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(TheNewswire)

Vancouver, British Columbia TheNewswire – March 10 2025 Prismo Metals Inc. (CSE:PRIZ, OTCQB: PMOMF) ( ‘ Prismo ‘ or the ‘ Company ‘ ) is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced debt settlement transactions with certain creditors of the Company (the ‘ Creditors ‘), pursuant to which the Company has issued to the Creditors an aggregate of 4,451,175 common shares of the Company (‘ Common Shares ‘) at issue prices ranging from $0.075 to $0.23 per Common Share in full and final settlement of accrued and outstanding indebtedness in the aggregate amount of approximately $464,409 (the ‘ Debt Settlement ‘).

All Common Shares issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance.

None of the foregoing securities have been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘ 1933 Act ‘) or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) or persons in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sale of the foregoing securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Prismo

Prismo (CSE: PRIZ) is mining exploration company focused on two precious metal projects in Mexico (Palos Verdes and Los Pavitos) and a copper project in Arizona (Hot Breccia).

Please follow @PrismoMetals on , , , Instagram , and

Prismo Metals Inc.

1100 – 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6

Contact:

Alain Lambert, Chief Executive Officer alain.lambert@prismometals.com

Steve Robertson, President steve.robertson@prismometals.com

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

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3 Mins Read

Additional Targets Identified from Gravity Geophysics at Wagyu Project, Pilbara WA

New Age Exploration (ASX: NAE) (NAE or the Company) is pleased to announce the successful completion of additional geophysical surveys at its highly prospective Wagyu Gold Project in the Pilbara, WA. The Passive Seismic (Tromino) and Ground Gravity surveys were conducted across the dry Yule River bed, facilitating a deeper understanding of the geological structures and linking data from both sides of the project area.

HIGHLIGHTS

Completion of Passive Seismic and Ground Gravity surveys across the dry Yule River bed at the Wagyu Gold Project in Pilbara, WA
Several new gravity anomalies have now been identified, which may indicate the presence of more gold-mineralised intrusions, similar to those intersected in 2024 aircore drilling
Enhanced geological connectivity established by linking data from the east and west sides of the tenement
Both geophysics surveys were completed with “zero impact” on this culturally sensitive area
This is the third ground gravity survey and the second passive seismic survey to take place at the Wagyu Project, with previous surveys outside the river completed in April and May 2024
Additional targets 8 and 10 confirmed on east side of the project from gravity survey
3000m of Reverse Circulation Drilling to commence imminently
The Wagyu Project is located in the Central Pilbara’s fast-emerging gold region, adjoining De Grey Mining (ASX:DEG) tenure containing its ~11.2Moz¹ Hemi Gold deposit

The Wagyu Gold Project, located within a fast-emerging gold mineralised corridor, represents a highly prospective Gold opportunity ~9km within the same mineralised trend as De Grey Mining’s (ASX:DEG) Hemi Gold Deposit containing ~11.2 Moz¹ (refer to Figure 1) in the Central Pilbara.

The Hemi Gold Mineral Resource was last updated by De Grey Mining on 14 November 20241. The estimate is for 264Mt @ 1.3g/t Au for 11.2Moz, which can be broken down into 13Mt @ 1.4g/t for 0.6Moz, 149Mt @ 1.3g/t Au Indicated for 6.3 Moz, and 103Mt @ 1.3g/t Au for 4.3 Moz Inferred.

NAE confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in De Grey’s reported Mineral Resources referenced in this market announcement. To NAE’s full knowledge, all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant market announcements continue to apply and have not materially changed.

NAE Executive Director Joshua Wellisch commented:

‘The completion of these Geophysical Surveys and identification of new targets marks a pivotal step in our exploration efforts and stakeholder relations at Wagyu. With the support of the Kariyarra People, we have gathered data that links structures and anomalies across the tenement, providing a foundation of our geological understanding. We look forward to using these insights to unlock further potential at Wagyu in the lead up to the imminent 3000m RC Drill Programme.”

Geophysical Surveys and Geological Continuity

The Passive Seismic (Tromino) and Ground Gravity surveys at Wagyu have provided valuable data across the Yule River bed, enhancing the geological connectivity between the east and west portions of the tenement. The Passive Seismic survey, conducted at 200-meter intervals across nine lines, offers insights into bedrock continuity, while the Ground Gravity survey (Figure 4), with spacings of 200m x 200m and infill at 50m x 50m over specific targets, reveals density contrasts associated with mineralisation.

Click here for the full ASX Release

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8 Mins Read

Gold vs. Copper: Which Metal Will Shine Brighter in 2025?

At the 2025 Prospectors and Developers Association Conference, the panel “Copper vs. Gold: Which Metal Will Outperform?” tackled the question of which metal holds greater investment potential.

Moderated by Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the discussion brought together industry experts to weigh the risks and rewards of both commodities.

Last year, gold and copper crossed key price milestones, with gold surging past US$2,700 per ounce and copper exceeding US$5 per pound. While gold is primarily seen as a financial safe haven in times of geopolitical uncertainty, copper is an essential industrial metal, increasingly central to resource nationalism and critical mineral security.

For investors, both metals present opportunities, but understanding their distinct market drivers remains crucial.

Gold and copper’s shared influences

Over the past several years, global uncertainty has been fueling an unprecedented run in the gold price.

