LONG BEACH, Calif. — Molina Healthcare Inc. shares skyrocketed more than 11% Thursday, surging to around $170.49 as investors cheered the managed care giant’s first-quarter 2026 earnings beat and disciplined medical cost management amid a challenging environment for health insurers.
Molina Healthcare Stock Explodes 11% on Q1 Earnings Beat and Cost Control Wins
The stock (NYSE: MOH) opened sharply higher and maintained strong gains throughout the session on April 23, with volume well above average. The move comes one day after the company reported adjusted earnings that topped Wall Street forecasts, helping ease concerns following a difficult 2025 and positioning Molina as a standout performer in the Medicaid-heavy sector.
Molina posted first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $2.35, beating analysts’ consensus estimates around $1.92 to $2.17. Total revenue reached $10.8 billion, slightly below expectations of about $10.83 billion to $10.87 billion but still reflecting operational resilience. Premium revenue stood at approximately $10.2 billion.
The consolidated medical care ratio (MCR) came in at a solid 91.1%, demonstrating effective cost controls despite ongoing industry pressures. Medicaid MCR was 92%, Medicare 89.8% and Marketplace 84%. Management highlighted modestly favorable medical cost trends and successful rate updates that landed as expected.
A $93 million impairment charge related to the planned 2027 exit from the Medicare Advantage-Part D product weighed on GAAP results, pulling net income to $14 million and GAAP EPS to $0.27. However, investors largely looked past the one-time hit, focusing instead on adjusted figures and forward guidance.
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Molina reaffirmed its full-year 2026 outlook for premium revenue of approximately $42 billion and adjusted earnings of at least $5.00 per diluted share. While the revenue midpoint sits below some prior internal targets, analysts viewed the reaffirmation as prudent conservatism in a volatile cost environment.
CEO Joe Zubretsky and the management team emphasized strong execution across segments during the earnings call. Dual-eligible products are off to a solid start, and pricing adjustments in Medicare are tracking in line with expectations. The company continues navigating a complex Medicaid landscape with disciplined utilization management.
Wall Street reacted positively. Several firms issued intraday commentary praising the earnings surprise and cost discipline. The beat helped offset lingering concerns from Molina’s Q4 2025 miss, which had been dragged down by retroactive rate adjustments and elevated costs.
Molina’s business model, heavily weighted toward Medicaid and government-sponsored programs, has faced headwinds from rising medical trends, redeterminations and regulatory shifts. Yet Thursday’s rally signals growing confidence that the company has stabilized margins and can deliver on its conservative 2026 targets.
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The stock’s year-to-date performance had been choppy prior to the report, reflecting broader sector pressures. However, the double-digit surge Thursday pushed shares toward recent highs and underscored the market’s appetite for earnings beats in healthcare. Analysts maintain a range of targets, with some bulls eyeing recovery to the $180-$190 level if execution continues.
Broader industry context supports the optimism. Recent Medicare rate increases for 2027 and positive signals from larger peers like UnitedHealth have lifted sentiment across managed care names. Molina’s focus on cost containment and its regional strengths in key Medicaid markets position it to benefit from any stabilization in utilization.
Financially, the company generated robust operating cash flow in the quarter, providing flexibility for share repurchases, debt management and strategic investments. Molina maintains a solid balance sheet despite the impairment, giving it runway to weather ongoing challenges in government program reimbursements.
Analysts note that Molina’s lower valuation multiples compared to some national peers offer a potential margin of safety. With shares trading at attractive levels relative to normalized earnings power, the earnings reaction could mark the start of a re-rating if Q2 trends remain favorable.
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Challenges remain on the horizon. Medicaid redeterminations continue across states, medical cost inflation persists in certain categories, and the Medicare exit will require careful transition management. Competition in Marketplace plans and potential policy shifts under evolving federal priorities add layers of uncertainty.
Yet management struck a measured tone, highlighting operational improvements and confidence in 2026 guidance. The earnings call focused on prudent risk management rather than aggressive growth projections, a stance that resonated with investors seeking stability.
For a company once viewed as a high-growth Medicaid pure-play, Molina is now executing a more balanced strategy that prioritizes margin protection and sustainable returns. Thursday’s market reaction reflects relief that the worst of recent pressures may be behind it.
