Latest news with #NDR
IOL News
6 hours ago
- Health
- IOL News
Gauteng MEC calls on municipal workers to fight corruption and improve service delivery
Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has urged civil servants belonging to the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) to help defend the gains of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Media Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has urged civil servants belonging to the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) to help defend the gains of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). He said the NDR was gained through hard work between the ANC and its alliance partners, which was won under difficult circumstances to bring an end to apartheid over three decades ago. She also urged workers to remain firm against corruption and maladministration, which has rocked most of the country's municipalities in recent times. Just this week, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke highlighted this alarming reality of irregular expenditure within the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), which revealed that the municipality was leading the nation in this regard, with contracts exceeding R1 billion awarded to contractors with connections to officials. Nkomo-Ralehoko was speaking during her address to the Gauteng delegates who will be electing new leaders to represent the union in the province. The congress, which kicked off on Wednesday and wraps up on Friday under the theme: 'Towards 40 years of defending and advancing the interests of municipal workers' at the Birchwood Hotel, will announce its new provincial structures amid a series of challenges facing revenue collection and maladministration. "Our enemy is not the workers but corruption and maladministration, theft, and unethical leadership. We are not going to function as the government if you are not assisting us. That is the personal responsibility we must take so that we can deliver services to our people. The collapse of service delivery in municipalities must be a thing of the past, comrades," she stated. On the issues, municipal workers have with the City of Joburg Mayor, Dada Morero, Nkomo-Ralehoko, promised to help mediate some of the challenges between the two parties. The issues stem from SAMWU having accused Morero of protecting corruption-accused Helen Botes, the acting chief operating officer of the city, who served as the CEO of Johannesburg Property Company for over 15 years and was not charged for any of the allegations lodged against her. "I am going to meet Dada Morero and try to initiate a meeting between us and him. It can't be that the ANC doesn't intervene in Johannesburg. It used to be the same in Ekurhuleni, and we addressed the issues there, and we will do the same here," she said. As workers who remain at the interface and forefront of service delivery in communities, cities, and local government level, the MEC urged municipal workers to continue to be the pillars of society. "You, as municipal workers, are at the forefront of service delivery. You are the pillars that have kept the fires burning during apartheid. The same unity and commitment you have shown during that time should continue even today. We cannot then have members who do not understand the alliance and the relationship between the ANC and Cosatu," she added. [email protected]
CNBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Top Wall Street analysts are confident about the potential of these 3 stocks
The earnings season is on, and investors are paying attention to how the leading companies are faring. However, tariffs and other challenges remain on the minds of investors. While top Wall Street analysts also watch the quarterly results closely, they generally have a broader focus and assess the company's ability to navigate short-term difficulties and deliver attractive returns over the long term. Here are three stocks favored by the Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. First on this week's list is ride-sharing and delivery platform Uber Technologies (UBER). The company is scheduled to announce its second-quarter results on Aug. 6. In a preview note on Uber's Q2 earnings, Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney stated that he expects the company to report a 17% year-over-year growth in gross bookings to $46.8 billion, slightly above the Street's estimate and within the company's guidance. The analyst expects revenue growth of 18%, modestly above the Street's expectations, and EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) of $2.09 billion, in line with the consensus estimate. Mahaney's estimates are based on favorable industry checks for consumer demand trends, third-party data checks, and Evercore's non-deal roadshows (NDR) with UBER management. The analyst's expectations are also backed by Evercore's 8th Annual U.S. Ridesharing Survey and insights from its NDR with DoorDash management. Despite the stellar year-to-date rally, Mahaney stated that UBER remains a top pick for Evercore. He attributed the stock's rise to multiple factors, including better-than-expected growth in Mobility and Delivery bookings over the past two quarters and positive key user metrics and the impressive rollout of Waymo in Austin on the Uber network. "Key to our Long Thesis – we believe there will be 'more Austins' – more successful robotaxi partner rollouts for Uber, and not just with Waymo, over the next 12-18 months," said Mahaney and reaffirmed a buy rating on UBER stock with a price forecast of $115. Meanwhile, TipRanks' AI analyst has an "outperform" rating on UBER stock with a price forecast of $108. Mahaney ranks No. 219 among more than 9,800 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 60% of the time, delivering an average return of 15.9%. See Uber Technologies Statistics on TipRanks. We move to Alphabet (GOOGL), the parent company of search engine giant Google. In a Q2 earnings preview of the companies in the internet space, JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth reaffirmed a buy rating on GOOGL stock and increased the price forecast to $200 from $195. In comparison, TipRanks' AI