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Uranium Stocks: 5 Biggest Companies in 2025

10 Mins Read

After spending most of 2025’s first quarter consolidating at the US$63 per pound level, spot U3O8 prices have been on an upswing, adding 13.62 percent between March 30 and May 14.

The uptick has been supported by improving utility demand, tariff clarity and resilient supply-demand fundamentals.

While broad market uncertainty added pressure for other commodities, uranium’s long term outlook prevented the energy fuel from suffering more declines at the start of the year’s second quarter.

“As other asset classes faltered, uranium held its ground, supported by its structural supply-demand story, inelastic demand and insulation from tariff-related disruptions,” Jacob White of Sprott (TSX:SII,NYSE:SII) wrote in a recent uranium report.

As tailwinds propelled the spot price higher uranium, uranium equities also caught an updraft.

“Physical uranium and uranium equities continue to outperform over longer periods,” said White, who is the firm’s exchange-traded fund product manager. “The strong five-year returns of physical uranium and uranium equities relative to broader commodity and equity benchmarks reinforce the metal’s role as a differentiated and strategic asset class.”

The list below provides an overview of the five largest uranium companies by market cap. All data was current as of May 15, 2025. Read on to learn about these top uranium stocks and their operations.

1. BHP (NYSE:BHP,ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP)

Market cap: US$128.63 billion

Mining major BHP owns and operates Australia’s Olympic Dam mine, considered one of the world’s largest uranium deposits. While the site is included in the company’s Copper South Australia operations portfolio and copper is the primary resource extracted, the mine also produces significant quantities of uranium, gold and silver.

In the operational review for its third fiscal quarter of 2025, released in mid-April, BHP reported a decrease in uranium production year-over-year. The company’s fiscal year-to-date uranium production totaled 2,180 metric tons, an 18 percent contraction from 2,674 metric tons in the first three quarters of fiscal 2024.

BHP is advancing its Olympic Dam expansion plan, which includes building a two-stage smelter, with a final decision due in 2026, and the US$5 billion Northern Water project, featuring a desalination plant and 600 kilometer pipeline.

The expansion targets a copper output of 650,000 metric tons annually by the mid-2030s, doubling its current production. While it was previously expected that BHP’s uranium output would expand at a similar rate, causing fear of oversupply and low prices, BHP announced in February that this would not be the case.

Uranium production is expected to rise marginally, by roughly 1 percent.

Additionally, if the company decides to expand the hydrometallurgical plant to process uranium in the future, growth will still be smaller than expected due to lower uranium concentrations in feedstock ore from newly integrated assets Carrapateena and Prominent Hill.

2. Cameco (NYSE:CCJ,TSX:CCO)

Market cap: US$23.2 billion

Uranium major Cameco holds significant stakes in key uranium operations within the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan, Canada, including a 54.55 percent interest in Cigar Lake, the world’s most productive uranium mine.

The company also owns 70 percent of the McArthur River mine and 83 percent of the Key Lake mill. Orano Canada is Cameco’s primary joint venture partner across these operations.

Cameco also holds a 40 percent interest in the Inkai joint venture in Kazakhstan, with the rest held by the state company Kazatomprom. The mine produces uranium using in-situ recovery.

Weak spot uranium prices between 2012 and 2020 weighed heavily on pure-play uranium producers. In 2018, Cameco placed the McArthur River and Key Lake operations on care and maintenance, reducing the company’s total annual uranium output from 23.8 million pounds in 2017 to 9.2 million pounds in 2018.

Improving market dynamics prompted the company to restart MacArthur Lake in 2022.

As a full nuclear fuel cycle provider, Cameco, in partnership with Brookfield Renewable Partners and Brookfield Asset Management, completed the purchase of Westinghouse Electric Company — a leading provider of nuclear power plant services and technologies — in November 2023.

In its Q1 update, Cameco reported steady operational and financial performance, with consolidated adjusted EBITDA of C$353 million and adjusted net earnings of C$70 million.

While uranium segment earnings declined due to timing of sales at its Inkai joint venture, average realized prices improved, supported by stronger fixed-price contracts and a favorable US dollar. For 2025, Cameco expects uranium production of 18 million pounds on a 100 percent basis at each of Cigar Lake and McArthur River/Key Lake.

After logistical issues at its Inkai joint venture in Kazakhstan weighed on production growth in 2024, Inkai suspended operations for about three weeks in January due to a directive from partner Kazatomprom. The revised 2025 production target is 8.3 million pounds on a 100 percent basis, with Cameco’s allocation at 3.7 million pounds. No deliveries from Inkai are expected until the second half of the year.

