Market Signal Briefing

Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, Dec. 18:

Kimball Electronics, Inc. (KE - Free Report) : This company that provides electronics manufacturing and contract manufacturing services for automotive, medical, and industrial markets carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 8.8% over the last 60 days.

Kimball has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 21.53, compared with 24.96 for the S&P 500. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc. (COLL - Free Report) : This specialty pharmaceutical company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 6.6% over the last 60 days.

Collegium has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 6.45, compared with 24.96 for the S&P 500. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

James River Group Holdings, Ltd. (JRVR - Free Report) : This specialty insurance company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 10.5% over the last 60 days.

James River has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 6.30, compared with 8.90 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of B.

See the full list of top ranked stocks here.

Learn more about the Value score and how it is calculated here.

A private equity firm owned by President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is no longer backing Paramount's hostile acquisition bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, the firm confirmed Tuesday.Days after Warner agreed to be bought by Netflix in early December, Paramount launched a rival bid that seeks to bypass Warner's management and appeal directly to its shareholders with more money.

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.

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Brand to launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and India through franchise agreements

Continued expansion builds on lululemon’s strong track record of international growth

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) today announced plans to expand its international presence in 2026 with six new market entries – a record number for the brand in a single year – through its new franchise partnership model agreements. lululemon plans to launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania next year with partner Arion Retail Group, in addition to its previously announced entry into India through a partnership with Tata CLiQ.

These partnerships will bring lululemon’s innovative athletic and lifestyle apparel and accessories to new and existing guests across Europe and Asia Pacific and provide high performance product offerings that are designed to support a wide range of activities including yoga, running, training, tennis, and golf.

lululemon guests across Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania will have access to the brand’s full range of products online through lululemon.eu, while guests in India will be able to digitally shop the brand through online marketplaces Tata CLiQ Luxury and Tata CLiQ Fashion.

“As we continue to see strong demand for the lululemon brand around the world, we’re thrilled to grow our presence and communities across Europe and Asia Pacific with entry into six new markets in 2026,” said Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President, EMEA, lululemon. “Each of these markets offer exciting potential for our brand, and we look forward to working with our franchise partners to introduce our innovative products and engaging guest experiences to more consumers in these regions.”

Building Community

lululemon continues to deepen its connection to guests through its ambassador network and local community events, which deliver movement and wellbeing experiences shaped in collaboration with partners around the world. Reflecting the brand’s holistic approach to physical, mental, and social wellbeing, this community-first model will remain central to how the lululemon brand enters new markets in 2026 with its partners.

International Expansion

Market expansion is a key pillar of lululemon’s growth strategy. With a presence in more than 30 markets around the world today, lululemon has an established and growing footprint across North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and China Mainland. These forthcoming market entries represent another important step in lululemon’s international expansion and follow the company’s entry into Italy this summer, as well as recent openings in Denmark, Turkey, and Belgium through its franchise model. Preparations for the new openings will continue into next year, with details on store locations, timelines, and community activations to be shared in 2026.

About lululemon

lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) is a technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories company for yoga, running, training, tennis, golf, and most other activities, creating transformational products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all. Setting the bar in fabric innovation and functional designs, lululemon works with yogis and athletes in local communities around the world for continuous research and product feedback. For more information, visit lululemon.com.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect lululemon’s current expectations and plans. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could affect future performance are included in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. lululemon undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements following their release.

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Acquires 314-Acre Data Center Development Site in Spotsylvania County and Two 2025-Vintage Hyperscale Data Centers in Leesburg

Transactions Underscore Acceleration of Ares’ Vertically Integrated Digital Infrastructure Investment Capabilities

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES), a leading global alternative investment manager, announced today two significant data center transactions in the U.S. by Ares Real Assets funds, underscoring an expansion of Ares’ global data center exposure and the significant advantages through collaboration across its leading digital infrastructure and real estate investment capabilities.

In one investment, the Ares Digital Infrastructure business, through an Ares fund, has secured a 314-acre site situated along the I-95 South data center corridor in Spotsylvania County of Northern Virginia. The data center development site is expected to be designed, delivered and operated by Ada Infrastructure (“Ada”), Ares’ vertically integrated global data center platform within the Ares Digital Infrastructure business. Phase one of the development is expected to comprise two data center buildings totaling 200 MW of IT load capacity. The campus has secured critical utility infrastructure and will utilize Ada’s design and rapid customization capabilities, including flexible cooling system configurations that can accommodate next generation GPU loads.

In a separate investment, an Ares Real Estate fund has acquired two 2025-vintage hyperscale data centers located in Leesburg, Virginia. Totaling 745,000 square feet and 165 MW of IT load capacity, the data centers are fully leased under 15-year triple-net agreements with a leading, investment-grade hyperscale customer, providing long-term income stability and portfolio diversification. Ares continues to reinforce its leadership in fast-growing New Economy sectors—including logistics and data centers—which are benefiting from the acceleration of new digital technologies, global supply chain shifts and the evolution in how communities live and work.

“We are excited to further expand our digital infrastructure presence in the U.S. through these recent acquisitions in one of the world’s largest data center markets,” said Michael Steele, Head of Ares Digital Infrastructure. “Our site acquisition in Spotsylvania County advances the global positioning of Ada Infrastructure through a project in a supply-constrained tier 1 market that continues to see accelerating demand from hyperscale customers. These acquisitions leverage our differentiated platform capabilities as we aim to deliver near-term capacity to our customers, value to local communities and opportunities to our investors.”

“The acquisition of two stabilized data centers underscores Ares’ high conviction in New Economy real assets and Ares Real Estate’s ability to deploy flexible capital at scale,” said David Roth, Global Head of Real Estate Strategy and Growth in Ares Real Estate. “Northern Virginia represents an attractive, rapidly growing and critical data center market, and these assets, in combination with their investment-grade tenant and triple-net-lease structure, provide predictable cash flows, portfolio diversification and strong upside potential. We look forward to supporting the long-term value creation opportunity of these investments.”

About Ares Management Corporation

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to advance our stakeholders' long-term goals by providing flexible capital that supports businesses and creates value for our investors and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of September 30, 2025, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had over $595 billion of assets under management, with operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com.

About Ada Infrastructure

Ada Infrastructure is a leading data center platform with a global footprint that serves hyperscale and enterprise customers with reliable and scalable capacity. Vertically integrated within the digital infrastructure business of Ares Management Corporation, Ada Infrastructure has nine in-flight campuses as well as a fast follow pipeline across Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. To learn more about Ada Infrastructure, visit www.adainfrastructure.com.

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AKRON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- $BW--B&W Canada has been awarded a more than $10 million contract by Irving Pulp & Paper Limited to install boiler equipment.

Combined company expects to site and commence construction of the first utility-scale fusion power plant in 2026 

Fusion power to blaze path toward America’s A.I. dominance and energy security

Conference call scheduled for 9 a.m. ET, December 18, 2025  

SARASOTA, Fla. and FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (Nasdaq, NYSE Texas: DJT) (“TMTG”) and TAE Technologies, Inc. (“TAE”) today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction valued at more than $6 billion. Upon closing, shareholders of each company will own approximately 50% of the combined company on a fully diluted equity basis. The companies have posted supplemental slides to their respective websites, all of which can be accessed at tmtgcorp.com and tae.com.

Highlights:

Transaction to create one of the world’s first publicly traded fusion companies. Deal to combine TMTG’s access to significant capital and TAE’s leading fusion technology. In 2026, the combined company plans to site and begin construction on the world’s first utility-scale fusion power plant (50 MWe), subject to required approvals. Additional fusion power plants are planned and expected to be 350 – 500 MWe. Fusion power plants are expected to provide economic, abundant, and dependable electricity that would help America win the A.I. revolution and maintain its global economic dominance.TMTG’s balance sheet to accelerate the path to power. The transaction will combine the strength of TMTG’s strong balance sheet with TAE’s leading technologies. As part of the transaction, TMTG has agreed to provide up to $200 million of cash to TAE at signing and an additional $100 million is available upon initial filing of the Form S-4.TAE’s next-generation fusion technology is poised for commercial application. After more than 25 years of research and development, TAE has significantly reduced fusion reactor size, cost and complexity. TAE has built and safely operated five fusion reactors and raised more than $1.3 billion in private capital to date from Google, Chevron Technology Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, NEA, the visionary family offices of Addison Fischer, the Samberg Family, Charles Schwab, and others.Combined company to be governed by experienced management and board. Devin Nunes, TMTG Chairman and CEO, and Dr. Michl Binderbauer, TAE CEO and Director, plan to serve as Co-CEOs of the combined company; Michael B. Schwab, Founder and Managing Director of Big Sky Partners, is expected to be named Chairman of a planned nine-member board of directors. Nunes said, “Trump Media & Technology Group built uncancellable infrastructure to secure free expression online for Americans, and now we’re taking a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations. Fusion power will be the most dramatic energy breakthrough since the onset of commercial nuclear energy in the 1950s—an innovation that will lower energy prices, boost supply, ensure America’s A.I.-supremacy, revive our manufacturing base and bolster national defense. TMTG brings the capital and public market access to quickly move TAE’s proven technology to commercial viability.” 

Binderbauer said, “Our talented team, through its commitment and dedication to science, is poised to solve the immense global challenge of energy scarcity. At TAE, recent breakthroughs have prepared us to accelerate capital deployment to commercialize our fusion technology. We’re excited to identify our first site and begin deploying this revolutionary technology that we expect to fundamentally transform America’s energy supply.” 

Transaction Details

Under the terms of the merger agreement, TAE and TMTG shareholders will each own approximately 50% of the combined company at closing, stated on a fully diluted equity basis.

Based on TMTG’s trailing 30-day VWAP share price as of market close on December 17, 2025, the transaction values each share of TAE common stock (on a fully diluted basis) at $53.89 per share.

Upon closing, Trump Media & Technology Group will be the holding company for Truth Social, Truth+, Truth.Fi, TAE, TAE Power Solutions and TAE Life Sciences, among others.

The transaction, which was approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close in mid-2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including shareholder and regulatory approvals.

TAE Technologies, a Leading American Innovator

Founded in 1998, TAE’s next phase focuses on deploying commercial, utility scale fusion energy. Planned power plants would provide reliable, affordable, carbon-free electricity and industrial heat without the risks of nuclear meltdown, radioactive waste, or proliferation. These advancements position TAE to offer dispatchable, affordable energy at a time of surging power demand.

