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☆ Doughnuts, smoothies, pizza, MoonPie, eyewear — brands are going all out-of-this-world with solar eclipse-themed goodies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On Monday, April 8, millions of people will witness a rare total solar eclipse as it passes over Mexico, the United States and Canada. For starters, Pizza Hut will give customers a “Total Eclipse of the Hut” deal on eclipse day, offering any large-sized pizza for $12. This is the second time Krispy Kreme has created a new one pegged to a total solar eclipse. Back in 2017, during the last total solar eclipse in the US, the brand used chocolate to cover its original glazed doughnut. NASA recommends wearing a set of eclipse glasses that complies with the ISO 12312-2 international standard when viewing any solar eclipse.

Persons: New York CNN —, celestially, Kreme, Koen Pauwels, ”, ” Pauwels, “, Smoothie King, Burger, Parker, MoonPie, graham, Tory Johnston, MoonPie's, Johnston Organizations: New, New York CNN, Eclipse, Northeastern University, NASA, Chattanooga Bakery, Inc, Kroger Locations: New York, Mexico, United States, Canada, Chattanooga

☆ Buy these 10 bank stocks now before the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, according to Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Plus, falling interest rates and continued economic growth would be tailwinds. The aforementioned catalysts are still in place — including interest rate cuts, as investors discovered a day earlier. Until then, the firm believes bank stocks can outperform into the first-quarter earnings season. 6 regional bank stocks worth buyingThe continued rally in financials will be powered in large part by regional banks, BofA believes. "We see the capital markets momentum continuing into 2025, which should drive investor interest in both stocks," Poonawala wrote.

Persons: Financials, Ebrahim Poonawala, Poonawala, BofA, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Charlie Scharf, Jamie Dimon Organizations: of America, Business, Federal Reserve, Investors, Bank of America, First Bancorp, FNB Corp, Truist, US Bancorp, Western Alliance, JPMorgan, Wall, titans Locations: financials, Wells Fargo

The intensifying military cooperation between Russia and Niger is central to the dispute between the US and the Nigerien junta, officials said. Russia and Niger agreed to strengthen their military ties in January, Russia’s Defense Ministry said at the time. If the US were forced to withdraw, counterterrorism efforts across the region could take a hit, officials said. In return, Russia is profiting off the region’s natural resources, another official said, including the gold mines in Niger. Several European countries shared this goal, offering a measure of support to the junta, the official noted.

Persons: Michael Langley, Celeste Wallander, Col, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Langley, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, what’s, Nusrat al, “ Organizations: CNN, US Africa Command, Air Base, American, Nigerien, Russia’s Defense, EU, Pentagon, Kremlin, West, Russian Federation, National Council, Wagner, US Locations: Africa, Russia, Africa . Niger, Niger, United States, America, Nigerien, Sahel, stoking, China, Russian, Central Africa, ”, Niamey, US, Agadez, Mali, Burkina Faso, Abdramane, Western Africa, Northwest Africa

☆ Here are the top small cap picks from UBS if market rally keeps broadening out
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Small-cap stocks have had a shaky start in 2024, but UBS thinks the sector is worth looking at as a potential broader market rally could boost the sector. Year to date, the Russell 2000 index of small companies is up 2% while the S & P 500 has gained 6.6%. "We view the expectations around interest rates coming down as incrementally a more supportive backdrop for SMID stocks," UBS analyst Joseph Parkhill wrote in a note last week, referring to small- to mid-cap stocks. With these factors in mind, UBS analysts compiled their list of high conviction, small- and mid-cap names which the bank believes have a unique investment thesis behind them. U.S.-traded shares of Zurich-based On have surged more than 22% in 2023, bringing the past 12 months' rally to 45%.

Persons: Russell, Joseph Parkhill, Roger Federer, Jay Sole, Brody Preston, Preston, WAL, Joshua Chan, There's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: UBS, Federal, LSEG, Western Alliance Bancorp Locations: ., Zurich, Phoenix, Aramark, Wall

☆ What’s really going on with bank stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Word quickly spread on Wall Street that the regional bank was under pressure, igniting a bout of selling of other bank stocks over fears of contagion. The KBW Regional Banking Index closed down 6% on Wednesday. Unlike many fellow regional banks, it held on to the vast majority of its deposits. He also highlighted that the banks’ losses were tied to faulty office building loans. The selloff that hit other regional bank stocks is “likely overdone given idiosyncratic factors tied to NYCB,” Bank of America analysts said in a note on Thursday.

