Author: admin

Shares of Figure Technology Solutions, a blockchain-based consumer lending marketplace, plunged on Friday after the company reported mixed fourth-quarter results the prior day, signaling a more difficult operating environment even as revenue continued to climb. For the quarter ended Dec. 31, the company posted revenue of $159.9 million, up from $83.9 million a year earlier, and net income of $15.1 million, compared with $5.9 million in the same period of 2024. Earnings were $0.06 per diluted share, compared to zero a year earlier.Analysts polled by Yahoo Finance expected earnings of $0.18 per share on revenue of $157.7 million.Growth was driven…

StepStone Group is pushing back on a wave of negative headlines about direct lending in private credit markets, arguing that much of the noise conflates different credit segments and overstates systemic risk, potentially misleading investors.   Instead, the firm’s latest whitepaper, “Cutting through the noise in direct lending,” stresses that fundamentals across traditional middle-market direct lending remain intact even as headlines highlight isolated stress points.   Recent commentary has spotlighted terms like “shadow” default rates, broadly defined measures that can include payment-in-kind (PIK) interest, covenant waivers and maturity extensions, as though they signal widespread distress. But StepStone notes that these do not equate to actual defaults, serving instead as tools lenders use to…

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -0.74%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.13%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -1.40%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -0.74%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are down -1.42%.Stock indexes are mostly lower today, with the Dow Jones Industrials posting a 1-week low.  The broader market is under pressure today as Nvidia’s earnings failed to alleviate concerns about an overheated AI economy, which is weighing on chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks.  Although Nvidia easily beat Q4 earnings estimates and forecast a Q1 outlook above expectations, the stock…

Key Takeaways The screenshot claiming the return of the “4chan Bitcoin prophet” has caused a splash on social media. The original 2019 bottom call has cemented the anonymous poster in crypto history. While some high-profile figures see Bitcoin reaching seven figures long term, others warn of severe downside risk. A viral post on X has sparked renewed debate over the possible return of a famed anonymous crypto forecaster, after a November 2025 prediction that Bitcoin would reach $1 million and Ethereum would hit $100,000 by the end of 2026 resurfaced this week. The post claims the return of the so-called…

Lawyers representing the US government in the case against Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried have two weeks to respond to the former FTX CEO’s motion for a new criminal trial.In a Wednesday filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Lewis Kaplan said that the US government shall respond by March 11 to SBF’s motion for a new trial. The former FTX CEO, who was convicted of seven felony counts in 2023 and later sentenced to 25 years in prison, requested a new trial earlier this month, claiming that new witness testimony could help bolster his…

NVIDIA posts record revenue and surging earnings as Data Center and Blackwell demand fuel strong growth, reinforcing its leadership in the accelerating AI boom.

Soybeans are trading with Wednesday gains at midday, with meal leading the charge. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price is up 6 1/2 cents at $10.81. Soymeal futures are $7.60 to $8.10 in the front months, with. Soy Oil futures down 7 to 12 points. The forecast for Argentina is looking a little drier as they look to finish out their growing season, likely adding to some meal strength at midday.USDA’s Export Sales report showing business for the week of February 19 will be out on Thursday, with traders looking for between 0.4 to 1 MMT of soybeans sales. Soybean meal…

Stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, driven by rapid growth in its USDC stablecoin business and expanding payments operations, underscoring continued momentum in an otherwise challenging crypto market.For the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2025, Circle posted revenue of $770 million, a 77% increase from a year earlier, and reported net income of $133.4 million, or 43 cents per share. Analysts expected per-share earnings of 16 cents on revenue of $747 million. The strong quarter was fueled in part by a 72% year-on-year increase in the circulation of Circle’s US dollar-pegged stablecoin, USDC (USDC), which reached about…

March NY world sugar #11 (SBH26) on Monday closed up +0.15 (+1.05%), and May London ICE white sugar #5 (SWK26) closed up +1.60 (+0.39%).Sugar prices rallied sharply on Monday, with NY sugar posting a 2.5-week high and London sugar posting a 1.5-week high.  Strength in the Brazilian real (^USDBRL) is bullish for sugar prices.  The real jumped to a 1.75-year high against the dollar on Monday, discouraging export sales from Brazil’s sugar producers. Don’t Miss a Day: From crude oil to coffee, sign up free for Barchart’s best-in-class commodity analysis.   Sugar prices also have positive carryover support from last…

Bitcoin price dropped 25% in 2022 and 50% in 2018 after similar on-chain loss signals, a warning sign for BTC’s next move.Bitcoin (BTC) traders are selling at a loss for the first time since 2022, raising odds that the biggest cryptocurrency’s ongoing price correction may deepen in the coming weeks.Key takeaways:Bitcoin is witnessing loss-driven selling that has historically lasted six months or more.These signals surfaced during previous bear markets, preceding sharp downtrends each time.BTC capitulation may last for another six monthsOn Monday, Bitcoin’s realized profit/loss ratio (90-day moving average) slipped below 1. The drop indicated that traders were dumping their…