Wendy’s Is ‘Undervalued’ and Could Face Takeover by Nelson Peltz
Activist investor Nelson Peltz, through Trian Fund Management, has filed with the SEC stating Wendy’s is significantly undervalued and signaling possible actions, including buying more shares to gain control or divesting his stake. The fast‑food chain’s stock has slumped about 60% over the past five years, falling from roughly $20 to $8 per share, while same‑store sales dropped 11%—its steepest decline in six years. Wendy’s board responded by reaffirming its Project Fresh turnaround plan, focusing on menu innovation, franchisee profitability, and closing underperforming locations. The situation adds to heightened activist pressure across the restaurant sector, where peers like Jack in the Box also face proxy battles.
Fastmarkets Proposes to Discontinue Two Category 3 Animal Fat Ddp NWE Assessments
Fastmarkets announced a proposal to discontinue two Category 3 animal‑fat price assessments – AG‑TLW‑0028 (high‑grade bone fat) and AG‑TLW‑0029 (pure beef tallow) – for DDP Northwest Europe. The move is attributed to insufficient market liquidity for these contracts. A public consultation...
Airbus Posts Record Year — but Washington Still Prefers the Boeing 'Home' Team
Airbus announced a record 2025, delivering 793 commercial jets, boosting revenue 6% to €73.4 bn and posting €7.1 bn adjusted operating profit. The company closed the year with a €619 bn order book and a backlog of 8,754 aircraft, underscoring robust demand. However,...
Lightkeeper Rolls Out AI-Powered ‘Beacon’ to Deliver Verifiable Portfolio Insights
Lightkeeper has introduced Beacon, an AI‑enabled feature that lets hedge funds and asset managers ask plain‑English questions about their portfolios. The tool pulls answers from Lightkeeper’s validated, institutional‑grade data rather than unverified sources, preserving transparency and auditability. Beacon connects client...
STOXX and DWS Collaborate on U.S. Launch of DWS Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF
STOXX and DWS have launched the Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF on Nasdaq, tracking the STOXX Europe Total Market Defence Space and Cybersecurity Innovation 50-25 index. The index, which captures companies with revenue and patent exposure to defense, space and...
Congo Offers Rebel-Held Rubaya Tantalum Mine to US in Minerals Deal
The Democratic Republic of Congo has placed the rebel‑held Rubaya coltan mine on a shortlist of strategic assets offered to the United States under a new minerals‑cooperation framework. Rubaya, which supplies roughly 15% of the world’s coltan, requires between $50 million...
Strong Order-One-Half Convergence of the Projected Euler–Maruyama Method for the Cox–Ingersoll–Ross Model
The paper proves that the projected Euler–Maruyama scheme attains Lp‑strong convergence of order one‑half for the Cox–Ingersoll–Ross (CIR) model. By integrating a projection step with the normalized error framework, the authors broaden the parameter space where the convergence guarantee holds....
What the Market Knows That WACC Doesn’t
The article introduces the market implied discount rate (MIDR) as a forward‑looking alternative to the traditional weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Using S&P Capital IQ data on the S&P 500, it shows that MIDR often diverges from WACC, with energy...
Citi Global Real Estate Team Sees Higher Returns, More Positive Supply Outlook in 2026
Citi’s global real‑estate research team projects higher REIT returns in 2026 than in 2025, with the United States, Europe, Latin America, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines leading the upside. U.S. REITs are expected to deliver 10‑15% total returns, while Europe...
Comesa Probes Meta for Locking Rival Chatbots Out of WhatsApp
The COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC) has opened an investigation into Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd for allegedly abusing its dominant position by amending WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in October 2025 to block rival AI chatbot providers. The probe follows...
GomSpace Achieves Record Q4 Performance and Profitable Full-Year 2025 Growth
GomSpace Group AB reported record fourth‑quarter revenue of 145.6 million SEK, a 75% year‑over‑year jump, and delivered its first full‑year of profitable growth in 2025. Total 2025 revenue rose 72% to 441.8 million SEK, while adjusted EBITDA reached 17.5 million SEK and EBIT turned positive at...
