Mid-America Apartment Communities ( MAA -0.16% ) has a solid record of paying dividends . The real estate investment trust (REIT), which is focused on owning apartments in the U.S. Sun Belt region, has never suspended or reduced its payout in its 30 years as a public company. The landlord has routinely raised its dividend over the years, including the last 14 in a row . The residential REIT currently offers a dividend yield of over 3.5%. That's about triple the yield of the S&P 500 , which is around a 20-year low of 1.2%. In addition to that attractive income stream, MAA expects 2025 to begin a new multi-year growth cycle for its business. That makes it a great dividend stock to buy for the coming year and beyond. Headwinds shifting to tailwinds Lower interest rates following the pandemic's height fueled an apartment building boom across the Southeast, which has benefited from continued population and job growth. As a result, the supply of available apartments has surged, which has weighed on rent growth. For example, MAA's average rent per unit was down 0.4% during the third quarter. However, higher interest rates over the past couple of years have made it much more expensive for companies to start new apartment development projects. Because of that, new supply has now peaked and is steadily getting absorbed by the market, thanks to the continued strong demand for rental housing. These factors drive MAA's view that 2025 will mark a turning point in its business. CEO Eric Bolton stated in the Q3 earnings release: "We are confident that in calendar year 2025 we will see a meaningful decline in the amount of new supply impacting our portfolio, and we will enter a new multi-year cycle with demand outpacing supply." MAA also expects demand for rental housing to continue growing in its markets. It sees population growth of 1.5% across its markets next year (faster than the 0.8% growth across the markets of its REIT peers), along with a higher job growth rate (1.3% versus 1%). People and companies continue to migrate to the southern half of the U.S. due to its warmer weather, lower costs, and better business climate. Going on the offensive While most other developers pulled back on starting new apartment projects as interest rates rose, MAA has been ramping up. The REIT currently has five communities in the lease-up phase that it developed or acquired in the past year (1,708 units at a $457.8 million cost). These projects should stabilize by early 2025, supplying it with incremental rental income. On top of that, MAA has eight active development projects (2,762 units at a projected cost of $978.3 million). The REIT expects to complete these projects over the next few years, with stabilizations scheduled through the first quarter of 2028. They will provide the company with a growing stream of rental income over the next few years. MAA expects to start three to four more development projects next year. It has the land and financial capacity to continue beginning new developments in the coming years. The REIT is also investing capital to upgrade, reposition, and enhance its existing properties. For example, it expected to renovate 5,000 to 6,000 apartments last year. It also invests money to add amenities and technology to older properties. These investments make its communities more appealing to renters, enabling it to capture higher lease rates. Given the anticipated improvement in market conditions, MAA expects to increase the pace of these investments in 2025. The landlord also expects to remain active in the transaction market in 2025. It was on track to make around $400 million in acquisitions last year, a pace it expects to maintain in the new year. Poised for growth in 2025 and beyond "The upside opportunity within our current portfolio from these changing market conditions, coupled with the growing contribution from our new development and acquisitions pipeline, has MAA very well positioned," noted Bolton in the Q3 earnings report. The REIT's earnings growth rate should reaccelerate, which should boost its stock price, especially considering that shares are currently down about 30% over the past three years. In addition to that upside, MAA will likely continue to grow its high-yielding dividend. These factors set investors up to earn a strong total return in 2025 and beyond, making MAA a great dividend stock to buy as we head into the new year.Warren Buffett Has Sold $133 Billion Worth of Stock in 2024 So Far, but This Small $550 Million Purchase Is Sending a Big Message to Investors - The Motley Fool
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NoneALPINE, Texas (AP) — Three U.S. Army soldiers at Fort Cavazos, Texas, have been arrested on human smuggling charges, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said Thursday. Soldiers Emilio Mendoza Lopez, Angel Palma, 20, and Enrique Jauregui, 25, were arrested after a vehicle allegedly driven by Palma and carrying Mendoza Lopez, a Mexican national and two Guatemalan nationals was stopped Nov. 27 by law enforcement in Presidio along the border with Mexico, about 500 miles (805 kilometers) southwest of Dallas. Mike Lahrman, a spokesman for Esparza, said he did not know the soldier’s ranks or whether action had been taken against them by the military. A spokesman for Fort Cavazos did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “Mendoza Lopez and Palma allegedly traveled from Fort Cavazos to Presidio for the purpose of picking up and transporting undocumented noncitizens,” Esparza said in a statement. “Jauregui is alleged to be the recruiter and facilitator of the human smuggling conspiracy,” according to Esparza. “Data extracted from Palma’s phone through a search warrant revealed messages between the three soldiers indicating collaboration in the smuggling operation.” Related Articles National News | Two children wounded and gunman dead after shooting at Northern California school National News | White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign National News | Powell: Fed’s independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions National News | US senators grill airline officials about fees for seats and checked bags National News | California ranks No. 9 for economic ‘balance’ between bosses and workers Mendoza Lopez was arrested at the scene of the Nov. 27 traffic stop while Palma, who prosecutors said fled the scene of the traffic stop, and Jauregui were arrested Tuesday at Fort Cavazos, about 125 miles (201 kilometers) south of Dallas, Lahrman said. Mendoza Lopez’s attorney, Shane Chriesman, said he is awaiting more information, known as discovery, from prosecutors on the charge. “Once I get discovery and have a chance to assess the case we’ll develop a plan of attack” and will try to get a bond set for Mendoza Lopez, who is currently jailed without bail, Chriesman said. No attorneys are listed in jail records who could speak for for Palma and Jauregui, who are awaiting their first court appearance on Friday, according to Esparza.When My Husband Survived Brain Cancer, His Doctor Made 1 Suggestion. It Ended Up Changing My Life Instead.
