Opinion

Editorial perspectives, expert commentary, market analysis, and thought leadership on financial topics.

• Frontier's 71% fare jump shows what 'budget' means once Spirit is gone

  Frontier's fare revenue per passenger jumped from $39.74 to $67.82 and passengers still rose 18%. Fuel is a real excuse, but the quarter shows a budget airline finding pricing power.

  Opinion · Oct 28, 2026, 1:25 PM EDT · Connor O'Brien

• GM's move to Nasdaq changes its address, not its business

  General Motors is expected to trade on Nasdaq from Nov. 17 and gains eligibility for the Nasdaq-100. Index access is real, but a listing venue doesn't make a carmaker a tech company.

  Opinion · Oct 27, 2026, 1:25 PM EDT · Connor O'Brien

• Private equity's defense tech rush is a bet on the next buyer, not the battlefield

  Buyout firms poured $4 billion into defense growth deals in nine months, per PitchBook. The money is real, but the trade only works if a later buyer pays up for promise.

  Opinion · Oct 26, 2026, 12:55 PM EDT · Connor O'Brien

• Trade Desk's CEO shouldn't get to vote himself a cheaper strike price

  Resetting underwater options for 2,300 employees after layoffs has a real case. Letting Jeff Green's 50.2% of the vote decide a repricing that also covers his own options doesn't.

  Opinion · Oct 25, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT · Connor O'Brien

• Gold didn't break as a haven. It got sold for cash as hike bets rose

  Gold fell below $4,000 as markets priced a 78% chance of a December hike and margin calls hit. In my view that's gold working as cash, and the real story is the Fed's bind.

  Opinion · Oct 24, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT · Connor O'Brien

• The credit market just got a vote on AI, and Meta handed shareholders the bill

  Opinion: Meta's free cash flow turned negative and its default swaps hit a record. Its funding plan, a non-voting share class it says helps avoid debt, shows who now gets a say in AI spending.

  Opinion · Oct 24, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT · Connor O'Brien