T. Rowe Price Stock Hits 52-Week High at $122.27
What inspires one of the country’s biggest superstars to direct a children’s movie? That is where we begin our conversation with , as his new drama, Barroz, hits theatres across the country. “Children are increasingly drawn to screens, be it to participate in games, watch videos, or scroll through social media content. [This consumption] comes at the cost of the outdoor activities that were once a staple part of people’s childhood. Children would climb trees, play in the fields, tell stories, and explore their creativity in ways that shaped their understanding of the world. Today, those moments of wonder and connection are becoming rare. So, I thought we should do something for children,” he says of his directorial debut that is being widely dubbed as a visual spectacle. Actors who’ve turned attention to direction will agree that helming even a regular production comes with a host of challenges. The obstacles in Mohanlal’s way were multifold, given that is a technologically advanced 3D offering that demanded the use of contemporary filmmaking methods. Direction, he says, required him to be uncomfortable with the unknown. “You need special cameras and [an understanding of] colours, costumes, and makeup. Everything is different from the normal filmmaking process. I have done this [been part of films] for 47 years, and here is something new. We created animated characters and underwater sequences. We have a fully animated underwater song sequence starring the main characters,” he says, asserting that he also had to exercise restraint while employing technology to ensure it did not hamper the storytelling. “Too many complicated shots could affect the storyline. Excessive camera movements and tilting could cause nausea or disorientation for the viewer. So, I had to think from the perspective of the audience. I have to credit Santosh Sivan for his groundwork. The 3D glasses [he chose] reduce screen brightness [and enhance] colour perception, especially in the shots for which we had to compensate during the shoot. The visual effects too needed to be rendered with the depth, which could be computationally intensive and expensive.” Mohanlal may have put his prowess as an actor on display for several years, but taking on a new role enabled him to showcase his artistry in a different way. “To direct a film, one must be patient and committed. Your passion and integrity must be [evident]. This is a requirement for every film, but a movie like this one needs you to be stronger because each day is complicated. Post-production is the most difficult part of making it.” Rubbishing claims that superstars are not given the freedom to experiment, he says he has taken the decision to be part of all kinds of cinema ever since he began his journey. “As an actor, I developed myself inside that aura. You have to approach cinema with passion. There has been a beautiful flow in my life for 47 years. I never stop feeding the excited kid in me.” We can’t part ways with the actor without asking him about the Drishyam franchise that has been fronted by him since 2015, and whose Hindi remake—led by Ajay Devgn—gained unwavering attention from Bollywood fans. Would the third edition of the franchise be underway soon? “We are trying [to create it],” he confirms. “But it’s not that easy. To make the sequel, it took us six years. So, when we create another edition, we must be careful. We should not ridicule the appreciation we have received from the audience.”
Fans witnessed the teams breaking the banks on multiple occasions in two action-packed days at the 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. Ten teams wrapped up the event after spending a record sum of Rs 639.15 crore on 182 players, including 62 overseas stars. (23 crore), Rajat Patidar (11 crore) and Yash Dayal (5 crore). Liam Livingstone (8.75 crore), Phil Salt (11.5 crore), Jitesh Sharma (11 crore), Josh Hazlewood (12.5 crore), Rasikh Salam (6 crore), Suyash Sharma (2.6 crore), (5.75 crore), (10.75 crore), Swapnil Singh (RTM for 30 lakh), Tim David (3 crore), Romario Shepherd (1.5 crore), Nuwan Thushara (1.6 crore), Manoj Bhandage (30 lakh), Jacob Bethell (2.6 crore), Devdutt Padikkal (2 crore), Swastik Chikara (30 lakh), , (1 crore), Abhinandan Singh (30 lakh), Mohit Rathee (30 lakh). (23 crore), (18 crore), Abhishek Sharma (14 crore), Travis