Hello, Scott Bauer here.

Did you catch my appearance on Schwab Network the other day?

I was on the air to talk about the conflict in Iran and what it's doing to markets.

Oil volatility is feeding straight into equities, and a lot of traders are getting caught flat-footed.

My take was the same as it's always been: this kind of environment isn't something to fear. It's something to prepare for.

And my secret for navigating this kind of market starts with defined-risk options spreads.

Because when volatility spikes like this, spreads become more powerful, not less.

You don't need to know whether the market keeps dropping or reverses — you just need a position with an edge built in.

It's the same approach I've been running all year, including a +85.4% on a SPY put spread and +88.1% on a KTOS diagonal call spread, both closed in the last few weeks.*

Tuesday at 8PM ET, I'm going live to show you exactly how I build these trades in real time — the setup, the structure, and how I manage them through the noise.

I’ll also show you how my little-known “EM” indicator can help you estimate potential price moves with nearly 70% statistically proven accuracy.

You’ll get my full playbook, and there’s no cost to attend.

Reserve my seat for Scott's live training

See you there,

Scott Bauer
Founder, CEO | Prosper Trading Academy

Today's Featured News

Despite Global Tensions, HSBC's Asia Strategy Is Paying Off

Authored by Peter Frank. Originally Published: 3/13/2026.

Key Points

HSBC’s strategic pivot toward Asia is driving growth as wealth management and cross-border banking expand across the region.
Strong profitability, rising dividends, and share buybacks highlight HSBC’s focus on returning capital to shareholders.
The stock has gained more than 50% over the past year as investors grow more optimistic about HSBC’s Asia-focused strategy.
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Global banks are operating in a difficult environment. Yet amid the uncertainty, HSBC Holdings (NYSE: HSBC) has remained steady.

Based in London, HSBC is Europe's largest bank by assets. Don't be misled by its headquarters: after several years repositioning to focus on Asia, that region now generates most of the company's business — and the strategy is paying off.

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Few global banks enjoy the geographic advantage HSBC does. Founded in Hong Kong and Shanghai in the 19th century, the institution built deep relationships across Asian financial markets long before many Western competitors entered the region.

Those historical ties now underpin HSBC's approach. Several years ago, the company exited retail banking in the United States, Canada, France, Russia and a handful of other countries. Today, Asia dominates its book of business, driven by strong performance in wealth management, corporate banking and cross-border financial services. Last year, its Hong Kong operations exceeded those in the United Kingdom, contributing $15.9 billion of its $71 billion in revenue — second only to its corporate banking division.

That cross-border capability has become increasingly valuable. As trade and investment flows between Asia, Europe and North America expand, multinational corporations look for banks with global reach and regional expertise.

HSBC's Earnings Strength Drives Capital Returns

The broader interest-rate backdrop has helped as well: the bank's net interest margin and net interest income both rose last year.

Overall, the bank reported a pre-tax profit of $29.9 billion for the year — down from the prior year due to one-off charges, but above expectations. Its net return on tangible equity was 17.2% in 2025, a strong result for a global bank, and management expects similar returns over the next couple of years.

Income investors should also find HSBC appealing.

The bank has historically paid a strong, growing dividend, putting it among the higher-yielding global banks.

Management has been increasing share buybacks as well. HSBC completed $6 billion in repurchases in 2025, continuing a pattern of returning surplus capital as profitability improves.

Those actions have helped support the bank's price-to-earnings ratio — around 14 — keeping it broadly in line with peers of its size.

While that P/E sits below the broader market average, investor caution over geopolitical risks and concerns about the Chinese economy have likely played a role.

Analysts Remain Bullish on HSBC's Strategy

Despite the strong profitability and shareholder returns, HSBC's valuation remains relatively modest.

Still, Wall Street analysts are broadly sanguine on the outlook. The stock dipped recently but is still up more than 50% over the past year. Analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy, citing the bank's strong Asian franchise, improving profitability and capital returns.

If HSBC continues delivering solid earnings and maintaining its dividend, that valuation could make the stock attractive for investors seeking global financial exposure at a reasonable price.

Many analysts also point to HSBC's expanding wealth-management business across Asia as a long-term growth driver, as the region's affluent population continues to grow.

HSBC's Biggest Strength Could Also Be Its Biggest Risk

Despite its strengths, HSBC faces several potential headwinds. Its heavy exposure to Asia means performance is closely tied to economic conditions in Hong Kong and mainland China. A prolonged slowdown in China could weigh on loan demand and investment activity.

Geopolitical tensions are another concern. HSBC operates across multiple regulatory environments, and political disputes between Western governments and China could create operational or regulatory complications. Currency fluctuations matter too, since the bank earns revenue in many currencies while reporting results largely in U.S. dollars.

For investors who believe the world's economic center of gravity is shifting toward Asia — or who are seeking global dividend and value stocks — HSBC warrants consideration.

