'A system in crisis': What you need to know about possible Calgary teacher strike
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The proposed terms included a 12 per cent general wage increase over four years, benefit improvements, a new provincewide pay grid, increases in northern allowance and up to a 20 per cent pay increase for substitute teachers, according to a statement from Finance Minister Nate Horner.
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The province also offered a new classroom improvement initiative, with a $125-million investment scheduled to begin in the 2025-26 school year.
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'This agreement would have provided $405 million in new classroom improvements that teachers would have had input on,' Horner said in an email on Tuesday.
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'I am disappointed that the Alberta Teachers' Association members did not accept the mediator's recommendation for a four-year central agreement. I hope the ATA will soon return to the bargaining table so that we can continue to work toward the best deal for students, families and parents.'
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'That's fine if (Horner) is disappointed,' Schilling said. 'Teachers have clearly spoken and given us direction on the way that they want to go.
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'The status quo is not good enough. Being the least funded in Canada is just simply not good enough,' he said. 'We have students who are falling through the cracks. We have students whose needs are not being met on a daily basis, and teachers who are burning out trying to do all of the things that are being asked of them. We need to get back to the negotiating table and see if we can find a path forward.'
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Schilling said the ATA will work with the provincial executive council and its members for a strategy. 'It is very possible that we will see job action by teachers in the future. Now, when that timeline looks like will be hard to say,' he told Postmedia on Tuesday. 'It could include anything from action in June to the beginning of the next school year.'
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CTV News
25 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘To say that our American sales fell off a cliff would not be an exaggeration:' Calgary wine store owner
Andrew Ferguson, the owner of the Kensington Wine Market, said sales of U.S. liquor have 'fallen off a cliff'. Sales of American booze have 'fallen off a cliff' for one Calgary wine store owner, but luckily for the Kensington Wine Market, it's a pretty shallow cliff. After it was confirmed that Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC) will resume selling American liquor products after a three-month pause, Kensington Wine Market owner Andrew Ferguson said that they never actually went away. "They are bringing it back but they're bringing it back with a tariff on it,' he said. 'I think it might surprise people in Alberta, but stores and restaurants have not been prevented from buying American products for the past three months -- but I think like most, we've seen a massive decrease in demand for it." On Friday, the AGLC announced it will 'resume accepting liquor products from the United States, effective immediately,' at the direction of the provincial government. This will affect all liquor products registered with the AGLC and declared to Canada Border Services Agency. Products that were shipped from the U.S. after March 4 will continue to be subject to a surtax of 25 per cent of the invoice price, the AGLC added. 'I think when it all went down, I think a lot of people thought, 'oh, you're going to just stop selling this stuff immediately,'' Ferguson said, 'but they don't realize that before a bottle of bourbon or wine or Canadian whiskey or whatever gets delivered to our stores, we have to pay for it. 'So we already own that stuff -- so the idea that we aren't going to sell something that we've already paid for is a bit tough (to swallow),' he said. What really changed, he said, was the appetite among customers for made-in-the-U.S.A. booze. 'It's a big drop in demand,' he said. 'The natural depletion of a case of wine – like maybe we'll sell through in about two or three weeks -- but we've had some where we haven't even sold (through) an American case in three months." Ferguson said U.S. liquor generally amounts to around 10 per cent of his sales, but that has gone down since Trump's tariffs were announced. 'There are still people buying it (U.S. alcohol) and we don't take a place of judgement on it – (but) we've (also) got lots of alternatives for them,' he said. 'I'd say by and large the bigger response has been 'I want a bottle of whiskey for cocktails or I want a bottle of wine. I don't want an American product.'" 'By and large, the disproportionate response has been more the other way,' he added. 'And for those people that want to continue to purchase their favourite American products, we still carry a lot of them but not as many as we might have had three months ago.' Support Canadian producers The initial decision was made to support Canadian producers in the wake of U.S. tariffs, Premier Danielle Smith said in March. 'If the Americans aren't going to buy products from our Canadian companies, we have to,' the premier said. 'That means we should be buying more Canadian beer, more Canadian spirits and more Canadian wine. And so that's the reality of what we're facing.' Ferguson said there was plenty of alternatives to American liquor. 'Whether it's wine or especially beer here in Alberta, or spirits, there's a lot of great alternatives,' he said. 'So if you want an alternative to bourbon, we've got alternatives to bourbon here. 'We've got great wines, not only from Canada but other countries with which we have a fair trading relationship.' Lifting restrictions In a statement Friday night, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally said the government lifting restrictions on the purchase of U.S. alcohol and video lottery terminals signals a 'renewed commitment to open and fair trade with our largest partner.' 'The decision sets the stage for more constructive negotiations ahead of a Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement renewal, potentially leading to increased trade opportunities and economic growth for Alberta,' Nally added. Ferguson said the lack of clarity and unpredictability of the supply chain created by Trump's tariffs is taking a toll on consumer habits. 'Maybe they (the UCP) know something we don't,' he said, 'that there's a trade deal that's coming soon between Canada and the U.S. and this is a way to offer a bit of a carrot. 'What we've seen overall,' he addedm '(is that) consumer demand is down, consumers are worried about their money -- and so the longer this drags on, the harder it's going to be on retail.' For more about the Kensington Wine Market, go here. With files from CTV's Tyler Barrow, Steven Dyer and Kevin Green
Globe and Mail
41 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Is CoreWeave Stock a Buy Now?
