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Xcel Energy hands retirees a quarterly check that has grown every single year, but wildfire lawsuits, a $60 billion spending plan, and a 10-Year Treasury above 4% raise fair questions about whether that streak holds.

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Xcel Energy’s board put a concrete number in front of income investors this quarter. The company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.5925 per share on July 29, 2026, with an ex-dividend date of September 15, 2026 and a payment date of October 20, 2026. The trailing twelve month payout now stands at $2.325 per share. At a recent price of $76.34, Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL | XEL Price Prediction) carries a dividend yield of 3.06%. For a retiree deciding whether to lean on this check, the more useful question is whether the payout is dependable. That is what this scorecard is built to answer.

Dividend Raise Record: Every Year, Inside Policy Xcel Energy has walked the quarterly payout higher every year in the confirmed record. The declared quarterly amount was $0.52 in 2023, $0.5475 in 2024, $0.57 in 2025, and $0.5925 in 2026. That cadence matches management’s stated dividend policy of annual dividend increases of 4% to 6%. For an income investor, the consistency of the raise itself is the signal, and it lands inside the policy range every year.

Why a Regulated Utility Dividend Behaves Differently Xcel Energy is a regulated electric and natural gas utility with subsidiaries in eight states. Its revenue is not won or lost in an open market. State regulators approve the rates that customers pay through periodic rate cases, and those rates are structured to give the utility a return on the capital it invests in generation, transmission, and distribution. Management noted the company advanced settlements and or reached decisions in six active rate cases while keeping long-term bill growth at or below the rate of inflation. Cash flows are more predictable than at an industrial company, and dividends are correspondingly more durable, provided the regulatory compact holds.

Payout Coverage Xcel Energy reaffirmed 2026 ongoing EPS guidance of $4.04 to $4.16. Against a trailing dividend of $2.325, that sits inside the company’s target payout ratio of 45% to 55%. Q2 2026 ongoing EPS came in at $0.93, versus $0.75 per share in the prior-year quarter. The trailing diluted EPS is 3.63, and the forward P/E multiple is 17. Earnings coverage of the dividend is comfortable and inside policy.

Free Cash Flow Versus Capital Spending This is where a regulated utility scorecard diverges from a consumer staple. Xcel Energy generated $4.083 billion in operating cash flow in fiscal 2025 while spending $10.908 billion in capital expenditures. Common-stock dividends paid were $1.282 billion. The gap between operating cash flow and capex is bridged through a mix of debt and equity issuance in the capital markets, which is standard for a capital-intensive rate-regulated utility. Management laid out a $60 billion five-year base capital expenditure plan for 2026-2030, and on the Q2 call said the company has line of sight to the $70-plus billion of total investments. This spending is what grows the rate base that supports future earnings and future dividend raises.

Balance Sheet and Leverage Short and long term debt combined stood at $40.323 billion at the end of Q2 2026, against total shareholder equity of $24.057 billion. Total debt represents 61% of total capitalization. Equity issuance is doing real work here: management said Xcel is already in front of approximately $6 billion, or 85% of its $7 billion equity need in the base five-year plan. Diluted share count has risen alongside, with 627 million shares outstanding at quarter-end versus 563 million at the end of 2024. This dilution is the price of the growth capex and it does dampen per-share earnings growth relative to rate base growth.

Yield Versus the Alternative The 10-Year Treasury yield closed at 4.79% on September 2, 2026, its high in the trailing twelve months. Xcel’s 3.06% equity yield sits below that. The trade for owning the utility is the raise. If Xcel keeps growing the payout at its stated 4% to 6% pace, the yield-on-cost compounds while a Treasury coupon stays fixed. Total return over the last year was 8.62%, with a ten-year gain of 148.71%.

Risks That Deserve Room Capital intensity: the $60 billion plan requires continuous access to debt and equity markets. Any dislocation raises the cost of funding growth. Regulatory outcomes: rates are set by state commissions. An unfavorable order on allowed return on equity or cost recovery would compress the earned return that supports the dividend. Rates versus bonds: with the 10-Year at 4.79%, income competition is real, and higher interest charges hit Xcel directly. Interest expense rose by $174M YTD. Wildfire and storm exposure: estimated losses from the Smokehouse Creek Fire Complex sit at ~$503M with only ~$80M insurance coverage remaining, and Marshall Wildfire settlements total $640M. Moody’s carries a negative outlook on Xcel Energy Inc. unsecured debt. Scorecard Verdict: How Dependable Is the Check? Grade: B+. The dividend is dependable. Coverage is inside the 45% to 55% target payout range, earnings are guided to $4.04 to $4.16 for the year, the raise cadence has held in every declared year on the record, and revenue is set through regulated rate cases rather than exposed to the market cycle. Wildfire liability and heavy equity issuance keep this from an A. For an income investor at or near retirement who needs a check that shows up and gets larger every year, Xcel’s $0.5925 quarterly payout does the job (a utility check like this is exactly the kind of rung we use to build a dividend ladder you never have to sell out of, something we walked through in a free guide here: Never Touch the Principal).

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Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new position in shares of Snap-On Incorporated (NYSE:SNA – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 5,316 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,138,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Snap-On by 36.4% during the fourth quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Snap-On by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 1,844 shares of the company’s stock valued at $635,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Snap-On by 2.4% in the first quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $521,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Snap-On by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 758 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional grew its holdings in shares of Snap-On by 10.6% in the second quarter. CX Institutional now owns 447 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 84.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Snap-On In other Snap-On news, CEO Nicholas Pinchuk sold 22,889 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $399.69, for a total value of $9,148,504.41. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 867,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $346,842,588.51. The trade was a 2.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Jesus Arregui sold 4,251 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $383.92, for a total value of $1,632,043.92. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 4,439 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,704,220.88. This represents a 48.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 45,398 shares of company stock valued at $18,298,580 over the last 90 days. 3.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Snap-On in a report on Friday, July 17th. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $461.00 price target (up from $409.00) on shares of Snap-On in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $415.00 price objective on Snap-On in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Tigress Financial increased their price objective on Snap-On from $445.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Barclays started coverage on Snap-On in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $420.00 target price for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Snap-On has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $426.20. View Our Latest Report on Snap-On

Snap-On Price Performance Shares of SNA opened at $383.98 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 3.43 and a quick ratio of 2.64. Snap-On Incorporated has a 1-year low of $320.80 and a 1-year high of $423.02. The stock has a market cap of $19.86 billion, a PE ratio of 19.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.72. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $403.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $385.47.

Snap-On (NYSE:SNA – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $4.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.95 by $0.01. Snap-On had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 21.25%.The company had revenue of $1.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.72 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Snap-On Incorporated will post 19.7 EPS for the current year.

Snap-On Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be paid a dividend of $2.44 per share. This represents a $9.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 19th. Snap-On’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.77%.

Snap-On Company Profile (Free Report)

Snap‑On Incorporated (NYSE: SNA) is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of tools, diagnostic equipment, repair information and shop equipment for professional users. The company’s product range includes hand and power tools, tool storage and cabinets, diagnostic scan tools and software, shop equipment such as lifts and tire changers, and specialized specialty tools for automotive, aviation, marine and industrial applications. Snap‑On also offers information and workflow solutions that combine diagnostic data, repair procedures and parts information to support professional technicians.

Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Snap‑On has established a long history in the professional tools market.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Snap-On The Path to $230 Billion: Broadcom Outlines the Next Phase of Its AI Growth Story NVIDIA’s Hugging Face Deal Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Moat Now Dropping the Dough: Yum! Brands Strategically Trims the Fat These 3 Stock Charts Just Flashed the Dreaded Death Cross Pattern

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Marvell Technology (MRVL +1.14%) stock has been on a tear over the last six months and could keep moving higher, but I would not expect it to be a millionaire-maker investment for those who buy in here. It has already delivered the types of return most investors chase, and the company's next phase looks more like a strong-but-volatile story of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure than a clean path to life-changing wealth.

Marvell stock has gained about 180% this year and more than 230% over the past 12 months. That's an extraordinary run for a company with a market value measured in the hundreds of billions. This is not some tiny chip designer waiting for the market to notice it.

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

90/100

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To turn a modest investment into $1 million in a time frame that's useful for a retail investor, you need a stock with the potential to be a multibagger many times over. Marvell may still produce strong returns from here, but expecting another 200% or 300% move ignores the fact that its AI narrative has already changed the stock's valuation and investor base.

The business is real This is not a call to avoid Marvell. The company's hardware sits in a valuable part of the AI stack. It designs custom chips for hyperscalers and provides the networking equipment that helps giant AI systems move data among processors, memory, and servers.

It sells optical digital signal processors, Ethernet switches, and active electrical cables. But the most intriguing part of the business is its custom XPUs -- specialized AI accelerators designed to handle specific workloads more efficiently than general-purpose processors. All of these components may be less visible in the data center build-out than Nvidia's GPUs, but they have become more crucial pieces of the puzzle. An AI cluster cannot scale up if it cannot move data fast enough.

As of its fiscal 2027 second quarter, which ended Aug. 1, data center revenue made up 79% of Marvell's business. That is a major improvement from the old Marvell, which relied more heavily on slower-moving storage, networking, and industrial markets. The company also expects its custom silicon revenue to more than double in its fiscal 2028 and has set a long-term target of more than $10 billion in custom chip revenue by fiscal 2029. That is a strong growth platform.

Image source: Getty Images.

The Broadcom problem Marvell's biggest issue is that it operates in a market where Broadcom holds the stronger hand. Broadcom and Marvell together enable more than 80% of hyperscaler custom AI silicon, but Broadcom is the category leader with deeper customer relationships, broader product coverage, and much more financial firepower.

