The new year kicked off with significant personnel changes in the human resources executive suite, highlighting strategic expansions of roles and notable returns to former companies.
While market attention remains fixated on tech giants, the Russell 2000 index harbors promising, lesser-known companies. We examine three firms with distinct competitive advantages in environmental services, digital health, and private markets.
With its stock near 52-week highs, Western Digital prepares to unveil its AI-driven storage roadmap at a pivotal New York event, seeking to transition its narrative from cyclical recovery to structural growth.
While large-cap stocks offer stability, their massive scale often limits growth. We analyze one company whose competitive moat continues to widen and two others where valuation and market dynamics suggest caution is warranted.
The parent company of numerous restaurant chains will be removed from the Nasdaq exchange on February 4, transitioning to high-risk over-the-counter trading after failing to meet listing requirements.
Swedish investment giant EQT is expanding its footprint through a strategic partnership in the private equity secondaries market with Coller Capital, while its foundation launches a science grant program targeting substitutes for critical minerals. The dual moves signal a broader strategy to tap into new fee streams and align with long-term sustainability trends, even as the firm's shares trade at levels some analysts consider undervalued.
Fresh from its spin-off, GE Vernova is finalizing a deal to acquire transformer maker Prolec GE, a strategic move to bolster its electrification portfolio and capitalize on surging global demand for grid infrastructure and power equipment.
Michigan's Attorney General has formally demanded the return of state funds from Gotion Inc., a Chinese battery manufacturer, following the collapse of its planned $2.4 billion facility. The move highlights growing tensions over foreign investment in U.S. strategic industries.
Standex International Corporation (NYSE: SXI) capped off its fiscal 2025 with a powerful fourth quarter, announcing record adjusted operating margins of 20.6% and laying out an ambitious roadmap for over $100 million in revenue growth for the coming year. CEO David Dunbar declared a "turning point" for the diversified industrial manufacturer, citing scaled growth drivers in electronics, engineering technologies, and fast-growing markets like grid modernization and defense.
Standex International reported resilient Q1 2025 earnings with record gross margins above 40%, while announcing a transformative $462 million acquisition of Amran/Narayan Group, a leader in instrument transformers, aiming to double its exposure to fast-growing electrical infrastructure markets.
While Q3 earnings reflect challenging market conditions, the chemical giant reports strong North American performance and accelerates its strategic shift, breaking ground on a flagship advanced recycling plant in Germany and planning a larger facility in Houston.
Facing one of the longest downturns in industry history, LyondellBasell reported Q2 2025 earnings of $0.62 per share, outlining a disciplined strategy focused on cash conservation, portfolio optimization in Europe, and a pivot towards circular and low-carbon solutions to emerge stronger from the cycle.
Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported declines in full-year earnings as a sustained oil surplus pressured prices, though both companies highlighted strategic shifts toward LNG, chemicals, and power projects to fuel future growth.
Walmart is significantly expanding its electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with planned installations at select stores across 19 states, advancing its goal to build a nationwide network by 2030.
Waste Management (NYSE:WM) announced a significant 14.5% dividend hike and a new $3 billion share buyback program, signaling confidence in its cash flow strength despite competitive pressures. The move comes as the waste giant continues to invest in renewable natural gas and automation to drive future growth.
After soaring to unprecedented highs, copper prices have begun to retreat. Goldman Sachs forecasts a more significant market adjustment by mid-2026, driven by potential U.S. tariff policies and a disconnect from fundamental demand.
ExxonMobil has begun commercial operations of a significant carbon capture and storage venture with CF Industries in Louisiana, marking a key step in its strategy to become a leading player in the emerging CCS network along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Recent drill results from Sun Silver's Maverick Springs project in Nevada have delivered high-grade silver and gold intercepts, alongside a meaningful discovery of antimony mineralization. This development strengthens the geological model for the large inferred resource and introduces a critical-minerals dimension, potentially reshaping the project's value proposition for shareholders.
In a significant industry pivot, Nasdaq-listed Bit Digital announces plans to completely exit Bitcoin mining, citing capital inefficiency and redirecting focus to Ethereum infrastructure and AI. This move follows a broader trend of crypto firms abandoning mining operations post-halving and amidst the AI boom.
ExxonMobil reported a 14% year-on-year decline in fourth-quarter net profit, pressured by lower crude prices and chemical margins. Despite the quarterly drop, the energy giant highlighted record production levels, robust cash flow, and continued heavy returns to shareholders as evidence of its strengthened operational foundation.
