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Two of three speakers at the engineering school’s ceremony disappeared abruptly from the school’s graduation website. A self-described “fourth-generation Trojan” from Pasadena, Ms. Blain, who has spent much of her life imagining her own U.S.C. Pro-Palestinian students tried to set up an encampment on campus days later, and university officials summoned the Los Angeles police. At the engineering school, where Ms. Tabassum, the valedictorian, will be graduating, professors were trying to resurrect her chance to speak. A university committee had picked Ms. Tabassum, who is Muslim and of South Asian ancestry, from about 100 undergraduates with near 4.0 grade point averages.

Persons: Kevin Feige, Liza Colón, Zayas, Tina, “, ”, Jaren Lewison, they’re, Ella Blain, Blain, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Biden, U.S.C, Asna Tabassum, Jon M, Chu, Marcia McNutt, Blain’s, Annette Ricchiazzi, Carol Folt, Missives, Sean Penn, —, Goodwin Liu, Merrill Balassone, Phil Chan, Pam Zhang, Safiya Umoja Noble, Lewison, Jane Coaston, Tabassum, Yannis C, Folt, Kevin Crawford Knight, Didi Global, Zohreh, Khademi, Knight, ” Hossein Hashemi, Hashemi, Dustin Jeffords Organizations: University of Southern, Angeles, Marvel Studios, Hollywood, Netflix, Dornsife, of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles Memorial, School of Dramatic Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor , Indiana University, Bloomington, Northeastern University, United Nations, University, Vermont’s, Columbia University, National Academy of Sciences, Los Angeles police, Community, Dodger, California Supreme, MacArthur, Rossier School, Education, Jewish, commencements, New York Times, Microsoft, Media, “ Locations: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Coast, Aude, Pasadena, Gaza, Ann Arbor ,, Boston, U.S, Israel, U.S.C, California, San Bernardino County

☆ Walmart, Chipotle are splitting the wealth of a record stock market in a way they haven't in decades
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

For Chipotle, it's the first stock split in the company's 30-year history, and its announcement echoed Walmart's. Both are hoping, through the availability of an employee stock purchase plan and financial education, they'll get more workers to invest. Chipotle, even further out on the market chart, has shares nearing $3,000 — its stock split is to be effective June 26. ESPP versus fractional sharesEven without a stock split, employees could have already purchased shares of their company, or at least fractional shares, through a brokerage account. Company stock and financial educationSplitting a stock and having a generous ESPP can only go so far when it comes to encouraging employees to buy the company stock.

Persons: they'll, Michael Kestenbaum, Chipotle, Dan Kapinos, Clemens Kownatzki, Aalap Shah, Pearl Meyer, SoFi, Kownatzki, Larry Fink, Kestenbaum Organizations: Walmart, Companies, West Coast, Google, Pepperdine Graziadio Business, Khan Academy, Lyra Health Partners, Bank of America, Employees Locations: Aon

☆ Nvidia's partners and more: BofA picks key global stocks along the AI supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But many smaller firms along the global AI supply chain also stand to benefit. It has worked with Google for over a decade, thanks to its ability to produce highly customized server design, BofA noted. With rising AI server applications and GPU supply, it expects the AI server GPU baseboard business to account for 3% to 6% of Wistron's total sales in 2024 and 2025. Hardware tech Hardware tech such as printed circuit boards are the upstream parts of the AI server supply chain. In addition, its partnership with Nvidia in automotive AI should widen its AI opportunities, BofA noted.

Persons: BofA, there's, Microsoft's OpenAI, Unimicron, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Big U.S, Nvidia, Microsoft, Global, Google, Semiconductors Locations: Big, Taiwan, Greater China, Asia

☆ New York City to Impose Stricter Limits on Migrant Adults in Shelters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Luis Ferré-Sadurní | More About Luis Ferré-Sadurní | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To ease the burden on the city’s shelter system, adult migrants will be allowed to stay in shelters for only 30 days under the agreement, city officials said. After that, they will not be able to reapply for a bed, which they are currently allowed to do. Some would be allowed to stay longer if they meet certain conditions, including having a medical disability or an “extenuating circumstance,” officials said. The changes to the so-called right-to-shelter requirement are a major shift in a policy that had set New York apart from all other big U.S. cities. In no other city must officials guarantee a bed to any homeless person who seeks one, something city officials have alternately taken pride in and fought against for decades.

