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What’s next for the proposed Manchester-Sheffield tunnel?

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Future Works has come up with plans for a 14-mile Peak District tunnel

The Sheffield skyline

The Sheffield skyline(Image: Getty)

The idea to build a tunnel under the Pennines and connect Manchester and Sheffield resurfaced earlier this year. Now the steps towards it becoming a reality have been laid out.

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An organisation called Future Works has devised a strategy to build a 14-mile tunnel beneath the Peak District mountains. The scheme is estimated to cut journey times between Manchester and Sheffield by 30 minutes and take traffic away from the National Park.

This comes 10 years on from when the government originally looked into the idea.

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) own report highlighted the benefits of the scheme would include a major environmental and economic boost. The report added that the scheme could be a ‘catalyst to explore further improvements in east-west connectivity, including linking the international ports on Merseyside and Humberside’.

However, the idea came to nothing as DfT decided it would be too expensive to complete – around £10bn. But Future Works believe it can be done for just £2bn.

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The organisation, co-founded by Michael Dnes, wants to build the dual carriageway as well as a railway line – inspired by engineers who’ve done similar work in Norway. The Norwegians built the world’s longest road tunnel, the 24.5km Lærdal in Norway, for around £130m.

Despite the excitement of Future Works seemingly bringing the project back to life, the idea remains just an idea. The local MP, Jonathan Reynolds, has long advocated for better transport connectivity around the eastern corner of Tameside.

The villages of Hollingworth and Mottram have long been the victims of queueing traffic through their centres. They are right at the crossroads on Tameside and Derbyshire, where the Woodhead Pass and Snake Pass meet the Greater Manchester road network.

Mr Reynolds was instrumental in securing the Mottram bypass scheme currently under construction. But he believes Future Works’ plan now needs to undergo work to understand if it is actually deliverable and the actual benefits it could bring.

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Jonathan Reynolds, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, said: “Residents in Hollingworth have been waiting for years to see real progress on the issue of traffic passing through the village, so any credible proposal that could reduce congestion and improve connectivity deserves to be looked at seriously.

“I’ve been keen to support Future Works by speaking to stakeholders, and the priority now is to undertake the detailed work needed to establish whether it can be delivered, how it could be financed, and what benefits it could bring to local communities and the wider region.”

The idea would see one of the current Woodhead tunnels, which currently transport electricity lines for the national grid, for the new road and railway.

Rather than using the standard British approach of a tunnel-boring machine, Future Works has looked into the drill-and-blast method applied to tunnels in Norway. This system replaces giant machinery with more traditional mining techniques, the natural strength of the rock and small expert crews.

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Although this would not work in many areas of the UK, the expert teams believe this ‘drill-and-blast’ method could work in this area due to the geology of the Pennines. This is because the tunnels built in Norway go through mountains with a similar rock type.

The previous model of going for direct government funding through the Department for Transport never got going after appetite for big road projects waned, according to Mr Dnes. So his team believes the project could be funded by either big pension funds or the local authorities and paid back over time through tolls on the tunnel.

Mr Dnes explained that tolls could actually work out cheaper than paying for fuel costs to go around an alternative route, particularly if the vehicle is larger, such as a HGV.

Route map for the Trans-Pennine Connect scheme between Manchester and Sheffield

Route map for the proposed Trans-Pennine Connect scheme between Manchester and Sheffield (Image: Future Works)

A spokesperson for Future Works said previously: “High demand for the route means that the project could pay for itself, without the need for Westminster funding.

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“Scandinavian tunnels are often owned by local councils, who recover the costs through tolls. Equally, northern pension funds have hundreds of billions in investment capital that could be mobilised to build the project.

“Many options exist – public, private and partnership. Future Works was set up by infrastructure experts Michael Dnes and Alex Griffiths, with a combined expertise in more than £100bn of infrastructure projects. They aim to create a shovel-ready scheme, and to bring this through the planning system faster than the 10+ year processes that have become the norm in UK planning.

“Work could begin before the end of the decade, with the road and railway open in the mid-2030s.”

