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Investopedia

Pfizer Stock Rises On Report Starboard Takes Roughly $1B Stake

~0.9 mins read

Shares of Pfizer (PFE) are rising in premarket trading Monday following a report that activist investor Starboard Value has taken a roughly $1 billion stake in the struggling drugmaker.

According to , Starboard has approached Ian Read, a former Pfizer chief executive, and ex-finance chief Frank D’Amelio to aid its plans to improve the company's performance.The hedge fund sees Pfizer under current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Bourla—who took over from Read in 2019—as lacking the M&A discipline of his predecessor, the report said. Pfizer has spent billions of dollars on buying companies involved in producing cancer drugs, including biotech Seagen for $43 billion last year, since Bourla took over.

Pfizer's shares have almost halved since their pandemic peak in 2021 as demand for its COVID-19 vaccines slumped. They are little changed this year, versus a 21% jump in the S&P 500.

Pfizer's shares are rising about 3% on the report but were hit recently after it recalled all lots of its sickle cell disease medicine worldwide because of concerns the drug could lead to severe pain and possibly death in patients.

Pfizer and Starboard didn't immediately return requests for comment.

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News_Naija

SG Holdings CP Programme Oversubscribed: A Vote Of Investors Confidence

~2.4 mins read

SG Holdings Limited, a leading downstream Oil and Gas company and a rising force in international shipping, has successfully completed its debut commercial paper (CP) issuance—Series 1 and 2—marking a significant milestone in its corporate journey. Originally targeting ₦30 billion, the programme was met with strong demand from the investment community, ultimately raising ₦34.6 billion—an impressive 15% oversubscription. This remarkable response underscores the market’s confidence in SG Holdings’ financial strength, operational performance, and growth potential as a new entrant in Nigeria’s capital markets. Launched on March 27, 2025, the CP programme attracted a broad spectrum of institutional investors, including asset managers, pension funds, finance houses, and other major financial institutions. The commercial papers were competitively priced in the ranges of 24–26% and 26–28%, reflecting robust investor appetite and the company’s solid credit standing. SG Holdings’ strong ratings—GCR (AA)/A1+ and Agusto& Co (A-)—further bolstered investor confidence. These ratings are supported by the company’s exceptional financial performance and integrated operational footprint. According to GCR, “The ratings assigned to SG Holdings Limited are underpinned by its well-integrated asset base across the downstream oil and gas value chain, which has driven strong earnings and healthy free cash flows. The ratings also reflect the natural hedge provided by its USD-denominated revenues, margin expansion from profitable oil vessel leases, and a modest net debt position. The company’s strategic focus on oil and gas ocean transportation remains a key pillar of its strong business profile. SG Holdings has maintained impressive earnings growth, recording an annualised turnover increase of 79% in Q3 2024, following a 22% rise in the 2023 fiscal year.” The outlook was described as “very stable.” The proceeds from the commercial paper issuance will provide SG Holdings with a cost-effective source of short-term financing, enhancing its liquidity and cash flow management. The programme also diversifies the company’s funding sources, reducing dependency on traditional bank lending. Its success has further reinforced the company’s credibility and standing within the capital market. Commenting on the outcome, SG Holdings CEO, Mr. Deji Matthew Somoye, stated, “We are thrilled with the success of our maiden commercial paper programme. It reflects investors’ trust in our financial performance, leadership, and creditworthiness. This CP programme will serve as a vital financing tool to help us meet our strategic goals and drive further growth.” SG Holdings is emerging as a dominant force in international shipping, with five ocean-going crude oil tankers in its fleet—two of which are Suezmax-class (165,000 DWT) vessels—collectively valued at over USD 350 million. No other Nigerian trading company owns comparable assets. The closest regional competitor, Stena Sonangol, is a joint venture tanker pool operated by Stena Bulk and Angola’s state oil company, Sonangol. In the downstream oil and gas sector, SG Holdings has made significant infrastructure investments, including an ultramodern tank farm, private jetty, gas processing plant, and a growing network of retail stations, among other assets. The company has experienced robust growth over the past five years, with total assets exceeding ₦350 billion as of December 2024. Supported by sound risk management, strong corporate governance, and a commitment to operational excellence and innovation, SG Holdings is well-positioned for sustained growth and value creation. Its strategic alliances with globally recognized entities—such as BP, Clarksons Shipping, Glencore, Shell UK, Union Maritime (UK), Litasco (Moscow), Coral Energy, Navig8 Shipping (UK), and Alpha Shipping (Turkey)—have played a pivotal role in driving its growth trajectory. Looking ahead, SG Holdings is focused on deepening its market footprint, expanding into new geographies, and broadening its service offerings in international shipping.

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Instablog9ja

Reality TV Star Kim Oprah Writes About A Certain Profession That Must Not Be Named

~0.2 mins read

Reality TV Star Kim Oprah has taken a swipe at medical doctors, by revealing that they don’t make good romantic partners.