Persons: Zions, NYCB, Thomas Cangemi, Chris Marinac, Janney Montgomery Scott, CNN he’s, ”, ” NYCB, That’s, It’s, isn’t, ” Marinac, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, New York Community Bancorp, Western Alliance Bancorp, York Community Bancorp, Bank, CNN, ” Bank of America, Aozora Bank, First Republic, Valley Bank Locations: New York, ZION, York

7:08 a.m.: BTIG upgrades Block to buy, bullish on Cash App and Square growth Analyst Andrew Harte upgraded Block to buy from neutral, saying margins are poised to expand. His $85 price target implies shares could gain more than 23%. Braziler's new price target of $72, higher by $10, suggests about 2.7% potential upside over the next 12 months. That is equivalent to $12B revenue or 800k units," wrote analyst Srini Pajjuri. Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Citigroup to $65 from $46, implying upside of 20.1% over the next 12 months.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Andrew Harte, Harte, Cash, — Pia Singh, Timur Braziler, …, Braziler, WAL, Oppenheimer, Brian Nagel, Nagel, Raymond James, Adam Tindle, Tindle, CrowdStrike, Batya Levi, Levi, EBITDA, Raymond James downgrades, Srini Pajjuri, Fred Imbert, Goldman Sachs Morgan Stanley, Betsy Graseck, Graseck, Goldman Organizations: CNBC, Bank of America, Citigroup, UBS, Spotify, Western Alliance, Alliance Bancorp, Palo Alto Networks, AMD, BofA, Global Banking, Markets Locations: Wells Fargo Wells, CY23, Basel

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Amazon, Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Meta, Salesforce, Boeing, Spotify & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

JPMorgan initiates Light & Wonder as outperform JPMorgan initiated the Australian gambling company with an overweight and said it has earnings momentum. Evercore ISI reiterates Meta as outperform Evercore said it's bullish on Meta heading into earnings later this week. " Evercore ISI reiterates Amazon as outperform Evercore said it's bullish heading into Amazon earnings later this week. We are upgrading Bank of America (BAC) to OW from EW, upgrading Citigroup (C) to OW from UW, upgrading Goldman Sachs (GS) to OW from EW, and upgrading BNY Mellon (BK) to EW from UW. Bank of America reiterates Uber as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $73 per share from $68.

Persons: Oppenheimer, Raymond James, CrowdStrike, Mizuho, Evercore, it's, Morgan Stanley, Instacart, Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Raymond James downgrades, McDonald's, Wells, Baird, Tesla, TSLA, BTIG, Jefferies, Masimo, MASI, Uber Organizations: Accenture, Mizuho, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citi, Citigroup, BNY Mellon, BK, UW, Trust, AMD, Salesforce Inc, UBS, Spotify, sss, Western Alliance, WAL, Boeing, Olema Oncology, Breast Cancer, " Bank of America, Netflix, Seaport Locations: OW, UW, Wells Fargo

