first half of 2026, including 33 in France. Earlier this month, Chainalysis reported 46 attacks through June, including 30 in France, with more than $30 million stolen.
“Criminals have recognized that crypto holders are high-value targets because they possess wealth in an instantly and irreversibly transferable form,” Chainalysis wrote.
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Dva státní fondy v Abú Dhabí drží velké pozice v Bitcoin ETF od BlackRocku v celkové hodnotě 763,7 milionu USD. Jejich expozice vůči Bitcoinu zůstala oproti minulému čtvrtletí beze změny.
Bitcoin is the most important asset in two of Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds, according to regulatory filings.
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company disclosed Friday that it held a $490 million stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust — the second-largest single holding across its entire 13F portfolio.
And a Thursday filing from the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, another state-run fund, revealed a $273.6 million position in the popular Bitcoin exchange-traded fund. The stake is the biggest position in its portfolio.
JUST IN: 🇦🇪 UAE sovereign wealth funds Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Investment Council report owning a combined $763.7 million of BlackRocks Bitcoin ETF 👀 pic.twitter.com/OOnptHhlTA
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) August 14, 2026 Both wealth funds’ position in Bitcoin is unchanged since last quarter.
Earlier this year, blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence attributed approximately 6,782 Bitcoins — worth roughly $453.6 million at the time of its analysis — to wallets connected to Bitcoin mining activity linked to the UAE’s Royal Group.
The findings highlight a distinction between how the UAE has built its bitcoin position compared with other governments known to hold large amounts of the asset. Countries such as the United States hold substantial Bitcoin reserves that largely originated from law enforcement seizures.
The UAE’s holdings, by contrast, stem primarily from domestic mining activity rather than confiscated assets.
Since the SEC approved a slew of Bitcoin funds in January 2024, major firms have been able to buy exposure to the asset via shares of the regulated vehicles that trade on stock exchanges.
BlackRock’s IBIT is the most successful crypto ETF: The fund has received more cash than any other crypto ETF and currently has $47.3 billion in assets under management.
Pension funds and U.S. states have all bought exposure to Bitcoin via the ETFs, along with more traditional investments like tech stocks and other U.S. equities.
Mathew Di Salvo
Mathew is a reporter who's covered the space since 2019, reporting on everything from Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele's Bitcoin bet to crypto exchange FTX's bankruptcy.
Militia Capital Management has filed an amended 13F form with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), revealing its latest holdings in the Bitwise XRP ETF. The disclosure includes 31,820 shares, confirming that Militia Capital now holds a regulated XRP exchange-traded fund position through a product listed on a U.S. exchange.
Growing institutional demand for XRP ETFsThe Militia Capital filing highlights a growing trend among regulated investment firms to adopt XRP ETFs as part of their portfolios. Recent months have seen an expanding roster of institutions reporting exposure to these products via public SEC filings, reflecting an uptick in institutional interest and confidence in XRP-based investment vehicles.
Gallacher Capital Management declared ownership of 86,744 shares in the Canary XRP ETF, valued at $961,126 in its second-quarter 13F-HR. Brookstone Capital Management has also published data confirming exposure to an XRP ETF position.
Citadel previously reported holding 34,900 call options on the Canary XRP ETF earlier this year, having closed out all its put options. The Bank of Montreal filed its Form 13F-HR on August 12, updating its holdings through the end of June.
Bitrue indicated that Franklin Templeton clients purchased $5.66 million worth of XRP during the current year. Cumulative net inflows across the seven U.S.-listed spot XRP ETFs have reached into the billions, with several products setting new records in 2026.
Militia Capital joins a steadily increasing group of investment managers allocating capital to regulated XRP ETF products, underscoring the asset’s broader acceptance in institutional circles.
Bitwise leads in ETF inflowsMilitia Capital’s position is specifically in the Bitwise XRP ETF—currently the ETF leader in net flows year to date. On July 16, Bitwise posted daily net inflows of $4.41 million, outpacing all other XRP ETF products. The firm’s 31,820-share stake marks a deliberate commitment to the highest-volume ETF in the market.
As investors look to monitor key metrics and seek efficient market exposure, Wall Street is rapidly shifting into Web3. Participants are moving toward platforms such as 1stepSwap, enabling direct ownership of shares in major U.S. companies, as well as gold and silver, held securely in crypto wallets. This movement is powered by tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) and algorithmic price discovery, eliminating intermediaries from the investment process.
Compliant access for institutional portfoliosInstitutions rely on regulatory filings like the 13F to make strategic, compliant decisions. Portfolio managers and compliance teams play central roles in allocating capital to digital asset-based ETFs. Militia Capital’s filing demonstrates continued growth in institutional adoption of XRP as an investable asset.
Hedge funds, asset managers, and commercial banks—along with new filings like Militia Capital’s—are increasingly selecting regulated XRP ETF products for market entry. Spot XRP ETFs were launched after persistent community advocacy, providing accessible and regulated options for institutional participants.
An expanding pattern has emerged in 2026 as regulated institutions announce new XRP ETF holdings, arriving via independent filings and product structures, giving further visibility to the sector.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
SEC pod vedením Paula Atkinse potvrdila, že je připravena vydat pravidla pro kryptoměny i bez schválení CLARITY Act. Senátní hlasování o zákonu je naplánováno na 15. září.
Levi Rietveld, a well-known crypto analyst and creator of Crypto Crusaders, focused this week on the ongoing regulatory challenges faced by XRP. Rietveld addressed the current debate over the CLARITY Act and emphasized that recent developments at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are now taking precedence over stalled legislative efforts.
The SEC steps up regulatory effortsRietveld stated that the SEC, alongside the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), already possesses the tools to regulate cryptocurrencies through their existing authority. He pointed out that these agencies can make and enforce rules governing the crypto sector without waiting for new legislation from Congress.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins publicly confirmed this approach, specifying that the agency is “ready, willing and able to come out with rules” with or without congressional action on the CLARITY Act. Commissioner Hester Peirce has similarly stated that the SEC intends to advance frameworks for custody, the trading of tokenized securities, and crypto fundraising regardless of the bill’s outcome.
Rietveld remarked that formal rulemaking and new guidance from regulators are set to advance within days, shifting attention away from the delayed Senate process and toward immediate regulatory measures.
XRP, trading close to $1, has seen increased scrutiny as the debate around the CLARITY Act’s passage intensifies. While Rietveld’s video commentary included warnings about a “collapse,” he also displayed optimism about the asset’s long-term regulatory clarity and its prospects as these changes unfold.
XRP’s legal foundation and future structureRietveld explained that the key development for XRP lies in the ongoing integration of the asset into a clearly regulated financial framework. He highlighted that legal clarity was already achieved to a significant extent through Ripple’s extended litigation with the SEC, which set several precedents for the industry.
Commissioner Peirce confirmed that the SEC’s agenda now features ongoing efforts to define rules for decentralized finance, custody, and the trading of tokenized securities. These areas directly relate to XRP’s core infrastructure, providing a foundation for broader institutional participation if legal certainty is solidified.
As regulatory momentum builds, a major shift is also taking place on Wall Street. Traditional markets, which previously relied on layers of brokers, are rapidly integrating Web3 technologies. Investors are turning to platforms such as 1stepSwap that allow users to hold shares of major U.S. companies, gold, and silver directly in their crypto wallets. By tokenizing real-world assets and automating price discovery, such solutions remove intermediaries and reduce transaction friction for institutional and retail participants alike.
Congressional efforts remain relevantDespite the SEC’s active push for new crypto guidelines, congressional action remains significant. SEC Chair Atkins argued that statutory law offers stronger long-term stability than administrative rules, which agencies can amend or reverse.
A Senate vote on the CLARITY Act is scheduled for September 15. The bill requires at least 7 Democratic votes to pass the 60-vote threshold for cloture. Senator Bernie Moreno has stated that all 53 Republican senators support the measure, and several Democrats are expected to vote in favor.
Atkins believes a law would provide lasting certainty for crypto market participants, offering greater protection against potential policy reversals compared to regulatory guidance alone.
With regulatory agencies already developing comprehensive frameworks, institutional access to assets like XRP is expected to expand whatever the outcome of the Senate vote. These structural shifts mark a transition period, with both regulatory and legislative pathways shaping the market’s future.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
According to a Friday report by Semafor, enterprise blockchain company Ripple will attend a meeting at the White House on Wednesday.
Apart from Ripple, such big names as Coinbase, a16z, Chainlink, and Paradigm will also be in attendance.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Chair Paul Atkins as well as Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig will be present during the meeting as well.
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On Thursday, Politico reported that the White House was preparing to host a gathering focusing on crypto and prediction markets.
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This will not be Ripple's first appearance at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In early 2025, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse attended the White House Digital Assets Summit, the administration's first presidential crypto summit. Garlinghouse was among a relatively small group of crypto executives invited to the event, alongside Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, and Strategy's Michael Saylor. The company associated with the XRP cryptocurrency also had another documented presence at the White House in July during the signing the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act.
As reported by U.Today, Ripple also took part in an important White House summit earlier this year.
Last year, however, Ripple's lobbying operation briefly became a source of friction inside the White House because lobbyist Ballard Partners avoided important access procedures. However, Ripple was not permanently excluded from the White House despite attracting the ire of the administration.
Regulatory uncertainty As reported by U.Today, the CLARITY Act, which has been persistently pushed by the White House, did not receive a final Senate vote before the August recess. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has scheduled a procedural vote for Sept 15.
In July, White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt pushed back against Thune’s increasingly pessimistic assessment.
Witt and senior White House officials participated in negotiations with Republican senators over one of the bill’s most contentious provisions.
Adam Back podpořil krok Etherea od vlastní kryptografie zpět ke standardům SHA nebo BLAKE2s na Layer 1. Ethereum zároveň ukončuje projekt Poseidon po osmi letech práce.
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Hashcash creator and Blockstream CEO Adam Back has publicly backed Ethereum's cryptographic course correction, saying the industry should have abandoned experimental algorithms in favor of time-tested security standards long ago.
His statement came as a reply to Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, who announced that the platform was completely shutting down its project to integrate the specialized Poseidon hash function.
After eight years of work and substantial investment, Ethereum is returning to conventional SHA or BLAKE2s standards at Layer 1.
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Why Ethereum cryptography pivot proves Adam Back rightCommenting on Drake's post, Back said he had never trusted custom ZK-optimized algorithms because they had not been sufficiently studied by the global community. "Never liked prover-friendly hashes anyway," Back stated directly, adding that this approach always produces "an under-reviewed quirky hash."
The Blockstream CEO emphasized that he has always followed the principle of maximum reliability in his own work. "Personally, even pre-general provers, I preferred to pay the higher proving cost of standard hash algorithms," he concluded, choosing higher computational costs over the risk of using immature code.
For my money even before the more general provers, I preferred to pay the cost of proving the standard hash algorithms.
— Adam Back (@adam3us) August 14, 2026 Until recently, conventional cryptography was considered too computationally demanding for zero-knowledge systems, forcing developers to create custom solutions such as Poseidon.
However, Back's conservative position has now received technical validation following recent breakthroughs in binary-field mathematics.
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The development of the Binius proof system in 2023 and Flook in 2024 made it possible to process up to one million conventional hashes per second with minimal overhead on an ordinary laptop. This deprived Poseidon of its technical rationale, forcing Ethereum to write off years of development costs and acknowledge that the conservative camp was right.
According to the Ethereum Foundation's approved timeline, the integration of updated post-quantum protection will begin with the launch of the LeanVM virtual machine in 2027 and will be fully completed at the network's base layer by 2028.
Citigroup vyzvala americký Senát, aby schválil Crypto CLARITY Act. Banka říká, že jasná pravidla pro digitální aktiva by pomohla trhu i institucionálnímu přijetí.
Citigroup, one of the world’s largest financial institutions, has expressed support for the Crypto CLARITY Act and called on the US Senate to advance the new digital asset regulation bill. The endorsement came as Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser emphasized the need for comprehensive legislation governing crypto markets in the United States.
Citigroup’s stance on the CLARITY ActJane Fraser voiced appreciation for current efforts to draft the Crypto CLARITY Act, while also noting that the bank continues to advocate for improvements in the legislation. Citigroup remains a major player in global banking and has increasingly engaged with digital asset markets in recent years.
Fraser stressed the importance of moving forward with the bill, even as discussions about potential amendments persist. “We’re not giving up on pushing to get some improvements made to the bill, but we would like to see a good bill go through. I think it would be excellent for the system,” Fraser stated during an interview with Fox Business.
“We’re not giving up on pushing to get some improvements made to the bill, but we would like to see a good bill go through. I think it would be excellent for the system.”
Citigroup has previously noted that regulatory progress in digital assets could help drive institutional adoption. The bank regards legislative clarity as a potential turning point for both compliance and market participation by large investors.
Market context and legislative aimsThe call for regulatory clarity comes after a difficult period for cryptocurrencies, with the global market capitalization falling by over $2 trillion in the past year. Supporters of the CLARITY Act believe the new legal framework could pave the way for a more stable and trusted crypto sector, contributing to market recovery.
The Crypto CLARITY Act is designed to establish defined rules for digital assets in the US. Its primary goals are to provide regulatory certainty, encourage institutional engagement, and strengthen investor protection.
If enacted, the legislation could help address common concerns about scams and security vulnerabilities that persist in the crypto industry. The promise of greater safeguards may help attract new participants to the market while reassuring existing investors.
Mini dictionary: Crypto CLARITY Act, proposed US legislation aimed at improving regulatory oversight and investor protection in digital asset markets. The act seeks to create clearer legal distinctions for crypto asset classes and establish consistent rules for their use and trading.
Citigroup’s recent outlook on the crypto marketWhile supporting stronger legislation, Citi recently adopted a more cautious view towards digital asset performance. On July 1, the bank reduced its 12-month price target for Bitcoin from $112,000 to $82,000. Citigroup also adjusted its projection for Ethereum, lowering it from $3,175 to $2,240.
AssetPrevious 12-Month TargetNew 12-Month TargetBitcoin$112,000$82,000Ethereum$3,175$2,240Jane Fraser’s positive remarks on the proposed crypto bill follow these cautious adjustments, reflecting Citigroup’s dual approach of backing regulatory clarity while remaining vigilant about sector volatility.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Charles Hoskinson oznámil, že Midnight.city na síti Midnight vstoupila do beta testování. Platforma má pomocí simulací s využitím AI zatěžovat síť a testovat soukromí.
Charles Hoskinson just pulled the curtain back on Midnight.city, the AI-driven interactive simulation platform built on the Midnight network, confirming it has officially entered beta testing. The Cardano founder and Input Output Global (IOG) chief said new features are being shipped on a two-week sprint cycle.
For those keeping score, Midnight’s mainnet went live on March 30, 2026. Hoskinson has reportedly poured roughly $200M into the project.
What Midnight.city actually does Midnight.city is a public-facing platform designed to stress-test the Midnight network by simulating realistic transaction loads at scale. AI agents perform transactions, test privacy features, and simulate the things that thousands of real users would do before thousands of real users actually show up.
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The core technology underneath is built around programmable privacy, a concept that lets developers choose exactly what information gets revealed and what stays hidden in any given transaction. The mechanism behind this is selective disclosure, powered by zero-knowledge proofs. In simpler terms, you can prove something is true without revealing the underlying data.
This is a meaningful distinction from most privacy coins, which tend to operate on an all-or-nothing model. Midnight’s approach lets developers build applications where privacy is granular and configurable.
A standalone chain, not a sidechain Midnight is not a Cardano sidechain. It’s a standalone Proof-of-Stake blockchain that operates independently with its own consensus mechanism and network architecture.
Hoskinson has labeled 2026 as Midnight’s “beta year,” a period focused squarely on infrastructure development rather than chasing mainstream adoption. The beta testing phase is expected to onboard thousands of testers, with AI agent simulations providing network activity that real users can interact alongside. These AI agents are designed to simulate specific use cases including marketing workflows, trading behavior, and growth strategies.
Enterprise interest and the Google Cloud connection Enterprise partnerships have been highlighted in recent updates, with Google Cloud named specifically. Hoskinson has also pointed to interoperability ambitions, with Midnight aiming to work across networks including Bitcoin and XRP Ledger.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Binance od 23. srpna zastaví transakce s HTX, Rapira, Aifory Pro, ABCeX, WhiteBird, NoOnecrypto INC., Tradex, Monease Ltd, BitPapa, Exnode a EXMO kvůli změnám v regulačních požadavcích. Omezení se dotknou i souvisejících peněženek.
Binance will stop transactions involving HTX, EXMO and nine other crypto platforms from August 23. The exchange cited recent regulatory developments as it expands compliance restrictions across several markets.
Binance Sets August 23 Transaction Restrictions Binance said the August 23 restrictions will cover HTX, formerly Huobi, alongside Rapira, Aifory Pro, ABCeX, WhiteBird, NoOnecrypto INC., Tradex, Monease Ltd, BitPapa, Exnode and EXMO. The exchange cited changes in regulatory requirements and protection of user assets for the decision.
Users should avoid sending crypto to the affected platforms or receiving assets from them. Binance may review transactions linked directly or indirectly to these companies. The exchange may also restrict related wallets while it completes compliance checks.
Similar measures already apply to several other platforms. Restrictions on Shelbit and Aban Tether Exchange started on August 7. Binance added A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa and PilotFinance Ltd to the list on August 13.
HTX Faces Sanctions-Related Restrictions The European Union added HTX to a sanctions package targeting Russia in July. The UK government had already designated Huobi Global S.A. in May. UK authorities cited suspected financial services or resources provided to A7 LLC and Garantex Europe OU.
HTX challenged the scope of the UK action. The company said the designation covered Huobi Global S.A. as a separate legal entity. HTX also maintained that the measure did not affect its online exchange or customer funds.
The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation later took a different position. The agency said the sanctions also covered the HTX exchange because Huobi Global owns the platform.
TRM Labs separately raised concerns about frequent movements between HTX wallet addresses. The firm reported that some addresses operated for only several hours before activity moved elsewhere. Such changes can make screening based on fixed address lists harder.
HTX rejected claims that the wallet movements aimed to avoid sanctions screening. A company spokesperson described the transfers as routine security procedures used across the crypto industry.
Binance Expands Crypto Compliance Measures Earlier restrictions on Shelbit and Aban Tether followed U.S. sanctions announced on August 7. U.S. authorities accused both platforms of handling cryptocurrency linked to Iranian sanctions-evasion networks.
Authorities said wallets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sent more than $1 million to Shelbit addresses. They also alleged that Shelbit-linked wallets transferred over $2 million to addresses controlled by the organization.
U.S. authorities separately accused Aban Tether of processing millions of dollars involving sanctioned Iranian crypto exchanges. Those platforms included Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin and Ramzinex.
Binance may hold transactions attempted after each restriction date for additional review. The exchange can also restrict affected wallets until its compliance teams complete those checks.
For those seeking compliant platforms amid changing EU rules can explore the best regulated crypto exchanges in Europe for their trading needs.
The Stellar Development Foundation quietly upgraded its network’s backbone on July 16, 2026, adding MoneyGram, Figure Markets, and Range as Tier 1 validators. The integration is expected to wrap up by mid-August 2026.
Tier 1 status on Stellar is not a ceremonial title. These validators sit at the top of the trust hierarchy inside the Stellar Consensus Protocol, and they are expected to operate multiple geographically distributed nodes, maintain uptime of 99.9% or better, publish complete history archives, and coordinate on system upgrades.
What Tier 1 actually means
Stellar’s consensus model works differently from most blockchains you’ve heard of. Rather than paying validators through block rewards or transaction fees, the Stellar Consensus Protocol relies on a web of trusted peer relationships. Validators choose which other validators they trust, and the network reaches agreement through overlapping trust sets.
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The practical consequence is that Tier 1 validators are running expensive infrastructure purely because they have a strategic stake in the network’s reliability. MoneyGram, Figure Markets, and Range are not doing this for yield. They’re doing it because a more reliable Stellar network is directly useful to their own business operations.
SDF’s Jose Fernandez da Ponte has emphasized the network’s suitability for regulated finance, and the choice of these three firms makes that positioning concrete rather than aspirational.
Who these firms are and why they matter
MoneyGram is the easiest to contextualize. The company has been partnered with Stellar since 2021, and its customer base spans over 60 million people across more than 200 countries.
Figure Markets specializes in regulated yield-bearing asset issuance, including its YLDS stablecoin. Its presence as a Tier 1 validator is essentially a bet that Stellar becomes the preferred settlement layer for tokenized financial instruments.
