Latest news with #Kastner
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Scientists stunned after rare species makes historic return to former habitat: 'It's hard to describe the feeling'
After making a historic comeback to the wild last year, the Guam kingfisher seems to be adjusting well to its new habitat. According to Smithsonian Magazine, scientists discovered nests with eggs on Palmyra Atoll, the kingfishers' home for the time being. Martin Kastner, a biologist who worked on the reintroduction project, told Public Radio Guam why this was so monumental. "These birds were raised in captivity until last year," he said of the kingfishers, which had been extinct in the wild since 1988. "Now they're foraging, nesting and even laying eggs on their own. It's an incredible step forward." This is a step forward not only for the kingfishers but also for the entire planet — humans included. Every species plays a key role in maintaining biodiversity. Without a variety of life, ecosystems can get thrown out of balance, depleting natural resources such as fresh water, lumber, and medicines that humans rely on. The Guam kingfishers' return is a definite cause for celebration. Kastner shared in an ecstatic Instagram post that three mated pairs are currently incubating eggs, with a fourth showing signs that an egg might be on the way. In the fall, nine more kingfishers will be released onto Palmyra Atoll, with the long-term goal of reintroduction to their native habitat of Guam. Such a goal is not completely unprecedented. A South African family rewilded 67,000 acres of farmland, reintroducing big cats to the area for the first time in decades. In Saudi Arabia, the Persian onager was reintroduced to the wild after a century of absence from the country. With conservationists' continued dedication, there's hope for the Guam kingfisher yet. As Kastner wrote on Instagram about the newly discovered eggs, "It's hard to describe the feeling at that moment, when decades of expectation and effort by zookeepers, biologists, administrators, and most importantly the people of Guam, coalesce in an instant of joy and hope." Should the U.S. invest in building more wildlife overpasses? Absolutely Depends on how we do it Depends on where we do it Nope Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Redfin Reports Real Estate Agent Commissions Haven't Changed Much Since the NAR Settlement Took Effect
Buyer's agents earned an average of 2.4% in commission in the first quarter—up slightly from when the new NAR rules took effect in August, but down slightly from a year earlier SEATTLE, May 16, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: RDFN) — The average buyer's agent commission was 2.40% for homes sold in the first quarter, according to a new report from Redfin ( the technology-powered real estate brokerage. That's up slightly from 2.37% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2.36% in the third quarter of 2024—when the new National Association of Realtors (NAR) commissions rules went into effect—but down slightly from 2.43% in the first quarter of 2024, when the new rules were announced. The report is based on an analysis of Redfin's data on buyer's agent commissions for closed home sales. This analysis uses national, aggregated sales data from Redfin agents' listings, deals referred by to partner agents, and deals where buyers used Redfin-owned Bay Equity Home Loans. Commissions Are Flattening For $1 Million-Plus Homes But Rising for More Affordable Homes When the commissions data are broken down by price tier, a different trend emerges. Buyer's agents are earning a slightly smaller commission percentage for luxury homes than before the NAR settlement, and a slightly bigger percentage for more affordable homes. For homes that sold for $1 million or more in the first quarter, the average buyer's agent commission was 2.17%. That's unchanged from the prior quarter, but down from 2.22% in the third quarter of 2024—when the new rules took effect—and down from 2.30% a year earlier. For homes that sold for $500,000 to $999,999, the average buyer's agent commission was 2.29%—up from 2.26% in the prior quarter and 2.27% in the third quarter of 2024, but down from 2.34% a year earlier. For homes that sold for less than $500,000, the average buyer's agent commission was 2.49%—up from 2.46% in the prior quarter, 2.42% in the third quarter of 2024, and 2.48% a year earlier. Commissions are lower for high-priced homes because agents have more room to reduce their fees and still earn a healthy paycheck. Most Sellers Are Still Paying Buyer's Agent Commissions Redfin agents report that most sellers are still choosing to pay the buyer's agent commission, though there are some exceptions. Commission rates had started to fall gradually in the decade prior to the NAR settlement. But in dollar terms, buyer's agents earn more money because home prices have risen significantly. Agents in some markets are reporting a shift in commissions, while agents in others are reporting that it's business as usual. "Most sellers are choosing to pay a 2.5% or 3% commission to the buyer's agent, but I am seeing an increase in the number of sellers offering 2%," said Stephanie Kastner, a Redfin Premier agent in Seattle. Kastner