☆ The 4 most important things we're watching in the stock market this coming week
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Fortunately, we'll get useful information in the coming weeks as earnings season ramps up and updated inflation data is released. We really want to see more supply come into the market to provide some relief on shelter costs. Looking to next week, we'll get a several key economic updates and a ramp up of earnings releases. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, we'll, Procter & Gamble, we've, We're, we're, We'll, Forex, Brown, BRO, Zions, CrossFirst, Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Horton, ERIC, Baker Hughes, Abbott, ABT, Clark, BOK, Monro, Simmons, United Community Banks, Lam, Ethan Allen Interiors, Raymond James Financial, Sherwin, Williams, Northrop, Murphy, Arthur J, Levi Strauss, LEVI, Booz Allen, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, John Gress Organizations: Nasdaq, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Bank of America, Reserve, Procter, Gross, Citigroup, of Hawaii, United Airlines, Logitech International S.A, AGNC Investment, Agilysys Inc, Great Southern Bancorp, Enterprise Financial Services, Independent Bank, Home Bancorp, RBB Bancorp, TrustCo Bank Corp, Gamble Co, Verizon Communications, 3M Company, General Electric Co, GE, RTX Corporation, Halliburton Company, HAL, Lockheed, Ericsson, Bank, GATX Corporation, MakeMyTrip, National Bancorp, Synchrony, Webster, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation, Invesco PLC, Peoples Bancorp Inc, Sandy Spring Bancorp, Netflix, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Steel Dynamics, Canadian National Railway Company, NBT Bancorp, East West Bancorp, Covenant Logistics Group, Inc, Hanmi, National Bank Holdings Corporation, Premier Financial, QCR Holdings, Renasant Corporation, Triumph, Veritex Holdings, ASML, SAP, Textron, Oriental Education, Technology Group, First BanCorp, General Dynamics, OFG Bancorp, Prosperity, TE Connectivity, United Community, Blue Foundry Bancorp, Capitol Federal, HBT, Teledyne Technologies, Business Machines, IBM, Las Vegas Sands Corp, Lam Research, United Rentals, Berkley Corp, Crown, International, Packaging Corporation of America, Seagate Technology plc, CACI, Swift Transportation Holdings, Ameriprise Financial, Concentrix Corporation, First Bank, Liberty Energy, Pathward Financial, Columbia Banking, CSX, American Airlines Group, NextEra Energy Inc, Alaska Air Group, Dow Chemical Co, Valero Energy, Southwest Airlines Co, Nextera Energy, Williams Co, Union Pacific, Applied Industrial Technologies, Mobileye, Northrop Grumman, Comcast, Nokia, TAL Education, McCormick & Company, Intel, Visa Inc, Gallagher, Co, KLA Corporation, Western Alliance, Mobile, L3Harris Technologies, Western, Olin Corporation, American Express Co, Booz, Booz Allen Hamilton Holding, Colgate, Palmolive Co, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Gamble's Locations: Procter &, U.S, China, ZION, Freeport, Kimberly, Las, W.R, Chicago

☆ A Grocery Chain Just Fired Its Self-Checkouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Claire Moses | More About Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

You clicked the picture of a zucchini on the screen, but what you have in your basket is a cucumber. And buying something like alcohol or medicine still means you have to wait for a store worker to come over. No warm welcome from machines. “Delighting customers with our warm northern welcome is part of our DNA.”Can humans and machines peacefully coexist? But removing self-checkouts altogether, as Booths announced it will do, would be a “bad idea,” Ms. Abittan said.

Persons: that’s, “ There’s, ”, Sandra Abittan, “, Ms, Abittan Organizations: Tesco, Wal, Mart Locations: London, United States, Britain

☆ These companies reporting in the week ahead have a history of beating estimates and rising
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elsewhere, UnitedHealth Group , a heavyweight in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, gained 2.6% after beating analysts' estimates for earnings and revenue. A number of stocks reporting in the week ahead have a great track record of topping earnings estimates and rallying, according to Bespoke Investment Group data. Citizens stock has slipped more than 34% in 2023. Western Alliance stock, meanwhile, has slipped more than 25% in 2023. WAL YTD mountain Western Alliance stock.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Needham, Charles Shi, Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, Wells, UnitedHealth, Dow Jones, Investment, Financial, Citizens, Western Alliance, Lam Research Locations: Wells Fargo

☆ Earnings season begins with markets lower than three months ago, but expectations are higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Q3 S & P 500 earnings: Trending higher July 1: $55.76 Today: $55.78 Source: LSEG Q4 S & P 500 earnings: Trending higher July 1: $57.58 Today: $58.14 Source: LSEG The fact that the third quarter estimate of $55.78 is slightly below the third quarter of last year ($56.02) is not important; what matters is the trend in earnings. For Q3 2023, 76 S & P 500 companies have issued negative EPS guidance and 42 S & P 500 companies have issued positive EPS guidance, according to John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet. "The earnings outlook for the S & P 500 for the third quarter is less negative relative to recent quarters," Butters told clients. "The percentage of companies issuing negative earnings guidance is equal to the 10-year average." Here's what stands out: The average earnings growth was 10.6%; the average revenue growth was 4.2%.