3. NexGen Energy (NYSE:NXE,TSX:NXE,ASX:NXG)

Market cap: US$3.18 billion

NexGen Energy, a company specializing in uranium exploration and development, is primarily focused on the Athabasca Basin. Its flagship project is the Rook I project, which includes the Arrow discovery.

The company also owns a 50.1 percent interest in exploration-stage company IsoEnergy (TSXV:ISO,OTCQX:ISENF).

In its Q1 results, NexGen reported a net loss of C$50.9 million, driven primarily by an impairment on its investment in IsoEnergy and ongoing exploration spending at its Rook I uranium project. Despite the loss, NexGen maintained a cash position of C$434.6 million, down from C$476.6 million at the end of 2024.

The largest component of the cash flow change was investing activities at C$34.3 million, mostly tied to C$28.1 million in exploration and evaluation expenses. The majority of this went toward technical work, permitting, and drilling at Rook I. NexGen also made a C$6.3 million follow-on investment in IsoEnergy.

Financing activity was limited, with C$557,000 raised from stock option exercises and C$6.8 million in restricted cash movements, resulting in a total cash outflow of C$41.9 million.

The company continues to hold a strategic uranium inventory of 2.7 million pounds of U3O8, valued at C$341 million. While NexGen does not currently generate production revenue, it remains well-capitalized to fund its development plans as it progresses Rook I toward potential construction and licensing milestones.

In late March NexGen reported its “best ever discovery phase intercept” at Rook I. As noted in a press release, drill hole RK-25-232 at the Patterson Corridor East zone intersected 3.9 meters of exceptionally high uranium readings within a larger 13.8 meter mineralized section starting at 452.2 meters depth.

4. Uranium Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC)

Market cap: US$2.36 billion

Uranium Energy (UEC) has two production-ready in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium projects — its Christensen Ranch uranium operations in Wyoming and its Texas Hub and Spoke operations in South Texas — as well as two operational processing facilities. It plans to restart uranium production in Wyoming in August and resume South Texas operations in 2025.

The firm has built one of the largest US-warehoused uranium inventories, and in 2022 secured a US Department of Energy contract to supply 300,000 pounds of U3O8 as part of the country’s move to establish a domestic uranium reserve.

UEC also holds a wide portfolio of uranium projects in the US and Canada, some of which have major permits secured. In August 2022, UEC completed its acquisition of uranium company UEX. That same year, UEC also acquired both a portfolio of uranium exploration projects and the Roughrider uranium project from Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO).

In January, UEC increased its stake in Anfield Energy (TSXV:AEC,OTCQB:ANLDF) by acquiring 107.1 million shares for approximately C$15 million, at C$0.14 per share. The deal boosts UEC’s ownership to about 17.8 percent.

A month later, the company announced that it had achieved a key milestone by successfully processing, drying and drumming uranium at its Irigaray central processing plant in Wyoming.

Uranium concentrate produced from the plant will be shipped to the ConverDyn conversion facility in Illinois.

In March, UEC released results for the quarter ended on January 31, highlighting that additional wellfields at Christensen Ranch were on track to begin production in the coming weeks. It also finalized the acquisition of Rio Tinto’s Sweetwater plant, adding 4.1 million pounds per year of licensed capacity and establishing its third ISR hub-and-spoke platform.

Financially, UEC reported Q2 revenue of US$49.8 million from selling 600,000 pounds of U3O8 at US$82.92 per pound, generating US$18.2 million in gross profit. The company holds 1.36 million pounds in uranium inventory valued at US$97.3 million, with an additional 300,000 pounds to be acquired at US$37.05 per pound this December.

In May, UEC signed a memorandum of understanding with Radiant Industries to collaborate on strengthening the US nuclear energy value chain. As part of the agreement, UEC will supply domestically sourced uranium to Radiant. The partnership supports Radiant’s development of the Kaleidos portable nuclear microreactor, which is planned to be mass produced, aligning with growing national interest in small modular reactors and energy security.

5. Denison Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:DNN,TSX:DML)

Market cap: US$1.33 billion

Denison Mines is focused on uranium mining in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. holding a 95 percent interest in the Wheeler River uranium project, which hosts the Phoenix and Gryphon deposits.

The company has significant landholdings in the basin through both operating and non-operating joint venture interests with uranium majors such as Orano and Cameco. This includes a 22.5 percent interest in Orano’s McLean Lake mill and mine, the latter of which is expected to re-enter production in 2025.

In 2023, Denison completed a feasibility study for Phoenix, which hosts proven and probable reserves of 56.7 million pounds of uranium. The company is planning to use ISR for Phoenix and is targeting first production for 2027 or 2028. Denison also updated a 2018 prefeasibility study for the Gryphon deposit as an underground mine.