As trading continued Thursday afternoon, MOH shares consolidated some gains but held firmly in positive territory. The move stands out in a mixed broader market, highlighting sector-specific momentum in health insurers delivering on cost control.
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Longer-term, Molina’s trajectory will depend on successful navigation of rate environments, enrollment stability and disciplined capital allocation. With a reaffirmed outlook and a strong Q1 foundation, the company appears better positioned to rebuild investor confidence through the remainder of 2026.
The impressive intraday surge caps a volatile period for the stock and could draw fresh attention from value-oriented investors. As one of the more focused players in government-sponsored healthcare, Molina’s ability to control costs while serving vulnerable populations remains central to its story.
Thursday’s results and market response suggest that after a tough stretch, Molina Healthcare is demonstrating the operational resilience many had been waiting to see. Whether this momentum sustains will hinge on consistent execution in the quarters ahead.
Fastenal Company (FAST) Shareholder/Analyst Call April 23, 2026 11:00 AM EDT
Company Participants
Scott Satterlee John Milek – VP & General Counsel Jeffery Watts – President & Chief Sales Officer Daniel Florness – CEO & Director
Conference Call Participants
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Mark Dumke Ken Lyons Kate Hazelton Andrew Elcock
Presentation
Scott Satterlee
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Good morning, everybody, and welcome to Fastenal’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. My name is Scott Satterlee, Chair of the Board. And first off, I’d like to thank and appreciate the global Fastenal Blue Team for that intro video. Before we move on to official business, actually, I want to make sure I thank everybody here for taking the time as well as those watching on the webcast. We appreciate your connection and your investment in Fastenal. So thank you very much.
Before we move on to official business, I would like to introduce Pastor Mark Dumke, the retired pastor of Faith Lutheran Church to lead the invocation.
Mark Dumke
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Thank you, Scott, for the invitation. And friends, it’s good to be here with you again this morning. I’m thinking of 2 words this morning, gratitude and confidence. Dan, I’ve known you since you moved to town in 1996. And with your wife, Jenny, and your 4 wonderful kids who have now grown to be outstanding adults. It’s been a pleasure to watch you and Fastenal and your family grow. Likewise, it’s been a pleasure, along with all of you to watch the growth of Fastenal all of these years. I am grateful for your integrity and for your leadership and stewardship of the Fastenal company, especially as CEO these past 10 years. Congratulations.
I’m also confident in the ability of Fastenal to continually raise up leaders who are the best in the industry. I’m confident in your successor, Jeff Watts, who will build on your
LOS ANGELES — Netflix subscribers in the U.S. have a stacked lineup of films to stream throughout April 2026, blending high-octane new originals with timeless classics and buzzy returning favorites that are dominating watch lists nationwide.
10 Must-Watch Movies on Netflix This April 2026: From Shark Thrillers to Oscar Favorites
As spring weather tempts viewers outdoors, the streaming giant’s April slate keeps audiences glued to their screens with shark-infested survival tales, star-studded thrillers and critically acclaimed dramas. Here’s a curated look at 10 of the best movies available or newly arriving on Netflix this month, perfect for movie nights from coast to coast.
1. Thrash (2026, New April 10) This breakout Netflix Original has rocketed to the top of charts since its debut, delivering a wild hybrid of disaster and creature-feature horror. Directed by Tommy Wirkola, the film follows residents of a South Carolina coastal town devastated by a Category 5 hurricane. Floodwaters bring not just destruction but bloodthirsty sharks swimming through submerged streets. Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak and Djimon Hounsou lead a cast navigating chaos, gore and narrow escapes. While some critics call it silly B-movie fare, its tense set pieces and over-the-top premise make it a crowd-pleasing thrill ride for fans of “Sharknado”-style fun.
2. Apex (2026, New April 24) Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton deliver intense performances in this highly anticipated survival thriller arriving late in the month. Theron stars as a grieving woman seeking solace in a rugged solo trek through the Australian Outback. Her journey turns deadly when she becomes the target of a sadistic hunter played by Egerton. With stunning wilderness cinematography and edge-of-your-seat cat-and-mouse action, “Apex” promises heart-pounding sequences and strong star chemistry. Early buzz suggests it could be one of Netflix’s biggest hits of the spring.