Over the past decade, HSBC has reshaped itself around Asia's economic growth and rising wealth. That strategic shift is visible in the bank's financial results. With solid profitability, a high dividend yield, ongoing share buybacks and a relatively modest valuation, HSBC may offer investors a compelling mix of income and stability.

Exclusive Story

Evolv Technologies Just Sent a Strong Signal on AI Security Demand

Submitted by Chris Markoch. Posted: 3/11/2026.

Key Points

Evolv Technologies posted a Q4 earnings surprise, flipping a projected loss into a profit while topping revenue estimates by more than 5%.
The company's AI-powered weapons-detection platform is driving recurring revenue growth, and management has raised full-year 2026 guidance.
Competitive risks and an unproven profitability track record keep this a speculative play despite a large and growing addressable market.
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Evolv Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: EVLV) is a leader in AI-enabled weapons and concealed-weapon detection. The company released its fourth-quarter earnings report after the market closed on March 10. The results were solid, as Evolv beat both top- and bottom-line estimates.

Revenue for the quarter was $38.50 million, topping the forecast of $36.44 million by 5.65%. The bigger story was the company's bottom line: adjusted earnings per share were $0.06, well ahead of expectations for a loss of $0.08 per share.

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Investors appeared cautious. EVLV stock was up modestly in the session following the report, recovering from a drop of more than 2% at the open. Stocks that trade near $5 per share often show significant volatility, and EVLV has been no exception — up more than 60% over the past 12 months but down over 25% in 2026 heading into earnings.

At a time when many technology stocks, particularly AI-related names, are under pressure, it's worth understanding what Evolv does and why AI is not merely an add-on but central to its business case.

How Evolv Uses AI to Modernize Security Screening

The key word to understanding Evolv's approach is frictionless. Evolv builds AI-powered weapons-detection systems that allow people to move through security checkpoints without stopping to empty their pockets or bags. This replaces the traditional metal-detector experience with fast, low-friction entry at locations such as schools, stadiums, hospitals, and theme parks.

The systems pair advanced sensors with AI to analyze signatures of guns, knives, and other weapons as people pass through. Instead of triggering a generic alarm, the technology highlights potential threats and directs security personnel where to check.

Evolv differentiates itself by focusing on speed and throughput, allowing higher crowd flow than traditional checkpoints. Its AI pattern recognition aims to distinguish likely weapons from everyday items, reducing false alarms while adding context — including some non-metal threat detection and richer situational awareness.

Strong Revenue Growth and Recurring Revenue Momentum

The results show in the numbers. Quarterly revenue rose 32% year-over-year, driven by new customers and expanded deployments among existing clients.

This momentum is reflected in annual recurring revenue (ARR), which was $120.5 million in the quarter, a 21% increase year-over-year.

Evolv also raised its 2026 full-year guidance, forecasting total revenue of $172 million to $178 million — roughly 20% year-over-year growth at the midpoint. The company expects ARR of $145 million to $150 million, about 22.5% year-over-year growth at the midpoint.

One driver of that growth is Evolv's two-pronged business model. Customers can choose a pure subscription model or a purchase-subscription model. The pure subscription option replaces outright hardware purchases with a single recurring fee that bundles equipment, software, updates, service, and maintenance into one contract.

Under the purchase-subscription model, customers pay recurring software and service fees while the hardware cost is separated or front-loaded, making the subscription portion smaller and more software-like.

For 2026, Evolv expects roughly half of its new unit deployments to be under the pure subscription model and the other half under the purchase-subscription model.

EVLV Stock Is a Speculative Play That Could Still Work Out

Investors should be clear about what they own with EVLV stock. Revenue is growing but can be uneven quarter to quarter. Evolv reported an adjusted profit this quarter and expects its first full year of positive adjusted EBITDA, with margins in the high single digits. The company, however, must demonstrate consistent profitability for the stock to attract broader investor interest.

Competition is a headwind. It's reasonable to question Evolv's moat, as several companies compete in the AI-enabled weapons-detection and security-screening space.

That said, demand for these products and services is, unfortunately, rising. Evolv generated $145.90 million in revenue for 2025. The total addressable market is projected between $2 billion and $3 billion by 2030, depending on scope and methodology.

Those estimates leave room for multiple players, and a significant portion of Evolv's revenue comes from ARR, which is typically contracted over long terms.

Overall, EVLV is a speculative stock that may be fairly valued right now. Risk-tolerant investors might find a long-term opportunity, but they should be mindful of the risks involved.

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*Hypothetical performance results have many inherent limitations, some of which are described below. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. In fact, there are frequently sharp differences between hypothetical performance results and the actual results subsequently achieved by any particular trading program. One of the limitations of hypothetical performance results is that they are generally prepared with the benefit of hindsight. In addition, hypothetical trading does not involve financial risk, and no hypothetical trading record can completely account for the impact of financial risk in actual trading. For example, the ability to withstand losses or to adhere to a particular trading program in spite of trading losses are material points which can also adversely affect actual trading results. There are numerous other factors related to the markets in general or to the implementation of any specific trading program which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of hypothetical performance results and all of which can adversely affect actual trading results.

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