In addition to its fusion business, TAE has two partially-owned subsidiaries -- TAE Power Solutions and TAE Life Sciences. The power business has developed innovative energy storage and power delivery systems to serve multiple industries, including A.I. data centers, industrial users, and electric vehicles. TAE Life Sciences has developed a biologically targeted radiotherapy to treat cancer patients.

The TAE team consists of more than 400 employees, including 62 Ph.D. holders. The company holds over 1,600 patents, reflecting its leadership in fusion innovation. Binderbauer is globally recognized as a pioneering scientific mind, credited with more than 100 technology patents and numerous awards.

Leadership and Governance

Schwab said, “Through my involvement with TAE over the two decades, I’ve watched first-hand their commitment to science and the promise of applying fusion power to help solve the world’s demand for clean, abundant, affordable energy. With the infusion of TMTG’s significant capital, TAE is on the precipice of scaling its leading technology to usher in a new era of energy abundance. The world needs energy, and fusion is the clear answer.”

Nunes and Binderbauer will serve as co-CEOs of the combined company. Nunes will continue to lead all Trump Media brand operations. Binderbauer will manage TAE Technologies.

The combined company will be managed by a nine-member board of directors, comprised of two directors from TMTG—includes Nunes and Donald J. Trump Jr.—two directors from TAE—including Binderbauer and Schwab—and five other independent directors to be selected and named later. As noted above, Schwab is expected to be named board chair.

Advisors

For TMTG, Yorkville Securities is serving as lead financial and M&A advisor, Clear Street is serving as financial advisor, and DLA Piper (U.S.) LLP is serving as a legal advisor. For TAE, Barclays is serving as financial advisor and Baker Botts LLP is serving as legal advisor.

Joint Investor Call and Additional Information

Management of TMTG and TAE plan to host an investor call at 9 a.m. ET on December 18, 2025, to discuss the transaction. The call can be accessed here.

A webcast of the call, along with this press release and the supplemental slides, are available in the “investor” sections of the TMTG IR website at https://ir.tmtgcorp.com/ and TAE’s website at tae.com.

In addition, TMTG plans to file the investor presentation with the SEC as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K prior to the call, which will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

About TMTG

The mission of Trump Media is to end Big Tech's assault on free speech by opening up the Internet and giving people their voices back. Trump Media operates Truth Social, a social media platform established as a safe harbor for free expression amid increasingly harsh censorship by Big Tech corporations, as well as Truth +, a TV streaming platform focusing on family-friendly live TV channels and on-demand content. Trump Media is also launching Truth.Fi, a financial service and FinTech brand incorporating America First investment vehicles.

Since going public in March 2024, TMTG has amassed total financial assets of $3.1 billion (as of third quarter 2025), including cash, restricted cash, short-term investments, trading securities, and digital assets.

About TAE

TAE Technologies is the world’s leading fusion power company, developing the most sustainable and economically competitive solution to bring abundant clean energy to the grid and carbon-intensive industrial processes. In addition, it operates subsidiaries TAE Power Solutions, which provides technology for energy storage and power delivery systems for batteries and electric vehicles, as well as TAE Life Sciences, which develops technologies and drugs for treating cancer patients.

Important Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, TMTG intends to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 to register the common stock of TMTG (“TMTG Shares”) to be issued in connection with the proposed transaction. The registration statement will include a document that serves as a proxy statement and prospectus of TMTG and consent solicitation statement of TAE (the “proxy statement/prospectus and consent solicitation statement”), and TMTG will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. This document is not a substitute for the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and consent solicitation statement, or any other document that TMTG may file with the SEC. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TMTG AND TAE, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THE RISKS RELATED THERETO, AND RELATED MATTERS.

After the registration statement has been declared effective, a definitive proxy statement will be mailed to the shareholders of TMTG (the “TMTG Shareholders”) and a prospectus and consent solicitation statement will be sent to the stockholders of TAE. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and the proxy statement/prospectus and consent solicitation statement, as each may be amended or supplemented from time to time, and other relevant documents filed by TMTG with the SEC (if and when they become available) through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by TMTG, including the proxy statement/prospectus and consent solicitation statement (when available), will be available free of charge from TMTG’s website at tmtgcorp.com under the “Investors” tab.

Participants in the Solicitation

TMTG and certain of its directors and executive officers and TAE and certain of its directors and executive officers, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the TMTG Shareholders with respect to the proposed transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of certain of TMTG’s directors and executive officers in the solicitation by reading TMTG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on February 14, 2025, TMTG’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 9, 2025, August 1, 2025 and November 7, 2025, respectively, TMTG’s definitive proxy statement for the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders filed with the SEC on March 18, 2025 and the proxy statement/prospectus and consent solicitation statement and other relevant materials filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction when they become available. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described in the paragraphs above. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the TMTG Shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction, including a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will also be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus and consent solicitation statement and other relevant materials when filed with the SEC.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this communication, regarding TMTG’s proposed merger with TAE, TMTG’s ability to consummate the transaction, the benefits of the transaction and the combined Company’s future financial performance, as well as the combined Company’s strategy, future operations, estimated financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words, and the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding TMTG’s and TAE’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future including, without limitation, statements regarding: the anticipated timing and terms of the proposed transaction; plans for deployment of capital and the uses thereof; governance of the combined Company; development and construction timelines; cost competitiveness of fusion-generated electricity; timing of commercialization of TAE’s fusion technology; expectations regarding the time period over which the combined Company’s capital resources will be sufficient to fund its anticipated operations; plans for research and development programs; and future demand for power. These forward-looking statements are based largely on TMTG’s and TAE’s current expectations. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause TMTG’s or TAE’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks related to TMTG’s or TAE’s ability to demonstrate and execute on commercial viability of its technology; legal proceedings; ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms or at all; changes in digital asset valuations; disruption to TMTG’s or TAE’s operations; TMTG’s or TAE’s ability to develop and maintain key strategic relationships; competition in TMTG’s or TAE’s industry; ability to access required materials at acceptable costs; delays in the development and manufacturing of fusion power plants and related technology; ability to manage growth effectively; possibility of incurring losses in the future and not being able to achieve or maintain profitability; potential generation capacities of specific reactor designs; regulatory outlook; future market conditions; success of strategic partnerships; developments in the capital and credit markets; future financial, operational and cost performance; revenue generation; demand for nuclear energy; economic outlook and public perception of the nuclear energy industry; changes in laws or regulations; ability to obtain required regulatory approvals on a timely basis or at all; ability to protect intellectual property; adverse economic or competitive conditions; and other risks and uncertainties. In addition, TMTG and TAE caution you that the forward-looking statements contained in this communication are subject to the following factors: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could delay the proposed transaction or give rise to the termination of the agreements related thereto; (ii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against TMTG or TAE following announcement of the proposed transaction; (iii) the inability to complete the proposed transaction due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of TMTG or TAE, or other conditions to closing in the merger agreement; (iv) the risk that the proposed transaction disrupts TMTG’s or TAE’s current plans and operations as a result of the announcement of the proposed transaction; (v) TMTG’s and TAE’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of TMTG and TAE to grow and manage growth profitably following the proposed transaction; and (vi) costs related to the proposed transaction. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to TMTG and TAE as of the date of this press release and, while TMTG and TAE believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, these statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements. Except as required by applicable law, TMTG and TAE do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in TMTG’s periodic filings with the SEC, including TMTG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, TMTG’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in the Form S-4, when filed. TMTG’s SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Contacts

TMTG – Contact Shannon Devine (MZ Group | Managing Director - MZ North America) Email: [email protected] Media Contact [email protected]

TAE – [email protected]

, /PRNewswire/ -- Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: XHR) ("Xenia" or the "Company") will report financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025 before the market opens on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Management will discuss the Company's results during a conference call at 1:00 pm (Eastern Time) that day.

To participate in the conference call, please follow the steps listed below:

Tuesday, February 24, 2026, dial (833) 470-1428 approximately ten minutes before the call begins, access code 571151.

Tell the operator that you are calling for Xenia Hotels & Resorts' Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Earnings Conference Call.

State your full name and company affiliation and you will be connected to the call.

For those unable to listen to the call live, a replay will be available one hour after the end of the conference call. To access the replay, dial (866) 813-9403, access code 760365.

A live webcast of the earnings call will also be available through the Company's website. To access, log on to www.xeniareit.com ten minutes prior to the call. A replay of the conference call webcast will be archived and available online for 90 days through the Investor Relations section of www.xeniareit.com.

About Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is a self-advised and self-administered REIT that invests in uniquely positioned luxury and upper upscale hotels and resorts with a focus on the top 25 lodging markets as well as key leisure destinations in the United States. The Company owns 30 hotels comprising 8,868 rooms across 14 states. Xenia's hotels are in the luxury and upper upscale segments, and operated and/or licensed by industry leaders such as Marriott, Hyatt, Kimpton, Fairmont, Loews, Hilton, and The Kessler Collection. For more information on Xenia's business, refer to the Company website at www.xeniareit.com.

For additional information or to receive press releases via email, please visit our website at www.xeniareit.com

SOURCE Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 18, 2025) - City View Green Holdings Inc. (CSE: CVGR) (OTC Pink: CVGRF) (FSE: CVY0) (the "Company" or "City View") announces that its investee company ArkenYield has entered into a non-binding letter of intent ("LOI") with a major global digital asset infrastructure and liquidity provider to explore a strategic collaboration focused on institutional yield and treasury management solutions.

Pursuant to the LOI, the parties intend to evaluate the inclusion of ArkenYield's proprietary yield strategies within the partner's institutional yield offerings, subject to further diligence, structuring, regulatory considerations, and the execution of definitive agreements. The collaboration may also extend to the joint development of customized yield and treasury management solutions for the partner's institutional clients, where requested.

As part of the proposed collaboration, ArkenYield has reserved management capacity of up to US$10 million for the partner, with allocations expected to be introduced progressively and potentially expanded over time based on performance, risk considerations, and mutual agreement.

"This LOI reflects continued momentum in positioning ArkenYield as an institutional-grade yield platform," said Conner Romanov, CEO of Stable Capital Group. "The partner's global infrastructure, deep liquidity expertise, and institutional client base make them a strong potential collaborator as we scale our yield and treasury management capabilities."

