Jiji press: Japan’s LDP tax panel’s Noda says the sales tax rise in inevitable

WMT's 5.3% growth & 45.2x P/E raise caution. VZ's 1.4% growth & 1.4x P/S signal slow returns. IBM's 4.8% sales growth & 17x P/E lag.

OKTA's 4.4x P/S valuation faces headwinds from slowing growth & shrinking FCF. WEN's 14.2x P/E masks weak sales.

Iran has launched a Bitcoin-backed shipping insurance service for Hormuz Strait transits, as Tehran simultaneously unveiled a new authority to formally manage strait traffic and collect transit fees.

ETSY's buyers drop 1.7%, revenue to fall 2.3%. SSNC margins dip. ULTA shines with 32.7% ROIC.

NextEra & Dominion merge, creating largest utility. Expects >9% EPS growth, boosting scale & efficiency.

Google & Blackstone launch AI cloud venture w/ $5B backing. High growth potential, but watch cloud competition risks.

AXON's 70.5% upside potential shines with 37.6% ARR growth, but TPR's low margins & HNI's debt raise red flags.