Latest news with #Breton
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
An everyday investor built a $2 million portfolio with a single stock. Here's how.
Diversifying your portfolio is one of the most basic pieces of investing advice that financial planners emphasize, but 47-year-old Etienne Breton has generated a seven-figure net worth and potentially secured early retirement in doing the opposite: going all-in on shares of software company Palantir. Up over 80% in 2025, Palantir is one of the hottest stocks in the market right now thanks to a combination of AI momentum, the Trump trade, and an army of bullish retail investors. But Breton certainly isn't just chasing a recent trend. He started buying Palantir in late 2020, shortly after the company went public — and kept adding to his position even as the stock floundered through much of the early 2020s. Now, his position has grown to 17,800 shares with another 2,000 on margin for a total investment value of almost $2.5 million, brokerage statements viewed by Business Insider show. A single-stock strategy Palantir is the only stock Breton owns. "I tried to identify very extraordinary companies. I didn't want to diversify," Breton said. Two decades prior to buying Palantir, Breton had dabbled in the stock market for a short period, but sold out after the 9/11-induced stock market plunge. His reentry into the market during the pandemic was well-timed. "I saw someone selling all of their stocks because of the crash, so I did the exact opposite and opened an account," Breton told Business Insider. Breton quickly landed on Palantir after learning about the company from a YouTube video. As a technical expert at a manufacturing company, Breton was drawn to the company because Palantir's offerings seemed like they could solve many of the issues he was seeing at his job, such as data silos and supply chain difficulties. In a leap of faith, Breton went all-in. "I sold my real estate and put almost everything I had into the stock," he said. Breton began buying around $10 a share and continued building his position aggressively as the stock fell to as low as $6 in 2020. Breton kept a running tally of his Palantir purchases on his garage wall. By the time the share price returned to $10, it was mid-2023, and according to Breton, he held 10,000 shares at an average price of $8.83. In April 2023, Palantir launched its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). It was the big break Breton had been waiting for. From there, the stock began to slowly rebound, eventually snowballing into the mega-cap tech giant it is today. Palantir options Since 2023, Breton has also engaged in a variety of options strategies to generate income on his underlying shares and continue buying Palantir. "I began selling covered calls seriously, but not on my core position. I used margin to buy thousands more shares and sell aggressive covered calls using a ladder strategy," Breton said. That means he borrowed money to buy more Palantir shares, then sold call options on the shares, collecting a cash premium in exchange for agreeing to sell the stock at a certain price in the future. Laddering, or spreading the contracts across different prices and expiration dates, helped Breton create a steady stream of income. Now, Breton is still slowly adding to his Palantir position with the premiums he receives on his covered calls. Breton's aware of the risk that comes with having much of his net worth tied up in Palantir, so he's also buying Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities (LEAPs), which are options with expiry dates a year or more in the future. This strategy allows him to earn income on his underlying shares and still benefit from potential upside. One contract he showed Business Insider indicated that he had sold a $185 call and a $130 put expiring in December 2027, while also buying a $45 protective put. This setup is known as a strangle with downside protection: As long as Palantir stays between $130 and $185 through December 2027, both of those sold options expire worthless, and he keeps the full premium. If Palantir trades above $185, Breton would give up any additional upside beyond that. If Palantir stock plummets, the protective put caps his loss and allows him to sell his shares at a minimum of $45. Breton also collects an upfront premium for selling the options. Breton doesn't have plans to sell the underlying Palantir shares, although he would be open to investing in a new stock with the money he earns on the premiums. "I'm now planning my retirement, which is approaching much sooner than I ever expected," Breton said. But he's not too eager to walk away from work just yet. "I have a nice career, so I don't want to stop all of that," he added. "I'll just take my time and maybe explore some business projects."