The LOI is non-binding, and there can be no assurance that the parties will enter into any definitive agreements or that any capital will ultimately be allocated. Any collaboration remains subject to customary due diligence, internal approvals, and applicable regulatory requirements. The partner will be publicly announced upon execution of definitive agreements.

Update on Name Change:

As previously announced on September 30th, 2025 and in connection with its proposed change of business from an "industrial issuer" to an "investment issuer" (the "Proposed COB"), the Company confirms it intends to change its name from its current form to "Stable Capital Inc." (the "Name Change"). The Name Change is expected to occur at the time of the Proposed COB.

Upon completion of the Proposed COB, Stable Capital Inc. will focus on various investments including digital asset investments and infrastructure companies focused on developing scalable platforms for institutional and consumer participation in on-chain markets. Through its ownership in ArkenYield, the Company expects to deliver risk-managed yield, liquidity, and treasury management solutions for the evolving digital asset ecosystem.

About ArkenYield:

ArkenYield is an institutional-focused digital asset yield platform specializing in rules-based, risk-managed strategies with an emphasis on stablecoin liquidity and market-neutral deployment.

With stablecoins now facilitating over $27 trillion in annual settlements, surpassing the combined volume of Visa and Mastercard, ArkenYield is uniquely positioned to provide the essential yield layer for the next phase of global payments adoption. The company is actively pursuing public market access, aiming to be among the first stablecoin-native yield platforms to offer public investors a transparent, regulated vehicle for participating in the growth of digital dollars. Beyond yield generation, ArkenYield's broader mission is to enhance stablecoin utility at scale by providing critical yield infrastructure, treasury management, and deep liquidity services for the evolving digital economy.

For more information visit: https://www.arkenyield.com.

For further information contact:
City View Green Holdings Inc.
Rob Fia, CEO & President
Phone: 416.722.4994
Email: [email protected]

The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the Proposed COB and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are not composed of historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would","will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. There are a number of important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, among others, availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets and delays in the development of projects. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278429

Source: City View Green Holdings Inc.

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Visa said on Thursday that it successfully completed hundreds of AI transactions as part of a pilot program that kicked off after the company's product event in April.

The credit card issuer and rivals across the fintech industry are racing to build tools that allow consumers to task artificial intelligence agents with completing certain transactions.

"This is going to be the year we see an enormous amount of material adoption, and consumers really starting to get comfortable in a bunch of different agentic environments," said Rubail Birwadker, Visa's head of growth products and partnerships, in an interview.

AI is transforming the e-commerce experience for shoppers, changing how customers purchase and browse for goods.

Mastercard said in April it was testing a feature called Agent Pay that allows AI agents to shop online for customers. Amazon began testing a "Buy For Me" offering that same month, while PayPal and Perplexity have joined forces on agentic shopping tools. Earlier in December, a survey from Visa found that nearly half of U.S. shoppers are using AI with purchases.

While the data is limited, Birwadker said the tools could be useful for consistent purchases made by consumers or events like concert tickets.

Visa said it plans to launch pilot programs in Asia and Europe next year, and is working with over 20 partners on AI agent tools.

watch now

Here are three stocks with buy ranks and strong growth characteristics for investors to consider today, Dec. 18:

Micron Technology, Inc. (MU - Free Report) : This memory and storage products company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 22.4% over the last 60 days.

Micron Technology has a PEG ratio of 0.33 compared with 1.26 for the industry. The company possesses a  Growth Score of A.

Sanmina Corporation (SANM - Free Report) : This global provider of electronics contract manufacturing services carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 38.9% over the last 60 days.

Sanmina has a PEG ratio of 0.61 compared with 1.75 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of A.

Phibro Animal Health Corporation (PAHC - Free Report) : This animal health and mineral nutrition company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 9.1% over the last 60 days.

Phibro has a PEG ratio of 1.14 compared with 1.65 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of B.

See the full list of top ranked stocks here.

Learn more about the Growth score and how it is calculated here.

Clare Morgan
Group Executive Commercial Australia

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Clare Morgan, and I am the Group Executive for Business and Private Banking and a member of the Group Executive Committee here at ANZ. I will act as a moderator for today's Annual General Meeting.

We pause to acknowledge the tragic events in Bondi earlier this week and extend our heartfelt thoughts to those impacted as we come together for today's meeting. Our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their families and the wider community as we all navigate the aftermath of this deeply distressing event.

Before the meeting starts, the Chairman has asked me to run through some administrative matters, particularly in relation to voting and asking questions. Today's meeting is an in-person AGM and shareholders and proxy holders in the room have been given a white voting card with a QR code and a poll will be held on each of the resolutions.

To assist with the poll, the Chairman has appointed Mr. Michael Hutchison of Computershare to act as returning officer and KPMG to act as scrutineers. For those with smartphones, when the Chairman opens the poll, please scan the QR code with your devices camera. This will open an online voting page in your browser, accept the terms and conditions, then press the Vote icon and all resolutions will be activated with voting options.

To cast your vote, simply select for, against or abstain. There is no need

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – December 18, 2025 – Today, Zacks Equity Research Equity areArcutis Biotherapeutics (ARQT - Free Report) , Amicus Therapeutics (FOLD - Free Report) , ANI Pharmaceuticals (ANIP - Free Report) ,

Industry: Biotech

Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2805501/5-biotech-stocks-to-watch-for-potential-upside

The volatile biotech industry has put up a strong performance in 2025 despite the uncertain macroeconomic environment. While the tariff saga hit the pharma/biotech industry earlier in the year, the sector held up well, driven by solid momentum from new drug approvals and encouraging pipeline progress. Given the continuous need for innovative medical treatments (regardless of the state of the economy), the dynamic biotech industry will continue to capture investors’ interest going forward.

2025 saw a surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) after a lull in 2024, given the changing landscape and the spotlight on AI-driven drug discovery. Large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies continually expand their product portfolios and pipelines through strategic collaborations and acquisitions to adapt their business models amid rising generic competition for key drugs. As a result, smaller biotechs leveraging breakthrough technologies are increasingly in the spotlight, helping drive momentum across the broader sector.

Biotech companies like Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics, ANI Pharmaceuticals, Tango Therapeutics, Inc. and Pacira Biosciences are poised to outperform the sector.

This industry includes biopharmaceutical and biotech stocks like Amgen, Inc. (AMGN).The Zacks Biomedical and Genetics industry comprises biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that develop high-profile drugs utilizing groundbreaking technology. These biologically processed drugs, which address virology, neuroscience, metabolism and rare diseases, are manufactured using live organisms.

As technology becomes increasingly crucial to improving global health, biotech companies strive to utilize innovative technologies to rapidly develop breakthrough treatments. Several companies in this field are developing drugs and vaccines utilizing modern technology. Given the dynamic and evolving nature of technology, the sector seems riskier than the large-cap pharma or drug industry.

4 Trends Shaping the Future of the Biotech IndustryInnovation and Execution Hold the Key: The primary focus in the biotech industry is on the performance of high-profile drugs and innovative pipeline development, as only a handful of companies in this industry have approved drugs in their portfolios. Most companies spend millions and billions of dollars to create a drug with path-breaking technology, resulting in significant research and development expenditures. The recent spotlight on the usage of AI technology for drug discovery will propel further investment in this industry. Precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine, is another rapidly evolving field in the industry.

On the other hand, successful commercialization is crucial for higher drug uptake, as smaller biotechs often lack the necessary funds and expertise to reach the target population. This prompts collaboration deals with either pharma or biotech bigwigs, wherein sales are shared or royalties are received.

Sometimes, approved treatments come with side effects that emerge over time, and the uptake may fail to meet expectations. Hence, it takes several years before a biotech company turns profitable. Moreover, it may take quite a few years for any newly approved drug to contribute to its company’s top line.

M&A in the Spotlight: Consolidation has long been a key theme in the pharma and biotech industry, as leading companies continually seek to diversify their revenue streams amid declining sales from their flagship drugs. The recent spree of acquisitions signifies a focus on portfolio expansion and constant pipeline innovation, given the changing landscape and spotlight on AI-driven drug discovery.

Simultaneously, bigwigs in the space also enter into licensing deals and collaborations for a promising drug/candidate to strengthen and expand their portfolios/pipelines in their respective core areas or emerging fields. While oncology and immuno-oncology companies have always been at the top of acquisition targets, the lucrative obesity sector and gene-editing space are now being eyed.

Johnson & Johnson is set to acquire clinical-stage biotechnology company, Halda Therapeutics OpCo. The acquisition provides Johnson & Johnson with a highly differentiated clinical-stage treatment for prostate cancer. Swiss pharma bigwig Novartis, too, has been on an acquisition spree. Novartis recently announced that it will acquire Avidity Biosciences, Inc. for $12 billion to strengthen its late-stage neuroscience pipeline. Avidity is developing RNA therapeutics called Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs) for serious, genetic neuromuscular diseases. Sanofi earlier acquired Blueprint Medicines for $9.5 billion to expand its portfolio in rare immunological diseases.

The recent spotlight on the usage of AI technology for drug discovery should lure further investment in this industry.

New Drug Approvals Boost Prospects: New drug approvals accelerated in 2025 as most companies aim to diversify their portfolios. The FDA has approved more than 40 drugs in 2025 so far.

Pipeline Setbacks & Potential Tariffs Weigh on Outlook: Pipeline setbacks are key deterrents for biotech companies, given the exorbitant cost of developing drugs using expensive technology. Most drugs/therapies take years to gain a regulatory nod. An unfavorable outcome from a crucial trial on a promising candidate is a huge setback, particularly for smaller biotechs, which are mostly one-trick ponies. The leading biotechs face other headwinds, including declining sales of high-profile drugs due to intensifying competition.

Many big pharma/biotech companies have sizable production units outside the country and imposition of tariffs will increase their costs, thereby shrinking margins. Moreover, ongoing geopolitical tensions remain a headwind.

Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright ProspectsThe group’s Zacks Industry Rank is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks.

The Zacks Biomedical and Genetics industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #89, which places it among the top 37% of more than 243 Zacks industries. The rank reflects a bright outlook for the space, driven by consistent demand for better medical treatments despite the challenging macroenvironment. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Before we present a few biotech stocks that are well-positioned to beat the industry based on a strong portfolio/pipeline, let’s take a look at the industry’s stock market performance and current valuation.

