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Civil.ge
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
GD Brushes Aside European Criticism, Saying EU, UK Are Ruled by ‘Deep State'
Georgian Dream's political council issued a statement saying Europe finds itself in 'democratic backsliding' and 'value crisis', and accused the EU and UK of being ruled by 'Deep State'. The reaction comes in response to a strongly worded statement by foreign ministers of 17 EU states and the EU High Representative, expressing deep concerns over the 'deteriorating situation' in Georgia while telling the GD leadership, 'it is not too late to reverse course.' It also comes two days before EU foreign ministers are set to discuss Georgia and 'consider possible measures in response to the growing repression by the authorities.' In the lengthy, conspiracy-laden July 13 letter , Georgian Dream called the foreign ministers' statement 'another blatant and unfair attack on Georgian people and Georgian democracy,' arguing it was filled with 'Soviet-style disinformation and false accusations.' 'The orchestrated attack against Georgian people, which took on a new meaning after October 26 [parliamentary vote], has a single reason – Georgian people didn't allow the return to power of 'Deep State' agents, collective [United National Movement], which was oppenly supported by EU Ambassador in Georgia and specific European and American officials,' GD said, referring to a 'deep state' conspiracy theory involving a group of influential officials in the West, a narrative the ruling party has repeatedly invoked in its rhetoric. Georgian Dream said that the statement by European ministers 'reminds us how deeply rooted the informal rule of 'Deep State' is in the vast majority of EU countries and Great Britain, under which the European bureaucracy no longer has any moral limit.' According to GD, these states pursue a single foreign policy: unless a state is ruled by 'deep state agents,' it is subjected to 'constant attacks from European officials.' 'On the basis of 'Brexit', a third, separate center was established that serves the realization the global agenda of the 'Deep State'' – Georgian Dream's Political Council 'The only thing they cannot forgive Georgia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia, is precisely their independence and sovereignty,' the statement says. Georgia's ruling party said in the statement that Europe today is experiencing 'democratic backsliding and value crisis,' noting that 'uncontrolled migration, pseudoliberal propaganda, the diminishing of state and religious institutions strip Europe of its identity at a rapid pace.' It also says that 'non-recognition of electoral victories of undesirable parties and candidates, political persecution of opponents, total restriction of media freedom has become a norm today.' The statement also advances a theory that the 'deep state' has 'removed' Great Britain from the EU with a 'concrete objective': 'On the basis of 'Brexit', a third, separate center was established [alongside EU and the U.S.] that serves the realization of the global agenda of 'Deep State'.' The party expresses the hope that US President Donald Trump will be able to keep his promise and defeat the 'Deep State,' which, GD says, will also return sovereignty to European countries. 'We again wish Donald Trump success in this important job,' the GD says, noting that if 'Deep State' isn't defeated and instead only undergoes 'rebranding,' it will lead to further weakening of Europe and continued attacks on the Georgian people and democracy. GD also addressed the criticism voiced by European foreign ministers in their July 11 statement, condemning, among other things, 'politically motivated' jailings of opposition leaders and 'arbitrary arrests' of other critics. The ruling party dismisses accusations that the jailings of opposition leaders are 'politically motivated' and 'designed to stifle political opposition' months before local elections as 'disinformation.' Eight persons, including six leaders of opposition parties, have been sentenced to months in jail over their failure to appear at the Georgian Dream's parliamentary commission ('Tsulukiani Commission'). The GD says only two of out of the jailed leaders – Lelo's Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze – were planning to run in the municipal vote, slated for October 4, and argued that the law that led to their impisonment has been adopted three decades ago and 'is in full accordance with European practice and standards.' In this context, the GD statement also refers to the July 4 statement by Georgian Dream President Mikheil Kavelashvili pledging to pardon jailed political leaders, given that they promise to run in local elections. 'If the legal prosecution of politicians has taken on political overtones anywhere, it is precisely in Germany and France' – Georgian Dream's Political Council As for the critism about 'arbitrary arrests' of activists, GD calls it 'the lustration of the fact' about 'external' support of 'the attempt to overthrow the government and brutal violence by demonstrators' in November and December 2024, referring to mass protests that erupted following the GD announcement on halting EU integration. 