analyst has a price target of $199 on GOOGL stock with an "outperform" rating. Anmuth explained that his higher estimates mainly reflect better channel checks and third-party data as well as more favorable forex changes. Anmuth added that his revised price target is based on a multiple of about 20-times his 2026 GAAP earnings per share (EPS) estimate of $9.89. The analyst believes that Alphabet deserves to trade at a premium to the S&P 500, given that it is one of the few companies in this index with a double-digit percent revenue and EPS growth on a very large base. He also highlighted the company's more than 30% GAAP operating income margin. "We believe Alphabet's fundamentals are solid and the company will remain both a driver of and primary beneficiary of an increasingly digital economy & advances in Generative AI," said Anmuth. He highlighted Alphabet's continued focus on innovation. Anmuth sees a healthy runway across Search and YouTube ads, with artificial intelligence (AI) fueling higher return on investment (ROI) and a shift in TV dollars to online channels. Furthermore, he said that Alphabet's non-ad businesses, like Cloud and YouTube subscription services, still have substantial scope to grow. Anmuth also said that the companies within Alphabet's Other Bets division, including Waymo and Verily, provide potential upside. Overall, Anmuth is bullish about Alphabet's ability to innovate around generative AI, control costs and deliver impressive revenue growth. Anmuth ranks No. 56 among more than 9,800 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 65% of the time, delivering an average return of 21.6%. See Alphabet Stock News and Insights on TipRanks. Anmuth is also bullish on social media giant Meta Platforms (META) and raised the price target for the stock to $795 from $735 while maintaining a buy rating ahead of the company's Q2 results. In comparison, TipRanks' AI analyst has an "outperform" rating on META stock with a price target of $798. The analyst explained that the upgraded price target is based on about 27-times his 2026 GAAP EPS estimate of $29.53. Anmuth believes that META stock's premium valuation to the S&P 500 is justified, as he has greater confidence in the company's robust top-line growth and ongoing cost efficiencies. "We believe Meta's virtual ownership of the social graph, strong competitive moat, and focus on the user experience position it to become an enduring blue-chip company built for the long term," said Anmuth. The analyst noted Meta Platforms' strength in terms of scale, growth, and profitability, with its extensive reach and engagement continuing to drive network effects. Anmuth also noted the company's targeting abilities that offer huge value to advertisers. Anmuth stated that Meta will invest in the massive growth opportunities offered by the two big tech waves – AI and Metaverse, while also focusing on cost discipline. Despite significant infrastructure investments, the analyst expects Meta Platforms to deliver strong revenue and EPS growth in 2026. He noted Meta's solid track record in delivering returns on higher spending. See Meta Platforms Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks.
Channel Post MEA
6 days ago
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
NETSCOUT Adaptive Threat Analytics Enhances Incident Response
NETSCOUT SYSTEMS has announced Adaptive Threat Analytics, a new enhancement to its Omnis Cyber Intelligence Network Detection and Response (NDR) solution, designed to improve incident response and reduce risk. Adaptive Threat Analytics enables security teams to investigate, hunt, and respond to cyber threats more rapidly. Cybersecurity professionals face a challenge in the race against time to detect and respond appropriately to cyber threats before it is too late. Alert fatigue, increasing alert volume, fragmented visibility from siloed tools, and cunning AI-enabled adversaries create a compelling need for a faster and more effective response plan. McKinsey & Company noted last year that despite a decline in response time to cyber-related risks in recent years, organizations still take an average of 73 days to contain an incident. In the threat detection and incident response process, comprehensive north-south and east-west network visibility plays a critical role in all phases, but none more so than the 'Analyze' phase between 'Detection' and 'Response.' Adaptive Threat Analytics utilizes continuous network packet capture and local storage of metadata and packets independent of detections, built-in packet decodes, and a flexible ad hoc querying language, enabling more rapid threat investigation and proactive hunting. This provides SOC analysts with the specific knowledge needed to determine and execute the proper response more efficiently. 'Network environments continue to become more disparate and complex. Bad actors exploit this broadened attack surface, making it difficult for security teams to respond quickly and accurately,' said John Grady, principal analyst, cybersecurity, at Enterprise Strategy Group. Due to this, continuous, unified, packet-based visibility into north-south and east-west traffic has become essential for effective and efficient threat detection and incident response.' Omnis Cyber Intelligence's AI-driven correlation stitches disparate events into cohesive, high-fidelity incidents, providing a holistic, actionable view of the entire attack chain. It delivers superior scalability and cost-effective NDR capabilities across complex IT environments and easily integrates into your cybersecurity ecosystems, such as your SIEM, SOAR, or XDR. 'Security teams often lack the specific knowledge to understand exactly what happened to be able to choose the best response,' stated Jerry Mancini, senior director, Office of the CTO, NETSCOUT. 'Omnis Cyber Intelligence with Adaptive Threat Analytics provides 'big picture' data before, during, and after an event that helps teams and organizations move from triage uncertainty and tuning to specific knowledge essential for reducing the mean time to resolution.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Trump Trade has changed. Here are the 6 big themes for investors to watch.
The market playbook for Donald Trump's presidency has shifted in the months since his inauguration. Analysts at NDR updated their Trump Trade index, a group of investments tied to Trump's agenda. Strategists identified six themes for investors to monitor. Investors in the early days of Donald Trump's second term thought they had identified the clearest winners from the president's agenda, but more than halfway through his first year in office, the playbook has shifted. Analysts at Ned Davis Research this week said they recently revised their Trump Trade Index — an index of investment themes they believe will benefit from Trump's agenda. The firm's original Trump Trade Index included investment themes like space and reshoring, as well as bitcoin and Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Trump's social media network. "When we created our initial Trump Trade index prior to the 2024 election, we had only a general idea of Trump's agenda and key themes impacted," strategists wrote in a report on Wednesday. "However, after reviewing 170 executive orders, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and an ever-changing foray into tariffs, we have a much better indication of agenda priorities." Markets have been surprised by how Trump's policy agenda has shifted so far this year. US stocks soared after Trump secured his second term in office, before embarking on a wild roller coaster ride as Trump announced his worldwide tariff package and negotiations dragged into this summer. Here's an update on what investment themes investors should add to the Trump-era playbook. Defense Thesis: Trump signed a slew of executive orders supporting aerospace innovation and the drone, cybersecurity, and shipbuilding industries in the US. The GOP tax and spending bill has also earmarked around $150 billion for overall defense spending, $29 billion to shipbuilding, and $170 billion for border enforcement. The bill also has a $24 billion budget to help build the Golden Dome, an ambitious defense system that aims to put American anti-missile weapons into space. Factors like China's military advancement and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine also raise the risk that the US could become more involved in geopolitical conflict, strategists suggested. "While several themes look overbought, some are sure to have staying power over Trump's term. Unfortunately, we believe Defense could have staying power," the report said. Relevant ETFs: SHLD Metals & Mining Thesis: Trump has also signed executive orders supporting the copper and rare minerals industry in the US. Meanwhile, the Big Beautiful bill includes tax incentives that support energy exploration in the US, which could also boost the metals and mining industries. The president has also proposed steep tariffs on key commodities, like steel, copper, and aluminum. The metals and mining theme was on display already in the last week, when the Department of Defense announced a large stake in rare earth miner MP Materials. The stock surged on the news that the Pentagon would become the company's largest shareholder as it tries to strengthen America's position in a critical supply chain. Relevant ETFs: XME, REMX Traditional, Nuclear, and Hydrogen Energy Thesis: Energy was a cornerstone of Trump's campaign, and the president quickly declared a National Energy Emergency at the start of his term. "While Biden's agenda promoted Clean Energy, Trump clearly favors Traditional Energy, evidenced by orders to tap Alaska resources, remove production barriers, and promote Coal," strategists wrote. Uranium and Hydrogen energy are also in focus, the strategists added, pointing to "massive datacenter electricity demands." Trump has also proposed various tariffs that could raise energy prices, like tariffs on Canadian and Venezuelan energy, a 7.5% tariff on Uranium, and a 10% tariff on hydrogen-related goods. Relevant ETFs: IEO, URA, HYDR Bitcoin & Digital Assets Thesis: Trump, who branded himself as the "crypto president" on the campaign trail, has made a series of pushes into digital assets this year. Early in his second term, he signed an executive order that aimed to support the US's dominance in digital finance, and another that established a strategic bitcoin reserve. Lawmakers are also set to pass a slew of new crypto-related legislation this week, like the Senate's landmark stablecoin bill, the CLARITY Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. Relevant ETFs: IBIT, ARKF Artificial Intelligence Thesis: Trump's executive orders and a handful of provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are aimed at bolstering AI development in the US, The GOP tax and spending bill includes a $250 million budget for AI-driven cyber defense, as well as tax incentives for chipmakers to build their tech in the US. Trump also announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure project in January, which involves Softbank, OpenAI, and Oracle building more data centers in the US. This week, Trump announced another $90 billion in AI and energy investments at an event in Pennsylvania. Relevant ETFs: MAGS Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Trump Trade has changed. Here are the 6 big themes for investors to watch.
The market playbook for Donald Trump's presidency has shifted in the months since his inauguration. Analysts at NDR updated their Trump Trade index, a group of investments tied to Trump's agenda. Strategists identified six themes for investors to monitor. Investors in the early days of Donald Trump's second term thought they had identified the clearest winners from the president's agenda, but more than halfway through his first year in office, the playbook has shifted. Analysts at Ned Davis Research this week said they recently revised their Trump Trade Index — an index of investment themes they believe will benefit from Trump's agenda. The firm's original Trump Trade Index included investment themes like space and reshoring, as well as bitcoin and Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Trump's social media network. "When we created our initial Trump Trade index prior to the 2024 election, we had only a general idea of Trump's agenda and key themes impacted," strategists wrote in a report on Wednesday. "However, after reviewing 170 executive orders, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and an ever-changing foray into tariffs, we have a much better indication of agenda priorities." Markets have been surprised by how Trump's policy agenda has shifted so far this year. US stocks soared after Trump secured his second term in office, before embarking on a wild roller coaster ride as Trump announced his worldwide tariff package and negotiations dragged into this summer. Here's an update on what investment themes investors should add to the Trump-era playbook. Defense Thesis: Trump signed a slew of executive orders supporting aerospace innovation and the drone, cybersecurity, and shipbuilding industries in the US. The GOP tax and spending bill has also earmarked around $150 billion for overall defense spending, $29 billion to shipbuilding, and $170 billion for border enforcement. The bill also has a $24 billion budget to help build the Golden Dome, an ambitious defense system that aims to put American anti-missile weapons into space. Factors like China's military advancement and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine also raise the risk that the US could become more involved in geopolitical conflict, strategists suggested. "While several themes look overbought, some are sure to have staying power over Trump's term. Unfortunately, we believe Defense could have staying power," the report said. Relevant ETFs: SHLD Metals & Mining Thesis: Trump has also signed executive orders supporting the copper and rare minerals industry in the US. Meanwhile, the Big Beautiful bill includes tax incentives that support energy exploration in the US, which could also boost the metals and mining industries. The president has also proposed steep tariffs on key commodities, like steel, copper, and aluminum. The metals and mining theme was on display already in the last week, when the Department of Defense announced a large stake in rare earth miner MP Materials. The stock surged on the news that the Pentagon would become the company's largest shareholder as it tries to strengthen America's position in a critical supply chain. Relevant ETFs: XME, REMX Traditional, Nuclear, and Hydrogen Energy Thesis: Energy was a cornerstone of Trump's campaign, and the president quickly declared a National Energy Emergency at the start of his term. "While Biden's agenda promoted Clean Energy, Trump clearly favors Traditional Energy, evidenced by orders to tap Alaska resources, remove production barriers, and promote Coal," strategists wrote. Uranium and Hydrogen energy are also in focus, the strategists added, pointing to "massive datacenter electricity demands." Trump has also proposed various tariffs that could raise energy prices, like tariffs on Canadian and Venezuelan energy, a 7.5% tariff on Uranium, and a 10% tariff on hydrogen-related goods. Relevant ETFs: IEO, URA, HYDR Bitcoin & Digital Assets Thesis: Trump, who branded himself as the "crypto president" on the campaign trail, has made a series of pushes into digital assets this year. Early in his second term, he signed an executive order that aimed to support the US's dominance in digital finance, and another that established a strategic bitcoin reserve. Lawmakers are also set to pass a slew of new crypto-related legislation this week, like the Senate's landmark stablecoin bill, the CLARITY Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. Relevant ETFs: IBIT, ARKF Artificial Intelligence Thesis: Trump's executive orders and a handful of provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are aimed at bolstering AI development in the US, The GOP tax and spending bill includes a $250 million budget for AI-driven cyber defense, as well as tax incentives for chipmakers to build their tech in the US. Trump also announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure project in January, which involves Softbank, OpenAI, and Oracle building more data centers in the US. This week, Trump announced another $90 billion in AI and energy investments at an event in Pennsylvania. Relevant ETFs: MAGS Read the original article on Business Insider
