OpenAI recently missed its own targets for new users and revenue, stumbles that have raised concern among some company leaders about whether it will be able to support its massive spending on data centers.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has told other company leaders that she is worried the company might not be able to pay for future computing contracts if revenue doesn’t grow fast enough, according to people familiar with the matter. 

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DENVER — Investigators in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case have uncovered potentially explosive new evidence that could dramatically shift the investigation and “light a fire on social media,” a former FBI agent familiar with the case told reporters Wednesday as the search for the 28-year-old mother of NBC rising star Savannah Guthrie intensifies.

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday night’s execution of a search warrant at a property in Longmont uncovered personal items belonging to Guthrie, including her fitness tracker still containing heart rate data from the morning of her March 12 abduction. Forensic teams also recovered DNA and fingerprints from an abandoned SUV near the Superior jogging trail that match a person of interest previously interviewed but not named publicly.

Retired FBI special agent Mark Lageman, who worked on high-profile abduction cases, reviewed details shared by law enforcement and described the new finds as potentially game-changing. “This kind of physical evidence linking a suspect to both the vehicle and the victim’s belongings would light a fire on social media if released,” Lageman said. “In today’s environment, one solid piece of forensics can generate millions of tips overnight.”

Nancy Guthrie, a popular local yoga instructor, vanished while jogging on a well-trafficked trail in Superior, Colorado. Witnesses reported seeing a dark SUV with tinted windows pull alongside her before she was pulled inside. Her phone was found discarded nearby, and her Apple Watch stopped transmitting shortly after the reported abduction.

Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, the 10-year-old daughter who has appeared in several heartwarming segments on NBC’s “Today” show, where her mother occasionally contributed wellness content. The family connection has drawn national attention to the case, with Savannah’s public pleas for her mother’s safe return touching millions of viewers.

Mark Guthrie, Nancy’s husband, appeared emotional at a Wednesday press briefing. “Every day without Nancy feels impossible,” he said. “Savannah asks about her mommy constantly. We’re holding onto hope that these new leads will bring her home to us.”

The case has generated intense online interest, with amateur sleuths and conspiracy theorists flooding platforms with speculation. Elizabeth Smart’s father, Ed Smart, publicly urged people to stop spreading unverified theories, saying they distract from real investigative work and hurt the family.

Over 200 tips have poured in since the abduction, and the FBI has joined the effort under federal kidnapping statutes. The $250,000 reward remains active, and community volunteers continue daily searches in surrounding foothills and open spaces.

The new evidence from the Longmont property includes clothing matching what Nancy wore the day she disappeared. Digital forensics teams are now examining seized devices for location data, communications or financial trails that could lead to her current whereabouts.

Lageman, the ex-FBI agent, emphasized that while the evidence is promising, investigators must proceed carefully to preserve its value in court. “Social media can be a double-edged sword,” he noted. “It generates leads, but it can also compromise cases if sensitive details leak too early.”

Boulder County authorities have remained tight-lipped about the person of interest, only confirming he is a local man with prior law enforcement contact. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains active and fluid.

The case has spotlighted safety concerns for women exercising outdoors in the Denver metro area. Local running groups have increased buddy systems and tracking app usage, while lawmakers discuss proposals for more trail cameras and rapid response protocols for missing adults.

Guthrie’s family and friends describe her as vibrant, community-oriented and deeply devoted to her children. Her sister Sarah has become a tireless advocate, appearing on national news programs to keep the story alive. “Nancy’s smile could light up any room,” she said. “We refuse to give up hope.”

As the search enters its seventh week, the new forensic developments have injected fresh momentum. Aerial searches using drones, K-9 teams and expanded volunteer efforts continue daily. Psychologists working with the family note the emotional toll of prolonged uncertainty on both Mark and young Savannah.

The connection to NBC through Savannah has brought additional media scrutiny. Network executives have offered support to the family while respecting their privacy. Several “Today” show colleagues have shared public messages of encouragement.

