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jili hot game online BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — As the situation stands, snowboarder/ski racer Ester Ledecka has two Olympic races on the same day in 2026, at nearly the same time and in Italian mountain towns hours apart. The Czech Republic standout simply can’t make both starting gates. So she may have a big decision to make on Feb. 8, 2026 — race in the women's downhill at the Milan-Cortina Games or go for a three-peat in snowboarding’s parallel giant slalom. Unless, of course, her lobbying efforts pay off. Ledecka said she's going through her country's Olympic committee to reach out and see if one of the events can be switched. The Winter Games schedule was just recently released. “It’s like someone has broken your dream,” the 29-year-old Ledecka said after a training run in Beaver Creek as she prepares for a World Cup downhill and super-G this weekend. “So please change it. Please, please, please. It’s my biggest dream to do both. I can create a great show for people.” Ledecka is the rare athlete to do both winter sports at such a gold medal-winning level. Nearly seven years ago, Ledecka was a surprise winner in the super-G at the Pyeongchang Games — from bib No. 26, no less. A week later, she captured gold in the parallel GS (PGS). At the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, she defended her PGS crown along with finishing fifth in the super-G, 27th in the downhill and fourth in the Alpine combined. To amend an Olympic schedule would not be unprecedented. Before the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the International Olympic Committee and the governing body for track and field accommodated a request from Allyson Felix to go for a 200-400 double. She earned a silver in the 400. In 1996, the schedule was shifted so American sprinter Michael Johnson could run in the 200 and 400 at the Atlanta Games. He won gold in both. “I would appreciate it,” said Ledecka, who started skiing at 2 years old and snowboarding three years later. “They’re fighting (for it) right now.” The current schedule has snowboarding parallel giant slalom holding a qualifying round from 9 a.m. to 11 on Feb. 8 in Livigno, Italy. The final is set for 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the women's downhill is set to take place in Cortina at 11:30 a.m. It's about a 4-hour drive between the two events. For now, she's leaning toward snowboarding. Only because a few days later she could ski race in a super-G. “I was quite sad about that fact,” Ledecka said of the conflict between events. "We'll see. It’s still quite far away.” Ledecka has 88 World Cup starts in skiing, with 10 podium finishes and four wins. She has 63 World Cup starts in snowboarding, featuring 39 podium finishes and 25 wins. “I don’t know how she does it,” said American ski racer Jacqueline Wiles, who dabbled in snowboarding as a kid. “It’s absolutely insane.” Ledecka enjoys both sports for different reasons. In skiing, it's for the speed. For snowboarding, it's the execution of a turn. It's not always easy splitting her time between the two sports, fitting in training around events. She won a PGS race on Nov. 30 in China before arriving in Beaver Creek. After this, it's off to St. Moritz, Switzerland, for more ski racing. She's currently traveling with eight snowboards and 20 pairs of skis. “You cannot believe how stacked the ski room is right now,” Ledecka cracked. “I really admire my tech guy and how he's handling it all. I’m very happy to have my team help me do this, my dream, of going from the snowboard World Cup to the ski World Cup. I'm having a lot of fun.” Notes: Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland had the fastest time in the second training run Thursday. Italians racers Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone were both within a second. ... Lindsey Vonn is not expected to forerun before the third and final training session Friday. The 40-year-old Vonn still plans on testing out the course before this weekend's races on the Birds of Prey course. ___ AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing Pat Graham, The Associated Press

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This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here . Markets rally U.S. stocks saw a broad rally on Monday with major indexes hitting record highs. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed near the flatline . UniCredit , an Italian bank, offered to buy its domestic rival Banco BPM for roughly 10 billion euros ($10.5 billion). UniCredit has also been eyeing German lender Commerzbank . Wall Street likes Bessent Scott Bessent, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for U.S. Treasury secretary, has got a big thumbs up from the stock as well as bond markets . Wall Street strategists heaped praise on Bessent; global analysts also think Trump's pick is favorable for markets . Intel's close to clinching deals The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act office is nearing a deal with Intel , which would award the chipmaker with a grant worth around $8.5 billion , according to a source close to the matter. The Department of Defense is also poised to award Intel a $3 billion contract to manufacture chips . Those are some bright spots in Intel's difficult year . Bitcoin struggles to break barrier After hovering near the $100,000 mark, bitcoin lost some momentum and has dropped to $94,228.47, according to Coin Metrics. Investors are likely taking profit, said Andre Dragosch, head of research for Europe at Bitwise. There's also "a ton of leverage in the system," Mark Novogratz, CEO of digital asset management firm Galaxy Digital, told CNBC. [PRO] How to invest $500,000 in 2025 In 2025, Trump, with his policies that promise to shake up the economy, will be in the White House; the U.S. Federal Reserve will continue tweaking rates; and Nvidia will be delivering its next-generation Blackwell chips. CNBC Pro spoke with wealth managers to find out how investors should invest $500,000 in the rocky year ahead . The Trump rally appears to be shifting into high gear. This time, it's revved up by Trump's Treasury secretary pick — Scott Bessent. Investors like Bessent because, as the founder of hedge fund Key Square Group, he brings to the job an understanding of Wall Street and is presumably supportive of markets. Moreover, Bessent has expressed that he prioritizes controlling inflation even amid policies designed to support domestic growth. "I would recommend that tariffs be layered in gradually," Bessent told CNBC earlier this month before his nomination. Unlike earlier Trump rallies, in which particular assets linked to Trump's policies — bank stocks, small-cap stocks and bitcoin — reaped disproportionate gains, yesterday's rise in markets was broad. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, in a move that saw more than 3 of 4 stocks in the index trading higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.99%, extending its string of record highs, and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.27%. It wasn't just large-caps that were lifted by Bessent's nomination. Small-cap stocks performed even better, probably because Bessent has expressed support for Trump's economic agenda, which would benefit smaller, domestically oriented companies. The Russell 2000 index of small- and mid-caps gained 1.47%, its sixth positive session in a row. It closed at a new high, exceeding its record set in 2021. The bond market also reacted positively to the news. Yield on the 10-year Treasury fell more than 14 basis points. "You can't ask for a better reception from the market," said Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist at LPL Financial. "This is the market applauding." U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving. Bessent might be one of the things for which investors will be grateful. — CNBC's Alex Harring and Hakyung Kim contributed to this report.

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Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health, according to a new report published Thursday by the Pew Research Center. As in past years, YouTube was the single most popular platform teenagers used — 90% said they watched videos on the site, down slightly from 95% in 2022. Nearly three-quarters said they visit YouTube every day. There was a slight downward trend in several popular apps teens used. For instance, 63% of teens said they used TikTok, down from 67% and Snapchat slipped to 55% from 59%. This small decline could be due to pandemic-era restrictions easing up and kids having more time to see friends in person, but it’s not enough to be truly meaningful . X saw the biggest decline among teenage users. Only 17% of teenagers said they use X, down from 23% in 2022, the year Elon Musk bought the platform. Reddit held steady at 14%. About 6% of teenagers said they use Threads, Meta’s answer to X that launched in 2023. The report comes as countries around the world are grappling with how to handle the effects of social media on young people’s well-being. Australia recently passed a law banning kids under 16 from social networks, though it’s unclear how it will be able to enforce the age limit — and whether it will come with unintended consequences such as isolating vulnerable kids from their peers. Meta’s messaging service WhatsApp was a rare exception in that it saw the number of teenage users increase, to 23% from 17% in 2022. Pew also asked kids how often they use various online platforms. Small but significant numbers said they are on them “almost constantly.” For YouTube, 15% reported constant use, for TikTok, 16% and for Snapchat, 13%. As in previous surveys, girls were more likely to use TikTok almost constantly while boys gravitated to YouTube. There was no meaningful gender difference in the use of Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Roughly a quarter of Black and Hispanic teens said they visit TikTok almost constantly, compared with just 8% of white teenagers. The report was based on a survey of 1,391 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted from Sept. 18 to Oct. 10, 2024.

