Author: Lucas

2025 marks a time of uncertainty for many investors—despite stellar performance in 2024 and a post-election bump that lasted through mid-December, the and the market as a whole face increasing geopolitical turmoil, a potential change to the regulatory environment for many industries alongside a new administration, haziness around the near-term future of interest rates, the ongoing impact of the AI revolution, and more. It’s understandable that many investors might take a defensive approach in the new year. Preferred stocks are an often-overlooked defensive play that can provide the potential for greater returns than bonds. These hybrid securities offer fixed-income payments…

A former pensions minister has written to the Department for Work and Pensions expressing his concerns about a “pause” in the deletion of records which could make it difficult to fix errors in state pension paymentsThe DWP said it has so far reviewed more than 900,000 customer records, with awards totalling over £900 million in arrears made(Image: Getty Images)Fears have been raised by a former minister that some state pension records could be wiped out, making it “virtually impossible” to rectify past payment errors.In recent years, numerous mistakes in state pension payments have come to light, with some of the…

Advanced Energy Industries recently introduced the 401M mid-infrared optical pyrometer and previewed the M-1200 fiber optic thermometry converter at SEMICON West 2025, both designed to enhance precision temperature measurement in semiconductor manufacturing. These technologies underscore the company’s commitment to enabling next-generation chip production, particularly as artificial intelligence drives higher standards and demand in semiconductor process control. We’ll now examine how these advanced temperature measurement solutions could influence Advanced Energy Industries’ investment case, especially as AI reshapes market requirements. The end of cancer? These 28 emerging AI stocks are developing tech that will allow early identification of life changing diseases like…

Silver price touched a new high of $51.25 per ounce last week. The price has surged about 73 per cent so far this year, outperforming gold which has risen by 53 per cent (year-to-date).In mid-September when silver price was $42 per ounce, in this same space in the bl.portfolio edition of September 14, 2025, we had said that a rise to $50-51 is possible. Indeed, the price rise has happened in line with our expectation but much quicker though.Silver price touched a high of $51.25 per ounce last week and closed at $50.15 on Friday.The recent surge above $40 is just the…

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) has announced a new API integration with Lofti, a platform that simplifies residential property management for landlords and letting agents.Lofti’s platform covers everything from tenant enquiries and viewings, to maintenance coordination and compliance tracking. By integrating with industry-standard tools such as Zoopla & Rightmove, Lofti creates a centralised hub where property professionals can manage their entire portfolio from one dashboard.The integration with TDS is another stepping stone in this direction, freeing even more time to focus on business generation and client satisfaction.Following feedbackA spokesperson from Lofti commented: “The reason we decided to go with the…

The Cumbria Arts and Culture Network is running the ‘See It to Be It’ scheme, enabling more people to have viable pathways towards the jobs they are dreaming of. The CACN is now looking for young people across the county who have already made inroads into the creative industry to form the ‘See It to Be It’ advisory group. The director of CACN, Kate Parry, said: “Even though Cumbria is a wonderfully creative and inspiring place to live for many – our work tells us it is not easy for young creatives to build careers here.  “Too often, we’re finding…

BEIJING/LONDON, Nov 18 (Reuters) – China was set to sell its first negative-yielding government bond on Wednesday, becoming the latest to benefit from this year’s plunge in interest rates in the COVID-19 pandemic.Beijing was poised to sell a 750 million euro ($887.93 million) 5-year bond that, at 30 basis points (bps) above the so-called mid-swap rate of -0.45%, effectively offered investors a -0.15% interest rate. Sign up here.The three-part deal also consisted of a 2 billion euro 10-year bond priced at 55 bps over the mid-swap rate and a 1.25 billion euro 15-year issue priced at 70 bps over the…

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hyperscale Data, Inc. (NYSE American: GPUS), a diversified holding company (“Hyperscale Data” or the “Company”), today announced that it has successfully paid 39 consecutive monthly cash dividends for its 13.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series D Preferred Stock”) – https://www.nyse.com/quote/XASE:GPUSpD. Dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock are cumulative and are payable out of amounts legally available therefor at a rate equal to 13.00% per annum per $25.00 of stated liquidation preference per share, or $0.2708333 per share of Series D Preferred Stock per month. Official Corporate Logo of Hyperscale Data, Inc.…

Friday’s crypto market plunge may actually mark the early stages of a bull run, a crypto trader said.“I think there’s a very high chance this is the start of the bull market,” crypto trader Alex Becker said in a video published to YouTube on Saturday. “I think selling right now could be the stupidest thing you could ever do,” Becker said. Jan3 founder Samson Mow echoed a similar sentiment in an X post on the same day, saying, “It’s time for Bitcoin’s next leg up.”Becker’s comments come after the crypto market wipeout on Friday eclipsed every previous downturn, as Bitcoin (BTC)…

News Desk12 October 2025, 10:00 AM ISTGold and silver prices in India remain steady today, with 24-carat gold trading at ₹1,25,080 per 10 grams and silver at ₹180,000 per kilogram. Representational Image  Gold prices in India continue to hold firm, reflecting both domestic demand and global economic conditions. As of October 12, 2025, 24-carat gold is trading at ₹1,25,080 per 10 grams, unchanged from yesterday. Silver is currently trading at approximately ₹180,000 per kilogram. Gold price today in India 24-carat gold is priced at ₹1,25,080 per 10 grams, while 22-carat gold, widely used in jewellery, is trading at ₹1,14,650 per…