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- Vancouver Sun
Electric vehicle mandate risks being next carbon tax without 'adjustments,' EV industry warns
OTTAWA — The head of a national association representing the electric transportation industry says the federal government, and provinces with a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, should make 'short-term adjustments' to their programs at the risk of the policy going the way of the now-cancelled consumer carbon tax. Electric Mobility Canada President Daniel Breton's comments come as auto-makers and others in the industry express a fresh round of concerns about the Liberals' sales mandate, which has set a target of reaching 100-per-cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, beginning with initial targets of hitting 60 per cent by 2030 and at least 20 per cent by 2026. 'We believe that B.C, Quebec, and the federal government should make short-term adjustments, because between now and 2030 we don't know yet what's going to happen south of the border. We don't know yet what's going to happen between Canada and the U.S.,' Breton told National Post in an interview Thursday. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Lowering the targets between now and 2030 would be a reasonable path.' With Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ratcheting up his efforts in demanding that the mandate be scrapped, arguing it removes 'choice' from consumers, Breton, a former Quebec environment minister, says the risk of not making short-term adjustments at the federal level is that, 'this is going to become a political hot potato.' 'Like the carbon tax was.' The consumer carbon tax was a signature climate policy of the Liberals until March, when Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled it, saying it had become 'too divisive.' That followed a years-long campaign by Poilievre, who criss-crossed the country, promising to 'axe the tax,' blaming it for forcing consumers to pay additional costs amid a cost-of-living crisis. Breton, whose association represents 180 members in the electric transportation industry, including those who sell electric cars, says 'we have to find a pathway' that will allow people and those in the traditional automotive industry to buy credits and 'ease into this regulation.' A credit system is at the heart of the federal policy, which the Liberals finalized in 2023 as part of their plan to reduce Canada's overall greenhouse gas emissions, taking aim at the transportation sector, one of the top emitters. The government says manufacturers can earn credits by either selling or making zero-emission vehicles, which Ottawa defines as either a battery-powered vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, or by purchasing credits from an electric vehicle maker, or putting money towards building out charging infrastructure. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. While manufacturers have long expressed opposition to the government mandating the sale of electric vehicles, Ford Canada CEO Bev Goodman recently called for the regulation to be scrapped in light of falling sales of these vehicles. Back in March, Statistics Canada reported a nearly 45-per-cent drop in the sale of new zero-emission vehicles from the same month the year before. The agency reported in April that the sales of these vehicles fell to around 7.6 per cent. Leading automotive associations have pointed to these decreases as evidence that hitting the 20 per cent sales target is unrealistic and creates additional burden on Canada's auto-sector at a time when it is dealing with a trade war with the U.S., which under President Donald Trump has dropped the electrification goals introduced by former president Joe Biden. A spokesperson for Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli called on the federal government to respond to the concerns from automakers. 'We are meeting regularly with auto companies, industry leaders, and workers as they navigate unprecedented global economic uncertainty,' wrote Jennifer Cunliffe. 'We need the federal government to do the same and address the concerns raised by industry partners about the impact that their net-zero vehicle mandates will have on investment, jobs, and supply chains.' Breton attributes the 'crash' in electric vehicle sales to the way the federal government suddenly ended the $5,000 rebate program for consumers in January, which it first introduced in 2019. He said the way Ottawa did so was the 'worst-case scenario' as compared to phasing it out more slowly and decreasing the value over time. What made matters worse, he says, was that at the same time, Quebec, which has its own zero-emission sales mandate, paused its rebate, which it has since reintroduced. Since doing so, he says, Quebec dealers have been telling him sales have been going back up. A presentation to industry by B.C.'s Energy Ministry, which was obtained by reporters , also showed the province was considering changes to its own program amid falling sales. The Liberals campaigned on reintroducing the federal rebate, which Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin's office confirmed it was working on, but has not stipulated when it will be announced. Breton said people are now waiting to see when the federal rebate will return before purchasing an electric vehicle. 'In the past two weeks, I've been getting phone calls from dealers that I know who told me, 'well, (electric vehicle) sales are stopping again because people are waiting for the federal rebate to come back.'' Breton says if it were up to him, the country would reach its overall target of having 100-per-cent new vehicle sales be zero-emission but 2030, 'but it's not me.' He declined to speculate on what lower targets should be, saying he wants to have further discussions with the government and industry. 'We have to make sure that people see a reasonable pathway, meaning some kind of compromise between some traditional automakers' issues or challenges,' he said. 'But also we need enough market certainty so that private companies will see that as more electric cars come to market, we will need more infrastructure, and then those companies want to invest in infrastructure charging.' In a recent interview, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association, said the government has the option of either abandoning its mandate or taking a look at the policy to 'have them reflect reality.' He said the government will have to adjust its program. 'Sure, you should have stretch goals, but stretch goals might be 10-per-cent (by 2026) or you can stick to what you think your ultimate goal is, 100-per-cent by 2035, and the first compliance date out to 2028.' -With files from The Canadian Press National Post staylor@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