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Adani group entities swap 86 lakh shares of Adani Enterprises in Rs 2,498 cr block deal

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Adani group entities swap 86 lakh shares of Adani Enterprises in Rs 2,498 cr block deal
Around 86 lakh shares changed hands between promoter group entities of Adani Group‘s flagship firm Adani Enterprises in a deal worth Rs 2,498 crore through separate block deals on Friday.

The shares, representing a 0.63 per cent stake in the Ahmedabad-based conglomerate, were picked up by Adani Infra (India) Ltd and Adani Properties, according to data on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Adani Properties bought 51.50 lakh shares, while Adani Infra (India) acquired 34.50 lakh shares in the group’s flagship company.

The shares changed hands at an average price of Rs 2,905 apiece, taking the combined deal value to Rs 2,498.30 crore.

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On the other side of the trades, promoter group entity Infinite Trade And Investment Ltd sold an equal number of shares at the same price, the data showed.


Following the sale, Infinite Trade And Investment’s holding in Adani Enterprises has dropped to 1.38 per cent from 2.01 per cent.
However, the transactions will not alter the combined shareholding of the promoters and promoter group entities in the company.

Shares of Adani Enterprises rose 0.57 per cent to close at Rs 2,916.50 apiece on the NSE.

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NYC Issues Travel Advisory as Nor’easter Track Shifts Closer, Mamdani Warns of Coastal Flooding Risk

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani

NEW YORK — New York City officials issued a travel advisory Friday as a nor’easter approaches the region, with the storm’s forecast track shifting closer to the city and expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding through Sunday morning.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Emergency Management announced the advisory would take effect beginning at 2 p.m. Friday and remain in place through Sunday, after the National Weather Service updated the storm’s projected path closer to the city. Mamdani addressed the shifting forecast directly. “The forecast path of this storm has moved closer to our city, and it is bringing more rain and stronger winds with it,” Mamdani said. “City workers are clearing catch basins, preparing for downed trees and positioning emergency resources in areas that could see coastal flooding.”

Forecasters expect the storm to deliver 2 to 3 inches of rain citywide, with some localized areas potentially seeing 4 to 5 inches where heavy rain repeatedly moves over the same locations. The heaviest rainfall is expected to arrive Saturday, potentially beginning early in the day and continuing through the remainder of the weekend.

Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are forecast from Friday night through Saturday night, with a wind advisory taking effect at 2 p.m. Friday alongside the travel advisory. City officials warned that already-saturated ground, combined with trees still carrying their full canopy of leaves this time of year, could increase the likelihood of downed branches and power lines during the height of the storm.

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Coastal flooding represents a significant concern tied to the storm’s timing around this weekend’s high tides. The city identified two specific windows of heightened risk: Friday evening between roughly 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., and Saturday morning between approximately 7:30 and 8:40 a.m. Southern Queens, including the Rockaways and the Jamaica Bay area, along with portions of Staten Island and Brooklyn’s shorelines, face the highest risk of moderate coastal flooding during those periods.

New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell detailed the specific areas of greatest concern and urged residents to take precautions ahead of the storm. “We are particularly watching the Friday evening and Saturday morning high tides, especially in the Rockaways, around Jamaica Bay and along the Staten Island and Brooklyn shorelines,” Farrell said. “Move your car away from streets that regularly flood, secure anything outside that could become airborne and never drive or walk through floodwater.”

The city has activated its flash flood emergency plan in response to the storm and is coordinating directly with the National Weather Service, state agencies and utility providers as the storm approaches. Officials are urging residents to allow extra time for travel throughout the weekend and to check the status of transit, ferry and flight schedules before heading out. Residents living in basement or ground-floor apartments located in flood-prone areas were specifically advised to identify multiple exit routes from their homes in advance and be prepared to move to higher floors if conditions worsen during the storm.

City beaches, which officially closed for the season on September 13, remain closed with no lifeguards on duty during the storm. Forecasters are warning of a high risk of rip currents and dangerous surf conditions through the weekend, and swimming remains prohibited at city beaches during this period.

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Beyond the flooding and wind concerns, officials are advising residents to take general storm preparation steps, including securing loose outdoor items that could be blown around by the strong winds, fully charging electronic devices ahead of potential power outages, and checking in on neighbors who may need additional assistance during the storm.