Range is the least household-name of the three but arguably the most technically credentialed for this specific role. The firm monitors and secures assets across more than 200 networks, with over $30 billion under its watch.
Why this matters beyond the press release
Stellar’s Tier 1 set has historically been dominated by organizations directly affiliated with or closely aligned to the SDF. Adding three external firms with real commercial operations changes the network’s fault-tolerance profile in a meaningful way. Geographic distribution increases, the variety of operational teams expands, and the network’s resilience to any single point of failure improves.
There’s also a signal embedded in the structure of this arrangement. These firms are running significant infrastructure with no financial reward from the protocol itself. That kind of commitment is self-selecting for organizations that view Stellar’s stability as a business necessity rather than a speculative opportunity.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Re Protocol migruje z LayerZero na Chainlink CCIP jako výhradní řešení pro bridge pro $reUSD mezi Ethereum a Solana. Chainlink zároveň rozšiřuje SmartData a Proof of Reserve pro tokenizovaná aktiva.
CCIP Becomes the Cross-Chain Standard for Institutional Assets@Chainlink is cementing its position as the go-to infrastructure layer for institutional on-chain assets, with a fresh cluster of integrations spanning cross-chain token transfers, real-time fund reporting, and on-chain reserve verification.
@Re protocol is the latest protocol to move its cross-chain infrastructure to Chainlink CCIP. Re, the on-chain reinsurance protocol with more than $475 million in total value locked, conducted an internal cross-chain infrastructure evaluation and is now migrating from LayerZero to CCIP as its exclusive bridging solution for $reUSD, its depository token with a market cap exceeding $160 million. The protocol will use CCIP to secure $reUSD transfers between @Ethereum and @Solana. Each CCIP bridge lane is secured by 16 independent node operators, and CCIP carries a SOC 2 Type 2 attestation, giving transfers an institutional-grade compliance footing.
@Nillion is implementing the same framework to enable $NIL transfers between Ethereum and HyperEVM. CCIP already supports interoperability with ecosystems including Ethereum, HyperEVM, Arbitrum, Optimism, BNB Chain, and Base, making it a natural fit for protocols that need to move assets across multiple environments without compromising security.
SmartData and Proof of Reserve Round Out the PushOn the data side, @Obligatecom is integrating Chainlink SmartData to bring real-time Net Asset Value reporting on-chain for its $200 million-plus $oTFY credit fund tokenization. Chainlink SmartData is a suite of on-chain data offerings designed to unlock the utility, accessibility, and reliability of tokenized real-world assets, providing secure minting assurances alongside essential real-world data such as reserves, NAV, and AUM data. Chainlink is already bringing NAV data for oTFY on-chain, with oTFY integrated into Kamino, Solana's leading lending protocol, where holders can use institutional-grade trade-finance exposure as collateral.
Completing the set, @RadiantPrimeXYZ is implementing Chainlink Proof of Reserve to increase transparency across its tokenized investment strategy. Chainlink Proof of Reserve verifies cross-chain and off-chain reserves backing tokenized and wrapped assets, providing unparalleled transparency. The tool enables protocols to automatically halt minting, redemptions, or trading when reserves fall short, and supports the launch of RWAs and ETFs with continuous reserve verification that meets the standards of institutional users and regulators.
Taken together, the integrations underline how Chainlink's suite of products, CCIP, SmartData, and Proof of Reserve, is increasingly being adopted as the default compliance and connectivity stack for tokenized assets in the 2026 digital economy. CCIP passed $18 billion in cross-chain transfer volume in Q1 2026 and now connects more than 70 blockchains.
Sources
Re Protocol: $475M TVL Re Transitions From LayerZero to Chainlink CCIP
Chainlink Documentation: SmartData
Chainlink Blog: Quarterly Review Q1 2026
Seagate ve fiskálním roce 2026 zvýšil tržby o 34 % na 12,2 miliardy USD a hrubá zisková marže vyskočila na 45,6 % z 35,2 %. Firma očekává v 1. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2027 tržby 4,1 miliardy USD.
Key Takeaways Seagate's fiscal 2026 revenues rose 34% as AI-driven data growth boosted demand for high-capacity HDDs.Seagate's fiscal Q4 gross margin jumped to 52.3% from 37.4%, while fiscal 2026 free cash flow reached $3.1B.Seagate expects $4.1 billion in fiscal Q1 2027 revenues as strong growth and profitability continue.
With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), several technology companies, including Wall Street darling NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) , have experienced phenomenal growth. However, a much smaller, prominent player, Seagate Technology Holdings plc (STX - Free Report) , has seen its shares surge a whopping 926% over the past five years, with AI growth accelerating sharply.
The AI boom has increased demand for data-center storage, benefiting Seagate since its high-capacity hard disk drives (HDDs) offer cost-efficient storage for that data. However, its gains have been more subdued over the past three months, up only 15.6%, as investors have become increasingly concerned about the highly cyclical nature of storage demand.
If cloud providers slow down purchases, it could weigh on the companies’ financial performance. Some also worry that if HDD technology fails to advance and is displaced by another cost-effective technology, Seagate can face significant pressure.
But these concerns are overly pessimistic. At the moment, Seagate continues to exhibit strong fundamentals, which could provide a solid foundation for future growth. Let’s explore why Seagate could become a future winner, an opportunity many investors may be overlooking or failing to imagine now –
Seagate: AI Demand Fuels Strong Growth and Rising Margins Strong AI-driven storage demand has recently boosted Seagate’s revenue growth. For the fiscal fourth quarter of 2026, Seagate’s revenues were $3.63 billion, up around 49% year over year, according to investors.seagate.com. For the fiscal year 2026, revenues jumped about 34% year over year to $12.2 billion.
Demand for high-capacity HDDs has increased on the back of AI-driven data growth, helping Seagate expand its margins. In the fiscal fourth quarter, Seagate’s gross margin increased sharply to 52.3% from 37.4% a year earlier. For the fiscal year 2026, the company’s gross margin reached 45.6% from 35.2% in the prior-year period.
The combination of revenue growth and expanding margins is encouraging for stakeholders, while growth, particularly revenues, is expected to continue into 2027. Revenues are expected to increase to $4.1 billion, plus or minus $100 million, in the fiscal first quarter of 2027.
Profitability is also projected to improve, while the company’s robust cash flow and reduced debt burden position it well for continued growth and further investments in research and development. In the fiscal year 2026, Seagate generated a healthy $3.1 billion in free cash flow and trimmed its debt burden by 1.4 billion to $3.6 billion, further strengthening its balance sheet.
Consequently, the company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current and next year is 124.5% and 59.6%, respectively. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $34.99 for STX’s earnings per share (EPS) is up 168.7% year over year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Brokers also see greater upside potential in Seagate. The average short-term price target for STX stock is $1,141.82, representing a 30% upside from its last closing price of $878.21. The highest price target stands at $1,600, suggesting a potential upside of 82.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Seagate currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here.
SpaceX chce tento měsíc poprvé zachytit vracející se horní stupeň Starship pomocí startovací věže, pokud dostane regulační souhlas. Úspěch by potvrdil klíčový krok k rychlé znovupoužitelnosti rakety.
SpaceX (SPCX -0.91%) plans to catch a returning Starship upper stage with its launch tower for the first time this month.
"I'd say things look very good, and that's why we, assuming we receive regulatory approval to do so, will attempt to catch the Ship with the tower on the next flight, which is tentatively scheduled for the end of this month," CEO Elon Musk said on the company's Aug. 4 earnings call, its first since going public in June.
The confidence traces to Flight 13, which flew July 24 and ended with the Ship surviving reentry and splashing down softly in the Indian Ocean. Flight 14 is also slated to put Starlink V3 satellites into an operational orbit for the first time.
Two steps sit between here and the attempt: the preflight engine firings both vehicles still have to complete, and the regulatory sign-off Musk named.
The company's towers have caught the returning Super Heavy booster before, but never the Ship, which comes back from space at far higher speeds.
Elon Musk at the White House. Image source: The White House.
Reusability is the cost case
The reason a catch matters is money. Starship's economics rest on both halves of the rocket flying again quickly -- a booster and Ship recovered at the tower are meant to be turned around and reflown instead of rebuilt.
And a tower catch is the version of reuse that saves the most. The vehicle lands where it launched, gets inspected, and gets restacked, with no ocean recovery in between.
For now, the finances run through Starlink. SpaceX's connectivity segment grew revenue 66% year over year to $4.3 billion last quarter, the only segment operating at a profit, while the company overall narrowed its net loss to $541 million from $1.0 billion on revenue that nearly doubled to $7.8 billion.
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The company also closed the quarter with $100 billion of cash and marketable securities and a $47.5 billion backlog, resources it says are going into Starship, Starlink satellites, and its artificial intelligence (AI) platform.
The V3 satellites Flight 14 would carry are the larger generation that the network's next capacity step depends on.
Of course, a tentative date is just that. The flight could slip into September, and the regulatory review isn't on the company's clock. A missed catch wouldn't end the program, either. Test flights exist to find the failures.
But a catch that works would be the first time the Ship itself came back to the tower. And with the stock around $141 as of this writing and the company valued near $1.9 trillion, the reusability case is arguably carrying a lot of that price.
The SpaceX logo in this illustration taken June 11, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Aug 14 (Reuters) - Tiger Global Management trimmed several of its Big Tech stakes, exited Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab, and took positions in Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O), opens new tab and SpaceX (SPCX.O), opens new tab during the second quarter, according to regulatory disclosures filed Friday.
Here are more details from its quarterly 13-F filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission:
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The hedge fund cut its Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab holdings by 45.4% to 5.81 million shares as of June 30 from the end of March, and its Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab stake by 6.8% to 11.20 million shares.
It trimmed its Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab stake by 9.3% to 2.27 million shares and its Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab position by 3.2% to 9.68 million shares.
The hedge fund reduced its holding in Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab by 8.5% to 2.82 million.
The filings showed that Tiger Global sold its entire 2.44 million-share Netflix position, valued at about $234.5 million, at the end of the first quarter.
The investment firm also cut its Broadcom (AVGO.O), opens new tab stake by about 51% to 1.75 million shares and reduced its Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing holding by 12.3% to 4.88 million American depositary shares.
Meanwhile, it more than doubled its stake in Intel (INTC.O), opens new tab to 4.25 million shares from 1.64 million shares in the prior quarter.
It also established a 674,727-share position in Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O), opens new tab, valued at roughly $392 million as of June 30, and reported a 375,000-share stake in SpaceX, valued at about $64.1 million.
13-F filings provide a snapshot of certain U.S.-listed equity holdings at the end of a quarter but do not disclose subsequent trading, short positions or the fund's full portfolio.
The changes in holdings are as of June 30, compared with the prior quarter ended March 31.
Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Diti Pujara
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Apple spolupracuje se společností Alibaba Group na vývoji modelu AI pro Čínu a plánuje tam během několika měsíců spustit Apple Intelligence. Může se stát první zahraniční firmou s čínským schválením pro vlastní model.
Apple worked with Alibaba Group to develop and train an Apple artificial intelligence model specifically for the Chinese market, Reuters reported Friday (Aug. 14), citing unnamed sources.
Apple has previously used third-party models to power the AI features it offers in the iPhones and other devices it sells in China, according to the report.
Now, following the collaboration with Alibaba Group, the company plans to launch its Apple Intelligence suite of AI tools in China within months, the report said.
Having its own model tailored for China would give Apple greater control over the AI experience it offers in the market, per the report.
The offering would also make Apple the first foreign company to secure Chinese government approval to offer a proprietary model in the country, the report said.
Neither Apple nor Alibaba immediately replied to PYMNTS’ request for comment.
It was reported in February 2025 that a top executive from Alibaba said that his company had formed an AI partnership with Apple.
Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai said at the time that the tech firm would work with Apple to help bring AI-powered iPhones to China.
“Apple has been very selective,” Tsai said. “They talked to a number of companies in China, and in the end, they chose to do business with us.”
“They want to use our AI to power their phones, so we’re very fortunate and extremely honored to be able to do business with a great company like Apple,” Tsai added.
It was reported in December that smartphone companies in China were promoting apps to help customers switch from Apple’s iPhone and that this signaled a bid by the companies to capture market share while Apple struggled to debut AI offerings in the country’s massive smartphone market.
However, in March it was reported that Apple was enjoying a sales boost in China even as the country’s smartphone market was seeing a downturn. The report attributed Apple’s gains to eCommerce discounts, the fact that its base iPhone 17 model qualified for government subsidies and the fact that Apple’s “strong control” of its supply chain left it better positioned to absorb the cost of memory chips and keep prices steady.
For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.
American Airlines použila na komerčním letu palivo eSAF od společnosti Infinium bez úprav letadla ani letiště. Projekt Roadrunner má začít s dodávkami v roce 2027.
Key Takeaways American Airlines used Infinium's eSAF on a commercial flight without aircraft or airport modifications Infinium's eSAF can cut lifecycle GHG emissions by more than 90% versus petroleum-based jet fuel. Project Roadrunner could provide AAAL with commercial-scale eSAF production & deliveries from 2027. American Airlines’ (AAL - Free Report) latest eSAF milestone marks a significant step in the commercial adoption of next-generation sustainable aviation fuel. The successful use of Infinium’s eSAF on a commercial passenger flight demonstrates that fuel produced from waste carbon dioxide and renewable electricity can be blended with conventional jet fuel and used within existing aircraft and airport infrastructure without modifications.
The development is particularly encouraging for AAL as the airline seeks to expand its access to lower-carbon fuel solutions. Infinium’s eSAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90% versus conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. Project Roadrunner is expected to begin production and deliveries in 2027, providing Americans with a potential source of commercial-scale eSAF.
However, the broader impact will depend on the ability to scale production and make SAF more cost-competitive. With SAF currently accounting for less than 1% of global jet fuel consumption, increasing supply remains a key challenge for the aviation industry. AAL’s offtake agreement with Infinium and the development of Project Roadrunner could help strengthen its long-term sustainable fuel strategy.
Overall, the milestone is a positive development for American Airlines, supporting its decarbonization efforts and potentially improving its access to lower-carbon fuel as eSAF production scales. While the near-term financial impact is likely limited, greater availability of SAF could support the airline’s long-term environmental goals and competitiveness as pressure to reduce aviation emissions increases.
AAL’s Share Price PerformanceAAL’s shares have gained 14.4% over the past year compared with the Transportation - Airline industry’s 9.9% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AAL’s Zacks RankAAL currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Stocks to ConsiderInvestors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD - Free Report) and LATAM Airlines Group (LTM - Free Report) as well.
Expeditors currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
EXPD has an expected earnings growth rate of 28.6% for 2026. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 17.15%.
LATAM Airlines currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
LTM has an expected earnings growth rate of 10.3% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 97.9%.
PayPal míří na nejméně 1,5 mld. USD hrubé úspory během příštích dvou až tří let, přičemž asi 40 % má přijít z produktivity řízené AI. Část úspor chce znovu investovat do Venmo, BNPL a finančních služeb.
Key Takeaways PayPal targets at least $1.5B in gross run-rate savings over the next two to three years.AI-led productivity gains are expected to drive about 40% of total savings, the largest share.PayPal plans to reinvest much of the savings in Venmo, BNPL and financial services.
PayPal Holdings’ (PYPL - Free Report) cost savings plan is taking center stage as the company works to improve profitability. It is on track to deliver at least $1.5 billion in gross run-rate savings over the next two to three years. About $400 million of new run-rate savings are targeted by the end of 2026.
The savings plan comes as profitability faces pressure. In the second quarter of 2026, PayPal generated revenues of $8.68 billion, up 5% year over year, but non-GAAP operating income fell 8% to $1.51 billion. Non-GAAP operating margin dropped to 17.4% from 19.8%, highlighting the importance of improving cost efficiency.
The plan has three main drivers: a simpler structure, operational and portfolio changes, and wider use of artificial intelligence (AI). PayPal expects roughly 20-30% of total savings from structure and alignment, 30-40% from operating improvement and about 40% from AI-led productivity gains across the business.
AI is expected to be the largest contributor to the savings plan, and PayPal is already seeing productivity gains from its technology initiatives. The company’s AI-assisted coding is already improving productivity, while implementation time has fallen 25%. Management is also moving more infrastructure to the cloud and combining platforms to reduce complexity. These changes are designed to lower costs while helping teams release products faster.
PayPal is not planning to bank all those savings. Much of the money is expected to be reinvested in areas such as financial services, Buy Now Pay Later and Venmo. That makes execution important because savings must translate into stronger growth over time.
How Are Intuit & Block Restructuring?Intuit (INTU - Free Report) is tightening costs while reshaping its business around AI and faster decision-making. Its 2026 restructuring plan includes reducing management layers, cutting overlapping roles, consolidating locations and shifting resources toward core growth areas. The company expects to reduce its full-time workforce by approximately 17% under the plan by the first fiscal quarter ending Oct. 31, 2026.
Block (XYZ - Free Report) is pursuing an even sharper efficiency push, using AI to support a smaller, flatter organization. The company is restructuring its workforce while increasing automation and product-development speed, arguing that smaller teams can now accomplish more.
PYPL’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of PayPal have gained 34.6% in the past three months compared to the broader industry and the S&P 500 Index.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, PayPal’s shares are trading cheaply, as suggested by the Value Score of A. In terms of forward 12-month P/E, PYPL stock is trading at 10.75X, which is at a significant discount to the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry’s 18.92X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PayPal’s estimate revisions reflect a positive trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2026 EPS has been revised upward to $5.37 in the past month. The consensus estimate for the metric indicates a year-over-year increase of 1.13%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PayPal currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Realty Income Corporation (Realty Income, NYSE: O), The Monthly Dividend Company®, today announced the closing of its previously announced private offering of $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 3.750% convertible senior notes due 2031 (the "notes") in a private offering (the "offering") to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The offering represents the aggregate of both the previously announced offering of $875.0 million, as well as the full exercise of the $125.0 million option to purchase additional notes granted by Realty Income to the initial purchasers of the notes.
In connection with the pricing of the notes and the exercise by the initial purchasers of their option to purchase additional notes, the Company entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with certain financial institutions. The cap price of the capped call transactions was initially approximately $83.55 per share of Realty Income's common stock, which represented a premium of approximately 35.0% above the closing price of Realty Income's common stock of $61.89 per share on the New York Stock Exchange on August 11, 2026.
The net proceeds from the offering were approximately $981.9 million, after deducting the initial purchasers' discounts and commissions and Realty Income's estimated offering expenses. Realty Income used approximately $33.2 million of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cost of the capped call transactions described above. Realty Income used approximately $188.7 million of the net proceeds from the offering to repurchase approximately 3.0 million shares of its common stock concurrently with the pricing of the offering in privately negotiated transactions effected through one of the initial purchasers of the notes or its affiliate, as Realty Income's agent. Realty Income intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, the repayment or repurchase of certain indebtedness (including borrowings under Realty Income's revolving credit facilities and commercial paper programs), foreign currency swaps or other hedging instruments, the development, redevelopment and acquisition of additional properties, acquisition or business combination transactions, and the expansion and improvement of certain properties in Realty Income's portfolio.
Important Information
The offer and sale of the notes and any shares of Realty Income's common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or any other securities laws, and the notes and any such shares cannot be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer or sale of, the notes (or any shares of Realty Income's common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes) in any state or jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification thereof under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Realty Income
Realty Income (NYSE: O), an S&P 500 company, is real estate partner to the world's leading companies®. Founded in 1969, we serve our clients as a full-service real estate capital provider. As of June 30, 2026, we have a portfolio of over 15,500 properties in all 50 U.S. states, the United Kingdom, and eight other countries in Europe. We are known as "The Monthly Dividend Company®" and have a mission to invest in people and places to deliver dependable monthly dividends that increase over time. Since our founding, we have declared 673 consecutive monthly dividends and are a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats® index for having increased our dividend for over 31 consecutive years.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the intended use of the net proceeds. Forward-looking statements represent Realty Income's current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Among those risks and uncertainties are market conditions, the satisfaction of the closing conditions related to the offering and risks relating to Realty Income's business, including those described in periodic reports that Realty Income files from time to time with the SEC. Realty Income may not consummate the offering described in this press release and, if the offering is consummated, cannot provide any assurances regarding its ability to effectively apply the net proceeds as described above. The forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and Realty Income does not undertake to update the statements included in this press release for subsequent developments, except as may be required by law.
