We take a look at the action in preferreds and baby bonds through the second week of July and highlight some of the key themes we are watching. Preferreds outperformed broader markets last week; sector credit spreads have tightened, making valuations expensive and yields less attractive. Bonds offer more protection than preferreds, but preferreds provide higher yields; choice depends on issuer quality, tax treatment, and investor objectives.

Microsoft has issued an alert about "active attacks" on server software used by government agencies and businesses to share documents within organizations, and it recommended security updates that customers should apply immediately.

While Walmart cut prices on low-cost goods, Amazon raised them.

Fangzhou Inc., a leader in Internet healthcare solutions, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Novo Nordisk, a leading global healthcare company.

NEW YORK, July 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Vestis Corporation (NYSE: VSTS) between May 2, 2024 and May 6, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important August 8, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.

Target's price-matching days have reportedly come to an end. The retailer will stop the practice of matching the prices of products from rival retailers like Walmart and Amazon beginning July 28, Retail Dive reported Friday (July 18).

Artificial intelligence (AI) investing remains at the forefront of the market as companies continue to invest billions of dollars in this emerging technology. We've barely scratched the surface of what an AI-first economy looks like, and to achieve this, we'll need to build out significantly more computing capacity.

If you are looking at Realty Income (O 0.20%) you should also be considering W.P. Carey (WPC 0.65%), and vice versa.

IonQ (IONQ 3.72%) is one of the top competitors in the quantum computing race. It's a pure-play option that's solely focused on quantum computing supremacy, so if its approach fails, the stock is likely to head to zero.

Famous investor Benjamin Graham said: "In the short run, the market is a voting machine, but in the long run, it is a weighing machine."

Uber Technologies (UBER 0.03%) has come a long way from its early days as a cash-burning disruptor of the taxi industry. Today, it's a profitable global platform with multiple engines of growth that span mobility, food delivery, logistics, and advertising.

After an epic week where only a few sectors plus the S&P 500 and NASDAQ shone, it turns out that it's the calendar price range that has the final say (read last week's articles here). At least for now.

Since OpenAI commercially launched ChatGPT on Nov. 30, 2022, shares of semiconductor company Nvidia have soared by more than 900%. As of closing bell on July 16, Nvidia boasted a market capitalization of $4.2 trillion -- making it the most valuable company in the world.

Earnings season is just getting started, and we have a glimpse into three names scheduled to report Monday and Tuesday. Marley Kayden turns to the news flow affecting Domino's Pizza (DPZ), Lockheed Martin (LMT), and Texas Instruments (TXN) ahead of earnings.

On Thursday, shares of Lucid Group (LCID -3.04%), a Silicon Valley-based electric vehicle (EV) maker, soared more than 36% following the announcement of a premium robotaxi service deal with ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies (UBER 0.03%).

I added additional shares of Alphabet, PepsiCo, and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF to The Dividend Income Accelerator Portfolio to optimize our portfolio's risk-reward, income, and growth balance. Alphabet's attractive valuation, low payout ratio, and strong earnings growth boost our portfolio's dividend growth and capital appreciation potential. PepsiCo combines dividend income and dividend growth, enhancing our portfolio's income and stability.

NEW YORK , July 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE: DBI) resulting from allegations that Designer Brands may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. So What: If you purchased Designer Brands securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

Private equity group Blackstone has withdrawn from plans to invest in TikTok US. That's according to a report Friday (July 18) by Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter.

NEW YORK, July 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (“DoubleVerify” or “the Company”) (NYSE: DV) and certain of its officers.

NEW YORK, July 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. (“Broadmark” or “the Company”) (NYSE: BRMK), Ready Capital Corporation ("Ready Capital") (NYSE: RC), and certain officers.