Market Signal Briefing

Bitcoin's network hashrate dropped temporarily on December 18 following reports of Xinjiang mining shutdowns, but pool-level data reveals the impact was minimal and recovery swift.

Cardano price remained in a technical bear market after falling by over 72% from its highest level in November last year.

Summary

Cardano price has dropped to its lowest level in over a year.
The token has some bullish fundamental catalysts. 
It has formed a falling wedge pattern, pointing to an eventual rebound.

Cardano (ADA) token was trading at $0.3720, its lowest level in over a year. However, its technicals and improved fundamentals indicate a near-term rebound. 

One potential catalyst is that Cardano’s decentralized exchange network is growing after the Midnight (NIGHT) launch. Data compiled by DeFi Llama shows that the DEX volume rose to $120 million this month, up from $100.2 million in November. Its protocols processed $87 million in October. 

Most of this growth in volume is occurring on Minswap, which processed over $94 million in the last 30 days. The other top DEX networks by volume were SundaeSwap, WingRiders, and Splash Protocol. 

Cardano has numerous catalysts that may drive it higher in the coming months. The Midnight mainnet launch will happen in the first quarter of next year. This will be an important launch as the NIGHT token has already achieved a market cap of over $1 billion and a daily volume of more than $1.5 billion.

Cardano will also launch Leios upgrade, which will boost its network speed by introducing parallel processing. It will now be able to handle thousands of transactions per second. 

Meanwhile, Cardano Foundation and its partners are working on the Pentad initiative. Pentad is a major plan that aims to spend 70 million ADA tokens to solve the challenges that have hindered the network. 

It will introduce Tier‑1 stablecoins such as USD Coin and Tether, along with oracle networks, institutional‑grade wallets, and analytics tools.

Cardano price will also react to the potential approval of ADA ETFs, which will likely lead to more demand from institutional investors.

Cardano price technical analysis 
ADA price chart | Source: crypto.news
The daily chart shows that the ADA price has been in a strong downward trend in the past few months. It has remained below the 50-day moving average’s dynamic resistance. 

On the positive side, the token has formed a falling wedge pattern, which is a typical bullish reversal pattern. This pattern is characterized by two descending and converging trendlines. 

Therefore, as the two lines approach convergence, a bounce back to the $0.50 resistance level is possible, representing a ~40% increase from the current level.

Chainlink on Thursday partnered with 24 giant financial institutions to establish an infrastructure to improve corporate actions processing. The firm said the infrastructure will utilize the Chainlink oracle platform, blockchains, and AI to extract, validate, and deliver corporate actions data across blockchains.

Chainlink partnered with firms, including DTCC, Swift, Euroclear, SIX, TMX, CEVALDOM, Grupo BMV, ADDX, Orbit Technology, Marketnode, and Wamid.

The firm also collaborated with top asset managers and banks, including ANZ, UBS, DBS Bank, BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business, Schroders, Wellington Management, Zurcher Kantonalbank, CTBC Bank, Sygnum Bank, Vontobel, AMINA Bank, Zand Bank, and Causeway Capital Management.

Chainlink’s new infrastructure builds on its Phase 1 project

Inefficiencies in today’s corporate actions lifecycle cost $58B annually.

How Chainlink & 24 of the world's largest financial institutions are solving this problem with AI:https://t.co/8N8PpDyaHL pic.twitter.com/IAKWwDWmCn

— Chainlink (@chainlink) December 17, 2025

Chainlink noted that the global cost of corporate actions processing has surpassed $58 billion annually. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation reported that informal disclosures, repetitive validation steps, and inconsistent data flows across systems drove the surge in corporate actions processing.

Citi reported that the average cost of handling a single event currently costs $34 million across more than 110,000 firm interactions. The firm also noted that annual processing costs have surged by 10% in 2025.

“By leveraging DLT, we can bring increased levels of transparency, connectivity, and accuracy to the ecosystem. We welcomed the opportunity to bring this use case to life and demonstrate how innovative technology can transform processes and deliver new capabilities and value to the industry.”

–Dan Doney, Managing Director & Chief Technology Officer at DTCC Digital Assets.

Chainlink stated that the new infrastructure builds on Phase 1 of its project, where it partnered with Swift, Euroclear, and six financial institutions. The firms managed to demonstrate that corporate actions processing could be reduced significantly. 

The decentralized oracle network revealed that the firms were able to demonstrate that large language models can extract structured data from informal corporate action announcements. They were also able to publish the data on-chain as a unified golden record. 

Chainlink plans to advance the project in Phase 2 into a solution that satisfies the requirements of the current leading financial institution. The firm said Phase 2 demonstrated improved speed, reach, and accessibility of corporate actions data.

Financial institutions leveraged the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE) to process, validate, and cross-system distribute corporate actions data using the Chainlink Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP). CRE transformed the validated AI model outputs into an ISO 20022 message format, while CCIP distributed the records to DTCC’s blockchain ecosystem and other blockchains.

Chainlink seeks to address market participants’ concerns in Phase 1
Chainlink stated that Phase 2 will focus on solving timing delays, which currently take 24 to 48 hours for corporate action data to reach asset managers from the initial announcement.

The firm also hopes to mitigate the loss of corporate action data, driven by a distortion caused when different intermediaries apply different processing logic. Phase 2 will also aim to prevent data fragmentation, which is caused by the publication of corporate actions in various formats and channels. 

The decentralized oracle network revealed that Phase 2 will introduce a new data attestor role, enabling regulated institutions to confirm the accuracy of corporate action data. The initiative aims to address concerns about authenticity raised by market participants in the previous phase.

Chainlink is working to enable data contributors to provide missing information, which is often excluded from initial disclosures. The firm also plans to support integration with traditional financial infrastructure by generating ISO 20022-compliant messages to ease data delivery.

Mark Garabedian, Director of Digital Assets & Tokenization at Wellington Management, said it’s essential for asset managers to receive accurate corporate actions data quickly and consistently in a standardized format.

Chainlink aims to expand the system’s role in the next phase by extending the current processing workflow to support more complex on-chain corporate actions for equities. The firm plans to enable events such as stock splits to be recorded and attested to across market participants.

Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

Pilot Program Expands Access to Science-Backed CBD for Senior Cancer Patients through Healthcare Insurance Coverage

, /PRNewswire/ - (TSX: CWEB) (OTCQB: CWBHF) Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc., the  pioneer and trusted market leader in hemp-derived CBD wellness, is proud to participate as a CBD provider supporting the treatment of senior oncology patients under the newly announced landmark pilot program by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). For the first time, seniors living with cancer will gain access to science-backed CBD products with reimbursement through Medicare and Medicaid, creating a new model of care that prioritizes personalization, accessibility, and affordability. Through CMMI, this initiative represents a transformative moment in senior healthcare policy, introducing long-awaited flexibility and optionality for patients and providers seeking therapeutic hemp products.

