Latest news with #Yarmak
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Realty Income Stock Could Soar 20%, According to a Wall Street Analyst. Is It a Buy Now?
Shares of one of the largest real estate investment trusts, Realty Income, have fallen by about 12% from their previous peak. At recent prices, Realty Income stock offers a 5.7% yield. Realty Income's addressable market is large enough to support decades of steady growth. 10 stocks we like better than Realty Income › If you're looking for businesses that can deliver a reliable stream of passive income, it's hard to go wrong with real estate investment trusts, or REITs. Shares of these specialized entities trade on public markets like regular stocks, but there's an important difference. REITs can avoid paying income taxes by distributing nearly all of their profit to investors as dividend payments. Heightened economic uncertainty has pushed shares of one of the largest publicly traded REITs, Realty Income (NYSE: O), down about 12% from a peak it reached last fall. Despite macroeconomic challenges, Stifel Nicolaus analyst Simon Yarmak recently maintained his buy rating on the stock. Yarmak also raised his bank's price target for the stock to $68 from $65.50 per share. The new target implies a gain of 20% from the stock's closing price on May 9. Let's weigh Realty Income's strengths against some challenges it faces to see if this could be a smart addition to your income-generating portfolio. Since acquiring a single Taco Bell restaurant in 1970, Realty Income has focused on providing monthly payments that grow steadily. To ensure predictability, it employs long-term net leases that transfer all the variable costs of building ownership, such as maintenance and taxes, to the tenant. It's hard to find a more reliable dividend grower. This REIT has raised its monthly payout every quarter since becoming a publicly traded company in 1994. At recently depressed prices, Realty Income offers an attractive 5.7% yield that has grown at an average annual rate above 3% over the past decade. An enormous portfolio that already contains 15,627 commercial real estate properties makes explosive dividend growth an unrealistic expectation. With annual rent raises written into long-term leases, though, decades of steady gains seem likely. Realty Income seeks a diverse tenant roster. At the end of March, its three largest clients, 7-Eleven, Dollar General, and Walgreens, were responsible for 9.9% of total annualized rent. In the 21st century, occupancy of Realty Income's property portfolio dipped below 97% from 2009 through 2012. Otherwise, it's been above 98%, and this reliability hasn't gone unnoticed by credit rating agencies. With an A3 rating from Moody's and an A- rating from S&P Global, Realty Income can borrow at interest rates that its smaller, less established competitors can only dream about. Realty Income's portfolio is large, but there's still room to grow. It estimates the global addressable market for net lease REITs at a whopping $14 trillion. Publicly traded REITs account for less than 4% of the addressable market in the U.S. and less than 0.1% of the EU's addressable market. REIT stocks provide relatively safe yields, but they can't hold a candle to Treasuries backed by the U.S. government. As a result, REIT share prices tend to fall when rising interest rates also push up Treasury yields. On April 2, the Trump administration raised taxes on imported goods, and the higher prices could cause inflation to spike again. The Federal Reserve likes a buoyant stock market as much as the rest of us, but it has a mandate to keep inflation low. If tariff-driven inflation rears its ugly head again, investors can expect another round of interest rate raises that could make REIT stocks less attractive. The past several years have been lousy ones for at least two of Realty Income's largest tenants. Annualized operating income at Dollar General has fallen by more than half since 2021. Walgreens is losing so much money that it recently sold to a private equity firm for $10 billion. That's less than one-tenth of the peak its market cap reached about a decade ago. The best thing about owning REITs that employ net leases is that you generally don't need to concern yourself with their tenants' performance. With rent raises written into long-term leases, the cash flows that Realty Income records are the same if its tenants succeed or merely scrape by. With a size advantage and a large addressable market, there's a very good chance the 5.7% yield this stock offers now will continue climbing by more than 3% annually for decades to come. Adding it to a diverse portfolio now to hold indefinitely is the right move for most income-seeking investors. Before you buy stock in Realty Income, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Realty Income 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 $614,911!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $714,958!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 907% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 163% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 5, 2025 Cory Renauer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Moody's, Realty Income, and S&P Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Realty Income Stock Could Soar 20%, According to a Wall Street Analyst. Is It a Buy Now? was originally published by The Motley Fool 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