Alphabet recently diversified away from Broadcom (previously its sole chip design partner), inking a new deal with Marvell. Still, that's a far cry from Marvell replacing Broadcom in Alphabet's orbit. Hyperscalers want multiple suppliers for key components because no cloud company wants its AI road map to be dependent on one chip designer. Marvell is benefiting from that need, but it also means it will have to fight for each large program against the company with the best record in custom AI chips.

Competition goes beyond Broadcom. Advanced Micro Devices continues to push custom and semi-custom data center silicon. Astera Labs is moving deeper into AI connectivity and fabric switching. Credo Labs is attacking the high-speed interconnect market where Marvell wants to grow.

The customer concentration risk The same focus that makes Marvell exciting also makes the stock harder to own. A small group of hyperscalers drives most of its growth, and a handful of customers accounts for a large share of its data center revenue. If one customer delays a major data center project, shifts a program in-house, or gives a larger share of a design to Broadcom, the impact on Marvell would not be small.

Marvell just showed how demanding investor expectations have become. It beat Wall Street's consensus estimates with the quarterly results it delivered on Aug 27, reporting 37% revenue growth and raising guidance, and its shares still fell. Investors wanted more than strong results: They wanted proof that margins, customer concentration, and AI demand would remain perfect.

The better way to view it Marvell can still be a winning stock. The Google relationship, its custom silicon pipeline, and AI networking portfolio give it more upside than a mature chip company with no clear growth catalysts. But millionaire-maker stocks tend to start with low expectations, low valuations, and a market opportunity that most investors do not understand yet.

Marvell has high expectations, a crowded AI narrative, and direct competition from higher-scale companies. I would view it as a high-quality satellite position, not the one stock I would depend on to make me rich.

Significant contract supports new well development and production enhancement across bp's UK North Sea operationsAdvanced modular stimulation solution designed to support efficient well completion, operational reliability and enhanced reservoir recovery HOUSTON and LONDON, Sept. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR), an energy technology company, announced Friday a significant award from bp to provide offshore stimulation services across the company’s UK North Sea operations. The award supports both new well development and enhanced recovery from mature fields.

Under the agreement, Baker Hughes will deploy a vessel-based stimulation solution featuring its proven StimFORCE™ modular stimulation package to support well completions and production enhancement activities. Supported by a UK operating base and an established local supply chain network, the solution is designed to enhance operational reliability, minimize non-productive time and optimize recovery. The dedicated vessel solution provides both schedule and operational flexibility, enabling stimulation activities to be executed efficiently.

"By combining our vessel-based stimulation expertise, advanced intervention technologies and production optimization capabilities, we are well positioned to help bp enhance reservoir performance, increase operational flexibility and unlock additional value from both new and mature fields across its North Sea portfolio,” said Baker Hughes Executive Vice President of Oilfield Services & Equipment Amerino Gatti.

Baker Hughes has a long-standing presence in the UK, helping offshore operators optimize reservoir performance across the well lifecycle through advanced drilling, completions and intervention technologies.

About Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations

Kirk Eggleston
+1 346.521.8438
[email protected]

Investor Relations

Chase Mulvehill
+1 346-297-2561
[email protected]
   

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI – Get Free Report)’s stock price crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $81.43 and traded as low as $80.75. Service Corporation International shares last traded at $82.87, with a volume of 654,474 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades SCI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Service Corporation International in a report on Monday. UBS Group increased their price objective on Service Corporation International from $93.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Service Corporation International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $100.67.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Service Corporation International

Service Corporation International Stock Up 2.2% The business’s 50 day moving average is $81.43 and its 200-day moving average is $79.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.32, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.80. Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.01. Service Corporation International had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 34.38%. The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.88 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Service Corporation International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Service Corporation International will post 4.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Service Corporation International Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Service Corporation International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Service Corporation International In related news, CEO Thomas Ryan sold 253,391 shares of Service Corporation International stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.25, for a total transaction of $21,601,582.75. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,006,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $85,779,573. This trade represents a 20.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Service Corporation International A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SCI. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Service Corporation International by 35.7% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 612 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Service Corporation International in the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Service Corporation International in the 3rd quarter valued at $83,000. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank bought a new stake in Service Corporation International in the fourth quarter valued at $238,000. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Service Corporation International Company Profile (Get Free Report)

Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI) is a leading provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services in North America. Through its network of funeral homes, cemeteries, memorial parks and crematoria, the company offers a broad array of end-of-life services, including traditional funeral ceremonies, memorialization, burial and cremation. In addition to core services, SCI provides grief counseling, pre-need planning and merchandise such as caskets, vaults, urns and memorialization products.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Service Corporation International operates more than 1,900 funeral homes, over 450 cemeteries and 40 combination facilities across the United States and Canada.

Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Service Corporation International The Path to $230 Billion: Broadcom Outlines the Next Phase of Its AI Growth Story NVIDIA’s Hugging Face Deal Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Moat Now Dropping the Dough: Yum! Brands Strategically Trims the Fat These 3 Stock Charts Just Flashed the Dreaded Death Cross Pattern Receive News & Ratings for Service Corporation International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Service Corporation International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

AXQ Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Newell Brands Inc. (NASDAQ:NWL – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 627,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,851,000. AXQ Capital LP owned 0.15% of Newell Brands at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in NWL. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Newell Brands by 29.2% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 775,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,800,000 after buying an additional 175,178 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Newell Brands by 47.3% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 563,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,497,000 after acquiring an additional 181,113 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in shares of Newell Brands by 13.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,302,018 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,073,000 after acquiring an additional 153,658 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in shares of Newell Brands by 47.0% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 63,846 shares of the company’s stock valued at $396,000 after acquiring an additional 20,406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Newell Brands during the first quarter worth about $1,326,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.50% of the company’s stock.

Newell Brands Trading Up 1.5% Shares of NWL opened at $6.07 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.45, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.89. Newell Brands Inc. has a twelve month low of $3.07 and a twelve month high of $7.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.68.

Newell Brands (NASDAQ:NWL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.22. Newell Brands had a positive return on equity of 12.31% and a negative net margin of 3.05%.The business had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.98 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.24 EPS. Newell Brands’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Newell Brands has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.180-0.200 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 0.730-0.770 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Newell Brands Inc. will post 0.76 EPS for the current year. Newell Brands Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Newell Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently -52.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Bradford Turner sold 100,000 shares of Newell Brands stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.16, for a total value of $616,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 433,398 shares in the company, valued at $2,669,731.68. The trade was a 18.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.64% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NWL has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Newell Brands from $5.00 to $7.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Newell Brands from $4.75 to $5.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Newell Brands from $5.00 to $7.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Newell Brands from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Newell Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $6.66.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Newell Brands

About Newell Brands (Free Report)

Newell Brands Inc, trading on NASDAQ under the ticker NWL, is a global consumer goods company known for its diverse portfolio of household, commercial, and specialty products. Formed through the merger of Newell Rubbermaid and Jarden Corporation in 2016, the company traces its roots back to Newell Manufacturing, which was founded in 1903. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Newell Brands has built a reputation for widely recognized brands spanning multiple consumer categories.

The company’s business activities are organized across several segments, including writing and creative expression, home solutions, commercial products, and outdoor recreation.

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Combines Serra Verde’s world-class upstream heavy-rare earth operation with USA Rare Earth’s processing, metallization, and magnet-making capabilities

Creates one of the only fully integrated rare earth and permanent magnet platforms outside Asia

Industry veterans Sir Mick Davis and Thras Moraitis join the USA Rare Earth Board

STILLWATER, Okla. and GOIÁS, Brazil, Sept. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- USA Rare Earth (Nasdaq: USAR) (“USAR”, “USA Rare Earth”, or the “Company”) today announced the completion of its combination with Serra Verde Group (“Serra Verde”) on September 3, 2026, creating a global rare earths leader and a partner of choice for the supply of advanced materials and products that underpin Western national security and technological innovation.

Serra Verde is the only scaled producer of all four magnetic and other critical heavy rare earth elements outside Asia. Its mining and processing operation in Goiás, Brazil began production in January 2024 and is currently completing an advanced-stage optimization and commissioning program, with ramp-up expected in the third quarter of 2026. The first stage of this program is expected to reach a run-rate of approximately 4,000 tons per annum (tpa) of total rare earth oxide (TREO) production by the end of 2026. Construction is underway on the second stage of the expansion, targeting average production of 6,400 tpa of TREO, with commissioning expected to begin within 12 months. Longer term, Serra Verde has the potential to double run of mine (ROM) production through a Phase 2 expansion.

Serra Verde joins USA Rare Earth’s existing and planned upstream, midstream and downstream assets in the United States, the United Kingdom and France to create a fully integrated rare earths platform positioned to deliver a reliable supply chain of vital rare earth elements and derivative products aimed at meeting commercial and public sector demand at each stage of the value chain.

Michael Blitzer, Executive Chairman of USA Rare Earth, stated: “Demand for rare earths and permanent magnets is accelerating globally due to demand from rapidly growing forward-facing technologies such as renewable energy, physical AI, semiconductors, aerospace and defense applications. At the same time, supply outside Asia remains weak as new sources, especially of heavy rare earths, take time to develop and produce. Over the past years we have assembled, built and integrated the key assets and capabilities at each step of the value chain, thereby positioning USA Rare Earth at the epicenter of that shift, building the affordable, dependable, and resilient supply chains of essential rare earth materials that underpin economic competitiveness and national security. With the Serra Verde combination complete, our focus now turns to execution, integrating operations, and moving efficiently toward steady-state and reliable supply. To this end, I’m confident we have the right team and platform to play a key role in meeting the needs of the crucial industries which depend on our products.”