AbbVie oznámila, že tržby její neurologické divize v 1. pololetí 2026 vzrostly o 21,8 % na 6,1 mld. USD. Firma zároveň zvýšila celoroční výhled na zhruba 12,7 mld. USD.
Key Takeaways AbbVie's neuroscience sales rose 21.8% to $6.1 billion in the first half of 2026.Vraylar, Botox Therapeutic, Ubrelvy and Qulipta delivered strong sales growth in the period.Tavapadon could launch later this year, potentially expanding AbbVie's Parkinson's franchise.
AbbVie’s (ABBV - Free Report) neuroscience franchise continued to deliver strong growth in the first half of 2026, with sales reaching $6.1 billion, up 21.8% year over year on an operational basis. While the segment may not be the largest contributor to the company’s topline, it remains a key growth engine.
The growth was broad-based, with all three key areas, psychiatry, migraine and Parkinson’s disease (PD), contributing to the performance.
Vraylar remained the largest contributor, generating $1.98 billion in sales during the first half of 2026, up 18.6% year over year. Per AbbVie, the drug continued to benefit from share gains across its approved indications, namely bipolar disorder and adjunctive major depressive disorder.
AbbVie’s migraine portfolio also maintained strong momentum. Ubrelvy sales rose 26.4% year over year to $731 million, while Qulipta generated revenues of $646 million, up 39.2%. Botox Therapeutic sales increased 13.2% to $2.05 billion.
Meanwhile, Parkinson’s disease therapy Vyalev generated $457 million in sales, with second-quarter sales rising more than 27% sequentially. During the second-quarter earnings call, management reiterated that Vyalev remains on track to achieve blockbuster revenues this year, reflecting the drug’s accelerated uptake.
The strong performance has also prompted AbbVie to raise its full-year outlook for the franchise. The company now expects 2026 neuroscience revenues of approximately $12.7 billion, $100 million above its previous forecast. This includes Vraylar sales approaching $4.1 billion and Botox Therapeutic sales approaching $4.2 billion. Overall, AbbVie raised its 2026 revenue outlook by $300 million to approximately $67.6 billion.
ABBV Could Add Another Drug to the FranchiseBeyond the continued uptake of these marketed therapies, AbbVie is also preparing to add another potential growth driver to its neuroscience portfolio.
The company expects an FDA decision on tavapadon, a once-daily oral therapy for PD, in third-quarter 2026. If approved, the drug could launch later this year and expand AbbVie’s PD franchise alongside Vyalev and Duopa, potentially creating a Parkinson’s franchise with more than $5 billion in peak sales.
ABBV’s Competition in the Neuroscience SpaceOther bigger players in the neuroscience space are Biogen (BIIB - Free Report) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) .
As revenues from its legacy multiple sclerosis portfolio continue to decline, Biogen is increasingly focused on expanding its neuroscience business through newer therapies. Along with partner Eisai, Biogen markets Leqembi, one of the two FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer's disease. The company also markets Zurzuvae, the first FDA-approved oral treatment for postpartum depression.
J&J's neuroscience business is anchored by the blockbuster depression therapy Spravato and long-acting antipsychotic Invega Sustenna. The company's acquisition of Intra-Cellular Therapies last year further strengthened its portfolio by adding Caplyta, an approved treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar depression.
ABBV’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of AbbVie have underperformed the industry year to date, as seen in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AbbVie is trading at a discount to the industry. Based on the price/earnings (P/E) ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 16.29 times forward earnings, lower than its industry’s average of 18.74.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
EPS estimates for 2026 have declined over the past 30 days, while those for 2027 have increased during the same timeframe.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AbbVie currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Aave V4 has crossed $400 million in total deposits, marking a new all-time high for the protocol version that only went live on mainnet a few months ago.
The milestone lands shortly after Aave V4 recorded $350 million in deposits on August 3, 2026, a figure publicly acknowledged by Aave founder Stani Kulechov as a stepping stone toward the $400M threshold now crossed.
From zero to $400M in under a year
The Aave DAO approved the V4 activation on May 4, 2026, following an extended testnet period. Deposits sat near $50 million in early May, climbed to roughly $100 million by June, and pushed into the $200M-$300M range between late June and July before breaking $350M at the start of August.
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As of mid-August 2026, V4’s total value locked sat in the $217M-$225M range, primarily concentrated on Ethereum. The gap between that TVL figure and the $400M deposit headline reflects the difference between net locked capital and gross deposits flowing through the system.
V4’s TVL grew roughly 26-36% over a single 30-day period leading into mid-August.
What V4 actually changes
V4 is not a cosmetic upgrade. The core architectural shift is a move to what Aave calls a Liquidity Hub and Borrow Spokes model, essentially a hub-and-spoke design where liquidity pools are managed centrally while individual borrowing markets branch off as spokes. Each spoke can be configured independently, meaning a problem in one lending market does not automatically contaminate others.
V4 also introduces native support for real-world assets alongside traditional crypto lending, a capability that significantly expands Aave’s potential user base beyond on-chain native borrowers and into institutional participants who need compliant exposure to tokenized assets.
V3 continues to operate in parallel with V4 rather than being shut down. As of April 2026, V3 carried roughly $19.4 billion in TVL across chains.
Why this matters beyond the headline number
For AAVE token holders, deposit growth translates into fee generation and protocol revenue, which flows back through governance-controlled mechanisms. A protocol sitting at $400M in deposits on V4 while simultaneously running $19.4B on V3 is generating revenue from both systems simultaneously, a dual-engine structure that gives the DAO significant flexibility on how it manages the V3-to-V4 transition timeline.
Aave’s decision to run V3 and V4 in parallel rather than forcing a cutover lets users migrate at their own pace rather than under deadline pressure.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Verisign těží z téměř monopolní pozice u registrů .com a .net; ve čtvrtletí vzrostl jejich počet o 5,1 % na 179,1 milionu a míra obnovy přesáhla 76 %.
Akcie za poslední rok přidaly 5,8 %.
The Internet-Software & Services industry is currently benefiting from businesses and governments modernizing existing infrastructure while continuing to move existing workflows online and increasing spending on cloud-based technologies. Artificial intelligence is inducing increased technology spending, but its benefits are not equally distributed. While driving demand for automation, infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions, it is greatly adding to uncertainties by disrupting existing business models, commoditizing some offerings and increasing competition. To make matters worse, customer budgets are geared towards expenditure with a quick return on investment. As a result, analyst estimates remain conservative and valuation appears rich.
In this background, Verisign (VRSN - Free Report) stands out because of its structural advantages that ensure steady, high-margin inflows despite market uncertainties. Donnelley Financial (DFIN - Free Report) may also be worth keeping an eye on because it has some compelling technology and is migrating to a subscription model with increased customer stickiness.
About the Industry The Internet Software & Services industry is a relatively small industry primarily involved in enabling platforms, networks, solutions and services for online businesses, including online communication, commerce, data analysis, cybersecurity, collaboration and digital infrastructure, and facilitating customer interaction and use of Internet based services. Most companies operate under Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or platform models, where customers access applications through web browsers or APIs rather than installing software locally.
Top Themes Driving the Industry Cloud adoption is one of the most powerful long-term drivers of the Internet Software & Services industry. Companies are steadily replacing traditional on-premise software — which required local servers, maintenance and large upfront investments — with cloud-based applications delivered over the internet. Cloud platforms allow organizations to scale usage up or down quickly, reduce IT infrastructure costs and deploy software updates automatically without operational disruption. This shift also enables faster innovation, as employees and customers can access systems securely from any location or device. For software providers, cloud delivery transforms revenue from one-time license sales into recurring subscriptions, improving visibility and customer lifetime value. Because migrating systems is complex and costly, customers tend to remain on chosen platforms for years, creating high switching costs and durable revenue streams across the industry.The level of technology adoption by businesses impacts growth. Companies continue to build platforms facilitating the development and use of artificial intelligence, scrambling to digitize operations, customer interactions and internal workflows to improve efficiency and competitiveness. This in turn accelerates the adoption of technology that can help collect and analyze data, whether on premise or in the cloud. AI and advanced analytics are becoming embedded in software platforms, enabling automation, predictive decision-making and personalization. Internet software platforms automate processes such as payments, analytics, marketing and compliance, making them essential operating tools rather than optional technology. However, AI is also creating significant uncertainties. It is automating certain processes that were earlier handled with software or personal services, thus disrupting operating models. By facilitating software development, it is also lowering the barriers to entry for some players thus increasing competition. While this is making AI adoption imperative, it is increasing cost. As a result, AI adoption is not having the same effect on all players, making it harder to forecast its impact for the industry as a whole.Cybersecurity and Identity Protection are fast-growing segments of the market. As economic activity rapidly moves online, the number of digital identities, transactions and connected systems has also increased with a corresponding increase in exposure to cybercrime and fraud. Businesses now handle sensitive customer data, financial transactions and remote access across cloud environments, making security and identity verification mission-critical rather than optional IT spending. As cyberattacks, account takeovers and synthetic identity fraud become more sophisticated, organizations must invest in software that can continuously monitor users, verify identities, detect suspicious behavior and comply with tightening regulatory requirements. The stricter data protection and compliance standards are forcing companies to adopt specialized security and risk-management platforms. Because these risks evolve constantly, security solutions require ongoing updates and monitoring, driving recurring subscription demand. This creates sustained growth for Internet software providers offering cybersecurity, fraud prevention and identity intelligence tools embedded directly into digital workflows.Given the colorful international politics and the resultant volatility in international markets, there is notable impact on the performance of each player. Companies increasingly prefer a subscription-based model, which improves revenue visibility and makes the business less lumpy. Innovation is very important, but not enough to drive growth. This model improves customer retention and allows providers to expand revenue through upgrades, pricing actions and usage growth over time. Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Deteriorating Prospects The Zacks Internet – Software & Services industry is housed within the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #180, which places it in the bottom 27% of over 245 Zacks-classified industries.
The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates that there are some hindrances to growth at the moment. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
The aggregate estimate revisions trend is telling. Estimates for fiscal year 2026 have dropped 7.6%, while those for 2027 have dropped 23.9% over the past year. Estimates for both years have moved around quite a bit, with the greatest decline by far coming in September 2025, and then, again in August 2026.
Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock-market performance and valuation picture.
Industry's Stock Market Performance Is Lagging For most of the past year, the Zacks Internet – Software & Services Industry has traded at a discount to both the broader Zacks Computer and Technology Sector and the S&P 500. While it was more or less level with the others up to November, it has underperformed the others since then.
Overall, the industry returned 20.7% over the past year compared with the broader sector’s return of 31.7% and the S&P 500’s 22.9%.
One-Year Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Industry's Valuation is Rich On the basis of forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, we see that the industry is currently trading at 26.54X, at a premium to its median level of 23.2X, a 27.5% premium to the S&P 500 and a 22% premium to the broader technology sector. Technology stocks usually trade at a higher multiple because investors pay a higher premium for innovation. The downward revision to earnings estimates appear to be disappointing investors.
The industry has traded in the range of 20.36X to 29.73X over the past year, as the chart below shows.
Forward 12 Month Price-to-Earnings (P/E) Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
2 Stocks Worth Considering Verisign, Inc. (VRSN - Free Report) : Reston, VA-based VeriSign provides Internet infrastructure services, exclusively operating the domain name registries for .com and .net under agreements with ICANN. The company builds and maintains highly specialized domain name system (DNS) infrastructure that handles massive volumes of queries while maintaining high reliability and resilience against cyberattacks, outages and other technological disruptions.
The company enjoys a monopoly-like position for the .com and .net registries, the combined volumes of which rose 5.1% to 179.1 million in the last quarter. Continued Internet adoption and businesses’ preference for the .com domain support continued growth in the installed base and generate steady recurring revenue. The huge installed base and supporting infrastructure create a competitive moat because would be difficult for a competitor to simultaneously build the necessary infrastructure, secure the required regulatory agreements and also persuade businesses to switch from established .com domains, which are often integral to their brand identity and online presence. Verisign enjoys very strong renewal rates, exceeding 76% in the last quarter, despite price increases. It is contractually permitted to increase the wholesale prices it charges registrars by up to 7% in four of the six years of the current .com contract that expires in 2030 (up to 10% every year for the current .net contract expiring in 2029). The business also scales profitably, with 67% of the revenue generated falling through to the operating profit line while its capital-light model allows it to expand the domain base without requiring significant incremental investment. Therefore, the company generates very solid cash flow.
While the business is very attractive right now, it’s worth noting that the .com base is mature, making sustained growth increasingly dependent on domain renewals, new registrations and contractual price increases. New businesses have a growing number of alternatives, including other TLDs like .ai and .shop, country-code domains as well as alternative ways of establishing an online presence such as through platforms like Shopify, social commerce platforms and apps. The company's competitive moat is also partly dependent on its regulatory and contractual dependencies on ICANN and the U.S. government, which could become less favorable when these agreements are renegotiated or renewed.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have gained 5.8% over the past year. Verisign’s earnings for the June quarter beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.9% and the preceding four quarter average surprise was 1.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 has increased 9 cents to $9.56 in the last 30 days while that for 2027 increased 50 cents to $10.71. Analysts currently expect 2026 revenue and earnings to grow a respective 5.9% and 8.5%. Estimates for the following year are currently expected to grow 8.7% and 12%.
Price and Consensus: VRSN
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN - Free Report) : Lancaster, PA-based Donnelley is a financial technology and compliance software company that helps public companies, investment firms and capital market participants manage regulatory reporting and investor communications. Originally a financial-printing business spun off from R.R. Donnelley, DFIN is transforming into a cloud-software provider focused on automating complex disclosure, compliance and transaction workflows.
Its most Important Products (in order of importance) are
·ActiveDisclosure — A cloud platform for creating and filing SEC and financial reports; core recurring revenue engine and highest customer stickiness.Venue — Virtual data room software used for IPOs and M&A due diligence; drives growth during strong deal markets.·Arc Suite — Compliance and reporting platform for investment managers and funds; provides steady, regulation-driven subscription revenue.eBrevia — AI contract-analysis tool that automates legal document review; enhances deal workflows and future AI expansion potential.Software revenue continues to grow strongly toward the management-targeted 60% mix by 2028. The recurring, subscriptions-based software revenue is expected to generate higher margins and more predictable cash flow. Increasing regulatory complexity and reporting requirements across the world is a structural tailwind, as compliance is mandatory and there is reluctance to switch vendors once regulatory workflows are embedded. Historically, deal activity (IPOs, M&A) has been cyclical and the company has benefited from stronger capital market activity. Therefore, under the current revenue model, software is adding stable recurring revenue at attractive margins, transactional revenue is adding volume, while the legacy business provides cash flow and customer relationships that support the transition toward higher-value software. Significant operating leverage, along with higher software revenue, should allow margins to expand at a higher rate than revenue growth. Share buybacks provide liquidity to investors and boost the EPS.
On the downside, the software transition carries significant execution risk. How the company manages this is a big question considering that software growth has moderated in recent quarters and the software mix is currently at around 44%, meaning that there is still some way to go to reach the 60% target. As regards product performance, ActiveDisclosure has maintained consistently strong growth while Venue has not really done that well. Despite the growing software mix, quarterly revenues and margins can still fluctuate significantly with increases or decreases in deal activity. Additionally, the market is fragmented, with relatively low barriers to entry; and technology-enabled, AI-powered and self-filing solutions add to the competition.
The shares appear significantly undervalued compared to the broader industry and also the S&P 500. This may create an opportunity if execution improves.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 17.7% over the past year. The company posted a positive surprise of 6.7% in the last quarter, taking the four-quarter average surprise to 31.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 remains unchanged in the last 30 days. The 2027 earnings estimate increased 10 cents to $5.40. Revenues are expected to increase 2.4% this year with earnings growing 15.1%. Earnings are currently expected to grow 11.1% the following year on the back of 2.9% revenue growth.
Key Takeaways WMT shares have lost momentum in 2026, with the company set to report results on August 20th. Other notable retailers, including TGT and HD, are also scheduled to report Q2 results soon. The overall Q2 earnings cycle is winding down, with more than 450 S&P 500 members already reporting. Walmart (WMT - Free Report) shares have struggled lately after consistently outshining others over the last few years. The stock outperformed peers like Target (TGT - Free Report) , Home Depot (HD - Free Report) , and even Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) over the last five years, up more than +130% vs. +60.8% for Amazon, +2.1% for Home Depot, and -40.9% for Target. Walmart’s +130% gain over the last five years compares to a +77.7% gain for the S&P 500 index.
Walmart shares seem to have lost momentum this year even though the company continues to perform exceptionally well, as the year-to-date performance chart below for Walmart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot, and the S&P 500 index shows.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Walmart shares were down following the last quarterly release on May 21st, even though it comfortably beat consensus EPS, revenues, and same-store sales estimates. The stock has failed to recoup those losses since then and remains -11.6% below its May 20th level.
It will be interesting to see whether the Thursday, August 20th quarterly release helps shift sentiment toward this retail leader, but the revisions trend has been modestly negative heading into this release. We will have seen results from Target and Home Depot ahead of Walmart’s release, with Home Depot reporting Tuesday morning and Target the day after (Wednesday, August 19th).
Walmart and other big-box retailers are undoubtedly facing a difficult operating environment, with elevated fuel costs not only adding to consumers’ financial burdens but also increasing retailers’ expenses. These macro overhangs prompted management to reiterate prior guidance in the May quarterly release, a move that became a key source of market concern. These headwinds likely played a role in Friday’s soft July Retail Sales reading.
It is important to keep in mind that Walmart shares command a premium valuation, trading currently at 37.6X forward 12-month EPS estimates, only modestly below the 10-year high valuation multiple of 45.4X in February 2026. This represents a significant expansion in the valuation premium relative to Target, as the chart below of the two stocks’ 10-year valuation history shows.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
It is reasonable to chalk up Walmart’s recent underperformance to its premium valuation, particularly in light of management’s conservative, if not altogether underwhelming, guidance back in May. Market participants expect stocks commanding premium valuation multiples to beat-and-raise when they report results.
Notwithstanding the negative effects of elevated fuel costs on consumer spending as well as the company’s freight costs, Walmart remains better positioned than many others in the space given its value orientation, greater indexing to groceries, and robust digital capabilities. Walmart has been consistently gaining market share among higher-income households in recent years, which has more than offset affordability-based demand softness from its lower-income consumers.
Walmart is expected to report $0.73 in EPS on $186.3 billion in revenues, representing year-over-year changes of +7.4% and +5.03%, respectively. Estimates have been under pressure, with the current 73-cent estimate down from 74 cents a month ago and 75 cents three months ago.
In terms of same-store sales, the expectation is for U.S. comps (ex fuel) of +3.57%, which will compare to a +4.1% gain in the preceding quarter (vs. expectations of +4.03%) and a +4.6% gain in the year-earlier period (vs. expectations of +3.98%).
The expectation for Target on the comps front is +2.29% growth, following the +5.6% gain in the preceding period (vs. expectations of 1.34%). Target’s impressive comp showing in the May 20th release followed four back-to-back quarters of negative comps.
A positive general merchandise read will also have positive read-throughs for Target.
With respect to the Retail sector 2026 Q2 earnings season scorecard, we now have results from 18 of the 31 retailers in the S&P 500 index. Regular readers know that Zacks has a dedicated stand-alone economic sector for the retail space, which is unlike the placement of the space in the Consumer Staples and Consumer Discretionary sectors in the Standard & Poor’s standard industry classification.
The Zacks Retail sector includes not only Walmart, Target, and other traditional retailers, but also online vendors like Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) and restaurant players. The 18 Zacks Retail companies in the S&P 500 index that have already reported Q2 results are mostly in the ecommerce and restaurant industries, though we have several restaurant companies on deck to report this week as well.
Total Q2 earnings for these 18 retailers that have reported are up +12% from the same period last year on +15.4% higher revenues, with 77.8% beating EPS estimates and 55.6% beating revenue estimates.
The comparison charts below put the Q2 beats percentages for these retailers in a historical context.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
As you can see above, the revenue beats percentages for these online players and restaurant operators are tracking significantly below the historical averages for this group of companies, but EPS beats are far more numerous.
With respect to earnings and revenue growth rates at this stage, we like to show the group’s performance with and without Amazon, whose results are among those of the 18 companies that have already reported. As we know, Amazon’s Q2 earnings were up +12.6% on +19.6% higher revenues, as it beat both EPS and top- line expectations.