According to the company, both deposits have low-cost production potential.

In February, Denison announced that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has scheduled public hearings for the Phoenix ISR project, which will take place in two parts, one in October and one in December.

The hearings are the final step in the federal approval process for the project’s environmental assessment and license to construct and prepare a uranium mine and mill.

On May 12, Denison released its results for the first quarter, noting that Phoenix had reached 75 percent completion for total engineering. If it receives approval later this year, Denison expects to begin construction for the Phoenix ISR operation in early 2026 and achieve production in 2028.

Meanwhile, site prep resumed at the McClean North deposit, which will be mined using the joint venture’s proprietary SABRE mining method. Operations are on track to begin mid-year.

FAQs for uranium investing

What is uranium?

First discovered in 1789 by German chemist Martin Klaproth, uranium is a heavy metal that is as common in the Earth’s crust as tin, tungsten and molybdenum. Named after the planet Uranus, which was also discovered around the same time, uranium has been an important source of global energy for more than six decades.

What country has the most uranium?

Australia and Kazakhstan lead the world in both terms of uranium reserves and uranium production. Australia takes first prize for the world’s largest uranium reserves, representing 28 percent globally at 1,684,100 MT of U3O8. However, the Oceanic country ranks fourth in global uranium production, putting out 4,087 MT of U3O8 in 2022.

For its part, Kazakhstan controls 13 percent of global uranium reserves and leads the world in uranium production with 2022 output of 21,227 MT. Last year, Canada passed Namibia to become the second largest uranium producer, putting out 7,351 MT of U3O8 in 2022 compared to Namibia’s 5,613 MT. The countries hold 10 percent and 8 percent of global reserves respectively.

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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In Politics

Trump-pardoned real estate mogul Charles Kushner confirmed for key diplomatic post

2 Mins Read

New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Monday for the ambassadorship to France and Monaco.

He was confirmed in a 51-45 vote. 

Kushner, the father-in-law of Ivanka Trump, was previously pardoned by President Donald Trump for federal tax evasion and Federal Election Commission violations from 2005, during the mogul’s first term.

In 1985, he founded the Kushner Companies and has long been a philanthropist, particularly to Jewish causes and institutions like Yeshiva University in Washington Heights, Manhattan.

He has also donated to St. Barnabas Hospital in Essex County, New Jersey, which has a wing bearing his family name.

During his May 1 confirmation hearing, Kushner acknowledged his past legal missteps, claiming they sharpened his judgment and better prepared him for both the ambassadorship and life.

‘I think that my past mistakes actually make me… better in my values to really make me more qualified to do this job,’ he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kushner, who just celebrated his 71st birthday, was nominated in November after Trump called him a ‘tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our country & its interests.’

‘He was recognized as New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, & served as a commissioner, & chairman, of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, as well as on the boards of our top institutions, including NYU,’ Trump said.

‘Congratulations to Charlie, his wonderful wife Seryl, their 4 children, & 14 grandchildren. His son, Jared, worked closely with me in the White House, in particular on Operation Warp Speed, Criminal Justice Reform, & the Abraham Accords.’

Trump added that Kushner will help strengthen America’s partnership with ‘our oldest ally and one of our greatest.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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In Stocks

SCHD ETF analysis: 2 catalysts to move the dividend fund this week

4 Mins Read

The Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) stock price has rebounded in the past few weeks, rising by 11.5% from its lowest point this year. SCHD has jumped to a high of $26.60, its highest point since April 3. This article explores the top catalysts for the blue-chip dividend ETF.

Top SCHD ETF earnings

The first important catalyst for the SCHD ETF will be earnings by some of its top constituent companies. Historically, these earnings have impacted its performance, especially if they are big companies.

The first one will be Home Depot, the fifth-biggest company in the fund with a $2.8 billion stock. Home Depot’s earnings are expected to show that its revenue rose by 7.78% in the last quarter to $39.25 billion.

Target, one of the top American retailers, will also publish its financial results this week. These numbers are expected to reveal that its earnings per share dropped from $2.03 last year to $1.69 in the last quarter. The revenue figure is expected to drop by 0.49% to $24.5 billion.

Target has been struggling in the past few years and has continued to underperform companies like Walmart and Costco. It has been hurt by its DEI policies, slow rollout of its e-commerce business, and its groceries approach. All these factors explain why the Target stock price has dropped by over 43% from its highest point last year.

The other SCHD company to watch will be Buckle, which will release its earnings on Friday this week.