Charlotte's Web will offer a set of products to address oncology patient needs early in 2026 through a secure online healthcare portal. The platform combines eCommerce with advanced data security to protect patient and physician information and is a continuing expansion to the Company's established medical channel business. This initiative introduces long-awaited optionality, with room for future product expansion.

Learn more and register at: https://clinic.charlottesweb.com/

"Charlotte's Web is proud to participate in the CMMI program to bring trusted CBD options to underserved seniors battling cancer," said CEO Bill Morachnick. "Charlotte's Web was founded to help Charlotte Figi, whose medically challenging life became a CBD success story. Her journey inspired research, opened doors to access, and changed perceptions about the therapeutic benefits of CBD around the globe.  The Company made a promise to Charlotte, her mother Paige, and the millions who followed her: to set the standard for the entire industry by leading with quality, consistency, and science. As the CBD market leader and a trusted partner throughout the country among healthcare practitioners, this initiative marks a historic step forward, uniquely positioning Charlotte's Web to expand access to safe, non-intoxicating hemp CBD products through existing pathways. We thank the administration, CMMI, and all key stakeholders for their vision and persistence in making this possible."

Affordability is central to this initiative. There are 67 million Medicare beneficiaries nationwide, and nearly 20% of seniors use CBD for pain, arthritis, and other age-related conditions1. This pilot program addresses a critical gap in senior supportive care by reducing out-of-pocket costs through Medicare reimbursement, making CBD more affordable for seniors and low-income Americans while lowering downstream healthcare expenses.  

Announced earlier this year, Charlotte's Web Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) will play a critical role in guiding its program, ensuring it reflects the Company's commitment to scientific rigor, clinical validation, and ethical responsibility. Comprised of interdisciplinary experts, the SAB advises on product integrity, patient and provider education, and long-term innovation strategies.

"Scientific rigor underpins every aspect of this program. With more than a decade of consumer use and extensive safety studies, Charlotte's Web integrates real-world evidence, patient-reported outcomes, and clinical insights into its R&D process to ensure products are safe and effective," said Dr. Marcel Bonn-Miller, Chief Scientific Officer at Charlotte's Web.

Realm of Caring, a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit, provides support and research coordination for patients and healthcare providers for this program. Through this program, Realm of Caring will provide cannabinoid therapy guidance through evidence-based, cannabinoid education for individuals and their healthcare providers while capturing real-world data and lived experiences to inform program evolution and future research. Founded in 2013 with a legacy in research leadership, Realm of Caring has published multiple peer-reviewed studies validating CBD's effects for sleep, anxiety, depression, and quality of life, while reducing hospital visits.

Under the Medicare pilot framework, enrolled patients will be connected with Realm of Caring's support services as part of their program participation. This includes personalized consultations on product selection and dosing, ongoing communication with healthcare providers, and structured outcomes tracking, ensuring that participants receive comprehensive care coordination rather than product access alone. This integrated support model reflects the program's commitment to evidence-based, patient-centered CBD healthcare delivery.

"This initiative represents a blueprint for patient-centered CBD healthcare - one that advances alongside our medical channel expansion and deepening clinical research. The potential of the hemp plant is still being furthered, and studies like the Phase 2 FDA clinical trials investigating hemp-based therapies for autism spectrum disorder at our affiliated company, DeFloria, are critical to making its therapeutic promise even more accessible for health insurance-covered care. Our work through this program and our ongoing research demonstrate how rigorous science and compassionate care can converge to serve patients who need it most," stated Mr. Morachnick.

About Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc.
Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc., a Certified B Corporation headquartered in Louisville, Colorado, is a botanical wellness innovation company and market leader in hemp extract wellness. The Company's product categories include CBD oil tinctures (liquid products), CBD gummies (sleep, calming, exercise recovery), CBN gummies, CBG gummies, hemp-derived THC microdose gummies, functional mushroom gummies, CBD capsules, CBD topical creams and lotions, as well as CBD pet products for dogs. Through its substantially vertically integrated business model, Charlotte's Web maintains stringent control over product quality and consistency with analytic testing for quality assurance. Charlotte's Web products are distributed to retailers and healthcare practitioners throughout the U.S.A. and are available online through the Company's website at www.charlottesweb.com.

Forward-Looking Information
Certain information provided herein constitutes forward-looking statements or information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "intend", "target", "believe" and similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, levels of activity, and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on certain assumptions and analysis by management of the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future development and other factors that it believes are appropriate and reasonable.

The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements herein include, but are not limited to: expectations around hemp wellness distribution through a new inclusion in the Medicare and Medicaid flexible care model; regulatory regime changes; anticipated product development and sales; the success of sales and marketing activities; product development and production expectations; outcomes from R&D activities; the Company's ability to deal with adverse growing conditions in a timely and cost-effective manner; the availability of qualified and cost-effective human resources; compliance with contractual and regulatory obligations and requirements; availability of adequate liquidity and capital to support operations and business plans; and expectations around consumer product demand. In addition, the forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things: supply and distribution chains; the market for the Company's products; revenue fluctuations; regulatory changes; loss of customers and retail partners; retention and availability of talent; competing products; share price volatility; loss of proprietary information; product acceptance; internet and system infrastructure functionality; information technology security; available capital to fund operations and business plans; crop risk; economic and political considerations; and including but not limited to those risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024, and other risk factors contained in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission available on http://www.sec.gov and filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities available at www.sedarplus.ca. The impact of any one risk, uncertainty, or factor on a particular forward-looking statement is not determinable with certainty, as these are interdependent, and the Company's future course of action depends on management's assessment of all information available at the relevant time.

Any forward-looking statement in this press release is based only on information currently available to the Company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. All forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on the Company's behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

SOURCE Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc.

The decline occurred on volume that was 35% above the token's 30-day average. Dec 18, 2025, 7:17 p.m.

DOT$1.7547 slipped 2% to $1.77 over the last 24 hours.

Volume surged 35% above its 30-day average, according to CoinDesk Research's technical analysis model.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

The session's most dramatic action hit during a sharp intraday decline that tested critical support levels. The model showed that DOT dropped from $1.85 to $1.76 on exceptional volume of 8.81 million.

This marked 236% above the 24-hour simple moving average, according to the model.

The token then executed a swift V-shaped recovery back to $1.80. This price action confirmed strong institutional support at the $1.76 psychological level, the model said.

DOT underperformed wider crypto markets. The broader market gauge, the CoinDesk 20 index, was 0.2% lower at publication time.

Technical Analysis:

Strong support confirmed at $1.76 psychological level; resistance at $1.805 requires fresh catalyst for breakthroughPeak institutional activity at 8.8 million tokens during intraday declineV-shaped recovery from session lows indicating absorption of selling pressure; consolidation pattern forming near $1.80Upside target at $1.82 contingent on volume confirmation above $1.805; downside risk limited to $1.76 support zoneDisclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.

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Recent claims of a major Bitcoin mining crackdown in China’s Xinjiang region rippled through the digital asset industry this week, but data by TheMinerMag suggests the actual impact was far smaller than early narratives implied.