Among the factors have been high inflation in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, a three-year war between Russia and Ukraine, conflict between Israel and Gaza that has threatened to spread throughout the Middle East and economic instability sparked by the US under President Donald Trump.

Many of these same issues are impacting the copper market. COVID-19 caused spikes in inflation that have impacted a downturn in real estate development worldwide, while shipping routes have had to be altered to avoid conflict zones. Most recently, US tariffs could upend a variety of industries around the world, including the US housing market.

While these influences largely affect the demand side of commodities, the supply side is also being affected similarly. Most notably, declining grades for both copper and gold are driving up overall mining costs and ultimately eating into corporate balance sheets.

The case for copper

The biggest strength for investors in the copper sector is the supply-and-demand situation.

While copper demand growth has only slightly increased in the past few years, it has been largely held back by weakness in the Chinese real estate sector, which is traditionally one of the largest demand drivers for copper.

Despite this, demand is increasingly coming from rapid urbanization as the global population grows and younger people move to cities from rural areas at higher rates than previous generations. Additionally, demand from the tech sector is also up in several areas, including energy transition, artificial intelligence, and data centers.

Frank Nikolic, vice president of battery and base metals at CRU North America, explained that this demand was critical to copper’s value over the next few years.

“Prior to 1990 we had relatively flat or slow growing intensity of copper use per person on the planet. Then after 1990 when the world opened up with the departure of communism from the global stage, in a big way, we’ve seen the massive exposure from computers, the internet boom, the China miracle, I call it the great urbanization, and then finally the last five years or more decarbonization,” he said.

Nikolic suggested that recent growth in copper markets is owed to growth in China, but over the next five years that will begin to shift as there is increased demand from decarbonization technologies.

He also pointed to increasing wealth in the global south, specifically Indonesia, India and South America that will provide additional demand for copper.

Nikolic also acknowledged that while copper will remain in a supply-and-demand surplus over the next year, it will begin shifting into a deficit position. This will require 6 to 8 million metric tons to be added to the market over the next 10 years, but there will be significant challenges to meeting that demand.

“The filling of the demand gap is going to be a lot more expensive than in the past. We’ve seen a massive explosion of capital costs for copper, both greenfield and brownfield, and the cost to operate these assets is also increasing,” he said.

These rising costs are also being met with declining grades and depleting deposits that will require US$100 million per year just to maintain current demand growth. Nikolic also suggests that scrap substitution isn’t likely to provide much relief, noting that it’s barely keeping up with demand as it is.

David Strang, executive chairman of Ero Copper (TSX:ERO,NYSE:ERO), supported Nikolic’s views, particularly on the expansion of the global south, by providing a history of how technology impacted copper in the mid-20th century.

There was a shift beginning in the late 1940s, when homes in the West stopped having milk delivered and instead went to the grocery stores. The advent of refrigeration reduced the necessity for daily deliveries.

Adding this new technology required copper not only in the refrigerator itself but also in the electrical demands on homes and stores.

Strang pointed to India and Indonesia, which have growing economies and an expanding middle class. However, many are still without what the West would call necessities like cell phones and refrigeration.

He sees a fundamental imbalance in the copper market as this newfound wealth drives demand growth not seen since the middle of the last century.

“So here is the thing: Copper is in crisis. If the world is going to continue to where it needs to be with these economies, we need to find more copper. There are only two things that are going to affect that. One is technology, and the other is the metal price has to go up because we cannot continue to live the way we want to live with regards to the other countries that are growing as quickly as they’re growing,” Strang said.

The case for gold

Moving away from the red metal, panelist Jason Attew, president and CEO of Osisko Gold Royalties (TSX:OR,NYSE:OR), argued for investing in gold.

Marking a stark difference between the fundamentals of copper and gold, Attew pointed out that copper was largely influenced by supply and demand. He questioned if copper would be in as strong a position if the US were to go bankrupt, which he sees as a distinct possibility.

He noted that the US has US$36.5 trillion in federal debt versus US$29.1 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP), a debt-to-GDP ratio of 125 percent.

“This is the highest level since the end of World War Two … This translates to over US$650,000 per US family. It’s just remarkable. This ratio has climbed steadily since the pandemic began in 2020 when the federal government debt was approximately US$20 trillion and GDP was US$21 trillion,” he said.

Attew suggests that the pandemic and the subsequent stimulus raised inflation, requiring the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

The broad picture he painted is one of the US economy on the edge of a cliff with few solutions. One possible remedy presented by Attew is to increase the money supply, but that would come with the caveat of devaluing the dollar strength, which is where his backing of gold comes in.

“Everyone knows that US dollar strength has an inverse correlation with the price of gold in real terms, all of which is very constructive for gold. So even if it’s not as doom and gloom as I said… we’re headed to a recession in the US, and it’s very challenging or difficult to see how a soft landing is going to happen here,” Attew said.

Lawson Winder, senior metals and mining research analyst with Bank of America (NYSE:BOC) Securities, agreed with Attew but added that gold was also more attractive beyond what was happening in the United States and that it provides a tangible asset in times of uncertainty.

This has led to enormous purchases by central banks, which Winder suggests is at its highest point in history. It has also led to retail purchases by Chinese and Indian consumers seeing the highest increases he’s ever seen. However, these increases in gold buying have yet to materialize with Western investors, but Winder thinks that will change.

“As the confusion with Trump and tariffs takes hold, we think Western investors will increasingly want to own more physical gold and will likely express it through these means, and will ultimately contribute to a higher gold price,” he said.

What does it mean for investors?

Both copper and gold hold their advantages and risks, and the panelists made effective cases for each metal.

The world is living through economic and geopolitical uncertainty, causing investors to turn to gold to maintain balance in their portfolios and reduce risk. Gold is unlikely to change its status as a haven asset in the near future.

The presenters also made a case for copper based on its fundamentals. Copper is a necessary commodity that powers a world that needs more electricity. Demand is up, and supply is becoming more expensive and harder to find.

Conversely, gold offers investors more options, from physical and paper ownership to equities and ETFs, while copper is largely limited to just equities and a small number of ETFs.

Ultimately, the case for both metals is strong, and given the global situation, both could provide investors with excellent opportunities in 2025.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

3 Mins Read

Trump Organization sues Capital One bank over account closures after Jan. 6 Capitol riot

The Trump Organization sued Capital One in Florida on Friday for allegedly “unjustifiably” closing more than 300 of the company’s bank accounts on the heels of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters.

The lawsuit said that the Trump Organization and related entities “have reason to believe that Capital One’s unilateral decision came about as a result of political and social motivations and Capital One’s unsubstantiated, ‘woke’ beliefs that it needed to distance itself from President Trump and his conservative political views.”

“In essence, Capital One ‘de-banked’ Plaintiffs’ Accounts because Capital One believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the Trump Organization claims in the civil case filed in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County.

The suit seeks a declaratory judgment that the bank improperly terminated the Trump companies’ accounts in June 2021, as well as punitive and other monetary damages for what the suit alleged was “the devastating impact” of the terminations on the companies’ ability to transact and access their funds.

The closures came more than four months after the riot at the U.S. Capitol, which began after Trump for weeks falsely claimed that he had won the 2020 presidential election over former President Joe Biden.

The suit’s named plaintiffs are the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, DJT Holdings, DJT Holdings Managing Member, DTTM Operations, and Eric Trump, the president’s son, who with his brother, Donald Trump Jr., runs the Trump Organization.

The complaint says the plaintiffs and affiliated entities held hundreds of accounts at Capital One for decades before they were closed. Eric Trump said the amount of damages suffered by the companies is “millions of dollars.”

Alejandro Brito, a lawyer who is representing the Trump Organization in the suit, told CNBC the company “is contemplating other suits against financial organizations that engaged in similar conduct.”

Brito said Capital One’s actions “was an attack on free speech.”

A spokesperson for the bank wrote in an email to CNBC, “Capital One has not and does not close customer accounts for political reasons.”

Eric Trump said in a statement, “The decision by Capital One to ‘debank’ our company, after well over a decade, was a clear attack on free speech and free enterprise that flies in the face of the bedrock principles and freedoms that define our country.”

“Moreover, the arbitrary closure of these accounts, without justifiable cause, reflects a broader effort to silence and undermine the success of the Trump Organization and those who dare to express their political views,” said Eric Trump.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

5 Mins Read

Here’s why banks don’t want the CFPB to disappear

For years, American financial companies have fought the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the chief U.S. consumer finance watchdog — in the courts and media, portraying the agency as illegitimate and as unfairly targeting industry players.

Now, with the CFPB on life support after the Trump administration issued a stop-work order and shuttered its headquarters, the agency finds itself with an unlikely ally: the same banks that reliably complained about its rules and enforcement actions under former Director Rohit Chopra.

That’s because if the Trump administration succeeds in reducing the CFPB to a shell of its former self, banks would find themselves competing directly with nonbank financial players, from big tech and fintech firms to mortgage, auto and payday lenders, that enjoy far less federal scrutiny than Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.-backed institutions.

“The CFPB is the only federal agency that supervises non-depository institutions, so that would go away,” said David Silberman, a veteran banking attorney who lectures at Yale Law School. “Payment apps like PayPal, Stripe, Cash App, those sorts of things, they would get close to a free ride at the federal level.”

The shift could wind the clock back to a pre-2008 environment, where it was largely left to state officials to prevent consumers from being ripped off by nonbank providers. The CFPB was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis that was caused by irresponsible lending.

But since then, digital players have made significant inroads by offering banking services via mobile phone apps. Fintechs led by PayPal and Chime had roughly as many new accounts last year as all large and regional banks combined, according to data from Cornerstone Advisors.

“If you’re the big banks, you certainly don’t want a world in which the non-banks have much greater degrees of freedom and much less regulatory oversight than the banks do,” Silberman said.

The CFPB and its employees are in limbo after acting Director Russell Vought took over last month, issuing a flurry of directives to the agency’s then 1,700 staffers. Working with operatives from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, Vought quickly laid off about 200 workers, reportedly took steps to end the agency’s building lease and canceled reams of contracts required for legally mandated duties.

In internal emails released Friday, CFPB Chief Operating Officer Adam Martinez detailed plans to remove roughly 800 supervision and enforcement workers.

Senior executives at the CFPB shared plans for more layoffs that would leave the agency with just five employees, CNBC has reported. That would kneecap the agency’s ability to carry out its supervision and enforcement duties.

That appears to go beyond what even the Consumer Bankers Association, a frequent CFPB critic, would want. The CBA, which represents the country’s biggest retail banks, has sued the CFPB in the past year to scuttle rules limiting overdraft and credit card late fees. More recently, it noted the CFPB’s role in keeping a level playing field among market participants.

“We believe that new leadership understands the need for examinations for large banks to continue, given the intersections with prudential regulatory examinations,” said Lindsey Johnson, president of the CBA, in a statement provided to CNBC. “Importantly, the CFPB is the sole examiner of non-bank financial institutions.”

Vought’s plans to hobble the agency were halted by a federal judge, who is now considering the merits of a lawsuit brought by a CFPB union asking for a preliminary injunction.

A hearing where Martinez is scheduled to testify is set for Monday.

In the meantime, bank executives have gone from antagonists of the CFPB to among those concerned it will disappear.

At a late October bankers convention in New York, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon encouraged his peers to “fight back” against regulators. A few months before that, the bank said that it could sue the CFPB over its investigation into peer-to-peer payments network Zelle.

“We are suing our regulators over and over and over because things are becoming unfair and unjust, and they are hurting companies, a lot of these rules are hurting lower-paid individuals,” Dimon said at the convention.

Now, there’s growing consensus that an initial push to “delete” the CFPB is a mistake. Besides increasing the threat posed from nonbanks, current rules from the CFPB would still be on the books, but nobody would be around to update them as the industry evolves.

Small banks and credit unions would be even more disadvantaged than their larger peers if the CFPB were to go away, industry advocates say, since they were never regulated by the agency and would face the same regulatory scrutiny as before.

“The conventional wisdom is not right that banks just want the CFPB to go away, or that banks want regulator consolidation,” said an executive at a major U.S. bank who declined to be identified speaking about the Trump administration. “They want thoughtful policies that will support economic growth and maintain safety and soundness.”

A senior CFPB lawyer who lost his position in recent weeks said that the industry’s alignment with Republicans may have backfired.

“They’re about to live in a world in which the entire non-bank financial services industry is unregulated every day, while they are overseen by the Federal Reserve, FDIC and OCC,” the lawyer said. “It’s a world where Apple, PayPal, Cash App and X run wild for four years. Good luck.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

4 Mins Read

Rules for repaying Social Security benefits are about to get stricter. Here’s what to know.

If you receive more Social Security benefits than you are owed, you may face a 100% default withholding rate from your monthly checks once a new policy goes into effect.

The change announced last week by the Social Security Administration marks a reversal from a 10% default withholding rate that was put in place last year after some beneficiaries received letters demanding immediate repayments for sums that were sometimes tens of thousands of dollars.

The discrepancy — called overpayments — happens when Social Security beneficiaries receive more money than they are owed.

The erroneous payment amounts may occur when beneficiaries fail to report to the Social Security Administration changes in their circumstances that may affect their benefits, according to a 2024 Congressional Research Service report. Overpayments can also happen if the agency does not process the information promptly or due to errors in the way data was entered, how a policy was applied or in the administrative process, according to the report.

The Social Security Administration paid about $6.5 billion in retirement and disability benefit overpayments in fiscal year 2022, which represents 0.5% of total benefits paid, the Congressional Research Service said in its 2024 report. The agency also paid about $4.6 billion in overpayments for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits in that year, or about 8% of total benefits paid.

The Social Security Administration recovered about $4.9 billion in Social Security and SSI overpayments in fiscal year 2023. However, the agency had about $23 billion in uncollected overpayments at the end of the 2023 fiscal year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

By defaulting to a 100% withholding rate for overpayments, the Social Security Administration said it may recover about $7 billion in the next decade.

“We have the significant responsibility to be good stewards of the trust funds for the American people,” Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, said in a statement. “It is our duty to revise the overpayment repayment policy back to full withholding, as it was during the Obama administration and first Trump administration, to properly safeguard taxpayer funds.”

The new 100% withholding rate will apply to new overpayments of Social Security benefits, according to the agency. The withholding rate for SSI overpayments will remain at 10%.

Social Security beneficiaries who are overpaid benefits after March 27 will automatically be subject to the new 100% withholding rate.

Individuals affected will have the right to appeal both the overpayment decision and the amount, according to the agency. They may also ask for a waiver of the overpayment, if either they cannot afford to pay the money back or if they believe they are not at fault. While an initial appeal or waiver is pending, the agency will not require repayment.

Beneficiaries who cannot afford to fully repay the Social Security Administration may also request a lower recovery rate either by calling the agency or visiting their local office.

For beneficiaries who had an overpayment before March 27, the withholding rate will stay the same and no action is required, the agency said.

The new overpayment policy goes into effect about one year after former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley implemented a 10% default withholding rate.

The change was prompted by financial struggles some beneficiaries faced in repaying large sums to the Social Security Administration.

At a March 2024 Senate committee hearing, O’Malley called the policy of intercepting 100% of a benefit check “clawback cruelty.”

At the same hearing, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, recalled how one constituent who was overpaid $58,000 could not afford to pay her rent after the Social Security Administration reduced her monthly checks.

Following the Social Security Administration’s announcement that it will return to 100% as the default withholding rate, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare said it is concerned the agency may be more susceptible to overpayment errors as it cuts staff.

“This action, ostensibly taken to cut costs at SSA, needlessly punishes beneficiaries who receive overpayment notices — usually through no fault of their own,” the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, an advocacy organization, said in a statement.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

4 Mins Read

My Downside Target for the S&P 500

Things heated up this week on , featuring interviews with Kristina Hooper of Invesco, Keith Fitz-Gerald of The Fitz-Gerald Group, and Jordan Kimmel of Magnet Investing Insights!

Now that 5850 has been clearly violated to the downside, though, it’s all about the 200-day moving average, which both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 tested this week. Friday’s rally kept the SPX just above its 200-day moving average, which means next week we’ll be looking for a potential break below this important trend-following mechanism.

Fibonacci Retracements Suggests Downside to 5500

But what if we apply a Fibonacci framework to the last big upswing during the previous bull phase? Using the August 2024 low and December 2024 high, that results in a 38.2% retracement level at 5722, almost precisely at the 200-day moving average. So now we have a “confluence of support” right at this week’s price range.

If next week sees the S&P 500 push below the 5700 level, that would mean a violation of moving average and Fibonacci support, and suggest much further downside potential for the equity benchmarks. Using that same Fibonacci framework, I’m looking at the 61.8% retracement level around 5500 as a reasonable downside target. With the limited pullbacks over the last two years, most finding support no more than 10% below the previous high, a breakdown of this magnitude would feel like a true bear market rotation for many investors.

Supporting Evidence from Newer Dow Theory

So, despite rotating to more defensive positioning in anticipation of a breakdown, what other tools and techniques can we use to validate a new bear phase in the days and weeks to come? An updated version of Charles Dow’s foundational work, what I call “Newer Dow Theory”, could serve as a confirmation of a negative outcome for stocks.

Charles Dow used the Dow Industrials and Dow Railroads to define the trends for the two main pillars of the US economy, the producers of goods and the distributors of goods. For our modern service-oriented economy, I like to use the equal-weighted S&P 500 to represent the “old economy” stocks and the equal-weighted Nasdaq 100 to gauge the “new economy” names.

We can see a clear bearish non-confirmation last month, with the QQQE breaking to a new 52-week high while the RSP failed to do so. This often occurs toward the end of a bullish phase, and can represent an exhaustion point for buyers. Now we see both ETFs testing their swing lows from January. If both of these prices break to a new 2025 low in the weeks to come, that would generate a confirmed bearish signal from Newer Dow Theory, and imply that the bearish targets outlined above are most likely to be reached.

Many investors are treating this recent drawdown as yet another garden variety pullback within a bull market phase. And while we would be as happy as ever to declare a full recovery for the S&P 500, its failure to hold the 200-day moving average next week could be a nail in the coffin for the great bull market of 2024.

RR#6,

Dave

P.S. Ready to upgrade your investment process? Check out my free behavioral investing course!

David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

1 Min Read

Davante Adams to sign with Rams

The three-time All-Pro receiver has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Rams. The team announced the deal late Sunday night.

Adams has been a consistent receiver over the years, positing five-straight seasons with at least 1,000 yards and came just three yards short in 2019 of making it seven straight. That has remained the case despite playing with multiple different quarterbacks since his departure from the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2022 season.

He eventually told the Las Vegas Raiders that he preferred to be traded in an effort to reunite with Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets in 2024.

Vegas was in the midst of finding a quarterback solution in the post-Derek Carr years, something that hurt Adams’ statistically.

Adams played in just 11 games for the Jets before the team opted to release him, announcing the move in early March. It came as a result of the team’s decision to part ways with Rodgers following the arrival of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey as head coach and general manager.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

6 Mins Read

Will the SEC play nine conference games? It’s all about playoff impact

Does the College Football Playoff appropriately award strength of schedule? That’s a factor being debated as SEC decides schedule format.
CFP selection committee does value strength of schedule – just not as much as some within the SEC would like.
SEC has considered going to nine conference games for more than a decade but has always stayed at eight. The SEC’s 2026 schedule format remains undecided.

Ah, spring. The flowers bloom, the pollen makes us sneeze, we bust out shorts as soon as the temps hit 60 degrees, and the SEC bigwigs debate whether to add a ninth conference game to the schedule.

These traditions must never die.

SEC schools are rekindling their annual scheduling dialogue, a conversation that keeps bubbling up, going on more than a dozen years now. The SEC will play eight conference games next season. The 2026 schedule remains undrawn. SEC schools will vote later this year whether to stay at eight or increase to nine conference games in 2026.

What’s the holdup in going to nine conference games? Well, some within the conference believe the College Football Playoff committee does not assign enough reward to strength of schedule when selecting playoff teams.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey wants nine conference games, but some athletics directors feel squeamish about risking another loss, after the first 12-team playoff included no three-loss teams.

“Trying to understand how the selection committee for the CFP made decisions is really important,” Sankey said last week on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”

“One of the issues in the room for our athletics directors is, what seemed to matter most (to the selection committee) is the number to the right – the number of losses.

“I think (nine conference games) can be positive for a lot of reasons. You watch the interest around conference games. But, not if that causes us to lose (postseason) opportunities.”

Round and round we go, debating whether the juice of another conference game is worth the squeeze.

SPRING POWER RANKINGS: Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12

LOOKING AHEAD: Our way-too-early college football Top 25 for 2025

Greg Sankey: CFP committee didn’t ignore SEC schedule strength

Let’s clarify a few portions of this debate. The CFP selection committee does value strength of schedule – just not as much as some within the SEC would like. And, not enough to make up for SEC teams losing multiple games to mediocre or bad teams.

Meanwhile, the 2026 playoff format remains undecided, complicating scheduling decisions.

I understand the hesitance to add a ninth conference game. In most cases, that would increase a team’s schedule difficulty, and the cleanest avenue to playoff qualification from a Power Four conference remains going undefeated or suffering just one loss.

Record matters. How could it not? If teams simply got rewarded for losing to tough opponents, the first 12-team playoff would have included 10-loss Mississippi State, which played a brutal schedule.

While record matters, the committee honored schedule strength in its rankings, too. How else do you explain one-loss Indiana being seeded behind four two-loss at-large qualifiers, a list that included two SEC teams? The committee recognized that Indiana played a squishy schedule, but it couldn’t completely ignore a Big Ten team with an 11-1 record on selection day.

“As I recall, we had three-loss teams from the SEC ahead of some two-loss teams from significant conferences,” Sankey told Finebaum, “so I will note there was a recognition on the part of the selection committee on the strength of our league.”

Bingo. Alabama ranked ahead of Miami and Brigham Young on selection day, despite having an inferior record. Mississippi and South Carolina also outranked BYU.

Strength of schedule kept Alabama and Ole Miss in the mix on selection day despite their losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky, respectively.

So, let’s extinguish this lingering narrative that the CFP ignored schedule strength.

If the playoff featured 14 teams instead of 12 – it might by 2026 – then Alabama would have become the first three-loss qualifier in playoff history. All because off its strength of schedule.

Schedule matters, but so do results.

Alabama lost to two average teams, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, among its three losses. Ole Miss lost to three teams that finished the season unranked, including pitiful Kentucky.

At 9-3, with unattractive losses on the résumé, each team narrowly missed qualification.

Seven teams managed to beat Oklahoma last season. If Alabama had joined that list, we wouldn’t be having this debate. The Tide would have been in the playoff, giving the SEC four qualifiers, and SMU would have been out.

But, because Oklahoma beat Alabama like a drum, we’re debating whether the selection committee needs to award more credit to a team’s schedule.

Here’s an idea: Want to make the playoff? Don’t lose to Vanderbilt or Kentucky.

Schedule strength only one side of College Football Playoff selection coin

Still, in some corners of the SEC, appetite seems lacking for an additional conference game.

Strength of schedule “needs to be recognized and not have it be two vs. three losses, one vs. two losses, whatever that looks like, as the deciding factor,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne recently told reporters. “Not all schedules are created the same.”

True, and not all losses are created the same. Indiana didn’t lose to either Vanderbilt or by 21 points to Oklahoma. Nor did it lose on its home field to putrid Kentucky.

But, the SEC schedule debate continues, because it’s spring, and this marks tradition. Perhaps, there’s a way for the SEC to finally rule on its its 2026 conference schedule.

“Maybe we’ll flip a coin over eight or nine (conference games),” Sankey joked with Finebaum. “ … There are two sides to every coin.”

Indeed, and there are multiple sides to playoff selection. It’s not a one-sided coin determined exclusively by schedule strength.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

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13 Mins Read

NFL free agency: One key player set to hit the market for all 32 teams

The NFL offseason has already kicked off with franchise tags, contract extensions, trades, trade requests and star players released. With hundreds of free agents set to hit the open market, things will continue to heat up.

NFL free agency begins this week, with the legal tampering period opening things up on March 10 at noon ET and the new league year starting Match 12 at 4 p.m. ET.

There are dozens of top players available in free agency who can be difference-makers. Last year, it was Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry who signed with new franchises and sent shockwaves around the league. Who might be the key free-agent acquisitions of 2025?

Here is a breakdown of one key NFL free agent from all 32 teams set to hit the open market.

Top NFL free agents: One key player for every team

Tennessee Titans: DT Sebastian Joseph-Day

Plenty of the focus in Tennessee is on the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, but the Titans and new general manager Mike Borgonzi have a fair amount of cap space to work with. Joseph-Day is a veteran run-stuffer who pairs well with 6-foot-4, 366-pound T’Vondre Sweat. Jeffery Simmons adds to a stout front that can’t afford to lose a veteran like Joseph-Day to spell Sweat and Simmons for stretches.

Cleveland Browns: RB Nick Chubb

There’s a likelihood the Browns will select a quarterback with the No. 2 pick in the draft, but with Deshaun Watson’s albatross contract and injury looming over the team, Chubb remains the face of the franchise along with Myles Garrett. He struggled at times returning from a brutal knee injury, but with a healthy offseason under his belt it’s possible that his elite and efficient production returns.

New York Giants: WR Darius Slayton

Slayton has been mentioned often in trade rumors to contenders over the last two years. He posted more than 700 receiving yards in four of his first five seasons, leading the Giants each time. The 28-year-old provides the ability to stretch the field. A trait most of the other top free-agent receivers who are north of 30 years old and not quite burners at this stage can bring to the table.

New England Patriots: CB Jonathan Jones

The Patriots have the most cap space of all 32 teams and are expected to be very active. Jones has proven to be a versatile corner with the ability to play in the slot and the perimeter since signing with New England as an undrafted free agent. Entering year ten, he brings a valuable veteran presence to any locker room. With Travis Hunter a possible draft choice for the Pats, Jones could be on the outside looking in.

Jacksonville Jaguars: G Brandon Scherff

The Jaguars are tied with the Packers and Seahawks with the fewest unrestricted free agents with just 10 players apiece. Scherff is in the latter stage of his career, but the former No. 5 overall pick remains a capable starter in the trenches.

Las Vegas Raiders: LB Robert Spillane

An argument can be made for defensive end Malcolm Koonce here, but Spillane is one of the steadiest linebackers in the league. He finished inside the top five in both tackles and snaps in 2024 and is elite in run defense. The former Steeler brings tenacity to any unit as a legitimate every-down linebacker.

New York Jets: CB D.J. Reed

Reed is among the top 10 free agents overall. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are also on the list of Jets free agents. They can be considered here, but Reed is more likely to land a long-term contract. He’s excelled opposite of Sauce Gardner. He allowed a 57% completion rate and only two touchdowns in coverage this season. He’s arguably the top corner in free agency and should have a robust market for his services.

Carolina Panthers: WR Diontae Johnson

Johnson bounced around four teams in 2024 and finished the year with the Ravens, who claimed him off of waivers after the Texans waived him. It was a tumultuous year for the 28-year-old, but he showed during his seven games in Carolina that he could still produce at a high level. He’s among the top 10 free-agent wide receivers in 2025.

New Orleans Saints: CB Paulson Adebo

The Saints have an undeniably adverse cap dilemma this offseason. Edge rusher Chase Young should be noted here but Adebo was playing like a lockdown corner before breaking his femur and ending his season early. With Marshon Lattimore traded to Washington, the Saints have a glaring hole in the secondary.

Chicago Bears: OL Teven Jenkins

Jenkins has been terrific when he’s on the field, but he’s struggled to stay healthy throughout his first four seasons in the NFL. Many will point to Keenan Allen, but the Bears clearly need to protect their franchise quarterback, Caleb Williams, better in 2025 and beyond. He lined up at left guard exclusively in 2024 after playing multiple spots along the line. New Bears head coach Ben Johnson will be keen on developing the big boys up front, which has been already exhibited with two trades this offseason with the acquisitions of All-Pro guard Joe Thuney from the Chiefs and Jonah Jackson from the Rams.

San Francisco 49ers: CB Charvarius Ward

The 49ers are focused on clearing cap space to extend Brock Purdy this offseason. This was evident when they traded Deebo Samuel to Washington during the combine. Ward is an elite lockdown corner who finished as a second-team All-Pro in 2023. He took time away from the field after the death of his daughter in 2024, but he’s not far removed from elite play. He provides excellent press-man coverage and finished third in coverage grade among all corners in 2023, per PFF.

Dallas Cowboys: EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence

With the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on Osa Odighizuwa, the veteran edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence gets bumped up. He will be 33 next month but he’s proven to still be a disruptive force off the edge 11 seasons in. He suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 4, but posted three sacks, a forced fumble, four tackles for loss and five QB hits before the injury. He’s one year removed from grading as the eighth overall edge rusher per PFF.

Miami Dolphins: S Jevon Holland

Miami has a league-high 29 unrestricted free agents. Among them is Holland, a former second-round pick who just turned 25. He finished with a career-low 64 tackles in 2024 but has proven productive when schemed up to blitz. He’s the top free-agent safety and is entering his prime. He will be in high demand.

Indianapolis Colts: G Will Fries

The Colts have had one of the most underappreciated offensive lines in recent years, opening up holes for Jonathan Taylor to run through and Fries has been a part of that. He was approaching elite status before fracturing his tibia in Week 5. He will be healthy entering 2025 and can boost any team looking to improve their hog mollies.

Atlanta Falcons: C Drew Dalman

Staying in the trenches, you won’t find many better than center Drew Dallman. Center has been an overlooked position, but the connection to the quarterback is undeniable. Dallman is a bully in the run game and was graded fourth-overall at the position in 2024.

Arizona Cardinals: G Will Hernandez

Hernandez has found a home in the desert and has been a solid performer recently. It took some time but he’s lived up to his second-round pedigree. He excels as a pass blocker and would provide stability to many offensive line rooms.

Cincinnati Bengals: CB Mike Hilton

Wide receiver Tee Higgins would be here but the Bengals chose to franchise tag the receiver for the second consecutive season. Hilton is a veteran corner who has solidified himself as one of the best in the slot in the NFL. It’s a prime defensive position, and with the emergence of elite slot receivers across the league, many contenders will be eager to acquire the veteran with playoff experience.

Seattle Seahawks: LB Ernest Jones

Jones was traded twice in 2024. First, it was from the Rams to the Titans before the regular season and then he was shipped off to Seattle before the trade deadline. He’s a former third-round pick with pass-rush skills and is an elite run-stopper. He’s finished top 15 in total tackles the last two seasons and graded as the fifth overall linebacker in 2023 per PFF.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Chris Godwin

Godwin suffered a season-ending ankle dislocation in late October, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2025 season. He was on pace for 121 receptions, 1,399 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL. Godwin will be 29 this season and trails only Mike Evans in every significant statistical receiving category in Buccaneers’ franchise history. He is the best free-agent receiver under the age of 30.

Denver Broncos: DT D.J. Jones

Jones is a veteran interior defensive lineman and was a significant piece of Denver’s finish as the third-best run defense in terms of yards per game allowed in 2024. He can also be disruptive in pass-rush situations.

Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Najee Harris

The Steelers have quite a few free agents who are steady contributors. Quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are notably available, but with one of the signal callers presumably re-signing, running back Najee Harris becomes a key. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, the only back to do so since he entered the league. He has not missed a game, suiting up for 68 regular-season games and two playoff games. He’s the third player in the last 20 years to have 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first four NFL seasons joining Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson.

Los Angeles Chargers: OLB Khalil Mack

In a light free-agent class, Mack is the best pass rusher available. Even at 34 years old, the former No. 5 overall pick remains a force. He’s enjoying a late-career resurgence. He had 88 QB pressures in 2023, his highest mark since 2016. He graded as the fifth-best edge rusher in 2024, according to PFF. He can significantly impact a contender despite a decrease in snaps.

Green Bay Packers: C Josh Myers

Myers is a former second-round pick from 2021. He suffered a leg injury in the Packers’ playoff loss, but it’s been reported he avoided a significant injury. He is arguably the second-best center in free agency behind Dalman.

Minnesota Vikings: QB Sam Darnold

With Darnold not slapped with the franchise tag, he becomes the top free-agent quarterback on the market. He threw 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record. He had a career year before Minnesota’s wild-card loss. The former No. 3 overall pick in 2018 is just 28 years old, and with multiple QB-needy teams and a weak draft class at the position, he should be a hot commodity.

Houston Texans: WR Stefon Diggs

Diggs is another veteran coming off a season-ending injury. He tore his ACL in Week 8 and will turn 32 next season. He’s been one of the most reliable receivers over the last decade, finishing with over 1,000 receiving yards in six straight seasons before 2024. Many contenders with thin wide receiver rooms will be interested in his services but Tank Dell’s devastating knee injury makes for a return to Houston plausible.

Los Angeles Rams: WR Demarcus Robinson

The Rams handled their most important pending free agent earlier in the offseason when they extended tackle Alaric Jackson. This bumps Robinson up the list after the team informed Cooper Kupp they would trade him during the offseason. For the Rams to comfortably move on from Kupp, they must fill the void he leaves. The veteran Robinson would do that after he spent the last two years with the team. He’s coming off his best season, and with Tutu Atwell re-signed before free agency, the team can use another reliable receiver alongside Puka Nacua.

Baltimore Ravens: OL Patrick Mekari

With left tackle Ronnie Stanley agreeing to a contract extension before free agency, do-it-all offensive lineman Patrick Mekari becomes a hot name available. He played nearly every snap at left guard for Baltimore and was strong in protection and run-blocking for two-time MVP Lamar Jackson.

Detroit Lions: CB Carlton Davis III

Davis was acquired via trade before the 2024 season to boost Detroit’s secondary and delivered much-needed stability. He joined a long list of injured Lions late in the season, but before that he ranked inside the top 20 of PFF’s overall defensive grade among cornerbacks. He’s a physical corner, strong against the run and can step into the No. 1 cornerback role on any defense he steps on the field with.

Washington Commanders: EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.

The 49ers sent Deebo Samuel to Washington for a fifth-round pick, which helps fill the hole left by wide receivers Dyami Brown, Olimade Zaccheaus, Noah Brown and Jamison Crowder, who are all free agents. The Commanders have plenty of cap space to improve the offense around Jayden Daniels further, but it will be key for them to bring back any of their top contributors on defense. Fowler led Washington with 10.5 sacks in 2024. The wheels are already turning with the return of Bobby Wagner to prop up a defense that struggled immensely.

Buffalo Bills: CB Rasul Douglas

GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have built an excellent core on the offensive and defensive lines. Amari Cooper is a player many would have in this spot over Douglas, but the receiver will be 31 in June and his role isn’t as crucial to the team’s success with Joe Brady’s offense leaning on the line and the running game. Douglas has been a staple in the secondary since arriving at the 2023 trade deadline. He’s an impact player and key for the Bills defense who often meets the league’s best quarterbacks every year in the postseason.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR DeAndre Hopkins

The Chiefs opted to franchise tag guard Trey Smith, one of the top free agents who would hit the open market. There was a case for Nick Bolton, but he has agreed to re-sign. Hopkins, Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Justin Watson are unrestricted free agents. Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown has agreed to stay on a one-year deal, Rashee Rice will return and Xavier Worthy was a bright spot. However, Rice still faces a possible suspension for his involvement in a multi-vehicle accident. Hopkins could be a viable option for many contenders on a team-friendly ‘prove it’ deal.

Philadelphia Eagles: EDGE Josh Sweat

The defending champs have a handful of key players set to hit the market who will be highly coveted, but GM Howie Roseman has been a wizard at managing the team’s cap space. Linebacker Zack Baun was one of those players and has agreed to stay. Baun graded as the top overall linebacker in the NFL per PFF in 2024 and earned first-team All-Pro honors. With Baun’s future secured, next up is another guy who fit perfectly in Vic Fangio’s system. Sweat led the Eagles with eight sacks and capped it off with 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl 59 victory. He’s one of the top pass rushers on the market.

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