She took to her social media page to express her reservations about people who work as medical practitioners .

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Investopedia

5 Smart Money Decisions You Should Make Right Now

~4.0 mins read

As the end of the year approaches, it might be a good time to take stock of your finances. Whether you’re contributing to your 401 (k) or selling one of your losing investments, what you do now could help you save money in the future.

“October and November are good times to sort of take inventory,” said Adam Wojtkowski, a certified financial planner. “And then in November and December, if you have actual transactions that you need to make, try to get them done.”

Catherine Valega, a CFP at Green Bee Advisory, has recommended Roth IRA conversions to some of her clients this election year because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017—a law that lowered income and tax brackets—will expire in 2025. That means that the income tax rates could jump after December 31, 2025.

With a Roth conversion, you move money from a pre-tax account like a traditional IRA into a post-tax Roth account where your money grows and withdrawals are tax-free as well. That means you’re effectively reducing taxes in future years.

“Locking in the historically low ordinary income tax rates by doing a Roth conversion and claiming a specific [tax] bracket would also be beneficial before year end,” said Brian Schmehil, Managing Director, Wealth Management at The Mather Group.

However, whenever you convert a retirement account to a Roth IRA, the amount you convert is considered taxable income. That means you’ll owe income taxes on the conversion and could face a higher tax bill come April. Doing a conversion could also bump you up to a higher tax bracket for the year, so Wojtkowski recommends considering what tax bracket you’re in before opting for a Roth conversion.

While the contribution limits for IRAs and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are up until tax day, you'll have until December 31 to contribute to or max out some of your employer-sponsored accounts, like your 401(k).

“On the employer plan side, if you're able to maximize your contribution, you [want to] do it with the limited paychecks that you have between now and year end,” said Schmehil.

Katherine Edwards, a CFP at Mainstreet Financial Planning, also suggests using this time of the year to evaluate your retirement strategy and boost your savings rate.

“If you're not maxing out [your retirement accounts], consider increasing how much you're putting in your retirement account,” Edwards said. “Maybe you get a raise and you increase your retirement account contributions by 1% every December.”

If you sell your investments for a profit, you owe what is called a capital gains tax. However, in a year like 2024 that saw stock market highs as well as turbulence, you could use some of the loss making bets to your advantage.

Edwards said harvesting losses on your investments at the end of the year is a good idea in order to reduce your tax bill, though she also recommends doing it throughout the year or when the market is down.

With tax-loss harvesting, you sell an investment at a loss to offset your capital gains and reduce your ordinary income, up to $3,000. Capital losses that exceed $3,000 can be carried over to future years to offset your gains.

If you still think that losing investment could turn around, make sure you don’t repurchase it within 30 days of the sale you make for tax-loss harvesting purposes. That could run you afoul of the wash-sale rule.

Don't forget to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your IRAs before the end of the year, if you're eligible, or else you'll be on the hook to pay a hefty penalty.

If you're age 73 or older and it’s not your first year taking a required minimum distribution from your retirement account—like an IRA or 401 (k)—you’ll have until December 31 to take your RMD.

Otherwise, you're liable to pay a penalty worth 25% of the RMD amount not taken by the deadline. If it’s your first time taking an RMD, you have until April 1 of the next year.

Some retirees may need that money for expenses but if they don't, there's a silver lining. You could use the extra cash to invest.

"CDs and other liquid investments are great if their goal to use the money is short term and they plan to need it soon. If they aren't planning to use it for at least 5-10 years, they can consider investing it in something more aggressive in the brokerage account," said Gerika Espinosa, a CFP and financial advisor at DMBA Financial Planning and Wellness.

Another option, according to Espinosa, is to use those funds to make tax-efficient qualified charitable contributions.

When you give to a cause that’s important to you, you can also score a tax break. However, in order to deduct a charitable contribution from your income in the 2024 tax year, you’ll want to make the contribution by the end of the year.

To receive the tax deduction on your annual gross income (AGI), you must itemize your deductions instead of taking the standard deduction. Therefore, some experts recommend ‘bunching’ charitable contributions.

“If somebody is in a position to take the standard deduction in most years—rather than making charitable contributions year after year—[consider] potentially bunching and making three years worth of charitable contributions into a donor advised fund in a given year,” said Wojtkowski.

With the TCJA set to expire at the end of 2025, experts also say it may be beneficial to make charitable contributions now rather than later as tax concessions might decline.

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Pfizer Stock Rises On Report Starboard Takes Roughly $1B Stake

SG Holdings CP Programme Oversubscribed: A Vote Of Investors Confidence

Reality TV Star Kim Oprah Writes About A Certain Profession That Must Not Be Named

5 Smart Money Decisions You Should Make Right Now