According to the latest Miner Weekly report, the Bitcoin network initially experienced a short-term hashrate decline, which was linked to developments in Xinjiang. However, the drop also coincided with power curtailments in the United States.

Most major mining pools recovered to near pre-dip levels within days, resulting in a net decline of roughly 20 exahashes per second, which is significantly lower than the approximately 100 EH/s loss cited in early reports. “That points to a largely temporary disruption rather than a sustained, region-specific shutdown,” the report said. 

The distinction is meaningful for assessing Bitcoin’s security and miner activity. While large, sustained hashrate declines can affect block production and mining difficulty, overstating the role of a single regional event risks distorting views of global mining dynamics and exaggerating geopolitical exposure.

Mining pool data showed a sharp drop in hashrate on Monday, followed by a rapid recovery. Source: TheMinerMagData from TheMinerMag shows that the largest pool-level declines during Monday’s disruption came from North America, with Foundry USA alone reporting an estimated 180 EH/s drop in hashrate.

While Chinese-origin mining pools recorded combined declines of about 100 EH/s, “attributing the entire drop to Xinjiang would be a stretch,” the report said.

So, what happened in China?Reports of a renewed Bitcoin (BTC) mining crackdown in China surfaced this week after Jianping Kong, a former executive at hardware producer Canaan, said that some operations in the Xinjiang region had been shut down.

Early estimates circulating on social media suggested that as many as 400,000 to 500,000 mining machines may have gone offline.

Source: Kevin ZhangSubsequent reporting and industry analysis, however, indicated that the disruptions were more likely tied to compliance or operational issues rather than a broad, coordinated enforcement campaign.

Beyond the brief hashrate dip, Bitcoin mining activity linked to China has resurfaced in recent years, despite the country’s nationwide ban in 2021. Data from CryptoQuant suggests China may account for roughly 15% to 20% of global Bitcoin mining activity.

Xinjiang, in particular, has attracted miners due to its abundant and relatively low-cost energy supply. At the same time, local governments have invested heavily in data center infrastructure, with some facilities reportedly leasing excess capacity to Bitcoin miners to help offset cyclical declines in demand from other computing workloads.

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Key NotesHouse of DOGE signed merger agreement with Brag House Holdings for early 2026 NASDAQ listing as publicly traded Dogecoin corporation.Treasury now exceeds 730 million DOGE under 10-year management agreement, ranking among largest institutional Dogecoin holders globally.Technical analysis shows bearish pennant formation with support at $0.12 and RSI at 33.09 signaling oversold conditions but no reversal yet.
Dogecoin

DOGE
$0.12

24h volatility:
2.2%

Market cap:
$18.66 B

Vol. 24h:
$1.56 B

price found support near $0.12 on Dec. 22, buoyed by the bullish tone of House of DOGE’s 2025 shareholder letter.

The treasury and corporate arm of the Dogecoin Foundation outlined its expansion into regulated finance, payments, and sports partnerships ahead of a planned NASDAQ listing in early 2026.

House of DOGE Expands Treasury, Targets NASDAQ Listing
According to the shareholder update, House of DOGE has signed a definitive merger agreement with Brag House Holdings (NASDAQ: TBH), positioning it to become one of the first publicly traded Dogecoin-focused corporations.

The firm confirmed its Official Dogecoin Treasury has surpassed 730 million DOGE, managed under a 10-year asset agreement with CleanCore Solutions (NYSE: ZONE), ranking it among the largest institutional holders of Dogecoin globally.

CEO Marco Margiotta highlighted that 2025 marked a year of “deliberate, foundational progress,” emphasizing that 2026 will focus on execution and commercialization. The company’s roadmap includes launching a rewards debit card, an embeddable Dogecoin wallet, and merchant acceptance tools to drive real-world adoption.

House of DOGE is also looking to expand institutional access through partnerships with 21Shares, enabling ETP and ETF exposure to Dogecoin across European and US markets.

The firm’s sports investments, in the Italian football clubs US Triestina Calcio 1918 and HC Sierre also aim to integrate Dogecoin into fan engagement, ticketing, and tokenization initiatives.

Despite the strong fundamentals, Dogecoin continues to trade 2.5% lower at $0.127, with CoinMarketCap data showing a 29% rise in daily volumes, signaling persistent sell-side activity. Bitcoin

BTC
$85 684

24h volatility:
0.0%

Market cap:
$1.71 T

Vol. 24h:
$54.33 B

inability to reclaim $90,000 has weighed on memecoins, keeping speculative demand subdued.

Dogecoin Price Forecast: Can DOGE Reclaim $0.14 or Slip Below $0.12?
Dogecoin’s daily chart shows a clear bearish pennant formation, signaling continued downside pressure after repeated failures to break the descending resistance line near $0.14. The pattern has unfolded under the upper Bollinger Band (BB) resistance at $0.154, with prices now consolidating near the lower BB at $0.124.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits at 33.09, hovering in oversold territory. This reflects exhaustion among short-term sellers but has yet to trigger meaningful accumulation signals. Historically, RSI levels near 30 often precede mild bounces, especially when accompanied by rising volume as observed on Dec. 19.

Dogecoin (DOGE) Technical Price Analysis, Dec. 18, 2025 | Source: TradingView

If buyers defend the $0.12 support, a short-term recovery could lift DOGE toward $0.135, aligning with the midline of the Bollinger Band and the 20-day SMA at $0.139.

A decisive breakout above $0.14 would invalidate the bearish pennant, exposing resistance at $0.16, the level required to confirm a trend reversal.

On the downside, a daily close below $0.12 could accelerate a drop toward $0.10, the measured move target from the pennant breakdown. With 58.64% downside probability, Dogecoin remains at risk of setting new weekly lows, unless macro sentiment improves.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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I’m a research analyst with experience supporting Web3 startups and financial organizations through data-driven insights and strategic analysis. My goal is to help organizations make smarter decisions by bridging the gap between traditional finance and blockchain innovation.

With a background in Economics, I bring a solid understanding of market dynamics, financial systems, and the broader economic forces shaping the crypto industry. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies at the University of Malta, where I’m expanding my expertise in decentralized systems, smart contracts, and real-world blockchain applications.

I’m especially interested in project evaluation, tokenomics, and ecosystem growth strategies, as these are areas where innovation can drive lasting impact. By combining my academic foundation with hands-on experience, I aim to provide meaningful insights that add value to both the financial and blockchain sectors.

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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: NECB) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per common share. The dividend will be paid on or about February 6, 2026 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on January 5, 2026.

About NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc.

NorthEast Community Bancorp, headquartered at 325 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601, is the holding company for NorthEast Community Bank, which conducts business through its eleven branch offices located in Bronx, New York, Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan Counties in New York and Essex, Middlesex, and Norfolk Counties in Massachusetts and three loan production offices located in New City, New York, White Plains, New York, and Danvers, Massachusetts. For more information about NorthEast Community Bancorp and NorthEast Community Bank, please visit www.necb.com.

Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include, but are not limited to, changes in market interest rates, regional and national economic conditions (including higher inflation and its impact on regional and national economic conditions), legislative and regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, including policies of the United States Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board, the quality and composition of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, decreases in deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and securities, competition, demand for financial services in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, changes in the real estate market values in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, the impact of failures or disruptions in or breaches of the Company’s operational or security systems, data or infrastructure, or those of third parties, including as a result of cyberattacks or campaigns, and changes in relevant accounting principles and guidelines. Additionally, other risks and uncertainties may be described in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available through the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release publicly the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

CONTACT:Kenneth A. Martinek Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerPHONE:(914) 684-2500

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

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

Instacart has agreed to pay $60 million to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s allegations that the online grocery delivery platform deceived consumers about its Instacart+ membership and free delivery offers, according to court documents filed in San Francisco on Thursday.

Instacart’s offer of “free delivery” for first orders was illusory because shoppers were charged other fees, the FTC alleged.

And the company did not adequately notify shoppers that free trials of its Instacart+ subscription service would convert to paid memberships, the agency said.

Instacart agreed to pay $60 million to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s allegations thatit deceived consumers about its Instacart+ membership and free delivery offers. phpetrunina14 – stock.adobe.com
Instacart settled without admitting to the allegations.

The shopping platform is under scrutiny over a recent study by nonprofit groups where individual shoppers simultaneously received different prices for the same items at the same stores.

The FTC is investigating the company and has demanded information about Instacart’s Eversight pricing tool, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

Instacart is under scrutiny over a recent study by nonprofit groups where individual shoppers simultaneously received different prices for the same items at the same stores. REUTERS
Instacart has said that retailers are responsible for setting prices, and that pricing tests run through Eversight are random and not based on user data.

Guido Mieth/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Listen here or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Scott Kaufman discusses leading The Dividend Kings, and focusing on dividend growth and value investing (0:25). Key metrics for evaluating dividend stocks (5:00). Digging deeper into LyondellBasell, Dow, and Eastman Chemical Company (8:50). Dividend cut implications (11:40). Baby bonds and preferred securities (15:00). Market sentiment and interest rates (19:20).

Transcript

Rena Sherbill: Very happy to welcome back Scott Kaufman to investing experts on Seeking Alpha. Welcome back to the show Scott. Great to have you.

Scott Kaufman: Thank you so much for having me. It's good to be back.

Rena Sherbill: It's great to have you. So you are now affiliated with the investing group, with the author profile, The Dividend Kings on Seeking Alpha. I know you write under treading softly and that continues from your last outfit.

So for those following along, you're still writing on Seeking Alpha under treading softly, but now you are with The Dividend Kings. Do you want to talk for a second to our audience, to listeners about the specifics that you're now focused on in the dividend world?

Scott Kaufman: Sure. So we did the transition from what I was doing before with High Dividend Opportunities, working with Rida Morwa and the high income, high focused, high yield side of things.

I had the opportunity to switch over to The Dividend Kings. Adam Galas, known as Dividend Sensei, was the prior author there. He decided he wanted to explore other opportunities. And so the opportunity for my wife and I came up for us to actually take over full ownership of the The Dividend Kings platform. And so we actually own, operate and run The Dividend Kings now. We still have Cody Kester and Justin Law with us who have been long time contributors and analysts over at The Dividend Kings.

And we really focus on dividend growth investing more so than specifically high yield. And I'll actually touch on that in just a moment, but a little bit about myself offhand here is that I have been writing on Seeking Alpha for almost a decade now, just about eight years under the moniker of Treading Softly, working with different investment groups.

I've actually worked with three over the whole time that I've been on the Seeking Alpha platform. And so it's been a lot of fun just to see different angles and different ways that people operate and run their platforms.

My specific style of investing focuses heavily on value investing. I don't want to buy something that is overvalued as well as dividend investing. So if it doesn't pay a dividend and it's overvalued, it's really not in my sphere of focus or interest overall.

As far as The Dividend Kings itself as an investment group, we focus on some core principles as a group as a whole. The first one is that we're a long-term focused investing group, which means that we don't invest for short term.

We're not a a weekly or a monthly trading service. When we buy something, we want to hold it for at least 12 months, if not longer. The goal there is to maximize the returns that we can get out of our investments and see that value really expand over time.

The other side of things here, another one is that we're very risk management focused. We wanted to maximize our upsides and minimize our downside. Preservation of capital is very important.

If you're investing for a decade, 15 years, 20 years, you don't want to see your capital go down in the pursuit of dividend yield coming up. And so we safeguard that. We focus heavily on doing data driven analysis, which helps protect our capital. We use, you know, valuations as far as chowder numbers and P E ratios and payout ratios. And we use a lot of that to provide really bite sized pieces of information for an investor.

Any research we provide, I like to call it a cup of coffee length, where you can sit down with a warm cup of coffee, read the article, enjoy it, understand it, and not be feel like you're reading a novel. And so we do this through a educational focus. We're trying to develop and grow all of our readers, all of our members. We provide them the tools that they can then go and do research on their own.

We have quite a few very powerful tools within The Dividend Kings that a number of our subscribers specifically love and stay for over the long term. And we just want to educate and be as transparent as possible within that platform.

Rena Sherbill: What are some of those tools that you mentioned that subscribers really like or is that something that you can't talk about?

Scott Kaufman: So yeah, we can definitely talk about them. We have one that we call our Zen Research Terminal. And it actually predates me, but we're constantly updating it and refining it. And you can actually see it in some of our public articles. We'll take a screenshot of it sometimes when we're discussing.

And it evaluates companies based on what their fair value ratio or value is compared to what their PE and earnings are going to be. It shows payout ratio as far as the dividend. We have a risk analysis score for every company that's in there.

And there's about 400 different companies that you can go in and you can pull up their ticker and you can see quick evaluation tools of what we think of that company and where we think that company is going and how that company is run. And so even if it's not something that's directly in our model portfolio, you have access to this powerful database of information 24 seven at your fingertips.

Rena Sherbill: And given that you're focused on value and long term and the dividend side of things, what would you say are the metrics that you most use or you're most focused on when it comes to dividend investing?

Scott Kaufman: Yeah, that's a great question. We actually just gave an educational article to our subscriber base last weekend discussing the three most important metrics that we think of when we are doing dividend investing and research. The first one that we gave out was a comparison to historical normal PE ratio.

So we will look at the PE ratio of a company over the last 10 years. And that really creates a strong polling or pulling force up or dragging force down on a company. If a company is trading well above that 10-year P-E ratio, we'll see that it often gets yanked back down towards it. When it's trading below that, we'll see that often gets pulled upwards towards that PE ratio over time.

And so when we're looking at an investment before we're deciding if the yield is attractive or if the dividend growth is attractive, we will look very specifically at that PE ratio as a good first level of evaluation what it's trading for now versus what it's historically been valued for. The next step we'll look at is the ability for it to pay its dividend. I'm really interested and always have been interested in a cashflow first type perspective.

