CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league’s biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS’ most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing decade, even finishing 26th in the 29-team league last year. But the Galaxy turned everything around this season with a high-scoring new lineup that finished second in the Western Conference and then streaked through the playoffs with a whopping 18 goals in five games to win another crown. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of its first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win MLS' playoff tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons. He was the MVP of the 2022 MLS Cup Final for the Galaxy's crosstown rival, Los Angeles FC. The Galaxy won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the Western Conference final. Puig watched the game in a suit, but his teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their fans during the celebration. Paintsil put the Galaxy ahead in the ninth minute when he ran onto that sublime pass from Brugman and pounded home his 14th MLS goal — including four in the playoffs — in the Ghanaian forward's outstanding first season. Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home the 21st goal of his outstanding year as the Galaxy's striker. Nealis got New York on the scoreboard in the 28th minute when he volleyed home a ball that got loose in LA's penalty area after a corner. The Galaxy's usually shaky defense gave up another handful of good chances before reaching halftime with a tenuous lead. The second half was lively, but scoreless. Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Gabriel Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose again in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. The Galaxy bench rushed onto the field and prematurely celebrated a victory in the seventh minute of injury time, only to be herded back off for another 30 seconds of play. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of traveling Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club’s breakthrough on MLS’ biggest stage. The Galaxy’s Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two clubs. The former Galaxy player also won it all with Toronto in 2017. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known young talents from around the world. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and the Ghanaian Paintsil out of Belgium, and the duo combined with incumbent Serbian striker Joveljic to form a potent attack that could outscore almost any MLS opponent. But the Galaxy also relied heavily on Puig, their Catalan catalyst and one of MLS’ best players. Puig stayed in last week's game after injuring his knee, and he even delivered the decisive pass to Joveljic for the game’s only goal. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
TCIG’S Network Has Been Compromised
NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve those priorities . Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza . He has threatened to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, warning "Buyer Beware!!!” And this weekend, Trump was returning to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. On Saturday, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron — joined at the last minute by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and had plans to see Britain's Prince William also in Paris. Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden is attending in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Trump already has met with several foreign leaders, in addition to a long list of calls. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Last Sunday, Trump dined with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “All transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for more a better deal. It also remains unclear how extensively the Biden administration has been kept apprised of Trump transition efforts. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. Still, the Biden and Trump teams have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain in held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who, like others, was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. But when it comes to immigration, Biden administration officials haven’t been entirely in the loop on discussions around how to execute on Trump’s pledge to deport millions of migrants, according to four administration officials with knowledge of the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s not terribly surprising given how differently the teams view migration. Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Security analyst David Saucedo said that "under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.” Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.
Swiss National Bank lessened its position in shares of Trex Company, Inc. ( NYSE:TREX – Free Report ) by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 212,300 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,400 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Trex were worth $14,135,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Comerica Bank lifted its stake in shares of Trex by 3.8% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 217,435 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $21,689,000 after acquiring an additional 8,036 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in Trex by 28.8% in the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 77,642 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $7,746,000 after purchasing an additional 17,376 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in Trex in the second quarter valued at about $726,000. Interval Partners LP bought a new stake in Trex in the first quarter valued at about $5,150,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Trex by 69.4% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 27,967 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,073,000 after purchasing an additional 11,455 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.96% of the company’s stock. Trex Stock Performance NYSE:TREX opened at $72.24 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.74 billion, a PE ratio of 32.99, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.49. Trex Company, Inc. has a 52-week low of $58.68 and a 52-week high of $101.91. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.59. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts recently commented on TREX shares. StockNews.com downgraded Trex from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Trex from $77.00 to $73.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Barclays lowered their price target on Trex from $68.00 to $67.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Trex from $97.00 to $85.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Stephens downgraded Trex from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $115.00 to $72.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $79.94. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on TREX Trex Profile ( Free Report ) Trex Company, Inc manufactures and distributes composite decking, railing, and outdoor living products and accessories for residential and commercial markets in the United States. It offers decking products and accessories under the names Trex Transcend, Trex Select, Trex Signature, Trex Transcend Lineage, and Trex Enhance for protection against fading, staining, mold, and scratching; Trex Hideaway, a hidden fastening system; and Trex DeckLighting, a LED dimmable deck lighting for use on posts, floors, and steps. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TREX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Trex Company, Inc. ( NYSE:TREX – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Trex Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Trex and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .NoneJustin Thomas was long off the tee and made some long putts as he shot a six-under 66 and seized a one-shot lead over world No.1 Scottie Scheffler going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Thomas is trying out a 46-inch driver - a little more than an inch longer than normal - that he previously used for practice at home to gain speed and length. He blasted a 361-yard drive to eight feet on the par-4 seventh hole and led the field in driving distance. But it was his long putts that put him ahead of Scheffler, who had a 69, following Saturday's third round of the 20-player, Tiger Woods-hosted tournament in the Bahamas. Thomas was on the verge of falling two shots behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy area and could only splash it out to nearly 50 feet. He made that one for a most unlikely birdie, while behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole and made his lone bogey of a windy day. Scheffler never caught up to him, missing birdie chances on the reachable 14th and the par-5 15th. Thomas hit his approach to 3 feet for birdie on the 16th after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to close within one. Thomas hasn't won since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Club wouldn't count as an official win. But the two-time major champion has made steady progress toward getting his game back in order. "I'm driving it great. I've had a lot of confidence with it," Thomas said of his longer driver. "I feel like I've been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green. I'm still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that's golf and we're always going to say that." Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will be in the final group Sunday with Scheffler, who is trying to end his spectacular season with a ninth title. Tom Kim put himself in the mix, which he might not have imagined on Thursday when he was three over through six holes. Kim got back in the game with a 65 on Friday, and then followed with 12 birdies for a 62. He was only two shots behind while Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was four behind Thomas in outright fourth place, a shot clear of Sahith Theegala (66) and Akshay Bhatia (71). "Feel like I've been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that's all I can do," Thomas said. "I can't control everybody else or what's going on, I've just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it's enough come Sunday."
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Anthropic are building a supercomputer that will be five times the size and have five times the performance of the one Anthropic used to train its current generation of artificial intelligence (AI) models. Dubbed “Project Rainier,” the EC2 UltraCluster of Trn2 UltraServers will use hundreds of thousands of Trainium2 chips for model training — five times the size of its previous cluster — AWS said in a Tuesday (Dec. 3) press release . The Trn2 UltraServers, which were introduced Tuesday and are available in preview, are designed to provide performance and cost efficiency for customers who are training and deploying AI models and future large language models and foundation models, according to the release. “With models approaching trillions of parameters, we understand customers also need a novel approach to train and run these massive workloads,” David Brown , vice president of compute and networking at AWS, said in the release. “New Trn2 UltraServers offer the fastest training and inference performance on AWS and help organizations of all sizes to train and deploy the world’s largest models faster and at a lower cost.” Project Rainier will deliver more than five times the number of exaflops — a measure of performance for a supercomputer — used by Anthropic for its current AI models, according to the release. “When completed, it is expected to be the world’s largest AI compute cluster reported to date available for Anthropic to build and deploy their future models on,” the release said. This news came about two weeks after Amazon and Anthropic announced an expanded partnership that includes Amazon investing another $4 billion in the AI company — bringing its total investment in Anthropic to $8 billion — and Anthropic making AWS its primary training partner. The expanded partnership builds on one announced in September 2023 that included Amazon making its initial investment of $4 billion in Anthropic and Anthropic making AWS its primary cloud partner. “By combining Anthropic’s expertise in frontier AI systems with AWS’s world-class infrastructure, we’re building a secure, enterprise-ready platform that gives organizations of all sizes access to the forefront of AI technology,” Anthropic said in a Nov. 22 press release announcing the expanded partnership.Sixers star Joel Embiid set to be disqualified from NBA awards for second season in a row(The Center Square) — California’s senators have sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg requesting last-minute federal funding for the state’s high-speed rail project before the Trump administration takes office in January. This move comes amid concerns that the incoming administration might pull federal funding from the now $135 billion project, and use California as a national example for redirecting federal funds from Democratic priorities. Once complete, the project is supposed to carry passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours, with one-way tickets priced at $86. It’s unclear how competitive this will be with air travel; one-way flights booked more than two weeks in advance currently cost $59 on Southwest, which includes two checked bags. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), proposed by the incoming Trump administration, aims to reduce what it views as wasteful government spending, recently spotlighted the project, and Congressmen Kevin Kiley, R-California, announced his bill to eliminate federal funding for the endeavor. Amid the state’s financial foes, a pause or withdrawal of federal funding could leave the state with no choice but to put the project on hold. During the spring, the California High Speed Rail Authority requested the use of state rainy day funding to plug the $8 billion to $10 billion funding shortfall for the system’s initial $30 billion to $33 billion, 171-mile segment connecting the cities of Bakersfield and Merced in the relatively sparsely populated Central Valley. But with the state’s legislative analyst now finding the state has “no capacity” for new spending and projecting annual deficits will soon rise to $30 billion, enhanced state support for the project is unlikely, leaving federal funding as the only option to fill the gap. The letter , signed by Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, and Reps. Pete Aguilar, Zoe Lofgren, and Jim Costa, requests an additional $536 million to join $134 million in state funds to complete a 30%, or preliminary, design of one tunnel in Southern California and one tunnel in Northern California. The letter also recounted the federal government’s existing $6.8 billion in support for the project, and $22 billion from California for the project thus far. “By preparing for future final design and construction of complex tunnels in this corridor, the Project will advance both state and federal goals to improve safety, expand economic strength and global competitiveness, address equity issues, and implement sustainability practices to confront climate change,” wrote the federal legislators. “These investments will continue to support living wage jobs, provide small business opportunities, and equitably enhance the mobility of communities in need – including disadvantaged agricultural communities – all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” In 2012, the state legislative analyst’s office found the bullet train would increase overall greenhouse gas emissions for the first 30 years of its operation, putting the project’s emissions impact — and state funding based on emissions reductions — into question. Kiley, who is aiming to pass a bill in Congress ending federal support for the project, said even if a grant is approved, he hopes to keep that money away from California’s bullet train. “A small group of CA Democrats is asking Biden to send even more money for High-Speed Rail ... before Congress can pass my bill to deny further funding,” said Kiley on X. “If Biden complies, we will make sure that the grant is promptly revoked.” Because U.S. Congress holds “power of the purse,” Kiley’s bill could allow the federal government to withhold any further funding from the project – even spending that is already approved. However, it's less clear whether the Trump administration could unilaterally halt funding. As a discretionary grant under the Department of Transportation, such a decision might fall within its authority, but political and legal challenges could arise.
Mutual of America Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of BlackLine, Inc. ( NASDAQ:BL – Free Report ) by 67.3% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 57,884 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 23,294 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in BlackLine were worth $3,192,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Quadrature Capital Ltd grew its stake in BlackLine by 346.5% in the first quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 31,846 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $2,055,000 after purchasing an additional 24,713 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers bought a new stake in BlackLine in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,572,000. Comerica Bank lifted its position in shares of BlackLine by 11.8% in the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 124,266 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $8,025,000 after buying an additional 13,066 shares during the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky acquired a new stake in shares of BlackLine in the first quarter valued at approximately $907,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of BlackLine by 9.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,380,961 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $476,662,000 after acquiring an additional 642,772 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.13% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity at BlackLine In other BlackLine news, insider Karole Morgan-Prager sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $550,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 113,865 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,262,575. This trade represents a 8.07 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, CFO Mark Partin sold 85,308 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.84, for a total transaction of $4,678,290.72. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 226,844 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,440,124.96. This trade represents a 27.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 134,108 shares of company stock worth $7,488,826. Company insiders own 9.93% of the company’s stock. BlackLine Stock Performance Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth BL has been the subject of several research reports. BTIG Research cut their price target on BlackLine from $71.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of BlackLine in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of BlackLine from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of BlackLine from $72.