Indian Bank, which was established on March 5, 1907 and officially started operations on August 15, 1907, has a legacy of over a century. It has navigated several economic crises, becoming a leading financial institution in India. As on September 30, 2024, Indian Bank is the seventh largest public sector bank with a total business of ₹12.44 lakh crore. Public opinion sought On November 2, 1906, a circular went out, inviting people to share their views on starting a “Native Bank in Madras”. The immediate trigger was the failure of the Madras-based Arbuthnot Bank in 1906, which caused misery to depositors, with a cascading effect on the local economy, according to details from the bank. “Also, at the time of the failure of Arbuthnot Bank, the Swadeshi Movement was launched at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in 1906. The establishment of the bank reflected the nationalistic desire for a reliable, Indian-managed financial institution,” say Indian Bank officials. V. Krishnaswamy Iyer, a prominent Madras lawyer, played a pivotal role in the establishment of the bank. S.Rm.M. Ramaswami Chettiar, one of the bank’s first directors, went on to become its inaugural chairman. Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar, a highly respected leader, joined the board in 1915, contributing significantly to its growth and development. Head office at Parry’s Corner The head office was initially opened in Parry’s Buildings at Parry’s Corner. As the operations grew, the head office was shifted to the Bentinck’s Building on North Beach Road (now Rajaji Salai) in July 1910. Subsequently, it was shifted in May 1970 to 31, Rajaji Salai (now renumbered as 66, Rajaji Salai, Chennai-600001). The bank started out with an initial capital investment of ₹8 lakh. In 1907, the bank’s emblem featured a banyan tree, symbolising overall progress, expansive growth, and continuous prosperity. Another component of the emblem was the frontal view of an elephant, with a long trunk symbolising the bank’s strength. In July 1978, the bank adopted its current logo, featuring three arrows that symbolise savings, investment, and surplus. The bank opened its second branch in Madurai on December 14, 1908, followed by the third in Coimbatore. It expanded internationally with the establishment of its first overseas branch in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1932. It went on to open a branch in Singapore in 1941. Before Independence, Indian Bank played an important role in financing local businesses. In 1947, the bank had 73 branches with a total business of ₹27.85 crore and a net profit of ₹0.78 crore. After Independence, it financed industries and offered financial services. The bank’s business, which stood at ₹27.85 crore in 1947, grew to ₹161.43 crore by the time of its nationalisation in 1969. Accounts and deposits In the 1950s, the bank introduced savings and current account services, followed by fixed deposits in the 1960s. The 1980s marked the arrival of ATMs and debit cards, and in the 1990s, online banking and home loans were introduced. Over the years, the bank acquired the businesses of Royalaseema Bank, Bank of Alagapuri, Salem Bank, Mannargudi Bank, and Trichy United Bank. In 1990, the bank acquired the Bank of Thanjavur that had a business of ₹114.64 crore. And the most significant recent merger was the amalgamation of Allahabad Bank with Indian Bank. The merger was completed on April 1, 2020. Indian Bank came out with its initial public offering in February 2007. The bank had offered 8.5955 crore equity shares, of which 10% were reserved for the employees. The issue was over-subscribed 32.03 times and the issue price was ₹91. The bank mobilised a total ₹762.14 crore (₹85.95 crore in equity capital and ₹696.9 crore in share premium). After this issue, the Indian government’s holding in the share capital stood at 80%. Indian Bank was officially listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) after the initial public offering. On the listing day, the equity shares of the bank touched a high of ₹105 in the BSE and ₹100.25 in the NSE. The bank took its maiden step in technology adoption during the 1980s by introducing ATMs and electronic fund transfer. In the 1990s, the bank embraced ALM-TBC, taking its first step towards digitisation. It became a forerunner in introducing tele-banking and online banking. During the 2010s, the bank focused on expanding digital services, launching mobile wallets. At the same time, the bank re-doubled its efforts at financial inclusion in rural areas, empowering under-served communities with digital banking tools. And more recently, the bank has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) and partnered with fintech companies. Now, the bank is headed by Shanti Lal Jain, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. As on September 30, 2024, the bank has 5,856 domestic branches: 1,983 rural branches, 1,532 semi-urban branches, 1,174 urban branches, and 1,167 metro branches. The bank also operates three overseas branches and has one International Banking Unit at Gift City in Gujarat. The official data show the bank caters to the needs of over 