noted that many of the 2% commissions she has seen are for new-construction homes on the outskirts of Seattle. Chaley McVay, a Redfin Premier agent in Portland, OR, said she hasn't seen much of a change since the new rules went into effect. "Sellers don't seem to have any issue paying a buyer's agent commission," McVay said. "But if we enter a seller's market similar to that of 2021 and 2022—with rampant bidding wars—sellers may be inclined to offer low or no commission to the buyer's agent, forcing buyers to bridge the gap. And if that happens, first-time buyers will be hit hardest because many of them can already barely afford to buy a home." Nearly Half of Recent Buyers and Sellers Did Not Try to Negotiate Agent Commission: Survey Nearly 2 in 5 (37.4%) people who sold a home in the last year negotiated or tried to negotiate the commission paid to their agent, according to a Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos in March-April 2025. The lion's share of recent sellers—45.9%—did not try to negotiate. Buyers were less likely to negotiate, probably because they often aren't the one paying their agent. Just over one-quarter (27.2%) of people who bought a home in the last year negotiated or tried to negotiate the commission paid to their agent, the survey found. Nearly half (47.8%) did not try to negotiate. To read the full report, including charts and methodology, please visit: About Redfin Redfin ( is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, and title insurance services. We run the country's #1 real estate brokerage site. Our customers can save thousands in fees while working with a top agent. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1.8 billion in commissions. We serve approximately 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,000 people. Redfin's subsidiaries and affiliated brands include: Bay Equity Home Loans®, Rent.™, Apartment Guide®, Title Forward® and WalkScore®. For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@ To view Redfin's press center, click here. Redfin-F View source version on Contacts Contact Redfin Redfin Journalist Services: Erin Osgoodpress@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
16-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Redfin Reports Real Estate Agent Commissions Haven't Changed Much Since the NAR Settlement Took Effect
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: RDFN) — The average buyer's agent commission was 2.40% for homes sold in the first quarter, according to a new report from Redfin ( the technology-powered real estate brokerage. That's up slightly from 2.37% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2.36% in the third quarter of 2024—when the new National Association of Realtors (NAR) commissions rules went into effect—but down slightly from 2.43% in the first quarter of 2024, when the new rules were announced. The report is based on an analysis of Redfin's data on buyer's agent commissions for closed home sales. This analysis uses national, aggregated sales data from Redfin agents' listings, deals referred by to partner agents, and deals where buyers used Redfin-owned Bay Equity Home Loans. Commissions Are Flattening For $1 Million-Plus Homes But Rising for More Affordable Homes When the commissions data are broken down by price tier, a different trend emerges. Buyer's agents are earning a slightly smaller commission percentage for luxury homes than before the NAR settlement, and a slightly bigger percentage for more affordable homes. For homes that sold for $1 million or more in the first quarter, the average buyer's agent commission was 2.17%. That's unchanged from the prior quarter, but down from 2.22% in the third quarter of 2024—when the new rules took effect—and down from 2.30% a year earlier. For homes that sold for $500,000 to $999,999, the average buyer's agent commission was 2.29%—up from 2.26% in the prior quarter and 2.27% in the third quarter of 2024, but down from 2.34% a year earlier. For homes that sold for less than $500,000, the average buyer's agent commission was 2.49%—up from 2.46% in the prior quarter, 2.42% in the third quarter of 2024, and 2.48% a year earlier. Commissions are lower for high-priced homes because agents have more room to reduce their fees and still earn a healthy paycheck. Most Sellers Are Still Paying Buyer's Agent Commissions Redfin agents report that most sellers are still choosing to pay the buyer's agent commission, though there are some exceptions. Commission rates had started to fall gradually in the decade prior to the NAR settlement. But in dollar terms, buyer's agents earn more money because home prices have risen significantly. Agents in some markets are reporting a shift in commissions, while agents in others are reporting that it's business as usual. 'Most sellers are choosing to pay a 2.5% or 3% commission to the buyer's agent, but I am seeing an increase in the number of sellers offering 2%,' said Stephanie Kastner, a Redfin Premier agent in Seattle. Kastner noted that many of the 2% commissions she has seen are for new-construction homes on the outskirts of Seattle. Chaley McVay, a Redfin Premier agent in Portland, OR, said she hasn't seen much of a change since the new rules went into effect. 