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The developer of recently-announced virtual pet simulator game Catly has responded to allegations that the game's trailer and marketing was produced using generative AI, saying that no such technology was used in its announcement at The Game Awards, nor in the game itself. In a statement shared with IGN, a PR representative authorized to speak on behalf of developer SuperAuthenti said that generative AI was not used to produce the trailer, nor the game. Furthermore, the representative said the developer was "very surprised by such speculations," adding that "We do not think there are any existing AI tools that can produce a video like that. Industry experts have echoed this opinion." The PR representative also showed IGN a version of the trailer from The Game Awards that showed in-progress shots interspersed alongside the final version, which did seem to confirm the lack of AI use in the actual trailer production. The spokesperson confirmed to IGN that Catly is being made in Unreal Engine 5, and said the developer uses "various software" to produce hyperrealistic fur and hair. Assertions that Catly was using generative AI technology began to circulate almost immediately after its trailer debuted at The Game Awards last week. The trailer itself featured hyperrealistic cats with brightly colored fur and features bounding around a fantasy playspace and interacting with a human wearing various detailed, high fashion outfits. The art style present was flagged by many critics as reminiscent of the hyperrealistic style often produced by generative AI. That said, Catly's statement is consistent with the current reality that game trailers of this quality are not within the reach of current generative AI technology without significant, obvious artifacting and other issues. However, others pointed out that while the trailer may be legit, the other aspects of Catly's promotion are still giving some off vibes. For instance, the game's Steam description awkwardly reads, "A Cat Open World, with Beautiful Cats. Hyperrealism, Actions, Cuddle, Speed, Islands, Fashion, Dreams, Snow, Robots, Plants -- all with and via Cats." And a few of the game's promotional art pieces had odd details similar to AI artifacting, such as the odd paws and nose of this cat: And the text on the wall inside the right-hand side of the building in this image: Others unearthed more images from the official Catly website that appear to raise even more questions about their veracity. Notably, the Catly website was down as recently as Friday, and remained offline over the weekend through today when we reached out to SuperAuthenti to ask about it. The website has since been reinstated, but a number of the old images have been removed. While SuperAuthenti confirmed to me that it did not use generative AI in either the trailer or the game itself, it did not respond to my question about its promotional images on Steam or on its website. As for web3, speculation of the game's ties to the technology surfaced as individuals unearthed the studio co-founder, Kevin Yeung's, ties to other blockchain games . Additionally, the game's Steam page features a glowing quote from League of Legends and Arcane producer Thomas Vu, who himself is a prominent web3 investor. However, it also contained a quote from Hearthstone and Marvel Snap creator Ben Brode, who has taken to Bluesky to say that he's heard nothing about either AI generation or web3 involved in Catly, and that his interest is sincere. "I saw 20 [minutes] or so of gameplay footage a few months back and thought it looked cool so they asked me for a quote," he wrote . For now, it does seem that SuperAuthenti is telling the truth about the Catly trailer at The Game Awards, though the question of whether or not, or how much, generative AI has been used in Catly's overall development and promotion remains to be seen. Generative AI is becoming an increasingly popular tool for game companies, too. Call of Duty reportedly sold an "AI-generated cosmetic" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in late 2023, and fans accused Activision of using generative AI again for a loading screen this year . EA said in September that AI was "the very core" of its business . Unfortunately, as the technology becomes both more prevalent and more complex, it seems likely it will become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between AI-generated and human-crafted work. In Catly's case, we'll have to wait for 2025 to find out more about what exactly is behind those hauntingly rainbow cat eyes from the trailer. Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
