KBWP: Insurance Stocks Remain Among The Best In The Market — Positive
KBWP Seeking Alpha — May 25, 2025I rate KBWP a buy, citing its attractive valuation, strong technicals, and positive seasonality for property & casualty insurance stocks. KBWP outperforms XLF and SPY year-to-date, benefiting from insurers' pricing power and financial strength post-2022 inflation. Risks include portfolio concentration, liquidity concerns, and the unique delayed cost recognition in insurance, but fundamentals remain compelling.

Medtronic: Diabetes Spin-Off Is Near-Term Catalyst; Rating Upgrade — Positive
MDT Seeking Alpha — May 25, 2025Upgrading Medtronic to 'Strong Buy' with a $104 fair value, driven by the diabetes business spin-off catalyst. Divesting diabetes enables Medtronic to focus on core cardiac and surgical markets, improving operating margins and capital allocation. Recent results show robust cardiovascular growth and strong shareholder returns, with continued buybacks expected post-spin-off.

CWS offers a concentrated, high-quality mid- and large-cap portfolio with a strong tilt toward technology, healthcare, and industrials, but trades at a premium valuation. The fund's historical returns are only slightly ahead of the benchmark and lag top-performing peers, despite strong profitability and moderate risk metrics. CWS faces notable drawbacks, including high expense ratio and wide bid-ask spreads, making it less attractive versus lower-cost, more efficient alternatives.

Eastman Kodak Q1 2025: Flat Sales And Sinking Profits, Hold For Now — Negative
KODK Seeking Alpha — May 25, 2025Kodak's Q1 2025 results show flat sales, widening losses, and ongoing cash burn, despite a 24% stock price increase over the past year. The core Print segment is in decline, while the Advanced Materials & Chemicals division is the main source of growth but remains a small part of revenue. High debt, negative cash flow, and reliance on a one-time pension windfall highlight structural financial risks and limited near-term upside.

Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF is designed to provide low-risk, tax-exempt income for higher-rate taxpayers, but its yield is uncompetitive versus alternatives. Despite low fees and solid diversification, VTES's 3% yield (5% tax-equivalent) is easily beaten by short-term Treasuries or managed muni funds. The issue isn't with Vanguard or the fund's construction, but with the short-term muni index sector itself, which simply doesn't pay enough.

e.l.f. Beauty Q4 Preview: The Only Bullish Catalyst I Am Waiting To See — Positive
ELF Seeking Alpha — May 25, 2025I maintain my 'hold' rating and $75 price target for e.l.f. Beauty, citing limited upside unless management raises FY26 guidance above current consensus estimates. Key areas to watch in the upcoming Q4 earnings are FY26 revenue guidance, inventory management amid tariffs, and profitability outlook. e.l.f. Beauty continues to gain market share, expand internationally, and grow digital channels, but faces uncertainty from tariffs and consumer demand.

Kronos Worldwide: Dividend Trends By The Numbers Post Q1 Earnings Release — Positive
KRO Seeking Alpha — May 25, 2025Kronos' dividend cut and persistent negative free cash flow highlight ongoing financial strain, with no clear catalysts for improvement on the horizon. Dividend yield is now just 2.99%, lagging behind safer alternatives like US Treasuries, with long-term dividend growth rates remaining negative, eroding investor confidence. KRO's rising debt and declining earnings estimates increase risk, as high interest expenses further constrain both dividend and reinvestment potential.

Australian logistics-software provider WiseTech Global agreed to buy U.S.-listed e2open in a $2.1 billion deal.

Major China-listed Apple suppliers including Luxshare, Goertek fall after Trump's tariff threats — Negative
AAPL Reuters — May 25, 2025Major China-listed Apple suppliers including Luxshare , Goertek and Lens Tech opened sharply lower on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on imported iPhones.

Cidara Therapeutics: All Stars Aligning In Favor Of CD388 — Positive
CDTX Seeking Alpha — May 25, 2025Cidara Therapeutics' CD388 is a long-acting influenza antiviral aimed at providing universal protection with a single yearly dose for each flu season. In contrast to vaccines, CD388's efficacy is not dependent on circulating strains or on an intact patient immune system. CD388 is ideal for pandemic preparedness and for high-risk patients. Readout of a randomized ph2b trial of CD388 is expected by the end of June, with the potential to serve as one of the two needed trials for approval.

Surefire Resources launches $3.9 million capital raise to advance WA gold and copper projects — Positive
AAAU BAR CPER DBP DGL GLD GLDM IAU JJC OUNZ SGOL UGL Proactive Investors — May 25, 2025Surefire Resources NL has kicked off a non-renounceable entitlement offer aiming to raise up to $3.88 million to progress its Yidby Gold and Copper Hill projects in Western Australia and continue exploration across its broader portfolio. The offer entitles eligible shareholders to subscribe for two new fully paid ordinary shares for every three shares held as of the record date of May 29, at an issue price of $0.002 per share.

We take a look at the action in preferreds and baby bonds through the third week of May and highlight some of the key themes we are watching. Preferreds remained resilient, despite rising Treasury yields, with sector median yields holding near 7%. OXSQZ bond redemption boosts asset coverage to 250%, enhancing bondholder safety; OXSQG offers an even higher yield at 8.5%.

Oil climbs after Trump extends EU trade talks deadline to July — Positive
BNO DBO GUSH IEO OIH OIL PXJ UCO USO XOP Reuters — May 25, 2025Oil prices gained in early Asian trade on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a deadline for trade talks with the European Union, easing concerns about U.S. tariffs on the bloc that could hurt the global economy and fuel demand.

Australia's WiseTech to takeover US cloud firm E2open for $2.1 billion — Positive
ETWO Reuters — May 25, 2025Australian software company WiseTech Global on Monday said it will buy U.S.-based cloud logistics company E2open for $2.1 billion, including debt.

QuantumScape (QS) and ChargePoint (CHPT -1.27%) represent two different ways to invest in the growing electric vehicle (EV) market.

Palantir Technologies (PLTR 0.97%) captivated investors like few other stocks in recent years.

E2open Announces Acquisition by WiseTech Global, Concluding Strategic Review — Neutral
ETWO Business Wire — May 25, 2025DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--E2open Parent Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ETWO) (“E2open” or the “Company”), the connected supply chain SaaS platform with a leading multi-enterprise network, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by WiseTech Global Limited (ASX: WTC) (“WiseTech”), a leading provider of logistics execution software solutions. The acquisition marks the conclusion of e2open's previously announced strategic review process. Under the terms of the transacti.

Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway Has 21% of Its $276 Billion Portfolio in 1 Stock That's Up 644% in 9 Years — Neutral
AAPL The Motley Fool — May 25, 2025In the past 60 years, Berkshire Hathaway has compounded shareholder capital at an unbelievable 19.9% annualized rate. Thanks to Warren Buffett's direction of the conglomerate, he has become an investing legend whose moves are watched very closely by the average investor out there.