City officials reiterated standard emergency reporting guidance amid the storm preparations: residents facing an immediate danger should call 911, while non-emergency issues, including reports of downed trees or minor flooding, can be reported to the city’s 311 information line. New Yorkers can also sign up to receive official city emergency alerts directly by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692692 or visiting the city’s NotifyNYC website.

The advisory comes as New York City continues to face increasingly frequent severe weather events, with coastal flooding and heavy rainfall events becoming a recurring seasonal concern for low-lying neighborhoods across the five boroughs. With the storm’s heaviest impacts expected to arrive Saturday and continue through Sunday morning, city officials are urging residents throughout the affected areas to remain alert to updated forecasts and follow any additional guidance issued by New York City Emergency Management as the storm develops over the coming days.

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Fidelity Investment Grade Bond Fund Q2 2026 Commentary (FBNDX)

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Bonds yield curve with world economic and money bank note.business and financial management.investment and asset location concepts.

Fidelity’s mission is to strengthen the financial well-being of our customers and deliver better outcomes for the clients and businesses it serves. With assets under administration of $12.6 trillion, including discretionary assets of $4.9 trillion as of December 31, 2023, Fidelity focuses on meeting the unique needs of a broad and growing customer base. Privately held for 77 years, Fidelity employs more than 74,000 associates with its headquarters in Boston and a global presence spanning nine countries across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Note: This account is not managed or monitored by Fidelity, and any messages sent via Seeking Alpha will not receive a response. For inquiries or communication, please use Fidelity’s official channels.

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Iran will make no nuclear concessions, Iranian official says

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Iran will make no nuclear concessions, Iranian official says

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Select Water Solutions, Inc. (WTTR) M&A Call Transcript

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Operator

Greetings, and welcome to the Select Water Solutions Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. I’d now like to turn the call over to your host, Garrett Williams, Vice President, Corporate Finance and Investor Relations. Please go ahead, sir.

Garrett Williams
Vice President of Corporate Finance & Investor Relations

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Thank you, operator, and good morning, everyone. We appreciate you joining us for Select Water Solutions conference call to discuss our announced acquisition of Pilot Water Solutions. With me today are John Schmitz, our Founder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer; Chris George, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Michael Skarke, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer; and Mike Lyons, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Technology Officer.

Before I turn the call over to John, I have a few housekeeping items to cover. A replay of today’s call will be available by webcast and accessible from our website at selectwater.com. There will also be a recorded telephonic replay until October 9, 2026. The access information for this replay was also included in the acquisition press release. Please note that the information reported on this call speaks only as of today, September 25, 2026, and therefore, time-sensitive information may no longer be accurate as of

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Sebi bans Omaxe, 5 others for violating minimum public shareholding norms

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Sebi bans Omaxe, 5 others for violating minimum public shareholding norms
Market regulator Sebi has barred realty firm Omaxe and five others from accessing the securities market for up to one year and imposed a fine totalling Rs 1.92 crore for allegedly creating an artificial public shareholding structure to meet minimum public shareholding requirements.

Omaxe has been restrained from accessing the securities market for three months, while promoters — Rohtas Goel, Jai Bhagwan Goel — group companies — Dream Home Developers Pvt Ltd and Guild Builders Pvt Ltd– have been barred for one year.

Sunil Goel, former Joint Managing Director of Omaxe, has also been prohibited from the securities market for one year, the order noted.

In its order passed on Thursday, Sebi said Omaxe failed to achieve the prescribed 25 per cent minimum public shareholding (MPS) through independent public shareholders, as certain entities had acquired the company’s shares using funds originating from Omaxe and its group entities.

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Sebi noted that “minimum public shareholding requirements were artificially met through funding of certain entities to acquire shares of the company and such entities were thereafter disclosed as public shareholders”.