Barbara Humpton, Chief Executive Officer of USA Rare Earth, stated: “Today marks a significant milestone for USA Rare Earth, and I am pleased to welcome the Serra Verde team to our platform. They are an exceptionally talented group that has built one of the most strategically important upstream operations in the critical minerals industry. Our teams have spent months preparing for this combination, and we are ready to move forward as one company with a clear focus on integration and execution. Together, we have the assets, the expertise, and the global footprint to manage the full rare earth value chain from the earth to the finished magnet and beyond, providing customers with a secure and resilient source of supply.”

As previously announced, Thras Moraitis, formerly Chief Executive Officer of Serra Verde, has been appointed President of USA Rare Earth and is joining its Board of Directors. On October 1, 2026, Barbara Humpton will retire as CEO of USA Rare Earth and Mr. Moraitis will succeed her and lead the combined company. Sir Mick Davis, Chairman of Serra Verde and former CEO of Xstrata plc, is also joining the USA Rare Earth Board.

Thras Moraitis, President of USA Rare Earth, stated: “For our team in Brazil, this combination is the culmination of a 15-year journey to build a scaled, sustainable source of the vital rare earth materials that power the technologies of the future. The combination with USA Rare Earth accelerates our ambition to ensure our heavy rare earth elements reach end-use customers in the form of advanced materials, including permanent magnets, thereby becoming an important link in an integrated supply chain. Together, we are positioned to supply critical materials that shape our society’s future by promoting the prosperity of global industries whose ambitions would otherwise be constrained by a lack of reliable supply. I look forward to delivering on that promise for our shareholders, customers, employees, governments and communities across Brazil, the United States, the UK and France.”

Advisors

Moelis & Company LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP is acting as legal counsel for USA Rare Earth. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor and White & Case LLP is acting as legal counsel for Serra Verde. Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP is acting as legal counsel for the shareholders of Serra Verde.

About USA Rare Earth

USA Rare Earth, Inc. (Nasdaq: USAR) is building a fully integrated rare earth and permanent magnet value chain across the United States, Brazil and the United Kingdom. Through its ownership of Less Common Metals (LCM), one of the world’s leading producers of rare earth metals and alloys, its development of magnet manufacturing capacity in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the Pela Ema mine in Brazil and the Round Top deposit in Texas, USA Rare Earth operates across the entire value chain from mining to metal-making, alloy production and neodymium magnet manufacturing. USA Rare Earth is establishing a secure, Western-aligned supply of materials essential to the aerospace and defense, semiconductor, energy, data center, physical AI, mobility, healthcare and industrial sectors.

For more information, visit www.usare.com. 

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include those relating to the timing of and expected TREO production resulting from the optimization and commissioning program at the Pela Ema facility, the expected ROM production through a Phase 2 expansion at the Pela Ema facility, the expected benefits of USA Rare Earth’s combination with Serra Verde and other statements regarding the combined company’s expectations for future development, operations, strategies, transactions and financial performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “growth,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “propose,” “should,” “target,” “vision,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, including without limitation: risks that we may not realize the anticipated benefits of USA Rare Earth’s combination with Serra Verde or our proposed and prior acquisitions, including expected synergies, financial performance, estimated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and, in the case of Serra Verde, integration of operations, on the anticipated timeline or at all; potential delays in the optimization and commissioning program and the Phase II expansion at the Pela Ema facility; political, economic, regulatory, tax, currency and other risks associated with Serra Verde’s operations in Brazil and Switzerland; physical climate risks related to the Pela Ema mine; the assumption of substantial indebtedness under Serra Verde’s Retained Finance Agreement, which contains restrictive covenants and other requirements that could adversely affect the combined company’s financial flexibility and operations; risks that the Offtake Agreement is terminated or ceases to be in full force and effect or that the counterparty to the Offtake Agreement is insufficiently capitalized, including as a result of a failure to finalize definitive debt financing arrangements within the timeframes contemplated by the Offtake Agreement; risks that the proposed transaction with Carester SAS may not be consummated on its anticipated timeline or at all; the ability of our Stillwater magnet manufacturing facility to generate revenue and the ability of our planned Blacksburg facility to commence commercial operations on the timing and with the production capacity anticipated or at all; our limited operating history; our ability to commercially extract minerals from the Round Top deposit on our anticipated timeline or at all; differences between planned and actual recovery and yield rates; risks that we may experience delays, unforeseen expenses, increased capital costs, and other complications while developing our projects; our ability to raise necessary capital on acceptable terms or at all; potential dilution to existing stockholders and adverse effect on our stock price if we issue additional common stock or equity-linked securities; the volatility of our stock price; the availability of rare earth oxide, metal feedstock and other materials, utilities (including power and water) and equipment in quantities and prices that allow us to develop and commercially operate our Stillwater facility and other facilities; our ability to meet individual customer specifications and produce a consistently high quality product; potential supply chain, logistics or product delivery disruptions; any delays in obtaining or renewing permits and licenses; any changes in royalty rates or the imposition of new royalties; risks associated with community relations; fluctuations in demand for and prices of neo magnets, rare earth elements and our other products, including without limitation as a result of dumping, predatory pricing and other tactics by our competitors or state actors or the overall competitive environment; our ability to achieve positive cash flow or profitability or the ability to access cash flow within our corporate structure due to restrictions contained in our financing agreements; our ability to convert current commercial discussions and/or memorandums of understanding with customers for the sale of our neo magnets and other products into definitive orders; our dependence, in part, on the growth of existing and emerging uses for neo magnets; the risk that additional manufacturing, refining and mining competitors could result in a reduction in revenue; geopolitical developments or disruptions, such as changes in the political environment, export/import or environmental policy of the People’s Republic of China, the United States or other countries in which we operate or sell products or otherwise; our designation on an export control list by China which has had and is expected to continue to have an adverse impact on our ability to source key raw materials and supplies from China; war, terrorism, natural disasters or public health emergencies; our ability to retain or recruit key personnel; environmental, health and safety regulations; the receipt of funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce is subject to the achievement of milestones which may not be achieved on the expected timeline or at all; and our ability to comply with requirements for federal, state and local government incentives and financing.

Additional risks and detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially has been and will be included in our filings with the SEC, including our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release (or such other date as is specified in such statements), and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.

Investor Relations Contact
J.B. Lowe, CFA
VP, Head of Investor Relations
[email protected]

Media Relations Contact
Collected Strategies
Dan Moore / Scott Bisang
[email protected]

Aura Financial
Michael Oke/ Andy Mills
[email protected]
+44 207 321 0000

SVP Dr. Mo Jinyu to address IFOC on September 8; POET at Booth 13A35, Hall 13, September 9–11, Shenzhen  | Source: POET Technologies Inc.

TORONTO, Sept. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), light sources and optical modules for the AI and data center markets, today announced that it will exhibit at the 2026 China International Optoelectronic Expo (CIOE), taking place September 9-11, 2026, at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center.

Preceding the 27th CIOE, POET’s Senior Vice President, Global Product Development, Dr. Mo Jinyu, will speak to delegates at the 2026 Infostone Optical Communication and Market Technology Conference (IFOC) about “High Power and Multi-wavelength Laser Light Sources for CPO/AI/ML Interconnects.” Her speech will take place on September 8 at 2:50 p.m. local time in the IFOC Forum.

“For 2026, we expect to share details of our continued manufacturing progress and the reasons why a growing number of industry leaders see POET’s wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology as a viable solution to their needs for low-cost, high-power optical interconnects. We will also be discussing the Company’s continued advancements in deploying next-generation applications for AI connectivity in hyperscale data centers,” said Dr. Suresh Venkatesan, POET Chairman and CEO.

CIOE and IFOC are interconnected events that occur each September in Shenzhen. Together, they create the annual convergence of the global optical communications and photonics industries. IFOC runs from September 7 to 8 and CIOE immediately follows. As a premier exhibition spanning the entire optoelectronics industry chain, CIOE brings together over 3,800 leading exhibitors from 30-plus countries and regions. More than 240,000 professional visitors are expected. 

About POET Technologies Inc.

POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers. POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems. POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges across a broad range of communication, computing and sensing applications. POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Singapore, Penang, Malaysia and Shenzhen, China. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include, without limitation, the Company's expectations with respect to its ability to advance customer and prospective customer relationships, its intention to ramp production, its deployment of capital, its ability to secure supply chain partnerships, its ability to increase sales and recruit new staff, and the Company’s ability overall to advance its business objectives. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, potential changes in the Company’s capital needs, changes in the technological or macroeconomic environment that result in demand for the Company’s products being less than expected, changes in production requirements, inability to source and install capital equipment, inability to find and recruit new staff or to qualify and deliver its products on time, and risks that the Company will not be able to identify or consummate suitable acquisitions and/or partnerships and risks relating to the integration and success of any acquisitions and/or partnerships that are consummated.  For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Company's filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Prospective investors in the Company's securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable securities laws.

120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2 - Tel: 416-368-9411 - Fax: 416-322-5075

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Another forecast trim, a China slowdown, and rising competition send lululemon (LULU) shares tumbling. (00:15) The robotaxi era begins with little fanfare as Tesla (TSLA) rolls out Cybercab rides in Austin. (01:49) Volkswagen (VWAGY) is preparing another 50,000 job cuts. (03:03)

This is an abridged transcript.

lululemon athletica (LULU) is a trending topic on Seeking Alpha.