The two comparison charts below show the Q2 earnings and revenue growth relative to other recent periods, both with Amazon’s results (left side chart) and without Amazon’s numbers (right side chart)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
As you can see above, earnings for the group outside of Amazon are up +10.9% on a +10.0% top-line gain.
Q2 Earnings Season ScorecardThrough Friday, August 7th, we have seen quarterly results from 456 S&P 500 members, or 91.2% of the index’s total membership. Total earnings for these companies are up +41.5% from the same period last year on +14.7% revenue gains, with 83.6% of the companies beating EPS estimates and 76.5% of them beating revenue estimates.
The comparison charts below put the Q2 earnings and revenue growth rates for these index members in a historical context.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The comparison charts below put the Q2 EPS and revenue beats percentages in a historical context.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The unusually strong earnings growth rate of +41.5% and revenue growth of +14.7% are benefiting from Micron (MU - Free Report) and Alphabet’s (GOOGL - Free Report) blockbuster results.
The chart below shows the reported Q2 earnings growth pictures, with and without Alphabet and Micron.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Q2 reporting cycle is in its final stretch now, with half of the 16 Zacks sectors having reported all of their results, including Energy, Finance, Construction, Basic Materials, Utilities, and others.
This week’s line-up includes more than 100 companies, 12 of which are S&P 500 members. Notable companies reporting this week, in addition to the aforementioned retailers, include Estée Lauder, Viking, Deere & Co., and others.
The Earnings Big PictureThe chart below gives you a big-picture view of the overall earnings picture. It highlights current Q2 expectations right alongside actual results from the past four quarters and forecasts for the next three (including 2026 Q2).
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
As you can see here, total S&P 500 earnings for 2026 Q2 are expected to increase by +43.2% compared to the same period last year on +15.2% higher revenues.
Of the 16 Zacks sectors, 13 are expected to have positive earnings growth in Q2, with Energy (earnings growth of +142.8%), Tech (+95.1%), Basic Materials (+52.3%), and Finance (+22.3%) as the major growth drivers.
Q2 earnings growth drops to +18.5% from +43.2% once the Tech sector’s substantial contribution is excluded.
The +142.8% earnings growth for the Energy sector is meaningful, but aggregate earnings growth would still be up +38.9% on an ex-Energy basis. The sector simply no longer has the heft it once did.
The Tech sector has been a pillar of earnings growth over the last two years and is expected to continue playing that role in Q2 and beyond. The chart below shows current earnings and revenue growth expectations for the sector relative to what it actually reported in the preceding two periods and what is expected over the following three quarters.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Tech sector is unlike the other 15 Zacks sectors, as it alone brings in 41.7% of all S&P 500 earnings and accounts for 46.3% of the index’s total market capitalization.
As noted earlier, Alphabet’s Q2 results included a huge boost from a non-operating side, specifically the unrealized gain it has been forced to book on its SpaceX stake following that company’s IPO. Alphabet isn’t alone in having an outsized impact on the sector’s growth pace, as Nvidia and Micron are also exerting an outsized influence.
Excluding the contribution from Alphabet, Micron, and Nvidia, Q2 earnings for the rest of the Zacks Tech sector would be up +33.6% (vs. +95.1% otherwise).
The chart below shows the Tech sector’s earnings growth picture, with and without these three companies.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The chart below shows the aggregate growth picture for the S&P 500 index on a calendar year basis.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
As with Q2 expectations, the Tech sector has an outsized impact on the annual earnings picture as well. Total Tech sector earnings are expected to increase +50.8% from the same period last year on +17.5% higher revenues.
Excluding the Tech sector’s substantial contribution, total S&P 500 earnings for the year would be up +14.7% (vs. +27.0% otherwise).
As we saw with Q2 expectations, contributions from Alphabet, Micron, and Nvidia are also significant here on an annual basis, as the chart below shows.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Revisions Trend – 2026 Q3We showed in an earlier chart that S&P 500 earnings are expected to increase by +21.9% in 2026 Q3 on +10.7% higher revenues.
The revisions trend has remained positive, sustaining the favorable trend in place for almost a year now. The chart below shows how 2026 Q3 earnings growth expectations have evolved lately.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
As noted earlier, these favorable revision patterns are not a new development; they extend a tailwind that has been building for nearly a year. Historically, these upward adjustments were tightly concentrated in Technology and, more recently, Energy following Middle East supply disruptions. However, for Q3 2026, the constructive estimate revisions have broadened significantly, rising across 8 of the 16 Zacks sectors—including Transportation, Finance, Aerospace, Industrials, Utilities, and Construction, as well as Tech and Energy.
For a detailed view of the evolving earnings picture, please check out our weekly Earnings Trends report here >>>> Q2 Earnings Scorecard: Record Margins, Strong Beats and Upward Revisions
Let me finish a story I started five weeks ago. In July this column called Uniswap the toll booth on DeFi’s highway and asked the question that has haunted the token since 2020: does the toll ever reach the people who own the booth? I flagged it as the single most important thing to verify about UNI, because the entire long-term case rested on it. Here is the answer, and it is more uncomfortable than either camp expected. The toll is being collected. The booth is paying its owners. And the token trades near $3.40, second on CoinGecko’s most-viewed list, roughly where it sat before any of it happened.
UNI traded at $3.43 on August 12, 2026, down 4.4% on the day, per CoinGecko, with Bitcoin at $62,753 and most of the board red. Check the live figure before acting; the argument on this page does not turn on a single session’s price.
The question got answered while nobody was looking
The mechanism is real and it is on. In December 2025 the Uniswap DAO passed a proposal called UNIfication, and the vote was not close: roughly 125.3 million UNI in favor against 742 opposed, clearing quorum several times over, with turnout above 20% of outstanding supply. The full text and the vote record sit on the Uniswap governance portal for anyone who wants the primary document rather than a summary of it.
What it did, in plain terms. It flipped the long-dormant fee switch, starting with v2 pools and the set of v3 pools that carry the overwhelming majority of fees on Ethereum mainnet. On v2, liquidity providers now take 0.25% instead of 0.30%, and the remaining 0.05% goes to the protocol. That protocol revenue funds a programmatic mechanism that buys and burns UNI. And it executed a one-time burn of 100 million UNI from the treasury, roughly 16% of total supply, sent to a burn address in January 2026 as a retroactive payment for all the years the switch stayed off.
Sixteen percent of the supply. Destroyed. In one transaction, and unlike most claims in this industry, that one is checkable by anyone: the UNI contract and its transfer history are public on Etherscan, burn address included.
Now look at the price. UNI was around $5.92 the evening the vote passed. It traded near $3.26 in May. It was $3.43 on August 12. The most transformative tokenomics event in the protocol’s history arrived, and the chart went the other way.
The One Number That Matters
Sixteen percent, versus zero percent.
That is the gap between the supply that was removed and the price response that followed, and understanding why it exists is worth more than any price target on this page.
Three things explain it, and none of them are that the burn was fake.
The market context ate the news. UNIfication landed in a stretch that was brutal for altcoins across the board. Good news arriving into a falling market gets absorbed rather than celebrated, and UNI, like almost every altcoin this year, has spent 2026 trading at the mercy of Bitcoin rather than its own fundamentals. Today is the same story in miniature: red board, red UNI.
Burn velocity is smaller than the headline. The 100 million burn was one-time and retroactive. The ongoing mechanism is the part that matters for the next five years, and it is funded by protocol fees rather than by treasury drama. Against that, the token still carries annual issuance in the region of 1.4%, which the burn has to outrun before “deflationary” means anything in practice. It reportedly is outrunning it. The margin is what determines whether this compounds into something or merely offsets dilution, and that margin is checkable rather than debatable on DefiLlama’s fee and revenue tables.
And the market had years to price it. The fee switch was discussed, proposed, delayed and debated so many times since 2020 that by the time it actually happened, anyone who believed in it had already positioned. Anticipated news is priced news.
What UNI actually is now
This part deserves saying clearly, because it changes the analytical frame permanently.
Before December 2025, UNI belonged to the same category as Arbitrum’s token and most infrastructure governance tokens: you owned a vote, and the value flowed past you to liquidity providers and to the company. This site has written that sentence about a lot of tokens. After UNIfication, UNI has a claim on protocol revenue through burns, which means for the first time it can be analyzed with something resembling a price-to-earnings framework rather than pure narrative.
The underlying business supports that framework better than most. Uniswap generated over a billion dollars in fees across 2025, ranking among the largest fee generators in all of DeFi. It processed hundreds of billions in volume in the first quarter of 2026 and holds roughly a quarter of global spot DEX volume, a share anyone can watch shift in real time on DefiLlama’s DEX rankings. Whatever the token does, the booth is busy.
So the honest summary is this: UNI stopped being a lottery ticket on governance and became a cheap, unloved claim on a real cash-generating business, in a market that currently pays nothing for either. Whether that is an opportunity or a trap depends entirely on whether crypto ever starts pricing cash flows, which it has famously refused to do for most of its existence.
Key Levels
The map from our prediction page still stands and has aged well. $3.00 remains the line that separates a recovery story from a failed bounce; UNI has spent five weeks above it without ever pulling far away. Above, $3.60 is the near resistance and $4.00 the level that would signal something has changed. The token’s 2021 high above $40 sits more than eleven times overhead, a distance that only matters as a reminder of how far sentiment has fallen, not as a target.
Bottom Line
Five weeks ago I wrote that a toll booth without a toll is a beautiful chart of someone else’s money, and that verifying the fee switch was the most important task on the page. It is verified. The switch is on, the burn happened, the mechanism runs on real revenue, and UNI near $3.40 is priced as though none of it occurred. That is either the market being slow or the market being right that cash flows do not matter here. I lean toward slow, and I would rather say that plainly than pretend the last eight months of price action supports me. Watch the burn margin against issuance, watch $3.00, and remember that the booth keeps collecting either way.
This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Crypto assets are extremely volatile and you can lose your entire stake. Always do your own research.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Uniswap price today?
UNI traded at $3.43 on August 12, 2026, down 4.4% on the day, ranking second on CoinGecko's most-viewed list. Prices move fast, so check a live source for the current figure.
Is the Uniswap fee switch live?
Yes. The UNIfication proposal passed governance in December 2025 with roughly 125.3 million UNI in favor against 742 opposed, activating protocol fees on v2 and major v3 pools on Ethereum mainnet, with revenue funding a UNI buy-and-burn mechanism.
How many UNI tokens were burned?
100 million UNI, roughly 16% of total supply, were sent from the treasury to a burn address in early January 2026 as a one-time retroactive burn, alongside the ongoing fee-funded burn mechanism.
Why did UNI fall after the fee switch was activated?
The change landed during a broad altcoin downturn, the fee switch had been anticipated and debated since 2020 so much of it was already priced, and the ongoing burn rate is modest relative to the token's market capitalization.
Does UNI now earn revenue for holders?
Indirectly. Protocol fees fund buying and burning of UNI rather than direct distributions, which reduces supply over time rather than paying holders a yield.
What are the key UNI levels to watch?
$3.00 is the support that separates a recovery from a failed bounce, with $3.60 and then $4.00 as the resistance levels above.
AUTHOR
Farhan Karim is a technology writer and content strategist with 15+ years of experience writing thousands of articles, blogs, whitepapers, and ebooks on Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and other tech niches. His expertise in content strategy, SEO, and a keen eye on the ever-evolving tech space have led him to work with companies like Pepsi, Huawei, Arab News, and now Blockchain Reporter.
Avalanche zaznamenal za 30 dní skok objemu převodů RWA o 360,15 % na 365,29 mil. USD. Aktivita v tokenizovaných fondech peněžního trhu, akciích a soukromém úvěru na síti rychle roste.
Avalanche RWA Volume Surges 360%@Avax has posted a 360.15% spike in 30-day Real-World Asset (RWA) transfer volume, with total RWA trading activity on the chain reaching $365.29M. The numbers point to a structural shift in how tokenized financial instruments, including money market funds, equities, and private credit securities, are moving through the network.
The latest figures continue a broader trend of accelerating institutional activity on Avalanche. , underscoring how quickly the pipeline of tokenized assets has been building.
Institutional Infrastructure Driving the TrendAvalanche's growing RWA footprint is not accidental. , while
The wider RWA market is also expanding rapidly. Within that,
The volume data signals more than speculative inflows. Rising transfer activity across tokenized money, stocks, and private credit suggests real settlement demand is building on the chain, a dynamic that analysts say could have longer-term implications for the $AVAX token itself.
Sources:
CoinTrust: Avalanche Hits $2.1B in Tokenized Real-World Assets
The Block Research: RWAs as Collateral, The New Primitive
P2P.org propojil stakingovou infrastrukturu s Arkis, takže institucionální klienti mohou používat stakované Solana a Avalanche jako kolaterál a dál pobírat odměny protokolu.
P2P.org has integrated its staking infrastructure with Arkis, allowing institutional clients to use staked Solana and Avalanche assets as collateral while continuing to earn protocol rewards.
Summary
Arkis clients can use staked Solana and Avalanche positions as collateral for trades. Margin is calculated against the aggregate risk of each client’s Arkis account. Validator downtime and slashing risk will affect how Arkis values the collateral. The integration is live through the Carry Trades section of Arkis Alpha. P2P.org staking enters Arkis collateral system P2P.org said in an Aug. 13 announcement that Arkis clients can now stake supported assets through its validator infrastructure and post the resulting positions as collateral without unstaking them first.
At launch, the integration supports Solana and Avalanche. P2P.org and Arkis did not say when other proof-of-stake networks might be added.
Once deposited, the staked asset and any trades backed by it sit within a single Arkis account. The prime broker calculates margin from the aggregate risk of the account instead of assessing each position separately at the trading venue where it is held.
Clients can therefore borrow against a supported staked position in the same way that they borrow against other collateral accepted by Arkis. According to the announcement, the asset continues generating protocol rewards while it supports the client’s trading positions.
The service is available through Carry Trades in Arkis Alpha. After a client selects a staked asset, the platform displays the strategies that accept it as collateral and provides the stated economics before capital is committed.
P2P.org supplies the non-custodial staking and validator infrastructure, while Arkis handles credit, collateral, and portfolio risk.
“Collateral is only as good as the operator standing behind it,” said Artemiy Parshakov, vice president of strategic solutions at P2P.org.
Parshakov added that staking can no longer be treated as a passive balance-sheet position once an institution borrows against it. According to the executive, P2P.org’s validator operations must meet the standards applied under Arkis’s credit and risk framework.
Arkis prices validator risk into margin Adding staked assets to a margin account introduces risks that do not apply to cash or unstaked tokens. Proof-of-stake networks can penalize validators for conduct such as signing conflicting blocks or failing to meet certain network requirements.
Known as slashing, the penalty can reduce the number of tokens attached to a validator. Extended downtime can also reduce expected rewards, changing the value of a position used to support an open trade.
Arkis said its risk framework considers the quality of the staking operator when determining how the collateral should be treated. Slashing history and validator downtime are therefore assessed as margin inputs rather than excluded from the calculation.
“A growing share of institutional books sits in assets that earn yield, and credit providers have been slow to treat those positions as part of the portfolio they margin,” said Oleksandr Proskurin, chief product officer and co-founder of Arkis.
Proskurin said the integration places staked assets alongside the client’s other positions for margin purposes. Arkis chose P2P.org because the prime broker wanted to assess the operator behind the staked asset as part of its underwriting process, he added.
According to Arkis, the Spark-backed company has deployed more than $250 million in institutional credit since 2022 without recording bad debt. The figure is company-provided and was not independently verified in the announcement.
P2P.org reported that its validators operate across more than 40 proof-of-stake networks and secure over $10 billion in staked assets. The company also claimed that it has not recorded a slashing incident since its establishment in 2018 and serves more than 190 institutional clients.
Staked collateral keeps capital in use Without such an arrangement, a fund may need to unstake an asset before using it as collateral elsewhere. Unstaking can involve a waiting period determined by the blockchain, during which the holder may lose access to trading opportunities or stop receiving some rewards.
The P2P.org integration allows the staked position to remain active while Arkis uses it to support other trades. Any rewards remain determined by the underlying protocol and can vary based on network conditions, the amount staked, validator performance, and protocol rules.
Using an earning asset as collateral does not remove liquidation or slashing risk. A decline in the token’s market price, a change in margin requirements, or a validator penalty could reduce the collateral supporting an open position.
The Arkis arrangement differs from restaking, in which an already-staked asset is used to secure additional blockchain services. As an August staking explainer detailed, restaking can expose an asset to several sets of slashing conditions when it secures multiple protocols.
Under the announced Arkis structure, the supported staked position serves as financial collateral within a prime brokerage account. The companies did not state that Solana or Avalanche assets would be restaked to secure another network.
P2P.org has used similar integrations to place its staking services inside existing institutional systems. In June, crypto.news reported that Taurus had integrated P2P.org validators with Taurus-PROTECT, allowing financial institutions to stake while retaining custody and control of their assets.
An earlier collaboration added P2P.org to Northstake’s ETH validator marketplace in January 2025. The companies said the marketplace was designed to provide regulated institutions with access to Ethereum validator infrastructure.
U.S. guidance covers some staking arrangements For U.S. institutions, a May 2025 staff statement from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance addressed certain forms of protocol staking carried out directly or through a third-party operator.
The SEC staff statement said the protocol staking activities described in its analysis did not involve the offer and sale of securities. Its position covered some non-custodial arrangements in which token owners retain ownership and control of their assets and private keys while assigning validation rights to a node operator.
The division said its view depended on the specific facts and circumstances. Services that include additional business arrangements or depart from the activities described in the statement may require a separate legal assessment.
P2P.org describes its staking infrastructure as non-custodial, but neither company announced specific access for U.S. institutions or said that the Arkis integration had been assessed under U.S. securities law. The release also did not disclose whether geographic restrictions apply to Arkis Alpha.
In May 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency confirmed that national banks and federal savings associations may outsource permissible crypto activities to third parties when they maintain appropriate third-party risk controls. The OCC guidance addressed custody and transaction execution but did not approve P2P.org, Arkis, or the use of staked assets as trading collateral.
P2P.org separately announced an Aug. 11 partnership with BoulderTech to distribute staking and decentralized finance services in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. BoulderTech will connect the validator operator with regional exchanges, custodians, banks, asset managers, and funds, while both companies assess whether to deploy validator infrastructure at IRSA-backed facilities in Argentina.
Solana chce v návrhu SIMD-0553 nahradit paušální poplatek cenou podle spotřebovaných zdrojů a část poplatků pálit. Denní spalování SOL by mohlo vzrůst z asi 648 na až 9 000 SOL.
The crypto blockchain Solana is preparing a major overhaul of its fee structure via the SIMD-0553 proposal. The model would shift from a flat fee to pricing based on requested resources, with a portion burned. The daily SOL burn could thus be multiplied by 12 to 14 times. Specifically, it would rise from 650 to 9,000 SOL. Accompanied by SIMD-0550, which accelerates disinflation, this crypto reform could bring Solana closer to a deflationary economy. The governance vote is ongoing until August 18, 2026.
In brief SIMD-0553 proposes charging each transaction based on five categories of requested resources. Deployment would follow three phases: 0.1, 0.25, then 0.5 lamport per cost unit. Some swaps without priority fees could see increases up to 3,150%. Light transactions might pay less than the current 5,000 lamports. The mechanism would burn up to 9,000 SOL per day, compared to about 648 SOL currently. Solana: why does the crypto blockchain want to charge the “big consumers” of resources? On July 20, 2026, the Solana Improvement Document 0553 was merged into the foundation’s official repository. Proposed by Cavey, a researcher at Temporal and engineer at Helius, this text challenges a long-standing dogma: the flat fee. Currently, each transaction on Solana costs 5,000 lamports, whether it consumes 10,000 or 200 million CPU cycles. Tomorrow, this will be different.
In an interview with Cointelegraph Magazine, Cavey stated:
If I submit a transaction that does nothing versus a transaction that burns 200 million CPU cycles, I pay the same amount.
On the surface, the mechanism seems simple. The 5,000 lamports flat fee disappears. It will be replaced by two components:
an inclusion fee of 2,500 lamports paid to the validator who produces the block; a resource fee calculated on the compute units requested by the transaction. This second part will not be paid to validators. It will be burned, that is, permanently removed from circulation.
The numbers prove particularly interesting Currently, Solana burns about 650 SOL per day. This represents roughly $47,000 at the current price of $75. If SIMD-0553 reaches its terminal rate, this daily crypto burn could rise to 7,500 SOL (or even 9,000 SOL), equating to a jump of 12 to 14 times. In dollars, this means $650,000 worth of SOL incinerated every day.
