Category: 3. Business

Beverage company Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) will be announcing earnings results this Tuesday morning. Here’s what investors should know.

Coca-Cola met analysts’ revenue expectations last quarter, reporting revenues of $12.41 billion, up 3.9% year on year. It was a satisfactory quarter for the company, with an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

Is Coca-Cola a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it’s free for active Edge members.

This quarter, analysts are expecting Coca-Cola’s revenue to grow 5.2% year on year to $12 billion, improving from the 4.2% increase it recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are expected to come in at $0.56 per share.

Analysts covering the company have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings. Coca-Cola has a history of exceeding Wall Street’s expectations, beating revenue estimates every single time over the past two years by 2.6% on average.

Looking at Coca-Cola’s peers in the beverages, alcohol, and tobacco segment, some have already reported their Q4 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. Constellation Brands’s revenues decreased 9.8% year on year, beating analysts’ expectations by 2.9%, and Altria reported flat revenue, topping estimates by 1.1%. Constellation Brands traded up 5.3% following the results while Altria was down 1.8%.

Read our full analysis of Constellation Brands’s results here and Altria’s results here.

There has been positive sentiment among investors in the beverages, alcohol, and tobacco segment, with share prices up 7.4% on average over the last month. Coca-Cola is up 11.8% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $79.45 (compared to the current share price of $78.92).

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A recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) threat intelligence report highlighted that Russian state-backed cyber operations have been targeting critical infrastructure of Western countries, particularly energy infrastructure, by pivoting their tactics to exploit misconfigured customer network edge devices to gain initial access into the infrastructure. Such edge devices included routers, VPN gateways, and remote-access consoles hosted in AWS environments. By targeting the “low-hanging fruit” of misconfigured customer devices that exposed management interfaces, the attackers could achieve the same strategic objectives of gaining persistent access to critical infrastructure networks and harvesting credentials for accessing online services. All at significantly less cost and risk of exposure.   

This development should alarm governments and enterprises globally, including those in ASEAN, especially when many ASEAN public sector agencies use cloud services like AWS for e-government services, national data repositories, and possibly even to support essential service delivery. The AWS case demonstrates that vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure today are often not a function of advanced malware, but of organisational capacity and governance in the public sector.

Several ASEAN states have, in fact, introduced cybersecurity laws intended to protect critical information infrastructure (CII) or functionally equivalent systems, whose failure or disruption would affect essential public services. However, these regimes remain unevenly developed across the region. At present, only four out of eleven ASEAN member states, namely, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, have enacted statutory frameworks that explicitly identify and regulate CII or systems essential to national security and public services.

Singapore’s Cybersecurity Act establishes a detailed CII regime supported by sector-specific codes of practice and mandatory risk assessments. Malaysia’s Cyber Security Act 2024 introduces a National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII) framework, while Thailand’s Cybersecurity Act empowers authorities to designate CIIs and impose compliance obligations. Vietnam’s cybersecurity laws regulate “information systems critical to national security”, which functionally serve a similar role, albeit within a more state-centric model. By contrast, the majority of ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, and Laos, do not yet have dedicated CII statutes. Instead, cybersecurity governance in these states relies on general cybercrime laws, ICT regulations, and personal data protection acts (PDPAs). In practice, this has resulted in PDPA compliance becoming a proxy for cybersecurity governance, not because PDPAs are well suited to protecting infrastructure, but because they are often the most mature, enforceable, and institutionally embedded digital regulations available.

Singapore remains a notable outlier in this respect. Among ASEAN states, Singapore is the only jurisdiction where cybersecurity and CII laws clearly and consistently extend enforceable obligations and liability to private-sector service providers, including cloud companies supporting public-sector critical services, rather than relying primarily on contractual arrangements or data protection law as proxies for accountability. Its cybersecurity framework reflects a level of regulatory coherence, enforcement capacity, and technical resourcing that few ASEAN states currently match, as most ASEAN governments face fiscal and institutional constraints that limit their ability to replicate Singapore’s model in the near term. As a result, while cybersecurity and CII laws exist on paper in some jurisdictions, their operationalisation remains inconsistent.

Existing critical information infrastructure regimes tend to assume clearly bounded systems under direct organisational control, whereas modern critical services increasingly rely on cloud platforms, outsourced service providers, and shared-responsibility models.

The AWS incident exposes a common regional vulnerability arising from this uneven landscape. Existing CII regimes tend to assume clearly bounded systems under direct organisational control, whereas modern critical services increasingly rely on cloud platforms, outsourced service providers, and shared-responsibility models. Misconfigured customer-controlled components, such as edge devices and access gateways, often fall into a grey zone where legal responsibility is formally assigned but operational oversight is weak. Attackers are increasingly exploiting this gap, especially when the services are provided by private companies.