LULU shares are underwater after the company cut its full-year sales guidance again and realized a much larger than expected decline in sales as China continues to disappoint and rivals gain ground in the U.S.

“While we continue to navigate some challenging dynamics, we are taking a prudent approach with our revised full-year outlook,” said Lululemon interim co-CEO Meghan Frank.

Although a new CEO is set to take over next week, lululemon (LULU) is expected to limp through the remainder of the year with another cut to sales guidance, now expected to contract by 5% to 7% to a range of $10.35B to $10.50B.

Moreover, the company now expects to earn a profit of $9.48 to $9.73 per share, down from between $10.95 to $11.15 per share and below the $10.93 per share estimate.

For the current quarter, net sales are expected to decline by 10% to 11%.

The downbeat outlook reflects second-quarter results in which revenue decreased 4% and comparable sales were down 9%, both of which were worse than expected.

Including an $0.86 per share benefit from tariff refunds, lululemon (LULU) earned a profit of $2.92 per share, down 6% year-over-year but better than expectations.

Shares are down 18% in premarket action.

Tesla (TSLA) will begin offering Cybercab rides in "limited areas" of Austin, Texas today, while its highly anticipated launch event ended on a fairly muted note.

There are 45 Cybercabs registered in Texas. The company did not include details on fares when they announced the launch on Thursday.

As for the event, there was no public livestream or journalists. The Verge reported that it had a very short invite list comprised largely of pro-Tesla (TSLA) content creators.

Attendees told Reuters that Elon Musk skipped the event. Executives discussed the Cybercab's manufacturing process and technology for about a quarter of an hour.

The golden two-seater vehicle is fully autonomous with no steering wheel or pedals, using camera vision and sensors for navigation. Tesla (TSLA) previously said the cost would be less than $30,000.

Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to ride in a Cybercab. Minors aged 13-17 can travel in a Cybercab if accompanied by an adult.

Shares of Tesla (TSLA) ended 5.4% higher on Thursday ahead of the Cybercab event, but are down 1.6% premarket.

Volkswagen AG (VWAGY) is getting rid of more people.

The company said on Thursday that its supervisory board has approved a wide-ranging restructuring program that includes a further reduction of 50,000 jobs.

The board voted unanimously on Thursday to endorse the company’s “Future Plan” for transforming the Volkswagen (VWAGY) Group and its brands. The program is intended to make the business more efficient and competitive and to better prepare it for the future.

The additional job cuts would take Volkswagen’s (VWAGY) expected workforce reduction to 100,000. The group also plans to cut the number of models it offers by around half by 2035 and reduce its holdings.

Volkswagen (VWAGY) said it would provide further details of the plan in the near future.

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Oil trends toward biggest weekly gain since July; ING raises price forecast

Stock index futures are largely flat as investors focus on the upcoming jobs report.

Crude oil is down 0.5% at $90. Brent crude is down 0.4% at $95.

The FTSE 100 is little changed and the DAX is little changed.

Economic calendar:

8:30 am Employment Situation: The August jobs report is expected to show nonfarm payroll additions of 55,000 for the month, a 4.1% unemployment rate, and 3.0% year-over-year wage growth.

It is officially just 60 days before the U.S. midterm elections, which some analysts indicate is the beginning of the window when investment managers start making election-related portfolio changes.

Be sure to take the Seeking Alpha weekly news quiz.

Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

Cathie Wood has spent years backing challengers to dominant technology companies, but her latest semiconductor move leaned firmly towards the market leader.

ARK Invest sold about $72.8 million of AMD shares in its August 28 trades while buying roughly $53 million of Nvidia stock.

AMD disposal was valued at about $74.5 million and the Nvidia purchase at $55.6 million.

The move came days after Nvidia delivered another blockbuster quarter. But ARK has not said the trade reflects a loss of confidence in AMD.

The more defensible reading is that Wood was rotating towards clearer near-term AI earnings visibility.

Nvidia had just reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $96.2 billion, up 106% from a year earlier, while Data Center revenue jumped 117% to $89 billion. The company guided for roughly $108 billion of revenue next quarter.

Nvidia is no longer asking investors to wait several product cycles for its AI thesis to show up in financial results.

Demand is already translating into enormous revenue, and management says supply remains a constraint.

TD Cowen analyst Joshua Buchalter described Nvidia shares as “materially undervalued” after the results, according to MarketWatch. He argued that without supply constraints, customer demand could point to revenue nearly doubling.

Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya made a similar valuation case before earnings.

Arya saw Nvidia stock trading at a 34% to 50% discount to what its fundamentals could justify while maintaining a $350 target.

For ARK, that combination of dominant market position and visible earnings growth may have made Nvidia the more attractive destination for incremental chip exposure.

AMD’s own numbers hardly suggest a broken story.

Second-quarter revenue reached a record $11.5 billion, up 50% year on year, while Data Center revenue more than doubled.

Chief executive Lisa Su said Helios, AMD’s rack-scale AI platform, was beginning to ramp in the second half.

The difference is that investors are still waiting to see how quickly Helios can translate into a much larger AI revenue stream.

Futurum Group chief executive Daniel Newman captured that tension after AMD’s results.

Yahoo Finance reported that Newman viewed the quarter as good, but said investors had been looking for a much stronger guide driven by Helios.

Wall Street remains constructive on AMD.

Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to Buy in May, arguing that AMD could be an outsized beneficiary of enterprise agentic AI adoption as demand supports both server CPUs and future data-centre GPU growth.

The firm also said it continued to prefer Nvidia and Broadcom on a relative basis.

That last point fits ARK’s August 28 activity especially well, as Wood did not simply sell AMD and buy Nvidia. ARK also added roughly $20 million of Broadcom stock.

That looks more like a reshaping of semiconductor exposure across several AI winners than a binary call that AMD has lost.

Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW – Free Report) by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 61,811 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 4,362 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies comprises 2.1% of Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $13,629,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $1,993,697,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 45.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,555,565 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,580,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,039,343 shares in the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 7,814.9% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 1,490,369 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $359,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471,539 shares during the period. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $308,683,000. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $219,948,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LOW has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $275.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $255.00 to $254.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Benchmark assumed coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.53.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Lowe’s Companies Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.1% Shares of LOW stock opened at $202.09 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $213.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $228.09. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $199.34 and a twelve month high of $293.06. The company has a market capitalization of $113.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.08, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.85.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.22 by $0.18. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.34% and a negative return on equity of 75.67%. The company had revenue of $25.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.33 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 21st will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 21st. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 42.27%.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP Janice Dupré sold 14,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Juliette Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total value of $2,097,477.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Lowe’s Companies Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe’s Companies this week:

Positive Sentiment: Lowe’s Foundation launched the “Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition,” bringing together NVIDIA, AT&T, Bank of America, General Motors, Carrier, DEWALT and Duke Energy to help train one million skilled-trades workers by 2035. The initiative could strengthen Lowe’s long-term customer and labor pipeline while supporting demand for home-improvement projects. Nvidia Is Now Paying to Train Plumbers, and the Stock That Should Benefit Most Just Hit a 52-Week Low Neutral Sentiment: Lowe’s kicked off the second year of its “Earn Your Sunday” NFL campaign, adding Myles Garrett and Jordan Love to its roster of football ambassadors. The marketing effort may increase brand engagement and project-related traffic, but its direct earnings impact is uncertain. Lowe’s Kicks Off Year Two of Earn Your Sunday Neutral Sentiment: A comparison of Lowe’s and Home Depot dividends highlighted concerns about dividend coverage and the pace of future increases for at least one retailer. The report could make income-focused investors more cautious, although the provided details do not clearly identify Lowe’s as the company with the weaker coverage. Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: One Dividend Looks Much Stronger Under the Hood Negative Sentiment: Mortgage rates reached a one-year high following a global bond-market sell-off. Higher financing costs can reduce housing activity and delay big-ticket renovations, pressuring sales at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Mortgage Rates Just Hit a 1-Year High Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research reduced several Lowe’s earnings forecasts, including FY2027 EPS to $12.25 from $12.45, FY2028 to $12.94 from $13.60 and FY2029 to $13.90 from $14.62. Although one later-quarter estimate increased slightly, the broad downward revisions signal weaker expected profit growth and are likely weighing on the stock. Lowe’s Companies Analyst Estimates Lowe’s Companies Profile (Free Report)

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Lowe’s Companies The Path to $230 Billion: Broadcom Outlines the Next Phase of Its AI Growth Story NVIDIA’s Hugging Face Deal Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Moat Now Dropping the Dough: Yum! Brands Strategically Trims the Fat These 3 Stock Charts Just Flashed the Dreaded Death Cross Pattern Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LOW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW – Free Report).

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Site will add more than 120 jobs and increase production capacity for commercial and military engine components

, /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, is investing $25 million (PLN 95 million) to expand its manufacturing facility in Niepołomice, Poland, which is dedicated to producing complex tubular assemblies for commercial and military engines. The expanded site is expected to become operational in 2028 creating more than 120 jobs and will help meet growing demand for commercial and military engines.

The Niepołomice facility already provides precision components for multiple engine types, including the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine powering commercial passenger aircraft, the PW800 powering business jets and the F135 powering all variants of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft.

"Poland plays a vital role as a key hub in Pratt & Whitney's global engine production, a commitment further strengthened by our $125 million investment in facilities this year," said Dariusz Stopa, general manager, Pratt & Whitney in Niepołomice. "Our employees in Niepołomice manufacture high-precision engine components that support commercial and military aircraft around the world. Growing this team will increase our ability to meet global demand for advanced aircraft engines."