3. Roommates (2026, New April 17) Adam Sandler’s daughter Sadie Sandler steps into the spotlight in this fresh Netflix comedy. The film follows a shy college freshman who befriends a confident new roommate, only for their budding friendship to spiral into hilarious passive-aggressive rivalry. Packed with a strong ensemble including Chloe East, Natasha Lyonne and Nick Kroll, it captures the awkward highs and lows of young adulthood with laugh-out-loud moments and relatable charm.
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4. Atonement (2007) Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan shine in this sweeping, Oscar-nominated adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel. The story spans decades, exploring love, war and the devastating consequences of a childhood lie. Joe Wright’s direction brings lyrical beauty and emotional weight, making it a perennial favorite for viewers craving dramatic storytelling. Its April availability gives new audiences a chance to discover this modern classic.
5. Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece remains the gold standard for summer blockbusters and shark thrillers. As “Thrash” draws fans to aquatic horror, Netflix’s inclusion of the original — plus sequels — offers the perfect pairing. Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss battle a great white terrorizing a beach town in a film that still delivers masterful tension and unforgettable scares decades later.
6. American Gangster (2007) Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe deliver powerhouse performances in Ridley Scott’s gritty crime epic. Washington stars as real-life Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, while Crowe plays the determined detective pursuing him. The film’s rich 1970s detail, intense performances and moral complexity make it essential viewing for fans of prestige dramas and true-story thrillers.
7. Mission: Impossible (1996) Tom Cruise’s iconic franchise kicks off with this high-stakes original, now streaming alongside later entries. Ethan Hunt and his IMF team race to clear their names after a botched mission. The film’s practical stunts, clever twists and relentless pace set the template for one of Hollywood’s most enduring action series.
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8. Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Sandra Hüller’s riveting performance anchors this Oscar-winning courtroom drama. When a husband dies after falling from a window, his wife becomes the prime suspect. Justine Triet’s film masterfully blurs lines between truth and perception in a tense exploration of marriage and justice. Its addition to Netflix brings fresh acclaim to U.S. viewers.
9. The Iron Claw (2023) This biographical wrestling drama delivers emotional punches with Zac Efron’s transformative performance as Kevin Von Erich. The film chronicles the Von Erich family’s triumphs and tragedies in the ring, offering a moving look at brotherhood, legacy and the cost of athletic glory. Strong supporting work and visceral fight scenes elevate it beyond typical sports biopics.
10. Hell or High Water (2016) Chris Pine and Ben Foster star as brothers turning to bank robbery in a desperate bid to save the family ranch in this modern Western. Jeff Bridges shines as the Texas Ranger on their trail. Taylor Sheridan’s sharp script and David Mackenzie’s direction create a gripping tale of economic hardship and familial bonds that resonates powerfully today.
Beyond these standouts, Netflix continues rotating strong library titles including “IF,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “The Creator” and family favorites like “Matilda.” New documentaries such as “Untold: Chess Mates” and “The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson” add compelling nonfiction options for viewers seeking real-life stories.
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Industry observers note Netflix’s strategy this month balances buzzy originals with evergreen hits to drive engagement. With rising interest in both escapist thrills and prestige fare, the platform’s April offerings cater to diverse tastes across generations. Analysts expect “Thrash” and “Apex” to boost subscriber viewing hours significantly.
For families, comedies and animated options like “The Bad Guys 2” provide lighter viewing. Action enthusiasts can binge the “Mission: Impossible” collection, while drama lovers revisit award contenders. Availability can vary slightly by region, so checking the app for U.S. libraries is recommended.
Netflix has invested heavily in original content while leveraging licensed catalog strength, creating a robust monthly rotation. As competition in streaming intensifies, the service’s ability to mix fresh releases with proven crowd-pleasers keeps it dominant in U.S. households.
Viewers looking for more can explore trending charts or personalized recommendations. Whether craving shark attacks, wilderness chases or heartfelt stories, April 2026 delivers something for every Netflix subscriber. Grab the popcorn and settle in — the month’s best watches are ready to stream.
Even as foreign institutional investors (FIIs) pulled out billions from Indian equities amid global volatility and geopolitical tensions in the March quarter, select pockets of the market continued to see steady inflows. One such stock drawing attention is Suzlon Energy, where FIIs have increased their stake for the third straight quarter.