I don't like companies that are selling pieces of themselves to create a dividend that they pay you because you can only trim so much fat off a steak. And so if a company is forced to use debt or to sell assets to pay you, that's not going to be long-term sustainable. So we look for a solid payout ratio, a good value.

And then last of all, we'll use a Chowder number, which is a combination of the current yield and the five-year compounded annual growth rate dividend growth of a company. And that's a good kind of final tool that if this is not having an attractive Chowder number, it doesn't make past that final yes or no go.

Rena Sherbill: And are you getting into and out of stocks? When do you get into and out of them? How many names are in a portfolio? Do you work off a model portfolio? Are you personally invested? How exactly does that all line up?

Scott Kaufman: We do have a model portfolio in our investing group that makes it easy. If you want to match our returns that our portfolio is generating or that we're quoting for our investing group, we have a model portfolio of hand selected companies. I'm personally invested in every single one of the companies that are inside of our model portfolio because I want to eat my own cooking.

I'm not going to point at a company and say it's great and then put it in my model portfolio if I don't believe in it enough to put my own money into it. And so our model portfolio is targeting a 42 number of holdings ratio. It can be a little more, can be a less at times. Right now we're about the halfway point where we have put in 21 different picks into our model portfolio right now as it continues to grow.

I'm not looking to rush into too many picks too quickly because I'm very strict about when I think that they're attractive and adding them at that time. And so we're right at that 20 pick mark. We're working our way to 42 picks at the moment. And this is a combination of not just common equity, but also preferred securities and baby bonds.

Our model portfolio focuses on a on average cross the entire portfolio of a six to 8 % yield. We have some common equity picks that are yielding 2%. And then we have some baby bonds that yield close to 9%. And so this allows us to get that combination of a good yield, strong dividend growth, and preserving capital at the same time.

Rena Sherbill: Can we hear about some of the names in particular that you like and why you like them?

Scott Kaufman: Sure, so I want to actually give an example here of a way that we would evaluate almost a sector or a series of companies that look really similar on the surface, but provide a way of how you could filter through them if you'd like.

These are three companies that have all arguably have had absolutely terrible years. If we think of LyondellBasell (LYB), and then we think of Dow (DOW), and we think of Eastman Chemical Company (EMN).

They're all companies that are in the chemical sector that is currently in a sector-wide downturn. They're very cyclical, and so we'll see them rise up, their earnings rise up and then fall down kind of as a pattern.

And so if we were to look at these three companies offhand, we would almost feel like Dow or LyondellBasell would be the better option because they're down further and their yields are more attractive. You got a 6 % or 12 % yield.

The downside here though, right out of the gate as a dividend growth investor, Dow cut its dividend at the beginning of the year. So they would be completely out for me at that point, just as a quick value of tool. So then we're left with Eastman or LyondellBasell.

And so if we dig deeper into those, we can see this is just pulling up a Fast graph chart, which is something that we'll use as a strong evaluative tool across the board for evaluating companies because it lets us see a level of not only earning growth and development, which is the dark gray section, but we can see along the blue line, which is historical normal PE of what the company's trading for. And then the yellow line lets us see what the dividend is. And if the dividend is above what they're earning, that yellow line will be above the green section.

And so at this point in time, LyondellBasell is well in the throw of things as far as difficulty for earnings. And earnings aren't expected to recover until next year. The dividend isn't expected to be covered until beyond 2027.

And so even though offhand, it looks like it might be a better value than Eastman because it's been down 42 % this year, we can actually see that it's not that attractive overall.

That dividend is going to get cut most likely. So far, management has refused to cut the dividend, but we do expect that it will be cut eventually. And so when we compare that to Eastman, we can see that Eastman has a much better dividend coverage level. It's also trading very closely to what it should be as far as its value.

And so even though both of them are secularly in a safe period of downturn, we actually can expect that Eastman will provide us with better returns over the long run going forward. And Eastman is actually a company that we do hold in our model portfolio because we do expect that it'll provide us with strong returns going forward.

Rena Sherbill: When you talk about a dividend cut, is it always a thing to be concerned about as an investor when you see a dividend cut? Or for that matter, when there isn't a dividend cut, but there perhaps should be one, and you see that as a dividend investor, perhaps you're looking at different factors and sussing out the fact that there should be a dividend cut coming, like you mentioned, are those always times to be concerned?

And when you see that a dividend cut should be coming, are you ever wrong about that?

Scott Kaufman: So there's never like a guarantee when you see a dividend that should be cut that it will be cut. Some management teams are very persistent as far as holding on to their dividend as long as possible, especially when they have decades or years of dividend growth in the background.

They will sometimes be very persistent to hold on to that dividend, but usually that over persistence to do so unless there's some major turnaround for the company or for the sector harms shareholders more than it helps them.

When a dividend is set to be cut, there's a well-known saying that a dividend cut is never priced in, right? There's always going to be a group of investors who have no idea that that dividend cut is coming. And when it does cut, they sell.

And so a company like LYB that's already down 42 % this year, when they cut their dividend, whether it be this year, next year, or into 2027, it's going to sell off even harder.

There can be attractive times to buy a company that sold its dividend after the dividend has been cut, but rarely when a dividend is uncovered and should be cut, is it attractive value because there's going to be that sell off afterwards.

Lyondell has been so focused on selling assets to fund the dividend that they're struggling to be able to find new assets to create value that will cover the dividend in the future.

And so then you create a cycle of where you have less to cover and it just makes us a cycle of pain for them and for their shareholders.

Rena Sherbill: Looking at the dividend grades for LYB right now on Seeking Alpha and the dividend safety is a B but the growth is a D minus. Do you use those grades? Do you find them helpful for your investing?

Scott Kaufman: I do find the dividend grades can be helpful when comparing different companies in the same sector. You can sometimes wonder, you can look at a sector or utility and the company's dividend growth is poor compared to what you might expect other companies to provide.

But then when you use those dividend grades, you can at times see that it's actually beating the sector as a whole because maybe your personal expectation of what the dividend growth should be for that sector is outside of what is normal.

And so a lot of times those grades can be helpful when evaluating a sector as a whole and then comparing your individual holding or the company you're looking at versus the sector. And that's the same reason why Chowder numbers can be helpful because of that adding the yield and the compound annual growth for the five years.

It kind of gives you a level of playing field where you're kind of not just enamored by yield and you're not just enamored by growth, but you're getting a good combination of both of them together.

Rena Sherbill: And what would you say, anything to say, anything to add about the notion of baby bonds, the notion of dividend aristocrats in investors' portfolio, any other context you would provide there?

Scott Kaufman: I find baby bonds to be, or even preferred securities, to be a wonderful tool to get the income that you need now, recognizing that they don't grow.

And so we use baby bonds and we use preferred securities as a tool to generate a higher yield today, as well as capital preservation, recognizing that those instruments predominantly aren't going to be major total return providers.

They're going to provide you with an expected level of income or expected dividend and a relatively flat or slow total return compared to maybe common equity. But that's what you're trading. You're trading lower risk for overall lower return for a more assured return.