Persons: —, John Butters, Butters, Nick Raich, It's, Chadha Organizations: FactSet, Companies, FedEx, Oracle, Darden, Costco, Pepsi, PepsiCo, Frito, Barclays, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank Locations: America, AutoZone, United States, Mexico, Russia, Canada, China, South Africa, Japan, abate

☆ Walmart in Mexico faces anti-trust panel for alleged monopolistic practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart's logo is seen outside one of the stores ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Wal Mart de Mexico SAB de CV FollowMEXICO CITY, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Walmart's Mexico unit said on Friday it will face an anti-trust panel for "alleged relative monopolistic practices" related to supply and wholesale distribution of consumer goods. Walmart de Mexico said in a statement that Mexico's antitrust regulator, Cofece, had informed the company of opening a "quasi-jurisdictional process" following a 3-year investigation. Walmex is among the biggest retailers in Mexico, with 2,890 locations in the country. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Daina Solomon; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Valentine Hilaire, Daina Solomon, Stephen Eisenhammer, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Wal Mart de, SAB, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Mexico

☆ Clorox shares touch more than 5-year low on financial hit from cyber attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bottles of Clorox bleach are displayed for sale on the shelves of a Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas, June 4, 2009. Shares in Clorox last traded at $121.16 after earlier hitting a low of $119.56 and were eying their biggest one-day percentage loss since Feb. 2022. After this, Evercore ISI slashed its Clorox price target to $120 from $160 and Raymond James downgraded it to 'market perform' from 'outperform'. Bank of America cut its price target to $120 from $145 while Deutsche Bank dropped its target to $136 from $155. But, Evercore ISI analyst Javier Escalante who rates Clorox 'underperform,' voiced concerns about how long the company took to work out the financial impact.

Persons: Jessica Rinaldi, Raymond James, Anna Lizzul, Lizzul, Clorox, Javier Escalante, Escalante, Sinéad Carew, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, ISI, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, Thomson Locations: Rogers , Arkansas, Clorox

☆ Clorox, reeling from cyberattack, expects quarterly loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bottles of Clorox bleach are displayed for sale on the shelves of a Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas, June 4, 2009. "The company expects to experience ongoing, but lessening, operational impacts in the second quarter as it makes progress in returning to normalized operations," it said in a statement. A Clorox spokesperson said the company had informed law enforcement about the attack but had no further comment. The company expects a loss per share of between 35 cents and 75 cents in the quarter ended on Sept. 30, and for net sales to fall by 23% to 28% from a year earlier. "The impact from the cybersecurity attack more than offset the benefits of pricing, cost savings and supply chain optimization," Clorox said.

Persons: Jessica Rinaldi, Clorox, Savyata Mishra, Zeba Siddiqui, Shilpi Majumdar, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, cyberattacks, MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, Reuters, MGM, Caesars, Bloomberg, FBI, Thomson Locations: Rogers , Arkansas, U.S, Oakland , California, Bengaluru, San Francisco

After the coup, the United States paused certain foreign assistance programs for Niger and military training has been on hold. "The leaders of this attempted coup are putting Niger's security at risk, creating a potential vacuum that terrorist groups or other malign groups may exploit," the official said. The United States has been pressing for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis that erupted on July 26 when Niger military officers seized power, deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and placed him under house arrest. Military juntas have come to power through coups in Mali and Burkina Faso - both neighbors of Niger - in recent years. But so far, Paris has rejected calls by the coup leaders to withdraw their 1,500 troops.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mohamed Bazoum, Kathleen FitzGibbon, Nusrat al, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jonathan Oatis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Pentagon, Reuters, American, Air Base, Islamic State, Troops, United, Niger, Thomson Locations: Niger, U.S, Niamey, Agadez, West, al Qaeda, United, Washington, United States, State, Mali, Burkina Faso, France, Paris

☆ A Dodge Charger is 60 times more likely to be stolen than any other vehicle in the US. It's now taken the most-stolen crown from Hyundai and Kia.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hellcats from 2020 to 2022 are 60 times more likely to be stolen than other cars, data shows. Kia and Hyundai owners were previously plagued by theft issues thanks to a TikTok trend. The Hyundai Elantra is among the models affected by thefts sparked by the "Kia Boyz" TikTok trend, the automaker announced. Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty ImagesThe trend was popularized by the "Kia Boyz," who posted stealing the certain Kia and Hyundai models using a screwdriver and USB cord. Affected drivers included owners of certain Kia models made between 2011 and 2021 and certain Hyundai models from 2016 to 2021.