The investment is supported by the Polish government through the Polish Investment Zone Programme. The site's growth complements the recently announced $100 million investment in Pratt & Whitney's facilities in Rzeszow, Poland, which is also increasing production capacity and adding advanced capabilities for processing isothermally forged parts for the GTF, F135 and F100 engines.

Poland represents RTX's largest investment and employee base outside the United States, with more than 9,500 employees across its Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon businesses in-country. Pratt & Whitney's sites in Poland provide advanced manufacturing and technology development capabilities for commercial and military engines, turboprops and auxiliary power units. This includes the manufacture of complex engine components such as the GTF fan drive gear system, F100 static structures and critical F135 parts.

About Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units for military, commercial and civil aviation customers. Since 1925, our engineers have pioneered the development of revolutionary aircraft propulsion technologies, and today we support more than 90,000 in-service engines through our global network of maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.

About RTX

With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With industry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated defence systems for operational success, and develop next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE RTX

TJX Companies (TJX +0.67%) had a rough time in late summer, at least as far as its stock was concerned. The company, best known for operating the TJ Maxx and Marshalls chains of discount department stores, released its latest quarterly earnings report, and investors found it dispiriting.

So too did several analysts, with two going so far as to downgrade their recommendations on the retailer. This combination of factors drove TJX's stock down by almost 15% last month.

Image source: Getty Images.

Not good enough for Mr. Market TJX reported its fiscal 2027 second-quarter figures on Aug. 19, revealing that total net sales were just under $15.2 billion, up 5% year over year. That was on the back of comparable sales growth of 4% across all of the company's divisions (which comprises the Marmaxx unit of TJMaxx and Marshalls, plus the HomeGoods brand and operations in Canada and overseas).

In terms of profitability, TJX also posted improvements. Net income under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) climbed by a robust 22% to $1.52 billion. On a non-GAAP (adjusted), per-share basis, that line item rose by 11% to $1.22.

Neither metric was far from its corresponding consensus analyst estimate. Revenue was basically in line with the average prognosticator projection, while the company's adjusted net profit was slightly above the collective expectation of $1.19.

Those trailing numbers didn't keep investors up at night, but stocks trade on future potential, not past results -- and that was the issue with this earnings report.

This, even though TJX actually raised its bottom-line guidance for the entirety of 2027 -- and for the second time in a row. Adjusted net income for the year is now expected to be $5.15 to $5.20 per share, up from the previous forecast of $5.08 to $5.15. It left its "comps" guidance intact at 3% to 4%. It added that it aims to increase its store count by 4% in fiscal 2028.

Yet the increased profitability range still sits under the average analyst estimate of $5.22 per share for the year. Investors can be rather unforgiving of companies that fall even an inch short of forward projections.

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A pair of downgrades So can analysts. Several professional TJX trackers lowered their price targets on the stock in the wake of the earnings release.

Two of them took the additional step of downgrading their TJX recommendations. Jefferies' Corey Tarlowe reduced his to hold from buy, while Gordon Haskett's Chuck Grom changed his from buy to accumulate (a midpoint between buy and hold). This had the expected negative effect of dampening sentiment on the retailer's stock.

TJX had done well in previous quarters, so this latest one looked weak in comparison. Unfortunately, the preceding frames have helped crank up its stock price, so now it appears a bit expensive on valuation grounds. I'm not down on the company, which isn't doing badly at all, but I'd be hesitant to buy the stock at its current level.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG increased its stake in shares of UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:UMBF – Free Report) by 14.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 43,882 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 5,621 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG owned 0.06% of UMB Financial worth $6,265,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Greenleaf Trust increased its stake in shares of UMB Financial by 4.7% in the 2nd quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,506 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $358,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the period. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of UMB Financial during the second quarter valued at $347,000. Equitable Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in shares of UMB Financial during the second quarter valued at $234,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in UMB Financial in the second quarter valued at about $6,071,000. Finally, Capstone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in UMB Financial in the second quarter valued at about $415,000. Institutional investors own 87.78% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have commented on UMBF shares. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $181.00 target price (up from $161.00) on shares of UMB Financial in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on UMB Financial from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 price objective (up from $170.00) on shares of UMB Financial in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $166.00 price objective (up from $161.00) on shares of UMB Financial in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of UMB Financial in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UMB Financial presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $166.54.

Read Our Latest Research Report on UMBF UMB Financial Stock Performance UMBF opened at $143.44 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $144.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $131.13. UMB Financial Corporation has a 1 year low of $68.92 and a 1 year high of $144.21. The company has a market capitalization of $10.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.94, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

UMB Financial (NASDAQ:UMBF – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The bank reported $3.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.12 by $0.45. The business had revenue of $778.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $727.63 million. UMB Financial had a net margin of 21.64% and a return on equity of 13.41%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that UMB Financial Corporation will post 13.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UMB Financial Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, September 10th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This is an increase from UMB Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. UMB Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at UMB Financial In related news, President James D. Rine sold 8,246 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.59, for a total transaction of $1,093,337.14. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 61,446 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,147,125.14. The trade was a 11.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO J. Kemper sold 15,062 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.55, for a total value of $2,237,460.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,491,138 shares in the company, valued at approximately $221,508,549.90. This trade represents a 1.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 34,171 shares of company stock valued at $4,919,826 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 5.33% of the company’s stock.

UMB Financial Company Profile (Free Report)

UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: UMBF) is a diversified financial services holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Through its principal banking subsidiary, UMB Bank, N.A., the company provides a full suite of commercial and consumer banking services. Key offerings include deposit accounts, commercial and consumer lending, treasury and cash management, as well as online and mobile banking solutions designed to serve businesses, individuals and municipalities.

In addition to its core banking operations, UMB Financial delivers wealth management and trust services, investment advisory, asset management and retirement planning to high-net-worth individuals, families and institutions.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than UMB Financial The Path to $230 Billion: Broadcom Outlines the Next Phase of Its AI Growth Story NVIDIA’s Hugging Face Deal Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Moat Now Dropping the Dough: Yum! Brands Strategically Trims the Fat These 3 Stock Charts Just Flashed the Dreaded Death Cross Pattern Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UMBF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:UMBF – Free Report).

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Baypointe Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 15,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $6,765,000. Ulta Beauty makes up about 16.2% of Baypointe Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,815,712,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,025,565 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,225,487,000 after acquiring an additional 50,305 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 52,171.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,474,042 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $77,050,000 after buying an additional 1,471,222 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,240,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $747,587,000 after purchasing an additional 21,947 shares during the period. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 974,223 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $589,415,000 after buying an additional 2,463 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Ulta Beauty Stock Up 1.0% ULTA stock opened at $557.11 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.85. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52 week low of $443.60 and a 52 week high of $714.97. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $503.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $529.93.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 45.40% and a net margin of 9.34%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.78 earnings per share. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.93 EPS for the current year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have weighed in on ULTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $631.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $700.00 target price on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday, August 28th. Argus set a $550.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $700.00 to $630.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Ulta Beauty from $647.00 to $645.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $626.59.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Ulta Beauty

Key Stories Impacting Ulta Beauty Here are the key news stories impacting Ulta Beauty this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade supports the shares. Ulta Beauty gained attention after an analyst upgrade, adding to recent positive momentum and reinforcing confidence in the retailer’s earnings outlook. Ulta Beauty Trading Up After Analyst Upgrade Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings and guidance remain key catalysts. Ulta reported quarterly revenue of approximately $3.04 billion and adjusted earnings of $6.55 per share, exceeding consensus estimates. Sales increased 8.9% year over year, while the company raised fiscal 2026 earnings guidance to roughly $28.70–$29.00 per share. Continued growth in prestige hair care also supports the investment case. Ulta Beauty Earnings Beat Keeps Valuation In Focus Positive Sentiment: Loss-prevention efforts could help margins. Ulta is using Flock license-plate cameras at some stores, a move that may deter organized retail crime and reduce merchandise losses, although privacy and implementation considerations remain. Ulta Beauty Is Using Flock Cameras at Some Stores Neutral Sentiment: Investor conference participation may provide additional outlook commentary. Management’s upcoming conference appearance could offer updates on consumer demand, store growth and guidance, but no new financial information was announced. Ulta Beauty to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conference Neutral Sentiment: Promotional activity is intensifying. Ulta’s 21+ Days of Beauty and Labor Day promotions may drive traffic and sales, but heavier discounting could pressure margins. Ulta 21+ Days of Beauty Event Negative Sentiment: Valuation and slowing comps remain risks. Analysts noted that the earnings beat was accompanied by moderating comparable-sales growth, while valuation screens suggest the stock may already reflect much of the improved guidance. Ulta Beauty’s Earnings Beat Was Stronger Than the Stock’s Reaction Ulta Beauty Stock Could Be Overvalued Negative Sentiment: Shoplifting and competition remain headwinds. A reported shoplifting incident highlights ongoing shrink risk, while Target’s planned beauty studios could increase competitive pressure in beauty retail. Lexington Police Work to Identify Alleged Ulta Beauty Shoplifter Target Beauty Studios Debuting Insiders Place Their Bets In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total value of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,143,919.36. This trade represents a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ulta Beauty Company Profile (Free Report)

Ulta Beauty, Inc (NASDAQ: ULTA) is a U.S.-based specialty retailer and beauty services provider focused on cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care, bath and body, and beauty tools. The company operates a dual-format business that combines brick-and-mortar retail stores with an e-commerce platform, offering a broad assortment of national, prestige and mass-market brands alongside its own private-label products. In many locations Ulta also provides full-service salon treatments, positioning the company as a one-stop destination for product discovery and in-store services.