And so we really use baby bonds and preferred securities. And what I recommend people use them for is for that income now to create a stable base for your portfolio outside of maybe using traditional bonds that have lot more loopholes or things you have to jump through regulations and fees and their whole separate exchange, there are a lot more barriers to entry versus maybe a baby bond or a preferred security that can provide you many of the same benefits, especially baby bonds, without all of the extra work that a traditional bond would require you to do.

And so when we use them in our portfolio, they're there to help create a higher level of dividends today for retirees, especially or for fixed income investors, recognizing that the other half of our portfolio that's focused on dividend growth is going to give you that income that you need tomorrow.

And that organic growth, you don't have to reinvest as much in your retirement to be able to enjoy a growing income stream or dividend stream

Rena Sherbill: Is there anything that you've recently gotten out of that you feel like might be instructive for listeners?

Scott Kaufman: With our model portfolio still being relatively new with the changeover from the old leadership to us with Dividend Kings, we have not exited a position as of yet.

We have some that we projected a certain amount of total returns from within a 12-month period that are closing in on those numbers. And so we're watching those. if earnings don't grow as much as expected in the next quarter or two, we may be having to exit them because then they'll actually become overvalued.

But at this point, we've not exited a position because there hasn't been necessarily a need to or we haven't reached our targets for what we expect them to give.

Rena Sherbill: Is there a typical time frame, how long you're typically in a stock and then get out of it?

Scott Kaufman: So whenever we're buying something, we're looking to hold it for at least a year. When it comes to common equity, we project out what we expect the total returns to be for our position for the next 12 months.

If we reach that goal and then we look at the next 12 months after that and the total returns aren't meeting what we're desiring, when we're looking at common equity, we want at least double digit total return projection for the next 12 months.

And so if we complete that first 12 month period and the next 12 months aren't expected to provide us what we're looking for, we will exit so we can rotate to another position that will provide us the maximized returns that we're looking for there.

With our fixed income side of things, our preferred securities and our baby bonds, we're looking for long-term stability in what they can provide.

We will buy investments that we think will either be called in the next 12 months or we will have a much longer holding period for those because their job predominantly is to provide us that recurring dividend yield that can be used either to live off of or reinvested into the common equity positions going forward.

And so those positions we will hold for a much longer period of time. So we're buying only the most conservative opportunities that are present. We're not looking to buy things that are of higher risk or that are in riskier companies or sectors.

We have a lot of banking preferred securities in our model portfolio because they provide that qualified dividend income dividends as well as strong 6 % to 7 % yields from companies that were really not going to have to worry about their ability to pay us.

Rena Sherbill: We had David Auerbach on recently from Hoya Capital and he was talking about REITs and the notion of REITs and interest rates tends to go together and a lot of discussion lately about the interest rate picture. What are your thoughts on REITs these days and how much is the Fed side of thing, the interest rate conversation, how much does that affect your analysis and strategizing?

Scott Kaufman: With REITs as a whole, many of the higher quality REITs do a trade almost as bond alternatives. If we look at like realty income, historically, it trades less on the performance of its portfolio and more on a spread between what its yield is offering versus the 10-year treasury yield.

We recently covered Realty Income (O) publicly. And when we chose to value it, we didn't value it based off of their FFO or their AFFO. We actually valued it based off of a spread between the 10 year treasury yield and the yield presented by realty income. We find that to actually be a pretty consistent spread as those 10 year treasury yields move.

And so with the higher quality REITs, we can actually see that they do typically trade more on their yield and a yield spread than they do on their own growth.

I do find that there is a number of attractive reads out there, but there's not that many that are readily growing their dividends on a consistent basis that give us a nice attractive Chowder number that we're targeting. Realty income actually kind of falls on the lower side as far as looking for a good dividend growth plus yield number.

But its consistency in growing its dividend and its yield right now warranted a good value to be able to purchase it for when we're looking at companies as far as what's worth holding, the movements by the Fed on interest rates impacts more our preferred securities and our baby bonds than they do our common equity holdings, because all of the common equity holdings we have are not super heavy debt-laden companies that are needing to issue debt to be able to function.

They have strong cash flows and they have strong coverage ratios. We've actually purchased a number of very discounted preferred securities that were issued by banks or other companies during the early 2020 period, 2021, whose coupon yields are in the four to three to five percent range.

And those are going to be more heavily impacted by interest rate cuts, because as those interest rate cuts happen, the interim trading prices of those are going to climb. And we saw that with one of our preferred security holdings, we own Regions Financial Series E (RF). And the moment that the cut happened, immediately it jumped about one and a half to 2 % as far as its trading price, because then the market was re-evaluating how much they want to have as the yield required before they buy it.

And so with interest rate cuts or with Fed price movements or interest rate movements, it more impacts our fixed income side than it does our common equity.

Rena Sherbill: When it comes to The Dividend Kings, when it comes to your subscribers, I assume you have subscribers of all ages. Are you having to navigate and how do you navigate those different timelines? I mean, I know there's, you know, the traditional methods of when you're younger, you do this and when you're older, you do this. Is it designated like that? Do you think about it like that? Or what are the different timelines and horizons that you strategize for?

Scott Kaufman: As far as dividend investing in retirement or building up towards retirement, for investors who are not in their retirement years yet, they will want more common equity than they'll want fixed income.

We're building our initial portfolio to predominantly have a spread of picks of a standard 60-40. 60 % focused on common equity, 40 % focused on fixed income.

However, younger investors who have more space to grow would focus would potentially want to focus more on the common equity picks we have to see that dividend growth benefit them more over the long run. While investors who are in their retirement and want more conservative nature could benefit more from heavily weighting more towards the fixed income side of our model portfolio.

As a whole, though, we find that the 60-40 split does very well regardless of your age, because a lot of our common equity picks are growing their dividend quite strongly and quite rapidly. And we do expect strong total returns from our preferred security picks that are going to benefit from rates being cut.

And so we don't have a specific guideline or a different model portfolio depending on your age. But we do find that individually, our members will focus more on the common equity if they're younger and more on the fixed income if they're older and in retirement because they like that near term surety of the fixed income and the younger investors benefit more from the dividend growth from the common equity side.

Rena Sherbill: You mentioned how the interest rate conversation figures into your re-strategizing. Does the macro picture or does the news or does market sentiment or how the market's moving, does that play a part in your strategizing and your thought process and your analysis?

Scott Kaufman: So we take time to make sure that when we're looking at a company, we're seeing a company that is fundamentally healthy.

One of the things we like to tell people is that we cut through the chaos to get clarity. And we do that through our research-driven analysis with fundamentals being right at the forefront. Recognizing the sentiment of what's going on in the market or the emotions that are driving different sectors can help us recognize why a company may be trading at a lower value than what it historically has, but it also helps us recognize when there is deals or opportunities that might not otherwise be present.

We picked up Regions Financial, for example, into our model portfolio when there was a lot of fear or concern around regional banking with the different bankruptcies of first brands or tricolor and the concerns that were shared by JPMorgan Chase's (JPM) CEO about potential other cockroaches or loans that were floating around out there.