Persons: Gerald Lebovits Organizations: Legal Aid Society Locations: York

Though one of the most potent and long-running (or at least long-stomping) forces in movies, Godzilla has never before rubbed elbows at the Academy Awards. At the Oscar luncheon, Steven Spielberg warmly greeted Yamazaki and told him he had seen “Godzilla Minus One” three times. But “Godzilla Minus One” returns to the essential nature of Godzilla as a sober symbol of nuclear holocaust and atomic trauma. My intent was to put a spotlight on what Godzilla represented.”In “Godzilla Minus One,” just as WWII is ending, Godzilla is growing. But unlike more broadly blockbuster-styled Godzilla films, “Godzilla Minus One” is rigorously rooted in a Japanese perspective.

Persons: he’s, “, ”, Takashi Yamazaki, —, Yamazaki, Ishirō Honda, Steven Spielberg, ” Yamazaki, ‘, ’, ’ They’ve, “ Oppenheimer, “ Barbie, Christopher Nolan’s, Tomoyuki Tanaka, Raymond Burr, Koichi, Ryunosuke, Robert Oppenheimer’s, Nolan, we’re, Hayao Miyazaki’s, Miyazaki, ‘ Oppenheimer, Jake Coyle Organizations: Academy, Toho, “, Galaxy, U.S ., Pictures, Warner Bros, American Locations: Tokyo , Hong Kong, Paris, San Francisco, Boston, Moscow, London, Hawaii, U.S, Canada, Canadian, Tokyo, Japan, Bikini, Kong, Hiroshima, Nagasaki

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — With this year's Super Bowl being played in Las Vegas, the nation's gambling capital, there was little doubt that betting on the big game would be huge. The 2023 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles brought in $153.1 million worth of bets. In Pennsylvania, $71.5 million was wagered on the Super Bowl, down 15% from last year's Super Bowl, in which the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Chiefs. Other states with big sports betting markets, including New York and Illinois, had yet to report betting levels for this year's Super Bowl as of Wednesday evening. Maine, which offered Super Bowl gambling for the first time, saw about $3.5 million wagered online, according to an estimate from the state's Gambling Control Unit.

Persons: sportsbooks, “ We’re, Chris Bevilacqua, ” BetMGM, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Nevada Gaming Control Board, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlantic City, Super, of Gaming Enforcement, NFL Locations: N.J, Las Vegas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Maine, bettors, www.twitter.com

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose nearly 0.1% to 36,897.42, slipping back from earlier gains that took it briefly to a 34-year high. In prior months, such a report may have hurt the stock market because of concerns that it would mean a longer wait for cuts to interest rates from the Federal Reserve. The latest set of earnings reports from big U.S. companies also kept the stock market mixed overall. It gave a forecast for expected profit across 2024 that fell short of analysts’. In other trading, benchmark U.S. crude lost 6 cents to $76.16 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Persons: Shinichi Uchida, Australia's, ”, Ryan Detrick, Ralph Lauren Organizations: TOKYO, Nikkei, Investors, Bank of Japan, SoftBank Group Corp, Nissan, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Carson Group, Federal Reserve, Walt Disney Co, Arm Holdings, PayPal, Global, New York Community Bancorp, Traders, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S . Locations: U.S, Asia, U.K

Before last year, paid sick leave was generally not offered to railroad workers. That's instead of joining all the other major freight railroads in negotiating jointly with rail unions on an agreement over pay and benefits. The rail industry reached the brink of a strike in the fall of 2022 before Congress and President Joe Biden intervened to force rail workers to accept a contract. Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern now have paid sick time agreements in place with all their unions. Canadian National also trails behind the big U.S. railroads, but still offers sick time to about 46% of its U.S. workers.