The recent earnings season has been strong, with a report by FactSet showing that the blended earnings growth of companies in the S&P 500 Index coming in at 13.6%, the second quarter of double-digit growth. 

However, these earnings have been viewed as being transitory because they did not include tariffs that Trump announced last month. 

Moody’s credit rating downgrade

The other key catalyst for the SCHD ETF will be the decision by Moody’s to downgrade the US credit rating. The company moved the rating from AAA to AA1 a year after it changed its outlook to negative.

This credit rating downgrade came as Washington politicians deliberated on Donald Trump’s spending package that will increase the deficit by over $4 trillion in the next decade.

The credit rate downgrade is always a big deal, which explains why American stock futures are falling. Those tied to the Dow Jones dropped by 400 points, while the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 ones fell by 70 and 308, respectively. 

On the positive side, Moody’s did not tell the market anything new. Most analysts already know that the situation is not all good as the public debt has jumped to over $36.8 trillion. Also, the stock market has already done well since it was downgraded by S&P 500 in 2011 and by Fitch in 2022.

Read more: Moody’s stock price is rising, but chart points to a pullback

SCHD ETF stock price analysis

SCHD ETF stock chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the SCHD ETF share price has rebounded in the past few weeks, moving from a low of $23.8 in April to $26.63 today. It has jumped above the 50-day and 25-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA).

The stock has also retested the important resistance point at $26.63, the lowest swing in December last year. Also, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the MACD indicators have continued rising. 

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where the SCHD stock experiences some volatility as the market reflects on the credit rating downgrade. It will then resume the uptrend as bulls attempt to hit the year-to-date high of $28.56.

The post SCHD ETF analysis: 2 catalysts to move the dividend fund this week appeared first on Invezz

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In World news

WCN Raises A$14.4M at an Average 29% Premium to Market Close

4 Mins Read

White Cliff Minerals Limited (“WCN” or the “Company”) (ASX: WCN; OTCQB: WCMLF) is pleased to announce it has received firm commitments to raise approximately A$14.4m (before costs) through the issue of 384,615,398 new, fully paid ordinary shares in the Company. Utilising the “flow-through shares” provisions under Canadian tax law 307,692,321 shares will be issued at an issue price of A$0.0403 per share representing a 38.9% premium to WCN’s last trading price of A$0.029 (14 May 2025) for a total of A$12.40m (Flow-Through). Additionally, the Company has received firm commitments to raise $2 million (before costs) through a share placement to new and existing sophisticated and professional investors (Placement). 76,923,077 shares will be issued under the Placement at $0.026 per share, being a 10.3% discount to the Company’s last closing price before trading halt.

  • Capital raise cornerstoned by the Company’s Strategic Advisor, John Hancock and his private family office, Astrotricha Capital SEZC.
  • The capital raise was significantly oversubscribed and the Company received investment from a number of new Australian, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singaporean financial institutions as well as existing institutional and sophisticated shareholders
  • Funds will be used to expand and accelerate drilling and exploration activities at the Company’s Rae Copper Project with drilling set to recommence from mid-July
  • Drilling activities will include both reverse circulation and diamond drilling, providing the Company flexibility in its targeting approach
  • Aerial and downhole geophysics are to be undertaken to further refine drill targets across the Rae Copper Project
  • Following encouraging visual results, the Company expects to update shareholders on further assays results for holes 5, 6 and 7 at Danvers, expected to be received over the coming weeks

”The successful completion of this capital raise is a testament to the quality of our Rae Copper Project and the confidence that investors have in our exploration strategy. The ability to access the less dilutive flow through funds at a circa 40% premium is a huge advantage and value accretive for shareholders. Further, John Hancock and his Astrotricha Capital Family Office cornerstone position in the raise, along with the support of other high net worth investors introduced by Astrotricha, reflects their shared vison for the future of WCN and underpins the Company’s development plans for the Rae Copper Project.

The outlook for copper prices remains robust and the Company is poised to ramp up exploration efforts as we capitalise on its strong financial position following this raise, in addition to the ongoing conversion of WCNO options. Following recent high-grade results, this upcoming drilling at Danvers will lay the foundation for a maiden exploration target at the project over the coming period. We are very excited about the potential to delineate a material resource around the immediate drilling area at Danvers and to potentially encompass additional deposits along the regional 7km + strike.

In parallel, drilling will commence at the major sedimentary hosted copper target at Hulk. The pre collars that we have completed at Hulk sit only about 50mtrs above the target horizon and with diamond rigs planned to arrive in the coming months at which time we plan to drill all project areas and deliver on the potential for an additional major copper discovery at our Rae Project.”