Investing in today's stock market can be tricky given the volatile macroeconomic climate, fueled by the Trump administration's ever-shifting tariff policies. But the artificial intelligence sector remains a robust investment opportunity as organizations around the world race to build artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Consequently, AI stocks provide the potential for great gains. One example is CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV). The company went public in March at $40 per share. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Since then, CoreWeave stock soared to a 52-week high of $166.63 in June. This hot stock remains more than triple its IPO price at the time of this writing. Can it go higher? Evaluating whether now is the time to grab CoreWeave shares requires digging into the company and unpacking its potential as a good investment for the long haul. Reasons to consider CoreWeave stock CoreWeave delivers cloud computing infrastructure to businesses hungry for more computing capacity for their AI systems. The company operates over 30 data centers housing servers and other hardware used by customers to train their AI and develop inference, which is an AI's ability to apply what it learned in training to real-world situations. AI juggernauts such as Microsoft, IBM, and OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, are among its roster of customers. The insatiable appetite for AI computing power propelled CoreWeave's business. The company's first-quarter revenue rose a whopping 420% year over year to $981.6 million. Sales growth shows no sign of slowing down. CoreWeave expects Q2 revenue to reach about $1.1 billion. That would represent a strong year-over-year increase of nearly 170% from the prior year's $395 million. The company signs long-term, committed contracts, and as a result, it has visibility into its future revenue potential. At the end of Q1, CoreWeave had amassed a revenue backlog of $25.9 billion, up 63% year over year thanks to a deal with OpenAI. The company forecasts 2025 full-year revenue to come in between $4.9 billion and $5.1 billion, a substantial jump up from 2024's $1.9 billion. CoreWeave's concerning downsides Although CoreWeave has enjoyed massive sales success, there are some potential pitfalls with the company. For starters, it isn't profitable. Its Q1 operating expenses totaled $1 billion compared to revenue of $981.6 million, resulting in an operating loss of $27.5 million. Even worse, its costs are accelerating faster than sales, which means the company is moving further away from reaching profitability. CoreWeave's $1 billion in operating expenses represented a 487% increase over the prior year, eclipsing its 420% year-over-year revenue growth. Another area of concern is the company's significant debt load. CoreWeave exited Q1 with $18.8 billion in total liabilities on its balance sheet, and $8.7 billion of that was debt. To keep up with customer demand for computing power, CoreWeave has to spend on expanding and upgrading AI-optimized hardware, and that's not cheap. As it adds customers, the company must expand its data centers to keep pace. Debt is one way it's funding these capital expenditures. Among the risks of buying its stock, CoreWeave admitted, "Our substantial indebtedness could materially adversely affect our financial condition" and that the company "may still incur substantially more indebtedness in the future." In fact, its Q1 debt total of $8.7 billion was a 10% increase from the prior quarter's $7.9 billion in debt. To buy or not to buy CoreWeave stock Seeing an increase in both expenses and debt is a concern, but because CoreWeave is a newly public company, there's not much history to know how well it can manage its finances over the long term. Q1 is the only quarter of financial results it's released since its initial public offering. If subsequent quarters reveal a trend toward getting costs and debt under control while continuing to show strong sales growth, CoreWeave stock may prove to be a worthwhile investment over the long run. But for now, only investors with a high risk tolerance should consider buying shares. Even then, another consideration is CoreWeave's stock valuation. This can be assessed by comparing its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio to other AI companies, such as its customer and fellow cloud provider Microsoft and AI leader Nvidia. Data by YCharts. CoreWeave's share price surged over recent weeks, causing its P/S multiple to skyrocket past that of Nvidia and Microsoft. The valuation suggests CoreWeave stock is overpriced at this time. Although CoreWeave's sales are strong, given its pricey stock and shaky financials, the ideal approach is to put CoreWeave on your watch list. See how it performs over the next few quarters, and wait for its high valuation to drop before considering an investment. Should you invest $1,000 in CoreWeave right now? Before you buy stock in CoreWeave, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and CoreWeave wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Robert Izquierdo has positions in International Business Machines, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends International Business Machines, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Better Fintech Stock: SoFi Technologies vs. Robinhood Markets