Shareholding data for the March quarter shows FII ownership in Suzlon Energy shares inching up to 23.9% from 23.7% in the December quarter of FY26. Their holding stood at 22.7% in the September quarter and 23% in the June quarter. Retail participation has also strengthened, with holdings rising to 26.67% from 26.20%.
The stock itself has been on a strong run, rallying about 35% over the past month. The surge in Suzlon shares comes as rising temperatures fuel expectations of higher power demand during the summer months. JM Financial has termed Suzlon an “unintended beneficiary” of the ongoing Iran-US conflict.
Expectations for the March quarter remain robust. JM Financial estimates revenue could jump 51% year-on-year to Rs 5,708 crore. EBITDA is projected to rise 54% to Rs 1,068 crore, while net profit is likely to grow 53% to Rs 888.8 crore.
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Brokerages continue to remain positive on the company’s long-term outlook. Systematix points to Suzlon’s leadership in India’s wind energy space, with around a 35% share in installations and a strong order book of 6.5 GW, offering clear growth visibility. Its integrated business model spanning manufacturing, EPC, and operations and maintenance is expected to support recurring revenues and margin expansion.
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The company’s improving balance sheet is another key positive. After years of high leverage, Suzlon has strengthened its financial position through deleveraging and tighter working capital management. This has enhanced its ability to bid for larger renewable energy projects. JM Financial expects India to clock another record year for capacity additions in FY27, surpassing the 6.1 GW peak seen in FY26. It noted that Suzlon has been dealing with a widening gap between deliveries and installations. As of March 31, 2025, the company had 371 MW of sets erected and ready for commissioning, about 10% higher than installations.This gap widened to 776 MW as of December 31, 2025, or 76% higher than installations, raising concerns around execution and fresh order inflows. However, the brokerage expects a sharp improvement in commissioning during the first half of FY27, which could boost cash flows and trigger a new cycle of orders.
JM Financial has retained its ‘Buy’ rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 64. This implies an upside potential of over 30% from the previous closing price of Rs 49.13.
At about 12:15 pm, Suzlon Energy shares were trading 0.5% lower at Rs 54.33 on the BSE.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said a potential merger with rival United Airlines would hurt consumers and would be anticompetitive.
United CEO Scott Kirby floated the idea of a possible merger with American to a Trump administration official earlier this year, according to people familiar with the matter, eyeing a global expansion that could take on other international carriers.
“Merging the world’s two largest airline together, that was a nonstarter from the get-go,” Isom told CNBC’s Phil LeBeau on Thursday, shortly after the company reported first-quarter results. “At the end of the day there’s no way to view that as anything but anticompletive, bad for customers, ultimately bad for American Airlines, bad for our team.”
Isom declined to say if United made a formal inquiry to American.
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“I’m not going to get into details,” he said. On Friday, American issued a statement saying that it is “not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines.”
President Donald Trump said he was against the idea earlier this week.
“I don’t like having them merge,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday morning. He said he would, however, like someone to buy struggling discount carrier Spirit but he also suggested that the federal government could “help that one out.”
The Trump administration is currently in advanced talks for a rescue package for Spirit that could give the government a significant ownership stake in the discount carrier, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.
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American has trailed competitors United — where Kirby previously served as president — and Delta Air Lines, and is trying to catch up through investments in premium products, like new planes and lounges.
Sales reps spend an average of eight hours per week on post-call admin. That’s a full working day lost to writing up notes, updating the CRM, and chasing action items before they’ve made a single new call.It adds up to something more serious than inconvenience. When note-taking splits your attention during a call, you miss the signals that close deals. The prospect hesitates on price and you’re too busy writing to notice. A competitor gets mentioned in passing and it doesn’t make it into the CRM. The next step gets agreed but nobody captures exactly who owns it.AI note takers for sales calls solve both problems at once. They record and transcribe automatically, so you stay present during the conversation. Then they produce a structured summary, extract action items, and in many cases update your CRM directly before you’ve moved on to the next call.According to Gartner, manual CRM data entry is the single largest time drain for sales teams. The tools below cut it significantly. Here’s what’s worth using in 2026.
