Quebec bill would force Netflix, other streaming giants to add more French-language content
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Poland expels 63 Ukrainians, Belarusians over concert troubles
Messages of support and solidarity with Ukraine flash across digital advertisements in an underground shopping arcade in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. WARSAW, Poland — Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that Poland will expel 63 Ukrainians and Belarusians for causing trouble at a rap concert. The individuals were behind 'disturbances, aggressive behaviour and certain provocations' at a Warsaw performance on Saturday by Belarusian rapper Max Korzh, Tusk told reporters. The 57 Ukrainians and six Belarusians 'will have to leave the country voluntarily or by force', Tusk said, adding that everyone must respect the law no matter their nationality. Poland 'cannot allow anti-Ukrainian sentiments to be stirred up,' added Tusk, whose country has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion. 'A conflict between Poland and Ukraine would certainly be a gift for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.' Footage shared online showed spectators storming the arena during Saturday's rap show at the national stadium. Local media reported there were 70,000 people there. Police said in a statement that 'officers detained 109 people for numerous offenses and crimes such as drug possession, assaulting security personnel, possession and carrying of pyrotechnic devices, and trespassing on the grounds of a mass event.' Social media images appeared to show a concert-goer waving the flag of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a guerilla group that aligned itself with Nazi Germany. The symbol is banned under Polish law. 'We saw that various flags and symbols were displayed there,' police spokesman Robert Szumiata told independent news channel TVN24. 'We collected all this evidence and sent it to the prosecutor's office.'
Globe and Mail
6 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
SPOT Skyrockets 106% in a Year: How Should You Play the Stock?
Spotify Technology S.A. SPOT shares have surged 105.9% in a year, surpassing the 44.9% rally of its industry and the 18.3% rise in the Zacks S&P 500 Composite. The SPOT stock has outperformed its competitors, Apple AAPL and Amazon AMZN. Apple and Amazon have gained 2.6% and 30%, respectively. 1-Year Price Performance Spotify's growth over the past year is appealing to investors. However, the question is whether investors should ride the tide or stay away from it. Let us delve deeper and find out. SPOT's Robust User Engagement Spotify's monthly active users (MAUs) in the second quarter of 2025 increased 11% year over year to 696 million. Premium subscribers registered 12% year-over-year growth in the said quarter. Successful marketing campaigns in developing markets, a favorable shift in competitor dynamics, and robust global promotional campaign intake drove this user growth. Management is optimistic about user growth and anticipates the total MAUs to increase by 14 million in the third quarter of 2025. It expects to add 5 million users as premium subscribers in the same quarter. This optimistic outlook translates into strong user appeal and retention in the long run, an important trait required to tackle major industry players. Spotify Struggling Over Ad-Monetization SPOT's ability to enhance ad monetization weighs on its performance. CEO Daniel Ek stated that this is not a strategic problem, but an execution one. Spotify's decision to wash off exclusivity from certain podcasts and change its Partner Program model lowered available ad inventory. These changes had short-term negative impacts on ad revenues, which are acknowledged by the company's chief business officer, Alex Norström. Lee Brown, the global head of advertising sales, exited the company recently. Norström stated that the management was dissatisfied with the progress made, and a change in leadership was inevitable. Although the monetization strategy is robust, the company is unable to execute it efficiently, and the recent change in leadership is a direct response to this setback. SPOT Faces Stiff Competition Despite Spotify's shares performing way better than Apple's and Amazon's over the past year, there is no denying the fact that these two giants pose a significant threat to Spotify's music streaming business. Per Digital Music News, Spotify leads the market with 36% of paid audience in the United States as of 2024. Apple Music and Amazon Music's shares account for 30.7% and 23.8%, respectively. This goes to show that Spotify faces significant challenges from tech giants, prompting it to invest to gain an edge, which affects its ability to balance growth and profitability. Investors may put their bets on SPOT's superior recommendation algorithms. However, they must acknowledge Apple Music's lossless and spatial audio and Amazon Music's Prime Subscription. Spotify Stock Looks Pricey SPOT is priced at 72.39 times forward 12-month earnings per share, which is higher than the industry's average of 24.65 times. When looking at the trailing 12-month EV-to-EBITDA ratio, Spotify is trading at 61.82 times, far exceeding the industry's average of 35.95 times. Metrics as such, signal valuation concerns for investors, which can limit their willingness to invest in Spotify. SPOT's Bleak Bottom-Line Prospects The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share is set at $5.73, a decline of 3.7% from the year-ago quarter. Furthermore, seven estimates for 2025 have moved south in the past 