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☆ Dollar advances as U.S. inflation data weighs on rates outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar was firm on Friday and set to snap a three-week losing streak as hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data stoked worries about when and by how much the Federal Reserve would start cutting interest rates this year. The dollar was firm on Friday and set to snap a three-week losing streak as hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data stoked worries about when and by how much the Federal Reserve would start cutting interest rates this year. Data on Thursday showed the U.S. producer price index for final demand rose 0.6% in February above the 0.3% rise economists had forecast. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six rivals, was 0.058% higher at 103.44, after rising 0.55% on Thursday. In other currencies, the Australian dollar fell 0.18% to $0.657, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.39% to $0.611.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Ryan Brandham, Carol Kong, bitcoin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Risk, Traders, Bank of, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New Zealand Locations: U.S, North America

Its price target of $4,380 suggests nearly 18% upside from Friday's close. "We expect numbers to reset lower (again) with the downward revision a negative catalyst for the multiple, and the margin story likely being pushed out to 2025," wrote analyst Christian Carlino. Analyst Anthony Powell accompanied the move by raising his price target to $204 from $194, implying a potential 15% rally for the stock. The investment firm upgraded the airline stock to market-perform from underperform, boosting its price target to $32 from $26. His price target of $338 per share implies upside of just 5% from Friday's close.

Persons: Bernstein, Evercore, Piper Sandler, Brian Mullan, Mullan, — Jesse Pound, Aaron Kessler, — Michelle Fox, JPMorgan downgrades Holley, Holley, Christian Carlino, Carlino, HLLY, hasn't, — Lisa Kailai Han, AvalonBay, Anthony Powell, Powell, AVB, Lisa Kailai Han, Joshua Shanker, Morgan Stanley, bullish Tesla, Tesla, Adam Jonas, Jonas, Russell Quelch, Quelch, MSCI, Arun Viswanathan, Viswanathan, Rosenblatt, Hans Mosesmann, Mosesmann, Michael Linenberg, Linenberg, David Vernon, David Raso, Raso, Assuredness, Fred Imbert, ~$ ~$ Organizations: CNBC, Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Deutsche Bank, JetBlue, Caterpillar, Foods, . Restaurant, Seaport Research, Booking Holdings Seaport Research Partners, Booking Holdings, JPMorgan, Barclays, Bank of America, AIG, of America, Tesla Network, RBC, Ball Corporation, Markets, Ball Corp, Aerospace, BAE Systems, Ball, Micro Computer, Super Micro Computer, Micro, ASM, Spirit Airlines, Bernstein, Spirit, Boeing Max, ISI, CAT Locations: Southwest, Friday's

☆ Dollar eases as traders weigh rate cut prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Data on Thursday showed U.S. consumer spending rose moderately in October, while the annual increase in inflation was the smallest in more than 2-1/2 years. "It remains to be seen if getting from 3% to 2% will be easy, or if inflation will remain sticky in 2024." Federal Reserve policymakers signaled on Thursday that the U.S. central bank's interest rate hikes are likely over, but left the door open to further monetary policy tightening should progress on inflation stall. Investor focus will now move to comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell later on Friday, with traders likely to scrutinize every word to sketch out rate outlook. The Australian dollar rose 0.20% to $0.662, while the New Zealand dollar rose 0.37% to $0.618.

Persons: Ryan Brandham, Jerome Powell, Powell, Carol Kong, Sterling, Toshiro Muto Organizations: Risk, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of Japan, New Zealand Locations: North America, U.S, Europe

☆ Dollar hovers near two-week lows ahead of inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The employee of a currency exchange shop counts U.S. dollar banknotes in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico July 27, 2023. The report comes ahead of the release on Thursday of September's consumer price index data, which is expected to show inflation moderated last month. "On the flip side, an upside surprise will likely encourage markets to reprice higher the chance the Federal Open Market Committee will follow through on its projected 25 basis point hike." Futures markets are pricing in a 26% chance of a 25 basis point hike in the December meeting and a 9% chance of a 25 basis point hike in November meeting, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The Japanese yen strengthened 0.03% to 149.11 per dollar, while sterling was last trading at $1.2311, flat on the day.

