North Carolina Crime

Business

Plains All American Doubles Down on Crude with EPIC Pipeline Deal, Sparking Investor Debate

Plains All American Pipeline's strategic pivot—selling its Canadian NGL unit for $3.8 billion to fund the acquisition of the EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline—has sharpened its focus on oil transportation. While a 10% distribution hike signals confidence, analyst downgrades and heightened options volatility ahead of earnings reveal deep divisions over the company's risk-reward profile.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Beyond the Headlines: Three European Small-Caps With Market Caps Over €10M in Focus

As the STOXX Europe 600 grapples with volatility, some investors are turning their gaze to smaller, often overlooked companies. We examine three European penny stocks, each with a market capitalization exceeding €10 million, assessing their potential amidst a challenging macroeconomic backdrop.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

National Fuel Gas Kicks Off Fiscal 2026 with Strong Upstream Performance, Eyes Pipeline Growth and Ohio Acquisition

National Fuel Gas (NFG) reported robust first-quarter earnings, driven by a 29% surge in upstream EBITDA. Executives highlighted progress on pipeline expansions, strategic hedging against volatile gas prices, and the planned acquisition of CenterPoint's Ohio utility, while reaffirming full-year guidance.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

ManpowerGroup Sees 'Stabilization' in Q4 as Demand Firms, Cost Cuts Take Hold

ManpowerGroup reported a return to modest organic growth in its fourth quarter, with executives citing improving demand and the benefits of ongoing cost optimization. While stopping short of declaring a broad recovery, the staffing giant highlighted sequential improvements in key markets and pointed to AI-driven productivity tools as a key differentiator.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

International Seaways Charts New Course: Fleet Reshuffle and Full Tankers International Takeover Fuel Valuation Debate

International Seaways (INSW) is aggressively repositioning its fleet, securing full control of Tankers International and selling older vessels. As its stock surges, analysts are divided on whether the strategic moves have already been priced in or if significant upside remains.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Analysis: Asian Equities Trading at Steep Discounts, With Some Stocks Undervalued by Over 25%

Amidst global market turbulence, a new screen reveals a significant number of Asian stocks are trading below their intrinsic value, with discounts as high as 26.4%. We examine three standout companies from South Korea, Thailand, and Japan that appear poised for a potential re-rating.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

South Korea Proposes Sweeping Crypto Overshaul, Aiming to Align Digital Asset Rules with Traditional Banking

South Korean regulators are forming a task force to propose stricter anti-money laundering rules for cryptocurrency transactions by 2026, potentially removing minimum thresholds for identity disclosure to mirror traditional finance oversight.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

LendingClub Shares Plunge 16% as Accounting Change Overshadows Strong Earnings

LendingClub Corp. (LC) shares tumbled sharply this week, extending losses for a third consecutive session after the company announced a shift to fair value accounting. The move, aimed at aligning revenue with credit costs, spooked investors despite the fintech firm reporting a 164% surge in annual net income.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Expedia Announces Workforce Reduction Amid AI-Driven Restructuring

Expedia Group has filed a WARN notice confirming 162 job cuts at its Seattle headquarters and among remote staff, marking the latest in a series of layoffs as the company accelerates its AI transformation amid intensifying industry competition.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Tech Jitters, Gold Retreat Rattle Asian Markets as Geopolitical Tensions Simmer

Asian equities faced broad declines Friday, pressured by renewed investor skepticism over the AI investment boom and a sharp pullback in precious metals. The sell-off unfolded against a backdrop of easing oil prices and persistent geopolitical uncertainties.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

PUMA's Stock: A Turnaround Story or Value Trap? Analyzing the Sportswear Giant's Divergent Signals

PUMA SE (XTRA:PUM) presents a complex picture for investors. While recent quarterly momentum has lifted shares, a deep dive reveals persistent losses and multi-year underperformance, raising questions about its true valuation and path to sustained profitability.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Activist Investor Tsai Capital Bets on QXO's Consolidation Strategy in Fragmented Building Sector

Activist investment firm Tsai Capital has taken a stake in QXO, spotlighting the distributor's ambitious plan to consolidate the fragmented building products industry. The move comes as QXO's stock shows strong recent momentum despite longer-term headwinds.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Caterpillar Posts Record 2025 Results, Warns of Escalating Tariff Headwinds

Caterpillar Inc. capped off a historic 2025 with record sales and a soaring backlog, but executives signaled a cautious outlook for 2026 as escalating trade tariffs threaten to squeeze margins. The industrial giant's performance was buoyed by robust demand across construction, mining, and a surging data center power market.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Peet's Coffee Trims Store Footprint in California Amid Corporate Restructuring

The iconic Berkeley-born coffee chain Peet's is closing dozens of locations across California, including in Southern California and the Bay Area, as part of a strategic realignment following its acquisition by Keurig Dr Pepper. The move, affecting hundreds of employees, has drawn sharp criticism from workers and union representatives.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

The $2 Million Question: Can a 50-Year-Old Renter Afford to Retire in Today's Economy?

Amid corporate restructuring fears, a professional with a substantial nest egg but no home equity grapples with the daunting math of early retirement, soaring healthcare costs, and an uncertain housing market.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Cameco's Westinghouse Venture Secures Key U.S. Agreement, Anchoring $80 Billion Nuclear Reactor Pipeline

A landmark agreement between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Cameco-Westinghouse joint venture aims to catalyze over $80 billion in new nuclear reactor construction by 2030, bolstering Western energy security and reducing reliance on Russian nuclear fuel.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Marriott's Stock Soars, But Is It Flying Too Close to the Sun? Analysts Question Valuation After Stellar Run

Marriott International's shares have delivered impressive multi-year gains, but recent analysis suggests the hospitality giant's stock may now be trading at a significant premium. With a DCF model pointing to a 16% overvaluation and a P/E ratio exceeding industry peers, investors are debating whether the price fully reflects future growth or has outpaced fundamentals.

Jan 30, 2026

World

Trump's Tariff Ultimatum Forces South Korea Back to Negotiating Table

Amid renewed threats of steep US tariffs, South Korean officials are scrambling to salvage a key trade deal, with high-level talks in Washington failing to yield an immediate breakthrough.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Calix Caps Record Year, Charts Aggressive Platform Shift Amid Surging Broadband Demand

Calix reports historic 2025 financial results, surpassing $1 billion in annual revenue, while outlining its strategic pivot to a third-generation 'Agent Workforce' platform and capitalizing on a projected multi-billion dollar BEAD program opportunity.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

CPKC Stock Slips on Earnings Miss, But New Buyback Plan Fuels Valuation Debate

Canadian Pacific Kansas City's mixed Q4 results and 2026 outlook have sparked a tug-of-war between short-term optimism and longer-term concerns, as a new share repurchase program clashes with a year of declining shareholder returns.

Jan 30, 2026