Blue Owl Stock Slides After Moody's Cuts Outlook To "Negative" On Surging Redemption Requests

Lowe's CEO Warns Housing Market "Most Difficult" Since Financial Crisis As DIY Project Demand Crumbles Home improvement retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe's warned this week that consumers remain reluctant to splurge on big-ticket home improvement items, as elevated mortgage rates, high home prices, energy inflation, weakening sentiment, and broader macroeconomic uncertainty weigh on demand. Let's begin with Home Depot, which on Wednesday reported mixed first-quarter results. At the same time, management said on the conference call that it is not expecting a "marked improvement in underlying demand." Bernstein analyst Zhihan...

Audemars Piguet x Swatch's Affordable Watch Launch Sparks Lines Across World Luxury watchmakers Audemars Piguet and Swatch have done the unthinkable: unveiling a new, affordable collaboration aimed at younger buyers, with prices ranging from $400 to, of course, $420. Called the "Royal Pop," the affordable handheld watch inspired by pop art is clearly a mass-market move aimed at stimulating the Swiss watch market after muted activity over the last few years, following the massive run-up fueled by cheap money during the pandemic. Keep in mind that the average Audemars Piguet watch...

Will Black Voters Rescue The GOP In 2026? The Republican Party is bracing for a brutal midterm election this year. Polls show Democrats ahead in the generic congressional ballot, and prediction markets give them solid odds of taking the House and a modest chance of flipping the Senate. But despite polls and prediction markets, there are signs that the GOP could defy history. And it comes down to black voters. Could black voters actually be the secret weapon that keeps Republicans in power after the 2026 midterms? The numbers, at least according...