Renewable Firms Rush to Secure German Projects as Mood Shifts
High participation at two recent clean energy auctions shows that demand for such projects remains strong, the Federal Network Agency said Thursday. Yet analysts see the rush as a sign that companies are heeding the messages of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government, which wants to put the brakes on the country's rapid renewable expansion.
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31 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
EU says it will continue rolling out AI legislation on schedule
The European Union on Friday said it will stick to its timeline for implementing its landmark AI legislation, in response to a concerted effort by over a hundred tech companies to delay the bloc's AI rules, Reuters reported. Tech companies from across the world, including giants like Alphabet, Meta, Mistral AI and ASML have been urging the European Commission to delay rolling out the AI Act, saying it will hurt Europe's chances to compete in the fast-evolving AI arena. 'I've seen, indeed, a lot of reporting, a lot of letters and a lot of things being said on the AI Act. Let me be as clear as possible, there is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause,' the report cited European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier as saying. A risk-based regulation for applications of artificial intelligence, the AI Act bans a handful of 'unacceptable risk' use cases outright, such as cognitive behavioral manipulation or social scoring. It also defines a set of 'high-risk' uses, such as biometrics and facial recognition, or AI used in domains like education and employment. App developers will need to register their systems and meet risk and quality management obligations to gain access to the EU market. Another category of AI apps, such as chatbots, are considered 'limited risk' and subject to lighter transparency obligations. The EU started rolling out the AI Act last year in a staggered fashion, with the full rules coming into force by mid-2026.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marex Group plc (MRX) is in the Counter Cyclical Basket of Night Watch Investment Management
Night Watch Investment Management, an investment management firm, released its second-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the second quarter, the fund LP appreciated by 23.31% net of fees, and YTD, its performance stood at 20.71%. The portfolio demonstrated resilience in the quarter, despite volatility in March and April. In addition, please check the fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its second-quarter 2025 investor letter, Night Watch Investment Management highlighted stocks such as Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX). Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX) provides a financial services platform to clients in the energy, commodities, and financial markets. The one-month return of Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX) was -8.29%, and its shares gained 102.50% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 3, 2025, Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX) stock closed at $38.92 per share, with a market capitalization of $2.832 billion. Night Watch Investment Management stated the following regarding Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX) in its Q2 2025 investor letter: "Since inception of the fund in January 2024, we have always sought to allocate to several counter-cyclical companies. The idea is that even in the event of a recession, part of our portfolio would still perform well. Currently, our countercyclical basket is predominantly made up of Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX), a company we first acquired in May of 2024 at $19, versus $39 today. A close up of a laptop screen with a user engaging in the platform's features. Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 22 hedge fund portfolios held Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX) at the end of the first quarter, which was 26 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Marex Group plc (NASDAQ:MRX) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the undervalued AI stock set for massive gains. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. While we acknowledge the potential of MRX as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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The 5 Most Interesting Analyst Questions From Watts Water Technologies's Q1 Earnings Call
Watts Water's first quarter results were met with a positive market reaction, as the company outperformed Wall Street's revenue and profitability expectations despite a year-over-year sales decline. Management cited the benefit of its regionally focused manufacturing strategy and strong execution in the Americas, with CEO Bob Pagano noting, 'Our primary strategy has been to make products in the regions for the region.' While organic sales slipped due to fewer shipping days and ongoing weakness in Europe, Watts offset these headwinds with disciplined cost control and contributions from recent acquisitions, particularly in the U.S. segment. Is now the time to buy WTS? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $558 million vs analyst estimates of $547.8 million (2.3% year-on-year decline, 1.9% beat) Adjusted EPS: $2.37 vs analyst estimates of $2.13 (11.3% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $119.8 million vs analyst estimates of $110.1 million (21.5% margin, 8.8% beat) Operating Margin: 15.7%, down from 16.9% in the same quarter last year Organic Revenue fell 2.1% year on year (6.4% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $8.52 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Nathan Jones (Stifel) asked about gaining market share due to Watts' U.S.-centered manufacturing advantage. CEO Bob Pagano explained that while the company benefits from its regional focus, it aims to 'get our fair share' and will monitor how tariffs affect competitive dynamics throughout the year. Mike Halloran (RW Baird) questioned whether management's cautious second-half outlook reflects real-time softness or just prudence. Pagano confirmed it is primarily caution due to macroeconomic uncertainty, rather than observed demand deterioration so far. Jeff Hammond (KeyBanc) inquired about prebuying behavior ahead of price increases and how Watts is controlling this effect. Pagano acknowledged some customer prebuying, estimated at $5 million in the first quarter, and described measures to limit excessive orders based on historical purchasing patterns. Ryan Connors (Northcoast Research) explored the extent to which raw material shortages (like bismuth) are driving price increases versus tariffs. Management replied that tariffs are the main factor; raw material constraints are being managed with adequate inventory levels. Andrew Krill (Deutsche Bank) asked about capacity to expand U.S. manufacturing and the need for incremental investment. Pagano said current facilities can add shifts without significant capex, as most are not running at full utilization. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) Watts' ability to maintain margin resilience as tariffs and pricing actions flow through, (2) signs of demand normalization or further weakness in Europe, particularly in construction and heat pump channels, and (3) progress on integration and synergy capture from recent acquisitions like I-CON. Updates on any trade policy changes and their impact on supply chain strategy will also be closely watched. Watts Water Technologies currently trades at $255.29, up from $211.59 just before the earnings. In the wake of this quarter, is it a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