For law enforcement, balancing transparency with investigative integrity remains challenging in the age of instant information. Officials plan another press briefing Thursday morning and continue urging anyone with information about the dark SUV or suspicious activity on the trails in early March to contact the dedicated tip line.

The Nancy Guthrie case has captured national attention not only because of the circumstances but also due to her strong community ties and the heartbreaking family element involving her young daughter. As potentially significant evidence emerges, hope for a positive resolution grows even as the reality of prolonged uncertainty weighs heavily on everyone involved.

Community support remains overwhelming. GoFundMe campaigns have raised more than $450,000 for the family and reward fund. Yellow ribbons and posters of Nancy’s smiling face are still visible throughout the Denver area, serving as daily reminders of the missing mother.

As investigators pursue these latest leads, the public is once again asked to remain vigilant. In high-profile abduction cases, community eyes and ears often prove crucial in generating the final piece of the puzzle.

The coming days could prove pivotal. If the new evidence leads to a breakthrough, it may provide the answers the Guthrie family and the broader community have desperately sought since that March morning.

Mumbai: Vedanta‘s record profit will give it headroom to pay off more debt, invest in growth and continue rewarding shareholders in FY27, the company’s chief financial officer, Ajay Goel, told ET. “We are looking at debt coming down by another $1.75 billion in the current fiscal, and in that case, the leverage will come down to 0.65 times from 0.95 times currently, which again will be a new benchmark,” Goel said during an interaction with ET.

For the March quarter, the company’s consolidated profit stood at ₹9,352 crore, up 89% year-on-year. Revenue rose 29% YoY to ₹51,524 crore, while earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortisation was ₹18,447 crore, up 59% YoY. All three were at a record high.

The company pared debt by nearly $1.5 billion in FY26, bringing it down to ₹53,254 crore by end-March, which also marked its most profitable quarter. It is setting aside ₹23,000 this year for capital expenditure, a more than 54% jump from the ₹14,918 crore it spent last year.
On Wednesday, Vedanta announced a dividend of ₹34 per share. Vedanta’s demerger will be effective from May 1 and shares of the additional four companies are likely to list in the last fortnight of June. “Between May and the middle of June, we will work with multiple authorities and get four new companies,” Goel said. “We will also appoint the new management across five companies and board of directors.” While additional details for each of these companies will be announced in the next few days, Goel said the oil and gas business (Malco Energy) and Vedanta Iron and Steel are likely to be debt-free.

Shares of Waaree Energies tumbled as much as 9% to their day’s low of Rs 3,184 on the BSE on Thursday. The company reported its March quarter and FY26 numbers, along with multiple strategic and capacity expansion announcements.

For Q4 FY26, the company reported revenue of Rs 8,840.25 crore, marking a sharp 111.8% year-on-year rise. Profit after tax for the quarter stood at Rs 1,126.26 crore, reflecting a 74.76% increase from a year ago. Operating EBITDA came in at Rs 1,576.76 crore, up 70.91% YoY, with margins at 18.59%, it said in a regulatory filing.

On a full-year basis, total revenue from operations rose to Rs 26,536.77 crore, up 84% from Rs 14,444 crore in the previous financial year. Total EBITDA for FY26 came in at Rs 6,616.79 crore, exceeding the company’s guidance range of Rs 5,500 crore to Rs 6,000 crore.

Looking ahead, the company has guided for an operating EBITDA range of Rs 7,000 crore to Rs 7,700 crore for FY27. It said the focus remains on deepening value chain integration, scaling new growth areas and expanding into adjacent segments such as battery energy storage systems, inverters, transformers, transmission and distribution, and electrolysers for green hydrogen.

Operationally, Waaree reported module production of 4.2 GW in Q4, taking FY26 production to a record 12.6 GW, supported by scale and efficiency gains.

