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☆ From more inventory to lower prices, here are 3 signs the housing market may be getting better for buyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe housing market may be starting to turn a corner, offering frustrated buyers a chance to jump back into the market after a long stretch of dismal prospects. "We think the housing market is going to improve over the next half of a year," Glenn Kelman, the CEO of Redfin, in a recent interview. Inventory is risingMore inventory is finally trickling into the housing market, which could help push prices down. Elevated mortgage rates are a key problem in today's housing market, as they deter both buyers and sellers from making deals. Rates dropping to 5%-6% would make the housing market "explode," but even a 6.5% 30-year mortgage rate would be enough to make the housing market "very strong," Reffkin said.

Persons: —, Glenn Kelman, That's, Robert Reffkin, Reffkin, Freddie Mac, Redfin's Kelman, Kelman, Compass's Reffkin Organizations: Service, Business, National Association of Realtors, CNBC Locations: Reffkin, Texas, Florida

☆ Gold prices drift lower on hawkish Fed minutes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices extended their record rally on Monday, supported by speculative buying and continued tensions in the Middle East, which overshadowed strong U.S. job growth in March. Gold prices fell for a third straight session on Thursday after minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting indicated that some officials were inclined to raise interest rates. Spot gold fell 0.3% at $2,370.74 per ounce, as of 0335 GMT, after falling more than 1% in the previous session. "Gold did take a bruising after the Fed minutes reminded investors that interest rate cuts are far from imminent," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. Spot silver fell 0.8% to $30.52, platinum edged 0.2% lower to $1,032.54 and palladium dropped 1.1% to $988.25.

Persons: Bullion, Tim Waterer, Waterer Organizations: Reserve, KCM, Fed, Traders, Reuters Locations: ., U.S

☆ 'Zoomtown' slowdown: 18 cities where rents have plummeted from their pandemic peak
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That figure was 0.7%, or $12, less than in 2023 but is still 22.5% higher than the pre-pandemic rent rate of $1,407 in April 2019. Advertisement18 cities where rents have fallenRenting is also much more affordable than it was during the pandemic peak. The typical Austin apartment in April went for $1,494, which is down 11.5% — or nearly $200 — from the peak rent of $1,689 in September 2022. Below are the 18 US cities, many of which became Zoomtowns during the pandemic, where apartment prices are down at least 5% from their post-2019 peak. Along with each is its median rent in April, year-over-year rent change, peak rent, and change from that peak rent figure.

Persons: —, Realtor.com, Jiayi Xu, Xu, Austin Organizations: Service, Business, Star Locations: Austin

☆ Oil prices bounce back after three-day decline but still on pace for weekly loss
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Crude oil futures bounced back Thursday after a three-day decline but are still on pace for a weekly loss. U.S. crude oil is down 2.4% for the week while Brent, the global benchmark, is down 1.8%. Traders are also worried about a buildup in global oil inventories after a mild winter in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, Staunovo told clients in a note Thursday. Nevertheless, UBS sees the oil market in a deficit and is forecasting Brent will rise to $91 per barrel in coming months. The bank also sees healthy demand growth of 1.5 million barrels per day in 2024, above the long-term growth rate of 1.2 million barrels per day.

Persons: Brent, Giovanni Staunovo, Staunovo Organizations: Midland, UBS, Traders, Northern Locations: Odessa, Texas, U.S

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations. "The DOJ's complaint attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry. Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, creating a dominant entity in the live event industry. Through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts, the complaint said. Live Nation earlier this month reported its "biggest Q1 ever," citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.

Persons: Taylor, General Merrick Garland, Dan Wall, Taylor Swift Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Ticketmaster, DOJ, The Justice Department, Southern, of, Oak View, Nation, Live Locations: United States, North America, U.S, of New York

☆ Oreo-maker Mondelez fined $366 million for rigging European markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Mondelez, the maker of Oreo and Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, has been fined €337.5 million ($366 million) for hindering the trade of chocolate, cookies and coffee between European Union countries in order to keep prices high. Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition chief, said in a statement Thursday that Mondelez had illegally limited cross-border sales within the EU to maintain higher prices for its products. The European Commission, which started looking into the case in 2019, found that Mondelez International (MDLZ) had deliberately restricted cross-border trade and abused “its dominant position” in some national markets for the sale of chocolate bars. Mondelez made an accrual for the fine last year and no further measures will be necessary to finance it. In another case, Mondelez required a customer to charge higher prices for exports compared with domestic sales.