1. Bluedot — Best Overall for Client-Facing Sales Teams
Bluedot AI Note Taker is bot-free, which matters more on sales calls than almost anywhere else. Most note-taking tools join your call as a named participant “AI Notetaker has entered the meeting” which creates an awkward moment with prospects who weren’t expecting it. Bluedot records through a Chrome extension or desktop app, entirely on your end, with nothing appearing in the attendee list.For sales teams whose calls involve first impressions and trust-building, this removes a friction point that most tools simply ignore.The transcription covers 100+ languages, which is increasingly relevant as sales teams work across markets and prospects join from different countries. Summaries are structured and ready to use, and an AI chatbot lets you search across your entire call history “what did the prospect at [company] say about their current supplier?” and get a direct answer rather than hunting through transcripts.Transcripts stay private by default, which matters when your calls contain pricing discussions, competitive positioning, or information you’d rather not auto-distribute. The Business plan integrates directly with Salesforce and HubSpot, pushing meeting notes into deal records automatically.iOS and Android apps cover in-person sales meetings and site visits, not just video calls.Pricing: Free plan (5 lifetime meetings). Basic from £11/user/month. Business plan (CRM integrations) from £26/user/month.Best for: Sales teams where call tone and client rapport matter, and where a visible recording bot would create friction.
Pros
Cons
Bot-free — nothing appears in the attendee list
Free plan: 5 lifetime meetings only
100+ languages for global sales teams
CRM integration requires Business plan
Transcripts private by default
AI search across full call history
iOS and Android apps for in-person meetings
Direct CRM sync with Salesforce and HubSpot
2. Fireflies AI — Best for CRM Automation
Fireflies AI is built around one core promise: every sales call ends with your CRM already updated. It joins via a bot, transcribes in real time, and then automatically pushes notes, action items, and call summaries into Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and 200+ other tools — without anyone touching a keyboard.For sales teams where CRM hygiene is a persistent problem — where reps skip updates because they’re in back-to-back calls, or where deal records are patchy because notes never made it across — Fireflies addresses this structurally rather than through better habits.The AskFred AI lets you query your entire call library across the whole team, not just your own calls. A manager can ask “what objections have come up most in discovery calls this month?” and get an answer from the data rather than polling the team in a meeting.Sentiment analysis adds a layer beyond transcript accuracy: post-call breakdowns of how engaged the prospect was, which moments triggered a change in tone, and where the conversation shifted.Fireflies explicitly does not train AI models on your meeting data, which addresses one of the more serious concerns around sensitive sales conversations.Pricing: Free (800 minutes storage). Pro from £8/user/month (annually). Business from £15/user/month.Best for: Sales teams running high call volumes who need CRM updates to happen automatically without relying on reps to do it manually.
Credit-based AI features deplete quickly on busy teams
AskFred AI queries across full team call library
Auto-sharing defaults need adjusting
100+ languages
Does not train AI on your call data
3. Fathom — Best Free Starting Point
Fathom offers the most generous free plan in this category: unlimited recording, unlimited transcription, and unlimited storage at no cost. No credit card, no monthly cap, no expiry date.For a small sales team testing whether AI note-taking actually improves their workflow before committing to a subscription, this is the lowest-risk entry point available. Summaries arrive quickly — roughly 30 seconds after a call ends — and 15+ pre-built templates include formats specifically for sales calls, discovery conversations, and client check-ins.The limitations are real but specific. Fathom uses a visible bot, so clients on the call will see it. There’s no mobile app, which rules out in-person meetings. CRM field-level sync requires the Business plan at £20/user/month. And AI summaries on the free plan are capped at 5 per month before the format steps down.For teams that primarily sell over video and want to eliminate post-call note-writing at zero upfront cost, Fathom is the obvious first tool to try.Pricing: Free forever (unlimited recordings, 5 AI summaries/month). Premium from £13/month. Business from £20/user/month for CRM sync.Best for: Early-stage sales teams and individual reps who want to start saving time on call documentation without a subscription commitment.