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Ryan Brandham, Carol Kong, Ankur Banerjee, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, Validus Risk Management, Fed, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Rights SINGAPORE, U.S, North America, Tokyo, Singapore

☆ Asian stocks inch away from 10-month low, rate jitters linger
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A passerby walks past an electric monitor displaying various countries' stock price index outside a bank in Tokyo, Japan, March 22, 2023. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was 0.59% higher but not far off the 10-month low it touched on Thursday. The index is set for 5% drop in the July-September period, its worst quarterly performance since a 13.6% drop in the same period last year. In foreign exchange market, the dollar index eased 0.057% to 106.10 but hovered near the 10 month high of 106.84 it touched earlier this week. The index is up 2.4% this month and set for second straight month of gains.

Persons: Issei Kato, Australia's, Jerome, Powell, Ryan Brandham, Thomas Barkin, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Japan's Nikkei, China Evergrande, HK, Validus Risk, Federal, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, China, U.S, North America, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore

☆ Dollar steady after CPI data bolsters Fed pause bets; yen nears 145
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. The Japanese yen eased 0.10% to 144.89 per dollar in early Asian hours, its lowest since June 30, when it also briefly breached 145 per dollar level, stoking investor fears of another round of interventions from the Japanese authorities. Japan intervened in September last year when the dollar rose past 145 yen, pushing the pair to around 140 yen as the Ministry of Finance bought the yen to weaken the dollar. "Market pricing currently favours a pause, but the market has underpriced the Fed’s actions before," Brandham cautioned. The Australian dollar rose 0.20% to $0.6534.

Persons: Florence Lo, Ryan Brandham, Brandham, Philip Lowe, Sterling, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Federal, Ministry of Finance, Saxo Markets, Reuters, North America, Validus Risk, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Japan, U.S, Singapore

☆ Dollar steady after CPI data bolsters Fed pause bets, yen nears 145
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese 10,000 yen and U.S. 100 dollar banknotes are arranged for a photograph in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 7, 2017. The Japanese yen eased 0.10% to 144.89 per dollar in early Asian hours, its lowest since June 30, when it also briefly breached 145 per dollar level, stoking investor fears of another round of interventions from the Japanese authorities. Japan intervened in September last year when the dollar rose past 145 yen, pushing the pair to around 140 yen as the Ministry of Finance bought the yen to weaken the dollar. The Australian dollar rose 0.20% to $0.6534. Sterling was last at $1.2684, up 0.07% on the day, looking to snap its three-day losing streak ahead of GDP data.

Persons: Ryan Brandham, Brandham, Philip Lowe, Sterling Organizations: Federal, Ministry of Finance, Saxo Markets, Reuters, North America, Validus Risk, Reserve Bank of Australia Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S

☆ Dollar firms, yen steady after Japan inflation holds above BOJ target
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The data bolsters the chances the BOJ will revise up this year's inflation forecast in fresh projections due next week. Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), said the market expectations for a BOJ policy tightening have ebbed and flowed over the past year. "The window for the BOJ to tighten policy is narrowing," Kong said, adding that CBA's base case is for the BOJ to keep monetary policy unchanged this year. The yen has slipped about 1% against the dollar this week and is on course to snap its two-week winning run. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar rose 0.03% at 100.78, after gaining 0.5%.

Persons: Carol Kong, Kong, Kazuo Ueda, Ryan Brandham, Ankur Banerjee, Sam Holmes Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Validus Risk Management, Fed, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Central, Europe, Japan, United State, North America, U.S, Singapore

☆ Dollar firms, yen steady after Japan inflation holds above Bank of Japan's target
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dollar bills and Japanese currency Yen lying on a table on August 03, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. The data bolsters the chances the BOJ will revise up this year's inflation forecast in fresh projections due next week. Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, or CBA, said the market expectations for a BOJ policy tightening have ebbed and flowed over the past year. The yen has slipped about 1% against the dollar this week and is on course to snap its two-week winning run. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar rose 0.03% at 100.78, after gaining 0.5%.

Persons: Carol Kong, Kong, Kazuo Ueda, Ryan Brandham Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Validus Risk Management, Fed, European Central Bank Locations: Berlin, Germany, Central, Europe, Japan, United State, North America, U.S

☆ Dollar at 15-month low as easing inflation firms rate peak bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six major rivals, stood at 99.71 in early Asian hours, its lowest since April 2022. "Markets are generally pretty pleasant with the lower inflation data, because lower inflation together with the still resilient labour market supports the narrative of a soft landing in the U.S. economy," said Carol Kong, currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank Of Australia in Sydney. Ryan Brandham, head of global capital markets, North America, at Validus Risk Management, said the data on weekly jobless claims and producer prices are supportive of the soft landing. Although the recent trend of lower inflation may be encouraging, it probably won't be sufficient to change the committee's decision." The Japanese yen strengthened 0.23% to 137.71 per dollar and is on course for its best week against the dollar since January.