The retailer’s product mix spans color cosmetics, haircare and styling products, skin and body care, fragrance, and accessories, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences and price points.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Ulta Beauty The Path to $230 Billion: Broadcom Outlines the Next Phase of Its AI Growth Story NVIDIA’s Hugging Face Deal Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Moat Now Dropping the Dough: Yum! Brands Strategically Trims the Fat These 3 Stock Charts Just Flashed the Dreaded Death Cross Pattern

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Premier African Minerals Ltd (AIM:PREM, OTC:PRMMF) shares dropped more than 27% to 0.1p on Friday after the company outlined plans to seek authority to issue tens of billions of new shares as it looks to fund the Zulu lithium project and strengthen its balance sheet.

Premier called a general meeting for 23 September, where shareholders will vote on proposals including authority to issue up to 58.63 billion ordinary shares to support the operational and funding plan for its Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Project in Zimbabwe.

A further 5.40 billion shares could be issued to settle outstanding creditor obligations, including approximately US$880,000 owed to J R Goddard Contracting and US$289,064 owed to China Zenith Capital.

Another resolution would authorise up to 8.57 billion shares for Canmax Technologies under existing conversion rights.

Premier's current financial forecast identifies a funding requirement of around $19.1 million through to the end of 2027, with the proposed initial share authority providing capacity to raise approximately $12.7 million based on a 0.016p share price.

Shareholders will also be asked to approve a further 10-for-one share consolidation, aimed at reducing the company's more than 50 billion shares currently in issue.

Premier cautioned that it has limited funds and needs additional financing to meet its obligations, warning that failure to secure funding could materially affect both Zulu and the group's financial position.

Shares of Joby Aviation (JOBY +0.73%) trade below $7 as of this writing, near their 52-week low, having lost about two-thirds of their value from a 52-week high of nearly $20. Investors, it seems, may be tired of waiting for electric air taxis to turn into meaningful revenue.

The company, meanwhile, isn't waiting. On Aug. 11, Joby announced an agreement to acquire Resonant Sciences, a defense technology company, for about $500 million -- about $450 million in cash plus $50 million in stock. It's a purchase big enough to roughly double Joby's revenue base.

Half a billion dollars is serious money for a company that still spends far more than it takes in. Here's a closer look at what the deal costs -- and what shareholders get.

Image source: Joby Aviation.

Fast growth in defenseResonant, based in Dayton, Ohio, builds radio frequency (RF) and mission systems for U.S. national security customers. It also specializes in low-observability technology. In simpler terms, its systems help military aircraft sense their surroundings and avoid detection.

Not only did Resonant generate more than $100 million of revenue over its trailing twelve months, up about 40% year over year, but the business also produces positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). And demand is accelerating. In the first half of 2026, Resonant booked more than three times as much new business as it did a year earlier, and its backlog more than doubled year over year.

Joby's own outlook, raised in August, calls for full-year 2026 revenue of $115 million to $125 million. Resonant's trailing-twelve-month revenue, in other words, is nearly as large as everything Joby expects to book this year.

However, the deal isn't expected to close until the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory reviews. None of Resonant's results are in Joby's numbers yet.

Can Joby afford it?Joby can afford the deal, I think, at least on today's balance sheet.

Joby's cash and short-term investments stood at about $2.3 billion at the end of June. Management expects to use between $385 million and $415 million of it in the second half of 2026 alone. The $450 million going to Resonant works out to about a fifth of the war chest.

In February, Joby raised about $576 million in net proceeds from a stock offering and another $670 million from an offering of convertible notes. The company, in other words, is spending cash investors handed it months ago, not cash the business generated.

Between the guided second-half cash use and the Resonant payment, about $850 million of the June 30 balance is already spoken for. The $50 million of stock barely registers, adding less than 1% to the share count. However, on the same day it announced the deal, Joby also put a program in place to sell up to $750 million in new stock over time.

Joby stock is still an air taxi betAlmost none of Joby's revenue today comes from electric air taxis.

Of the $38.6 million the company reported for the second quarter, $36.2 million came from passenger flights booked through Blade (the passenger business Joby acquired in August 2025). Blade's demand peaks in the summer, and the second quarter's $38.6 million was up from about $24 million in the first. And the full-year outlook implies a second half no bigger than the first, not an acceleration.

But the air taxi business itself isn't generating revenue yet. Joby said in its August update that it made its strongest quarterly progress yet in the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification. The company is still targeting its first passenger flights before the end of 2026, with the first flights under a federal pilot program expected in Texas this month.

The price of the deal also looks reasonable next to Joby's own valuation. At a market capitalization of about $6.7 billion, Joby trades at more than 50 times the midpoint of its 2026 revenue outlook. Resonant, by comparison, is being bought for less than 5 times its trailing sales -- a modest price, I'd argue, for a business growing about 40%.

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Investors, in short, aren't paying for the revenue Joby has today. They're paying for the air taxi business it hopes to build.

Ultimately, the acquisition strikes me as a sensible use of Joby's cash. It buys a business that could keep growing whether or not air taxis arrive on schedule. But the deal doesn't change what this growth stock is: a bet that electric air taxis become a big business before the cash runs low.

Of course, the certification work isn't finished, and the first paying passengers haven't flown. I would avoid buying shares here. If those passengers arrive on schedule and spending starts to fall, I would consider changing my mind.

When recently IPO'd Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +6.42%), or SpaceX, released its first quarterly earnings report, there wasn't much in it that was unexpected.

Revenue grew. Net loss shrank. Capital expenditures in the AI business skyrocketed. Ho hum. But buried in the report were a pair of numbers that made me do a double-take. I had to check to make sure I read them correctly.

These two numbers could actually be a game changer for SpaceX's profitability. Here's what they are and why they're important.

Image source: Getty Images.

Buried on page 5 SpaceX highlighted its biggest, boldest numbers on page 1 of its report, boasting about its $14.1 billion in contracted Cloud Services Agreements sales, and its $6 billion in multi-year government Starshield contracts.

But on page 5 -- literally halfway through the 10-page report -- these two numbers caught my eye: 12.0 and $66.

12.0 is the number of subscribers, in millions, for SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband and wireless network, which offers communications access to people around the globe who aren't served by traditional cellular towers or internet cable networks.

That's actually a sizable 16.5% jump from the 10.3 million Starlink subscribers that SpaceX reported in the first quarter, and it's double the 6 million Starlink subscribers that SpaceX reported in the second quarter of 2025.

The other number -- $66 -- is where it really gets interesting.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Holding steady $66 is the monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) of those 12 million Starlink subscribers. That's unchanged from Q1 ... which is a big surprise.

In Q2 2025, Starlink's monthly ARPU was $85 for its 6 million subscribers. When that shrank to $66 for 10.3 million subscribers in Q1, most analysts assumed that Starlink's ARPU would continue steadily shrinking as it expanded into less profitable markets, likely at a similar rate. Instead, Starlink was able to add 1.7 million net new subscribers without margin shrinkage. That's huge.

Starlink is currently SpaceX's only profitable segment, and it's essentially offsetting all the losses from the rocket launch segment and some of the losses from the AI segment. However, if Starlink can continue to grow its subscriber base while mostly maintaining its current ARPU, the company could become profitable much earlier than most analysts -- including me -- anticipated.

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That said, one quarter doesn't make a trend. It's always a good idea to wait for multiple quarterly reports before buying shares of a recent IPO.

It's possible this quarter is just a blip, and Starlink's ARPU will continue to shrink in the third quarter. Or SpaceX's AI losses might accelerate faster than anticipated. With just one official quarterly report to go on, there's no way to tell.

But if this trend continues in Q3, I might have to rethink my conclusion that SpaceX is wildly overvalued.

Nvidia has become one of the world's largest strategic tech backers as the value of its equity investments soared more than tenfold in the past year to $99 billion, with the chip giant increasingly looking to leverage its huge capital reserves to bolster the AI sector.

The company has ramped up dealmaking for financing rounds across the AI stack in the previous 12 months, with over $40 billion committed in 2026. Equity investments were valued at $99 billion as of July 26, up from about $7 billion a year earlier and about $2.2 billion two years earlier.

The rise in value puts Nvidia among the strategic investors with the largest tech holdings around the world. The company still trails some more established tech firms, with Alphabet and Amazon both posting equity investments worth over $100 billion in recent earnings.

Capital has increasingly become a key play for Nvidia.

In August, the company announced partnerships with major investment firms aimed at mobilizing more than $500 billion worth of financing for Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) and said it would provide up to $105 billion of conditional credit support for an OpenAI data center in Ohio. Nvidia also announced Thursday it is planning to acquire AI startup Hugging Face for $12.9 billion.

Frontier labs, neoclouds and companies building software and novel tech for AI — both in private and public markets — have been recipients of cash, with the value of Nvidia's equity holdings also buoyed by skyrocketing tech stocks.

Nvidia made the investments to enhance its growth opportunities, cultivate its ecosystem and strengthen its competitive position, the company said in its earnings.

"Nvidia has a clear interest in ensuring that its customers and partners prosper to provide future business for Nvidia," Ian Fogg, research director at CCS Insight, told CNBC. "Equity investments help companies to innovate, but also give Nvidia a degree of control to encourage companies to take a Nvidia-related innovation path."

Securing positioningNvidia dominates the market for the most advanced chips used for AI, known as graphics processing units (GPUs). Business has boomed as a result.

The chip giant has seen its stock increase by 33% over the past 12 months, and its revenue soared 106% to $96.2 billion in its fiscal second quarter.

Nvidia stock.