According to Cavey:
The main goal is to align core developers, application developers, and users to make Solana faster.
There remains, however, a side effect that excites holders of the SOL crypto: deflation.
Today, Solana issues about 60,000 SOL per day. Inflation hovers around 3.8%. Even with 9,000 SOL burned daily, the token would remain inflationary. Fortunately, SIMD-0553 does not travel alone. It is accompanied by SIMD-0550, a companion proposal that would double the annual disinflation rate from 15% to 30%.
Result: the inflation floor of 1.5% would be reached in 2029 instead of 2032. Over six years, 18.9 million fewer SOL would be issued. This amounts to about 1.36 billion dollars at the current price.
A high-tension crypto vote before August 18 The signaling vote began in early August 2026. 15% of the stake must be reached to trigger a formal vote. As of August 8, between 25 and 63 million SOL had signaled support. This represents between 5.8% and 14.4% of the total stake of 432.65 million SOL. Helius, one of the largest validator operators, has provided massive support.
The deadline is set for August 18, 2026. By then, about 40 million SOL of positive signals are still missing. This represents nearly 2.9 billion dollars of stake.
If the threshold is reached, the implementation will occur in phases via feature gates in the future Solana 4.3 version. However, the terminal rate of 0.5 lamport per compute unit will not apply all at once. The transition will instead be gradual.
What impacts for crypto investors and developers on Solana? For crypto investors, this proposal sends a strong signal. Solana is no longer content to be fast. It wants to be efficient. And above all, it wants that efficiency to mechanically reflect in the supply of SOL tokens. This is a fundamental difference with Ethereum. The post-EIP-1559 burn is linked to network usage. However, transaction fees remain high. On Solana, the idea is to burn more while keeping negligible costs for the average crypto user.
The issue of centralization also looms. If arbitrage bots and high-frequency traders see their costs explode, will they migrate to other chains? In this context, Solana has already lost some of its MEV activity to competing crypto networks. Increasing taxes on heavy users could thus push them towards alternatives like Sui or Aptos.
In any case, the opportunity is real. By making simple crypto transactions cheaper and complex transactions more costly, Solana creates an economic incentive for optimization. The fact is that developers will need to refine their code. Results:
End users will benefit from lighter applications. The overall Solana crypto network will gain in resilience. One thing is certain: the SIMD-0553 reform on Solana is not just a technical adjustment. It is an economic overhaul that could redefine who wins and who loses on the crypto blockchain. Between massive burn, forced optimization, and tension on validators’ revenues, the outcome of the August 18 vote will determine if Solana chooses efficiency at all costs or the stability of existing incentives.
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Ariela R.
My name is Ariela, and I am 31 years old. I have been working in the field of web writing for 7 years now. I only discovered trading and cryptocurrency a few years ago, but it is a universe that greatly interests me. The topics covered on the platform allow me to learn more. A singer in my spare time, I also cultivate a great passion for music and reading (and animals!)
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
Morgan Stanley ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšil podíl v BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust o 23 % na zhruba 16,5 milionu akcií. Současně rozšířil expozici i do Etheru, Solany a Circle.
Morgan Stanley has increased its reported holding in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF by 23% to about 16.5 million shares while adding exposure to Ether, Solana, and several crypto-linked companies during the second quarter.
Summary
Morgan Stanley added roughly 3.04 million shares of BlackRock’s IBIT during Q2. Its IBIT position was valued at $549 million as of June 30. Holdings in BlackRock’s Ether ETF increased by 202% to 4.6 million shares. New positions included Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin fund and two Solana investment products. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing signed on Aug. 11 showed that Morgan Stanley held about 16.5 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, up from approximately 13.4 million shares at the end of the first quarter.
The addition of roughly 3.04 million IBIT shares represented a quarterly increase of about 23%. However, the reported value of the position fell by nearly 18%, from around $667 million to $549 million, as Bitcoin’s price declined during the three months ended June 30.
Morgan Stanley submitted the report as a combination Form 13F covering positions held by several related managers. The Q2 regulatory filing contained 45,905 entries with an aggregate reported value of about $1.89 trillion.
A Form 13F provides a quarter-end view of certain U.S.-listed securities held by institutional investment managers. It does not identify every transaction made during the quarter, disclose short positions, or establish that every reported share represents a proprietary investment by Morgan Stanley itself.
Morgan Stanley has added its own Bitcoin fund Alongside the larger IBIT position, Morgan Stanley reported 2.57 million shares of the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust, valued at approximately $43.3 million on June 30. The position was new because MSBT began trading during the second quarter.
Morgan Stanley launched the Bitcoin fund on NYSE Arca on April 8 with an annual management fee of 0.14%. The product holds Bitcoin and seeks to follow its spot price after accounting for expenses and other liabilities.
MSBT’s fee came below the 0.25% charged by both BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund. The Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust charges 0.15%, placing Morgan Stanley’s product one basis point below that rate at launch.
Despite offering its own fund, Morgan Stanley continued to hold larger positions in products run by competing asset managers. Its $549 million IBIT position was more than 12 times the value of the reported MSBT holding at the end of June.
Several other Bitcoin fund positions also increased. Morgan Stanley added shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF and the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF, while its Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund holding rose by nearly 38%.
As crypto.news reported on Aug. 8, MSBT later added about 232.5 BTC worth $15.05 million as Bitcoin traded near $65,000. Blockchain intelligence platform Arkham estimated that the purchase raised the fund’s balance to 6,563 BTC, valued at more than $426 million at the time.
The fund-level Bitcoin balance differs from Morgan Stanley’s 13F position in MSBT shares. An ETF’s digital assets back all outstanding shares, while the 13F records the shares reported by Morgan Stanley and the affiliated managers covered by the filing.
Ether and Solana fund positions have increased Ether exposure rose across two funds during the quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its holding in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF by about 202%, taking the position to approximately 4.6 million shares.
The bank also reported around 5.1 million shares of the Grayscale Ethereum Staking Mini ETF, an increase of roughly 26% from the previous quarter. Both products provide exposure to Ether through securities traded in the United States, although their structures, fees, and treatment of staking rewards differ.
Solana appeared in the filing through two new positions. Morgan Stanley reported approximately $4.25 million in shares of the Grayscale Solana Staking ETF and about $2.26 million in the Fidelity Solana Fund.
The positions preceded Morgan Stanley’s launch of its own Solana and Ethereum products after the quarter had ended. On July 28, the bank launched Ethereum and Solana exchange-traded products under the MSSE and MSOL tickers.
Both products charge a 0.14% annual management fee and include staking provisions. Regulatory documents indicate that the Ethereum product may stake between 50% and 80% of its Ether, while the Solana product may stake up to 100% of its SOL holdings.
For U.S. investors, the 13F positions represent exposure through securities available in traditional brokerage accounts rather than direct ownership of Bitcoin, Ether, or Solana. The SEC filing reports the value of the fund shares on June 30, meaning subsequent token-price changes and portfolio transactions are not captured.
Circle and Bitcoin infrastructure holdings have grown Morgan Stanley made one of its largest crypto-related additions in Circle Internet Group, the company behind the USDC stablecoin. Its reported Circle position increased from about 1.46 million shares in the first quarter to approximately 8.32 million shares at the end of Q2.
The change represented an addition of about 6.86 million shares, leaving the reported position at more than 5.5 times its previous size. Because Circle trades on a U.S. stock exchange, its shares fall within the securities covered by Form 13F rather than being reported as a direct stablecoin holding.
Positions also grew across several Bitcoin mining and digital infrastructure companies. The filing showed additions to Cipher Digital, Core Scientific, Hut 8, and Bitdeer Technologies.
Such equity holdings carry company-specific exposure beyond Bitcoin’s market price. Their values can also depend on electricity costs, debt, mining output, hardware efficiency, and revenue from data centers or high-performance computing operations, according to the individual companies’ public disclosures.
At the same time, Morgan Stanley has expanded the ways its U.S. clients can access digital assets. In July, the bank completed its E*TRADE rollout, allowing eligible customers to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana for a 0.50% transaction fee through infrastructure provided by Zerohash.
Coinbase and some mining positions have declined Not every crypto-linked security increased during the quarter. Morgan Stanley reported about 550,000 fewer Coinbase shares than it held at the end of March.
The bank also reduced its CleanSpark position by more than 3.1 million shares. CleanSpark remained among the publicly traded U.S. Bitcoin miners covered by institutional filings, but Morgan Stanley’s Q2 report showed a materially smaller holding.
Bitfarms was removed from the portfolio entirely. Morgan Stanley had reported a position of roughly 8 million shares in the previous quarter before disclosing no corresponding holding on June 30.
Since a 13F only presents positions held on the final day of a quarter, the filing does not provide Morgan Stanley’s purchase or sale prices for IBIT, Circle, Coinbase, CleanSpark, or Bitfarms. It also does not show whether any of the positions were changed after June 30.
Paramount Skydance splnila všechny regulační podmínky pro dokončení akvizice Warner Bros. Discovery. Schválení získala v 68 zemích, ale transakci stále blokuje žaloba 12 generálních prokurátorů.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PSKY) ("Paramount") has satisfied all regulatory clearances required under the merger agreement to close its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBD) ("WBD").
The eight-month review process has spanned 68 countries worldwide, including the European Union, UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil, China, COMESA, the U.S. Department of Justice and, most recently, Mexico, which announced its clearance today. These independent regulators from across the globe applied the law and market definitions that reflect how audiences consume entertainment and how media companies compete today – and have consistently found no basis to prevent the transaction from moving forward. Paramount and WBD could and would close today and begin delivering the benefits recognized by regulators around the world, theater owners and others across the industry but for the actions of just 12 state attorneys general.
"We are grateful that competition authorities in nearly 70 jurisdictions worldwide have independently and thoroughly reviewed this transaction and reached the same conclusion: it is pro-competitive, pro-consumer and pro-worker," said David Ellison, CEO of Paramount. "Despite this overwhelming global consensus, the litigation brought by the State of California and 11 other State AGs remains the final obstacle to completing a combination that will create a stronger competitor with greater capacity to invest in premium content, support creative talent and workers, and deliver more high-quality entertainment to audiences."
Paramount urges these 12 State AGs to engage with us in good faith, as we have repeatedly sought to do, to resolve this litigation and clear the way to bring these two companies together.
"While we remain confident that the law and the facts are on our side, we have offered commitments and concessions and remain open to working constructively with the State AGs to find a path forward in the interest of our employees and the creative community in California and across the world – just as we have with the regulators in 68 countries worldwide," said Ellison.
Rather than support a stronger Hollywood and deliver tangible commitments to invest in for the benefit of labor, talent and other industry participants, the current path the 12 State AGs are on inflicts harm without benefit to their own constituents. The unwarranted eight-plus month additional delay for a trial beyond the engagement of the last 9 months will impose needless costs from penalty fees, litigation expenses and business disruption. As a business with many stakeholders, including pension and state retirement funds, Paramount is required to consider how it can absorb the unnecessary additional financial costs while preserving the longer-term strength of the combined company. The better path would be to resolve this through a settlement that would serve the interests of workers, consumers and the consumers in each of the 12 states.
Across jurisdictions, antitrust regulators examining the same competitive dynamics have reached findings that directly contradict the states AGs' core theories about competition in theatrical film distribution, the range of studios competing in film production, and the competitive pressure facing linear television. What regulators have found:
Competition Overall
THEME: The unanimous clearance of the transaction by competition authorities around the world confirms that the combination of Paramount and WBD does not pose a threat to competition.
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA): The transaction "does not give rise to a realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition." Cable Networks
THEME: As the European Commission, U.S. Department of Justice and others have recognized, the relevant competitive landscape today is not cable-vs-cable, as the 12 State AGs contend, but cable competing directly with streaming and other platforms for audiences.
European Commission: "Streaming platforms offering children's content will continue to act as a competitive constraint on the merged entity's TV channels" – rejecting a cable-only competitive landscape. U.S. DOJ: Streaming services "compete aggressively" and place "increasing competitive pressure on legacy linear and broadcast networks." Theatrical Film Distribution
THEME: Regulators worldwide recognize theatrical film as a broad, dynamic and hit-driven market in which films compete based on their ability to attract audiences – not whether they fall within an artificially narrow "top-grossing" category.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC): The transaction is "unlikely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition," with the merged company "constrained by other film studios," including Disney, Sony, Universal, Amazon MGM, StudioCanal, and numerous independent providers. Brazil's CADE: Treated film distribution as "a single relevant market, without additional segmentation" – unlike the 12 State AGs' narrower "top-grossing" theatrical market. COMESA – Eastern & Southern Africa: Described the theatrical film market as "highly competitive, dynamic, and hit-driven," citing the "presence of numerous competitors." Film Output & Quality
THEME: Regulators found no basis for claims that the transaction will reduce film output or quality – a conclusion further reinforced by Paramount's commitment to release at least 30 high-quality films annually across the combined company.
Contrary to the 12 State AGs' claim of "higher prices, lower quality, and less content," the ACCC found the merged company "would still be incentivised to produce and supply a similar number of films, and films of similar quality." Across markets and continents, independent competition authorities scrutinized every major facet of the transaction – including theatrical distribution, film production, streaming and content licensing – and consistently found robust competition, directly contradicting the artificially narrow market definitions relied on by the state attorneys general.
The judgment of 68 jurisdictions cannot simply be dismissed. Their conclusion is clear: this transaction is lawful, pro-competitive and raises no antitrust concerns. The lawsuit brought by just 12 of 50 State AGs stands alone – contrary to the global regulatory consensus, the facts, the law and sound economic analysis. While we are prepared to make our case at trial, the delay occasioned by this lawsuit is inflicting harm not merely on the two companies involved, but on the broader industry and, ultimately, the very constituents these 12 State AGs represent.
About Paramount, a Skydance Corporation
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation is a next-generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. Paramount's portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, CBS, CBS News, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Showtime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, and Skydance Animation, Film, Television, Interactive/Games, and Paramount Sports Entertainment.
This communication contains "forward-looking statements" regarding the merger. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Paramount or WBD. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that the closing conditions for the merger will not be satisfied, including the risk that clearances under applicable antitrust or regulatory laws will not be obtained; the possibility that the transaction will not be completed in the expected timeframe or at all; potential adverse effects to the businesses of Paramount or WBD during the pendency of the transaction, such as employee departures or distraction of management from business operations; the risk of stockholder litigation relating to the transaction, including resulting expense or delay; the potential that the expected benefits and opportunities of the merger, if completed, may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected; risks related to Paramount's streaming business; the adverse impact on Paramount's advertising revenues as a result of changes in consumer behavior, advertising market conditions and deficiencies in audience measurement; risks related to operating in highly competitive and dynamic industries; the unpredictable nature of consumer behavior, as well as evolving technologies and distribution models; risks related to Paramount's decisions to invest in new businesses, products, services and technologies, and the evolution of Paramount's business strategy; the potential for loss of carriage or other reduction in, or the impact of negotiations for, the distribution of Paramount's content; damage to Paramount's reputation or brands; losses due to asset impairment charges for goodwill, content and long-lived assets, including finite-lived intangible assets; liabilities related to discontinued operations and former businesses; increasing scrutiny of, and evolving expectations for, sustainability initiatives; evolving business continuity, cybersecurity, privacy and data protection and similar risks; challenges in protecting and maintaining Paramount's intellectual property rights; domestic and global political, economic and regulatory factors affecting Paramount's businesses generally; the inability to hire or retain key employees or secure creative talent; disruptions to Paramount's operations as a result of labor disputes; risks and costs associated with the integration of, and Paramount's ability to integrate, the businesses of Paramount Global and Skydance successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies; litigation relating to the transactions contemplated by the transaction agreement entered into on July 7, 2024, between Paramount Global and Skydance, potentially resulting in substantial costs; volatility in the price of Paramount's Class B common stock; the effect Paramount's dual-class capital structure and the concentrated ownership may have on the price of its Class B common stock or business; risks related to a private sale of a controlling interest in Paramount, including that Paramount's stockholders may not realize any change of control premium on shares of Paramount's Class B common stock and that Paramount may become subject to the control of a presently unknown third party; risks associated with Paramount's status as a "controlled company" under Nasdaq rules, including its exemption from certain corporate governance requirements; risks associated with the lack of voting rights of Paramount's Class B common stock; risks that anti-takeover provisions in Paramount's amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the "Charter") and amended and restated bylaws, and under Delaware law, could deter, delay, or prevent a change of control; risks that exclusive forum provisions in the Charter could limit a stockholder's choice of forum for certain claims and discourage lawsuits against Paramount's directors and officers; risks that corporate opportunity provisions in the Charter could permit certain persons to pursue competitive opportunities that might otherwise be available to Paramount; risks associated with Paramount's holding company structure, including its dependence on distributions from its subsidiaries to meet tax obligations and other cash requirements; disruptions the merger may cause to Paramount's and WBD's business and commercial relationships; the negative impact that a failure to consummate the merger could have on Paramount's business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price; the risk that the merger may be prevented or delayed or the anticipated benefits reduced if Paramount does not obtain certain regulatory approvals; the risk that the Merger Agreement may be terminated in accordance with its terms, including if any conditions to the closing of the merger are not satisfied; the risk that litigation relating to the merger could prevent or further delay the closing of the merger or result in the payment of damages after closing; challenges realizing synergies and other anticipated benefits expected from the merger, including integrating WBD's business successfully; risks to Paramount's business, financial condition or results of operations as a result of the incurrence of substantial costs and indebtedness in connection with the merger; and risks of reduced ownership and economic interest by Paramount's existing stockholders as a result of the merger. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other factors and the general risks associated with the respective businesses of Paramount and WBD can be found in Paramount's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2026, Paramount's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2026, filed with the SEC on May 4, 2026, and Paramount's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2026, filed with the SEC on August 4, 2026, including, in each case, in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and Paramount's subsequent filings with the SEC, and WBD's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2026, and WBD's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2026, filed with the SEC on May 6, 2026, including, in each case, in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and WBD's subsequent filings with the SEC. Copies of these filings, as well as subsequent filings, are available online at www.sec.gov, ir.wbd.com or on request from Paramount or WBD. Paramount undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments, except as required by law.
Shibariumscan dočasně ukázal pokles počtu transakcí na Shibariu z 1 561 410 803 na 475 388 775, ale šlo o problém s indexací exploreru. Síť podle článku data neztratila a explorer je zhruba z 42 % doindexovaný.
The Shiba Inu community was caught off guard after Shibariumscan displayed a dramatic decline in Shibarium’s cumulative network statistics.
As of August 10, 2026, Shibariumscan showed that Shibarium, Shiba Inu’s Layer-2 blockchain, had processed 1,561,410,803 (1.56 billion) transactions since its launch in August 2023. The network had recorded about 269.93 million addresses and 18.47 million blocks at the time of that reporting.
However, those figures changed dramatically this week. At press time, Shibariumscan showed just 475,388,775 transactions, representing a 69.55% decline from the previously reported figure.
Meanwhile, the explorer also recorded sharp declines in other cumulative metrics. Total addresses fell to 71.3 million, while total blocks dropped to around 7.91 million.
Shiba Inu Activity Crashes on Shibariumscan Notably, the sudden decline sparked concern among Shiba Inu community members. Many questioned whether Shibarium had experienced a major technical problem or whether the network had somehow lost a significant portion of its historical transaction data.
Main Cause of the Decline However, the dramatic drop appears to stem from Shibariumscan’s indexing process rather than an actual loss of blockchain activity.
Longtime Shiba Inu community member Mazrael provided insight into the situation through an X post. In an August 12 update, he revealed that Shibariumscan had returned online and resumed indexing the Shibarium blockchain.
According to Mazrael, the outage occurred after Shibariumscan moved behind Cloudflare, which triggered a DNS change. Specifically, the configuration shifted from direct Hetzner hosting to Cloudflare proxying.
Furthermore, Mazrael noted that the restored website initially appeared as a basic deployment without its original Shibarium branding and configuration. This suggested that the explorer was still undergoing restoration and synchronization.
Mazrael also linked a registrar-related change observed on August 11 at 19:15 to the same restoration operation. He explained that the Shibarium domain remained healthy and was not facing an expiration problem. The domain is set to expire on August 1, 2027, while all four transfer locks remain enabled.