Persons: Carol Kong, Ryan Brandham, Christopher Waller, he's, Michele Bullock, bitcoin Organizations: US, Federal Reserve, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia, Risk, Fed Locations: U.S, Sydney, North America, Ethereum

☆ AXA’s XL cleanup would be logical, if belated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The boss of $66 billion AXA (AXAF.PA) bought XL Group back in 2018 to beef up its position insuring against storms and other catastrophes. AXA XL’s reinsurance arm, about 10% of group revenues, also drove pricing up 7% last year. Based on AIG’s (AIG.N) recent sale of its reinsurance arm Validus Re, which was done at 1.4 times book value, XL’s reinsurance unit might be valued at around $2.8 billion. The extra cash may help placate investors that never much liked the deal, given that the contribution to earnings from XL should now be more stable. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Thomas Buberl, Aimee Donnellan, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, AXA, XL Group, XL, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, China

NEW YORK/LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - One of the world's top insurers is mulling offloading its property reinsurance business in a bid to cut its exposure to natural disasters like hurricanes, according to three people familiar with the matter. Prices for U.S. property catastrophe reinsurance rose by as much as 50% at a key July 1 renewal date, broker Gallagher Re said in a recent report. AXA has been trying to reduce the exposure of its AXA XL property and casualty (P&C) division - which houses XL Re - in an effort to make earnings more predictable. This has caused the reinsurance business to shrink, with revenues dropping by nearly a third last year to $3.2 billion, according to AXA's 2022 accounts. In May, American International Group (AIG.N) agreed the sale of its reinsurance arm Validus Re for roughly $3 billion, or about 1.4 times the unit's book value.

Persons: Reinsurers, Hurricane Ian, Gallagher Re, David French, Pablo Mayo, Amy, Jo Crowley, Carolyn Cohn, Echo Wang, Silvia Aloisi, John O'Donnell, Conor Humphries Organizations: AXA SA, XL, Covea, AXA, AXA XL, American International, Fidelis Insurance Holdings, Reuters, Hamilton Insurance, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Thomson Locations: Bermuda, New York, London, Paris

☆ Asia shares edge lower on rate hike worries, yen frail
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's blue-chip CSI300 Index (.CSI300) fell 0.14% and the Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC) eased 0.11%. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to continued labour market strength. The data "will have traders likely consider a greater likelihood of further interest rate hikes from the Fed." "We expect the moderate pace of interest rate decisions to continue." The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was at 4.872%, having touched more than a three-month high of 4.892% overnight.

Persons: Australia's, HSI, Economists, Ryan Brandham, Jerome Powell, Powell, Rob Carnell, YEN, Shunichi Suzuki, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Stephen Coates Organizations: Federal Reserve, Japan's Nikkei, Gross, Commerce Department, Validus Risk, Federal, Treasury, U.S, Central Bank's, Bank of Japan, Japanese Finance, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Shanghai, North America, U.S, Spanish, Madrid

☆ Asia shares near 4-month peak, yen falls as BOJ maintains policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The BOJ rounded up a central bank heavy week, keeping its pledge to "patiently" sustain massive stimulus to ensure Japan sustainably achieves its 2% inflation target accompanied by wage hikes. As widely expected, the BOJ maintained its -0.1% short-term interest rate target and a 0% cap on the 10-year bond yield set under its yield curve control (YCC) policy. Markets are now pricing in 67% chance of the U.S. central bank raising its interest rate by 25 basis points next month, according to CME FedWatch tool. The European Central Bank on Thursday left the door open to more rate hikes as it flagged risks from rising wages and revised up its inflation projections. The ECB also raised interest rates by 25 bps taking its policy rate to 3.5%, a level not seen since 2001.

Persons: DAX, Kazuo Ueda's, Charu, HSI, Ryan Brandham, Lagarde, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Federal, Bank of Japan, Ueda, Saxo Markets, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Validus Risk Management, European Central Bank, ECB, NatWest Markets, China . U.S . West Texas, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, North America, U.S, China . U.S

☆ Asian shares slide as traders fret on Fed rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was down 0.53%, while Japan's Nikkei (.N225) edged 0.08% higher. The move from the BoC comes after Australia's central bank also stunned markets by hiking interest rates earlier this week. Treasury yields were stable in early Asian hours after surging overnight after the move from Canada's central bank. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 0.4 basis points at 4.554%. In the currency market, the dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six major peers, eased 0.029%, with the euro up 0.09% to $1.0707.

Persons: Ryan Brandham, hawkish, Hong, HSI, Saxo, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Bank of Canada, Federal Reserve, Japan's Nikkei, BoC, Validus Risk Management, Reserve Bank of Australia, Fed, Saxo Markets, Traders, Reuters, Treasury, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, North America, China, Canada's

The biggest buy came from RenaissanceRE CEO Kevin O'Donnell, who bought $2.5 million worth of the insurer's stock, according to securities filings and VerityData. Kiani's roughly $1 million purchase comes after he scooped up $6 million of the stock in November and December of 2022. 1) RenaissanceRE — O'Donnell bought $2.5 million worth of shares on May 26 as part of a secondary offering. 4) Masimo — Kiani spent just over $1 million on Masimo stock on May 25, building on a $6 million purchase from late last year. 5) Driven Brands — CEO Jonathan Fitzpatrick bought nearly $1 million worth of the automotive services company's stock on Tuesday.

Persons: Kevin O'Donnell, Validus, O'Donnell, Joe Kiani, Masimo, RenaissanceRE — O'Donnell, Bernard Lanigan, Kevin Dallas, — Kiani, Jonathan Fitzpatrick Organizations: AIG, Politan, Tech, Politan Capital Locations: RenaissanceRe, VerityData

☆ Analysis: As worries over banks swirl, investors seek protection against market crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The S&P 500 is down 5% from its early February high though it remains up 3% year to date. ... Now the downside tail has a lot more risk priced into it," said Chris Murphy, co-head of derivatives strategy at Susquehanna. Volatility in the Cboe Volatility Index (.VIX), which reflects expectations of stock volatility, has been muted by comparison, though the index hit a five-month high earlier this week. "That is something worth monitoring closely to gauge the expansion of risk within the system," he said. Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Buffett test: This one chart shows how much every Club holding spends on stock buybacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

When Warren Buffett speaks, Wall Street listens — and the "Oracle of Omaha" issued a full-throated defense of stock buybacks in his latest annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. After spending more than $1.2 billion on stock buybacks in 2022, Coterra's board approved a $2 billion buyback authorization last week. Costco: In January, the wholesale retailer's board reauthorized a $4 billion stock repurchase program , which is set to expire in four years. It's part of a $10 billion buyback authorization issued by Salesforce's board last August. As the chart makes clear, the vast majority of Club holdings engage in some level of stock repurchases, which is good news for shareholders.

☆ Exclusive: Texas producer Ranger Oil explores sale
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Shariq Khan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 18 (Reuters) - Ranger Oil Corp (ROCC.O) is exploring a potential sale as the south Texas oil and gas producer looks to capitalize on high energy prices to pursue strategic options, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Shares in Ranger, which operates in the Eagle Ford shale basin, jumped over 5% on Friday after Reuters reported the company's sale efforts. Ranger Oil did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ranger had gained around 58% this year, prior to news of its sale efforts. Last year, Penn Virginia Corp bought Lonestar Resources US Inc in an all-stock deal valued at $370 million, and later rebranded the combined company as Ranger Oil.

☆ Devon Energy shares slump on higher capex, disappointing Q4 output outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Liz Hampton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Devon Energy Corp FollowNov 2 (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. shale oil producer Devon Energy (DVN.N) slumped more than 7% on Wednesday on an outlook for higher than expected capital spending and lower than forecast fourth-quarter output. Investors have been pushing U.S. shale companies to hold spending flat and increase oil and gas output at single-digit percentage levels to generate higher returns. However, companies have warned that higher costs for labor, materials and equipment are pushing up spending. Devon forecast fourth-quarter production of between 640,000 and 660,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), 2% under the midpoint of investment firm Cowen's estimate. Devon executives told investors the company anticipates higher production in 2023 over 2022, but next year's volumes will be at the bottom half of its targeted 0% to 5% growth rate compared to 2022 exit rates.

☆ Devon Energy's third-quarter beat comes on the back of solid capital discipline
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

3Q cash flow Operating cash flow for the quarter increased 32% year-over-year, to $2.1 billion, roughly in line with analysts' estimates of $2.18 billion. Free cash flow grew 31% annually, to $1.48 billion, in line with forecasts of $1.45 billion. Capital allocation At the Club, we pay close attention to cash flow metrics. The strong cash flow realized in the third quarter allowed management to announce a fixed-plus-variable dividend of $1.35 a share. Free cash flow is expected to increase more than 25% on an annual basis.

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