Industry Versus S&P 500 & SectorThe Zacks Biomedical and Genetics industry is a 674-stock group within the broader Zacks Medical sector. It has outperformed both the Zacks Medical sector and the S&P 500 composite sector in the last six months.

The stocks in this industry have gained 22.1% in the last six months compared with the Zacks Medical sector’s growth of 12.5% and the S&P 500 composite’s rise of 16.5% in the said time frame.

Industry's Current ValuationSince most companies in the biotech sector do not have approved drugs, valuing these becomes a complex process. On the basis of the trailing 12-month price-to-sales ratio (P/S TTM), which is commonly used for valuing biotech companies with approved portfolios of drugs, the industry is currently trading at 2.47X compared with the S&P 500’s 5.96X and the Zacks Medical sector's 2.66X.

Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 4.31X, as low as 1.86X and at a median of 2.65X.

5 Biotech Stocks Worth BuyingAmicus Therapeutics has put up a stellar performance. Lead marketed drug, Galafold, has shown solid uptake and is witnessing continued demand. Galafold is approved for treating Fabry disease. Amicus’ efforts to expand Galafold's label should propel sales further. The recent settlement of the Galafold patent litigation with Teva wards off generic competition in the near term. The FDA approval of Pombiliti + Opfolda for treating Pompe disease is a significant boost to the portfolio.

FOLD currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Shares of FOLD have soared 90.2% in the past six months. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS has increased five cents to $0.36 in the past 90 days.

ANI Pharmaceuticals is a diversified biopharmaceutical company with two focal areas – rare diseases and generics. The company’s rare disease franchise has emerged as a major growth catalyst in 2025 on the back of strong performance of ACTH-based injection Cortrophin Gel, whose sales surged 70% year over year to $236 million in the first nine months of 2025.

The acquisition of Alimera Sciences, Inc., in 2024 added a growing and durable franchise, Iluvien for (diabetic macular edema) and Yutiq (for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment of the eye) to its portfolio.
The company has a presence in the generics market as well.

ANIP’s shares have gained 50.3% in a year. Earnings estimates for 2025 have increased 27 cents to $7.56 in the past 60 days. ANIP currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics, a commercial stage company, has a growing portfolio of advanced targeted topicals approved to treat three major inflammatory skin diseases — plaque psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. The company’s lead product Zoryve (roflumilast) cream 0.3% for the treatment of plaque psoriasis has been performing well. Consistent label expansion of Zoryve has boosted sales. Zoryve topical foam 0.3% is approved for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis while Zoryve cream 0.15% is approved for the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis.

ARQT currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Estimates for 2025 loss per share have narrowed to $0.24 from $0.44 in the past 60 days. Shares have skyrocketed 108.7% in the past six months.

Tango Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing precision medicine for oncology. The company is currently developing two MTAP-deleted selective PRMT5 inhibitors — vopimetostat (TNG462) for non- central nervous system (CNS) cancers, including pancreatic and lung cancer, and TNG456, a next-generation, brain-penetrant PRMT5 inhibitor, for CNS cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM).

The pipeline progress has been encouraging. In October 2025, the company reported positive data from the ongoing phase I/II study of vopimetostat in patients with MTAP-deleted selective cancers, demonstrating clinical activity across multiple cancer types with a favorable safety and tolerability profile to date.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #2 company have surged 86.7% in the past six months. Estimates for 2025 loss per share have narrowed 16 cents to $0.89 in the past 60 days.

Pacira BioSciences’ lead drug, Exparel, maintains momentum for the company. PCRX is also looking to further expand Exparel’s label. The drug has also been included in a specialized reimbursement scheme, which has increased patient access and compliance, boosting sales. The settlement of the Exparel patent litigation with several generic players is also a win, as it protects its exclusivity in the United States at least until 2030. The ongoing phase II study on PCRX-201 for OA knee pain is encouraging.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has gained 36.4% in a year. Earnings estimates for 2025 have increased 5 cents to $2.90 per share in the past 90 days.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.

Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.

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800-767-3771 ext. 9339

[email protected]

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

About Jamie Ashcroft
Jamie Ashcroft, the News Editor for Proactive UK, has developed an impressive career in financial journalism, focusing on the small-cap sector for over fourteen years. Before joining the Proactive team, he was a stockbroker during the global financial crisis, a role that complemented his educational background - a first-class degree in Business and Economics and qualifications in software design and development.
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For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – December 18, 2025 – Today, Zacks Equity Research Equity areas Wabtec Corp. (WAB - Free Report) , AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER - Free Report) and Herc Holdings Inc. (HRI - Free Report) .

Industry: Transportation - Equipment & Leasing

Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2805754/3-stocks-from-the-transport-equipment-leasing-industry-to-watch

The Zacks Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry is currently navigating a challenging macroeconomic environment. The industry grapples with challenges due to persistent inflation, tariff-related tensions and lingering supply-chain disruptions. Geopolitical woes represent further challenges.

Despite the challenging macroeconomic conditions, industry players such as Wabtec Corp., AerCap Holdings N.V. and Herc Holdings Inc. stand out for their solid investor-friendly steps. Notably, consistent shareholder-friendly initiatives in the form of dividend payouts or share buybacks imply solid financial strength of companies in the Equipment and Leasing industry. Such moves boost investors’ confidence and positively impact the bottom line.

Industry OverviewThe Zacks Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry includes companies offering equipment financing as well as leasing and supply-chain management services. The industry includes aircraft, railcar and intermodal container lessors. Some of these companies even provide logistics and transportation solutions, such as vehicles, drivers, management and administrative services.

Most industry participants offer fleet management solutions and serve customers, varying from small businesses to large international enterprises. Customers range from a wide variety of industries, the most significant being automotive, electronics, transportation, grocery, lumber and wood products, food service and home furnishing. A few of these companies provide locomotives and technology-based equipment, systems and services to freight rail and passenger transit industries.

Factors Deciding the Industry's OutlookStrong Financial Returns for Shareholders: With economic activities gaining pace from the pandemic lows, more and more companies are allocating their increasing cash pile through dividends and buybacks to pacify long-suffering shareholders. This underlines their financial strength and confidence in the business. Among the Transportation – Equipment and Leasing industry players, on July 10, 2025, Ryder'sboard of directors has approved a dividend hike of 12%, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend to 91 cents per share ($3.64 annualized) from 81 cents ($3.24 annualized). Wabtec (on Feb. 7, 2025) announced a 25% dividend increase, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend from 20 cents per share to 25 cents.

Economic Uncertainty Remains: Tariff tensions have led to escalated trade woes across the globe. These tariff-induced economic uncertainties do not bode well for industry participants. With inflation remaining a concern, risks associated with an economic slowdown and geopolitical tensions dampen the prospects of stocks belonging to this industrial cohort. Sluggish economic growth and inflationary woes are likely to make markets more volatile in the coming days. Ongoing economic uncertainty does not bode well for industry players.

Supply-Chain Disruptions & Weak Freight Rates: Although economic activities picked up from the pandemic gloom, lingering supply-chain disruptions continue to dent stocks in the industry. Increased operating costs are also limiting bottom-line growth. Due to supply-chain troubles, costs will likely continue to be steep going forward. Below-par freight rates are also hurting the industry’s prospects. Highlighting the weak freight demand, the Cass Freight Shipments Index declined 7.6% year over year in November. This measure has deteriorated year over year in each of the past seven months, which confirms the overall declining trend.

Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Gloomy ProspectsThe Zacks Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry, housed within the broader Zacks Transportation sector, currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #187. This rank places it in the bottom 22% of more than 250 Zacks industries.

The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates dull near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

The sell-side analysts covering the companies in this industry have been decreasing their estimates. Over the past year, the industry’s consensus earnings estimate for the current year has decreased 3.3%.

Before we present a few stocks that investors can retain, given their growth prospects, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock market performance and current valuation.

Industry Lags S&P 500 & SectorThe Zacks Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry has underperformed the Zacks S&P 500 Composite index as well as the broader sector over the past year.

Over this period, the industry has declined 17.8% compared with the S&P 500 Index’s northward movement of 17.8%. The broader sector has gained 0.2%.

Industry's Current ValuationOn the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E- F12M), a commonly used multiple for valuing equipment and leasing stocks, the industry is currently trading at 14.24X, compared with the S&P 500’s 23.21X. It is also below the sector’s P/E (F12) ratio of 13.78X.

Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 15.65X, as low as 8.42X and at the median of 11.66X.

3 Transport Equipment Leasing Stocks to Watch NowWe are presenting three stocks that are well-positioned to grow in the near term.

AerCap: Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, AerCap engages in the lease, financing, sale, and management of commercial flight equipment in the United States, China, and internationally. The company’s shareholder-friendly initiatives in the form of dividend payments and share repurchases should boost investor confidence and positively impact the bottom line. AerCap has a solid earnings surprise history.

The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 31.57%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AerCap’s 2025 earnings has been revised 14.1% upward in the past 90 days. AER has an expected earnings growth rate of 22.81% for 2025. AER carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Wabtec: This Pittsburgh, PA-based company offers technology-based locomotives, equipment, systems, and services for the freight rail and passenger transit industries worldwide. Focus on new technologies to improve safety and reliability, together with its restructuring actions and cost-cutting actions, are the main drivers of its strength lately. Its strong free cash flow generating ability helps in dividend payments and share buybacks.

WAB has an impressive earnings surprise history. Wabtec's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters (missed the mark in the remaining quarter), delivering an average beat of 4.68%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WAB’s 2025 earnings has been revised 1% upward over the past 90 days. WAB has an expected earnings growth rate of 18.39% for 2025. WAB carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Herc Holdings: This Florida-based company operates as an equipment rental supplier in the United States and internationally. The company rents aerial, earthmoving, material handling, trucks and trailers, air compressors, compaction, and lighting equipment. HRI carries a Zacks Rank #3.

Herc Holdings has a solid earnings surprise history. The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters (missed the mark in the remaining two quarters), delivering an average surprise of 0.93%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HRI’s 2025 earnings has remained unchanged in the past 90 days.

Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.

Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.

See Stocks Free >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

[email protected]

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – December 18, 2025 – Today, Zacks Equity Research Equity areas FTI Consulting, Inc. (FCN - Free Report) , Exponent, Inc. (EXPO - Free Report) and CBIZ, Inc. (CBZ - Free Report) .