The regulator said that funds originating from Omaxe and group entities were routed through multiple entities and used to acquire its shares in the names of entities shown as public shareholders.
Omaxe and its group entities routed Rs 46.50 crore through DVM Realtors Pvt Ltd (DRPL), Garv Buildtech Pvt Ltd, and Jeet Builders Pvt Ltd (JBPL) to ultimately fund the acquisition of its own shares during the Offer for Sale (OFS) windows on June 3, 2013, and October 29, 2013, the regulator noted.”These transactions cannot, therefore, be viewed as isolated fund transfers or independent share acquisitions.

“The scheme and artifice lay in creating the appearance of independent public shareholding through entities whose acquisition of Omaxe shares had been financed through funds originating from Omaxe/group entities and thereafter using such holdings for representing regulatory compliance,” Sebi said in its 91-page order.

The regulator said the arrangement created the appearance of independent public shareholding, while the underlying fund trail showed otherwise.

After the June 3, 2013, offer for sale (OFS), exclusion of the funded holdings would have reduced Omaxe’s public shareholding from 16.21 per cent to around 14.57 per cent, the order said.

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Similarly, after the October 29, 2013, OFS, public shareholding would have been around 19.04 per cent instead of the reported 20.97 per cent. Even after a subsequent bonus issue, excluding the funded holdings and the consequential bonus entitlement would have reduced the reported public shareholding from 25.01 per cent to around 22.71 per cent, Sebi said.

The regulator held that the arrangement constituted a “fraudulent and deceptive scheme and artifice” in connection with dealing in securities and found violations of provisions of the Sebi Act and Prevention of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Regulations.

Sebi also found Omaxe and the concerned noticees liable for violations relating to minimum public shareholding and disclosure of shareholding patterns.

Accordingly, the entities have been “restrained from accessing the securities market and further prohibited from buying, selling or otherwise dealing in securities (including units of mutual funds), directly or indirectly, or being associated with the securities market in any manner, whatsoever” for up to one year.

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Also, the regulator imposed a fine of Rs 1.92 crore on them. Individually, the regulator levied a fine of Rs 27 lakh each on Omaxe, Dream Home Developers, and Guild Builders, as well as Rs 37 lakh each on Rohtas Goel, Sunil Goel, and Jai Bhagwan Goel.

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US Federal Reserve plans to raise bank oversight thresholds, sources say

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US Federal Reserve plans to raise bank oversight thresholds, sources say
The US Federal Reserve is working on a plan to raise the asset thresholds that trigger stricter oversight of big banks, four people with knowledge of the matter said, which would allow some lenders to avoid costly additional regulation and potentially spur consolidation.

The central bank is expected to soon propose reindexing the thresholds where banks become subject to stress tests of their balance sheets, liquidity, capital and other more stringent rules, to account for inflation and economic growth, the people said. Three of the people said they expect the Fed to propose the changes later this year.

Current rules impose stricter requirements when a bank reaches $100 billion in assets, stepping up at $250 billion and again at $700 billion. Lenders say those thresholds, set in 2019, haven’t kept pace with the economy, subjecting banks to increasingly stringent oversight that exceeds the risks they pose.

Banks say crossing the $100 billion threshold typically requires major investment in compliance staff, risk management systems, stress-testing capabilities and regulatory reporting infrastructure that can run into tens of millions of dollars annually.

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The Fed is considering reindexing the highest threshold closer to $1 trillion and some of the requirements triggered by the lower threshold closer to $150 billion, said the people, who declined to be named as they were discussing sensitive regulatory issues.


Banks that stand to benefit include U.S. Bancorp, Capital One, PNC Financial and Truist, which are closest to the $700 billion threshold, giving them more room to grow without incurring some of the toughest Fed oversight, including aspects of new incoming capital rules and daily reporting requirements to supervisors.
Western Alliance, Zions and several others, meanwhile, could grow beyond $100 billion without incurring all the requirements currently imposed on lenders in that category. Pinnacle Financial Partners and one or two other lenders sitting between $100 billion and $150 billion could even shed some requirements.A Fed spokesperson declined to comment. In January, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said the central bank would consider reindexing the thresholds and suggested using nominal GDP, but the Fed has not commented since then.

“The US economy has grown significantly over the past seven years, and it makes sense to have rules for all banks that will help consumers and small businesses through increased bank lending capacity and more competition,” a U.S. Bancorp spokesperson said.

The other banks either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.