Morocco World
19-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco Climbs to Top Tier of Global Fruit and Vegetable Exporters
Rabat — Morocco has emerged as a powerhouse in the global fruit and vegetable export market, with EastFruit recently ranking it among the three fastest-growing agricultural exporters worldwide. While other countries struggle with climate limitations, the country's agricultural strategies prove efficient in pushing forward with robust growth driven by innovation, sustainability practices, and modern farming approaches. Building a sustainable agricultural foundation According to the report, Morocco's success in managing the fruit and vegetable sectors isn't accidental, but represents a complete transformation in how Moroccan farms operate. The report cites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) economist Andriy Yarmak to talk about Morocco's strategic planning in the agriculture sector, particularly fruit and vegetable. 'Morocco doesn't think short-term. Its agricultural companies structure their actions according to a fundamental, sustainable, and strategic vision,' Yarmak said. The North African country has been investing in merging environmental responsibility with market competitiveness, with many major agricultural businesses now employing dedicated sustainability directors, the report noted. Overcoming harsh climate realities Morocco achieves consistent export production despite facing severe water shortages and drought conditions, with some regions seeing no rainfall for five consecutive months. This resilience, the report indicates, stems from technological solutions, including precision irrigation systems, climate-adaptive farming practices, soil management expertise, and efficient post-harvest infrastructure. The focus of these solutions goes beyond increasing yields to ensuring that products meet international quality standards and traceability requirements. Export success across multiple crops The tomato industry stands as a prime example of Morocco's agricultural achievements. The country now exports 690,000 tons of tomatoes annually, a 19% increase year-over-year. The analysis reported that the situation is prompted by abundant sunshine in regions like Souss-Massa and modernized growing techniques. According to Delassus Group Deputy CEO Fatiha Charrat, non-round varieties constitute 58% of total exports. Other rising export stars include avocados, cucumbers, peppers, and berries, the report outlined, adding that blueberry exports have seen particularly impressive growth, tripling over just five years and securing premium shelf space in international markets. Strategic Asian market expansion Morocco's geographic advantages and agricultural modernization now support an aggressive market expansion strategy. The report said that in a joint initiative between FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will soon launch a trade mission targeting Southeast Asian markets, connecting Moroccan producers with growth opportunities in Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries seeking high-quality, sustainable agricultural products. This export development strategy relies on public-private partnerships, with FAO focusing on food quality and accessibility while EBRD provides financial backing to key sectors, allowing Morocco's private agricultural sector to capitalize on international market opportunities while maintaining sustainability commitments. The report reflects Morocco's leading position in developing agriculture strategies that aim to enhance productivity despite climatic challenges.
The Independent
08-02-2025
- The Independent
Ukraine's leading rapper is now leading drone warfare against Russia
Oleksandr Yarmak has not the slightest sympathy for Russians. At 33, he is head of research and development in Ukraine 's drone warfare, devising ever more creative ways to make the most of the lethal technology. He is also a chart-topping artist who has used his years fighting on the front line turning his experiences into rap songs that have become national war chants. His troops watch their Russian counterparts on Ukrainian military feeds bowing, waving, curling up in terror, and sometimes just standing still, in the final seconds before a drone hits them. Ukraine is locked in the Western world's f irst 21st century wa r where tiny aircraft dominate the battlefield and hunt individual soldiers. These are chased down by pilots from Unmanned System Force (USF) who hide in bunkers. Pilots wearing First Person View (FPV) headsets say the drone's-eye perspective can reveal the very look on a soldier's face in the moment of his death. Drone pilots kill by crashing the drone