Troy Whittaker – Managing Director

“Starting out as a Strategic Advisor to WCN with an initial invested stake, I have now become the Company’s largest shareholder and am pleased to see another well executed and strongly supported capital raise at a premium to the share price. The WCN focus has been on minimising existing shareholder dilution whilst attracting strategic investor capital to accelerate exploration and at the same time, securing the Company’s financial position for the longer term. There is now global investor interest in WCN’s prospects and I look forward to further upcoming drill results.”

John Hancock – Strategic Advisor to WCN

Click here for the full ASX Release

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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In Politics

Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ passes key House hurdle after GOP rebel mutiny

4 Mins Read

President Donald Trump’s ‘one big, beautiful bill’ survived a key hurdle in the House of Representatives on Sunday night, putting it one step closer to a chamber-wide vote later this week.

Lawmakers on the House Budget Committee were summoned back to Washington for a 10 p.m. meeting to vote on advancing the legislation, which passed the panel in a nearly party-line vote.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., made a surprise appearance at the committee room shortly before the vote began, telling reporters, ‘We think this is going to go well tonight. We’re about to find out.’

He said there would likely be ‘minor modifications’ to the final bill.

It comes after a rebellion by four conservative House Freedom Caucus members on the committee blocked the bill from advancing on Friday, with the fiscal hawks seeking assurances that stricter crackdowns on Medicaid and green energy subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) would be in the final bill before a House-wide vote.

Advancing the legislation through the House Budget Committee is a largely procedural move. Any likely changes will be introduced as amendments in the House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before a House-wide vote, sometime early this week.

Notably, two of the Budget Committee fiscal hawks who demanded further changes – Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C. – also sit on the House Rules Committee.

Nevertheless Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled confidence on Fox News Sunday that his chamber was ‘on track’ to hold that House-wide vote toward the end of this week.

The House Budget Committee passed a framework earlier this year with ‘instructions’ for various other committees to enact Trump policies under their jurisdictions. 

Following House and Senate-wide votes on their frameworks, House committees began crafting those policies, which have now been put back together into the massive bill the House Budget Committee advanced on Sunday night.

Republicans are working to pass Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party controlling both Congress and the White House to pass vast pieces of legislation while completely sidelining the minority – in this case, Democrats.

It does so by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, lining up with the House’s own simple majority. The legislation must adhere to a specific set of rules, however, including only items related to federal spending, tax, and the national debt.

Trump is having Republicans use the legislation to enact his campaign promises on tax cuts, immigration, energy, defense, and raising the debt limit.

And while quelling Friday’s GOP mutiny is a victory for House Republican leaders, lawmakers will still have to sit through high-stakes negotiations on any changes made to the bill before the House Rules Committee considers it.

Conservatives are opposed to aspects of the legislation’s crackdown on Medicaid, which Republicans have said they are only trimming for waste, fraud, and abuse. But Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied people are not set to kick in until 2029, and conservatives have argued that it was a large window of time for those changes to be undone, among other concerns.

They’re also pushing for a more aggressive effort to repeal green energy tax subsidies passed in the former Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

The respective pushes have pitted them against moderates wary of significant Medicaid cuts, and Republican lawmakers whose districts have businesses that have benefited from the tax relief.

Meanwhile, moderates in high-cost-of-living areas have also pushed for larger state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps, which red state Republicans have largely dismissed as subsidies to high-tax blue states.

The Republicans in those seats, however, have argued that it’s an existential issue for their districts, where GOP victories were critical to winning and holding the House majority.

But even after it passes the House, Republicans there likely won’t be done with the ‘big, beautiful bill’ – Republican senators have already signaled they are likely going to make changes to the bill.

Johnson said Sunday that House and Senate leaders were ‘in close coordination’ on the final product, adding, ‘we hope that they don’t make many modifications to it.’

Any changes will have to go through the House again; identical bills must pass both chambers before getting signed into law by Trump.

Republican leaders have said they hope to get a bill on the president’s desk by Fourth of July.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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In Stocks

Top S&P 500 Index stocks to watch: PANW, HD, TGT, INTU, ADSK

3 Mins Read

The S&P 500 Index continued its strong rally last week, rising to a high of $5,958, its highest point since March 3. It has jumped by over 23% from its lowest point in April, meaning that it is in a bull market. 

The index jumped as the recent trade risks eased after last week’s meeting between the US and China in Switzerland. They agreed to lower their tariffs to 30% and 10%, respectively, and pledged to do more going forward.

There are signs that the US will reach agreements with other countries, including the European Union, Canada, and Mexico. Such deals will improve the outlook of most S&P 500 Index companies. 

The index also jumped as the earnings season delivered. FactSet data show that 92% of all companies in the index have published their results so far. Of these companies, their blended earnings growth was 13.6%, higher than expectations and the second consecutive quarter of earnings growth. 

S&P 500 Index chart

Top S&P 500 stocks to watch next week

Many companies in the S&P 500 Index will publish their financial results next week. Some of the most notable ones are retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Target. Other firms to watch will be Palo Alto Networks, Autodesk, Intuit, Analog Devices, Ralph Lauren, TJX, and V. F Corp.

US retailers to shed light on tariff impact

The biggest US retailers will publish their earnings next week and shed light on the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs on their operations. 

These numbers will come after Walmart, the biggest US retailer, published strong results and hinted of what to come. Its sales jumped to $165.6 billion from the $161.5 billion it made last year. Most importantly, it e-commerce sales jumped by 22%.

Walmart also said that it will increase prices as the impact of tariffs become clear. In a statemet on Truth Social, Trump asked the company not to hike prices, but instead ‘eat’ the tariffs. 

Target will be a top retailer to watch as its business has struggled in the past few years. Analysts anticipate the numbers to show that sales dropped by 0.24% to $24.1 billion, while its earnings per share moved from $2.03 to $1.69.

Meanwhile, analysts expect Home Depot’s revenues to be $39.27 billion, a 7.8% annual increase. Lowe’s revenue is expected to be $21 billion, down by 1.69% from last year. 

Software companies: Palo Alto Networks, Intuit, and Autodesk

In addition to retailers, some large software companies in the S&P 500 Index will publish their results next week. 

Palo Alto Networks, one of the biggest cybersecurity companies in the US, will be the first to report on Monday. Its stock has jumped by over 33% from its lowest point this year, and is hovering at its highest point since March.

Analysts expect the data to reveal that Palo Alto Networks’ revenues rose by 14.8% in the last quarter to $2.28 billion. The guidance for the currency financial year will be $9.18 billion, a 14.3% annualized increase. 

Read more: Is Palo Alto Networks a good cybersecurity stock for 2025?

Intuit stock price has also jumped by over 26% from its lowest point this year, and is now hovering at its highest point in months. The company, which runs the biggest accounting software in the world, will publish its numbers on Thursday. Analysts expect the numbers to show that its revenue rose by 12.2% to $7.56 billion.

The other top S&P 500 stocks to watch next week will be Autodesk, Analog Devices, Snowflake, Urban Outfitters, Ralph Lauren, Williams-Sonoma, and BJ’s Wholesale.

The post Top S&P 500 Index stocks to watch: PANW, HD, TGT, INTU, ADSK appeared first on Invezz

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In Business

Cava revenue beats estimates as Mediterranean chain reports double-digit same-store sales growth

3 Mins Read

Cava on Thursday reported better-than-expected sales in its latest fiscal quarter, shaking off the malaise the broader restaurant industry has felt as consumers have cut back on dining.

The Mediterranean chain said its same-store sales grew 10.8% in the three months that ended April 20, lifted by traffic growth of 7.5%. Analysts surveyed by StreetAccount were projecting same-store sales growth of 10.3%.

“When we look at our consumers in the quarter, we saw an increase in premium attachment on higher priced items, like our pita chips or amazing housemade juices. We also saw that our per person average continued to increase, and then when we look at our results, there’s positive traffic across all of our geographies, across all of our income cohorts, as well as the different formats of our restaurants and dayparts,” Chief Financial Officer Tricia Tolivar told CNBC.

She added that diners have been trading up from fast food and down from casual-dining restaurants into Cava’s bowls and pitas, a trend the company has seen for several quarters.

Elsewhere in the restaurant industry, companies have been reporting very different behavior from consumers, although many companies’ results did not include any time in April, when the industry’s sales and traffic performance improved.

Fast-casual rival Chipotle said its transactions fell 2.3% in the first quarter as consumers pulled back their spending in February, spooked by economic uncertainty. Sweetgreen reported its first quarterly same-store sales decline since it went public in 2021. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said fast-food industry data showed both low- and middle-income consumers spending less. The burger giant said U.S. same-store sales declined 3.6% for the first quarter.

Despite the strong quarterly performance, Cava reiterated its same-store sales forecast, sticking with its projections of a 6% to 8% increase. The chain said last quarter that it is expecting slower growth in the back half of its fiscal 2025.

The stock fell 5% in extended trading. As of Thursday’s close, Cava shares have slid 11% so far this year, hurt by investor concerns over its conservative outlook for the fiscal year and the economic fallout from the Trump administration’s tariffs.

Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

The company reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $25.71 million, or 22 cents per share, up from $13.99 million, or 12 cents per share, a year earlier. Cava reported an income tax benefit of $10.7 million related to stock-based compensation, which boosted its earnings this quarter.

Net sales climbed 28% to $332 million. On a 12-month trailing basis, Cava’s revenue has surpassed $1 billion, representing a major milestone for the company.

The company did raise some of its projections for the fiscal year.

Cava now anticipates adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $152 million to $159 million, up from its prior forecast of $150 million to $157 million. The company also plans to open between 64 and 68 new locations, higher than its previous outlook of between 62 and 66 restaurant openings.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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In Politics

‘You saved my life:’ Freed hostage Edan Alexander thanks Trump in emotional phone call

3 Mins Read

In an emotional and widely shared moment, President Donald J. Trump spoke directly with Edan Alexander, the 21-year-old American-Israeli soldier who was recently freed from Hamas captivity, during a phone call captured on camera and released by the White House.

‘Mr. President,’ Alexander greeted Trump at the start of the call, visibly moved. ‘You’re the only reason I’m here. You saved my life.’

The phone conversation, which took place while Alexander was recovering at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, came just days after his dramatic release from Gaza, where he was held hostage for over 580 days following his abduction by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

President Trump greeted Edan with a bit of humor and humility, saying ‘I’m very nervous talking to you, Edan, because you’re a much bigger celebrity than I am.’

Trump also expressed American solidarity and the administration’s commitment to bringing all hostages home while on the call.

‘You’re an American, and we love you,’ Trump told Alexander. ‘We’re going to take good care of you. And your parents are incredible. I saw your mother. She was pushing me around a little bit—putting a lot of pressure on me.’

‘Like a good mom!’ exclaimed Edan’s mother in the background.

The heartfelt exchange was posted online by the official White House account and has quickly gone viral, drawing praise from across the political spectrum for its display of humanity and international unity.

Alexander’s release came amid intensified U.S. diplomatic pressure and quiet negotiations, coordinated in part by senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler. 

Trump had previously signaled his determination to secure the freedom of American citizens held abroad and made Alexander’s case a top priority.

The Alexander family issued a statement thanking President Trump directly, along with the negotiation team and the Israeli Defense Forces, calling the outcome ‘a miracle rooted in strength, diplomacy, and prayer.’

Edan Alexander’s homecoming has reignited calls to bring home the remaining hostages still held in Gaza. 

A coalition of 65 former hostages recently signed a letter urging both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ‘build on this breakthrough’ and intensify efforts for a comprehensive agreement to ensure every hostage’s safe return.

Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged the success of this combined effort, stating, ‘This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination.’

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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What made Cox Communications say ‘yes’ to a buyout after years of resistance?

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Cox Communications has been a potential takeover target for years. But despite several attempts from multiple suitors, the company always remained steadfast in rejecting all buyout proposals.

However, that changed today, May 16, with an announcement that Cox has agreed to be acquired by Charter Communications Inc in a deal that values it at $34.5 billion.

So, what made Cox finally say “yes” to an acquisition after resisting it for so long?

According to industry expert Craig Moffett, it may have been evolving dynamics of the wireless market, particularly an opportunity for Cox to benefit from Charter’s existing mobile strategy, that made the cable television company yield on Friday.

Charter-Cox merger is all about wireless

Craig Moffett is convinced that the Charter-Cox merger is less about cable industry consolidation and more about the companies positioning themselves for a wireless-dominated future.

In the official announcement, both Charter and Cox were described as providers of mobile and broadband services, with mobile coming first, noted the senior MoffettNathanson analyst in an interview with CNBC today.

This highlights the increasing importance of wireless in the cable industry’s business model.

Cable operators have long been transitioning away from reliance on traditional video services, shifting focus to broadband as the core offering.

Now, the next frontier is “mobile”, he added.

Cox gets access to a better wireless deal

Another notable factor influencing Cox’s decision may have been Charter’s existing agreement with Verizon, argued Craig Moffett on “The Exchange”.

Charter operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MNVO), reselling VZ’s network access under better financial terms compared to Cox’s current arrangement with Verizon.

The merger enables Cox to take advantage of Charter’s more favourable wireless deal, strengthening its ability to compete in the bundled mobile and broadband market.

Moffett believes Cox recognised that if the industry’s future is centred around wireless bundles, having an advantageous relationship with Verizon was crucial.

Merging with Charter wins it access to a better wireless strategy, positioning itself to thrive in an increasingly mobile-centric industry.

Charter-Cox merger is inspired by changing industry priorities

While traditional cable TV may still be part of the equation, Craig Moffett said that cable providers have been moving away from viewing video services as their core business for decades.