Electric vehicle mandate risks being next carbon tax without 'adjustments,' EV industry warns
OTTAWA — The head of a national association representing the electric transportation industry says the federal government, and provinces with a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, should make 'short-term adjustments' to their programs at the risk of the policy going the way of the now-cancelled consumer carbon tax. Article content Electric Mobility Canada President Daniel Breton's comments come as auto-makers and others in the industry express a fresh round of concerns about the Liberals' sales mandate, which has set a target of reaching 100-per-cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, beginning with initial targets of hitting 60 per cent by 2030 and at least 20 per cent by 2026. Article content Article content Article content 'We believe that B.C, Quebec, and the federal government should make short-term adjustments, because between now and 2030 we don't know yet what's going to happen south of the border. We don't know yet what's going to happen between Canada and the U.S.,' Breton told National Post in an interview Thursday. Article content Article content 'Lowering the targets between now and 2030 would be a reasonable path.' Article content With Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ratcheting up his efforts in demanding that the mandate be scrapped, arguing it removes 'choice' from consumers, Breton, a former Quebec environment minister, says the risk of not making short-term adjustments at the federal level is that, 'this is going to become a political hot potato.' 'Like the carbon tax was.' Article content The consumer carbon tax was a signature climate policy of the Liberals until March, when Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled it, saying it had become 'too divisive.' That followed a years-long campaign by Poilievre, who criss-crossed the country, promising to 'axe the tax,' blaming it for forcing consumers to pay additional costs amid a cost-of-living crisis. Article content Article content Breton, whose association represents 180 members in the electric transportation industry, including those who sell electric cars, says 'we have to find a pathway' that will allow people and those in the traditional automotive industry to buy credits and 'ease into this regulation.' Article content A credit system is at the heart of the federal policy, which the Liberals finalized in 2023 as part of their plan to reduce Canada's overall greenhouse gas emissions, taking aim at the transportation sector, one of the top emitters. Article content The government says manufacturers can earn credits by either selling or making zero-emission vehicles, which Ottawa defines as either a battery-powered vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, or by purchasing credits from an electric vehicle maker, or putting money towards building out charging infrastructure.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Automotive
- Edmonton Journal
Electric vehicle mandate risks being next carbon tax without 'adjustments,' EV industry warns
Article content OTTAWA — The head of a national association representing the electric transportation industry says the federal government, and provinces with a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, should make 'short-term adjustments' to their programs at the risk of the policy going the way of the now-cancelled consumer carbon tax. Electric Mobility Canada President Daniel Breton's comments come as auto-makers and others in the industry express a fresh round of concerns about the Liberals' sales mandate, which has set a target of reaching 100-per-cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, beginning with initial targets of hitting 60 per cent by 2030 and at least 20 per cent by 2026. Article content 'We believe that B.C, Quebec, and the federal government should make short-term adjustments, because between now and 2030 we don't know yet what's going to happen south of the border. We don't know yet what's going to happen between Canada and the U.S.,' Breton told National Post in an interview Thursday. 'Lowering the targets between now and 2030 would be a reasonable path.' With Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ratcheting up his efforts in demanding that the mandate be scrapped, arguing it removes 'choice' from consumers, Breton, a former Quebec environment minister, says the risk of not making short-term adjustments at the federal level is that, 'this is going to become a political hot potato.' 'Like the carbon tax was.' The consumer carbon tax was a signature climate policy of the Liberals until March, when Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled it, saying it had become 'too divisive.' That followed a years-long campaign by Poilievre, who criss-crossed the country, promising to 'axe the tax,' blaming it for forcing consumers to pay additional costs amid a cost-of-living crisis. Article content Breton, whose association represents 180 members in the electric transportation industry, including those who sell electric cars, says 'we have to find a pathway' that will allow people and those in the traditional automotive industry to buy credits and 'ease into this regulation.' A credit system is at the heart of the federal policy, which the Liberals finalized in 2023 as part of their plan to reduce Canada's overall greenhouse gas emissions, taking aim at the transportation sector, one of the top emitters. The government says manufacturers can earn credits by either selling or making zero-emission vehicles, which Ottawa defines as either a battery-powered vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, or by purchasing credits from an electric vehicle maker, or putting money towards building out charging infrastructure. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Article content While manufacturers have long expressed opposition to the government mandating the sale of electric vehicles, Ford Canada CEO Bev Goodman recently called for the regulation to be scrapped in light of falling sales of these vehicles. Back in March, Statistics Canada reported a nearly 45-per-cent drop in the sale of new zero-emission vehicles from the same month the year before. The agency reported in April that the sales of these vehicles fell to around 7.6 per cent. Leading automotive associations have pointed to these decreases as evidence that hitting the 20 per cent sales target is unrealistic and creates additional burden on Canada's auto-sector at a time when it is dealing with a trade war with the U.S., which under President Donald Trump has dropped the electrification goals introduced by former president Joe Biden. A spokesperson for Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli called on the federal government to respond to the concerns from automakers. Article content 'We are meeting regularly with auto companies, industry leaders, and workers as they navigate unprecedented global economic uncertainty,' wrote Jennifer Cunliffe. 'We need the federal government to do the same and address the concerns raised by industry partners about the impact that their net-zero vehicle mandates will have on investment, jobs, and supply chains.' Breton attributes the 'crash' in electric vehicle sales to the way the federal government suddenly ended the $5,000 rebate program for consumers in January, which it first introduced in 2019. He said the way Ottawa did so was the 'worst-case scenario' as compared to phasing it out more slowly and decreasing the value over time. What made matters worse, he says, was that at the same time, Quebec, which has its own zero-emission sales mandate, paused its rebate, which it has since reintroduced. Article content Since doing so, he says, Quebec dealers have been telling him sales have been going back up. A presentation to industry by B.C.'s Energy Ministry, which was obtained by reporters, also showed the province was considering changes to its own program amid falling sales. The Liberals campaigned on reintroducing the federal rebate, which Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin's office confirmed it was working on, but has not stipulated when it will be announced. Breton said people are now waiting to see when the federal rebate will return before purchasing an electric vehicle. 'In the past two weeks, I've been getting phone calls from dealers that I know who told me, 'well, (electric vehicle) sales are stopping again because people are waiting for the federal rebate to come back.'' Breton says if it were up to him, the country would reach its overall target of having 100-per-cent new vehicle sales be zero-emission but 2030, 'but it's not me.' Article content He declined to speculate on what lower targets should be, saying he wants to have further discussions with the government and industry. 'We have to make sure that people see a reasonable pathway, meaning some kind of compromise between some traditional automakers' issues or challenges,' he said. 'But also we need enough market certainty so that private companies will see that as more electric cars come to market, we will need more infrastructure, and then those companies want to invest in infrastructure charging.' In a recent interview, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association, said the government has the option of either abandoning its mandate or taking a look at the policy to 'have them reflect reality.' He said the government will have to adjust its program. 'Sure, you should have stretch goals, but stretch goals might be 10-per-cent (by 2026) or you can stick to what you think your ultimate goal is, 100-per-cent by 2035, and the first compliance date out to 2028.' -With files from The Canadian Press Latest National Stories
Fashion United
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fashion United
Bagpipes and lace: Egonlab celebrates Brittany at Paris Fashion Week
Luxury label Egonlab presented its spring/summer 2026 collection on Wednesday as part of the FHCM programme, the official Paris Fashion Week schedule. Thirty-four silhouettes charmingly evoked Brittany's rich sartorial history, reflecting extensive research into the region's archives. Needle lace and porcelain shirts 'Rooted in Breton heritage, the collection blends coastal tradition with urban elegance', read Egonlab's show notes. For founders Florentin Glémarec and Kévin Nompeix, evoking Brittany was a tribute to their grandfather, René Glémarec. Brittany was also expressed in the detail of a bagpipe carried under the arm by several silhouettes in the show; in pointed ruffs that recalled details of Breton costumes; and through pieces of lace placed on the head, similar to the needle lace from the commune of Plougastel-Daoulas. Egonlab SS26. Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight There was also a sleeveless top with golden embroidery resembling that of a 'bigouden' costume preserved in the Finistère departmental archives. Egonlab SS26. Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight Finally, the wide folded lapels were reminiscent of traditional Breton men's shirts or the wide-brimmed crossed shawls once worn by women. The final look was a trompe-l'œil piece made of porcelain with artist Flávio Juán Núñez. It was a loose, short-sleeved white shirt. Egonlab SS26. Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight The SS26 collection also saw the luxury brand launch several collaborations, including Havaianas flip-flops, Longchamp bags and Bearbrick accessories. Egonlab SS26. Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight Egonlab SS26. Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight The richness of Breton clothing culture has been at the centre of luxury brand collections several times. One of the most memorable was perhaps French designer Jean Paul Gaultier's autumn/winter 2015 collection, whose show opened with the sound of a foghorn and the cries of seagulls, according to a report in Vogue magazine. It notably featured references to 'bigouden' headdresses and typical white embroidery. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