Shibariumscan Is Still Rebuilding Its Data Meanwhile, Shibariumscan has not finished indexing the Shibarium blockchain. The explorer is currently around 42% indexed, meaning a significant portion of the network’s historical data has yet to be processed and reflected in its displayed statistics.
Consequently, Shibariumscan currently reports 475 million transactions, compared with the 1.56 billion transactions it displayed before the outage.
Shibariumscan Still Indexing As Shibariumscan continues indexing the blockchain, its cumulative statistics should gradually increase. Once the indexing process reaches 100%, the transaction count is expected to return to approximately 1.56 billion. Similarly, the total address and block counts should move back toward their previous levels of roughly 269 million addresses and 18 million blocks. However, it remains uncertain when Shibariumscan will complete the indexing.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
Oficiální účet Shiba Inu na X vyvolal podezření na napadení poté, co začal sledovat nízkonákladový meme coin a komentoval jeho příspěvek. Komunita varuje, že nové příspěvky, airdropy i odkazy mohou být podvodné.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
The official X account of the Shiba Inu (SHIB) cryptocurrency project has become the subject of an increasingly heated debate over a possible security compromise.
Concerns were triggered by highly suspicious activity from the profile, which unexpectedly followed the page of an unaffiliated low-cap meme coin and left a public comment under one of its recent posts.
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One of the notable SHIB community figures, "@shibarium_", drew market participants' attention to the critical situation by issuing an emergency warning, or "community alarm." The alert explicitly claimed that the "@Shibtoken" account had been compromised and could no longer be considered a safe, official source of information.
"Shibarium_" issues a warning for Shiba Inu (SHIB) holders and investors regarding official X account of the project, Source: X.comUsers were strongly advised to treat any new posts, upcoming airdrops, or links published by the profile as high-risk, potentially fraudulent promotions. According to the warning, this incident aligns with prior reports in which the main account was seen promoting unrelated, low-liquidity assets, raising ongoing systemic concerns.
Sophisticated hack or SMM blunder?There is currently no consensus within the Shiba Inu community about the root cause. Some members suspect a sophisticated technical hack, a targeted SIM-swap attack, or a leaked database containing the social media team's account credentials.
Others believe the activity may simply be part of an unofficial marketing campaign or a severe internal SMM blunder.
However, verified channels belonging to decentralized Web3 projects of this scale rarely engage in public interactions with speculative, micro-cap digital assets without structured prior announcements.
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Shiba Inu officials and core developers have not yet issued any formal press releases or statements confirming or denying that the account was hacked.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty, investors are better to bypass social media channels entirely, verify transaction details directly on the blockchain, and carefully cross-reference them against verified token credentials on the Ethereum network.
KeyCorp oznámila, že 15. září 2026 vykoupí všech 525 000 depozitních akcií své Series D Fixed-to-Floating Rate Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock. Výkupní cena bude 25 312,50 USD za akcii.
, /PRNewswire/ -- KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) announced today that it has provided notice of its intention to redeem all 525,000 depositary shares each representing a 1/25th ownership interest in a share of its issued and outstanding Series D Fixed-to-Floating Rate Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock (CUSIP No. 493267AK4) (the "Preferred Stock") on September 15, 2026.
There are 525,000 depositary shares representing 21,000 shares of Preferred Stock, with an aggregate liquidation preference of $525,000,000, currently outstanding. The Preferred Stock will be redeemed for cash at the redemption price of $25,312.50 per share ($1,012.50 per depositary share), which equals the liquidation preference of $25,000 per share ($1,000 per depositary share) plus accumulated and unpaid dividends and distributions through the redemption date. All shares of the Preferred Stock are held in book-entry form through the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") and will be redeemed in accordance with the procedures of DTC. Upon redemption, the Preferred Stock will no longer be outstanding and all rights with respect to such stock will cease and terminate, except the right to payment of the redemption price.
Computershare, KeyCorp's transfer agent, will serve as the redemption agent. Computershare is located at 250 Royall Street, Canton, MA 02021.
About KeyCorp
KeyCorp's roots trace back more than 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $191 billion at June 30, 2026.
Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 950 branches and approximately 1,100 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements usually can be identified by the use of words such as "goal," "objective," "plan," "expect," "assume," "anticipate," "intend," "project," "believe," "estimate," or other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events, circumstances, results, or aspirations. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those set forth in our forward-looking statements. There is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete. Factors that could cause Key's actual results to differ from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in KeyCorp's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and in KeyCorp's subsequent SEC filings, all of which have been or will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and are or will be available on Key's website (www.key.com/ir) and on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). These factors may include, among others, adverse changes in credit quality trends, declining asset prices, a worsening of the U.S. economy due to financial, political, or other shocks, the extensive regulation of the U.S. financial services industry, the soundness of other financial institutions, and the impact of changes in the interest rate environment. Any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf speak only as of the date they are made and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of subsequent events or circumstances.
Pennsylvania American Water zavádí nové sazby za vodu a kanalizaci, které podpoří investice ve výši 1,2 miliardy USD do modernizace infrastruktury do poloviny roku 2027. Zároveň rozšiřuje pomoc s platbami pro kvalifikované zákazníky.
More than $1 billion in planned system upgrades will strengthen water and wastewater infrastructure, while expanded affordability programs offer additional support for eligible customers
, /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania American Water is encouraging customers to learn more about new water and wastewater rates taking effect this week and the company's expanded customer assistance program available to help eligible households manage their bills.
"The changes customers will see on their bills help continue to improve the safe, clean, reliable water and wastewater service they and their communities depend on every day," said Pennsylvania American Water President Justin Ladner. "We are focused on expanding customer assistance and helping customers access the support available to them if eligible, freeing up money for everyday household needs."
The new rates approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) will support the company's ongoing plans to invest $1.2 billion through mid-2027 to modernize and strengthen its water and wastewater systems in communities across Pennsylvania. This infrastructure improvement plan includes replacing 117 miles of aging water main, continuing to eliminate lead service lines, and addressing contaminants of emerging concern such as PFAS in drinking water. The new rates will also support critical wastewater system upgrades, including the replacement of 32 miles of aging sewer main.
Expanded Customer Assistance Available
Pennsylvania American Water has provided payment assistance to eligible customers through its H2O Help to Others Program™ for more than 35 years. Last year alone, customers received more than $16 million in discounts and $1.8 million in grants through the program.
As part of the PUC-approved rate change, Pennsylvania American Water will enhance its programs to provide additional support for qualified customers with past-due balances. The enhanced program will:
Increase monthly financial assistance from $25 to $40, helping eligible customers reduce past-due balances while staying on track with payments.
Allow enrolled eligible customers to earn monthly arrearage forgiveness credits for each complete payment made while enrolled in the program, regardless of timeliness.
Provide eligible customers with an opportunity to receive complete arrearage forgiveness over a 24-month period.
Apply retroactive credits to participating households once their in-program balance has been paid in full.
"While these investments are necessary to continue delivering high-quality water and wastewater services, we remain committed to helping customers facing financial challenges," Ladner continued. "These enhancements will provide eligible customers with more opportunities to reduce past-due balances, maintain service, and improve household affordability."
In partnership with Dollar Energy Fund, Pennsylvania American Water offers a simple three-step process to help customers determine eligibility. Customers can first use the online income calculator, then review eligibility requirements, and lastly apply for assistance. These programs are designed to provide additional support and improve affordability for qualifying households.
Understanding the New Rates
Under the PUC-approved rates, the typical residential water customer will see an increase of approximately $3 per month. Customers served by sanitary wastewater systems will see an increase of approximately $14 per month, while customers served by combined stormwater and wastewater systems will see an increase of approximately $17 per month.
Customers can find information about their specific rate zone, estimated bill impacts, and customer assistance programs at pennsylvaniaamwater.com/rates and in upcoming bill communications.
"Water and wastewater service is something families rely on every day," Ladner said. "Our responsibility is to make smart upgrades that keep service safe and reliable while connecting customers to programs that can help when they need it most."
About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and celebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 19 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
About Pennsylvania American Water
Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state with approximately 1,200 dedicated employees working to provide safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.5 million people.
Itron uvedl, že jeho růst se stále více opírá o grid-edge intelligence, software a služby, ne jen o chytré elektroměry. Na konci 2. čtvrtletí měl asi 18 milionů DI endpointů, meziročně vzrostl o 20 %.
3 Inexpensive Mid Cap Tech Stocks With Good Growth ProspectsItron NASDAQ: ITRI executives said at Oppenheimer’s Annual Technology Conference that the company’s opportunity is increasingly tied to grid-edge intelligence, software and services rather than its historical identity as a smart-meter supplier.
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Chief Financial Officer Joan Hooper said Itron’s early advanced metering infrastructure, or AMI 1.0, business primarily helped utilities automate billing processes. Today, she said, the company offers meters, grid-edge intelligence, networks, software analytics and services intended to help utilities address more complex operating challenges.
Don't Be Fooled By Badger Meter's Rise, There's More To Go“It isn't really about the meter anymore,” Hooper said. “It's about the solutions that we can bring to the customer for the problems that they're dealing with.”
Early-stage adoption of grid-edge intelligence
Hooper described adoption of Itron’s distributed intelligence, or DI, technology as being in the “early innings.” At the end of the second quarter, Itron had shipped about 18 million DI-enabled endpoints, representing approximately 20% year-over-year growth. Hooper characterized those endpoints as meters with computing capability attached.
The company also had nearly 28 million licensed applications for DI-enabled endpoints, up about 50% from a year earlier, according to Hooper. However, she said the number of endpoints in use remains a relatively small share of the broader meter base.
New contracts are increasingly incorporating components from Itron’s Networked and Outcomes businesses, along with the ability for utilities to purchase applications, Hooper said. The platform is designed to help utilities manage load growth, coordinate distributed energy resources and electric-vehicle charging, and improve resilience and reliability.
Utilities are facing rising electricity demand from factors including data centers and distributed-energy-resource activity, along with regulatory pressure to maintain affordability, Hooper said. She added that Itron has “never seen the pipeline” of opportunities as large as it is now, with demand concentrated in U.S. electric utilities while gas-related opportunities have also become significant.
Project timing remains utility-specific
Despite the demand pipeline, Hooper said the timing of bookings and revenue conversion can vary substantially by utility and regulator. Utilities may address projects one territory at a time rather than pursuing a large multiyear deployment across all service territories, she said.
That approach could produce smaller bookings that move from pipeline to backlog more quickly and are deployed over one to two years, rather than larger projects that can take four to five years to roll out. Still, Hooper cautioned that outcomes will differ by customer.
Itron does not include awards in backlog until they receive regulatory approval. Hooper noted that bookings received over the next 12 to 18 months would not have a major effect on revenue over the same period, because most revenue contemplated in the company’s second-half guidance was already in backlog.
The company’s Outcomes backlog exceeded $1 billion within total backlog of $4.4 billion, Hooper said. She added that the historical lag between Networked revenue and initial Outcomes revenue remains roughly nine to 12 months, as utilities may wait until endpoints are deployed before activating applications.
Supply chain, pricing and margins
Hooper said Itron is closely monitoring memory pricing, although it is not seeing the same degree of capacity tightness experienced during prior semiconductor constraints. The company began purchasing memory ahead of expected needs late last year and believes it has appropriate buffers in place.
Itron has expanded its use of dual suppliers and uses an integrated sales-and-operations-planning process to align product, procurement and manufacturing teams, Hooper said. She said the company has a strong balance sheet and is prepared to carry additional inventory when necessary to avoid supply limitations.
Unlike several years ago, Itron’s current contracts generally include pricing escalators based on indices such as the producer price index, according to Hooper. Memory is a relatively small portion of the company’s bill of materials, she said.
Hooper did not disclose a gross-margin comparison between legacy AMI endpoints and DI-enabled endpoints, but said average selling prices have increased from roughly $80 to $90 for older endpoints to approximately $120 to $140 for DI-enabled products. She also attributed margin improvement to better factory utilization, a factory closure, leaner overhead, improved supply-chain resilience and pricing changes.
Resiliency acquisitions and capital allocation
Itron’s Resiliency Solutions segment includes the Urbint and Locusview acquisitions. Hooper said Urbint, acquired in late 2025, has been substantially integrated. Its software-as-a-service platform focuses on emergency preparedness and response, damage prevention and worker safety.
Locusview, acquired at the beginning of 2026, provides digital construction-management capabilities for utilities. Integration work, including the migration of Locusview’s enterprise resource planning system and other internal tools to Itron’s systems, is expected to be completed by early 2027.
Hooper said Itron continues to expect the two businesses to generate $65 million to $70 million in revenue with 70% gross margins. The company expects the operations to contribute to earnings per share by the end of the year and into next year, while net accretion after lost interest income on the cash used is expected by 2028.
Joel Vach, Itron’s vice president of tax and treasury, said the company continues to invest heavily in internal development, with more than 9% of revenue devoted to research and development. For acquisitions, he said Itron is focused primarily on software assets that expand Outcomes and Resiliency Solutions, complement its platform and offer cross-selling potential.
Vach said Itron had $745 million in cash, leverage of 2.3 times and approximately $1.5 billion in liquidity. The company generally expects acquisitions to become accretive within two to three years and does not pursue transactions solely to add revenue.
About Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI)Itron, Inc NASDAQ: ITRI is a global technology company that develops innovative solutions to measure, manage and analyze the use of energy and water. Its comprehensive portfolio includes smart meters, data collection devices, communication networks and advanced software applications designed to optimize utility operations and foster sustainable resource management. The company's offerings enable utilities and cities to accurately monitor consumption patterns, streamline billing processes and improve grid reliability.
Itron's product lineup spans a range of hardware and software solutions, from residential and commercial smart meters to meter data management systems (MDMS), networked communication platforms and analytics tools.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Robotics and automation are rapidly becoming essential infrastructure across healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and many other industries.
"Physical AI" is coming to the United States, and there are four ways that investors can gain exposure to this new robotics revolution. Plus, learn which seven companies are most positioned to benefit as intelligent robots enter the workforce.
American States Water zvýšila čtvrtletní dividendu o 8,2 % na 54,55 centu na akcii a zaznamenala 72. po sobě jdoucí rok růstu dividend. Provozní peněžní tok v první polovině roku 2026 vzrostl na 116,6 milionu USD z 109,6 milionu USD.
Key Takeaways AWR raised its quarterly dividend 8.2% to 54.55 cents, marking 72 straight years of annual increases.
Operating cash flow rose to $116.6 million in first-half 2026 from $109.6 million a year earlier.
Regulated growth, infrastructure investments and stronger earnings support AWR's dividend capacity.
American States Water Company (AWR - Free Report) continues to reward shareholders through regular dividend payments and consistent annual dividend increases. Its long-standing dividend record reflects the strength of its regulated utility operations, resilient cash-flow generation and commitment to delivering sustainable shareholder returns.
In July 2026, the company’s board approved an 8.2% increase in the quarterly dividend, raising it to 54.55 cents per share from 50.40 cents, resulting in an annualized dividend of $2.18 per share. This marked the company’s 72nd consecutive year of annual dividend growth. AWR’s dividend policy targets a long-term CAGR of more than 7%, while its quarterly dividend has witnessed an 8.4% CAGR over the past five years.
Current dividend payments do not guarantee that future payouts will grow at the same pace. However, the company’s financial performance and long-term strategy can provide insight into its ability to sustain shareholder-friendly initiatives.
American States Water benefits from a growing customer base and favorable rate increases, while its contracted services business gains from higher construction activity. Strategic investments in infrastructure upgrades and replacements enhance system reliability and support long-term growth. Stronger earnings performance further strengthens the company’s financial capacity to support shareholder distributions.
Operating cash flow increased to $116.6 million in the first half of 2026 from $109.6 million a year earlier. The stronger cash generation provides additional internal resources to support dividend payments and ongoing business needs.
Overall, AWR’s strong cash generation, regulated growth opportunities and consistent dividend policy are expected to support continued dividend growth over the long term.
Water Utilities’ Long History of Dividend PaymentsWater utilities have a long history of providing shareholders with regular and steadily increasing dividends. Their essential services and regulated operations can provide relatively stable cash flows, supporting long-term dividend payments and making them attractive to income-focused investors.
California Water Service Group (CWT - Free Report) has consistently rewarded shareholders through regular dividends, increasing its annual dividend for 59 consecutive years. Its quarterly dividend stands at 33.50 cents, implying an annualized dividend of $1.34 per share.
Middlesex Water Company (MSEX - Free Report) has rewarded shareholders with consistent dividend payments for more than 100 years. The company’s board has approved a quarterly dividend of 36 cents per share, translating to an annualized dividend of $1.44 per share.
The Zacks Rundown on AWRAWR’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 9.20% and 3.26%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Debt to CapitalAWR's debt-to-capital ratio currently stands at 44.79%, lower than the water supply industry’s 54.63%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AWR’s Stock Price PerformanceIn the past three months, American States Water’s shares have risen 17.3% compared with the industry’s 2.4% growth.
Energy Transfer nabízí forwardový dividendový výnos 6,5 % a jeho distribuce kryje silný peněžní tok. Firma navíc zvýšila distribuci už 19 čtvrtletí po sobě.
Energy Transfer (ET +1.52%), one of the largest midstream pipeline companies in the United States, pays a forward yield of 6.5%. That yield might seem high, but it's supported by plenty of cash and long-term catalysts. Let's see why it's still a reliable income play for patient investors.
Why is Energy Transfer a reliable stock?
Energy Transfer operates more than 140,000 miles of pipeline across 44 states. It transports natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, and other refined products, and helps companies export some of their natural gas products.
Image source: Getty Images.
As a pipeline operator, Energy Transfer generates most of its revenue by charging upstream producers and downstream refineries "tolls" to use its infrastructure. That business model is insulated from volatile commodity prices because it only needs those resources to keep flowing through its pipes. However, the soaring demand for oil and natural gas continued to boost crude oil and NGL volumes to record levels in the first half of 2026. It also secured more long-term agreements with utilities and data centers to supply natural gas for the booming cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) markets.
Today's Change
(
1.52
%) $
0.32
Current Price
$
21.08
How stable are its distributions?
Energy Transfer is a Master Limited Partnership (MLP), which technically treats you as a partner rather than a regular shareholder. It blends a return of capital with its own cash to pay more tax-efficient distributions instead of traditional dividends. Still, you'll need to report that income separately on a K-1 form every year when you file your taxes.
Energy Transfer, like other MLPs, covers its distributions with its distributable cash flow (DCF). Its DCF has easily covered its total distributions over the past few years, even as the pandemic, inflation, soaring interest rates, and geopolitical conflicts rattled the commodities market.
Metric (Billions USD)
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Adjusted Annualized DCF
$5.74
$8.22
$7.45
$7.58
$8.36
$8.21
Total Distributions
$2.47
$1.78
$3.09
$3.99
$4.39
$4.56
Data source: Energy Transfer.
Energy Transfer has raised its payout for 19 consecutive quarters, and it plans to raise its distribution at an annual rate of 3% to 5% as long as its coverage ratio (its adjusted DCF to distributions) -- which came in at 1.8x in 2025 -- stays around that level. That's why it's a reliable income stock, even if it pays a higher yield than many other pipeline companies.
Leo Sun has positions in Energy Transfer. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Everest Group ve 2. čtvrtletí 2026 vykázala combined ratio 88,5 % v byznysu reasekurace na základě smluv. Akcie za poslední tři měsíce vzrostly o 5,2 %, ale zaostaly za odvětvím.
Key Takeaways Everest's Reinsurance Treaty business posted an 88.5% combined ratio in Q2 2026. Global Wholesale & Specialty delivered double-digit international growth across several specialty lines. Mount Logan's AUM reached $3.4 billion, up 89% from the beginning of 2025. Shares of Everest Group, Ltd. (EG - Free Report) have risen 5.2% in the past three months, underperforming the industry’s growth of 9.9%.
EG's shares have lagged the industry primarily due to a second-quarter earnings miss, declining premium volumes, reduced casualty business, softer property-catastrophe pricing and lower investment income, which have weighed on investor sentiment.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of other insurers like American International Group (AIG - Free Report) , Aegon NV (AEG - Free Report) and Assurant, Inc. (AIZ - Free Report) have gained 0.4%, 12.1% and 11.1%, respectively, over the past three months.
EG’s Attractive ValuationEG’s shares are trading at a discount compared with the industry. Its trailing 12-month price-to-book value of 0.91X is lower than the industry average of 2.97X. The insurer has a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of other insurers like AIG, AEG and AIZ are also trading at a discount to the industry average.