Persons: London CNN — Mondelez, Margrethe Vestager, Mondelez, “, Mark Thompson Organizations: London CNN, Cadbury, Union, European Commission, Mondelez International, EU Locations: Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania

☆ Frontier CEO on summer travel: We're going to see record numbers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFrontier CEO on summer travel: We're going to see record numbersCNBC's Phil LeBeau and Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle join 'Money Movers' to discuss Memorial Day travel expectations, consumer outlook, fuel prices, and more.

Persons: Phil LeBeau, Barry Biffle Organizations: Email, Frontier Airlines

☆ Dow falls by more than 600 points as markets continue to fret about a rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Dow tumbled by more than 600 points Thursday afternoon as all three major indexes moved lower, even after AI-darling Nvidia delivered stellar quarterly earnings and announced a 10-for-1 stock split. Chipmaker Nvidia soared more than 9% as the wider market dropped lower, highlighting a lack of market breadth. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, which began the day at new intraday highs, fell by 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively. “I think we’re set up for stickier inflation.”“The bond market set the dour mood that we see across much of the market,” wrote Interactive Brokers chief strategist Steve Sosnick on Thursday. “Coming on the back of yesterday’s ‘higher for longer’ Fed Minutes, bond traders were in no mood to hear about a strengthening economy,” wrote Sosnick.

Persons: Dow, ”, Louis Navellier, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, “ I’m, “, Steve Sosnick Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nvidia, Nasdaq, “ Tech, Navellier, NVIDIA, Federal Reserve, resurging, Boston College, Interactive Brokers, Treasury, ’, ” Boeing Locations: New York

☆ Sales of newly built homes tank in April, as prices and interest rates rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and dropped a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday. Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales. Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market. Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash. The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size.

Persons: Peter Boockvar, Robert Dietz, NAHB's Organizations: Spring Barbera Homes, Builders, Toll Brothers, Bleakley Financial, CNBC, National Association of Home Builders, Wells Fargo . Locations: Loudonville , New York, U.S, Horton, Wells Fargo

☆ A beaten-up video game stock primed to make another run at its record high, according to the charts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( David Keller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

We're using the closing prices here to make it easier to detect a "bullish momentum divergence," which is where prices are trending down, but price momentum is actually trending higher. This disagreement between price and momentum often occurs at market lows and can serve as an important indicator of a trend rotation. In August-September 2023, this bullish divergence led to a 20% rally into year-end 2023. Off the COVID low in 2020, we've seen fairly consistent support around $110, which was last tested in March 2023. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR.

Persons: we've, David Keller Organizations: Arts, EA, Electronic Arts, RSI, CMT

☆ Corporate America is going through a middle-management meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Middle managers are becoming an endangered species in Corporate America, with some companies viewing the role as obsolete , writes Business Insider's Lindsay Dodgson. Remote work, tech efficiencies, and a general push to cut costs have contributed to middle managers' demise. It's a strategy Corporate America, particularly Big Tech, deployed in 2023. The "year of efficiency," as Mark Zuckerberg dubbed it, was all about flattening organizations, and middle managers were the ones getting squished . The death of middle managers could also fuel the current dismantling of another cohort: the middle class .

Persons: —, Brooks Kraft, Insider's Lindsay Dodgson, millennials, Gen Zers haven't, Robyn Phelps, they're, Mark Zuckerberg, Gen, Jeffrey Gundlach, we're, Blackstone, Abanti Chowdhury, Jensen Huang, Hopper, Blackwell, Lilit, Tyler Le, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Brooks Kraft LLC, Getty, America, Big Tech, Citi, Street Journal, KKR, Meta, Google, Nvidia, Paragon Intel, National Association of Realtors, FAA Locations: Corporate America, millennials, New York, London

☆ JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says U.S. could see a 'hard landing,' stagflation will be 'worst outcome'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

JPMorgan Chase 's chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon says the the U.S. economy could see a "hard landing." When asked by CNBC's Sri Jegarajah about the prospect of a hard landing, Dimon replied: "Could we actually see one? The CEO was speaking at the JPMorgan Global China Summit in Shanghai. Dimon said the worst outcome for the U.S. economy will be a "stagflation" scenario, where inflation continues to rise, but growth slows amid high unemployment. "I look at the range of outcomes and again, the worst outcome for all of us is what you call stagflation, higher rates, recession.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, CNBC's, Jegarajah, Dimon, we'll Organizations: JPMorgan, JPMorgan Global China Summit Locations: U.S, Shanghai

☆ Hedge funds loaded up on financial and tech stocks in the first quarter—Here's what they picked
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hedge funds added more exposure to financial and tech names in the last quarter, according to Morgan Stanley. Castagno highlighted that in the last quarter, hedge funds seemed to shift their portfolio allocations toward the information technology and financials sectors, moving away from health care. However, hedge funds still remain most overweight stocks within the health care, consumer discretionary and industrials industries. Hedge funds have recently increased their ownership shares in retailer Bath & Body Works by 2.5%. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group to outperform from peer perform last Friday.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Todd Castagno, Castagno, A.J, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Securities and Exchange, Universal Health Services, UBS, Body, JPMorgan, Airline, Alaska Air Group, Wolfe Research, TPG, DXC Technology, Avis Budget Group Locations: Rice, Bath, Coast

☆ Oil prices fall on worries of higher U.S. interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of a crude oil storage facility is seen on May 4, 2020 in Cushing, Oklahoma. Oil prices eased for a fourth straight day on Thursday on worries that U.S. borrowing costs could be hiked again if inflation surged, a move that could hurt oil demand. Brent crude futures fell 27 cents, or 0.3%, to $81.63 a barrel at 0004 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures were down 35 cents, or 0.5%, at $77.14. Higher interest rates boost borrowing costs, crunching funds that could boost economic growth and oil demand.

Persons: Brent Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Federal, Energy Information Administration, Organization of, Petroleum, Secretariat, Russian Energy Ministry, Wednesday, Citi Research, Citi Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, U.S, Russia, OPEC

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Nvidia shares top $1,000 on AI boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Abid Ali | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nvidia to split stock, sales to soarShares of Nvidia rose more than 7%, topping $1,000 for the first time, in after-hours trading after its first-quarter earnings and sales beat analysts' expectations. The company plans to split its stock 10 for 1. The media outlet went public in 2021 and has seen its shares fall 94% since then.

Persons: OpenAI, Vivek, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNBC, Nvidia, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Dow, Google, GOP, Securities and Exchange Commission

☆ Treasury yields move lower on Fed interest rate uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. Treasury yields moved lower Thursday as investors continued to contemplate the timing of a future rate cut from the Federal Reserve. The 10-year Treasury yield was down 1 basis point at 4.42%, while the 2-year Treasury yield was also slightly lower at 4.867%. Yields and prices move in opposite directions and one basis point equals 0.01%.

Organizations: Treasury, Federal Reserve

☆ U.S. Calls for Breakup of Ticketmaster Owner
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( David Mccabe | Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Justice Department on Thursday sued Live Nation Entertainment, the concert giant that owns Ticketmaster, asking a court to break up the company over claims it illegally maintained a monopoly in the live entertainment industry. In the lawsuit, which is joined by 29 states and the District of Columbia, the government accuses Live Nation of dominating the industry by locking venues into exclusive ticketing contracts, pressuring artists to use its services and threatening its rivals with financial retribution. Those tactics, the government argues, have resulted in higher ticket prices for consumers and have stifled innovation and competition throughout the industry. “It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster,” Merrick Garland, the attorney general, said in a statement announcing the suit, which is being filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Persons: ” Merrick Garland Organizations: Department, Thursday, Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster, District of Columbia, Southern, of Locations: U.S, of New York

☆ Walmart and Target are slashing prices. What does that mean for inflation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That doesn’t mean the battle against inflation is won. Walmart saw first-quarter sales at stores open at least a year climb 3.8% from the prior year, in part thanks to its ability to keep prices low even as inflation remains sticky. “Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating” with consumers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a call with analysts. Investors will get more inflation data next week from the Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million).

Persons: Doug McMillon, Price, we’re, ”, Preston Caldwell, Scarlett Johansson, Will Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI, Johansson, OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, Brian Fung, OpenAI didn’t, Anna Cooban, “ Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Walmart, Ikea, Aldi, Morningstar Research Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Investors, Citi, Citigroup, Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England’s Prudential, Authority, CNN Locations: New York, United States

☆ The Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fiasco comes full circle as DOJ slams parent company with lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Katie Balevic | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Over a year after Ticketmaster crashed, preventing rabid Taylor Swift fans from purchasing tickets to her concert tour, the DOJ has announced an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation Entertainment. Advertisement"This has given Live Nation and Ticketmaster the opportunity to freeze innovation and bend the industry to their own benefit. The lawsuit comes after Ticketmaster fumbled a pre-sale event in late 2022 for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour as fans competed with bots for a limited number of tickets. AdvertisementIn response to the antitrust suit, Live Nation said that "calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court."