Industry: Consulting Services

Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2805451/3-stocks-to-consider-from-the-prospering-consulting-services-industry

Economic strength, encouraging service activities and the success of the work-from-home trend enable Zacks Consulting Services industry players to support the demand environment.
Driven by these positives, investors interested in the industry would do well to consider including stocks like FTI Consulting, Inc., Exponent, Inc. and CBIZ, Inc. in their portfolios.

About the IndustryCompanies grouped under the Consulting Services category offer professional advice in management, IT, human resources, environmental regulations, logistics and marketing and real estate, serving multiple end markets. The space includes prominent names such as Accenture and Gartner.

The industry focuses on channeling money and efforts toward more effective operational components, such as technology, digital transformation and data-driven decision-making. To position themselves suitably in the post-pandemic era and better utilize the opportunities that an economic recovery will bring, service providers are increasing their efforts to formulate and reassess strategic initiatives, identify sources of demand and target end markets.

What's Shaping the Future of the Consulting Services Industry?Exponential Growth:This multi-billion-dollar industry has entered a trajectory of exponential expansion since the 2008 financial crisis, fueled by digital transformation and innovation-driven efficiencies. The trend has sustained steady revenues, profits, and cash-flow growth, enabling most industry players to distribute stable dividends.

Economic Recovery: The sector is a major beneficiary of the broader economy and increasingly digital-driven service activities. According to the third estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy remained resilient, with GDP growing 3.8% in the second quarter of 2025 against a 0.6% decline in the first quarter. Non-manufacturing activities retained strength, as evidenced by the Services PMI, which stayed above the 50% threshold in November for the ninth time in 2025.

Strong Demand Environment: The consulting services industry remains among the least disrupted by recent global uncertainties. Even in volatile conditions, organizations seek extensive guidance on safeguarding their workforce while strengthening ties with consumers and shareholders. The industry was an early pioneer of remote collaboration, now embedded in the new normal. Its work model allows players to operate efficiently, increasingly powered by AI-driven insights, digital platforms, and agile delivery frameworks.

Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright ProspectsThe Consulting Services industry, which is housed within the broader Business Services sector, currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank of #80. This rank places it in the top 33% of 243 Zacks industries.

The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates solid near-term growth prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than two to one.

Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock market performance and current valuation.

Industry's Price PerformanceThe Consulting Services industry has underperformed the S&P 500 composite and the broader sector in the past year. The industry has declined 27% against the S&P 500 composite’s gain of 18% and the broader sector’s 9% fall.

Industry's Current ValuationOn the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E), which is a commonly used multiple for valuing consulting services companies, we see that the industry is currently trading at 19.76X, above the S&P 500’s 23.3X and the sector’s 20.56X.

Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 31.53X and as low as 19.02X, with a median of 26.6X.

3 Consulting Services Stocks to ConsiderFTI Consulting: The company’s diversified offerings and international operations strengthen top-line growth prospects. In 2024, the company generated nearly 36% of its revenues from its international operations. The broad range of practices and services, diversified revenue streams, specialized industry expertise and global reach differentiate FTI Consulting from its competitors. This diversification enables the company to mitigate the impacts of economic cycles, crises, events, and changes in a particular practice, industry, or country. FCN's revenues have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 8.5% from 2020 to 2024.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 EPS has increased 4.3% in the past 60 days to $8.43. FCN currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The stock gained 6% in the past month. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.

Exponent: Technological innovation continues to raise both complexity and safety expectations, and Exponent is well-positioned to capitalize on these shifts. With a strong foundation of talent and deep multidisciplinary expertise, the company delivered year-over-year growth in dispute-related activities across construction, automotive and medical devices.

Proactive risk management work in the utilities sector further supported performance, offsetting softer demand in chemical regulatory engagements. Encouragingly, momentum is building in early-stage work tied to digital health, AI usability, and distributed energy systems, areas with substantial growth potential. These drivers underscore Exponent’s ability to achieve sustainable growth and create long-term shareholder value.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 EPS has increased 4.6% in the past 60 days to $2.06. The stock has surged 8% in the past month. EXPO currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

CBIZ: With its service breadth and specialized expertise, this provider of financial, insurance and advisory services has established itself as one of the largest professional services providers for middle-market businesses, solidifying its competitive edge and long-term growth potential.

CBIZ is entering a strong growth phase, fueled by strategic expansion and a reinforced market position. The integration of Marcum is expected to unlock new synergies, enhance service offerings, and strengthen relationships with clients and stakeholders. The Marcum transaction significantly expands CBIZ’s capabilities and client base, positioning the firm for broader market reach and cross-selling opportunities.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 EPS has increased marginally in the past 60 days to $3.62. The stock has gained 7% in the past month. CBIZ currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

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Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 18, 2025) - Focus Graphite Inc. (TSXV: FMS) (OTCQB: FCSMF) (FSE: FKC0) ("Focus" or the "Company"), a leading developer of high-grade flake graphite deposits and innovator of next-generation lithium-ion battery technology, reports the final assay results from its 2022 exploration and definition drilling program at the Company's 100%-owned Lac Tetepisca Graphite Project (the "Project"). Today's disclosure includes results from the remaining twenty-two (22) drill holes on the West Limb, along with complementary results from six (6) previously disclosed holes in the Southwest extension of the Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor ("MOGC") flake graphite deposit.

These results extend the drilled strike length of mineralization to approximately eight (8) kilometers along a folded structure. All assay results from the 2022 drill campaign have now been received and released.

Highlights

Final assay results received from the Focus's 2022 Lac Tetepisca drill program drill program have now been received, completing 74 drill holes totalling 14,900.5 meters and 11,824 assays and enabling the Company to proceed with an updated Mineral Resource Estimate in Q1 2026. Results from the 22 West Limb and 6 Southwest MOGC holes extend confirmed graphite mineralization along a approximately 8-km strike length, significantly expanding the scale of the Lac Tetepisca system.Multiple West Limb holes returned significant graphite intervals, more or less aligned on strike along one of the aeromagnetic anomalies, including:39.16 m (true) @ 9.02% Cg, including 10.50 m @ 24.49% Cg (LT-22-160)12.55 m (true) @ 8.90% Cg and 24.97 m (true) @ 6.43% Cg (LT-22-161)10.98 m (true) @ 8.17% Cg and multiple additional mineralized horizons (LT-22-162)Drilling at the Southwest MOGC intersected a second, structurally distinct mineralized horizon, highlighted by:20.19 m (true) @ 9.71% Cg, including 8.61 m @ 14.76% Cg (LT-22-141)Completion of the full assay dataset represents a major technical milestone, positioning Focus to reassess the scale, continuity, and development potential of Lac Tetepisca as it advances toward metallurgical, purification, and downstream application testing.Dean Hanisch, Chief Executive Officer of Focus Graphite, stated, "The completion of all assays from our 2022 drilling program provides the complete dataset required to advance an updated Mineral Resource Estimate, anticipated in Q1 2026. The current maiden resource predates all 2022 drilling, and the results confirm meaningful upgrade potential across the Lac Tetepisca system."

While mineralized intervals intersected in the West Limb are not to the same extent than those in the main MOGC deposit, it demonstrated the continuity of the broad low grade graphitic mineralization in this area, at a different stratigraphic level than on the South Limb where MOGC is located. The extent of this low-grade zone is apparently sufficient to be considered in the incoming Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") update planned for Q1 2026.Despite being lower grade, definition of, "significant mineralization" is defined as intercepts grading ≥5.0% graphitic carbon ("Cg") over a minimum true thickness of 6.0 metres, with internal dilution set at a maximum of 7.0 consecutive metres and no external dilution. This definition has been maintained to be consistent with previous releases.

MOGC Resource Background

The MOGC flake graphite deposit is part of the Company's Lac Tetepisca Project, located southwest of the Manicouagan Reservoir on the Nitassinan of the Pessamit Innu First Nation, in Quebec's Cote-Nord region. The MOGC is currently defined by a linear 1.5 km long segment of an 8 km long folded geophysical magnetic-electromagnetic anomaly that trends N035°. The April 4, 2022 NI 43-101 Technical Report, prepared by DRA America's Inc. ("DRA"), outlines a pit-constrained Indicated Resource of 59.3 million tonnes (Mt) grading 10.61% Graphitic Carbon (Cg) for an estimated content of 6.3 Mt of natural flake graphite (in-situ), and an Inferred Resource of 14.9 Mt grading 11.06% Cg for an estimated content of 1.6 Mt of natural flake graphite. This maiden resource predates all drilling completed in 2022. An updated MRE incorporating all 2022 drill holes is expected in Q1 2026.

The current maiden resource-which positions the MOGC as one of the largest flake graphite deposits in North America-is detailed in the NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate Lac Tetepisca Graphite Project, Quebec, prepared by DRA and dated April 4, 2022. The reporst is available on the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca/ on the Company's profile. This maiden resource predates all drilling completed in 2022. As demonstrated in previous releases, the 2022 drill program extended the mineralization at depth and to the southwest, and now to the West Limb.

2022 Exploration and Definition Drill Program

Focus completed 74 diamond drill holes totalling 14,900.5 metres between March 3 and November 17, 2022 at the Project. Program objectives of the exploration and definition drilling program were twofold:

Complete systematic definition drilling along strike and at depth of the MOGC deposit to support the conversion of Inferred resources to the Indicated category and to expand the total mineral resource estimate.

Test the graphite abundance that might be the cause of the magnetic and aeromagnetic anomaly extending from the MOGC toward the Southwest extension and West Limb.

Prior to this release, the Company disclosed full results from twenty-seven (27) definition holes drilled along strike of the MOGC deposit, partial results for eighteen (18) exploration holes at the Southwest MOGC target and seven (7) exploration holes at the West Limb target.

The remaining results from West Limb (22 holes, Table 1, Figure 1) and Southwest MOGC (6 holes, Table 3, Figure 1) are provided herein. All assays results for the 2022 campaign are now complete.

Also included are minor corrections of previously released results for two (2) West Limb holes (Table 2, Figure 1).

One aborted hole (LT-22-147) in the Southwest MOGC target was abandoned due to technical/drilling difficulties and was successfully re-drilled and under the LT-22-172 moniker.

Please consult the Company's website at www.focusgraphite.com for previous news releases containing analytical highlights from the 2022 exploration and deep definition drilling program at the Lac Tetepisca project, as well as applicable location maps.