EG’s Growth ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Everest Group’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) is pinned at $53.13, indicating a year-over-year increase of 19.3%. The estimate for 2026 revenues is pegged at $15.76 billion, implying a year-over-year decline of 9.9%. The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS indicates an increase of 11.9%, while revenues indicate a decrease of 4.2% from the corresponding 2026 estimates.
EG’s earnings grew 18% in the last five years, better than the industry average of 10.7 %. The expected long-term earnings growth is pegged at 9.6%.
Mixed Analyst Sentiment on EGThe company has witnessed five upward earnings estimate revisions for 2026 over the past 60 days, against two downward revisions. For 2027, it has witnessed two upward and downward revisions. Thus, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has moved north by 0.6%, while the consensus mark for 2027 has moved south by 0.9% over the same period.
EG’s Return on Invested CapitalThe return on invested capital in the trailing 12 months was 8.9 %, better than the industry average of 2.2%, reflecting the company’s efficiency in utilizing funds to generate income.
What Drives EG?Reinsurance Treaty remains a key contributor to Everest Group’s underwriting profitability, supported by disciplined underwriting, favorable reserve development and strong risk selection. In the second quarter of 2026, the business delivered an 88.5% combined ratio, highlighting effective portfolio management. Meanwhile, the Global Wholesale & Specialty business continues to gain traction, supported by portfolio optimization, improved underwriting and growth in higher-margin specialty lines. The segment recorded double-digit international growth across financial lines, marine, political violence and select specialty property markets, thereby supporting diversification and profitable growth.
Although property-catastrophe pricing has moderated, EG continues to enhance portfolio quality by reducing exposure to lower-return casualty and retail insurance businesses while expanding higher-margin specialty and short-tail lines. Property-catastrophe rates declined about 10% for Everest Group versus a 15-20% decline across the industry during midyear renewals, highlighting its relative pricing resilience. The company also maintains conservative reserve practices, with favorable property reserve development and no material adverse U.S. casualty reserve movements, reflecting disciplined risk management and supporting earnings quality.
Everest Group is actively scaling operations in markets such as Mexico, Colombia, Australia and Italy, targeting regions with strong insurance demand and underpenetrated segments. Mexico and Colombia offer growth opportunities, driven by rising insurance adoption and demand for customized solutions. Australia and Italy provide exposure to developed markets with an increasing need for specialty and non-life coverage.
Everest Group's third-party capital platform continues to expand, with Mount Logan Capital Management’s AUM reaching approximately $3.4 billion as of July 1, 2026, up 89% from the beginning of 2025. The launch of Annapurna Re provides another avenue to transfer risk, support growth and enhance capital flexibility. Management expects to receive approximately $200 million in premiums per quarter.
The company also maintains a strong cash position and continues to enhance shareholder returns through regular dividends and an aggressive share repurchase program. It repurchased $395 million of shares during the second quarter and paid $78 million in dividends. Management expects a minimum quarterly buyback pace of $300 million throughout 2026.
Risks for EG StockProperty catastrophe reinsurance pricing continues to soften, which may weigh on premium growth and margins despite favorable policy terms.
Everest Group faces foreign exchange risk as it operates in currencies such as the euro, pound and Canadian dollar while reporting in U.S. dollars.
Everest Group remains vulnerable to large catastrophe losses and geopolitical events. Large natural disasters or geopolitical events could increase claims and adversely impact underwriting profitability.
ConclusionEverest Group is poised for growth in underwriting discipline, international insurance expansion, a growing third-party capital platform and strong financial flexibility. The attractive valuation and higher returns are the other positives. However, foreign exchange volatility, geopolitical tensions and catastrophe losses continue to be concerns. It is wise to adopt a wait-and-see approach towards this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock presently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
1inch se připojil k dohodě SEAL Whitehat Safe Harbor Agreement, která umožňuje white hat hackerům zasáhnout při aktivním útoku na DeFi bez obav z právních následků. Schválila to správa 1inch DAO.
1inch has joined the SEAL Whitehat Safe Harbor Agreement, enabling whitehat hackers to step in effectively when needed.
In DeFi, attacks don’t happen slowly. They unfold in real time. Funds move in minutes. And in that narrow window, the difference between loss and recovery often comes down to whether someone is willing - and able - to act immediately. That “someone” is often a white hat hacker.
What are white hats and what’s their role in DeFi?White hat hackers are security researchers who identify vulnerabilities in protocols - not to exploit them, but to prevent damage.
In traditional software, their role is relatively straightforward:
find a bugreport itreceive a bountyIn DeFi, the stakes are higher.
Protocols are live, permissionless and often hold hundreds of millions in user funds. When an exploit begins, there may be no time to report and wait. The only way to stop the attack may be to act immediately - interacting directly with smart contracts, moving funds, or front-running the attacker.
In other words, white hats may need to behave like attackers in order to stop one.
What is SEAL?Security Alliance (SEAL) is a crypto security nonprofit founded by samczsun, one of the most respected figures in the DeFi security space.
The organization focuses on improving how the industry responds to threats in real time. Its initiatives include:
SEAL 911 - an emergency response hotline for active exploitsSEAL Intel - a threat intelligence sharing networkSEAL Frameworks - open-source security playbooksSEAL Certifications - certifications for operational securityThe goal is to move beyond static security and toward coordinated, rapid response.
What is the Safe Harbor Agreement?The Safe Harbor Agreement is designed to solve a very specific problem: enabling white hats to act during active exploits without fear of legal consequences.
At its core, it is a simple commitment from a protocol:
If you step in to protect funds during a live exploit and follow the rules, we will not pursue legal action against you.
This creates a defined framework for emergency intervention, where speed is critical and traditional processes are too slow.
How the agreement works in practiceThe Safe Harbor Agreement establishes clear boundaries for white hat action.
White hats are allowed to intervene - but only under strict conditions.
They can act only during an active exploit, not for general testing or vulnerability research. The agreement is explicitly limited to situations where funds are at immediate risk.
They must contact the protocol’s security team as soon as intervention begins, ensuring coordination and transparency. For 1inch, the designated contact is 1inch Security ([email protected]).
Any funds recovered must be returned in full within 72 hours to a designated recovery address designated in the adoption. This ensures that rescued assets are secured quickly and do not become a secondary risk.
White hats are also incentivized. Successful interventions are rewarded with a bounty - typically a percentage of the recovered funds, capped at a predefined amount.
At the same time, the agreement provides legal protection, reducing the risk of liability for good-faith actions taken under these conditions.
Importantly, researchers can remain pseudonymous, identifying themselves to the protocol without public disclosure. Bounty payment is subject to sanctions and AML screening under 1inch’s adopted terms.
What the agreement does - and does not doThe Safe Harbor Agreement is not a guarantee of recovery.
It does not:
ensure that funds can be savedbind regulators or third partiesreplace traditional security practicesWhat it does is remove a key barrier to action.
It gives white hats the confidence to step in when it matters most—during the narrow window where intervention can still make a difference.
From passive security to active defenseDeFi security has traditionally focused on prevention: audits, bug bounties, and responsible disclosure.
But as exploits become more sophisticated, prevention alone is not enough.
The industry is moving toward active defense:
real-time monitoringcoordinated responserapid interventionWhite hats are central to this shift. They are often the first to detect anomalies and the only actors capable of reacting fast enough to mitigate damage.
The Safe Harbor model formalizes their role—not as external observers, but as participants in emergency response.
A growing industry standardThe Safe Harbor Agreement has already been adopted by leading protocols, including Uniswap, zkSync, Pendle, PancakeSwap and Balancer.
Its adoption reflects a broader recognition: DeFi needs mechanisms that enable action, not just analysis.
As protocols become more complex and interconnected, the ability to respond quickly to exploits becomes a critical layer of security.
Building safer DeFiBy adopting the SEAL Whitehat Safe Harbor Agreement, 1inch is aligning with this emerging standard. The adoption was approved through 1inch DAO governance.
The agreement provides clear guidelines for action, increases the protection of user funds and demonstrates a commitment to proactive security - empowering white hats to act when it matters most. The covered protocols (including the 1inch Aqua Protocol), the designated recovery addresses and the bounty terms are set out in 1inch’s adoption record (1IP-104).
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Disclaimer: This article is a summary for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The terms of the SEAL Whitehat Safe Harbor Agreement and 1inch’s published adoption record govern in all cases; nothing in this article expands or modifies them.
IDEXX Laboratories uvedla, že v testování společní zvířat vidí příležitost za 45 miliard USD a rozšiřuje AI, software i onkologické testy. Cílem je zvýšit využití diagnostiky ve veterinárních praxích.
These 3 Water ETFs Could be Quiet Winners From Infrastructure SpendingIDEXX Laboratories NASDAQ: IDXX outlined an innovation-led growth strategy at its 2026 Investor Day, highlighting a $45 billion global companion-animal testing opportunity, expanded commercial investments and a pipeline of diagnostic, software and artificial-intelligence offerings intended to increase testing utilization in veterinary practices.
President and CEO Mike Erickson said the company sees a long-term opportunity to expand diagnostic testing as pets live longer and veterinary practices adopt more preventive screening. He said IDEXX estimates that blood work and urinalysis identify clinically meaningful abnormalities in roughly one in four apparently healthy pets, while diagnostic testing also drives broader practice activity, including medical services, therapeutics and prescription diets.
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Bullish or Bearish? Vetting Animal Health Care StocksErickson said only 13% of U.S. wellness visits currently include blood work, leaving substantial headroom for growth. IDEXX estimates that sector-wide blood-work inclusion has increased by about 50 basis points annually, contributing roughly 150 basis points of incremental recurring CAG diagnostic revenue for the company each year.
Diagnostic platforms and cancer testing The company emphasized its “Technology for Life” approach of adding new testing capabilities to existing installed instruments. IDEXX introduced quantitative proBNP cardiac testing for both dogs and cats on its Catalyst point-of-care platform. The company said the test will help veterinarians evaluate cardiac risk and make referral or monitoring decisions during patient visits.
IDEXX also discussed continued adoption of its inVue Dx cytology platform. Erickson said the company had placed more than 9,000 inVue Dx instruments globally through the second quarter, with utilization per instrument in the previously stated range of $3,500 to $5,500. The platform supports ear cytology, blood morphology and fine-needle aspirate testing, or FNA.
Puja Pathak, senior vice president and general manager of IDEXX VetLab, said inVue Dx is designed to reduce hands-on work, standardize results and automatically integrate findings into practice records and invoices. She said practices adopting inVue Dx have seen 6% higher ProCyte CBC utilization. IDEXX expects broad availability of the inVue FNA application by the end of the year following a controlled rollout.
The company said FNA testing on inVue Dx can enable veterinarians to assess lumps and bumps in-practice, reducing the cost and complexity associated with traditional slide preparation and outside laboratory review. According to IDEXX, practices adopting the application are examining twice as many masses.
Erickson also said IDEXX plans to provide further details on MultiCue Dx, a new point-of-care diagnostic platform, at VMX in Orlando in January. He described MultiCue as complementary to the existing VetLab suite and said it was designed and manufactured at IDEXX facilities in Maine. The company did not disclose launch timing or expected economics for the platform.
Cancer Dx panel expansion Oncology was a central focus of the event. IDEXX said Cancer Dx has been used by more than 11,000 practices globally and that 70% of test runs have been paired with reference-laboratory blood-work panels. The company also said 20% of practices using Cancer Dx had another provider as their primary reference laboratory.
Mike Lane, executive vice president at IDEXX, said the company will expand Cancer Dx from lymphoma detection to a multi-cancer panel. Canine mast cell tumor detection is planned for September, followed by canine hemangiosarcoma detection in December. With lymphoma, those additions are expected to address 40% of canine cancers, according to the company. IDEXX said it aims to expand panel coverage to 50% of canine cancers by 2028.
IDEXX said it plans to maintain a roughly $15 price point for the multi-cancer panel when run alongside blood work through an IDEXX Reference Laboratory. Lane said the lymphoma offering can also be used for monitoring remission during CHOP chemotherapy, creating potential for recurring testing.
The company characterized hemangiosarcoma as a particularly urgent unmet need because the disease can remain undetected until internal tumors rupture. Lane cited a peer-reviewed study in which more than one-third of dogs identified before rupture survived a year or longer, while no dogs identified after rupture survived one year.
Software, AI and commercial expansion Tracy Byers, senior vice president of veterinary software, diagnostic imaging and telemedicine, said IDEXX is building an integrated, cloud-based software ecosystem spanning practice management, workflow, imaging, telemedicine and pet-owner engagement. She said nearly 70% of the company’s practice-management installed base is cloud-based, while net recurring revenue retention across the software ecosystem is 105%.
IDEXX reported that Vello users increased 37% over the prior six months. Byers said practices using IDEXX software have higher wellness blood-work inclusion, with a further 300-basis-point increase when Vello is combined with the company’s practice-management tools.
The company said it is using data from 35 billion diagnostic records, more than 750 million pet-lifespan medical records and more than 650,000 annual specialist-consulting calls to develop AI capabilities. Potential applications include workflow prompts, clinical recommendations, ambient voice tools, image-quality support and disease registries.
George Fennell, executive vice president of global CAG commercial, said IDEXX’s commercial model is centered on helping practices manage workflow changes required to adopt new technology. The company is expanding commercial investments in Spain, France, South Korea and Canada, along with targeted additions in the U.S., to increase customer proximity and support adoption.
Long-term financial framework CFO Andrew Emerson said IDEXX expects 2026 operating profit margin to exceed 32%. The company reiterated its long-term outlook for more than 10% organic revenue growth, 50 to 100 basis points of operating-margin expansion and average annual EPS growth of about 15%.
Emerson said CAG diagnostic recurring revenue has expanded about 10% annually over the past five years, adding more than $1 billion in incremental revenue. IDEXX sees potential for 8.5% to 11% long-term CAG diagnostic recurring-revenue growth excluding any recovery in clinical visits, supported by utilization, innovation, instrument placements and net price realization.
The company said it expects recurring software and diagnostic-services revenue growth of more than 15%, capital revenue growth above 5%, and mid- to high-single-digit growth from its water and livestock, poultry and dairy businesses. Emerson added that IDEXX has reduced its share count by about 20% over time through share repurchases and generated 25% compounded annual free-cash-flow-per-share growth since 2015.
About IDEXX Laboratories (NASDAQ:IDXX)IDEXX Laboratories, Inc NASDAQ: IDXX is a global developer, manufacturer and provider of diagnostic products and services primarily for the animal health, water testing and food safety markets. Headquartered in Westbrook, Maine, the company supplies in-clinic diagnostic instruments, consumables, reference laboratory testing and practice-management tools that support veterinarians, livestock and dairy producers, and utilities and food producers worldwide.
IDEXX's product portfolio includes point-of-care tests and immunoassays designed for rapid diagnosis in veterinary clinics, in-clinic chemistry and hematology analyzers, automated urinalysis systems, and digital diagnostic solutions.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Cadence zvýšila výhled tržeb na rok 2026 na 6,26–6,34 miliardy USD a non-GAAP EPS na 8,05–8,15 USD po silném druhém čtvrtletí. Backlog dosáhl rekordu 8,1 miliardy USD.
Key Takeaways Cadence raised 2026 revenue and non-GAAP EPS forecasts after second-quarter results beat expectations.Systems Design & Analysis grew 37%, while IP rose 40% on AI and high-performance computing demand.All segments delivered double-digit growth, and backlog reached a record $8.1 billion.
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS - Free Report) raised its 2026 financial outlook after second-quarter results topped expectations and AI-oriented demand expanded across its portfolio.
The larger issue is whether agentic AI can become a durable source of electronic design automation usage rather than a short-lived boost. Cadence’s recent engagement and product data provide early support for that thesis.
Cadence Q2 Beats Set Up the Guidance RaiseSecond-quarter revenues reached $1.584 billion, up 24.2% year over year and 0.5% above the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Non-GAAP earnings of $2.11 per share increased 27.9% and beat the consensus mark by 2.9%.
All product groups delivered double-digit growth, and backlog reached a record $8.1 billion. Core electronic design automation grew 18%, Systems Design & Analysis increased 37% and the intellectual property business rose 40%.
CDNS Raises Its 2026 Revenue and EPS ViewCadence lifted its 2026 revenue forecast to $6.26-$6.34 billion from $6.125-$6.225 billion. It also raised its non-GAAP earnings outlook to $8.05-$8.15 per share from $7.85-$7.95.
The company now expects operating cash flow of $2 billion, above the previous $1.875-$1.975 billion range. Its non-GAAP operating margin forecast increased to 43.75%-44.75% from 43.5%-44.5%.
CDNS Broadens AI Demand Across Hardware and IPThe Systems Design & Analysis business grew 37% in the second quarter, helped by demand for Allegro X AI, 3D-IC and BETA CAE solutions. The intellectual property business increased 40%, driven by demand across AI and high-performance computing applications.
Hardware demand remained firm among AI and high-performance computing customers. Cadence added 12 new hardware customers during the quarter and expanded business with several hyperscalers and AI innovators.
The company also cited agentic AI as a durable tailwind. Cadence has launched AuraStack AI Super Agent and is expanding and ChipStack and ViraStack. ViraStack has recorded more than 25 engagements and delivered 2X-10X productivity improvements versus traditional flows, as per Cadence.
Cadence Risks Still Temper the Growth NarrativeSynopsys, Inc. (SNPS - Free Report) competes across electronic design automation, silicon intellectual property and engineering simulation. Siemens AG (SIEGY - Free Report) , through Siemens EDA, also provides integrated-circuit design, verification and manufacturing tools, so Cadence must keep investing to defend its position.
International exposure creates currency risk, while AI infrastructure capital spending can be volatile. Goodwill and acquired intangible assets represented 56.2% of total assets at June 30, 2026, adding another execution and financial consideration.
CDNS Signals Support Growth but Not Aggressive BuyingThe higher outlook strengthens the operating narrative, but it does not eliminate valuation and execution risks. Cadence currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which supports a balanced stance rather than an aggressive near-term buying signal.
The Growth Score of B and Momentum Score of A fit the favorable growth and price-trend characteristics. The Value Score of F and VGM Score of C are less supportive, keeping valuation discipline important even as agentic AI broadens demand.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways Cadence is benefiting from rising AI-driven design demand as chip and system complexity increases.CDNS estimates call for 2026 revenues of $6.313B and earnings of $8.12 per share.Cadence trades at 36.3X forward earnings, while 2026 operating cash flow is expected near $2B.
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS - Free Report) combines rising AI-related demand, higher earnings expectations and stronger cash generation with a valuation that remains well above major benchmarks.
That mix creates a clear trade-off for investors. Growth prospects are improving, but the stock still requires buyers to pay a sizable premium for that growth.
Cadence AI Demand Supports a Strong Growth CaseCadence is benefiting from rising chip and system complexity and greater spending on AI-driven design. Management expects agentic AI to increase electronic design automation consumption as customers run more simulation, verification and implementation cycles.
The company is broadening its AI portfolio through AuraStack, ChipStack and ViraStack. ViraStack has more than 25 engagements and has delivered 2X-10X productivity improvements versus traditional design flows, as Cadence highlighted, supporting the case for wider platform usage.
CDNS Estimates Point to Continued Earnings ExpansionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for 2026 revenues of $6.313 billion and 2027 revenues of $7.130 billion. Consensus earnings are $8.12 per share for 2026 and $9.41 for 2027.
Projected 2026 sales growth is 19.2%, while projected earnings growth is 13.7%. Those figures indicate continued expansion even after Cadence increased second-quarter revenues 24.2% year over year.
Cadence Still Trades at a Premium ValuationCDNS trades at 36.3X forward 12-month earnings versus 23.4X for its sub-industry and 20.7X for the S&P 500. Although that multiple is at the five-year low and below the 52.8X median, the relative premium remains substantial.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The same pattern appears in sales-based measures. CDNS trades at 13.1X forward sales and 13.9X forward enterprise value to sales, compared with 6.2X on both measures for the sub-industry.
CDNS Cash Flow Strengthens the Investment CaseCadence expects about $2 billion in 2026 operating cash flow and plans to use at least 50% of annual free cash flow for share repurchases. It bought back $200 million of stock in each of the first two quarters.
Second-quarter operating cash flow reached $635 million, up from $356 million in the prior quarter. Free cash flow increased to $582 million from $307 million, giving the company more flexibility to fund investment and capital returns.