into his body and blowing it apart. Small wonder Russian troops call these night-time Ukrainian drones 'Baba Yaga'. Generations of children have been terrified by the tales of the legendary witch who flies in a basket paddled by broom sticks and bakes babies alive. Now Baba Yaga brings death by dropping bombs from a flying basket made of carbon fibre and whizzing plastic. A prototype drone sits in the corner of an office where Yarmak and I meet. It can fly almost silently at night and find its victims in total darkness, using thermal imagery. It carries at least four bombs. Its Ukrainian name is 'Vampire'. Yarmak began his military career in 2022, signing up when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Soon, like many others, he found small commercial drones could be adapted to drop grenades and mortar bombs on Russian troops. He progressed to command a front-line drone unit and his recent drone targets are recorded on video. In one of his best known singles Babylon, he sings: 'Those who rejoice in launching a Shahed [Russian UAV] into a child's room. [are] A mistake of creation, an unfinished code. Having been given a body [born] into a world of music and theatre They pull the Soviet oar. Half a world from home, brutalised from birth, thirsty for blood, just pure evil.' Ukraine now relies heavily on drones. Ammunition for artillery is in short supply, as are long-range rockets - so the country has adapted. Yarmak says 80 per cent of enemy casualties are caused by drones. His Ukrainian Armed Forces UAF developed Baba Yaga from an agricultural drone once used for spraying fields. He's now developing land-based drones and hints at sophisticated new weapons to be unveiled later this year. The annual budget for his new force is reported to be around $1.3 billion. But the drone battle cuts both ways, with Russia's accuracy causing devastation on the Ukrainian side. Vitaly runs a makeshift battlefield medical centre dealing with grievously wounded soldiers on Ukraine's front line. He grabs his head with both hands as if struck by a migraine. 'Drones? Ask a wounded soldier what they are. You will see the silent horror in his eyes. They are such a plague that no one can move on the front line,' says the anaesthetist in charge of the 'stabilisation unit'. Vitali guesses that 98 per cent of the wounded he's treated have been hit by Russian drones. On average his unit sees about 20 soldiers a day who are brought, mostly at nightfall, from the battlefield a few miles away. 'I haven't seen a bullet wound in months,' he says - most of the wounded have been torn by shrapnel from drones. In Ukraine, the commander of the newly formed 414 Strike Drone Battalion, Yevhen Karas, works closely with Yarmak in developing and testing new technologies. Ukraine has hit targets in Moscow and other areas deep inside Russia using long-range drones that have evaded air defences and attacks airfields and refineries. Karas says: 'We have the best systems of deep strike drones. We can fly hundreds of kilometres and make big problems for Russian military bases, air bases and… I think 2025 will be the year of very big development of the land systems of drones.' He hints that battlefield evacuations by unmanned stretcher-machines could save lives and that more lethal developments would be 'huge'. In the 'meat grinder' conflict on Ukraine's eastern front, Russia has been making small gains at an enormous cost. Several frontline officers, including Karas, all describe how Russian tactics have changed with the swarming of the skies. Ukrainian soldiers no longer appear to face mass armoured attacks with tanks and artillery because the heavy equipment is so vulnerable to drone attacks. Instead, reconnaissance drone video recordings show small groups of Russian infantry trying to sneak forward. 'They come up a road, say three of these [Russian] losers. One gets killed, two go. They sit in a trench. Then another three, next day. Two more killed, one gets to the trenches. When they have five or six men they start to attack and move forward like that,' explains Karas. 'Generally the hottest point of front line usually is fights with three or five Russian infantrymen. Russia is suffering heavy casualties. We're killing more men but destroying fewer tanks and artillery. It's infantry, infantry, infantry,' he says. Eugene, a former frontline drone operator who was wounded fighting Russia, is now an engineer and part of a programme training Baba Yaga pilots, which can take up to three months. Tucked into tree lines, heavily camouflaged, the training team knows that Russian reconnaissance drones could be silently tracking them. 'There is nowhere to hide,' he says. The key, for Ukraine, is to stay ahead of Russian technology as both sides race towards using Artificial Intelligence in drone warfare and to turn flying machines into autonomous executioners. As Yarmak sings in 'Wilderness': 'I am a natural born Cossack musician. Doom awaits all barbarian here…' His music is haunting but it's the drones he's developing that he wants to be Russia's real-world nightmare.