Persons: —, Ed Dowell, CPKC “, ” CPKC, That's, Patrick Waldron, ” Waldron, “, CPKC, Joe Biden, wouldn't Organizations: Rail, CPKC's, American Train, Association, Kansas City Southern, Canadian Pacific, CSX, Union Pacific, Norfolk, Canadian Locations: OMAHA, Neb, Kansas City , Missouri, CPKC's U.S, Minnesota, U.S, Calgary, United States, Kansas City, Kansas, Canadian Pacific, North America, BNSF, Norfolk Southern

☆ Gauging when Tesla may hit bottom and using options to trade it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

I'll describe how options traders will bet the bottom is in and the levels they may find attractive to do so. Tesla's margins of nearly 11% are twice those of the 2 biggest U.S. automakers, but a bear will point out that Porsche margins are 13%. Even still, it's not clear that the legacy automakers can compete long term with Tesla or China's BYD. Apple, Amazon, Costco, Lululemon, Nike, Yeti and Tesla are, if the actual dollars spent are measured, high on this list. TSLA YTD mountain Tesla YTD Sometimes, whether it's a fast car, or a fast-moving stock, the best thing to do is wait.

Persons: Gene Munster, it's, Tesla, Tesla's, it's Ford Organizations: Deepwater Management, Ford, GM, Toyota, U.S, Apple, Costco, Lululemon, Nike, Holly Locations: …

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Japan reported its exports jumped nearly 10% in December, though shares in Tokyo declined. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 2% to 15,569.39, helped by gains in technology companies like e-commerce giant Alibaba, which surged 3.8%. The index rose 0.3% to 4,864.60. United Airlines flew 5.3% higher after it also reported stronger profit for the last three months of 2023 than analysts expected. Among Tuesday’s headliners was Verizon Communications, which rose 6.7% after beating analysts’ profit estimates.

Persons: Wang Jiangjun, Hang Seng, ” Gabriel Ng, India's Sensex, Gamble, D.R, Horton, Brent Organizations: Japan, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Capital Economics, Nikkei, Bank of, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Procter, United Airlines, Boeing, Max, Tesla, Intel, Verizon Communications, General Electric, Analysts, Federal Reserve, Treasury, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S Locations: BANGKOK, Tokyo, China, Shanghai, Bank of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Bangkok

☆ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says global consensus on AI is emerging
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Executive Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella attends a session during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Tuesday he sees global consensus emerging when it comes to artificial intelligence, and that, even though regulatory approaches to the tech may differ from one jurisdiction to another, countries are talking about AI in a similar way. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Nadella said he feels there is a need for global coordination on AI and agreeing on a set of standards and appropriate guardrails for the technology. "I think [a global regulatory approach to AI is] very desirable, because I think we're now at this point where these are global challenges that require global norms and global standards," Nadella said, speaking in conversation with WEF Chair Klaus Schwab. The Redmond, Washington-based tech giant has put billions of dollars into OpenAI, the firm behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT.

Persons: Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella, Satya Nadella, Nadella, WEF, Klaus Schwab Organizations: Microsoft Corporation, Economic, Microsoft Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Redmond, Washington

☆ S&P 500 rises to 20-month high with a soft landing in sight. Can investors finally relax?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-09 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The S & P 500 , which had consolidated with a low-volatility sideways slide for three weeks, nudged to a new 20-month high just above 4600, almost precisely a 20% year-to-date gain. Just because the S & P 500 is at 4600 and Federal-funds futures markets project high odds of several rate cuts next year, it doesn't mean the former is reliant on the latter. Yet — just relax — in seven of the past 12 years, the S & P 500 went on to surpass this year-ahead analyst composite target. It's pretty popular to cast doubt on the achievability of the consensus 11.8% forecast S & P 500 earnings growth for 2024. A broadening beyond 2023's growth leadership is necessary for further S & P 500 gains.