Instead, broadband has been the backbone of profitability, and mobile is rapidly becoming the next major area for growth.

While competitors like AT&T and Verizon are aggressively expanding their bundle offerings, Cox likely determined that continuing to operate alone would leave it at a disadvantage.

A partnership gives it a strong market position without having to build a competitive wireless infrastructure of its own, he added.

Bottom line

All in all, Craig Moffett believes the Charter-Cox merger is entirely about strategy.

Teaming up with Charter, Cox gains stronger wireless capabilities, access to better infrastructure deals, and a firmer foothold in an evolving industry landscape.

The merger signals that broadband and mobile convergence are now the driving forces in telecom.

If Charter and Cox execute their integration effectively, this deal could solidify their standing as major players in the next phase of the industry.

The post What made Cox Communications say ‘yes’ to a buyout after years of resistance? appeared first on Invezz

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Coinbase Backs QCAD Stablecoin to Power Canadian Crypto Adoption

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Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, has announced an investment in Stablecorp to bring QCAD — a Canadian dollar-denominated stablecoin — to Canadians.

The announcement was made in Toronto at the Blockchain Futurist Conference, where it was presented during a fireside chat by Lucas Matheson, Canada country director at Coinbase, and Alex McDougall, CEO of Stablecorp.

The pair positioned the launch as part of a global shift toward stablecoin integration and digital financial innovation, underscoring Canada’s unique opportunity to carve out a leadership role in the emerging digital currency ecosystem.

‘Stablecoins are probably the topic to draw this year in crypto, for a lot of good reasons,” said Matheson.

“When you look at volume around the world for cryptocurrencies, stablecoins currently account for about 70 percent of all volume in cryptocurrency, while maintaining about 10 percent of the market cap.”

Matheson pointed out that governments around the world, from the US to the UK, are moving quickly to legislate and define these assets as legitimate payment instruments. He stressed that Canada needs to be part of that conversation.

Stablecorp’s QCAD is not new to the scene. McDougall noted that the company has been working since 2020 to create a homegrown stablecoin that reflects Canada’s economic standing. Despite the US dollar’s dominance in the global stablecoin market, McDougall believes the Canadian dollar has a compelling case to make.

“The Canadian dollar trades over C$400 billion a day in foreign exchange. Over C$3.6 billion of goods cross the American border, back and forth every day,’ he told audience members. “There’s over C$316 billion in international central bank reserve currencies, and that’s up to C$65 billion over 2024 — the Canadian dollar quietly kicks ass.’

The Coinbase-Stablecorp partnership aims to fill this void by integrating QCAD into use cases ranging from simple peer-to-peer transactions to institutional finance and global trade. Matheson explained that Coinbase’s backing will bring the reach, trust and compliance capabilities needed to scale QCAD nationally and internationally.

Their discourse also revolved around real-world applications. McDougall described QCAD as a solution that dramatically lowers costs and increases speed in cross-border and domestic payments.

He pointed to practical examples already being piloted, such as Brazilian students paying Canadian tuition fees using QCAD, and Filipino workers receiving remittances via seamless FX-to-stablecoin pipelines.

In both cases, traditional banking systems are circumvented in favor of instant, lower-fee digital rails.

The stablecoin, McDougall added, also opens new doors for small business financing. Canadian businesses will soon be able to draw international lines of credit that settle in QCAD in real-time, with FX baked into transactions, a feature traditional banks currently do not offer. He also highlighted use cases in global telecommunications billing, where cross-border carrier settlements, a US$5 billion annual burden, could be simplified via programmatic stablecoin payments.

Even more futuristically, he envisions QCAD being critical infrastructure for Canada’s artificial intelligence ambitions.

“From just simple everyday things like sending money around and taking that power back, all the way to having these fully automated global webs of commerce — stablecoins are the building blocks for every single one of those,” he said.

Despite the momentum, both Matheson and McDougall acknowledged that Canada’s regulatory environment has not kept pace with innovation. Unlike jurisdictions such as the US and UK, where stablecoins are being defined through legislation as distinct asset classes, often as e-money, Canada remains entangled in a fragmented regulatory landscape.

“Our challenge is that we have 13 different provincial securities regulators, each approaching crypto through the lens of securities law,” said Matheson. “That’s led to a square peg, round hole problem.”

The lack of a unified federal framework has made it difficult for firms like Stablecorp to fully operationalize a compliant and scalable stablecoin solution. However, the panelists hope this may be changing with a cabinet shakeup.

With the QCAD rollout and further announcements expected in the coming weeks, the pressure now shifts to Ottawa to match private sector ambition with public policy action.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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