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☆ Why hundreds of U.S. banks may be at risk of failure
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hundreds of small and regional banks across the U.S. are feeling stressed. "You could see some banks either fail or at least, you know, dip below their minimum capital requirements," Christopher Wolfe, managing director and head of North American banks at Fitch Ratings, told CNBC. Consulting firm Klaros Group analyzed about 4,000 U.S. banks and found 282 banks face the dual threat of commercial real estate loans and potential losses tied to higher interest rates. "That means there'll be fewer bank failures. For individuals, the consequences of small bank failures are more indirect.

Persons: Christopher Wolfe, They're, Brian Graham, Graham, Sheila Bair Organizations: Fitch, CNBC, Consulting, Klaros, U.S . Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC Locations: U.S

☆ The U.S. economy still faces a recession risk: Gary Shilling
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. economy has avoided a recession so far but the risk of a deeper economic downturn still looms, according to financial analyst Gary Shilling. "Small businesses are very sensitive to economic conditions because they don't tend to be very heavily capitalized," Shilling told CNBC. However, the labor market at large is a key reason the U.S. has thus far avoided a recession. "You haven't had that weakness in labor markets that, I think, you normally would have had and would have [caused] a recession [in 2023]," Shilling said. However, Shilling is watching for signs of a slowing labor market.

Persons: Gary Shilling, Shilling, We've, it's Organizations: CNBC, Fed, Federal Locations: U.S

☆ How shipping containers can make or break the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The shipping container is a logistics marvel that can affordably move thousands of items from hundreds of different companies all around the globe. Supply chain disruptionsDisruptions to global trade can have major impacts on shortages and inflation, causing serious ramifications for American households and businesses. Indeed, inflation cooled alongside the bounce back of the supply chain, according to a White House analysis of the U.S. economy. [It's] an inefficiency born not of container shipping but just of the nature of the global economy." Watch the video above to learn more about how shipping containers enable global trade, why China dominates the shipping industry and what happens after a container shortage.

Persons: Simon Heaney, John Fossey, Good Hope, John McCown, nonresident, McCown, Goetz Alebrand, " Heaney, Heaney Organizations: Drewry, CNBC, Supply, Federal Reserve Bank of San, Center for Maritime Strategy, Federal Maritime Commission, Americas, DHL Global Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, U.S, Iran, Good, Africa, China, Ukraine, Asia

☆ Cargo theft spiked over 57% in 2023 vs. 2022, new data shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Cargo theft incidents were up more than 57% in 2023 compared with the year prior, according to CargoNet, a Verisk company. I haven't seen cargo theft at this level," Scott Cornell, the national practice transportation lead at Travelers, told CNBC. Nearly $130 million worth of goods was stolen in 2023, but since reporting cargo theft is not mandatory, the amount is likely higher than this, according to CargoNet. "Now, we're probably taking in about 220 plus a month of cargo theft events." Cargo theft refers to goods being stolen at any point in the transportation journey and incidents have reached unprecedented levels.

Persons: Scott Cornell, Keith Lewis, we're, Ron, they're, Barry Conlon Organizations: Travelers, CNBC, Cargo Locations: CargoNet, California , Texas, Florida, Louisville , Kentucky

☆ Global rice markets are in crisis amid 'artificial' shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

India's export ban on rice is reverberating through global rice markets, threatening food security if developing nations cannot afford or access rice. India's rice exports make up 40% of the market, so any export bans quickly influence global prices. U.S. rice farmers face the same volatile rice prices. "Our farmers, they'll go up against any rice farmer," Michael Klein, vice president of communications and domestic promotion at USA Rice, told CNBC. When U.S. rice farms struggled to stay profitable as global rice prices mismatched with rising input costs, Congress passed $250 million in supplemental funding.

Persons: Rice, Peter Bachmann, Will Fletter, Bachmann, they'll, Michael Klein, USA Rice, Klein Organizations: CNBC, International Food Policy Research Institute, USA Locations: Africa, Southeast Asia, India, U.S

☆ How U.S. soybeans influence global economics
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Soybeans are kind of that wonder crop that has amazing capabilities" Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at StoneX, told CNBC. "The average soybean production in our county 40 years ago, in 1980, was 31 bushels. The global soybean market exploded in recent years with U.S. production at the forefront. However, the U.S. has since lost its dominance, in part, thanks to its reliance on a single export market: China. According to data from the USDA, about half of the value of U.S. soybean exports head to China.