Brazos Starts Up New Gas Processing Plant in Midland Basin
Brazos Midstream commissioned its largest cryogenic plant, Sundance II, adding 300 MMcfd of processing capacity in the Midland Basin and joining the 200 MMcfd Sundance I that began operations in 2024. The company also broke ground on Cassidy I, another 300 MMcfd cryogenic facility in Glasscock...
Centrica Earnings: In Line With Expectations, Share Buyback Pause Disappoints
Centrica reported a 41% plunge in 2025 earnings per share to GBX 11, matching FactSet consensus. After completing a £2 billion share‑buyback programme, the company announced a pause to the scheme. Soft 2026 guidance, driven by weaker gas and power trading, pushed...
Lemonade Books Q4 Net Loss of $21.7M as Customer Count Grows
Lemonade reported a Q4 2025 net loss of $21.7 million, an improvement from the $30 million loss a year earlier. Revenue surged 53% and gross profit rose 73% year‑over‑year, while operating expenses climbed 13% to $141.2 million as the company invested in customer acquisition....
CLO ETFs: The “Arms Race” Heats Up
CLO ETFs have surged into the mainstream, pulling in $4 billion of net inflows in the first six weeks of 2026. Total assets now top $35 billion, more than doubling in just over a year, with most money flowing into AAA‑rated funds....
Orsted’s Hornsea Chief Describes 'Juggling Act' After Monopile Deal Collapse
Orsted’s Hornsea 3 chief announced the collapse of a major monopile contract, forcing the 2.9 GW offshore wind project to pause its foundation procurement. The decision highlights the difficulty of securing large‑scale steel structures for the UK’s expanding offshore wind fleet....
Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq Drop Amid Walmart's Muted Outlook, AI-Related Concerns — Details Here
U.S. equity indexes slipped on February 19 as Walmart issued a muted earnings outlook and investors grew uneasy about artificial‑intelligence regulatory risks. The Dow Jones fell about 0.8%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.7%, and the Nasdaq slipped roughly 0.9%. Walmart’s guidance...
Trump Wants US Energy Dominance. Global Markets May Not Agree
President Trump’s energy dominance agenda has boosted US fossil fuel output, with oil production reaching record levels and LNG exports rising over 20 percent. The administration has kept five coal‑fired plants operating through regulatory rollbacks and secured Pentagon contracts, while...
USA Says VEN Oil Output Can Climb 30-40 Pct This Year
The Trump administration has issued new licenses permitting several Western oil companies to operate in Venezuela, potentially boosting the country's output by 30‑40 percent—roughly 300,000 to 400,000 barrels per day—this year. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the increase would represent...
SageSure Moves up to Third in Our Cat Bond Sponsor Leaderboard, as Largest Gateway Re Closes
SageSure has risen to third place on the Artemis catastrophe‑bond sponsor leaderboard after closing its largest Gateway Re issuance, a $670 million multi‑peril cat bond. The transaction brings the MGU’s outstanding risk capital to just over $3.1 billion across 12 issuances. The...
BAE Systems Shares Are Up 23% in 2026. Is This FTSE 100 Defense Stock a Buy?
BAE Systems posted an 8% revenue rise and a 9% jump in operating profit for 2025, expanding its order book by £2.7 bn versus 2024. The company lifted its dividend 10% to 36p per share, while its stock surged 23% year‑to‑date,...
Equinor Halts Dutch CCS-H2 Plans, Belgian Site Still On
Equinor has scrapped its Dutch H2M Eemshaven CCS‑hydrogen project, citing policy uncertainty and insufficient funding, while the Belgian H2BE plant remains on schedule. Both plants were designed to produce 210,000 t/yr of low‑carbon hydrogen using autothermal reforming and each received roughly €160 million...
EIA Lowers USA Gasoline Price Forecasts
The U.S. Energy Information Administration trimmed its gasoline price outlook, now projecting an average of $2.91 per gallon in 2026 and $2.93 in 2027, down slightly from the January forecast of $2.92 and $2.95. The agency’s short‑term energy outlook still...