'Sellers don't seem to have any issue paying a buyer's agent commission,' McVay said. 'But if we enter a seller's market similar to that of 2021 and 2022—with rampant bidding wars—sellers may be inclined to offer low or no commission to the buyer's agent, forcing buyers to bridge the gap. And if that happens, first-time buyers will be hit hardest because many of them can already barely afford to buy a home.' Nearly Half of Recent Buyers and Sellers Did Not Try to Negotiate Agent Commission: Survey Nearly 2 in 5 (37.4%) people who sold a home in the last year negotiated or tried to negotiate the commission paid to their agent, according to a Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos in March-April 2025. The lion's share of recent sellers—45.9%—did not try to negotiate. Buyers were less likely to negotiate, probably because they often aren't the one paying their agent. Just over one-quarter (27.2%) of people who bought a home in the last year negotiated or tried to negotiate the commission paid to their agent, the survey found. Nearly half (47.8%) did not try to negotiate. To read the full report, including charts and methodology, please visit: About Redfin Redfin ( is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, and title insurance services. We run the country's #1 real estate brokerage site. Our customers can save thousands in fees while working with a top agent. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1.8 billion in commissions. We serve approximately 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,000 people. Redfin's subsidiaries and affiliated brands include: Bay Equity Home Loans®, Rent.™, Apartment Guide®, Title Forward® and WalkScore®. For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@ To view Redfin's press center, click here. Redfin-F
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HII Q1 Earnings Call: Profit Beats Offset Revenue Miss as Shipbuilding Initiatives Progress
Aerospace and defense company Huntington Ingalls (NYSE:HII) fell short of the market's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 2.5% year on year to $2.73 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $3.31 per share was 17.8% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy HII? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $2.73 billion vs analyst estimates of $2.79 billion (2.5% year-on-year decline, 2.1% miss) Adjusted EPS: $3.31 vs analyst estimates of $2.81 (17.8% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $237.5 million vs analyst estimates of $210 million (8.7% margin, 13.1% beat) Operating Margin: 5.9%, in line with the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$462 million compared to -$274 million in the same quarter last year Backlog: $48.05 billion at quarter end, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $8.75 billion Huntington Ingalls' first quarter results were shaped by operational challenges in shipbuilding, with management highlighting production delays at Newport News due to late equipment deliveries and weather disruptions. CEO Chris Kastner acknowledged that while Ingalls Shipbuilding met its production goals, Newport News experienced setbacks, particularly on the CVN 80 carrier. The company also noted lower volumes in amphibious assault ships and nuclear support services as contributing factors to the revenue decline. Kastner stated, 'Once this equipment is received from our suppliers, which is scheduled throughout the summer, we anticipate an acceleration of progress.' Looking ahead, management maintained its full-year outlook and pointed to ongoing cost reduction efforts and increased outsourcing as key levers for future improvement. CFO Tom Stiehle noted that the company is 'progressing on each of these items,' expecting margin and free cash flow normalization in the coming years. Leadership also cited industry tailwinds, including new government contracts and executive orders aimed at strengthening the domestic shipbuilding base, as supportive of long-term growth. Management attributed the quarter's performance to specific operational issues and strategic moves within its core shipbuilding and Mission Technologies divisions. Production Delays at Newport News: Delays in receiving major equipment impacted progress on the CVN 80 carrier, with weather compounding the schedule variance. Management expects improvement once the necessary parts arrive during the summer. Shipbuilding Throughput Initiatives: Huntington Ingalls continued efforts to increase shipbuilding throughput by 20% year over year, including ramped-up outsourcing and the integration of its South Carolina facility. Ingalls Shipbuilding operations remained on track, while Newport News lagged due to the aforementioned equipment delays. Cost Reduction Plan: The company reaffirmed its goal of achieving $250 million in annualized cost reductions by year-end. Initiatives include contract negotiations, workforce development, and streamlining operational processes across shipyards. Mission Technologies Growth: The Mission Technologies division reported contract wins, such as a high-energy laser prototype for the U.S. Army and delivery of uncrewed undersea vehicles, signaling continued traction in advanced defense technologies. Strategic