"Nvidia is keen to diversify its AI business," said Fogg. "In its most recent quarter, $48.7bn of $96.2bn revenue came from the Hyperscale segment which includes the largest cloud players."

The company is taking steps including financing and equity investments to "increase the range of customers and create an AI ecosystem," he added. "Some aim to support emergent cloud providers, others help Nvidia grow new markets, like telecom for example with the $1bn Nokia equity investment."

Frontier AI labs have been major recipients of Nvidia splashing the cash. The chip giant's Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress told analysts on an earnings call that the company had invested "nearly $50 billion in the frontier AI labs."

Most recently, in February, Nvidia said it would invest $30 billion into OpenAI as part of the company's $110 billion funding round.

While frontier AI labs had "extraordinary" demand for compute, they were growing faster than balance sheets and credit profiles could support and struggled to secure AI factory infrastructure independently, Kress added. "Nvidia is needed to help power this flywheel."

Neoclouds, which buy Nvidia GPUs and then rent access to companies, such as Nebius and CoreWeave, have also courted the chip giant. January saw Nvidia invest $2 billion into CoreWeave and in March it was announced that Nebius secured a $2 billion investment.

watch now

"By injecting capital directly into AI infrastructure financiers, specialized cloud providers and foundation model labs, Nvidia provides these startups with the balance sheet strength to purchase tens of thousands of Nvidia GPUs," Naveen Chhabra, principal analyst at Forrester, told CNBC.

The company has also invested in nascent technological areas. Since March, Nvidia has committed at least $6.5 billion into companies developing photonics and optical technology — which uses light to transmit data and is considered to be a more efficient alternative to transferring data using electricity.

Lumentum, Coherent and Marvell each received $2 billion investments from the tech giant.

"Optics/networking specialists, like Coherent, receive investments to ensure their tooling, NVLink protocols and design engines remain strictly optimized for Nvidia's architecture," said Chhabra. "This creates high switching costs and protects the CUDA software moat against competing accelerators from AMD or internal custom chips from cloud providers."

Nvidia has also seen its $5 billion investment in Intel soar to a value of $30 billion, while its SpaceX holding was worth $21 billion as of June.

"As global AI chip demand runs into physical supply constraints particularly around high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced packaging, Nvidia uses strategic equity positions like in domestic manufacturing options like Intel, to secure priority manufacturing access, reduce Asian foundry concentration risk and stabilize key component supplies," said Chhabra.

Anthropic is close to finalising an expansion of its revolving credit facility to $15 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, clearing a key hurdle before the AI company files publicly for its highly anticipated IPO.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is leading the process, with Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup also holding prominent roles on the facility. The same four lenders are reported to be leading the IPO itself.

Raise seen rivalling SpaceX

The Claude chatbot maker is seeking to raise as much as SpaceX or more in its initial public offering, according to people familiar with the preparations. Companies typically finalise a revolver of this kind before formally notifying banks of their roles in a listing — making the credit facility a signal of IPO timing as much as a financing event in its own right.

Wider banking syndicate

Barclays and Wells Fargo are also expected to take key roles on the loan, with Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) and UBS ranked high in the facility's lineup. Bank of Montreal, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Mizuho, Mitsubishi UFJ, Sumitomo Mitsui and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD) round out the syndicate.

In syndicated loans, a bank's fee income generally scales with its commitment — meaning a higher ranking on the facility can also point to a more active role should the IPO proceed.

Above initial target

The facility would exceed the roughly $10 billion target reported last month. Anthropic had asked the most active lead banks to commit about $1.25 billion each, with the next tier encouraged to offer around $1 billion, and commitments falling to roughly $750 million or lower for less active participants, according to the earlier reporting.

Terms still in flux

Details of the loan could still change, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the information isn't public. Representatives for Anthropic, JPMorgan, Barclays, Wells Fargo and UBS declined to comment; the other banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Institutional Bitcoin buying is no longer a novelty. It is now a line item on balance sheets managing trillions of dollars, and the latest figures from BlackRock make that point without any need for embellishment.

BlackRock clients purchased approximately $453.96 million worth of Bitcoin in a single transaction, continuing a pattern of institutional accumulation that has reshaped how traditional finance thinks about digital assets.

The numbers behind the move During the week of August 17 through 25, BlackRock clients bought a combined $1.33 billion in Bitcoin, marking the largest weekly total since October 2025.

The broader U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF market reflected the same momentum. Total inflows across all spot Bitcoin ETFs reached approximately $3.3 to $3.52 billion in August 2026. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, known by its ticker IBIT, captured the majority of those flows.

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IBIT currently holds around $59 to $60 billion in assets and routinely accounts for more than 75% of daily spot Bitcoin ETF inflows.

Bitcoin was trading around $78,000 during the period in question, providing the price context against which these dollar-denominated inflow figures were built.

How BlackRock actually does this BlackRock does not speculate on Bitcoin. The firm has been explicit about its operating model: it transacts in Bitcoin only when client demand for exposure is present. That demand is expressed through purchases of IBIT shares, and BlackRock then acquires the underlying Bitcoin to back those shares, using Coinbase Prime as its custody partner.

Since IBIT launched in January 2024, cumulative client buying through the vehicle has reached what BlackRock describes as tens of billions of dollars.

Tracking firms like Arkham Intelligence have been monitoring on-chain flows associated with BlackRock’s Bitcoin addresses, giving the market a near-real-time window into accumulation activity. The $453.96 million figure reflects that kind of granular institutional transparency.

What this signals for the market The concentration of inflows into IBIT specifically has competitive implications for the rest of the spot Bitcoin ETF field. IBIT’s asset base and daily volume dominance give it a self-reinforcing advantage, as institutional investors often prefer the most liquid vehicle in a category.

BlackRock has noted publicly that many of its clients are using Bitcoin as a diversification tool, adding an asset with low historical correlation to traditional stocks and bonds.

The prior comparable weekly inflow figure was in October 2025, suggesting these spikes in institutional buying tend to cluster around specific market conditions rather than running at a constant elevated rate.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Pocket Bitcoin said on Sept. 3 that its August security incident exposed additional personal and financial information involving 5,411 customers, expanding the scope described in its initial disclosure.

Summary

Pocket Bitcoin confirmed that two exposed data groups contained records involving 5,411 customers in total. Bank transaction lists exposed names, addresses, transfer amounts, dates and sometimes customer IBAN account numbers. Another 291 customers faced possible exposure of identity documents, Bitcoin addresses and sensitive funding records. Pocket said its customer databases, transaction systems, private keys and customer Bitcoin remained directly unaffected. Authorities in Switzerland and Liechtenstein received notifications, while Pocket also formally filed a police report. The Swiss Bitcoin services provider identified two distinct groups after completing its forensic investigation. One contained bank transaction information involving 5,120 customers. The other covered correspondence containing potentially more sensitive records from 291 customers.

Pocket Bitcoin breach exposed two data groups The larger group consisted of transaction lists that partner banks sent to Pocket Bitcoin during compliance checks. Those lists contained customer names, residential addresses, transfer amounts and transaction dates. Some also included the IBAN connected to a transfer.

⚠️ Update zum Sicherheitsvorfall bei Pocket Bitcoin

Unsere Untersuchung ist abgeschlossen.
Dabei hat sich gezeigt, dass in einzelnen Fällen weitere Daten betroffen sind als in unserem ersten Beitrag beschrieben.

Wir haben dazu zwei betroffene Gruppen identifiziert. https://t.co/XASbu1wTQH

— PocketBitcoin.com 🏦👉🔑 (@PocketBitcoin) September 3, 2026 The smaller group involved correspondence Pocket Bitcoin sent to partner banks. Depending on the customer, the exposed material included names, postal addresses, public Bitcoin addresses, identity document copies and source-of-funds records.

The company said the information appeared in different combinations, meaning every customer in the 291-person group did not necessarily have every listed data type exposed. Pocket Bitcoin has contacted affected customers individually with details about their cases.

The two groups cover 5,411 customers combined. Other customers may have had email addresses or support conversations exposed under the company’s original disclosure, but Pocket said those without a new personal notification should continue relying on that initial notice.

Core databases and customer Bitcoin were unaffected Pocket Bitcoin said attackers did not compromise its main customer or transaction databases. Instead, the records came from correspondence and bank-generated lists stored in a copied backup within the affected support system.

This distinction explains why data resembling transaction and identity records was exposed even though the underlying databases remained secure. The affected support material contained copies of information produced or received during regulatory compliance procedures.

Pocket Bitcoin operates as a noncustodial service and does not hold customers’ private keys. The company said Bitcoin balances were never accessible to the attacker, while buying and selling services continue to operate normally.

A disclosed Bitcoin address cannot authorize a transfer. However, linking a public address to a customer’s identity may allow another person to inspect its visible blockchain activity. Pocket noted that moving Bitcoin cannot erase the address’s existing transaction history.

Exposed records create physical phishing risks Pocket Bitcoin said it currently has no indication that the exposed information has been misused. That statement reflects information available after its investigation and does not guarantee that misuse will not occur later.

“As things stand, we have no indication that any of the affected information has been misused,” Pocket Bitcoin said.

The company identified forged letters and other physical communications as particular risks because names and postal addresses were included. A fraudster could refer to a genuine bank transfer or Bitcoin transaction to make an impersonation attempt appear credible.

Email addresses and login credentials were not linked to the two newly identified data groups, according to Pocket Bitcoin. The company therefore said it does not see a direct targeted email-phishing risk arising specifically from those records.

The incident follows several disclosures involving customer information held outside core crypto systems. As crypto.news reported, three recent breaches exposed 253,487 records, raising concerns that residential and transaction data could support phishing or physical targeting years later.