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MicroStrategy Inc. MSTR executive chairman Michael Saylor 's growing Bitcoin BTC/USD bet could unravel and break down the "magic money creation machine," warned an investment expert. What Happened: Appearing on a recent episode of the All-In Podcast, Gavin Baker , managing partner and chief investment officer of Atreides Management LP warned that Saylor's Bitcoin bets could get "too big for the size" of MicroStrategy. Baker called out Saylor's strategy of issuing debt and buying Bitcoin. "What he is doing is he is issuing debt and buying Bitcoin with the premise that it is always going to go up." However, Baker has a word of caution here. "No trees grow to the sky," he said, adding that the interest expenses will keep rising for the company if Saylor keeps at it. "The underlying business that pays the interest expense on the debt only does $400 million a year. "Unless debt investors have absolute confidence... it will get to a point where it is too big for the size of his company," said Baker. If Saylor over-collateralizes Bitcoin, Baker warned that the "magic money creation machine" will break down. See Also: Michael Saylor Says His Bitcoin Strategy Is Simple: ‘Just Keep Buying BTC With Your Spare Capital’ Why It Matters: As of Nov. 24, 2024, MicroStrategy held 386,700 Bitcoins at a purchase cost of $21.9 billion, at an average price of $56,761. MicroStrategy's "approach involves adding Bitcoin to the balance sheet, increasing stock volatility, and using convertible debt to enable low-cost capital raises." said Bernstein's Gautam Chhugani in a recent note . For context, MicroStrategy's convertible notes do not offer investors any interest – and yet, they are still rushing to buy them as Bitcoin's bull run continues after Donald Trump's victory. Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $99,308, up 1.7% in the last 24 hours, according to Benzinga Pro data . MicroStrategy stock closed at $395.01 on Friday, up 2.2% for the day. Year-to-date, the stock has gained a whopping 476%. Read Next: Palantir Co-Founder Joe Lonsdale Cheers Trump’s New SEC Pick, Calls Out Gary Gensler For ‘Purposely’ Not Defining Crypto Rules Photo courtesy: Wikimedia © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.2025 is almost here, and Apple seems to have something special to announce for Apple TV+ on the first weekend of the year. The company has been teasing a mysterious special announcement on social media, inviting people to “save the date.” Apple TV+ has a mysterious announcement coming in January 2025 The company has been running a campaign with scenes from different Apple TV+ shows and the tagline “See for yourself.” According to Apple, the unknown event will take place on January 4 and 5, 2025. There are no details on what exactly Apple will announce, but this could be related to a preview of what’s to come for Apple TV+ in 2025. However, some people think that the mysterious event may be something bigger. Given the tagline “See for yourself,” some speculate that Apple might let everyone watch Apple TV+ content for free during the first weekend of 2025. In 2020, the company let anyone watch selected Apple TV+ content for free for a limited time. Earlier this week, Apple TV+ also released an eight-minute teaser of the the second season of Severance . The premiere comes almost three years after the end of the first season. The content is available inside the Apple TV app under the “Bonus Content” section of Severance, titled, “Season 2 Sneak Peek.” Apple TV+ was launched in 2019 with a small catalog of original movies and shows. Currently, the platform has around 270 titles available. Even so, Apple TV+ content has already won multiple important awards since 2019. In the US, the Apple TV+ subscription costs $9.99 per month. You can try it for seven days for free or for up to three months at no cost when you buy a new Apple device . More details can be found on Apple’s website . Read also Apple TV+ shows and movies: Everything to watch on Apple TV Plus New Apple TV+ movie will star John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, and big Indiana Jones energy You can now buy Severance on Blu-Ray disc Apple officially renews sci-fi drama Silo for two more seasons to close out the story Apple Originals score nine Golden Globe nominations, including Best Drama Apple TV+ on Amazon Prime Video now rolling out to additional countries Best deals on Apple productsAn Archaeological Reckoning
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Global stock markets saw a slight uptick on Thursday, as investors digested projections from Nvidia and anticipated Bitcoin's approaching $100,000 milestone. The world's leading chipmaker Nvidia initially peaked early in the session but finished with just a 0.53% rise following its forecast for slowest revenue growth in seven quarters. In a volatile session on Wall Street, the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all ended higher, fueled by gains in the utilities, financials, and consumer staples sectors despite a drag from communication services stock, particularly Alphabet's decline. Regulatory pressures mount as U.S. prosecutors urge for Alphabet's Chrome divesture to dismantle Google's search monopoly. Meanwhile, Bitcoin soared closer to the $100,000 threshold, bolstered by Donald Trump's election victory and expectations of a favorable cryptocurrency stance by his administration. Simultaneously, the dollar showed mixed movements on currency markets, reflecting labor market resilience and Federal Reserve interest rate pathways. (With inputs from agencies.)