Pros
Cons
Genuinely free — unlimited recordings, no time limit
Visible bot in every call
30-second summaries after calls end
No mobile app — in-person not covered
Sales call summary templates included
AI summaries: 5/month on free plan
SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA compliant
CRM sync requires Business tier
Does not train AI on your data
28 languages only
4. Avoma — Best for Sales Coaching and Team Management
Avoma sits in a different category from the other tools on this list. Where Bluedot and Fathom focus on capture and documentation, Avoma is built around coaching: using call data to improve how your team sells, not just to record what was said.After every call, Avoma produces transcripts and summaries alongside structured analytics: talk-time ratios, question frequency, competitor mentions, and adherence to your sales methodology. Managers can review calls without watching full recordings, identify coaching opportunities at scale, and track whether reps are actually following MEDDIC, BANT, or whatever framework the team uses.AI-generated coaching scorecards after each call give managers a consistent, objective basis for feedback — which is particularly valuable for SME sales leaders who can’t sit in on every call but need to know where deals are stalling and why.Avoma integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive, and provides a 14-day free trial with full feature access.The trade-off is complexity and cost. Avoma’s pricing is modular — the base AI Meeting Assistant plan is required for all users, with Conversation Intelligence and Revenue Intelligence as add-ons. For a small team that just needs clean notes, it’s more than necessary. For a team that wants to use call data to actively improve performance, it pays for itself quickly.Pricing: Base plan from £15/user/month. Conversation Intelligence add-on £23/user/month. 14-day free trial available.Best for: Sales managers running a team of 3+ reps who want coaching insights and performance data from calls, not just transcripts.
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Pros
Cons
Coaching scorecards with MEDDIC/BANT/SPICED support
Modular pricing — add-ons stack up quickly
Talk-time analytics and call quality metrics
More complex than most teams need
CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive
Visible bot in calls
14-day free trial with full access
English-only — no multilingual support
Significantly cheaper than enterprise alternatives like Gong
5. tl;dv — Best for Sharing Call Insights Across the Team
tl;dv is built around a specific problem that sales teams deal with constantly: getting the right information from a call to the right people, without making everyone watch a 45-minute recording.Select any line in the transcript and tl;dv generates a shareable clip of that exact moment. A competitor mention. A pricing objection. A prospect’s description of their current pain. That clip can go directly into Slack, a team channel, or a deal review — giving stakeholders the specific context they need in seconds rather than a full recording they’ll never watch.Multi-meeting intelligence adds another layer: tl;dv can analyse patterns across all your calls, generate recurring reports, and surface trends without anyone manually reviewing individual recordings. What objections are coming up most this quarter? Which deal stages have the highest drop-off in conversation quality? These questions get answered from the data.The Pro plan at around £8/user/month is one of the most affordable paid options in the category. It’s GDPR-compliant with EU data residency, which matters for sales teams handling EU prospect data.The limitation is that the free plan caps AI-powered summaries at 10 for the lifetime of the account — not per month — so most active sales reps will move to the paid plan quickly. There’s no mobile app for in-person capture.Pricing: Free (unlimited recordings, 10 AI summaries lifetime). Pro from £8/user/month (annually). Business £47/user/month.Best for: Sales teams that need to share specific call moments across stakeholders and managers who want trend data across the full call library.
Pros
Cons
Video clip creation — share exact call moments instantly
Free plan: 10 AI summaries lifetime only
Multi-meeting intelligence and trend reporting
No mobile app
Affordable Pro plan (£8/user/month)
Visible bot in calls
GDPR-compliant, EU data residency
Large jump from Pro to Business plan
30+ languages
Which One Is Right for Your Sales Team?
The right tool depends on what’s actually costing you time and deals right now.If a visible bot disrupts your client calls: Bluedot. Bot-free recording keeps the conversation natural, and the CRM sync handles the post-call admin.If your CRM is consistently out of date: Fireflies. The automatic CRM updates after every call address this structurally rather than through better rep discipline.If budget is the deciding factor: Fathom. The unlimited free plan is genuine — no hidden caps, no credit card.If you manage a team and need coaching data: Avoma. The call analytics and coaching scorecards give you something to coach from rather than relying on secondhand accounts of how calls went.If your team needs to share call insights quickly: tl;dv. The clip workflow gets the right moment to the right person in seconds, without anyone sitting through a full recording.All five have free plans or trials. The best way to know which fits is to run one through a week of real calls.
A Spirit Airlines plane at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Leslie Josephs/CNBC
Spirit Airlines’ accessible cash to keep operating won’t last long and a government rescue package is on the table, a lawyer for the struggling budget carrier said at a hearing Thursday.
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The company needs access to existing cash or new funding in the next few days to continue operations, said Marshall Huebner of Davis Polk, the airline’s lawyer.