CHANGES COULD SPUR MID-SIZE BANK DEALS

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The plan is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reform bank oversight which officials say is stifling lending and the economy. Bowman is also overhauling capital rules and other aspects of the Fed’s supervisory regime.

The changes could lead consolidation among mid-size lenders which have been holding off for fear of breaching the thresholds, the people said.

“Revised thresholds can reduce downsides of growth and change relative costs/benefits of acquisitions,” analysts at Truist wrote on Friday in response to Reuters’ story.

Banks with $50 billion to $700 billion of assets announced just 33 bank and thrift acquisitions over the past decade, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, with just seven such deals last year, including Fifth Third’s $10.9 billion acquisition of Comerica.

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“We would expect this to unlock M&A activity among mid-cap and regional banks that have been in a holding pattern,” said James Stevens, partner at law firm Troutman Pepper Locke, adding bank boards would be able to assess deals on merit “rather than on the regulatory math.”

One banking industry executive said raising the $700 billion threshold would allow larger lenders to more effectively compete with the country’s four biggest consumer banks.

Critics of bank consolidation argue it harms consumers by reducing competition and services, while increasing systemic risks.

BANKS HAVE LONG ARGUED THRESHOLDS ARE ARBITRARY

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Following the US financial crisis, the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act set supervisory thresholds, which Congress softened in 2018. That law mandates some requirements that only Congress can change, including stress tests for banks in the $100 billion bucket and “enhanced prudential standards” for those above $250 billion.

But the law also gave the Fed broad discretion, and the central bank imposed additional capital planning, liquidity and reporting requirements for the $100 billion category. It also created the $700 billion category to ensure sufficient oversight for big banks not deemed globally systemically important banks, which are subject to a separate regime.

Banks have long said the thresholds are arbitrary and can distort business decisions by encouraging banks to stay below them.

Reindexing using nominal GDP would incorporate inflation and economic growth. It could push the highest threshold to around $960 billion and the lower threshold for the additional Fed requirements to roughly $150 billion.

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Democrats say Congress already watered down the rules in 2018, and asset thresholds, though imperfect, offer a simple way to calibrate requirements.

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Darden: Don’t Expect Much Out Of The Stock (NYSE:DRI)

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The Pioneer Of Seeking Alpha’s BAD BEAT Investing, Quad 7 Capital is a team of 7 analysts with a wide range of experience sharing investment opportunities for nearly 12 years. They are best known for their February 2020 call to sell everything & go short, & have been on average 95% long 5% short since May 2020. The broader company has expertise in business, policy, economics, mathematics, game theory, & the sciences. They share both long & short trades & invest personally in equities they discuss within their investing group BAD BEAT Investing, focused on short- & medium-term investments, income generation, special-situations, & momentum trades. Rather than just give you trades, they focus on teaching investors to become proficient traders through their playbook. Their goal is to save you time by providing in depth, high-quality research, with crystal clear entry and exit targets. They have a proven track record of success.Benefits of BAD BEAT Investing include: Learning how to understand the pinball nature of markets, executing well-researched written trade ideas each week, use of 4 chat rooms, receive daily complimentary key analyst upgrade/downgrade summaries, learning basic options trading, & extensive trading tools. If you would like to learn more, click the link above!

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of DRI either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Home Depot Near 52-Week Lows: Why A 3.2% Yield Makes Me Look Twice

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U.S. Dollar Rises With More Room To Run Amid Iran War, Surging Oil Prices

Home Depot Near 52-Week Lows: Why A 3.2% Yield Makes Me Look Twice

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BLW: Not A Great Option For Investors Seeking Limited Interest Rate Risk (NYSE:BLW)

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Scott Bessent Might Have Started The Bitcoin Bull Cycle (Cryptocurrency:BTC-USD)

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Power Hedge has been covering both traditional and renewable energy since 2010. He targets primarily international companies of all sizes that hold a competitive advantage and pay dividends with strong yields.
He is the leader of the investing group Energy Profits in Dividends where he focuses on generating income through energy stocks and CEFs while managing risk through options. He also provides micro and macro-analysis of both domestic and international energy companie. Learn more.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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