West Limb: Exploration Drill Results

The West Limb zone consists of the other segment of the regionally folded aeromagnetic anomaly and hosts up to three time-parallel aeromagnetic anomalies interpreted as potential stratigraphic duplication or tectonic imbrication within the folded structure. A total of twenty-nine (29) exploration holes (5,421.6 m) were drilled on different segments of the anomalies, of which results from seven (7) on the southeastmost anomaly were previously released (May 28, 2025). The twenty-two (22) exploration holes released today (Table 1) confirm consistent graphitic horizons and highlighted the structural complexity of the area. Six (6) drill holes intersected significant graphitic mineralization, including:

Hole LT-22-120

Drilled at 300°/-45° to a vertical depth of 121.76 metres on Section L19+00NW, intersected 13.22 metres (true thickness) grading 5.16% Cg (from 19.00 to 32.70 metres core length).Hole LT-22-158

Drilled at 300°/-45° to a vertical depth of 138.39 metres on Section L07+00NW, intersected 9.98 metres (true thickness) grading 5.77% Cg (from 26.75 to 37.00 metres core length).Hole LT-22-159

Drilled at 300°/-45° to a vertical depth of 199.97 metres on Section L22+00NW, intersected 7.56 metres (true thickness) grading 8.75% Cg (from 192.15 to 199.90 metres core length).Hole LT-22-160

Drilled at 300°/-45° to a vertical depth of 207.31 metres on Section L16+00NW,

Intersected 14.37 metres (true thickness) grading 6.04% Cg (from 61.05 to 76.05 metres core length);

Intersected 39.16 metres (true thickness) grading 9.02% Cg (from 231.00 to 271.65 metres core length).

including 10.50 metres at 24.49% Cg (from 231.00 to 241.90 metres core length).

Hole LT-22-161

Drilled at 300°/-45° to a vertical depth of 209.70 metres on Section L16+00NW,

Intersected 12.55 metres (true thickness) grading 8.90% Cg (from 34.30 to 47.40 metres core length);

including 7.47 metres at 12.06% Cg (from 39.60 to 47.40 metres core length).

Intersected 24.97 metres (true thickness) grading 6.43% Cg (from 189.90 to 215.90 metres core length).

Hole LT-22-162

Drilled at 300°/-45° to a vertical depth of 203.88 metres on Section L16+00NW,

Intersected 10.98 metres (true thickness) grading 8.17% Cg (from 36.50 to 47.85 metres core length);

Intersected 7.63 metres (true thickness) grading 5.25% Cg (from 121.25 to 129.15 metres core length);

Intersected 21.68 metres (true thickness) grading 5.02% Cg (from 164.35 to 186.85 metres core length);

Intersected 16.54 metres (true thickness) grading 6.79% Cg (from 188.80 to 206.00 metres core length);

Intersected 7.70 metres (true thickness) grading 11.15% Cg (from 260.20 to 268.20 metres core length).

Correction to Previously Released Results (Table 2)

Hole LT-22-112

Drilled at 300°/-45° to a vertical depth of 118.74 metres on Section L16+00SW,

Intersected 30.99 metres (true thickness) grading 5.83% Cg (from 32.00 to 64.00 metres core length). Previously 6.35% Ct (Total Carbon) as opposed to Graphitic carbon (Cg);

Intersected 19.35 metres (true thickness) grading 8.87% Cg (from 73.00 to 93.00 metres core length). Previously 9.68% Ct (Total Carbon) as opposed to Graphitic carbon (Cg).

Including 8.72 metres at 13.68% Cg (from 84.00 to 93.00metres core length).

Southwest MOGC: Exploration Drill Results

The Southwest MOGC was tested with eighteen (18) exploration holes totalling 2,838.8 metres, all previously released (11 July 2024 and 28 may 2025). Complementary assay results for six (6) holes are released today (Table 3). Five (5) of these holes intersected significant graphitic intervals beneath a thick layer of barren paragneiss, indicating stratigraphic duplication or tectonic complexities that were previously unnoticed.

Hole LT-22-141

Drilled at 350°/-45° to a vertical depth of 161.47 metres on Section L00+00NW,

Intersected 7.26 metres (true thickness) grading 5.77% Cg (from 118.50 to 126.50 metres core length);

Intersected 20.19 metres (true thickness) grading 9.71% Cg (from 189.00 to 211.00 metres core length).

including 8.61 metres at 14.76% Cg (from 199.00 to 211.00 metres core length).

Hole LT-22-142

Drilled at 350°/-45° to a vertical depth of 71.30 metres on Section L00+00SW, intersected 10.95 metres (true thickness) grading 6.70% Cg (from 30.00 to 42.00 metres core length).Hole LT-22-143

Drilled at 350°/-45° to a vertical depth of 128.19 metres on Section L01+75SW, intersected 6.35 metres (true thickness) grading 8.94% Cg (from 127.15 to 134.15 metres core length).Hole LT-22-144

Drilled at 350°/-45° to a vertical depth of 104.89 metres on Section L01+75SW,

Intersected 12.72 metres (true thickness) grading 5.08% Cg (from 52.00 to 66.00 metres core length);

Intersected 14.60 metres (true thickness) grading 6.42% Cg (from 126.50 to 142.50 metres core length).

Hole LT-22-146

Drilled at 350°/-45° to a vertical depth of 72.12 metres on Section L03+50SW, intersected 8.96 metres (true thickness) grading 5.05% Cg (from 40.50 to 50.50 metres core length).The graphitic zones intersected at the Southwest MOGC and West limb target are thinner or of lower grade than those in the MOGC deposit and appear to be partially located at different stratigraphic levels. Ongoing 3-D structural aims to integrate the West Limb and Southwest targets with the main MOGC mineralized system.

Figure 1 - Location of the drill holes and drill hole sections discussed in today's news release

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1963/278461_70fbefdbb43fb962_001full.jpg

West Limb                   Hole ID Section DDH Intercepts Length Graphitic Carbon Depth Dip Azimuth Depth From To Core length True length (m) (°) (°) (m) (m) (m) (m) (m) (%) LT-22-114 L18+00NW 95.54 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-115 L19+00NW 102.42 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-116 L20+00NW 93.02 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-117 L21+00NW 94.41 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-118 L21+00NW 104.96 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-119 L20+00NW 144.88 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-120 L19+00NW 121.76 -45 300 18.50 19.00 32.70 13.70 13.22 5.16 LT-22-148 L18+00NW 89.47 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-149 L17+00NW 85.23 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-150 L15+00NW 87.84 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-151 L13+00NW 103.61 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-152 L14+00NW 110.09 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-153 L11+00NW 116.85 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-154 L09+00NW 115.07 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-155 L07+00NW 107.97 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-156 L05+00NW 115.11 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-157 L05+00NW 134.23 -45 300 No Significant intercept       LT-22-158 L07+00NW 138.39 -45 300 21.56 26.75 37.00 10.25 9.98 5.77 LT-22-159 L22+00NW 199.97 -45 300 135.09 192.15 199.90 7.75 7.56 8.75 LT-22-160 L22+00NW 207.31 -45 300 49.69 61.05 76.05 15.00 14.37 6.04 180.95 231.00 271.65 40.65 39.16 9.02     Including 170.27 231.00 241.90 10.90 10.50 24.49 LT-22-161 L24+00NW 209.70 -45 300 30.00 34.30 47.40 13.10 12.55 8.90 146.37 189.90 215.90 26.00 24.97 6.43     Including 31.95 39.60 47.40 7.80 7.47 12.06 LT-22-162 L26+00NW 203.88 -45 300 29.93 36.50 47.85 11.35 10.98 8.17 88.33 121.25 129.15 7.90 7.63 5.25 123.66 164.35 186.85 22.50 21.68 5.02 138.97 188.80 206.00 17.20 16.54 6.79 185.42 260.20 268.20 8.00 7.70 11.15 Table 1 - Highlights from the twenty-two (22) exploration holes drilled at the West limb MOGC target in 2022 released today

West Limb (correction on previously released results)   Hole ID Section DDH Intercepts Length Graphitic Carbon Depth Dip Azimuth Depth From To Core length True length (m) (°) (°) (m) (m) (m) (m) (m) (%) LT-22-112 L16+00NW 118.74 -45 300 33.74 32.00 64.00 32.00 30.99 5.83 58.62 73.00 93.00 20.00 19.35 8.87     Including 62.51 84.00 93.00 9.00 8.72 13.68 LT-22-113 L17+00NW 116.99 -45 300 No Significant intercept       Table 2 - Correction to previously release highlights grades results.

Southwest MOGC                 Hole ID Section DDH Intercepts Length Graphitic Carbon Depth Dip Azimuth Depth From To Core length True length (m) (°) (°) (m) (m) (m) (m) (m) (%) LT-22-141 L00+00SW 161.47 -45 350 86.96 118.50 126.50 8.00 7.26 5.77 140.48 189.00 211.00 22.00 20.19 9.71     Including 143.91 199.00 211.00 12.00 8.61 14.76 LT-22-142 L00+00SW 71.30 -45 350 25.01 30.00 42.00 12.00 10.95 6.70 LT-22-143 L01+75SW 128.19 -45 350 92.60 127.15 134.15 7.00 6.35 8.94 LT-22-144 L01+75SW 104.89 -45 350 41.58 52.00 66.00 14.00 12.72 5.08 94.28 126.50 142.50 16.00 14.60 6.42 LT-22-145 L01+75SW 75.70 -45 350 No Significant intercept       LT-22-146 L03+50SW 72.12 -45 360 32.17 40.50 50.50 10.00 8.96 5.05 Table 3 - Highlights from the six (6) exploration holes drilled at the Southwest MOGC target in 2022 with hosts rock results and released today

Notes:

(1) True thicknesses are reported in this news release and are based on the local dip of the mineralised envelope as calculated on 3-D model. Core descriptions, sampling information and analytical results were captured in Geotic™ core logging software and then used with LeapFrog Geo software for tri-dimensional (3-D) rendering. The 3-D mineralisation envelope of MOGC has an azimuth of N035.5° and dips at -58.5° to the south-east. The drill holes crosscut the envelope of the main mineralised zone's strike (80°) and dips (60o) at high angle.
(2) "Best intercepts" and "significant graphitic mineralisation" are defined as Cg grading a minimum of 5.0% over at least 6.0 m with internal dilution set at a maximum of 7.0 m consecutive and no external dilution. "Best sub-intercepts" are defined as Cg grading a minimum of 10.0% over 6.0 m with same limitations on dilution. The 5% cg and 10% Cg cut-offs are used solely to delineate the extent of the mineralised envelopes corresponding to "Best intercepts" and "Best sub-intercepts", respectively. Economic cut-offs based on geological, metallurgical, mining, and economic factors, parameters and considerations will be determined as part of the mineral resource estimate update planned for the Lac Tétépisca project later through subsequent technical studies.
(3) Barren core intervals within the mineralised envelope of the MOGC that were not analysed are considered as 0.0% Cg internal dilution.
(4) Analyses were performed by Activation Laboratories of Ancaster, Ont., an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 certified facility using combustion in induction furnace and infrared spectrometry (code 4F - C-Graphitic) and are reported as graphitic carbon (Cg) and total sulphur (code 4F-S), with about 10% of the sample duplicated for quality control analyzed by COREM. Except for holes 145 and 146, where all the samples were analysed by COREM and the cross checks by ACTLABS for quality control.
(5) QA/QC program: IOS introduced 17% reference samples, including certified and internal reference materials, duplicates, and blank samples. 9.7 percent of the drill core samples were duplicated and re-analyzed by COREM for graphitic, total, organic and inorganic carbon as well as total sulphur (or by ACTLABS for duplicated samples in holes 145 and 146). The same 9.7 % of the drill core samples were also analysed by ACTLABS Laboratories of Ancaster, Ontario (ISO/IEC 17025:2005 with CAN-P-1579) for trace metals by ICP-MS after aqua-regia digestion (code 1E2).

2022 Drill Program: Design, Operation, and Quality Control

The 2022 drilling program was designed and operated by IOS Geosciences Inc. (IOS) of Saguenay, Quebec, under the supervision of Table Jamésienne de Concertation Minière (TJCM) of Chibougamau, Quebec, acting as technical adviser to the Company. Drilling was performed by Forage G4 of Val-d'Or, Quebec using a single drill rig.

Sample Preparation and Analysis

Starting in March 2022, drill core boxes for each hole, once logged, were packaged by sequential numbers onto pallets in the field by IOS personnel and then shipped by truck every two weeks to IOS's facilities in Saguenay where they are currently archived. Sampling has been conducted with a diamond saw, with NQ-diameter core from the Southwest MOGC and West Limb targets being halved, while all HQ-diameter core from the MOGC deposit being quartered. Sample preparation work at IOS consisting of crushing and grinding and the insertion in the sample sequences of QA/QC samples. A total of 545 pulverized splits from the currently disclosed set of drill holes were sent to Activation Laboratories in Ancaster, Ontario (ISO/IEC 17025:2005 with CAN-P-1579) for graphitic carbon (code 4F - C-Graphitic) and total sulphur analysis (code 4F - S) using an Eltra® induction furnace with infrared spectroscopy. However, holes 145 and 146 followed the process prior to the inversion of the laboratories (Corem as first laboratory and verification by actlabs). The 14 samples from holes 145 and 146 were analysed by COREM for graphitic carbon (code B10) and total sulphur (code B41). The subset of 9.7% of samples was also analyzed for 40 trace element analysis using ICP-OES and ICP-MS after an aqua-regia digestion at Activation Laboratories (Code 1E2 - Aqua Regia). This brings the total number of core samples analyzed under the project to more than 9,800, excluding reference materials and duplicates.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

The analytical quality control program for the Lac Tetepisca project has been implemented by an IOS registered chemist and is identical to the one used for previous drill programs at Lac Tetepisca and at the Company's Lac Knife project. Under the QA/QC program, a total of 54 duplicates of the core samples, or 9.7 %, were analysed by the two selected laboratories. The current set of analyses included 52 duplicates of the core samples which were re-analyzed by COREM for graphitic carbon duplicated analyses (code B10), total sulphur (code B41), total carbon (code B45), organic carbon (code B58) and inorganic carbon (code B11) and the 2 duplicates of the core samples from holes 145 and 146 were re-analyzed by Activation Laboratories for graphitic carbon (code 4F - C-Graphitic) and total sulphur analysis (code 4F - S), in accordance with the QAQC plan when these holes are treated. A total of 105 reference materials (about 17% of all the samples analysed) were inserted in the sample sequences, either certified or internal reference material samples (CDN-GR1, CMRI12, Oreas-723, OREAS-724, OREAS-725, CGL-004, NCS-DC-60119), duplicates (quarter-split core or grinding duplicates), and preparation and analyses blanks, not including the ones inserted by the assaying laboratories.

Qualified Person

The technical content disclosed in this news release was reviewed and approved by Rejean Girard, P.Geo. (QC), President of IOS Geosciences Inc., a consultant to the Company, and a qualified person as defined under National Instrument NI-43-101.

About the Lac Tetepisca Graphite Project

Focus Graphite's 100%-owned Lac Tetepisca Graphite Project is in the Southwest Manicouagan reservoir area of the Cote-Nord region of Quebec, one of North America's leading emerging flake graphite districts. The project lies on the Nitassinan of the Pessamit Innu First Nation, 234 km north-northwest of the city of Baie-Comeau, an industrial city located where the Manicouagan River intersects the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. It comprises two contiguous properties, Lac Tetepisca and Lac Tetepisca Nord. Together, the two properties form a block of 126 map-designated claims (total area: 6,785.14 ha). Focus purchased a 100% unencumbered interest of the mineral rights in the 67 CDC claims constituting the original Lac Tetepisca property from a third party in August 2011. The Lac Tetepisca Nord property was map-staked by the Company in 2012. The Lac Tetepisca Project is accessible year-round by way of a network of secondary gravel roads that extend north from Highway 389, 10 km to the south of the Manic 5 hydroelectric power station.

From 2014 to 2021, Focus tested the Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor with 106 drill holes drilled over a 1.4 km strike length (total: 16,468 metres). The drilling formed the basis of a NI 43-101 maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the Lac Tetepisca graphite project with the MRE technical report filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca/) on April 5, 2022. The mineral resource estimate, prepared by DRA Global Limited's Montreal office, includes a pit-constrained Indicated resource for the MOGC prospect at the Lac Tetepisca project of 59.3 million tonnes (Mt) grading 10.61% Graphitic Carbon (Cg) for an estimated content of 6.3 Mt of natural flake graphite (in-situ), plus an Inferred resource of 14.9 Mt grading 11.06% Cg for an estimated content of 1.6 Mt of natural flake graphite.

Additional maps of the Lac Tetepisca property showing the location of the MOGC graphite deposit, along with updated drill sections, are available on the Company's website at www.focusgraphite.com.

About Focus Graphite Advanced Materials Inc.

Focus Graphite Advanced Materials is redefining the future of critical minerals with two 100% owned world-class graphite projects and cutting-edge battery technology. Our flagship Lac Knife project stands as one of the most advanced high-purity graphite deposits in North America, with a fully completed feasibility study. Lac Knife is set to become a key supplier for the battery, defence, and advanced materials industries.

Our Lac Tetepisca project further strengthens our portfolio, with the potential to be one of the largest and highest-purity and grade graphite deposits in North America. At Focus, we go beyond mining - we are pioneering environmentally sustainable processing solutions and innovative battery technologies, including our patent-pending silicon-enhanced spheroidized graphite, designed to enhance battery performance and efficiency.

Our commitment to innovation ensures a chemical-free, eco-friendly supply chain from mine to market. Collaboration is at the core of our vision. We actively partner with industry leaders, research institutions, and government agencies to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation graphite materials. As a North American company, we are dedicated to securing a resilient, locally sourced supply of critical minerals - reducing dependence on foreign-controlled markets and driving the transition to a sustainable future.

For more information on Focus Graphite Inc. please visit http://www.focusgraphite.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-graphite/
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could," "intend," "expect," "believe," "will," "projected," "estimated," and similar expressions, as well as statements relating to matters that are not historical facts, are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events.

In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information regarding, without limitation: (i) the timing, scope, and potential outcomes of the planned mineral resource estimate ("MRE") update for the Lac Tetepisca Project; (ii) the interpretation of drill results and geological modelling, including the potential continuity, extent, and grade of mineralization; (iii) the possibility that future drilling, technical studies, or resource updates may further define or expand the mineralized system; (iv) the timing, progression, and expected results of metallurgical, purification, and product-qualification test work; (v) the potential for the Lac Tetepisca Project to support a single mining operation or progress toward future economic studies, including preliminary economic assessments or feasibility work; (vi) the suitability of graphite from the Project for advanced, battery-grade, or other high-value applications; and (vii) the potential for the Project to contribute to North American or allied critical-mineral supply chains.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to market conditions, regulatory approvals, changes in economic conditions, the ability to raise sufficient funds on acceptable terms or at all, operational risks associated with mineral exploration and development, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's public disclosure documents available under its profile on SEDAR+.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties, and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278461

Source: Focus Graphite Inc.

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Lululemon stock price has had another bad year as it crashed by 45%, even as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices jumped to record highs. It has dropped from the all-time high of $516 in December 2023 to the current $207, bringing its market cap from $68 billion to $25 billion. So, will the stock rebound in 2026?

Why Lululemon stock price has plummeted
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Lululemon Athletica, one of the top beneficiaries of the Covid-19 pandemic, has become a fallen angel as its growth momentum has slowed.

Its annual revenue growth stood at 42% in 2021, 30% in 2022, 18.6% in 2023, and 10% last year. Its trailing twelve-month (TTM) revenue growth stood at 8.7%.

The most recent results showed that the revenue rose by 7% in the third quarter to $2.6 billion. This revenue was driven by its international segment, whose revenue rose by 33%. Its Americas revenue dropped by 2%.

The company’s comparable sales in the Americas segment dropped by 5%, while in the international market rose by 18%. This growth was driven by China, a country that has become one of its important markets. 

Lululemon’s growth slowdown is partly because of the rising competition from other companies like Nike, Adidas, Gap, Vuori, and Sweaty Betty, which have taken market share from its company.

At the same time, Donald Trump’s tariffs have not helped as the company makes most of its products in Asia. In its most recent results, the company announced that its income from operations would receive a $210 million hit from tariffs.

Tariffs had an impact on its profitability in the last quarter. Its net income dropped to $306 million from the $351 million it made in the same period last year. 

Growth concerns remain
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Wall Street analysts believe that the company’s growth will remain under pressure in the coming quarters because of tariffs, inflation, and competition.

The average estimate is that revenue in the fourth quarter will be $3.56 billion, down by 0.95% from what it made last year. If this is correct, this means that its annual revenue will be $11 billion, up by 4.19% YoY.

It will then make $11.5 billion in 2026. Chances are that Lululemon’s revenue and earnings will be higher than expected as it has done in the past.

On the positive side, chances are that the company’s slowdown has bottomed and that its growth will start improving in the coming years.

Additionally, the company has continued to buy back its shares in the past few months. It increased its share repurchase program by $1 billion. As a result, its outstanding shares have dropped from 124 million in 2021 to the current 112.78 million. 

The company has also become a bargain, with its forward price-to-earnings ratio of 15.8, lower than the sector median of 17.6 and its five-year average of 34. Its forward EV/EBITDA of 9.2, down from the five-year average of 20.

LULU stock price technical analysis
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Lululemon stock price chart | Source: TradingView 

The daily timeframe chart shows that the LULU stock price formed a double-bottom pattern at $160 and the neckline at $192. A double-bottom is one of the most popular bullish reversal patterns in technical analysis  

The stock has now moved above the 50-day moving average, while the MACD and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) have continued rising.

Therefore, there is a likelihood that the stock will continue rising in 2026, with the potential target being the 50% Fibonacci Retracement level at $290, which is ~40% above the current level.

A drop below the double-bottom point at $160 will invalidate the bullish outlook.

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.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Alphawave IP Group plc (AWE.L) (“Alphawave Semi”), approximately one quarter ahead of schedule. The acquisition of Alphawave Semi aims to further accelerate and provide key assets for Qualcomm’s expansion into the data center. Tony Pialis, CEO and co-founder of Alphawave Semi, will lead the Qualcomm data center business.

“Alphawave Semi’s expertise in high-speed connectivity technologies complements our Qualcomm Oryon CPU and Hexagon NPU processors,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. “Qualcomm delivers high-performance, energy-efficient compute and AI solutions, and the addition of Alphawave’s technologies will strengthen our platforms and optimize performance for next-generation AI data centers.”

“Joining Qualcomm marks an exciting new chapter for Alphawave Semi,” Pialis said. “We’re ready to bring our leadership in high-speed connectivity and custom silicon to help shape the future of data center innovation.”

Alphawave Semi is a global leader in high-speed wired connectivity delivering custom silicon, connectivity products and chiplets that drive faster, more reliable data transfer with higher performance and lower power consumption. Alphawave Semi’s products form a part of the core infrastructure enabling next-generation services in a wide array of high growth areas, including data centers, AI, data networking and data storage.

The full announcement can be found on our website at: https://investor.qualcomm.com/update-details/update-details-offer.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm relentlessly innovates to deliver intelligent computing everywhere, helping the world tackle some of its most important challenges. Building on our 40 years of technology leadership in creating era-defining breakthroughs, we deliver a broad portfolio of solutions built with our leading-edge AI, high-performance, low-power computing, and unrivaled connectivity. Our Snapdragon® platforms power extraordinary consumer experiences, and our Qualcomm Dragonwing™ products empower businesses and industries to scale to new heights. Together with our ecosystem partners, we enable next-generation digital transformation to enrich lives, improve businesses, and advance societies. At Qualcomm, we are engineering human progress.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering and research and development functions and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patents are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated.

Qualcomm, Snapdragon, Qualcomm Dragonwing, Qualcomm Oryon, and Hexagon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.

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SummaryOneWater Marine faces severe headwinds from high leverage, cyclical downturns, and challenging macro conditions, resulting in a 30% stock decline.ONEW’s long-term debt sits at ~5.1x adjusted EBITDA, with floorplan financing and illiquid inventory exacerbating risk in a tough discretionary spending environment.Management’s FY 2026 guidance signals flat-to-down revenues, wide EBITDA ranges, and margin compression below 4%, justifying a continued bearish stance.Valuation multiples are unattractive versus peers; any investment here is speculative given balance sheet stress and macro uncertainty. Felix Geringswald/iStock via Getty Images

Back in October, I said OneWater Marine (ONEW) was running into choppy waters.

The November results didn’t push back on that call at all.

I saw it, you saw it, and eventually the market did too. That’s

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.

December 18, 2025 05:26 ET

 | Source:

Nordic American Tankers Limited

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Dear Shareholders and Investors,

NAT has today entered into firm agreements to sell two suezmax tankers (2004 and 2005-built) at a net price of $50 million for both vessels, improving our cash position correspondingly.

The vessels are expected to be delivered to the buyers during January 2026. Both vessels are debt free. We expect to record a book profit from the sale of the two ships of about $14 million.

As advised you earlier, we have entered into a preliminary agreement to have two newbuildings constructed at a South-Korean shipyard for delivery to us in in the second half of 2028. A firm agreement is expected to be signed in January 2026.

Prospects for our group are good.

Sincerely,

Herbjorn Hansson
Founder, Chairman & CEO

Nordic American Tankers Ltd.                                                        www.nat.bm

 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPEC’s petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K.

Contacts:       

Bjørn Giæver, CFO                                                             
Nordic American Tankers Ltd                                             
Tel: +1 888 755 8391                                  

Alexander Kihle, Finance Manager
Nordic American Tankers Ltd
Tel: +47 91 724 171    

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.

Jessie A Ellis
Dec 18, 2025 09:26

NEAR Protocol faces critical support at $1.45 with analyst targets pointing to $1.78 recovery if oversold conditions reverse as technical indicators suggest potential bounce.

NEAR Price Prediction Summary
• NEAR short-term target (1 week): $1.65 (+11.5%) - Initial bounce from oversold levels
• NEAR Protocol medium-term forecast (1 month): $1.78-$1.87 range - Analyst consensus zone
• Key level to break for bullish continuation: $1.69 (SMA 20 resistance)
• Critical support if bearish: $1.45 (current 52-week low and strong support)

Recent NEAR Protocol Price Predictions from Analysts
The latest NEAR price prediction landscape reveals a cautiously optimistic outlook despite current market weakness. Hexn.io's bearish NEAR price target of $1.48 reflects the immediate pressure from the Fear & Greed Index hitting extreme fear levels at 17. However, this contrasts sharply with Blockchain.News analysts who maintain a more constructive NEAR Protocol forecast, consistently targeting the $1.78-$1.87 range across multiple recent analyses.

The consensus among technical analysts centers on NEAR's oversold condition as the primary catalyst for potential recovery. With three separate predictions from Blockchain.News pointing to the same NEAR price target range of $1.78-$1.87, there's notable agreement that current levels represent a potential buying opportunity rather than continued downside risk.

NEAR Technical Analysis: Setting Up for Oversold Bounce
Current NEAR Protocol technical analysis reveals multiple indicators suggesting the token has reached extreme oversold territory. The RSI reading of 32.46 sits in neutral territory but has been declining, while the Stochastic %K at 5.77 indicates severe oversold conditions typically associated with potential reversals.

The MACD histogram showing -0.0063 confirms bearish momentum remains intact, but the magnitude suggests selling pressure may be exhausting. Most significantly, NEAR's position at 0.0291 within the Bollinger Bands places it extremely close to the lower band support at $1.46, historically a level where technical bounces occur.

Volume analysis shows $29.76 million in 24-hour trading, which while not exceptionally high, provides sufficient liquidity for institutional accumulation at these depressed levels. The fact that NEAR is testing its 52-week low of $1.48 while maintaining this support suggests strong underlying demand.

NEAR Protocol Price Targets: Bull and Bear Scenarios
Bullish Case for NEAR
The primary bullish NEAR price prediction scenario targets an initial move to $1.69, representing the SMA 20 level that has acted as dynamic resistance. Breaking above this level would likely trigger algorithmic buying and target the $1.78 resistance zone identified by multiple analysts in their NEAR Protocol forecast models.

A successful reclaim of $1.78 opens the path to $1.87, representing the upper end of analyst targets and a potential 26% gain from current levels. The key catalyst would be broader market sentiment improvement, particularly if Bitcoin stabilizes above $100,000 and reduces altcoin selling pressure.

For this bullish scenario to materialize, NEAR needs to hold above $1.50 on any retests while showing increasing buying volume above $35 million daily. The RSI must also begin trending higher from current levels.

Bearish Risk for NEAR Protocol
The bearish NEAR price prediction scenario involves a breakdown below the critical $1.45 support level, which would target the next significant support near $1.30. This represents the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement from NEAR's previous major swing low and could trigger stop-loss cascades.

Risk factors include continued Bitcoin weakness below $95,000, deteriorating Fear & Greed Index readings below 15, and failure to generate buying interest despite oversold conditions. A break below $1.40 with high volume would likely invalidate the bullish recovery thesis for the near term.

Should You Buy NEAR Now? Entry Strategy
Based on current NEAR Protocol technical analysis, a layered accumulation strategy appears most prudent. Initial positions can be established at current levels around $1.48 with a 25% allocation, given the proximity to strong support and oversold readings.

The optimal buy or sell NEAR decision involves waiting for confirmation above $1.55 before adding another 50% to positions, targeting the $1.69 resistance break for full allocation. Stop-loss levels should be placed below $1.42 to limit downside risk to approximately 7%.

Position sizing should not exceed 2-3% of portfolio allocation given the high volatility, as evidenced by the 14-day ATR of $0.14. This represents significant intraday movement potential that requires careful risk management.

NEAR Price Prediction Conclusion
The NEAR price prediction outlook for the next two weeks points to a probable recovery toward $1.78, representing a medium confidence forecast based on oversold technical conditions and analyst consensus. The combination of extreme Stochastic readings, proximity to Bollinger Band support, and multiple analyst targets in the $1.78 range supports this view.

Key indicators to monitor include RSI breaking above 40 for momentum confirmation, MACD histogram turning positive, and most critically, successful defense of the $1.45 support level. Volume above $35 million during any bounce attempts would provide additional confirmation of institutional interest.

The timeline for this NEAR Protocol forecast extends through early January 2025, with the initial move to $1.65 expected within 7-10 trading days if market conditions stabilize. Failure to hold $1.45 support would invalidate this prediction and likely target the $1.30 level instead.

Image source: Shutterstock

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