During the year, the company also completed the acquisition of a strategic stake in United Solar Holding Inc., a polysilicon player based in Oman. The move is aimed at securing a traceable supply chain and supporting global expansion, including in the U.S.
The board approved a capital expenditure of Rs 3,900 crore for a 2,500 TPD glass manufacturing facility. In addition, construction has commenced on a 10 GW integrated ingot and wafer facility in Nagpur, involving an investment of Rs 6,200 crore, as part of efforts to strengthen upstream capabilities and improve supply chain self-reliance. The company also commissioned an additional 3 GW module capacity at Samakhiali in Gujarat.Waaree’s board also recommended a final dividend of Rs 2 per equity share, taking the total FY26 dividend to Rs 4 per share on a face value of Rs 10.

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(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Dean Buntrock was happily selling life insurance in Boulder, Colo., in 1956 when the death of his father-in-law thrust him into a very different business: hauling garbage in Chicago.

Buntrock, who died April 17 at the age of 94, initially was inclined to sell the family trash business, known as Ace Scavenger Service, with its fleet of a dozen trucks, founded by Harm Huizenga, a Dutch immigrant, in 1893. After taking a closer look, Buntrock saw opportunity. He decided to keep the business and expand it by acquiring other mom-and-pop trash collectors. Soon he acquired a waste-handling business in Milwaukee.

Shares of Bajaj Finance gained as much as 4.2% to the day’s high of Rs 969.40 on the BSE on Thursday after its Q4 profit rose 22% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 5,553 crore, compared with Rs 4,546 crore in the same period last year.

The company’s assets under management crossed the Rs 5 lakh crore mark, reaching Rs 5.09 lakh crore at the end of March 2026, up from Rs 4.16 lakh crore a year earlier, reflecting a 22% increase. AUM grew by Rs 25,498 crore during the quarter.

Business momentum remained strong, supported by steady customer additions and loan growth. Bajaj Finance booked 12.89 million new loans in Q4, a 20% rise from 10.7 million in the year-ago period. Its customer base expanded 17% YoY to 119.33 million, including 3.93 million additions during the quarter.

Asset quality held steady, with gross non-performing assets at 1.01% and net NPA at 0.41% as of March-end. These compare with 0.96% and 0.44% respectively in the previous year. Provision coverage on stage 3 assets stood at 60%.

Loan losses and provisions declined to Rs 2,008 crore from Rs 2,167 crore a year earlier. The annualised credit cost improved to 1.65% from 2.17%, indicating better collections and portfolio performance.

The company continued to maintain a strong capital position, with a capital adequacy ratio of 21.55%, including Tier-I capital at 20.67%, leaving sufficient room to support future growth.

What are analysts saying?

Jefferies has maintained its ‘Buy’ rating on Bajaj Finance with a target price of Rs 1,210, implying a potential upside of 30%. The brokerage has marginally tweaked its estimates following the results, factoring in slightly higher operating expenses due to investments in gold loan distribution.
Over FY26-29, it expects loan growth at a CAGR of 23%, with some moderation in NIMs and credit costs, translating into a profit CAGR of around 20%.
On management, Jefferies noted that clarity on succession is expected next year. At the board level, Rajiv Bajaj, brother of Sanjiv Bajaj, is set to retire upon completion of his term, though the brokerage does not see this as a concern. It added that Bajaj Finance continues to remain one of the strongest platforms in the sector and retains the stock among its top picks.

Morgan Stanley has maintained its overweight rating on Bajaj Finance, while raising the target price to Rs 1,120 from Rs 1,090 earlier, an upside of 20% from current levels. The brokerage highlighted that adjusted PBT grew 26% YoY and came in ahead of estimates. It also noted a sharp improvement in credit costs, supported by lower bad loan formation.

Management has guided for AUM growth of 22-24% for FY27, along with a net credit cost outlook of 145-160 basis points. On valuations, the stock is seen trading at 22x FY28E price-to-earnings and 4.3x price-to-book.