Persons: Raymond Boyd, HLDI, Matt Moore, Dodge, it's Kia, Kia Sportage, Sjoerd van Organizations: SRT Hellcat, Kia, Hyundai, Data, Stellantis, Hellcats, Wal, Getty Locations: Stellantis North America

☆ This regional bank stock can rally more than 20%, Piper Sandler says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should pick up shares of sold-off Western Alliance Bancorp , according to Piper Sandler. Analyst Matthew Clark initiated coverage of the bank stock at overweight with a $60 price target. Clark's price target signals shares could rally 21.9% over the next year. He said Western Alliance has focused on holistic and deep relationships. Western Alliance shares have fallen more than 17% this year.

Persons: Piper Sandler, Matthew Clark, Clark, Michael Bloom Organizations: Western Alliance Bancorp, Western, Western Alliance, WAL

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Imax, Ulta, Netflix, Alphabet, Microsoft, Chewy & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Barclays upgrades Grab Holdings to overweight from equal weight Barclays upgraded the Asian ride-hailing and food delivery company after its earnings report earlier this week. " Morgan Stanley upgrades Abercrombie & Fitch to equal weight from underweight Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock after its earnings report on Thursday. Needham reiterates Nvidia as buy After a transfer in analyst coverage, Needham said it's standing by its buy rating on the stock. " Barclays reiterates Ulta as overweight Barclays said Ulta is "best-in-class" after its earnings report on Thursday. Benchmark reiterates Imax as buy Benchmark said it's standing by its buy rating on Imax despite a report of a delay in film releases.

Persons: Baird, Jefferies, Ferrari, Morgan Stanley, Fitch, Piper Sandler, Piper, Needham, it's, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Ulta, Oppenheimer Organizations: Google, Ferrari, Barclays, JPMorgan, Abercrombie, Citi, Marvel, Western Alliance, Nvidia, NVIDIA, Netflix, Occidental Petroleum, Microsoft, TAM Locations: Southeast Asia, Hollywood, NFLX

☆ Why stock investors are suddenly so scared
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That means that if China’s economy slows down, global economic growth slows down. “When global economic growth slows down, that tends to be negative US equities. But a string of strong economic data has challenged those notions. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to stoke fears of rising commodity prices, global economic instability and uncertainty around security. It’s been chock full of economic data and big corporate reports.

Persons: That’s, Lehman, ”, Alex Etra, Bond, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase, hasn’t, Banks, Michael Burry, Fitch, It’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nasdaq, Dow, CNN, country’s National Bureau of Statistics, Apple, Intel, Starbucks, Nike, Federal, Federal Reserve, Atlanta Fed, JPMorgan, CNBC, First Republic Bank, Huntington Bank, PacWest, Western Alliance, Bank Locations: New York, China, Ukraine, Beijing, stoke, Huntington

☆ Three ways Walmart and Target are diverging as consumers watch their wallets
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Target followed that pattern in the second quarter. E-commerce sales rose 24% for Walmart U.S. in the second quarter. Both retailers pointed to curbside pickup as a major driver of online sales — a key differentiator from competitor Amazon. Walmart chalked up online sales gains to store pickup and delivery, as well as more advertising revenue. Sales of frequency categories, such as food and beauty items, weren't enough to offset weaker discretionary sales at the retailer.

Persons: Rainey, Christina Hennington, That's, Target's Hennington, Taylor Swift, Stanley tumblers, Chip, Joanna Gaines Organizations: Wal, Rogers, Getty, Walmart, Walmart U.S, Amazon Locations: Rogers , Arkansas, Tenleytown, Washington, DC

☆ What do ‘Big Short’ Michael Burry and Warren Buffett know that we don’t?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Michael Burry, the “Big Short” investor who became famous for correctly predicting the epic collapse of the housing market in 2008, also made a gigantic bet last quarter on a Wall Street crash. Bank of America released its August global fund manager survey on Tuesday and found that money managers are feeling the least pessimistic about markets since February 2022. So what do Buffett and Burry know that the rest of us don’t? Russia and Ukraine: Global inflation is finally coming down, but heightened geopolitical tensions threaten to raise food and oil prices across the globe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to stoke fears of increased commodity prices, global economic instability and uncertainty around security.