'Everyone is well aware that the violent attempt at overthrowing the legitimate government was intransparently funded by USAID, NED, EED, and other similar funds, and was openly supported by concrete European and former American officials,' the statement reads. GD adds that in countries such as Great Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, and Spain, multi-year prison sentences are prescribed for assaults on police officers. Responding to European ministers' calls to 'reverse repressive legislation,' Georgian Dream's political council argued that the laws in question aim to 'prevent violation of Georgia sovereignty and the weakening of state institutions with external funding.' The party says the laws 'are in full accordance with legal principles and standards.' In its statement, Georgian Dream also accused Germany and France of persecuting political opponents. 'If the legal prosecution of politicians has taken on political overtones anywhere, it is precisely in Germany and France,' the party said, adding that 'given the persecution of major opposition parties and their leaders in Germany and France, the talk of political persecution on their part is, to put it mildly, laughable.' In the same context, the GD letter also cites developments in Romania, where, the party says, the frontrunner in the first round of presidential elections faced the annulment of the vote, criminal prosecution, and a ban on participation. 'It is important for everyone to recognize that just as Georgia needs Europe, the EU no less needs Georgia,' the statement concluded. The GD government has faced continued Western criticism as dozens of individuals in Georgia, including activists, journalists, and political leaders, have been sentenced or are awaiting verdicts on charges widely seen as politically motivated. Meanwhile, no police officers have been held accountable, despite multiple documented abuses during the early weeks of anti-Georgian Dream protests that began in late November.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Reasons ATUS is Risky and 1 Stock to Buy Instead
Over the past six months, Altice's shares (currently trading at $2.22) have posted a disappointing 14% loss while the S&P 500 was flat. This was partly driven by its softer quarterly results and may have investors wondering how to approach the situation. Is now the time to buy Altice, or should you be careful about including it in your portfolio? Check out our in-depth research report to see what our analysts have to say, it's free. Even though the stock has become cheaper, we're sitting this one out for now. Here are three reasons why ATUS doesn't excite us and a stock we'd rather own. Revenue growth can be broken down into changes in price and volume (for companies like Altice, our preferred volume metric is broadband subscribers). While both are important, the latter is the most critical to analyze because prices have a ceiling. Altice's broadband subscribers came in at 3.96 million in the latest quarter, and over the last two years, averaged 3.2% year-on-year declines. This performance was underwhelming and implies there may be increasing competition or market saturation. It also suggests Altice might have to lower prices or invest in product improvements to grow, factors that can hinder near-term profitability. Analyzing the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) shows whether a company's incremental sales were profitable – for example, revenue could be inflated through excessive spending on advertising and promotions. Sadly for Altice, its EPS declined by 27.4% annually over the last five years, more than its revenue. This tells us the company struggled because its fixed cost base made it difficult to adjust to shrinking demand. As long-term investors, the risk we care about most is the permanent loss of capital, which can happen when a company goes bankrupt or raises money from a disadvantaged position. This is separate from short-term stock price volatility, something we are much less bothered by. Altice burned through $82.82 million of cash over the last year, and its $25.3 billion of debt exceeds the $279.1 million of cash on its balance sheet. This is a deal breaker for us because indebted loss-making companies spell trouble. Unless the Altice's fundamentals change quickly, it might find itself in a position where it must raise capital from investors to continue operating. Whether that would be favorable is unclear because dilution is a headwind for shareholder returns. We remain cautious of Altice until it generates consistent free cash flow or any of its announced financing plans materialize on its balance sheet. Altice doesn't pass our quality test. Following the recent decline, the stock trades at 0.3× forward EV-to-EBITDA (or $2.22 per share). This valuation is reasonable, but the company's shaky fundamentals present too much downside risk. There are superior stocks to buy right now. We'd suggest looking at our favorite semiconductor picks and shovels play. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Trump sees trade deals coming in 3 to 4 weeks