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Merrick Garland, Taylor, Swift Organizations: Service, Ticketmaster, DOJ, Entertainment, Business, Justice Department, Department

☆ Recession is still a real threat, Jamie Dimon and David Solomon warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewPersistent inflation and a full-blown recession are still firmly on the table, two Wall Street titans have warned. Jamie Dimon told CNBC on Thursday that sticky inflation is more likely than many people think. Dimon said the "worst outcome" would be stagflation — a painful combination of elevated inflation, higher rates, and a recession that would hit consumers and pull down corporate profits. No cuts and a real slowdownDavid Solomon struck a similar tone at a Boston College event on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported. Solomon also said in March that he was less certain of a soft landing than the market consensus.

Persons: —, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs, Solomon Organizations: Service, Wall, CNBC, JPMorgan, Business, Federal Reserve, Boston, Bloomberg

☆ Shock summer election in Britain predicted to deliver 'historic' result
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement in the rain outside 10 Downing Street, announcing the UK general election will take place on 4 July in London, United Kingdom on May 22, 2024. News of the vote came as a surprise to the public, the media and much of Sunak's own party. 'As good as it gets'Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House think tank, said the election date had shocked many Conservatives who thought it would be held nearer to the U.S. election in November. Market bets on an interest rate cut in the summer fell as a result, and it now looks unlikely the central bank will cut on June 20, its last meeting before the election. So if that translates to a general election as well, then that Labour landslide is looking much less certain."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Price, Bronwen Maddox, I'm, Maddox, Rachel Reeves, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, James, Hannah Bunting, CNBC's, Tony Blair, John Major, Bunting, we've Organizations: British, Anadolu, Getty, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Downing, Bank of England, Chatham House, CNBC, Bank of England's, Labour, Centre, University of Exeter Locations: London, United Kingdom, U.K, Europe, Gaza, Rwanda, Purfleet

☆ 36% of Americans say real estate is the best long-term investment—financial pros say they may be wrong
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

For years, Gallup has asked investors exactly that question, and since 2013 the most popular answer has been the same: real estate. It's tough to say what the best long-term investing option is without knowing the desired outcome." You can invest in real estate via real estate investment trusts, which trade like stocks, or ETFs that hold them. As you pay down your mortgage, you build equity in a piece of real estate that also appreciates in value. Among Americans making less than $40,000 per year, 33% choose real estate as their No.

Persons: Gallup, Stocks, Nick Foulks, Andrew Briggs, Briggs, Gold Organizations: cryptocurrency, Great Waters, National, Advisory, presto

☆ What the major Ticketmaster lawsuit means for you
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But the Department of Justice says those complaints are just the symptom of a more fundamental problem with Live Nation. Live Nation, for its part, says even if the lawsuit succeeds, it won’t lead to cheaper ticket prices. An uncertain path forwardTo fix the issue, regulators say Live Nation must be broken up. But based on past criticism of Live Nation, one possible outcome at a minimum could be a spinoff of Ticketmaster. Better customer serviceComplaints about Ticketmaster and Live Nation are nothing new.

Persons: “, ”, General Merrick Garland, General Merrick Garland Kent Nishimura, haven’t, Taylor Swift, Swift Organizations: CNN, Ticketmaster, of Justice, U.S, Antitrust, Justice, “, DOJ, Consumer, Nation Locations: New York

☆ Auto insurance rates are jumping the most since the 1970s, but there could be relief soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rows of new Tesla cars are seen in a holding area near a customer collection point on April 15, 2024 in London, England. Soaring auto insurance costs have been a principle driver behind inflation over the past year, but there could be relief on the way, according to Bank of America. "The turbocharged increases in motor vehicle insurance premiums are a response to underwriting losses in the industry. Insurers saw losses," BofA economist Stephen Juneau said in a note. Also, repair and maintenance services costs were flat in April though still up 7.6% from a year ago.

Persons: Stephen Juneau Organizations: Soaring, Bank of America, Federal Reserve, of Labor Statistics Locations: London, England, Juneau

☆ Mortgage rates fall for the third straight week, dipping below 7%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Mortgage rates declined for the third consecutive week in a shred of good news for Americans dealing with a still-tough housing market. Mortgage rates track the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield, which moves in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s decisions on interest rates. Stubbornly high inflation this year has dashed hopes that the Fed could cut interest rates in the spring or in the summer. Some Fed officials said earlier this week that they likely won’t raise interest rates again and a few have said they expect to cut rates this year. With mortgage rates still elevated, some homeowners are deciding to stay put.

Persons: Freddie Mac, inflation’s cooldown, there’s, homebuyers, ” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, That’s, ” Lawrence Yun, ”, Yun, Joe Biden Organizations: Washington CNN —, Treasury, National Association of Realtors, Fed, Housing Locations: San Diego, Chicago, Detroit

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