Persons: YTD, Jerome Powell, Powell, John Butters, Scott Chronert Organizations: Federal, Fed, Bank of America, Wall, Merck, Pfizer, Citi, Treasury

☆ American Borrowers Are Getting Closer to Maxing Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Telis Demos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some people are starting to consume more of their available credit from month to month. Photo: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg NewsA happy holiday shopping season might not end up being an especially cheery time for lenders. The trend suggests that consumers still are willing and able to use their cards, portending well for retailers. U.S. retail sales slowed in October, but by less than feared, and were still at an overall solid level. Some retail stocks have jumped recently on hopes for holiday shopping.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Bloomberg, U.S

Customers from Iran, Cuba and Syria — all of which face sanctions — were able to access the Binance platform. In addition to the outlawed foreign transactions, Binance did business with firms based in the United States even though it was not supposed to have any U.S. customers on its Binance.com platform. Instead, a different platform, Binance.US, which Mr. Zhao also owned, was required to handle the business and abide by U.S. anti-money laundering laws. But Mr. Zhao and other Binance employees believed it would be better for the main cryptocurrency exchange to handle big U.S. customers, the court filings state. At times, Binance has processed two-thirds of all digital currency trades, making it a vital power broker and intermediary in the crypto world.

Persons: Zhao, Binance, —, ” Locations: Iran, Cuba, Syria, United States

USDA pegged U.S. corn yield at 174.9 bushels per acre, up from 173 last month and above nearly all estimates, which on average predicted a slight increase. It was the most bearish corn yield in a November report since 2017. That could negatively impact Brazil’s second corn production, as was the case after the 2015-16 El Nino, rerouting corn demand to the United States. USDA left Brazil’s 2023-24 soy crop unchanged at 163 million metric tons this month, but it raised the prior crop by 2 million tons to 158 million, suggesting exports are outperforming prior crop expectations. However, USDA has flashed 2.85 million tons (105 million bushels) of U.S. soybean sales so far this week, mostly to China and unknown destinations.

Persons: Dane Rhys, El, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Department, USDA, El Nino, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Deerfield , Ohio, U.S, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Brazil, United States, China

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares retreated Friday after rising bond market yields once again weighed on Wall Street, ending a lull in wider swings in prices during a brief respite from market moving data releases. A financial services business of China’s biggest bank, ICBC, said it was it by a ransomware attack that reportedly disrupted trading in the U.S. Treasury market. It was unclear how much of an impact the attack had on Treasury market trading. But it quickly sagged as Treasury yields rose following a report that suggested the U.S. job market remains remarkably solid. Topgolf Callaway Brands was another weight on the market and sank 16.9% despite beating analysts’ expectations for profit during the summer.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Australia’s, Taiwan’s Taiex, Stocks, sagged, Becton Dickinson, Brent Organizations: Investors, U.S . Federal, U.S . Treasury, Commercial Bank of China Financial Services, Treasury, Nikkei, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal, Walt Disney Co, Wall, Topgolf Callaway Brands, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Shanghai, China’s, U.S, York, Bangkok

☆ Hong Kong finance summit tiptoes around China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Peter Thal Larsen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

HONG KONG, Nov 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hong Kong in November enjoys a pleasant climate that some local managers dub “chairman weather”. Hong Kong is hardly a hot destination for financiers right now. Companies raised just $2.7 billion from initial public offerings in Hong Kong in the quarter, a fraction of previous years. Hong Kong officials including John Lee, the territory’s chief executive, have been sanctioned by the U.S.. Follow @peter_tl on XCONTEXT NEWSThe Global Financial Leaders’ Summit was held in Hong Kong from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8.

Persons: Marc Rowan, Colm Kelleher, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, Jane Fraser, Ken Griffin, Hong, John Lee, Eddie Yue, Kung, Zhang Qingsong, Bob Prince, Mark Wiedman, Apollo’s Rowan, UBS’s Kelleher, Joseph Yam, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Apollo Global Management, UBS, Monetary Fund, Companies, Citigroup, Citadel, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Hong Kong’s HK, Exchange, People’s Bank of China, Bridgewater Associates, BlackRock, Goldman, Bank for International, Global, ’, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Europe, U.S, China . Hong Kong, China, People’s Republic, Hong, British, Singapore, BLK.N, ”

LONDON (AP) — Apple might end up on the hook after all for billions of euros in back taxes to Ireland in the latest twist in a longrunning European Union dispute, following a legal opinion Thursday from an adviser to the bloc's top court. The ECJ's opinions aren’t legally binding, but are often followed by the court. The Court of Justice is expected to come up with its legally binding decision next year. “We thank the court for its time and ongoing consideration in this case," Apple said in a prepared statement. "The General Court’s ruling was very clear that Apple received no selective advantage and no State aid, and we believe that should be upheld.”The European Commission declined to comment.

Persons: Giovanni Pitruzzella, Tim Cook, Donald Trump, Margrethe Vestager, ”, Pitruzzella, “, Apple, Court’s Organizations: European Court of Justice, Apple, ”, European Commission, Court of Justice, European Locations: Ireland, European, U.S

☆ U.S. suspends Indo-Pacific talks on key aspects of digital trade -lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The halt comes after the U.S. Trade Representative's office last month reversed longstanding U.S. digital trade demands at the World Trade Organization -- no longer insisting on rules that protect free cross-border data flows and prohibit national requirements for data localization and reviews of software source code. The U.S. Trade Representative's office said it withdrew its position to give Congress room to enact stronger technology regulations. "We thank you for suspending negotiations on aspects of the IPEF digital text that can be used to frustrate privacy, AI, civil rights and liberties, anti-monopoly, gig worker and other digital safeguards that Congress and the administration seek," the lawmakers wrote. People familiar with the talks say that discussions on the digital trade chapter have largely ground to a halt because the U.S. position is now unclear and being reevaluated. A USTR spokesperson declined comment on the IPEF digital talks.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Julia Nikhinson, Biden, IPEF, Amy Klobuchar, Pramila Jayapal, David Lawder, Leslie Adler Organizations: Intelligence, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, U.S . Trade, World Trade Organization, Representatives, Commerce Department, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Tech, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Mexico, Canada, IPEF, San Francisco, Asia, China

☆ US natgas prices drop 7% on record output, mild weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 25.1 cents, or 7.1%, to settle at $3.264 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their lowest close since Oct. 27. One bearish factor that has weighed on the futures market for most of this year has been lower spot or next-day prices at the Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana. The spot market has traded below front-month futures for 176 out of 212 trading days so far this year, according to data from financial firm LSEG. That premium could encourage some speculators to leave gas in storage for longer in hopes of higher prices later in the winter. With seasonally colder weather coming, LSEG forecast U.S. gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would jump from 101.5 bcfd this week to 109.2 bcfd next week.

Persons: El, Gelber, LSEG, Scott DiSavino, Bernadette Baum, Josie Kao Organizations: El Nino, Associates, U.S . Energy Information Administration, New York Mercantile Exchange, Henry, Thomson Locations: Louisiana, contango, U.S

☆ U.S. investors rebuff big oil climate shareholder resolutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Netherlands-based activist group Follow This was created first to target Shell (SHEL.L) and subsequently expanded to file climate resolutions at other western majors including BP (BP.L), Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Chevron (CVX.N) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA). According to the data published by it and investors, giant U.S. investors BlackRock (BLK.N), Vanguard, State Street (STT.N) and JPMorgan (JPM.N) all voted against the Follow This resolutions this year. "Investors hold the key to tackling the climate crisis with their shareholder voting power at Big Oil. Amundi, Allianz, and UBS use their voting power to mitigate the climate crisis,” said Follow This founder Mark van Baal. This mirrors big shareholder proxy voting firm Glass Lewis and ISS, which changed some of their recommendations for this year to the detriment of Follow This, including withdrawing support for the activist resolution at Chevron.

Persons: Morgan Chase, Mike Segar, France's, ”, Mark van Baal, Glass Lewis, Shadia Nasralla, Jan Harvey Organizations: Co, New York City, REUTERS, Companies Allianz, Big U.S, Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BlackRock, Vanguard, State, JPMorgan, Paris, Britain's HSBC, HSBA.L, UBS, Germany's Allianz, Big Oil, Amundi, Allianz, Britain's, General, Exxon, ISS, Thomson Locations: New York, Big, Paris, Netherlands, Chevron's

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares advanced on Friday after Wall Street roared higher on bets that market-rattling interest rate hikes are coming to an end. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 leaped 1.9% Thursday to 4,317.78 for its fourth straight winning day. Starbucks jumped 9.5% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than Wall Street forecast. On the losing end of Wall Street was Moderna, which sank 6.5% after reporting a much worse loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. More swings could be coming for Wall Street.

Persons: Seng, Australia’s, Korea’s Kospi, Sensex, It’s, Jerome Powell, Eli Lilly's, Brent Organizations: Shanghai, Federal Reserve, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Big U.S, Starbucks, Fair, Moderna, Wall, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S . Locations: HONG KONG, Tokyo, China, U.S

LONDON/COPENHAGEN, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Global brewers AB InBev (ABI.BR) and Carlsberg (CARLb.CO) this week played down concerns among some investors that demand for weight-loss drugs may lead to a sharp drop in beer drinking. But AB InBev Chief Executive Michel Doukeris likened the concerns to others, such as how cannabis could disrupt various sectors, which he said were often short-lived. Some clinical trials on rodents have found treatment with GLP-1 agonists reduces alcohol consumption, eases symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and more. AB InBev has a big U.S. business, but earns more revenue in the Middle Americas and has a large footprint in countries like Brazil. Such emerging markets often have lower obesity rates, while weight-loss drugs are unlikely to be available or affordable there any time soon.

Persons: Nordisk's Wegovy, Michel Doukeris, Jacob Aarup, Andersen, Moritz Kronenberger, Janus Henderson, Tom O'Hara, O'Hara, Wegovy, Emma Rumney, Jacob Gronholt, Matthew Scuffham, Alexander Smith Organizations: Global, AB InBev, Carlsberg, Nordisk's, InBev, Reuters, Budweiser, World Health Organization, WHO, Germany's Union Investment, Brewers, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, United States, Brazil, Asia, China, Danish, U.S, London, Copenhagen

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday after Wall Street advanced to claim back some of the ground it gave up in another losing month. The overwhelming expectation is that the Fed will keep its overnight interest rate steady. Pinterest jumped 19% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Most big U.S. companies have reported stronger profit for the summer than expected, and Caterpillar also joined them. The Fed has already pulled its main overnight interest rate above 5.25% to its highest level since 2001.

Persons: Pinterest, It's, Brent Organizations: Wall, Federal Reserve, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Arista Networks, Caterpillar, VF Corp, Vans, Treasury, Fed Locations: BANGKOK, U.S, Hong Kong, Shanghai

☆ Walmart pledges $1 million aid for Israel victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Walmart Foundation, the philanthropy arm of the U.S. retailer, has pledged $1 million to an Israeli disaster relief and emergency medical service organization. UBS , Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Jefferies are among companies to have pledged aid to Israel. As the Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies, others, including billionaire Elon Musk, are providing aid in the Middle East in other ways. Walmart does not operate stores in Israel, but employs 171 people in the country who work for its tech arm Walmart Global Tech, its Walmart U.S. operations and its Flipkart business in India. Walmart said its donation follows a $1 million grant the Walmart Foundation pledged to the U.S.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, Magen David Adom, Ofer Saban, Elon Musk, SpaceX's, Saban, Siddharth Cavale Organizations: Walmart Foundation, UBS, Walmart, Walmart Global Tech, Walmart U.S, . Holocaust Museum, Thomson Locations: U.S, Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza, India, New York

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