Digital bank SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) and online brokerage Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD) both leverage their innovative platforms to disrupt the traditional financial services sector. Their strong growth rates have translated into impressive returns: Shares of SoFi are up 95% in the past year, while Robinhood stock has climbed by a remarkable 246%. After such large gains, some investors may wonder if they can keep their rallies going. Let's consider which of these fintech leaders is a better buy for your portfolio today. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » The case for SoFi Technologies stock SoFi Technologies has transformed from a student and personal loans specialist into a comprehensive financial services platform. Its digital-first, one-stop shop approach resonates with consumers. Today, it serves 10.9 million members, nearly twice as many as it served just two years ago. In the first quarter -- in what CEO Anthony Noto described as a "tremendous start to 2025" -- SoFi's adjusted net revenue surged 33% year over year while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) climbed 200% to $0.06. The bank's success reflects its ongoing diversification beyond lending products into more fee-based services, as its members are increasingly utilizing more of its banking accounts, credit cards, investing options, and other financial products. SoFi is now positioned for more consistently profitable growth and high-quality cash flows. Management expects the positive trends to continue: It's targeting full-year adjusted EPS of $0.27 to $0.28 -- nearly double the $0.15 result in 2024. This outlook highlights a key advantage of SoFi over Robinhood Markets, which faces greater earnings uncertainty, as its business is still tied to transaction volumes and shifting financial market conditions. Investors who are confident in SoFi's ability to execute its growth strategy and capture more market share from legacy banks have compelling reasons to buy and hold the stock for the long term. The case for Robinhood Markets stock As robust as SoFi's operating and financial results have been, Robinhood's recent momentum has been even stronger. In the first quarter, net revenue increased 50% while EPS more than doubled to $0.37 from $0.17 in the prior-year period. The company that redefined retail investing with its pioneering commission-free trading model is capitalizing on its 25.8 million funded accounts, where users are trading more actively and directing more of their total assets to the platform. Much of the growth story stems from the cryptocurrency market boom. Crypto now represents 43% of the platform's total transaction volume and contributes 27% of total revenue. Still, Robinhood Markets is also diversifying its product and service offerings with professional-level trading tools, banking solutions, wealth management options, and the premium Robinhood Gold subscription, all of which are increasing the company's customer wallet share. Wall Street has cheered Robinhood's traction, sending the stock up 94% year-to-date to a high that surpassed the pandemic-era peak it set in 2021. Robinhood aims to replicate its U.S. success as it expands globally. It plans to launch service in the Asia Pacific region, and is bolstering its presence in the digital asset space through its recent acquisition of crypto exchange Bitstamp. Those international ambitions, compared to SoFi's more domestically focused operations, could support greater long-term top- and bottom-line growth, which would help justify the stock's premium valuation. Notably, both Robinhood and Sofi are trading at forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios near 50, suggesting the market's optimism about their potential is fairly equal. Investors who take the view that Robinhood is just getting started on its path toward a dominant position in the online brokerage space should consider making the stock a part of a diversified portfolio. HOOD PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts. My verdict: An edge to SoFi stock Choosing which of these is the better fintech stock to buy now isn't easy. I'm bullish on both and predict each will deliver positive returns over the next year. If I were forced to pick just one to buy, though, I'd give the edge to SoFi Technologies, which appears to offer a compelling buy-the-dip opportunity with shares still down about 27% from their 52-week high. In my view, SoFi stands to benefit more from a resilient macroeconomic backdrop, fueling lending demand and earnings growth in the coming quarters, which would provide catalysts for the stock to rally higher. Meanwhile, Robinhood must contend with the lofty expectations baked into its stock price following its recent surge. The market's hopes for it could prove difficult to meet, potentially setting the stage for renewed stock price volatility ahead. Should you invest $1,000 in SoFi Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in SoFi Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoFi Technologies wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025