Head (14 crore) Reddy (6 crore). (10 crore), Harshal Patel (8 crore), Ishan Kishan (11.25 crore), Rahul Chahar (3.2 crore), (2.4 crore), Atharva Taide (30 lakh), Abhinav Manohar (3.2 crore), Simarjeet Singh (1.5 crore), Zeeshan Ansari (40 lakh), (1 crore), Brydon Carse (1 crore), Kamindu Mendis (75 lakh), Aniket Verma (30 lakh), Eshan Malinga (1.2 crore), Sachin Baby (lakh 30). Sanju Samson (18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (18 crore), Dhruv Jurel (14 crore), Riyan Parag (14 crore), (11 crore), Sandeep Sharma (4 crore). Jofra Archer (12.50 crore), Maheesh Theekshana (4.4 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (5.25 crore), Akash Madhwal (1.2 crore), Kumar Kartikeya (30 lakh), Nitish Rana (4.2 crore), Tushar Deshpande (6.5 crore), Shubham Dubey (80 lakh), Yudhvir Singh (35 lakh), Fazalhaq Farooqi (2 crore), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (1.1 crore), Kwena Maphaka (1.5 crore), Kunal Rathore (30 lakh), Ashok Sharma (30 lakh). , , Suryakumar Yadav, , Tilak Varma, , Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, Allah Ghazanfar, , Karn Sharma, Satyanarayana Raju, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Krishnan Shrijith, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Lizaad Williams, Vignesh Puthur. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Ashwin, , Noor Ahmed, , Sam Curran, Shaik Rasheed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Matheesha Pathirana, , , Shreyas Gopal, Andre Siddharth, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vans Bedi, Ramakrishna Ghosh. : Rinku Singh (INR 13 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (INR 12 crore), (INR 12 crore), Andre Russell (INR 12 crore), Harshit Rana (INR 4 crore), Ramandeep Singh (INR 4 crore). Venkatesh Iyer (INR 23.75 crore), Anrich Nortje (INR 6.5 crore), (INR 3.6 crore), Spencer Johnson (INR 2.8 crore), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (INR 2 crore), Rovman Powell (INR 1.50 crore), Mayank Markande (INR 30 Lakh), Vaibhav Arora (INR 1.8 crore), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (INR 3 crore), (INR 75 Lakh), Anukul Roy (INR 40 Lakh), (INR 2 crore), Umran Malik (INR 75 Lakh), (INR 1.5 crore), Luvnith Sisodiya (INR 30 Lakh). Neha Wadhera (4.20 crore), Shreyas Iyer (26.75 crore), Prabhsimran Singh (wk, 4 crore), Vishnu Vinod (wk, 90 lakhs), Josh Inglis (wk, 2.60 crore), Shashank Singh (5.50 crore), Harpreet Brar (1.50 crore), Marco Jansen (7 crore), Azmatullah Omarzai (2.40 crore), (4.20 crore), (11 crore), Yash Thakur (1.60 crore), Vijaykumar Vyshak (1.80 crore), Arshdeep Singh (18 crore), (18 crore), Lockie Ferguson (2 crore), Azmatullah Omarzai (1.5 crore), Harnoor Pannu (30 lakh), Kuldeep Sen (80 lakh), Priyansh Arya (3.8 crore), Aaron Harie (1.25 crore), Musheer Khan (30 lakh), Suryansh Shedge (30 lakh), Xavier Bartlett (80 lakh), Pyla Avinash (30 lakh), Pravin Dubey (30 lakh). Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni. Rishabh Pant, David Miller, , Mitchell Marsh, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Aryan Juyal, Akash Deep, Himmat Singh, M Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Shahbaz Ahmad, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph (RTM), Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Matthew Breetzke. Rashid Khan, , Sai Sudarshan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan. , , Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Manav Suthar, Washington Sundar, Gerald Coetzee, Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar, Sherfane Rutherford, Sai Kishore, , Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Karim Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya. : Axar Patel (INR 16.5 crore), (INR 13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (INR 10 crore), Abishek Porel (INR 4 crore). (INR 14 crore), (INR 2 crore), Jake Fraser-McGurk (INR 9 crore - RTM), Mitchell Starc (INR 11.75 crore), Harry Brook (INR 6.25 crore), T Natarajan (INR 10.75 crore), Mukesh Kumar (INR 8 crore - RTM), Mohit Sharma (INR 2.2 crore), Sameer Rizvi (INR 95 Lakh) and Ashutosh Sharma (INR 3.8 crore), Karun Nair (INR 50 Lakh), Darshan Nalkande (INR 30 Lakh), Vipraj Nigam (INR 50 Lakh), (INR 75 Lakh), Donovan Ferreira (INR 75 Lakh), Ajay Mondal (INR 30 Lakh), Manvanth Kumar (INR 30 Lakh), Tripurana Vijay (INR 30 Lakh), Madhav Tiwari (INR 40 Lakh).