A separate August incident at Bits of Gold potentially exposed customer identity, banking and wallet information through a third-party system. That investigation similarly found that customer funds and passwords remained unaffected.

Pocket Bitcoin notified regulators and police Pocket Bitcoin reported the incident to Switzerland’s Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner and Liechtenstein’s Data Protection Office. It also filed a police report but did not identify the suspected attacker or provide details about the investigation.

The company said the vulnerability behind the incident has been closed and additional safeguards have been installed. It is reviewing how bank correspondence and related compliance records are stored and transferred.

Pocket expects to publish more information about those changes in the coming weeks. It does not expect to identify further exposure categories, although it said it would notify customers if later findings changed that assessment.

Affected users should monitor bank activity and treat unexpected letters, calls or messages cautiously. Pocket Bitcoin said it will never ask customers to disclose a seed phrase or transfer Bitcoin through an unsolicited telephone call or letter.

XRP Tops the Agenda for Wealth Managers$XRP is emerging as one of the most talked-about digital assets among professional investors. Despite that breadth, XRP stood apart.

A poll taken during the session underscored how early many advisers still are in the crypto adoption curve.

ETF Flows and Institutional Holdings Signal Broader InterestThe interest expressed in that room is backed by real money moving into the market.

Regulatory filings paint an equally notable picture on the institutional side.

It is worth noting a caveat on those figures. Still, the direction of travel is clear: professional capital is moving into the XRP market in a way that was not possible before the launch of regulated spot products.

Sources:
Crypto.news: XRP interest grows among wealth managers, Bitwise says
CoinDesk: XRP ETFs pull in $170 million over eleven days as Goldman tops institutional holders
Hokanews: XRP ETFs Extend Inflow Streak to 11 Sessions as Institutional Holdings Reach $183 Million

Hargreaves Lansdown opened access to nine Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded notes on Sept. 3, bringing regulated cryptocurrency exposure to eligible users of the United Kingdom’s largest retail investment platform.

Summary

Hargreaves Lansdown added nine Bitcoin and Ether ETNs for eligible users through Advanced Investing service. Approximately two million platform clients may access products after successfully completing required investor protection checks. Investors must self-certify, pass an appropriateness assessment, and complete a 24-hour cooling-off period before access. The FCA reopened eligible crypto ETNs to retail investors in October 2025 under safeguards nationally. Crypto ETNs track asset prices without giving investors direct ownership of Bitcoin or Ether themselves. The products come from BlackRock’s iShares, WisdomTree, 21Shares, Invesco, CoinShares and Bitwise, according to a Financial Times report. The issuers charge annual product fees ranging from 0% to 0.35%.

UK’s Largest Investment Platform Hargreaves Lansdown Opens Bitcoin and Ether ETNs to 2 Million Investors

According to the FT, the UK’s largest investment platform, Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), will open crypto ETN trading to its approximately 2 million investors from September 3,… pic.twitter.com/a37mVTK3ex

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 3, 2026 Hargreaves Lansdown serves approximately two million investors. However, the crypto ETNs are only available through its Advanced Investing service and are not automatically accessible to every customer.

Hargreaves Lansdown adds crypto after long delay The launch comes almost 11 months after the Financial Conduct Authority ended its four-year restriction on retail access to qualifying crypto ETNs. Other major British investment platforms had already introduced the products.

Hargreaves Lansdown initially adopted a more cautious position. In October 2025, the platform told investors that “Bitcoin is not an asset class,” while acknowledging that some customers might still want speculative exposure.

Doug Abbott, Hargreaves Lansdown’s chief product officer, said the platform delayed its launch to ensure client testing and safeguards were properly designed. He said customers should understand the products and encounter the “right level of friction” before investing.

The company’s current crypto ETN page warns that the instruments are volatile and high risk. It says investors could lose all the money they commit.

Investors face eligibility checks and a waiting period Customers must first self-certify as advanced investors. They must then complete an online appropriateness assessment designed to test whether they understand the products and associated risks.

Eligible customers must also complete a 24-hour cooling-off period before viewing the available ETNs. They need either a Fund and Share Account or a self-invested personal pension to buy, hold or sell the instruments.

Hargreaves Lansdown charges a 0.35% annual platform fee for holding crypto ETNs, capped at £12.50 per month. Dealing charges range from £3.95 to £6.95, depending on the customer’s trading frequency. These charges are separate from each product’s management fee.

The notes trade during London Stock Exchange market hours. They do not provide continuous 24-hour trading like cryptocurrency exchanges.

Crypto ETNs provide exposure without direct ownership Crypto ETNs are listed financial instruments designed to follow the price of an underlying digital asset. Investors purchase a note issued by a financial institution rather than buying Bitcoin or Ether directly.

The issuer arranges custody of the underlying cryptocurrency. Customers therefore do not control private keys, manage wallets or withdraw the digital assets represented by their investment.

This structure introduces risks that differ from direct cryptocurrency ownership. Investors depend on the issuer, custodian, trading venue and investment platform. Product fees and market spreads may also cause returns to differ from movements in the underlying asset.

Crypto.news previously reported that BlackRock listed its Bitcoin product on the London Stock Exchange after the retail restrictions changed. The listing was among several products introduced as regulated providers prepared for wider individual access.

FCA rules restrict how platforms offer crypto ETNs The FCA lifted its retail prohibition on qualifying crypto ETNs on Oct. 8, 2025. Products must appear on the regulator’s Official List and trade through a recognized U.K. investment exchange.

The regulator classifies the products as restricted mass-market investments. Its official guidance requires appropriateness assessments, customer categorization, cooling-off periods and prominent risk warnings.

Platforms cannot offer incentives encouraging customers to invest. They must also identify an appropriate target market and take reasonable measures to prevent foreseeable consumer harm.

As crypto.news reported when the policy was announced, the FCA reopened retail access while keeping crypto derivatives prohibited. The regulator said investors would not receive the same protections available for conventional regulated investments.

Demand remains an open question Hargreaves Lansdown said it had received a consistent level of customer enquiries about crypto ETNs, particularly from experienced investors. That interest has not yet established how many eligible clients will invest.

Other platforms have described British retail uptake as modest. Restrictions preventing newly purchased crypto ETNs from being held in conventional stocks-and-shares ISAs may also limit demand.

The launch nevertheless gives Hargreaves Lansdown customers a regulated route to Bitcoin and Ether price exposure without opening an exchange account. Future adoption will depend on investor demand, cryptocurrency prices and whether the available product range expands.

TL;DR

Turnkey is now a wallet option in BNB Agent Studio, alongside TWAK and Altana.The tBNB faucet moved to a Telegram bot. No mainnet balance required, one claim per 24 hours.Travala is now settling through MPP, giving BNB Chain a named case of agent payments beyond x402.Altana wallets can act as b402 sellers through Binance Pay. b402 also now works on Azure.Building agents that can actually hold and move money means solving the same problem from a few different angles. v3 adds a new wallet option for builders working under different constraints, and infrastructure fixes that let agents do more of what they're already built for.

Turnkey: A Third Wallet Option

Turnkey is now integrated in BNB Agent Studio as a wallet option, alongside TWAK and Altana. It's built by the team that built Coinbase Custody, and it's already running in production for Bridge, Polymarket, and Alchemy.

What it adds:

Cross-chain reach. One API across multiple chains (e.g Tron, Ethereum), so an agent isn't confined to BSC if the job needs to touch other chains.Enclave-enforced policy. Every action passes through a policy engine running inside a secure enclave, which returns ALLOW, DENY, or REQUIRE_CONSENSUS. That check runs independent of the agent's own model, so the boundary holds even if the agent's reasoning is wrong or gets manipulated into asking for something it shouldn't.Human co-signing. Actions above a threshold you set, or actions touching pooled funds, can require a developer's co-signature before anything moves.Together, that's a wallet built for agents that need to operate across more than one chain, and for builders who want enforcement sitting outside the agent's own judgment.

Claim tBNB Easily via Telegram

Claiming testnet tokens used to require holding 0.02 BNB on mainnet first. For a first-time developer, that's a wall before the wall: you need mainnet funds to get the testnet funds you'd use specifically to avoid touching mainnet.

V3 tBNB now claims through a Telegram bot. With no balance requirement, and can be claimed once per 24 hours. It's a small fix, but it's the kind of friction that decides whether someone's first hour with Studio goes smoothly or doesn't.

Agents Can Book Flights & Hotels, With Travala

Studio now supports MPP as a payment method for agents. Travala, the crypto-native travel booking platform, is settling through it, which means an agent can now pay for a real flight or hotel booking through MPP rather than routing around it.

That's one more concrete thing an agent can actually do end to end: hold a budget, find a booking, pay for it, without a human clicking through the last step.

Smaller Fixes

A few things that were quietly holding agents back got fixed too. Altana wallets can now earn, not only spend. That matters more than it sounds: an agent that could only pay was half a commercial actor, and agent-to-agent commerce on BNB needs both halves.

On the b402 rail, an Altana wallet now acts as a seller, with Binance Pay integrated as the facilitator, charging per request for what it serves. On the ERC-8183 rail, the same wallet can be hired for a job, deliver the work, and collect the escrowed payment. One wallet, both sides of every transaction. 

The same logic applies to infrastructure. b402 seller functionality now works for agents deployed on Azure, matching what was already available on AWS. Where an agent runs shouldn't change what it's allowed to do.

Get Started

Get started with Turnkey as a wallet option in BNB Agent Studio now.

More wallet options, payment paths, and infrastructure fixes are coming as builders push BNB Agent Studio into new use cases.