And we saw a sell off occurring within regional banks as a whole, but the mega banks were kind of immune to it for some reason.

And so we picked up Regions Financial with the understanding, looking at it fundamentally, that there was no fundamental health issues there. It's non-performing loans were quite strong as far as not being anything that was concerning.

Their deposit base was growing and their interest margin was excellent compared to most of their regional peers. And so we will look at sentiment to see if that can explain why there's been a temporary dislodging of value versus the historical norm and make sure that that is temporary and not going to be a long-term issue.

For example, if you're evaluating a master limited partnership like Enterprise Product Partners (EPD), it's trading nowhere near what its 10 year historical value has been using operating cash flow.

And that's because a lot of those companies, they became heavily revalued during the COVID period. And so we're seeing a lot of MLPs, their value is actually, they're trading more towards what they have in the last five years than the last 10 years, because we've seen a sector wide re-evaluation by shareholders. And so if you were to blindly walk in and try to use the 10 year values, everything looks extremely oversold.

But once you condense that down and you recognize that there has been this rapid revaluation to the five-year window, then you start finding what the true opportunities are. so sentiment and outlooks can heavily impact when you're evaluating a company, you have to recognize what's going on.

You can't just look at a chart like we saw with those other three examples. You have to recognize what's going on more below the surface. And those can inform you whether this is going to be a long-term impact or a short-term headwind for the company, or tailwind.

Rena Sherbill: What else would you add for investors? What else do you think is of value for them to recognize these days? Any names or any thoughts or strategies that we didn't bring up yet, happy for you to share.

Scott Kaufman: I think the big buzzword right now is everything AI related, right? We're seeing Nvidia (NVDA) trading extremely well off of its earnings and all these companies that are pouring a ton of money into AI as a whole.

It's been estimated that the gross domestic product of the United States has only really grown this year predominantly off of AI investing and the outpouring of capital by those companies that I was reading one place that they believed that GDP would have been flat to almost a 0 % this year if it wasn't for all of that outpouring of capital into that sector.

My strong recommendation is not to necessarily try to pick which company is going to strike gold first, but to focus more on what I would like to call the shovel and pickaxe providers, the companies that are going to provide the services to those that could win over the long term, looking at utilities or companies that provide data center, co-location, that provide the services that regardless of who wins, they're going to need those services from them.

More so than necessarily trying to pick which AI name is going to be successful or which AI product is going to be successful. And NVIDIA right now is a huge provider mainly because of their chips. And so when you look at it, some people believe that NVIDIA is trading in bubble evaluations because of how high it's climbed and how rapidly it's climbed.

But when we actually look at Nvidia and its 10 year historical PE ratio, it's trading right on point. It's trading right around where it should be, if not right now, after the sell off a little undervalued. It's not trading at these massive PE ratios compared to what it has historically.

And so the big question there will be, will these companies keep pouring money into new chips and new facilities for Nvidia to benefit or is it time to rotate into other opportunities like utilities that are going to provide the power for them?

And that's going to be the hard point of telling when that capital output is going to reduce. But it's not trading at a bubble because it's not trading well beyond what it historically has.

Rena Sherbill: I appreciate that. Scott, I appreciate this conversation. Once again, it's Scott Kaufman. You write under Treading Softly.

You run the investing group, The Dividend Kings. That's a subscription service on Seeking Alpha that you can get for one month, for a one month introductory rate. So very easy to try it out. And The Dividend Kings also offers articles on the free site if you want a taste. Scott, any final words for our audience?

Scott Kaufman: I would just say that that introductory price right now is $30 for a month long trial membership. So essentially it's a dollar a day in January to see how our perspective can change how you run your portfolio.

And we would love to have you come in, ask any questions you have, dive into our education and our research, and we're happy to support you in that journey. And I really appreciate you having us on.

Rena Sherbill: Really appreciate you coming on. Look forward to having you on again soon and even with inflation perhaps spiking a dollar a day sounds pretty good to me. So I hope you are all able to take advantage of Scott and his team's analysis. Much appreciated Scott, talk to you soon.

Scott Kaufman: Thank you.

Toronto – December 17, 2025 – TheNewswire - Cadillac Ventures Inc. (TSX.V: CDC.H)(“Cadillac” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated October 8, 2025, the Company has sold the initial 29.58% interest in the Burnt Hill Tungsten Project located in New Brunswick, Canada (the “Property”).   Pursuant to the previously announced option agreement dated October 3, 2025 (the “Option Agreement”) with Nexcel Metals Corp. (the “Optionee”) and Wyloo Ring of Fire Ltd., which owns a 42% interest in the Property (the “Minority Owner”), the Optionee earned the initial 29.58% interest in the Property from Cadillac in consideration for the payment of an aggregate of $170,000 in cash and the issuance of $330,000 (less the costs of the summer work program at the Property totaling $52,495) in common shares of the Optionee (“Common Shares”) to Cadillac, which was satisfied by the issuance of 355,775 Common Shares at a deemed price of $0.78 per Common Share.   The Optionee may earn up to an additional 28.42% interest in the Property (for a total 58% Property Interest) from the Company in consideration for the payment of an aggregate $250,000 in cash and the issuance of an aggregate of $600,000 in Common Shares to Cadillac in accordance with the terms of the Option Agreement. Upon the Optionee earning at least a 51% Property Interest, a joint venture will be formed among the Company, the Optionee and the Minority Owner.

After reporting Q3 fiscal year 2026 (FY2026) results on Dec. 1, MongoDB NASDAQ: MDB is seeing sentiment improve following pressure in Q1 and early Q2. The data tracked by MarketBeat shows that analyst and institutional support are swelling, driving an influx of capital that has this stock on track to rise by 25% relative to mid-December price levels.

Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall says buy the House of Mouse.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, December 18, 2025 – Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) announced today that the Board of Directors has decided to establish a long-term incentive program for Executive Management as part of the annual remuneration as laid out in the Remuneration Policy, adopted at the annual general meeting. Members of the Executive Management are granted performance restricted stock units (Performance RSUs), subject to the successful achievement of relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPI's), measured over a three-year performance period from grant. Furthermore, and also in accordance with the Remuneration Policy, a warrant program has been established for selected other employees in the Bavarian Nordic Group, entitling the warrant holders to subscribe for new shares in the Company, subject to certain terms, including a three-year vesting period.

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: WBTN) breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders.

If you currently own WEBTOON stock and are a long-term shareholder, you may be able to seek corporate governance reforms, the return of funds back to the company, a court-approved financial incentive award, or other relief and benefits. Please click here to learn more about your legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or [email protected] or [email protected]. Our firm would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses.

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Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is consolidating on Thursday. The shares have been in a steep decline, and it appears that this trend may continue.

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Uber has broken support, and this can be a bearish dynamic. This is why it is the Stock of the Day.