Big Ten could place four teams in playoff, thanks to IU's rise
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade — two generations of college football players — that's all it has been: Ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football's great rivalries is reborn. Third-ranked Texas (10-1, 6-1) and No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) meet Saturday night for the first time since 2011, with a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship game on the line . “Guys that have been in my position and bleed burnt orange, they have not gotten to play this game,” said Texas fourth-year junior safety Michael Taaffe, who grew up in Austin. “Remember them when you step on Kyle Field.” For Aggies fans, who have carried the misery of Texas' 27-25 win in 2011, getting the Longhorns back in front of a frenzied crowd in College Station is a chance for some serious payback. “I was born and raised an Aggie, so I’ve been dreaming about playing in this game my whole life,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said. Zuhn played high school football in Colorado, but his parents and grandparents attended A&M. At SEC media days back in August, Zuhn said his family would turn Texas gear upside down in stores. He keeps a picture of a longhorn in his room, hanging upside down, of course. “It should be the most amazing atmosphere that I’ve ever experienced,” Zuhn said. "I can’t wait for that, and I feel bad for Texas having to play in that." Texas players said they are ready. “That place is going to be rocking,” Texas senior cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “It's good to go on the road and play in hostile environments.” The Longhorns have overcome big and loud road crowds before. They won at Alabama in 2023. They won at Michigan and Arkansas, another old rival, this year. The Longhorns have won 10 in a row on an opponent’s home field. “When the hate is on us, we love it. We enjoy it,” Taaffe said. But some former Texas players say the current group has faced nothing like what awaits them in College Station. Playing at Texas A&M is more than just noise and a lot of “Horns down” hand signals. The “Aggie War Hymn” fight song calls for Aggies to “Saw varsity’s horns off." Beating Texas is their passion, said former Longhorns All-American offensive lineman Dan Neil, who won at Texas A&M in in 1995. He calls that win one of the best of his career. “I was done showering and getting ready to leave, and their fans were still standing outside the locker room screaming and throwing things,” he said. “The (Texas) players have no idea what they are walking into. They have no clue. No one on that team has walked into that stadium in burnt orange.” The rivalry broke up when Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Aggies have twice finished tied for second but have otherwise found little success there. Texas is in its first year in the SEC and has smashed its way to the top. Texas is the only SEC team with one loss this late in the season, which would make beating Texas that much sweeter for A&M. “The hype is definitely saying it's a rivalry. History says it's a rivalry, but for us, it's the football game we have this week,” Texas senior center Jake Majors said. “It's important for us to not let the environment, the game, get the best of us. ... I get to go out there and play not only for me and my team, but for the guys who came before me, so that's a true honor to have.” Even though the game hasn't been played since 2011, there has always been an element of the rivalry simmering under the surface, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. Elko is in his first year as the Aggies' coach, but he was the Texas A&M defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher from 2018-2021. “Even though it hasn’t been played, it just doesn’t feel like it’s ever really left the fabric. I really don’t think it’s as removed from the psyche as maybe it feels,” Elko said. “I think our kids are very much aware of what this is all about.” Rieken reported from College Station, Texas. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballCava Group ( CAVA -1.82% ) was one of the better-performing names in 2024. Even after a recent pullback, the stock has risen by more than 175% over the last year, likely because many saw it as a second-chance Chipotle as it works to bring fast, healthy Mediterranean food to more customers. However, the stock has dropped almost 25% since early December. Hence, the question for investors: Is Cava in a temporary bear market and will continue surging in 2025, or will it face considerable pain as the value of the restaurant stock continues to slide? The state of Cava Group stock Admittedly, the narrative that Cava is "Mediterranean Chipotle" is oversimplified but difficult to ignore. Indeed, consumers and investors will probably recall that Chipotle built its success by offering healthy, reasonably priced food that is fast and delicious. Moreover, American consumers have grown more health-conscious in recent years, and various segments of the media have long promoted Mediterranean cuisine as a healthy alternative. Hence, the times seem to call for a fast-casual restaurant like Cava. Additionally, Cava's growth has outpaced Chipotle's. In the first 40 weeks of fiscal 2024 (ended Oct. 6), revenue of $736 million grew 34% compared with the same period in fiscal 2023. In comparison, Chipotle's revenue rose 15% over approximately the same period. Also, Cava's restaurant count, which had reached 352 at the end of fiscal Q3, rose 21% year over year, and its same-restaurant sales grew 11% during that period. Furthermore, its costs and expenses rose 28% during the first 40 weeks of fiscal 2024, slightly lagging the revenue increase over the same period. That led to a $52 million net income, well above the $12 million during the same time frame in fiscal 2023. Cava looks set to improve its performance, as it has guided for 12% to 13% same-restaurant sales growth for fiscal 2024. Since analysts predict 32% revenue growth for Cava for the fiscal year, it appears set for continued prosperity, at least for now. Cava's growing pains Nonetheless, the recent decline in the stock may face a challenge that tends to hurt growth stocks : slowing revenue increases. In fiscal 2025, analysts predict 24% yearly revenue growth. While that still represents robust growth, it also marks a significant slowdown from the last fiscal year. Moreover, it compares less favorably in other ways to its larger fast-casual rival, Chipotle. Unfortunately for Cava investors, this goes well beyond the fact that Mexican cuisine is more popular than Mediterranean food. Cava's goal of 1,000 restaurants by 2032 would approximately triple its number of locations. However, Chipotle intends to operate 7,000 restaurants in North America, not including its international plans (it operates over 3,600 locations now). Since Cava has not outlined any publicly outlined goals to expand outside the U.S., Chipotle may have a larger growth goal, even in percentage terms. Amid that future, valuation differences favor Chipotle. Cava's recent turn to profitability probably makes its P/E ratio a misleading valuation comparison. Still, Cava's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 15 is far above Chipotle's sales multiple of 8, which may leave investors wondering whether Cava is worth that extra expense. CAVA PS Ratio data by YCharts Where will Cava stock go in 2025? Given current conditions, investors should expect Cava stock to struggle over the next year. Indeed, with its rapid growth and potential to add new locations, Cava Group stock should prosper longer term, meaning current shareholders should probably not sell. However, slowing revenue growth tends to hurt stocks with high valuations, a factor that may have already begun to weigh on Chipotle's stock performance. Additionally, comparing Cava's valuation to Chipotle's highlights how expensive the stock has become, making investors less inclined to buy Cava shares. Ultimately, Cava Group stock should turn into a winning investment for long-term shareholders. Nonetheless, its long-term investment case appears more favorable than its potential performance in 2025.
Wake up the ghosts! Texas, Texas A&M rivalry that dates to 1894 is rebornBig 12 investigating leaked video of BYU football player's explicit halftime speech
Middle East latest: Israel bombs new central areas of BeirutThe expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Penn State notes: Linemen Anthony Donkoh, Alonzo Ford Jr. suffer long-term injuries