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on BlackLine from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BlackLine has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.10. Get Our Latest Report on BL About BlackLine ( Free Report ) BlackLine, Inc provides cloud-based solutions to automate and streamline accounting and finance operations worldwide. It offers financial close management solutions, such as account reconciliations that provides a centralized workspace for users to collaborate on account reconciliations; transaction matching that analyzes and reconciles individual transactions; task management to create and manage processes and task lists; and financial reporting analytics that enables analysis and validation of financial data. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackLine, Inc. ( NASDAQ:BL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for BlackLine Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackLine and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Bank of Nova Scotia BNS-T chief executive officer Scott Thomson expects uncertainty prompted by political leadership changes in the United States and Mexico – key markets at the heart of his plan to revamp the bank – will pass quickly, giving way to strong economic growth potential in North America. One year into Mr. Thomson’s strategic plan to rejig Scotiabank’s businesses, the lender’s future in part hinges on its ability to reallocate money to its North American businesses, where it believes it has bigger opportunities for growth resulting from increased trade between the countries. While discussing the bank’s fourth-quarter earnings results on Tuesday, the CEO said that the economic and government changes in the lender’s most important markets should not affect the bank’s plan in the years ahead. In November, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump said he would impose 25-per-cent tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico, which would stunt trade across North America. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum – who took office in October – is a former climate scientist tasked with managing a widening government budget deficit in a year when the country’s economy is expected to slow slightly. Scotiabank is closely monitoring policy decisions from the new administrations in Mexico and the U.S., Mr. Thomson said. “While new governments often bring initial uncertainty with respect to trade policy and relations, we believe policy will ultimately support a co-operative environment that encourages capital investment and continued regional growth,” Mr. Thomson said during a conference call with analysts. “We continue to believe in the long-term economic growth potential of the North American Corridor and the strategic value that connectivity among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico will provide to our clients and to the long-term success of the bank.” On home turf, with economists predicting further interest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada, Mr. Thomson said more rate reductions in the first half of 2025 should stimulate the housing and mortgage markets, as well as consumer and business confidence. Scotiabank reported higher fourth-quarter profit Tuesday but missed analysts’ estimates because of higher-than-expected expenses and lower profit in its capital markets business. Adjusted to exclude certain items, including impairment charges related to Scotiabank’s investment in China-based Bank of Xi’an Co Ltd. and a higher-than-expected tax rate, the bank said it earned $1.57 per share. That fell below the $1.60 per share analysts expected, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group. Scotiabank’s stock price slumped 3.4 per cent in Toronto. The lender’s shares have climbed 20 per cent this year, outperforming the 17-per-cent rise of the S&P/TSX Composite Banks Index. Scotiabank is the first major Canadian bank to report earnings for the fiscal fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada and National Bank of Canada will report results on Wednesday . Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will wrap up earnings week for the Big Six lenders on Thursday. Scotiabank’s profits rose from the same period a year earlier across most of the bank’s business, including a 34-per-cent increase in Canadian banking, where loan balances grew 2 per cent year over year and deposits rose by 7 per cent. A major component of Scotiabank’s new strategy relies on building its deposit base to tap into a cheaper source of funding. In the past year, Scotiabank has added 280,000 retail primary clients, who are customers that have a daily chequing account as well as another payment or investment product. As part of its plan, the bank set a goal to reach two million additional primary clients by 2028. Personal and commercial deposits made up 51 per cent of all bank deposits as of Oct. 31, up from 48 per cent in 2023. By 2028, Scotiabank plans for personal and commercial deposits to make up about 55 per cent of all bank deposits. “Our results reflect a year transition as we focused on our enterprise-wide priorities, aligned our capital allocation to each of our business lines and started our shift to a value over volume strategy,” Mr. Thomson said. “While this progress is meaningful, in order to meet our two-million incremental primary client target by 2028, we need to accelerate our progress in 2025 and beyond.” Scotiabank set aside $1.03-billion in provisions for credit losses – the funds banks set aside to cover loans that may default. That was lower than analysts anticipated, but higher than the amount it set aside in the same quarter last year. But as Canadians continue to grapple with high borrowing costs, Scotiabank set aside more funds for against loans that may not be repaid, based on models that use economic forecasting to predict future losses. The bank earmarked $1.04-billion for impaired loans as risk rises for debt in personal mortgages and home equity lines of credit. Scotiabank released $13-million in reserves for performing loans, which is debt that is still being repaid. The bank’s chief risk officer, Phil Thomas, said he expects provisions for credit losses to “remain slightly elevated” in the first half of 2025, before they ease in the latter half of the year as interest rates fall. Editor’s note: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of Bank of Xi’an Co Ltd, based on an incorrect spelling from the source. This version has been updated.