As ASEAN governments are actively pursuing digital transformation through smart cities, e-government platforms, and cross-border data flows, these initiatives risk expanding the attack surface of critical sectors without corresponding investments in cybersecurity skills and regulatory clarity. Cybersecurity readiness surveys have repeatedly shown that many state agencies lack personnel with deep operational expertise in cloud security and network engineering, even where formal compliance roles such as Data Protection Officers (DPOs) exist. Given this vulnerability, governments in the region could consider the following steps for stronger cybersecurity, especially in the public sector.

First, governments could raise cybersecurity leadership standards in critical sectors beyond the narrow area of compliance with data protection requirements. Cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience roles should be clearly distinguished from data governance functions, with regulators requiring demonstrable technical competence for those responsible for securing critical systems.

Second, regulators would have to shift from point-in-time audits towards continuous configuration monitoring and risk assessment, particularly for internet-facing and cloud-hosted infrastructure. Static compliance checks are poorly suited to environments that change rapidly and could be targeted by adaptive adversaries.

Third, governments need to invest in cybersecurity workforce development to make these standards achievable. National training schemes, scholarships, and public–private partnerships are essential to building a sustainable talent pipeline. National cybersecurity agencies should also arrange for regular upskilling and recertification of DPOs and IT officers in government, reducing recruitment pressures on local agencies while promoting consistent professional standards.

Fourth, ASEAN could consider deepening regional threat-intelligence sharing. The AWS case shows the value of timely, actionable information on how intrusions occur and how attackers operate. Strengthening cooperation through the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (ASEAN-CERT) would allow member states to improve collective preparedness for cross-border threats.

The AWS incident is a strategic alarm bell for ASEAN governments. As cyber actors refine their methods to exploit basic operational oversights, ASEAN countries must equip themselves not just with rules, but with people, skills, and practical security practices that close the gap between compliance and resilience.

2026/38

It’s getting harder for average Americans to make ends meet and still find a way to save. Yet, some stories prove that building wealth is still possible if you’re willing to practice financial discipline.

A 49-year-old woman recently took to r/Fire— a Reddit community about early retirement—to celebrate hitting a massive $1.5 million in savings after decades of relentless frugality. The poster shared that she’s a single mother of three who has been working for the same employer for over 20 years.

“Behind everyone here, but still happy,” the Redditor wrote. “I do not have a fancy job or big salary. I checked my account today and was delighted that my frugality has resulted in $1.5M. Feeling proud of myself, happy, grateful.”

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The Redditor said that her annual expenses are around $45,000. This includes her mortgage, which she expects to pay off in five years. She said she maxes out her health savings account, IRA, and 401(k) each year and plans to retire at 55.

The poster shared more details about her path from financial hardship to stability. She said she bought her first home in 2003 and later filed for bankruptcy at 26. She sold the house for a significant profit after home prices shot up in her area and used the proceeds as a “springboard” to rebuild her finances.

“I was also invested (albeit very, very little) in my 401k during the housing crisis,” she said. “My value skyrocketed once the market came back. Did the same after 2020.”

Many Redditors asked the poster for advice on saving money. She said she has been frugal for years and, since her separation two decades ago, has been pouring money into savings with the goal of retiring early.

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The poster said she shops at thrift stores and has taught her kids to do the same. She also said she isn’t impulsive and is willing to wait for lower prices.

“My car was bought used and I’ve been driving it for 10 years,” she said. “I don’t think I own any clothes that weren’t from a thrift store. Since I was dead broke when the kids were little, they’re also accustomed to thrifting.”

She also joined local groups that give away items for free and finds high-quality household goods she would otherwise have to buy.

“If I buy something and then realize I don’t need it, I return it,” she added. “I know a lot of people don’t bother. I’m really just frugal and I guess that helped a lot.”

Careful financial planning and accounting for every dollar can truly go a long way in changing your life. People with a formal financial plan are up to 4X wealthier by the time they retire, and 95% of people who work with an advisor say it’s worth the money. Domain Money is designed especially for professionals and households earning over $100,000 a year, who are ready to take their financial planning to the next level with personalized, expert guidance.

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This article ‘Behind Everyone Here, But Still Happy’: 49-Year-Old Mom Of 3 Says Frugality Helped Her Reach $1.5M In Savings – No ‘Fancy Job Or Big Salary’ originally appeared on Benzinga.com

© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Strategy Inc (NASDAQ:MSTR) shares surged 22% Friday as TD Cowen maintained its $440 price target, arguing there is “no reasonable scenario” forcing the company to sell Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) despite trading underwater on its holdings.

TD Cowen analysts Lance Vitanza and Jonnathan Navarrete said Strategy is “better positioned than ever” to participate in a potential recovery, even as the premise looks strained amid steep declines. The company’s shares are down 13.4% so far in 2026, adding to a 47.5% slump last year.

The volatility looks intentional ― analysts noted Strategy’s common stock is designed to be about 1.5 times more volatile than Bitcoin.

“It should come as no surprise that Strategy’s shares outperform Bitcoin when the price rises, and underperform when falling. This is, in fact, by design,” they said.

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On solvency concerns, TD Cowen argued Strategy has the “wherewithal to ride out a hypothetically much steeper Bitcoin rout.”