CDNS Risks Could Limit Multiple ExpansionSynopsys, Inc. (SNPS - Free Report) competes across electronic design automation, silicon intellectual property and engineering simulation. Siemens AG (SIEGY - Free Report) , through Siemens EDA, also spans integrated-circuit design, verification and manufacturing, which keeps competitive intensity high.
Cadence faces currency sensitivity because international operations have historically generated more than half of revenues. AI infrastructure spending can also be volatile, while goodwill and acquired intangible assets represented 56.2% of total assets at June 30, 2026.
Cadence Signals Favor Growth Over ValueCadence’s operating outlook supports the growth case, but the premium valuation argues against treating strong AI demand alone as sufficient reason to buy. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), consistent with a more measured position.
Moog otevřel nový výrobní závod AIM o rozloze 150 000 stop čtverečních za 150 milionů USD, který podpoří vojenské letecké programy a zvýší kapacity v západním New Yorku. Firma zároveň oznámila 75 stipendií v oborech STEM po 1 951 USD.
New facility strengthens Western New York manufacturing, supports critical military aircraft programs, and expands opportunities for the next generation
EAST AURORA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) today celebrated the opening of its new Advanced Integrated Manufacturing (AIM) facility while marking the company's 75th anniversary, highlighting a continued commitment to Western New York through advanced manufacturing investments, workforce development, economic growth, and STEM education.
"Today's celebration is about more than opening a building," said Pat Roche, President & CEO of Moog Inc. "It reflects our confidence in Western New York, our employees, and the future of advanced manufacturing."
Share Company leaders, elected officials, community partners, and employees gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tour showcasing the new 150,000-square-foot manufacturing center, a $150 million investment designed to increase production capabilities, create a more efficient work environment, and strengthen the U.S. defense manufacturing industry in the region.
The AIM facility provides nearly 50 percent more space than the operation it replaces and features advanced machining, automation, robotics and inspection technologies that will help improve efficiency, quality, safety, and product flow while supporting critical military aircraft programs.
“Today's celebration is about more than opening a building," said Pat Roche, President & CEO of Moog Inc. "It reflects our confidence in Western New York, our employees, and the future of advanced manufacturing. Moog began as a small, engineer-led startup in 1951 by Bill Moog and has grown into a global leader in advanced motion control over the past 75 years. AIM is part of a broader commitment we've made across Western New York, to continue to develop critical technologies, creating high-quality jobs, and supporting our customers for generations to come."
Moog employs more than 4,300 people in Western New York, making it the company's largest global location and one of the largest advanced manufacturing and engineering employers in the region. Approximately 30 percent of Moog's global workforce is based here. Last year alone, the company provided nearly a half billion dollars in local wages, spent approximately $40 million with more than 200 Western New York suppliers, and contributed nearly $1 million to local non-for-profit/community organizations.
The new AIM facility is part of more than $300 million Moog has invested in Western New York over the last five years. Recent projects include the expansion of the company's Space Actuation and Avionics operations in East Aurora, into a 120,000-square-foot center for the development, production, and testing of precision actuation and avionics systems for launch vehicles, spacecraft, and defense applications, as well as a new propulsion clean room in Niagara Falls that will increase production capacity by more than 80 percent to support growing demand for satellite and missile propulsion technologies. Last year, Moog opened a 13,000-square-foot Operations Training Center that provides hands-on training and career development paths, ensuring the advanced manufacturing workforce can meet the growing manufacturing demand.
Speaking to attendees, company leaders emphasized how continued investments in facilities, technology, and workforce development are helping strengthen both the regional economy and the nation's aerospace and defense industrial base.
"Western New York has played a crucial role in Moog's success since our founding in 1951," said Mark Graczyk, President of Moog Military Aircraft. "The AIM facility brings together people, process and technology in a way that strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality, safety-critical products while creating a safer, more efficient environment for our employees."
Over the next several years, nearly 1,500 parts will transition into the AIM facility, beginning with some of the company's highest-volume products. The facility will support current military aircraft programs while providing flexibility for future growth and next-generation technologies.
As part of the celebration, Moog also reflected on its longstanding impact on the region and announced a new STEM education initiative in honor of its 75th anniversary.
The company unveiled a commitment to fund 75 STEM scholarships of $1,951 each, recognizing the year Moog was founded. The scholarships will be administered through four Western New York organizations: Buffalo Prep, Dream It Do It Western New York, Northland Workforce Training Center and Say Yes Buffalo.
"Investing in future innovators is one of the most meaningful ways we can celebrate this milestone," Roche said. "Our success has always depended on talented people, and these scholarships will help create opportunities for the next generation of engineers, technicians and problem-solvers."
Representing the Moog founding family, Nancy Aubrecht, daughter of founder Bill Moog, joined the event to reflect on the company's legacy and its enduring commitment to innovation, people and community impact.
During the program, Moog also recognized multi-generational employee families whose connections to the company span decades, highlighting the role the company has played in creating long-term career opportunities throughout the region and a great place to work.
Government and Community Leader Remarks
Governor Kathy Hochul said:
“For 75 years, Moog has stood as a crown jewel of New York manufacturing, transforming Western New York into a global hub for aerospace and technological innovation,” said Governor Hochul. “From its humble beginnings in an East Aurora hangar to its modern role shaping precision motion-control systems, Moog’s legacy is proof that when we invest in New York ingenuity and high-tech manufacturing, it results in good-paying jobs for our communities.”
U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy said:
"Moog is one of the great Western New York success stories, who for the last 75 years, has been pushing the boundaries of innovation while creating excellent paying careers and strengthening our manufacturing base," said Congressman Nick Langworthy. "The investment in this new AIM facility shows that the next 75 years can be just as successful as the first. I am proud to represent the thousands of Moog employees across Western New York who come to work every day designing and building technologies that keep our country safe, advance American innovation, and compete on a global stage. I look forward to seeing all that Moog will continue to accomplish right here in Western New York.”
U.S. Representative Tim Kennedy said:
"For 75 years, Moog has been a symbol of what Western New York does best: innovate, build, and never stop pushing the boundaries of what's possible," said Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26). "From its roots in a small East Aurora hangar to a global leader in aerospace and defense technology with operations right here in Buffalo, Moog has created and sustained thousands of good-paying jobs while proving that world-class engineering can call Western New York home. I'm proud to congratulate Moog on this milestone, and I'll keep supporting the workers and innovators who make this company, and our region, so special.”
U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney said:
“For 75 years, Moog has shown what American innovation and a world class workforce can accomplish right here in Western New York,” said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. “This new advanced manufacturing facility builds on that legacy by strengthening our defense industrial base, supporting good paying American jobs, and ensuring our servicemembers have access to the cutting-edge technologies they need. Moog’s continued investment in Western New York, its workforce, and the next generation of innovators will help keep our region and our nation at the forefront of advanced manufacturing for years to come.”
About Moog Inc.
Moog is a worldwide designer, manufacturer and systems integrator of high-performance precision motion and fluid controls and control systems. Moog's products and technologies support aerospace, defense, space, industrial and medical applications around the world. Founded in 1951, the company maintains a significant presence in Western New York, where it continues to invest in innovation, advanced manufacturing and workforce development.
Lamar Advertising koupila aktiva společnosti AdSource Outdoor Advertising v rámci druhé transakce UPREIT v odvětví billboardů. Do svého portfolia v Louisianě tak přidává více než 230 reklamních ploch, včetně 30 digitálních displejů.
Key Takeaways Lamar acquired more than 230 AdSource billboard faces across Louisiana, including 30 digital displays.AdSource owners received Lamar LP units that track the value of Lamar's Class A common stock.Lamar's UPREIT structure enables tax-deferred acquisitions by issuing partnership units to billboard owners.
Lamar Advertising Company (LAMR - Free Report) has acquired the assets of AdSource Outdoor Advertising through the billboard industry’s second-ever UPREIT transaction. The acquisition, which closed on Aug. 12, had previously been disclosed during Lamar’s recent earnings call.
Through the acquisition, Lamar is adding more than 230 billboard faces across Louisiana to its portfolio. The newly acquired assets include 30 digital displays, further strengthening the company’s outdoor advertising presence in the state.
AdSource was launched in Lake Charles, LA, in 2003. Over the years, the company expanded its operations and built a broader network of billboard assets throughout Louisiana.
As part of the transaction, AdSource contributed its assets to Lamar Advertising Limited Partnership (“Lamar LP”), the operating partnership subsidiary that holds Lamar’s assets. In return, AdSource’s owners received common units of Lamar LP. These units are structured to track the value of Lamar’s Class A common stock. Holders receive cash distributions on each common unit equal to the per-share dividend paid on Lamar’s common stock. The units may also be converted into cash or shares of Lamar Class A common stock.
The transaction was made possible by Lamar’s UPREIT organization or Umbrella Partnership Real Estate Investment Trust. This allows the company to issue Lamar LP partnership units to billboard owners as part of acquisitions on a tax-deferred basis.
ConclusionThe AdSource acquisition is expected to benefit Lamar by expanding its billboard network in Louisiana. The UPREIT structure also provides a tax-efficient acquisition tool that could help Lamar pursue similar transactions, deepen its market presence and support long-term revenue growth.
In the past three months, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 7.7% compared with the industry's growth of 2.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are American Tower (AMT - Free Report) and Cousins Properties (CUZ - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMT’s 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $11.00, which indicates year-over-year growth of 2.23%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CUZ’s full-year FFO per share is pinned at $2.96, which suggests an increase of 4.23% from the year-ago period.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
Key Takeaways MP Materials' first-half revenues jumped 68%, fueled by higher NdPr sales, pricing and production.The Magnetics segment added $37.6 million in first-half revenues as precursor production ramped.MP Materials is expanding Independence and launching its 10X facility to support future growth. MP Materials (MP - Free Report) reported an 89% year-over-year surge in second-quarter 2026 revenues to $108.5 million, bringing first-half revenues to $199 million. Compared with the first half of 2025, this represents a 68% increase.
The strong performance was attributed to higher revenues in the Materials segment, supported by the continued ramp-up in production and sales of separated rare earth products, as well as higher market prices. Increased revenues from magnetic precursor products reflecting the ramp-up at the Magnetics segment also contributed to growth.
MP Materials also benefited from $17.58 million in income related to a price protection agreement (PPA) with the Department of War (DoW) in the second quarter. For the first half of 2026, PPA-related income totaled $59.8 million.
The robust performance reflects the company’s continued shift toward higher-value neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) products. MP Materials produced 1,757 metric tons of NdPr in the first half of 2026, up 51% year over year, while NdPr sales jumped 122% to 2,012 metric tons.
The company reported no rare earth oxide (REO) concentrate sales during the period, following its decision to cease sales into the Chinese market in July 2025. Instead, MP Materials is processing the concentrate into separated rare earth products or stockpiling it for future use.
Despite the absence of concentrate sales, the Materials segment generated approximately $168 million in first-half revenues, up 80% year over year, driven by higher NdPr sales volumes and pricing.
The Magnetics segment is also becoming an increasingly important revenue contributor. It generated $37.6 million in revenues during the first half of 2026, supported by increased production of magnetic precursor products at the Independence facility.
Under its long-term supply agreement with General Motors (GM - Free Report) , MP Materials has collected all required prepayments totaling $150 million for magnetic precursor products. As of June 30, 2026, the company had sold $104.5 million of these products to General Motors, leaving $45.5 million to be transferred, which is expected within one year.
Once this agreement is fulfilled, MP Materials does not expect additional magnetic precursor product sales to GM. Instead, the company plans to begin selling finished magnets to General Motors.
Looking ahead, several initiatives could support MP Material’s future revenue growth. The company is advancing key growth initiatives, such as expanding operations at Independence and breaking ground on the 10X magnetics facility, its second domestic rare earth magnet manufacturing facility. Meanwhile, scaled heavy rare earth separation commissioning activities are set to begin soon at Mountain Pass.
Among industry peers, Lynas Rare Earths (LYSDY - Free Report) also delivered strong revenue growth. Fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues, for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, jumped 70% year over year to AUD 288.9 million ($204.9 million), marking the company’s highest quarterly revenues since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. Growth was driven by higher NdPr prices and increased sales volumes of total REO products.
Lynas Rare Earth reported NdPr production of 1,857 tons, a decline of 11% year over year. The company also produced 19 tons of dysprosium and terbium during the quarter. Total REO production for the quarter reached 3,481 tons, up 8% from the prior-year period.
Following its first production of samarium oxide in March 2026, Lynas has seen strong customer demand, with the customer qualification process now underway. The company expects to fulfill its first customer orders in the first quarter of fiscal 2027.
MP’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesMP Materials’ shares have declined 19.9% in a year against the industry’s 40.7% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MP is trading at a forward 12-month price/sales multiple of 14.98X, a significant premium to the industry’s 1.42X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MP Materials’ 2026 revenues indicates a 102% increase year over year. The consensus estimate for 2026 earnings is currently pegged at 16 cents per share, suggesting a solid improvement from the loss of 24 cents reported in 2025.
The consensus estimate for MP’s 2027 revenues suggests year-over-year growth of 72%, with earnings expected to surge 494%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The estimate for both 2026 and 2027 has, however, moved down in the past 60 days, as shown in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
MP Materials roste v reakci na nová federální obchodní a obranná opatření, která mají podpořit domácí dodavatelské řetězce a poptávku po vzácných zeminách. Akcie byly v pátek odpoledne o 6,27 % výše na 59,15 USD.
Shares of MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP) are trading higher Friday afternoon as investors react to new federal trade and defense initiatives expected to strengthen domestic supply chains.
MP Materials stock is surging to new heights today. Why are MP shares rallying? Trump Administration Actions Boost Demand Outlook for Rare EarthsThe Trump administration announced tariffs on foreign-made drones and critical components, alongside expanded agreements with major defense prime contractors Boeing and RTX to scale up interceptor missile production.
These regulatory and procurement policy shifts have reinforced the long-term demand outlook for rare earth elements and critical minerals. MP Materials operates Mountain Pass, the sole active rare earth mining and processing site in the United States.
Elements produced by the company are essential components in high-performance permanent magnets, military ordnance, guidance systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Defense Initiatives Support Strategic Domestic Supply Chain FocusThe combination of trade protections on foreign aerospace hardware and heightened Pentagon missile production underscores the strategic necessity of onshore critical mineral processing.
Increased defense consumption potentially enhances long-term revenue visibility for domestic producers as prime contractors seek supply security for magnetic alloys and raw materials.
MP Shares Climb Friday AfternoonMP Price Action: MP Materials shares were up 6.27% at $59.15 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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Tidewater Midstream zvýšila výhled konsolidovaného upraveného EBITDA na rok 2026 po rekordním kvartálním upraveném EBITDA ve výši C$88,9 milionu. Výsledek podpořily silné rafinérské a obnovitelné dieselové trhy i vyšší využití zařízení.
Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure TSE: TWM raised its 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook after reporting record second-quarter consolidated adjusted EBITDA, supported by strong refining and renewable diesel market conditions, higher facility utilization and debt reduction.
During a joint second-quarter call with Tidewater Renewables, CEO Jeremy Baines said the company’s Prince George Refinery and HDRD renewable diesel complex benefited from favorable fuel markets, while management continued to advance a sustainable aviation fuel project toward a potential final investment decision in the fourth quarter.
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Record EBITDA and Higher Guidance
CFO Ian Quartly said Tidewater’s consolidated adjusted EBITDA reached a quarterly record of C$88.9 million in the second quarter, up C$39.2 million from the first quarter of 2026.
Tidewater Renewables generated record adjusted EBITDA of C$56 million. Quartly said the result reflected above-nameplate operation at the HDRD complex, improving market pricing and offtake contracts indexed to U.S. import-pricing benchmarks. The result included C$7.7 million of expected Biofuel Production Incentive proceeds recognized in the quarter and C$7.7 million of adjusted EBITDA from the company’s equity investment in a cattle company, primarily reflecting higher cattle prices.
Tidewater Midstream generated deconsolidated adjusted EBITDA of C$32.9 million, an increase of C$7.3 million from the first quarter. Quartly attributed the improvement primarily to stronger crack spreads at the Prince George Refinery, partly offset by realized losses on crack-spread hedges.
The company increased its 2026 consolidated adjusted EBITDA guidance to between C$230 million and C$250 million, representing a 20% increase at the midpoint from its prior outlook. Tidewater Renewables increased its guidance to C$130 million to C$140 million, while Tidewater Midstream raised its deconsolidated adjusted EBITDA guidance to C$100 million to C$110 million.
Management cited higher facility utilization, sustained strength in forward crack spreads, and improved renewable diesel and emissions-credit pricing as the main drivers of the higher outlook. Forecast capital expenditures remained unchanged at C$2 million to C$3 million for Tidewater Renewables and C$20 million to C$25 million for Tidewater Midstream on a consolidated basis.
Refining and Renewable Diesel Operations
The HDRD complex processed a record average of 3,315 barrels per day during the second quarter, or 111% utilization, Baines said. Low-cost debottlenecking work and facility reliability enabled the complex to operate above nameplate capacity. The company also realized record margins on renewable diesel sold at U.S. import-parity pricing and captured an additional C$0.16 per liter from the Biofuel Production Incentive.
Natural Resources Canada conditionally approved Tidewater Renewables for the Biofuel Production Incentive program during the first quarter. The contribution agreement was executed July 7, securing funding aligned with the HDRD complex’s full annual production capacity. Baines said the company expects to receive C$13.8 million in first- and second-quarter cash contributions during the third quarter, followed by quarterly payments in arrears.
At the Prince George Refinery, average throughput was 10,032 barrels per day because of a planned 17-day partial outage in April for equipment cleaning and maintenance. Excluding the outage, throughput averaged 12,060 barrels per day, or 101% of design capacity.
The Prince George crack spread averaged C$118 per barrel in the second quarter, up 16% from the first quarter. Baines said global supply disruptions, reduced refining capacity in the Middle East and Russia, and low refined-product inventories supported market conditions.
The company had hedged about 50% of crack-spread exposure between April and December 2026. In the second half of July, it added hedges covering roughly 40% of 2027 crack-spread exposure at fixed prices that Baines said were significantly above mid-cycle pricing and 2026 realized hedge pricing. He said the company views about 50% as an appropriate general hedging level, while retaining flexibility to go above that level opportunistically.
Debt Reduction and Midstream Utilization
Consolidated net debt declined C$44.4 million during the quarter, including a C$30.9 million reduction at Tidewater Midstream and a C$13.5 million reduction at Tidewater Renewables. Tidewater Renewables reported debt to adjusted EBITDA of 1.47 times at June 30, while Tidewater Midstream reported 2.3 times. Consolidated leverage was 1.7 times, within the company’s 1.2-times to 2.5-times target range.
At the Brazeau River Complex, gas processing throughput averaged 105 million cubic feet per day, down 8% from the prior quarter due primarily to NGTL curtailments. Fractionation utilization fell to 76% from 90% in the first quarter. Baines said the company remains in discussions with prospective and existing customers to increase utilization.
The Ram River Gas Plant remained temporarily curtailed, though sulfur-handling operations continued. Baines said current sulfur prices are highly economic for sour-gas producers and that Tidewater intends to restart the plant when area production resumes.
SAF Project and Asset Sales
Tidewater Renewables continued to target a fourth-quarter final investment decision for its sustainable aviation fuel project. The company executed a new initiative agreement with British Columbia on June 19 that is expected to provide additional BC LCFS credits for critical pre-FID work. The company expects to receive credits in the third and fourth quarters as milestones are achieved.
Baines said a final investment decision depends on regulatory support, including anticipated amendments related to sustainable aviation fuel under the Clean Fuel Regulations and other Canadian support programs. He put the project’s capital cost at about C$1.2 billion and said it has a Class 3 front-end engineering and design package.
If sanctioned, the project would have a three-year construction period and be online in 2030, according to Baines. He said Tidewater believes it could fund the project through Part Three agreements and operating cash flow, while also considering a potential First Nations equity partner and other partnership alternatives.
Management said it will continue to pursue non-core asset sales, focusing on assets that do not fit its strategy or do not generate appropriate returns. The company said free cash flow from its disciplined capital program will primarily be directed toward debt reduction.
About Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure (TSE:TWM)Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd is a Canadian company that is engaged in providing midstream infrastructure and a natural gas storage facility. It mainly focuses on the purchase, sale, and transportation of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) such as propane and natural gasoline throughout North America and export to premium markets. The business activities of the company include gathering, processing, and transportation relates to raw gas gathering systems, processing plants and pipelines, NGL marketing and Extraction, refined products, and other activities.
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