Luke Kromenhoek throws 3 TD passes as Florida St. ends six-game skid vs. Charleston SouthernPathstone Holdings LLC lessened its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies, Inc. ( NYSE:A – Free Report ) by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 36,861 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 1,668 shares during the quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC’s holdings in Agilent Technologies were worth $5,473,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in A. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in Agilent Technologies by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 15,064,660 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,952,832,000 after acquiring an additional 809,149 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 13.9% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,542,054 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,242,956,000 after purchasing an additional 1,042,926 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 6.6% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,976,905 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $442,011,000 after purchasing an additional 183,716 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc increased its stake in Agilent Technologies by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 2,667,616 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $396,088,000 after buying an additional 203,234 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Agilent Technologies by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,386,039 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $309,302,000 after buying an additional 52,550 shares in the last quarter. Insider Buying and Selling In other Agilent Technologies news, SVP Dominique Grau sold 9,990 shares of Agilent Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.00, for a total value of $1,448,550.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 40,011 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,801,595. This trade represents a 19.98 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Agilent Technologies Stock Performance Agilent Technologies ( NYSE:A – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The medical research company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.56 billion. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 25.26% and a net margin of 21.75%. The firm’s revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year. Agilent Technologies Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.248 dividend. This is an increase from Agilent Technologies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. Agilent Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 19.50%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have commented on A. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $140.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Agilent Technologies from $141.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $144.36. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on A Agilent Technologies Company Profile ( Free Report ) Agilent Technologies, Inc provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers liquid chromatography systems and components; liquid chromatography mass spectrometry systems; gas chromatography systems and components; gas chromatography mass spectrometry systems; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry instruments; atomic absorption instruments; microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry instruments; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry instruments; raman spectroscopy; cell analysis plate based assays; flow cytometer; real-time cell analyzer; cell imaging systems; microplate reader; laboratory software; information management and analytics; laboratory automation and robotic systems; dissolution testing; and vacuum pumps, and measurement technologies. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding A? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Agilent Technologies, Inc. ( NYSE:A – Free Report ). 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Today’s energy sparks passion and connection. Whether single or in a relationship, embrace heartfelt conversations and meaningful gestures to strengthen bonds. Some may experience intense emotions, while others find joy in simple, tender moments, creating opportunities for growth and deeper love. Aries:Nostalgia fills the air as you reconnect with memories of past love. A chance encounter with an old flame could leave you questioning current priorities. Be mindful of what truly makes your heart happy. Taurus:Love blossoms through shared intimacy today. Simple acts, like preparing a meal together, can deepen your bond. Don't shy away from expressing gratitude—it will work wonders. Gemini: Social gatherings bring thrilling opportunities for connection. Sparks might fly in unexpected places, but tread carefully to discern fleeting attraction from meaningful interest. Cancer: Emotional depth defines the day. 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Whether single or committed, embrace playful experiences that deepen your connection and create unforgettable memories. Capricorn: The day invites you to focus on creating meaningful memories with your partner. Even small gestures, like a handwritten note, can have a lasting impact on your relationship. Aquarius: A moment of introspection helps clarify your feelings about someone special. Let go of lingering doubts and embrace honest communication to deepen the connection. Pisces: Romance flourishes in creative spaces. Whether painting, cooking, or writing, expressing your emotions through art can create a magical bond with someone close. Also See: Horoscope Predictions for 2025Aries Horoscope 2025Taurus Horoscope 2025Gemini Horoscope 2025Cancer Horoscope 2025Leo Horoscope 2025Virgo Horoscope 2025Libra Horoscope 2025Scorpio Horoscope 2025Sagittarius Horoscope 2025Capricorn Horoscope 2025Aquarius Horoscope 2025Pisces Horoscope 2025 Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Astrology and around the world.The Atlanta Falcons drafting of Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract doesn't seem like that much of a head-scratcher anymore. Penix, the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, was