US President Donald Trum expects to wrap up trade deals with US partners looking for lower tariffs over the next three to four weeks. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said he expected to wrap up trade deals with US partners looking for lower tariffs soon. 'I would say, over the next three to four weeks, and we're finished, by the way,' Mr Trump said of the deals in an interview with Time magazine published on April 25. 'I'll be finished. Now, some countries may come back and ask for an adjustment, and I'll consider that, but I'll basically be, with great knowledge, setting–ready,' he added. In a wide-ranging interview Mr Trump defended his trade policies which have unnerved financial markets and sent foreign governments racing to Washington to cut deals. But the president gave conflicting signals about the status of talks with China, even as Beijing has denied that negotiations between the world's two largest economies are taking place. Mr Trump said, 'We're meeting with China. We're doing fine with everybody.' But also said he would not call President Xi Jinping if his Chinese counterpart does not call him first. Then Mr Trump said such a call had occurred, without giving details. 'He's called. And I don't think that's a sign of weakness on his behalf,' Mr Trump said. Mr Trump earlier in April announced sharp tariff increases on about 60 countries but then quickly paused those measures for three months to allow trading partners to negotiate deals, keeping in place a baseline 10 per cent rate during the negotiating period. That set off a flurry of visits from foreign delegations eager to strike a deal, but Mr Xi's government has taken a more defiant stance. Mr Trump in the interview also pushed back on reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick convinced him to delay his reciprocal tariffs and said he 'wasn't worried' about the turmoil in bond and equity markets that greeted his higher duties. 'They didn't tell me. I did that,' Mr Trump said. 'The bond market was getting the yips, but I wasn't.' BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Hated Stocks Walking a Fine Line
Rock-bottom prices don't always mean rock-bottom businesses. The stocks we're examining today have all touched their 52-week lows, creating a classic investor's dilemma: bargain opportunity or value trap? While market timing can be an extremely profitable strategy, it has burned many investors and requires rigorous analysis - something we specialize in at StockStory. That said, here are three stocks where the outlook is warranted and some alternatives with better fundamentals. One-Month Return: +1.3% Founded by a duo of former Israeli Defense Forces cyber warfare engineers, Varonis (NASDAQ:VRNS) offers software-as-service that helps customers protect data from cyber threats and gain visibility into how enterprise data is being used. Why Are We Wary of VRNS? 12.2% annual revenue growth over the last three years was slower than its software peers Historical operating losses point to an inefficient cost structure 6× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio makes lenders less willing to extend additional capital, potentially necessitating dilutive equity offerings At $41.98 per share, Varonis trades at 7.5x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than VRNS. One-Month Return: +1% Founded in NYC's Little Italy, MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) provides industrial supplies and equipment, offering vast and reliable selection for customers such as contractors Why Do We Pass on MSM? Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth Estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat and imply a softer demand environment Performance over the past five years shows its incremental sales were much less profitable, as its earnings per share fell by 4.5% annually MSC Industrial's stock price of $78.24 implies a valuation ratio of 20.3x forward price-to-earnings. If you're considering MSM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. One-Month Return: -11% Serving as a crucial bridge between technology manufacturers and end users since 1984, CDW (NASDAQ:CDW) is a multi-brand provider of information technology solutions that helps businesses and public sector organizations select, implement, and manage hardware, software, and IT services. Why Should You Dump CDW? Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 6% annually over the last two years Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street's estimates imply tepid growth of 1.7% Earnings per share have contracted by 1.4% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance CDW is trading at $151.80 per share, or 15.2x forward price-to-earnings. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including CDW in your portfolio, it's free. Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Axon (+711% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Sign in to access your portfolio