India-France to Set up National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Kanpur
India and France announced a joint National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Kanpur to deliver advanced aeronautics and defence skill training. The centre will operate under the PM‑SETU scheme, which earmarks Rs 60,000 crore to modernise 1,000 ITIs across India. It will...
Fiverr Shifts Focus to High-End Work as AI Transforms the Gig Economy: 2025 Results and 2026 Outlook
Fiverr reported a 10% revenue increase to $430.9 million in 2025 and achieved a record adjusted EBITDA margin of 21.3%, underscoring strong profitability. The company deliberately shed 14% of its active buyers while average spend per buyer rose 13.3% to $342,...
EU-Backed Minerals Projects in Africa Move From Policy to Proof
The European Commission has granted strategic status to four African mineral projects—two in South Africa and Zambia, plus sites in Malawi and Madagascar—under the Critical Raw Materials Act, with decisions due in Q2 2026. The Zandkopsdrift rare‑earth operation in South Africa...
World Briefs | Rwanda Hikes Lending Rate on Higher Inflation
Rwanda’s central bank raised its key lending rate by 50 basis points to 7.25% on Thursday, reacting to a jump in consumer price inflation to 8.9% year‑on‑year in January. The move aims to bring inflation back within the bank’s 2‑8%...
Pakistan’s Search for Strategic Flexibility in South Asia
Amid waning external security guarantees, Pakistan has begun exploratory talks with Turkey and Saudi Arabia to create a flexible, informal security platform separate from its 2025 Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Riyadh. The trilateral dialogue focuses on defense‑industrial cooperation, with...
Veradigm Cut 15% of Its Workforce in 2025
Veradigm announced a 15% workforce reduction in 2025, closed three offices and plans two more closures, and will discontinue six low‑revenue products as part of a broader turnaround. The health‑IT firm is also focused on updating its financial filings after...
Shell Spins the Drill Bit with Stena Drillship in Egyptian Waters
Shell has launched a multi‑well offshore drilling campaign off Egypt using Stena Drilling’s sixth‑generation IceMax drillship. The first wells, Mina West development followed by Sirius and Velox exploration, are located in the Northeast El Amriya concession where Shell holds a...
Martin Midstream Partners' Annual Loss Deepens
Martin Midstream Partners reported a $14.7 million net loss for 2025, widening from a $5.2 million loss in 2024. The loss was driven primarily by $57.8 million in interest expense and higher SG&A costs, while adjusted EBITDA fell to $99 million for the year....
Dollar Extends Rally on Strong Jobs, EUR/USD Breaks February Low
The U.S. dollar rallied after initial jobless claims fell to 206,000, well below expectations, reinforcing a labor‑market narrative of resilience. Hawkish Fed minutes further raised the prospect of delayed rate cuts, pushing the greenback higher against major currencies. EUR/USD slipped...
South Africa’s Kropz Raises Phosrock Output, Grade
South African phosphate rock producer Kropz has lifted monthly output to roughly 40,000 tonnes, a 33% increase over last year. The company now ships rock averaging 30% P₂O₅, but recently exported a 31.1% P₂O₅ cargo to South Korea, its highest‑grade...
Saudi Maaden Sells DAP to Latam
Saudi Maaden announced the sale of 45,000‑50,000 tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) at $715‑720 per tonne FOB, with loading slated for early March. The cargo is destined for Latin America, with Argentina emerging as the most probable off‑take market. Net...
The Link Between Interest Rates and Exchange Rates : The Uncovered Interest Parity
The post examines how the 10‑year US‑German bond yield spread correlates with the USD/EUR exchange rate, showing that higher US yields usually coincide with dollar appreciation. A notable exception occurred after April 2 2025, when a sharp US yield rise was followed...
Are Target’s Store Investments Enough to Turn Its Experience Around?
Target’s new CEO Michael Fiddelke is prioritizing customer experience by adding store labor hours and launching a universal training program, while cutting about 500 district and supply‑chain roles. The initiative aims to fix in‑store pain points such as low in‑stock...