supposed to serve as Cousins' understudy for a year or two, a plan that was scuttled when Cousins quickly lost the zip and accuracy on his passes and his grip on the starting job. It was hard to argue with making the change after Cousins had nine picks and one touchdown pass in his last five starts — but it was a daring move nonetheless with the Falcons trailing first-place Tampa Bay by a single game with three weeks left. Penix made the move pay off with a solid first NFL start in the Falcons' 34-7 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday that bolstered Atlanta's playoff hopes , and the Falcons (8-7) moved back into first place in the NFC South with the Buccaneers' loss at Dallas on Sunday night. The left-hander was not at all overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards — numbers that would’ve been better if not for at least three dropped passes, one of which Kyle Pitts bobbled right into the hands of a New York defender for Penix’s lone interception. “He went out and played almost flawless football,” coach Raheem Morris said. Cousins will almost certainly be looking for his fourth team in 2025. If the Falcons cut ties as expected, they'll have paid Cousins $90 million for 14 games. Cousins' career earnings are about $321 million and his record is 84-77-2, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs and 7-7 this season. In the spirit of expedited judgments, let's take a gander at how other quarterbacks have fared with their new teams in 2024. Russell Wilson The Pittsburgh Steelers landed the biggest bargain of the season in Wilson, whom they signed for the veteran's minimum of $1.21 million, leaving his former team, the Denver Broncos, on the hook for the remaining $37.79 million of his 2024 salary. Wilson's calf injury in camp forced the Steelers to start Justin Fields, who went 4-2 before Mike Tomlin made the risky switch to Wilson, who's gone 6-3 with 15 TD throws and four interceptions. With the Steelers (10-5) playoff-bound, Wilson will make his first postseason appearance since 2020. The only question is whether it'll be at home as AFC North champ or on the road as a wild-card. They're tied with the Ravens atop the division but currently own the tiebreaker. Sam Darnold This was expected to be a rebuilding year in Minnesota after the Vikings lost Cousins in free agency. They signed Darnold, the third overall pick in 2018, to a $10 million, one-year contract and drafted national champion J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener and has undergone two surgeries, opening the way for Darnold's breakthrough season. Darnold brought a 21-35 career record with him to Minneapolis and all he's done is go 13-2 while setting career highs with 32 touchdown passes, 3,776 passing yards and a 67.2% completion percentage. The Vikings are tied with the Lions atop the packed NFC North and the division crown could come down to Minnesota's season finale at Detroit on Jan. 5. Gardner Minshew The Las Vegas Raiders signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract and he beat out incumbent Aidan O'Connell for the starting gig. But he only went 2-7 and sustained a season-ending broken collarbone in a Week 12 loss to the Broncos, opening the door for O'Connell (1-4) to return. The Raiders' 19-14 win over Jacksonville on Sunday snapped a 10-game skid but might have taken them out of the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes. They are 3-12, a game behind the Giants (2-13), who jettisoned QB Daniel Jones less than two years after signing him to a four-year, $160 million contract and have gone with Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito instead. Caleb Williams The Chicago Bears had high hopes after drafting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, but it might turn out that the second QB taken — Washington's Jayden Daniels — is better than the first as was the case last year when C.J. Stroud outperformed Carolina's Bryce Young. Williams has a terrific TD-to-INT ratio of 19-5, but the Bears are 4-11 and have lost nine in a row. Their last win came way back on Oct. 13 against Jacksonville. Jayden Daniels The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU has led the Washington Commanders (10-5) to the cusp of their first playoff appearance since 2020. His bolstered his Rookie of the Year credentials with a five-TD performance Sunday in leading the Commanders to a 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. For the year, Daniels has 22 TD throws and eight interceptions. Bo Nix The former Auburn and Oregon star hasn't looked much like a rookie after starting an NCAA QB record 61 times in college. The Broncos (9-6) could snap an eight-year playoff drought with a win Sunday at Cincinnati thanks to Nix's steady play , Sean Payton's exhaustive guidance and Denver's traditionally stingy defense. Nix was drafted 12th overall after the Broncos released Wilson despite a a whopping $85 million dead money charge on top of the $37.79 million they're paying Wilson to play for Pittsburgh this year. With 22 TDs and 11 interceptions, Nix has almost matched Russell's win total (11-19) in his two seasons in Denver. ___ AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Behind the Call analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL during the season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Arnie Stapleton, The Associated Press
Sonic 3 Understands the Importance of Voice Acting, and It ShowsCARROLLTON, Ga. (AP) — Shelton Williams-Dryden had 19 points in West Georgia's 78-73 win against Tennessee Tech on Saturday. Williams-Dryden also contributed six assists for the Wolves (1-10). Malcolm Noel scored 13 points while shooting 4 for 6 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line and added five assists. Rickey Ballard shot 5 for 11, including 2 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. The Wolves broke a 10-game losing streak. Rodney Johnson Jr. finished with 17 points and seven rebounds for the Golden Eagles (4-6). Mekhi Cameron added 15 points and three steals for Tennessee Tech. Jaylon Johnson also had 12 points, six assists and two steals. NEXT UP Both teams play again on Tuesday. West Georgia visits Charlotte and Tennessee Tech travels to play Western Illinois. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