Persons: Himanshu Gupta, ClimateAI, Suderman, wasn't, Meagan Kaiser, Joe Janzen, Janzen, Kaiser Organizations: National Oilseed Processors Association, United, CNBC, U.S . Department of Agriculture, University of Illinois Locations: U.S, China, Brazil, Argentina

☆ Why the Fed's interest rate move may hinge on inflation expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. seemed to be winning its battle against inflation, but the latest consumer price index data showed inflation rose more than expected. The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment August survey indicated consumers' one-year inflation expectations were at 3.3%, marking three consecutive months of stability. Inflation expectations, or the rate at which consumers expect prices to rise or fall in the future, can influence higher prices in the economy. Inflation expectations play a crucial role in the decisions made by the Federal Reserve. But consumer expectations of inflation are still above the Fed's 2% inflation rate target.

Persons: Joanne Hsu, It's, Hsu, Claudia Sahm, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Barry Glassman Organizations: University of Michigan, The University of, Consumers, CNBC, Federal Reserve, Sahm Consulting, Federal, Kansas City, Wealth Services Locations: U.S, Jackson Hole , Wyoming

☆ Penny stocks can be riskier than any other stock. Here's why they're so dangerous.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"I'm getting a lot of calls from investors who are duped and getting scammed by-penny stock operators," Jacob Zamansky, attorney with his firm Zamansky LLC, told CNBC. Penny stocksAlthough there is nothing inherently wrong with low-priced stocks, they are considered speculative, high-risk investments because they experience higher volatility and lower liquidity. "He really was a character as Leonardo DiCaprio portrays him in the movie," Zamansky told CNBC. And he said, If I can sell steaks, I can sell stocks." Before Zamansky started representing investors who were abused by Wall Street firms, he was an attorney for Stratton Oakmont.

Persons: I'm, Jacob Zamansky, Andres Vinelli, Greg Ruppert, Jordan Belfort, Stratton Oakmont, Leonardo DiCaprio, Zamansky, he's, Belfort Organizations: CNBC, Financial Industry, Authority, CFA Institute, Wall Street, Innocent, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: That's, Belfort

☆ Surging frozen food demand may stress critical cold storage supply chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Andrea Miller | In Dreajmiller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Virtually all American households purchase frozen food at least once a year, but without resilient cold storage supply chain infrastructure, the growth and safety of the massive $265 billion global frozen food market may be put at risk. In 2022, frozen food sales in the U.S. reached more than $72 billion, according to the American Frozen Food Institute. During the coronavirus lockdowns in 2020, frozen food sales reached more than $65 billion, according to the institute. Approximately 13% of all food produced globally is lost due to poor cold storage supply chains every year, according to a study from Columbia University's Climate School. Watch the video above to learn more about the influence of frozen food, the global cold storage supply chain infrastructure, what it takes to freeze food products and what's next for this growing section of the grocery store.

Persons: Brian Choi, Alison Bodor, Sonia Punwani, Tony Atti, Jeff Rivera Organizations: The Food Institute, CNBC, Food Institute, Cargill Protein North, Columbia University's Climate, Logistics Locations: U.S, Columbia, Michigan

"It would be fair to characterize Charles Schwab as a financial services supermarket," Michael Wong, director of North American equity research and financial services at Morningstar, told CNBC. "Anything that you want, you can find in Charles Schwab's platform." Charles Schwab was among the firms that benefited from the growth of retail investing during the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s now facing the consequences of Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes. Charles Schwab told CNBC it was unable to participate in this documentary. Watch the video above to learn more about how Charles Schwab battled the ever-evolving financial services market – from fees to fintech – and how the reward doesn’t come without the risk.

Persons: Charles Schwab, Michael Wong, Charles Schwab's, ” Alex Fitch, Edward Jones, Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab’s, fintech – Organizations: Charles Schwab Corp, North, Morningstar, CNBC, Oakmark Equity, Income, Fidelity, Interactive, Stifel, JPMorgan, UBS, Robinhood Locations: United States

The Federal Reserve enacts monetary policies to stabilize prices and maximize employment in the U.S. economy. These dueling goals are known as the dual mandate. For example, if prices are too hot, the Fed may vote to raise interest rates to influence a decrease in borrowing. Other experts argue that the dual mandate remains key to keeping the U.S. economy safe and stable. Watch this video to see how the Fed tries to strike a near-impossible balance to promote both parts of the dual mandate.

Persons: Danielle DiMartino Booth, Thomas Hoenig, David Wessel Organizations: QI Research, CNBC, International Monetary Fund, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Hutchins, Brookings Institution Locations: U.S

"It really seems like companies have become addicted to junk fees." Junk fees are making companies billions of dollars richer and the practice spans industries, including banking, telecom, entertainment and hospitality. CNBC sorted some of the biggest junk fee offenders into three separate buckets. "Junk hotel fees and these ancillary fees are bringing in about $3 billion a year for the hotel industry," Wolfe told CNBC, citing a Consumer Reports estimate. Watch the video above to learn more about where junk fees hide, how agencies are proposing changes, where policy falls short and whether increased regulatory oversight may be enough to squash junk fees once and for all.