They pointed to the company’s $2.25 billion cash reserve that could fund $900 million in fixed charges for nearly 17 months while covering $1 billion of convertible notes putable in 2027.

The earliest trouble point appears in March 2028, when additional convertibles mature or become putable.

Moreover, TD Cowen maintained Bitcoin price targets at $177,000 by December 2026 and $226,000 by December 2027.

TD Cowen’s view aligns with recent Strategy executive comments.

On the Q4 earnings call revealing $126 billion in losses, CEO Phong Le said Bitcoin would need to fall to around $8,000 and remain there for five to six years before Strategy faces difficulty servicing convertible debt.

Executive Chairman Michael Saylor reiterated the capital structure is designed to withstand extended volatility, dismissing quantum computing threats as “horrible FUD.”

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TD Cowen highlighted Strategy’s emerging “digital credit engine” as a key thesis component.

The company raised over $7 billion of preferred equity in fiscal 2025, representing 33% of all preferred equity sold in the U.S.

The firm’s STRC preferred stock pays an 11.25% annualized dividend rate with daily liquidity above $118 million, providing an alternative funding mechanism beyond convertible debt.

See Also: This ETF issuer isn’t chasing the index — it’s building tools for income, leverage, and conviction

Strategy’s shares are up 22% Friday, bouncing after testing the critical $100-$110 support.

However, the stock remains trapped in a descending channel with overhead resistance.

The SAR indicator at $155.29 positions above current prices, indicating the bearish trend remains intact. Immediate resistance sits at $155, followed by $165-$175, then $200+.

Additionally, the RSI at 36.45 shows bouncing from oversold but remains below 50, confirming momentum stays bearish.

Support sits at $100-$110—if this fails, next support appears at $75-$85.

Image source: Shutterstock

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This article ‘No Reasonable Scenario’ Forces Strategy To Sell Bitcoin As $440 Target Stands: TD Cowen originally appeared on Benzinga.com

Qantas loyalty division boss Andrew Glance admits he’s been taken aback by the airline’s remarkable turnaround since the dark days that saw former chief executive Alan Joyce and chairman Richard Goyder ousted by angry investors in 2023.

Vanessa Hudson beat Olivia Wirth, former boss of the loyalty program, to the top job and has won widespread praise for rebuilding the flying kangaroo’s reputation. Glance’s star has also been rising since taking on the frequent flyer business after the overlooked Wirth left for Myer.

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A UK dairy delivery business is to begin collecting unwanted or broken toys, mobile phones and laptops while dropping off milk, orange juice and butter in its latest attempt to expand.

The Modern Milkman was founded by entrepreneur Simon Mellin in Burnley, north-west England, in 2019 and delivers groceries to more than 100,000 households across the UK.

The business will now start collecting electronic goods and toys to give to recycling specialist EMR Group, which will repurpose or recycle the items. Consumers pay £2.50 a time for a collection bag.

British households have an average 30 broken tech items each – up from 20 four years ago, according to non-profit organisation Material Focus. Britons dispose of about 2m tonnes of electronic waste every year.

Retailers must now offer take-back schemes and some councils do kerbside collections but it can still be hard to find an easy way to get rid of small items such as cables, chargers and old phones.

“We did a lot of research and there is not really a convenient way to deal with this stuff,” said Mellin. The service has been trialled in four regions and would now be expanded across the group’s operations. It also has plans to tackle other waste such as soft plastics or textiles in future.

“It is about how we build a stronger proposition and make ourselves more valuable to our customers,” he said, with a focus on “sustainable growth rather than blowing the barn doors off”.

The business operates through local independent suppliers and a collection of franchisees who employ delivery workers across about 40% of the UK – from Newcastle, Preston and Blackburn to London and Bristol.

Mellin, who grew up on a farm and says he left school with no qualifications, admitted the business had endured “a rollercoaster” in its first years as demand for deliveries in the UK ballooned during the pandemic and later fell back.

However, UK sales rose last year and are continuing to increase as the company reaches more homes and offers new services, Mellin said.

The Modern Milkman is also expanding in the US after acquiring local businesses which serve homes in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Ohio, and New York. Mellin said sales in the younger US business were also growing “at pace”.

Sales for the group rose 13% to £52m in 2024, driven by expansion in the US, but the company made a pre-tax loss of £6.3m, narrowing from a £10.6m loss in the prior year. Last year, sales rose about 20% as the UK and US markets both saw growth, partly helped by the launch of a loyalty scheme.

Grocery delivery firms have been forced to adapt amid heavy competition and a slowing market since the pandemic.

Rapid grocery delivery specialists such as Getir have closed down as big supermarket chains such as Tesco, the Co-op and Sainsbury’s have expanded their own operations and worked with delivery specialists such as Deliveroo and UberEats.

Milk & More, the UK’s biggest specialist dairy delivery service, was sold by yoghurt maker Müller to dairy firm Freshways in January 2024 as the cost of living crisis hit sales.