30 days and 60 days, versus no northward revision. This reflects a lack of analyst confidence. Spotify Unfavorable for Income-Seeking Investors SPOT does not pay any dividends and shows no plan to pay the same in the future. Reluctance to pay dividends demotivates income-seeking investors as the means of generating return is vested in stock appreciation, which is not a guaranteed phenomenon, evidenced by the 4% decline in SPOT shares in the past month. Exiting Your SPOT Seems the Best Option Spotify witnessed significant growth in its MAUs and premium subscribers, driving its top line in the second quarter of 2025. However, the inability to effectively monetize ads threatens its revenue streams. Competition in the audio streaming market is intensifying daily, with Apple and Amazon eager to gain market share. Spotify's high valuation raises concerns for investors. Weak earnings prospects and declining analyst confidence are worrisome, while SPOT's reluctance to pay dividends does not attract income-focused investors. Although the stock has surged over the past year, a 4% decline in the last month indicates a correction phase. Considering these negatives, we suggest long-term investors holding SPOT consider selling now, and potential investors are advised to refrain from investing at this time. Spotify carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double" From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months. Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report Spotify Technology (SPOT): Free Stock Analysis Report
Globe and Mail
7 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Crude Holds Near Weekly Pivot as Geopolitical Risk Builds
Friday's Settlement: 63.88, unchanged on the day, down -3.45 [-5.12%] for the week WTI Crude Oil futures finished off a tough week unchanged. The start of the week gave us some hope, with CL holding the key 65.00 level following OPEC+ accelerated hikes. These hopes quickly faded after news broke that the White House was planning to meet with Russia's Putin to discuss a ceasefire without European or Ukrainian allies present. The possibility of a truce was the main catalyzing factor for the week, gobbling up most of the headlines despite OPEC+'s forward plans still being in flux. Today: 64.19 up +0.31 [+0.47%] The macro environment is trading mixed into the US open with the Dollar showing outsized strength. Precious metals are trading weaker but the commodity complex is holding in there considering the move in the dollar. Crude markets are trading higher as traders work to price in risk around the Trump-Putin meeting scheduled for Friday. The Friday meeting will likely loom over the crude markets for the entire week as a potential ceasefire weighs on risk sentiment. Technical Analysis: June 24th lows, our longer-term pivot and point of balance, held last week, and futures are higher this morning, but significant chart repair is needed. The risk of a ceasefire will weigh on markets throughout the week, limiting upside risk. While fundamentals continue to tilt bullish, we're more cautious on our bias at these levels as risk looks more two-sided. For intraday trading, our pivot and point of balance are set at.. Want to stay informed about energy markets? Subscribe to our daily Energy Update for essential insights into Crude Oil and more. Get expert technical analysis, proprietary trading levels, and actionable market biases delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now for free futures market research from Blue Line Futures! Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Therefore, carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Blue Line Futures is a member of NFA and is subject to NFA's regulatory oversight and examinations. However, you should be aware that the NFA does not have regulatory oversight authority over underlying or spot virtual currency products or transactions or virtual currency exchanges, custodians or markets. Therefore, carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you considering your financial condition. With Cyber-attacks on the rise, attacking firms in the healthcare, financial, energy and other state and global sectors, Blue Line Futures wants you to be safe! Blue Line Futures will never contact you via a third party application. Blue Line Futures employees use only firm authorized email addresses and phone numbers. If you are contacted by any person and want to confirm identity please reach out to us at info@ or call us at 312- 278-0500 Performance Disclaimer Hypothetical performance results have many inherent limitations, some of which are described below. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. In fact, there are frequently sharp differences between hypothetical performance results and the actual results subsequently achieved by any particular trading program. One of the limitations of hypothetical performance results is that they are generally prepared with the benefit of hindsight. In addition, hypothetical trading does not involve financial risk, and no hypothetical trading record can completely account for the impact of financial risk in actual trading. For example, the ability to withstand losses or to adhere to a particular trading program in spite of trading losses are material points which can also adversely affect actual trading results. There are numerous other factors related to the markets in general or to the implementation of any specific trading program which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of hypothetical performance results and all of which can adversely affect actual trading results.