Partnerships and Policy Tailwinds: Huntington Ingalls established a memorandum of understanding with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to explore collaborative shipbuilding opportunities. Management highlighted executive orders from the administration as supportive of domestic shipbuilding and defense innovation. Management's outlook centers on ramping up shipbuilding throughput, delivering on cost reductions, and capitalizing on policy-driven demand in the U.S. maritime sector. Operational Execution Needed: Achieving targeted increases in shipbuilding throughput and meeting delivery schedules, especially at Newport News, are critical for revenue and margin improvement. Defense Policy and Funding: The company expects sustained demand from new government contracts, industry initiatives, and executive orders aimed at expanding shipbuilding capacity and modernizing the defense industrial base. Labor and Supply Chain Dynamics: Management cited workforce retention, targeted hiring of experienced personnel, and timely receipt of key equipment as ongoing risks to schedules and cost efficiency. Doug Harned (Bernstein): Asked how increased government funding would translate into higher submarine production rates. CEO Chris Kastner pointed to targeted investments in workforce and facilities, noting, 'These are the right investments to get at the build rate.' David Strauss (Barclays): Inquired about the structure of new shipbuilding contracts and implications for margins. CFO Tom Stiehle explained the new contracts blend cost-type and incentive structures, aiming for a balance between affordability and profitability. Scott Mikus (Melius Research): Questioned whether more contracts would shift to cost-plus formats amid labor negotiations. Kastner responded that contract types would be determined case-by-case, emphasizing the importance of timely wage support for workforce retention. Myles Walton (Wolfe Research): Probed progress on hiring and attrition. Kastner reported 1,000 new hires in the quarter and noted attrition is 'moving in the right direction,' driven by hiring more experienced personnel. Ron Epstein (Bank of America): Asked about modernization and automation in shipyards. Kastner stated that while some automation is underway, the focus is on streamlining processes and increasing efficiency, rather than full-scale automation. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) progress on shipbuilding throughput and timely resolution of supply chain and equipment delays, (2) execution of cost reduction and outsourcing initiatives to improve margins, and (3) the impact of new government contracts and policy measures on backlog and order flow. Additionally, the pace of workforce hiring and retention, as well as progress on Mission Technologies' advanced defense programs, will be important signposts for operational and financial performance. Huntington Ingalls currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 15.8×. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? Find out in our free research report. 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 176% over the last five years. 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. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Asahi Shimbun
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: The stupidity of the White House turning a blind eye to fascism
German author Erich Kastner (1899-1974), whose works included children's literature, secretly kept a diary while resisting the Nazi regime. In May 1945, he described an Austrian village where the wartime blackout ended upon liberation from German rule: 'The light is back on in the window!' Men shaved off their 'Hitler moustaches' before mirrors. Women cut out the Nazi swastika from flags and sewed on patches of white sheet. 'The flag of freedom fluttered,' Kastner wrote. On May 7, exactly 80 years ago, Germany surrendered and World War II ended in Europe. In Britain and the United States, confetti rained on jubilant citizens on the streets. But I am recalling the words of Winston Churchill (1874-1965) who said to the effect that, were a totalitarian or police state to replace the German invaders, it would be pointless to punish Hitler and his gang for their crimes. Unfortunately, Churchill's apprehension may have proven valid. Russian President Vladimir Putin has annexed the Crimean Peninsula in violation of international law and continues to invade Ukraine. And yet, the White House is condoning these acts in its 'peace plan.' How can this be? The international community turned a blind eye when the Nazis annexed Austria. The world must have learned a bitter lesson from this history, and I am sure many people were reminded of this by what is going on in our world now. After World War II, Kastner published an illustrated storybook for children titled 'Die Konferenz der Tiere' ('The Animals' Conference'), where an elephant and his wife become deeply frustrated by the inability of humans to stop fighting. The elephants say to the effect, 'It's wars, agony and stupidity everywhere, and all the humans are seeing them.' 'And yet, they don't try to learn anything.' These words sting. —The Asahi Shimbun, May 8 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
