Gilead Sciences GILD NASDAQ:GILD

White Mountains’ Underwriting Margins Drive 1Q Book Value Increase

A benign catastrophe season and continued improvement in underwriting margins at majority-owned OneBeacon OB led to a 3% sequential increase in adjusted book value to $606 per share at White Mountains Insurance Group WTM . In comparison with last year’s first quarter, the combined ratio (expense divided by earned premiums) fell to 81% from 84%…

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Growing Competition on the Cotai Strip Leads to a Bad Quarterly Hand for Wynn Resorts

Wynn Resorts WYNN reported weak first-quarter results, as the company continued to perform poorly in Macau due to intensifying competition from new casinos on the Cotai Strip. Revenue and EBITDA were above consensus estimates, but only because the company had an unusually high hold rate for VIP table games in Macau and table games in…

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Gilead Sciences GILD NASDAQ:GILD

Strong Lumber and Panel Prices Buoy Weyerhaeuser’s 1Q; Deferred Harvests Causing Log Prices to Lag

Positive momentum in the long-suffering wood products business led improved results in Weyerhaeuser’s WY first quarter, as the segment benefited from improved housing demand and a cautious lumber industry that hasn’t fully recalibrated supply to meet the new demand reality. Results were more tepid in Weyerhaeuser’s other segments, as log prices haven’t enjoyed the kind…

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