“The cash actually available to Spirit to fund ongoing operations is not going to last for very much longer,” he said. “So either new financing, either or both of new financing or access to almost $240 million of restricted cash, is absolutely essential. Round about, no later than the end of next week.”
Spirit has been in “advanced” talks with the Trump administration for financing that would keep the carrier afloat, Huebner said at a U.S. bankruptcy court hearing in New York. The iconic Florida discounter has been at risk of shutting down.
Huebner did not outline the plan in court, but people familiar with the matter have told CNBC that on the table is a $500 million loan that would give the government a potential stake of 90% of the Florida-based airline.
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The potential deal has been shared with various creditor groups, according to the people, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks.
Spirit had expected to emerge from bankruptcy midyear, but a surge in fuel prices since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran has complicated those plans, the company has said.
The iconic discount airline has faced troubles for years, including an engine recall, an acquisition by JetBlue Airways that a federal judge blocked two years ago, shifting customer preferences for more upmarket offerings and a jump in costs, even before fuel prices surged this year.
“Spirit now definitively stands at the crossroads,” Huebner said, with “several hundred million dollars” of the company’s cash “locked away and inaccessible” under bankruptcy loan terms while other funds are in separate accounts for payroll and tax payments.
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Huebner said the additional financing would “create an appropriately capitalized, fierce competitor in the airline space” as a stand-alone carrier, “but also potentially as the strongest player in what so many believe must happen next, consolidation in the value carrier space,” hinting at a potential merger.
Thirteen stocks have defied the broader market slump in 2026, surging up to 180% in just four months, with two turning multibaggers despite weak headline indices.
Russia’s central bank has sold 21.8 tonnes or 22,000 kilograms of gold so far in 2026 to help fund the country’s widening budget deficit, which had reached $61.2 billion by the end of March, a Kitco report said, citing Russian and Ukrainian news.
Gold reserves stood at 2,304.76 tonnes as of April 1, 2026, reflecting a decline of 6.22 tonnes in March alone, the central bank said on Monday.
At the same time, domestic demand for gold has surged as the economy faces continued strain in the fifth year of the war with Ukraine. Data from the Moscow Exchange showed gold trading volumes in March jumped more than 350% year-on-year to 42.6 tonnes, including 28.6 tonnes in swap deals and 14 tonnes in spot trades. In value terms, the increase was even sharper due to the weakening ruble, with volumes rising 500% from a year ago to 534.4 billion rubles, or $7.1 billion.
Russia had built up its gold reserves steadily between 2002 and 2025, acquiring more than 1,900 tonnes over the period. This included purchases of just over 500 tonnes between 2008 and 2012, and around 1,200 tonnes between 2014 and 2019. Since 2020, however, net purchases have slowed significantly to about 55.4 tonnes, according to Finam analyst Nikolai Dudchenko.
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Experts say several central banks are currently selling gold to cover rising expenses, including defence spending, higher energy costs, and measures to support domestic currencies.
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Earlier this year, on February 20, Russia’s central bank said it had sold 3,00,000 ounces of gold in January as prices climbed above $5,500 per ounce. This reduced total holdings to 74.5 million ounces and marked the first decline since October. With average prices around $4,700 per ounce in January and peaks near $5,600, the sale is estimated to have generated between $1.41 billion and $1.68 billion. Despite these sales, the overall value of Russia’s gold reserves rose 23% in January to $402.7 billion, supported by record-high prices.Separately, Bloomberg reported that Russia’s precious metals exports to China nearly doubled in value during the first half of 2025. Chinese imports of Russian precious metal ores and concentrates, including gold and silver, rose 80% year-on-year to $1 billion, driven partly by higher bullion prices, which gained about 28% during the period amid geopolitical tensions and strong demand from central banks and exchange-traded funds.
Russia remains the world’s second-largest gold producer after China, with annual output exceeding 300 tonnes. While its central bank was once among the largest buyers of gold, purchases have declined since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In contrast, the People’s Bank of China continues to be one of the most active buyers.
Exports of Russian gold to China have increased in volume terms, though a significant portion of the rise reflects the sharp rally in prices, with spot gold up nearly 43% over the past year. Domestic consumption has also been strong. Russian consumers bought a record 75.6 tonnes of gold in 2024, accounting for roughly 25% of the country’s annual production, as households turned to precious metals to protect their savings.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
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