JM Financial has reiterated its Buy rating on Bajaj Finance with a target price of Rs 1,080, implying a potential upside of 16%.

The brokerage remains constructive on the company’s outlook, citing its strong franchise scale and sustained AUM growth of over 20%. It also highlighted sector-leading return ratios, with superior RoA and RoE supporting earnings visibility. JM Financial noted that a structurally lower credit cost guidance, along with a rising share of secured lending, further strengthens the company’s medium-term outlook.

In addition, continued gains from AI-led operating efficiencies and robust provisioning buffers are expected to enhance resilience and drive consistent compounding over time.

(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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Mattel, Inc. (MAT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call April 29, 2026 5:00 PM EDT

Company Participants

Jennifer Kettnich
Ynon Kreiz – Executive Chairman & CEO
Paul Ruh – Chief Financial Officer

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Conference Call Participants

Megan Christine Alexander – Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Arpine Kocharyan – UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
James Chartier – Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co., Inc., Research Division
Stephen Laszczyk – Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Eric Handler – ROTH Capital Partners, LLC, Research Division
Anthony Bonadio – Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
Kylie Cohu – Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Gerrick Johnson – Seaport Research Partners
Christopher Horvers – JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
James Hardiman – Citigroup Inc., Research Division

Presentation

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Operator

Hello, and thank you for standing by. My name is Tiffany, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Mattel, Inc. First Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call.

[Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the call over to Jen Kettnich, Vice President and Head of Investor Relations for Mattel. Jen, please go ahead.

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Jennifer Kettnich

Thank you, operator, and good afternoon, everyone. Joining me today are Ynon Kreiz, Mattel’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; and Paul Ruh, Mattel’s Chief Financial Officer. This afternoon, we reported Mattel’s First Quarter 2026 financial results. We will begin today’s call with Ynon and Paul providing commentary on our results, after which, we will provide some time for questions.

Please note that during the question-and-answer session, we respectfully ask that you limit to one question and one follow-up so that we can get to as many analysts and questions as possible today.

Today’s discussion, earnings release and slide presentation may reference certain non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators, which are defined in the slide presentation and earnings release appendices. Please note that gross billings figures

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Thai households are currently facing a “financial summer,” a period characterized by the simultaneous convergence of multiple significant expenses including rising fuel costs, higher electricity bills, annual tax obligations, and education tuition. This economic strain is exacerbated by broader global crises, forcing families to adopt more disciplined financial management, pivot toward digital lending solutions, and alter their lifestyles to maintain liquidity.

Key Points

• Converging Expenses: The “financial summer” phenomenon, typically peaking between April and May, forces households to manage four major financial burdens at once: personal income taxes, increased electricity consumption due to extreme heat, seasonal festival spending, and tuition fee payments.
• Rising Costs: Personal income tax collections have increased by 29% over the past four years, while electricity bills often spike by 10-30% during the hot season as air conditioning usage rises.
• Prioritizing Education: Despite tight budgets, data indicates that parents prioritize educational expenses above all else, with a notable shift toward using revolving credit earlier in the year to cover school-related costs.
• Digital Financial Tools: Kiatnakin Phatra Bank (KKP) has introduced “purpose-based” digital lending via the KKP Better app, offering lower interest rates for essential expenses like education and healthcare to discourage consumers from resorting to high-interest informal loans.
• Individual Adaptations: Households are employing various strategies to cope, including strict budgeting, increased reliance on public transport, transitions to electric vehicles, and the use of separate savings accounts for specific family needs.

To mitigate these risks, financial institutions like Kiatnakin Phatra Bank (KKP) are leveraging digital platforms like the KKP Better app. This platform promotes purpose-based lending, offering lower interest rates for essential expenditures such as education and healthcare to prevent consumers from resorting to high-interest informal loans.

Thai households face a convergence of four major expense burdens

This phenomenon creates a “storm of expenses” that exacerbates financial strain amidst global economic uncertainty.