Since 1977, the Federal Reserve has focused on creating maximum employment and maintaining stable prices, commonly known as the dual mandate. "[Maximum employment is] this more sort of amorphous thing," Rucha Vankudre, a senior economist at labor market analytics firm Lightcast, told CNBC. However, at the Federal Open Market Committee news conference in January 2022, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced that "labor market conditions are consistent with maximum employment." Maximum employment is also difficult to quantify because existing measures of employment, such as the unemployment rate or the labor force participation rate, often do not account for certain groups of people. Watch the video above to learn more about what maximum employment really means and how inflation impacts employment.

This valuation comes after a rich global history showcasing wars fought over salt, trade routes built for commodities, taxes levied against the mineral and even cities named in sodium's legacy. "You could not have an international economy if you didn't have salt," Mark Kurlansky, author of "Salt: A World History," told CNBC. "We're seeing that the majority is deicing salt," Seth Goldstein, equities analyst with Morningstar, told CNBC. However, if too much salt permeates our environment, the effects can be dangerous, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Runoff from deicing salts that keep our roads safe in wintry weather is the most obvious way that salt enters the environment.

The 2% inflation target is key to the Federal Reserve's vision for stable prices in the U.S. economy, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. But, "the 2% inflation target, it's relatively arbitrary," Josh Bivens, director of research at the Economic Policy Institute, told CNBC. "We led the way in inflation targeting," Arthur Grimes, professor of wellbeing and public policy at Victoria University, told CNBC. Canada announced its inflation target in 1991, and the United Kingdom followed suit in 1992. Then, Sweden and Finland declared inflation targets in 1993, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

It's that simple," Larry Olmsted, author of "Real Food/Fake Food," told CNBC. Some estimates say food fraud affects at least 1% of the global food industry at a cost as high as $40 billion a year, according to the Food and Drug Administration. "We might not know the overall impact of food fraud because so much of what fraudsters do is hidden from us and has been for centuries." Between 2012 and 2021, the most common type food fraud was lying about an animal's origin and dilution or substitution, both ranking at 16% of recorded incidents by food-safety monitor Food Chain ID. The Food Fraud Prevention Think Tank suggests five questions a consumer can ask themselves to reduce their vulnerability to product fraud.

The United States has just about 90 million planted acres of corn, and there's a reason people refer to the crop as yellow gold. In 2021, U.S. corn was worth over $86 billion, according to calculations from FarmDoc and the United States Department of Agriculture. "We're really good at [corn production]," Seth Meyer, chief economist at the USDA, told CNBC. Corn is in what we buy, including medications and textiles, and corn is turned into ethanol, which helps to fuel cars across the nation. "Do we get the corn acres because we've got the support, or do we have the support because we have the corn acres?"

"I think our biggest problem, at least for the foreseeable future, is high inflation," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told CNBC. The Fed can raise interest rates to slow inflation, which ultimately makes the cost of borrowing higher for everyday Americans, and that can be just as painful as inflation. Fiscal policy enacted by Congress and power wielded by big business can help fight rising costs. "Congress has much more targeted tools," Claudia Sahm, former Fed economist, told CNBC. Watch the video above to learn more about how corporations and Congress influence inflation, why the Fed doesn't have to take on rising costs alone and what it will take to normalize the U.S. economy.

Moody's Analytics' chief economist Mark Zandi cautions that a recession may be on the horizon. In an interview with CNBC's Andrea Miller, Zandi said a recession did not occur in the first half of this year. Zandi called employment levels the "most important indicator[s]" of a recession. Zandi attributed the confusion about whether the U.S. experienced a recession in the first half of this year to the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Moody's chief economist said that if rising prices don't ebb “the only way to get rid of that persistent stubborn inflation would be to push the economy into a recession.” If there is a recession, Zandi said it "probably won’t happen until the second half of 2023."

From rising inflation to a red-hot job market and the negative gross domestic product in between, economists are divided on the health of the U.S. economy. This comes at a time when the labor market could hardly appear stronger. In July 2022, there were 11.2 million job openings, revealing a shortage of workers for available positions. "The question is how steeply they will fall, how sharply they will fall, if they go back to 7 million [job openings], the level before the pandemic." Not to mention, the labor market is facing off against the "Great Resignation."

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