Elizabeth Warren Has Questions About the Shake-Up Inside the Fed’s Banking Regulator
Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman demanding details on recent internal changes within the Fed’s banking‑supervision division, including reported job cuts and the sidelining of senior examiners. The request also asks for a...
CTrader Admin 9.9 Released with Email Tracking and New Workspace App
Spotware Systems released cTrader Admin 9.9, the latest broker‑focused upgrade to its cTrader operational suite. The version adds email tracking in session reports, a new Workspace Settings app that consolidates export, chat and notification preferences, and a collapsible main menu that...
World Briefs | Nigeria’s Tinubu and Germany’s Merz Talk Security, Power Deal in Phone Call
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed reviving a stalled electricity transmission project with Siemens and the purchase of used German helicopters, highlighting deeper security and power cooperation. France’s audit office warned that the country must shift...
What Are the Greeks in Options Trading? (Delta, Theta, Vega Explained)
Lawrence G. McMillan’s February 19, 2026 webinar dives deep into the option Greeks—delta, gamma, theta, and vega—explaining their mathematical roots in the Black‑Scholes model and how they interact in real‑time risk management. The session moves beyond textbook definitions to demonstrate practical techniques...
Robinhood Adds Dr. Naomi Boyd as Chief Economic Advisor
Robinhood Markets announced that Dr. Naomi Boyd, dean of the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, will serve as its Chief Economic Advisor. Boyd will spearhead research on derivatives market structure, capital markets, and investment dynamics to inform product...
Govt Identifies L1 Insurers for Restructured Weather Crop Insurance Scheme in J&K
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has appointed Agriculture Insurance Company of India and Tata AIG General Insurance as the lowest‑bid insurers for the Restructured Weather‑Based Crop Insurance Scheme. The scheme will protect apple and saffron growers in Kashmir and mango,...
Doordash Stock Climbs 14%, Reversing Plunge After Earnings and Revenue Miss
DoorDash reported Q4 revenue of $3.96 billion, up 38% YoY, but earnings per share fell short at $0.48 versus the $0.59 consensus. Total orders rose 32% to 903 million, and marketplace gross order value jumped 39%. The miss triggered a 10% drop...
Pernod Ricard’s First-Half Sales Slip Limited by Improved Second Quarter
Pernod Ricard reported a first‑half sales decline across all five priority markets, with profits pressured by foreign‑exchange volatility and higher costs. The second quarter showed a modest rebound, helped by stronger demand in India and duty‑free channels. The group reaffirmed its...
China’s Military Purges Won’t Change Its Taiwan Calculus
China’s recent military purges of senior PLA officers, including CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and member Liu Zhenli, are framed as anti‑corruption and ideological discipline measures. While the removals may temporarily affect command cohesion, the article argues they do not...
CySEC Withdraws License of OBR Investments
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) announced the withdrawal of the Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) licence for OBR Investments Ltd. The decision was taken at a CySEC meeting on 9 February 2026 and is grounded in Section 8(1)(a) of the 2017...
UCITS Strategies Regaining Traction with Europe’s Wealthy
European high‑net‑worth investors are gravitating back to alternative UCITS funds, a liquid hedge‑fund‑style vehicle, as assets under management rose 22% to $287 billion in 2025. The sector logged four consecutive quarters of inflows, the longest streak in four years, driven by...
IMO NZF Would Send Stable Demand Signal for Zero-Emission Fuels
A new UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group report evaluates three IMO Net Zero Framework (NZF) scenarios and finds that only the framework "as‑is" delivers a credible, stable demand signal for scalable zero‑emission fuels. The analysis warns that removing the...
Klarna Delivers $1bn Quarter but Shareholder Returns Take Beating
Klarna posted a record fourth‑quarter revenue of just under $1 billion, a 38% year‑on‑year rise, while gross merchandise volume hit $38.7 billion, up 32%. Active customers grew to 118 million, and the firm continued its push to become a full‑service bank. Despite the...
Senate Democrats Threaten Paramount-Warner Probe
Senate Democrats are intensifying pressure on Paramount CEO David Ellison after he refused an in‑person antitrust hearing on the proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The senators, led by Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker, accused Ellison of a "pattern of...