When there are more shares for sale than there are to be bought in a market, the shares trend lower. This is because traders and investors who wish to sell undercut each other's prices. The buyers back away and wait for the sellers to come to them.

Things change at support levels. The downtrend ends or pauses.

As support levels, there is a large amount of demand for a stock. There are as many, or maybe even more shares to be bought than there are for sale. Sellers can sell as many shares as they wish without having to undercut each other, so the price stops dropping.

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Sometimes stocks rally after they fall to support.

The $82 level has been support for Uber. Since June, the stock has rallied off this level multiple times.

This happened because some of the buyers became anxious and impatient. They didn't want the sellers to go to other buyers, so they increased the prices they were willing to pay. Other impatient buyers do the same, and this puts the stock into an uptrend.

But now the support has broken.

Support breaks can be followed by moves lower. If the shares are trading below what had been support, it shows that the buyers who created the support have finished or canceled their orders.  Either way, they have left the market.

And when buyers leave the market, it can set the stage for a move lower.

Sellers will once again be forced to reduce their prices and undercut each other if they want to draw buyers back in. This means the move lower in Uber may continue.

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NU stock jumps 30% in six months as revenue durability strengthens, users hit 127M, and currency-neutral revenues rose 39% to $4.2B.

Key Takeaways ACN delivered 1Q26 EPS of $3.94 and revenues of $18.7B, beating estimates and growing y/y.Accenture saw managed services revenues rise 8% and total bookings climb 12%, led by strong demand.ACN reported margin expansion, solid free cash flow and returned cash via buybacks and dividends.
Accenture plc (ACN - Free Report) has reported impressive first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein earnings and revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimates.

ACN’s earnings were $3.94 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.6%. The metric increased 9.8% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $18.7 billion beat the consensus estimate by 1% and rose 6% on a year-over-year basis.

The company’s shares have jumped 15% over the past three months compared with the industry’s 2.8% fall and the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s 1.8% rise.

ACN’s Revenues in DetailBased on the type of work, managed services’ revenues of $9.3 billion increased 8% from the year-ago quarter on a reported basis and 7% in local currency, surpassing our estimate of $8.8 billion. Consulting revenues gained 4% year over year on a reported basis and 3% in local currency to $9.4 billion, missing our projection of $9.6 billion.

Segment-wise, health and public service revenues of $3.8 billion were flat with the year-ago quarter on a reported basis and declined 1% in local currency. The figure missed our estimation of $3.9 billion. Revenues from the resources segment amounted to $2.5 billion, rising 3% from the year-ago quarter on a reported basis and 2% on a local currency basis. The figure met our estimated figure. Revenues from the product segment amounted to $5.7 billion, increasing 6% year over year on a reported basis and 4% on a local currency basis. The figure beat our estimate of $5.6 billion.

Communications, media and technology revenues of $3.1 billion increased 9% year over year on a reported basis and 8% in terms of local currency, surpassing our projection of $3 billion. Financial services revenues of $3.6 billion grew 14% from the year-ago quarter on a reported basis and 12% in local currency. The figure outpaced our estimate of $3.4 billion.

Geographically, revenues of $9.1 billion from the Americas rose 4% from the year-ago quarter on a reported basis and on a local currency basis. The figure met our projected figure.

Revenues of $6.9 billion from the EMEA gained 8% on a reported basis and 4% in local currency, beating our estimate of $6.7 billion. Revenues of $2.7 billion from the Asia Pacific increased 7% year over year on a reported basis and gained 9% in local currency, outpacing our estimate of $2.6 billion.

Booking Trends of AccentureThe company reported bookings worth $20.9 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, increasing 12% from the year-ago quarter on a reported basis and 10% in local currency. Consulting bookings were $9.9 billion and managed services bookings were $11.1 billion.

ACN’s Operating ResultsThe gross margin (gross profit as a percentage of net revenues) for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 was 33.1%, up 20 basis points (bps) from the year-ago quarter. The adjusted operating margin of 17% moved up 30 bps from the first quarter of fiscal 2025.

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow of AccentureACN exited the first-quarter fiscal 2026 with cash and cash equivalents of $9.6 billion compared with $11.5 billion at the end of the fourth-quarter fiscal 2025. The company generated $1.7 billion in cash from operating activities. Capital expenditure in the reported quarter was $156.6 million.

The free cash flow was $1.5 billion. Accenture repurchased 9.5 million shares for $2.3 billion. The company paid out a dividend of $1 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.

ACN’s Q2 & FY26 GuidanceFor the second quarter of fiscal 2026, the company expects revenues of $17.35-$18 billion. The guided range exceeds the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $18.56 billion.

For fiscal 2026, ACN expects year-over-year revenue growth of 2-5%. The company's expectation for the operating cash flow is kept at $10.8-$11.5 billion. The free cash flow forecast is $9.8-$10.5 billion.

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

Earnings SnapshotEquifax Inc. (EFX - Free Report) reported impressive third-quarter 2025 results.

EFX’s adjusted earnings were $2.04 per share, outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.7% and increasing 10.3% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $1.5 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by 1.5% and grew 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Corpay, Inc.’s (CPAY - Free Report) third-quarter 2025 earnings per share met the consensus mark, while revenues beat the same.

CPAY’s earnings per share of $5.7 beat the consensus estimate by 1.2% and rose 14% year over year. The total revenues of $1.2 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by a slight margin and gained 13.9% from the year-ago quarter.

Integra Resources Corp. (ITR:CA) Discusses DeLamar Project Feasibility Study Results and Project Evolution December 18, 2025 11:00 AM EST

Company Participants

Jason Banducci - Vice President of Corporate Development & Investor Relations
George Salamis - President, CEO & Director
Clifford Lafleur - Chief Operating Officer
Scott Olsen - Vice President of Engineering, Processing & Infrastructure
James Frost

Conference Call Participants

Joseph Reagor - ROTH Capital Partners, LLC, Research Division
Philip Ker
Brian MacArthur - Raymond James Ltd., Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Good morning. My name is Tiffany, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Integra Resources DeLamar Project 2025 Feasibility Study Results Conference Call.

[Operator Instructions]

Thank you. I would like to turn the meeting over to Jason Banducci, Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations. Please go ahead, Mr. Banducci.

Jason Banducci
Vice President of Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Thank you, operator. I'd also like to welcome everyone to Integra's webinar to discuss the results of the 2025 Feasibility Study for the DeLamar Heap Leach Project.

Before we begin, I would like to note that during the presentation, we will be making forward-looking statements. I would direct you to the second slide of the presentation, which contains important cautionary notes regarding these forward-looking statements. The cautionary notes can also be found on Integra's corporate website. All dollar amounts discussed today will refer to U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

On the call today, I'm joined by Integra's President CEO and Director, George Salamis. Chief Operating Officer, Cliff Lafleur; Vice President, Engineering and Processing and Infrastructure Scott Olsen; and Director of Technical Services, James Frost.

Today, we are pleased to present the results in the 2025 Feasibility Study for the DeLamar Heap Leach Project, which were published after market close yesterday. The formal presentation portion

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