100 million customers with 40,671 employees. Lending to individuals, small businesses, and public sector enterprises is the bank’s major business. Demand may increase The bank also focuses on providing customised solutions to corporates and government departments. In an email, the bank officials told The Hindu that the demand in retail banking and agriculture is expected to rise, driven by the growing economy and increasing financial inclusion in rural areas. Over the next two years, the bank plans to enhance its digital services and continue expanding its mobile banking, internet banking, and other online services. The bank’s net profit, which stood at ₹753 crore (on a stand-alone basis before the amalgamation of e-Allahabad Bank) for the year ending March 31, 2020, surged to ₹8,063 crore for the year ending March 31, 2024. In the first half of the current fiscal (September 2024), the bank reported a net profit of ₹5,110 crore. Published - December 22, 2024 10:51 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

As 2025 rolls in, investors may be curious to know which stocks can do well in the New Year. Oftentimes, these are the businesses that enjoy some catalysts this year that can help to carry the momentum over into the New Year. Several companies may also enjoy long-term tailwinds that continue to benefit their business in the medium term, allowing them to post higher revenue, profits, and dividends . Here are four interesting Singapore stocks to watch for as we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome in 2025. iFAST is a financial technology (fintech) firm that operates a platform for the buying and selling of unit trusts, equities, and bonds. The group reported a stellar set of financial results for the first nine months of 2024 (9M 2024) as its Hong Kong ePension contract’s contributions kicked in. Net revenue shot up 75.5% year on year to S$183.5 million while operating profit nearly tripled year on year to S$60.1 million. Net profit went from just S$15.1 million to S$47.4 million in 9M 2024. iFAST also saw healthy net inflows of S$2.3 billion during the period, which pushed its assets under administration (AUA) to a new record high of S$23.62 billion. The group declared an interim dividend of S$0.015 for the quarter, 15% higher than the S$0.013 paid out a year ago. Management believes that the ePension division will become an important growth driver for the group in 2024 and 2025, while its core wealth management platform should continue to show healthy growth. Looking over to the group’s digital banking division, iFAST Global Bank saw its customer deposits more than double year on year to S$805.63 million as of 30 September 2024. iFAST expects its digital bank to also become an important growth driver in 2025 and beyond. DBS is Singapore’s largest bank by market capitalisation and is also a familiar name to many Singaporeans. The blue-chip lender performed very well this year as elevated interest rates buoyed its net interest income, while resilient consumer spending also benefitted its non-interest income. For the first nine months of 2024 (9M 2024), total income rose 11% year on year to S$16.8 billion on the back of a 5% year-on-year increase in net interest income. The bank’s non-interest income also climbed 27% year on year to S$3.2 billion. Net profit hit a record of S$8.8 billion for 9M 2024, up 12% year on year. DBS also delivered an impressive return on equity of 18.8%. The bank increased its quarterly dividend by 22.7% year on year to S$0.54 in tandem with the good results. CEO Piyush Gupta offered a sanguine outlook for 2025. Non-interest income should still grow by high-single-digits year on year while net interest income should remain at 2024 levels. Pre-tax profit should also be around this year’s levels, but net profit will be below 2024’s levels because of a global minimum tax rate of 15%. Singapore Technologies Engineering, or STE, is a global technology and engineering firm that serves clients in the aerospace, smart city, defence, and public security sectors. The blue-chip group provided a robust business update for 9M 2024. Revenue for the period jumped 14% year on year to S$8.3 billion, led by broad-based year-on-year revenue gains across all its three divisions. A total of S$8.3 billion in contracts were secured in 9M 2024, bringing STE’s order book to S$26.9 billion as of 30 September 2024. Of this, S$2.6 billion is expected to be delivered for the rest of this year while the rest should be recognised in 2025. CEO Vincent Chong has set a key target for STE to deliver revenue of over S$11 billion by 2026. The group will hold an Investor Day meeting next year to communicate its targets and he hopes that investors will appreciate the engineering firm as both a growth and yield stock. STE currently pays a quarterly dividend of S$0.04, bringing its annual dividend to S$0.16 per share. Keppel DC REIT is a data centre REIT with a portfolio of 23 data centres across 10 countries. The REIT’s assets under management (AUM) stood at S$2.3 billion as of 30 September 2024. The data centre REIT has done well this year, maintaining a high occupancy rate of 97.6% as of