The factors contributing to this financial pressure include:

• Personal Income Tax: Salaried workers are generally required to set aside 5,000–10,000 baht for tax obligations. Data shows a significant increase in tax collection compared to previous years.
• Higher Electricity Bills: Increased temperatures during the hot season lead to higher usage of air conditioning. For every 1°C increase in temperature, air conditioners consume about 3% more electricity, resulting in household power bills rising by 10–30% during April and May compared to other months.
• Festival-Related Spending: Outlays linked to the Songkran festival contribute to financial pressure. Despite economic challenges, spending for Songkran 2025 rose to 106 billion baht, driven by higher costs for travel and celebrations.
• Education Expenditures: Tuition fees are described as the most significant financial burden for families, particularly those with children in private or international schools. Costs include not only annual tuition—ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht—but also hidden expenses such as admission fees and entrance exam tutoring. Consequently, parents have increasingly used revolving credit facilities earlier in the year (February to March) to manage these costs.

Beyond immediate expenses, many workers express concern regarding long-term income stability due to company-wide workforce reductions and the labor market disruptions caused by artificial intelligence.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States’ maximum economic pressure campaign on Iran has sent the regime into “crisis” during an appearance Wednesday on “Kudlow.”

The effort, known as Operation Economic Fury, is aimed at crippling Tehran’s financial lifelines by seizing Iranian assets, freezing bank accounts and pressuring foreign governments to cut ties with the nation.

“We are freezing bank accounts everywhere. More importantly, we are making people less willing to deal with the regime,” Bessent said.

“We can see that every day, it is more pressure on the regime. The retirement funds that they thought that they had outside of Iran, we are freezing. We’re holding those for the Iranian people. Same with all their villas in the south of France and all over the world, and we are going to track them down.”

NEXT MOVE ON IRAN: SEIZE KHARG ISLAND, SECURE URANIUM OR RISK GROUND WAR ESCALATION

Bessent reported the Treasury Department has seized nearly $500 million in Iranian cryptocurrency assets, adding that the seizures are being carried out on behalf of the Iranian people.

The treasury secretary explained the United States’ aggressive economic campaign against Iran has been over a year in the making, but the United States is “sprinting” toward the finish line.

President Donald Trump ordered the Treasury Department to launch the campaign in March 2025, which Bessent said helped push Iran toward an economic standstill in December, when the nation’s largest bank collapsed.

THE IRAN CEASEFIRE WAS JUST EXTENDED. THE REAL TEST FOR WASHINGTON STARTS NOW

“That created massive inflation. Their currency is down about 60 or 70% versus the U.S. dollar, so they’re in the middle of a currency crisis,” he said.

Bessent said the Treasury Department recently received orders to intensify economic pressure on Iran, prompting the agency to send warnings to buyers of Iranian oil.

“President Trump told me three weeks ago to up the pressure again,” he told FOX Business. “We have gone to the buyers of Iranian oil and told them that… we are willing to do secondary sanctions on your industries, on your banks who tolerate Iranian oil in their system.”

SHADOW FLEET UNDER FIRE: IRAN’S STRAIT SHUTDOWN COULD SQUEEZE RUSSIA’S WAR CHEST, CHINA’S OIL LIFELINE

Bessent argued that the combination of Operation Economic Fury and the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz will inflict permanent damage on Tehran’s economy.

“The port at Kharg Island is at a virtual standstill in terms of loadings,” he said. “We think that the Iranian storage will be full soon. They’ll have to start capping in their wells, which will lead to permanent problems.”

He warned that the pressure campaign could leave Iran unable to fund its military and proxies.

“The regime won’t be able to pay their soldiers, and equally important, is they won’t be able to fund their proxies, whether it’s Hezbollah, Hamas, around the world. One of President Trump’s goals in this was to stop Iran’s ability to project terrorist power around the world.”

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Bessent said the Treasury’s economic pressure campaign will continue as U.S.-Iran negotiations stall.

“We are going to continue this — the economic pressure as well as the block on the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.