Persons: Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, That’s, Michael Burry, Buffett, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase, hasn’t, Fitch, ”, Gregory Daco, Catherine Thorbecke, Catherine Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Securities, Exchange, Scion Asset Management, Bank of America, Traders, National Bureau of Statistics, JPMorgan, CNBC, Bank, First Republic Bank, Huntington Bank, PacWest, Western Alliance, Commerce Department Locations: New York, China, Ukraine, Russia, stoke, Huntington, Lahaina , Hawaii, Lahaina, Las Vegas, Maui

☆ U.S. bank stocks fall on Fitch downgrade warning, tougher oversight worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A person waits on the Wall Street subway platform in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 20, 2021. The warning followed rival Moody's downgrading 10 mid-sized lenders earlier this month, citing funding risks and weaker profitability. Among the mid-sized lenders, Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) and PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) fell 8.4% and 1.6%, respectively. The S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) was down 2.1%, hitting its lowest in a month. Separately, Discover Financial Services (DFS.N) shares fell 8.3% to $94.10, a day after its CEO stepped down.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Banks, Wells, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, MS.N, Michael Burry's, Niket, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Financial, of, REUTERS, CNBC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Western Alliance Bancorp, PacWest Bancorp, Michael Burry's Scion Asset Management, Comerica, Discover Financial Services, Thomson Locations: of Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Michael Burry, of ‘Big Short’ fame, just bet $1.6 billion on a stock market crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Michael Burry, the “Big Short” investor who became famous for correctly predicting the epic collapse of the housing market in 2008, has bet more than $1.6 billion on a Wall Street crash. Burry is making his bearish bets against the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, according to Security Exchange Commission filings released Monday. Burry is using more than 90% of his portfolio to bet on a market downturn, according to the filings. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 have both notched big gains so far this year. While one big payoff doesn’t guarantee future returns, Burry does have a strong investment record.

Persons: New York CNN — Michael Burry, Burry, bearish, “, ”, Michael Lewis, Christian Bale, JPMorgan Chase, Michael Burry’s, Scion’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nasdaq, Security Exchange, Scion Asset Management, First Republic Bank, Huntington Bank, Western Alliance, JPMorgan, JD.com, Scion, Expedia, MGM Resorts, MGM, CVS, CNN, Warner Bros ., Traders Locations: New York, China, Huntington

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 19, 2023. The Commerce Department's report showed retail sales grew 0.7% last month against expectations of a 0.4% rise, suggesting the U.S. economy remains strong. "The retail sales number might indicate that the Fed would continue to raise rates." Home Depot (HD.N) added 1% after the home improvement chain posted a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly same-store sales and topped profit estimates. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 5.29-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.90-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Wells, Fitch, jitters, Peter Andersen, JPMorgan Chase, Zions, Wells Fargo, Bilibili, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's, Horton, Amruta Khandekar, Shristi, Shashwat Chauhan, Maju Samuel, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nvidia, UBS, Wells Fargo, PT U.S, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, Commerce, Andersen Capital Management, Fed, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Bank of America, PacWest Bancorp, Western Alliance Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance, Treasury, Alibaba, Dow Jones, General Motors, Berkshire, Warren, Lennar Corp, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Boston, China, Beijing, Warren Buffett's Berkshire, homebuilder D.R

REUTERS/Adrees LatifNEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Michael Burry, the money manager made famous in the book and film "The Big Short," held bearish options against the broad S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Index at the end of the second quarter, according to securities fillings released on Monday. Put options convey the right to sell shares at a fixed price in the future and are typically bought to express a bearish or defensive view. Michael Lewis' nonfiction book "The Big Short" was released in 2010 and the movie version came out in 2015. The S&P 500 (.SPX) is up roughly 17% for the year to date while the Nasdaq 100 (.IXIC) is up nearly 39% over the same period. Burry, who frequently turns over his portfolio, drew wide attention last August when he dumped all of his long positions and bought a stake in prison company Geo Group Inc (GEO.N).

Persons: Adrees Latif, Michael Burry, Michael Lewis, David Randall, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Ira Iosebashvili, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Nasdaq, REUTERS, YORK, Scion Asset Management, U.S, Nvidia, HK, Alibaba Group Holdings, Western Alliance Bancorp, First Republic Bank, RealReal Inc, Warner Bros ., Warner Brothers, Scion, Management, Geo Group Inc, Thomson Locations: Square, Midtown New York, New York

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