the third quarter of 2024 (3Q 2024). Its financial performance also remained robust despite a loss provision made for its Guangdong data centres. For 3Q 2024, gross revenue rose 8.9% year on year to S$76.9 million while distribution per unit inched up 0.4% year on year to S$0.02501. In late November, Keppel DC REIT announced a major acquisition of two data centres from its sponsor Keppel Ltd (SGX: BN4). This purchase will not only be yield accretive but will also lower the REIT’s gearing to enable it to take on more debt. Aggregate leverage will fall to just 33.3% post-acquisition, opening the REIT up to more of such acquisitions from its sponsor or through third parties. Investors can also look forward to rental uplifts and capacity expansion from these two new data centres because of the tight demand-supply dynamic. Looking to create a lifelong income stream? Check out our report, ‘7 Singapore Blue-Chip Stocks That Can Pay You for Life.’ We uncover a powerful lineup of dividend-paying stocks with the reliability and growth potential you need in today’s market. Don’t miss out on these dependable picks. Download your copy now and start building a secure financial future! Follow us on Facebook and Telegram for the latest investing news and analyses! Disclosure: Royston Yang owns shares of iFAST Corporation, DBS Group and Keppel DC REIT. The post Year in Review: 4 Singapore Stocks to Keep Your Eye On in 2025 appeared first on The Smart Investor .Newly Obtained Photos Show Joe Biden Introducing Hunter to Xi Jinping

Chirco: Lions’ offense is gift that keeps on givingAndrew Bennett obituary

The next four years are going to be especially tough for MSNBC’s Joy Reid. The always angry host of “The ReidOut” has spent the last four years ranting about Donald Trump and the danger he poses to democracy – and he wasn’t even in power. She’s already politically insane. She regularly calls Trump a gangster and a Putin puppet. I can’t imagine how she’ll deal with the next four years as Trump and his salvage team try to get America on the road to being great again. Reid is so blinded by Trump hate that she — like so many humorless Democrats and her soulmates in the liberal media — has lost her ability to laugh or even recognize a joke. She proved it for the hundredth time this week when she heard what Trump reportedly said to Pierre Trudeau during a dinner discussion at Mar-a-Lago. Trump apparently said if Canada’s economy could not survive sweeping new tariffs on its exports to the United States, “We’ll just annex you and make you part of the USA. You can be governor of Canada, our 51st state.” Reid acted like the joke was a declaration of war by a dictator she claimed wants to rule the entire Free World. Reid’s joyless worldview is an example of why her network and CNN were two of the biggest losers in last month’s presidential election. Harris lost. Biden lost. The Democratic Party lost. But MSNBC and CNN, which had attacked Trump relentlessly and endorsed Biden and then Harris fervently, were almost put out of business as competitive sources of liberal news and opinion. Once Trump officially won, their disappointed and misled viewers left by the hundreds of thousands, and both experienced double-digit drops in their ratings. ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” may not have the greatest political minds at its table, but the election and its aftermath boosted its ratings to 4.4 million viewers on Nov. 6. It was like a funeral with most everyone despondent, dressed in black and looking suicidal. Sunny Hostin spoke for all the sad ladies and tens of millions of shell-shocked Democrats when she said, “I’m profoundly disturbed.” Fox News, meanwhile, was almost as much of a winner as Trump. It saw its ratings soar during the election because it covered Trump’s every speech, and its personalities enthusiastically backed him. But I don’t think that carrying the flag for Trump was the only reason Fox’s ratings stayed so high. Unlike CNN and MSNBC, which are miserable and hateful places most of the time, Fox is a happy place – a fun place. It’s where the hosts and guests are usually found laughing and smiling, even when the subject is partisan politics. Fox News fans can see fun being had everyday on “The Five” at 5 p.m. Whether it’s Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Judge Jeanine Pirro or the token liberal Democrat of the day, Jessica Tarlov or Harold Ford, viewers see happy humans who like each other. “The Five’s” people have good senses of humor and clearly enjoy their jobs – and viewers can tell. Somehow I can’t imagine Whoopie Goldberg and the other bitter ladies on “The View” or Joy Reid looking forward to doing their show every day. So what are the angry stars on CNN and MSNBC going to do now, now that Trump is back in power? They’re probably only going to become crazier and angrier because they don’t know how to laugh or have fun. They didn’t know how to laugh when Trump was handing out French fries at a take-out window at McDonald’s. Or when he dressed up like a trashman and rode in a garbage truck. That was very funny to us Republicans and to most normal people. But the angry faces on CNN and MSNBC couldn’t crack a smile. Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of “The New Reagan Revolution” (St. Martin’s Press). Send comments to [email protected] . Follow @reaganworld on Twitter. His column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Lima News editorial board or AIM Media, owner of the newspaper.SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven’t provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. RELATED COVERAGE UnitedHealthcare CEO was likely killed with a ghost gun that can be made at home Santa Ana winds return means increased fire risk, possible power shut-offs for Southern California Nvidia’s stock dips after China opens probe of the AI chip company for violating anti-monopoly laws Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks’ 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There’s not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story.” Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.Amid a fall season characterized by restive shareholders seeking an activist bid to unseat senior management and change the trajectory of the company, Pfizer ( PFE 2.29% ) is communicating that everything is under control. Per its updated forecast for its 2024 and 2025 fiscal years on Dec. 17, the overarching message is that the pharma will continue to seek to control its costs while bolstering its portfolio of medicines as usual. But does that make the stock a buy, or is there reason to be cautious? Let's dig into the details here and make a judgment. This new forecast is a mixed bag To begin, let's compare the new outlook issued by management for 2025 with its recent performance to get a sense of how significant the coming 12 months will be for shareholders. Pfizer's trailing-12-month (TTM) revenue is $59.3 billion, whereas its TTM normalized diluted earnings per share (EPS) is $1.55. Per the updated projection for next year, the business anticipates bringing in revenue of as much as $64 billion, and adjusted diluted EPS of between $2.80 and $3.00. But here's where shareholders are apt to frown. According to the reaffirmed forecast for this year, 2024, the company expects to bring in as much as $64 billion in revenue, and as much as $2.95 in adjusted diluted EPS. See the issue? Even if things go well enough that sales and earnings end up in the upper ranges of management's forecasts, there won't be much in the way of top or bottom-line growth between 2024 and 2025. That means management's plan to implement $500 million in cost savings in 2025 will hardly make a dent. On the bright side, a separate cost-savings campaign dedicated to manufacturing specifically is expected to start to deliver in the second half of 2025, so that might make 2026 a bit better from an earnings perspective. Plus, the overlapping forecast for 2024 and 2025 are, to an extent, a mirage; after removing non-recurring items from this year's forecast performance, Pfizer thinks that its revenue could grow by as much as 5% and its adjusted diluted EPS by as much as 18% in 2025. Still, that isn't actually very reassuring, as management is frank that performing at the lower ends of its estimates would result in zero revenue growth and just 10% EPS growth year over year. The long term looks a bit better than the near term What should investors make of this update from management? For one, there hasn't been much discussion of how the business is going to grow faster in the near future than it is today, which suggests no upcoming major changes in strategy. The previously established goals of becoming more efficient, becoming a world leader in oncology drugs, and continuing to return capital to shareholders while reducing the company's debt burden are still in progress. Likewise, research and development (R&D) activities will continue to be fully funded, and while it hasn't been explicitly mentioned, there is a high probability that Pfizer will continue to look for opportunities to acquire promising biotechs or their pharmaceutical assets to bolster the pipeline. More importantly, shareholders need to brace themselves for another year of the stock being in the doldrums. There's no obvious pending catalyst that would enable big price appreciation. At the same time, if you're interested in collecting a dividend with a toothsome forward yield of 6.7%, right now looks like a great time to buy more shares or invest for the first time -- except for the fact that Pfizer is paying out significantly more than it's generating in earnings; its payout ratio is a lofty 223%. The risk of the dividend getting cut is not very high at the moment, but if weak growth continues for a couple of years longer, it could be on the table, especially if there's an unlucky run of late-stage programs that fail in the pipeline. With all of the above in mind, this stock is still worth buying, provided that you're willing to hold onto it through the slow period ahead. Just be aware that the risk is higher here than it would normally be with a big pharma stock, as this giant looks like it's moving slower than its shareholders might prefer.

Meta donates $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund