DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ UK inflation is finally back at 2%. Here’s why rate cuts are still ‘off the table’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

That suggests the Bank of England won’t follow the European Central Bank in cutting interest rates when it meets Thursday. A rate cut in August, when UK policymakers meet next, is now also less likely. Other economists, including analysts at Nomura, thought an August rate cut was still possible if pay rises and the price of services cooled further. “For an August rate cut, we will need other economic news to play ball,” the analysts wrote in a note. UK inflation peaked at 11.1% in October 2022, driven to a 41-year high by surging food and energy costs.

Persons: ”, Zara Noakes, Rebecca Florisson, Jake Finney Organizations: London CNN —, Bank of, Bank of England, European Central Bank, JPMorgan Asset Management, Nomura, “ Workers, Work Foundation, Lancaster University, PwC Locations: United Kingdom, England, United States, Europe

☆ UK unemployment nears three-year high, wage growth firm as election looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A staff wanted sign in the window of a restaurant in the Soho district of London, U.K., on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. LONDON — U.K. unemployment unexpectedly rose to its highest level in two and a half years, data showed Tuesday, amid a heated general election campaign in which the economy is a key battleground. Simultaneous strong wage growth divided opinions from market-watchers mulling the timing of an interest rate cut from the Bank of England. While market pricing on Tuesday suggested next to no chance of a rate cut at the BOE's June meeting, and a 36% shot in August, that probability rises to nearly 60% for the September deliberations. Consultancy Capital Economics said that, while the stickiness of wage growth would be a "lingering concern" for the BOE, the rate should soon be on a "firm downward path" as unemployment rises.

Persons: Richard Carter, Cheviot, BOE, Capital's, Ruth Gregory, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, We've, it's, Starmer Organizations: LONDON, Bank of England, National Statistics, Reuters, Consultancy Capital Economics, Conservative Party, Labour, Conservatives Locations: Soho, London

Shares of Logitech are up 2% on the year and could rally another 17%, if Scemama's target price holds true. Analyst Kristine Liwag accompanied the move by raising her price target to $225 from $178. The bank reiterated its overweight rating on the credit card stock but lifted its price target to $275 from $265. International revs should run above the 10%+," the analyst added. Goldman analyst Tina Hou set a 12-month price target of $34, while Bank of America analyst Ming Hsun Lee set a price objective of $35.

Persons: Bernstein, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, TZE, Brian Lee, Lee, — Spencer Kimball, Didier Scemama, Scemama, — Lisa Kailai Han, Morgan Stanley, Kristine Liwag, Heico's, Liwag, Stanley Black, Decker, Julian Mitchell, Mitchell, Wells, Wells Fargo, Donald Fandetti, Fandetti, Canaccord, Kingsley Crane, Crane, Oppenheimer, Jed, Kelly foresees, FanDuel —, Kelly, Zeekr, Tina Hou, Ming Hsun Lee, Hou, Stacy Rasgon, Rasgon, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, Broadcom, Bank of America, Investors, Technologies, Department of Energy, Logitech, Boeing, Barclays, Stanley, Nvidia, American, Express, American Express, U.S . American Express, Wall, Zeekr, China EV, China, Geely Automobile, AMD Locations: Monday's, EU, U.S, China, BofA

☆ How East West Bancorp has gained an edge by serving the Asian American community
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

East West Bancorp shares have eked out a small gain in 2024, up 2%. Despite the heightened scrutiny around regional banks, little-known East West Bancorp has been able to pull ahead thanks to a key customer base: Asian Americans. American dream = home ownershipPart of what's helping East West succeed with Asian Americans goes all the way back to its origins. East West Bancorp was founded in 1973 as a federal savings and loan in the Los Angeles area to service the Chinese American and immigrant community struggling to obtain mortgages and business loans. East West also drives cross-border activity between the U.S. and other Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam.

Persons: Alexander Yokum, Wells, Timur Braziler, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, —, Braziler, Christopher Del Moral, Niles, it's, Del, Steven Leung, Leung, CFRA's Yokum, Yokum, Dominic Ng, that's Organizations: East West Bancorp, Regional Banking, Bancorp, West Bancorp, CFRA, Federal Housing Finance Agency, East, East West, U.S, Bancorp's Locations: Southern California, U.S, United States, East, Los Angeles, Asia, FactSet, East West, New York, Beijing, China, Shanghai, Thailand, Vietnam, Washington

☆ The small-cap slump is getting historically long. Here's what needs to change for a rebound
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"With yields holding firm at elevated levels , large caps continue to outperform small caps. Hopes for multiple rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year have dimmed after recent inflation readings showed signs of stickiness. An economy that is growing more slowly, but with cooler inflation, could be the combination small caps need. Small caps could also benefit from an uptick in the global economy that benefits areas like manufacturing that has heavy representation in the small-cap index. Investors who really want exposure to small caps could also look outside of the U.S. Wolfe Research analyst Rob Ginsberg said in a May 29 note to clients that global small caps are outperforming their U.S. counterparts and are poised for a potential breakout.

Persons: Russell, Todd Sohn, JC O'Hara, Roth MKM, Chad Miller, you've, Miller, Cayla, Seder, Mark Haefele, Solita, Angelo Kourkafas, Edward Jones, Rob Ginsberg, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: CNBC, ESG, Silicon Valley Bank, Federal Reserve, Big Tech, Companies, UBS, Institute, Supply, PMI, Investors, U.S . Wolfe Research Locations: Thrivent, Silicon

☆ European Central Bank’s Knot says monetary policy to ease ‘gradually,' as markets brace for June rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Klaas Knot, president of De Nederlandsche Bank NV, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G-20) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Gandhinagar, India, on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — European Central Bank Governing Council member Klaas Knot said it would "soon" be time to ease monetary policy in the region, but cautioned that the process would need to be done slowly to keep inflation in check. "It can soon be appropriate to ease the currently restrictive monetary policy stance and gradually take our foot off the brake ... policy rates will slowly but gradually move into less restrictive levels," Knot, head of the central bank of the Netherlands, said at the Barclays-CEPR International Monetary Policy Forum in London Tuesday. In a Reuters poll of 82 economists this week, all said they expected a June cut. Knot, usually known for his more hawkish stance, said Tuesday there had been "clear disinflation" since the peak above 10% in late 2022, particularly in goods inflation.

Persons: Klaas Knot Organizations: De Nederlandsche Bank, Bloomberg, Getty, Central Bank Governing, Barclays, CEPR, Monetary, ECB, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Reuters Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Netherlands, London

☆ These 17 cheap but high-quality, small-cap stocks are dishing out cash to investors as they lead the economic recovery, according to Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Inflation remains sticky, while the unemployment rate saw a slight uptick. Despite elevated interest rates, the US economy is in a recovery phase, says Bank of America. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for April was 3.9%, up from 3.8%. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Bank of America, Service, Federal Reserve, Business

☆ Opinion | The Gender Pay Gap Is a Culture Problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

American women made significant progress toward closing the gender pay gap in the second half of the 20th century, but that gap has barely budged over the past two decades. In 2022, according to Pew Research, “American women typically earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. While there are several factors at play, one of the key contributors to the gap is what’s known as the motherhood penalty and the corresponding fatherhood premium: Women’s pay decreases when they have children, while men’s pay increases. Somewhat surprisingly to me, his research, which builds on years of earlier scholarship, suggests that a country’s family policy has relatively little to do with how big the parenthood pay gap is. A society’s culture and norms seem to be much bigger factors in how big the motherhood penalty is: The more egalitarian the culture, the lower the gap.

Persons: don’t, ”, Henrik Kleven, Camille Landais, Gabriel Leite Organizations: Pew Research, of Economic Research

☆ Stock futures are little changed after Nasdaq Composite hits all-time high: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stock futures are near flat Monday night after the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed at an all-time high. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost just 27 points, while S&P 500 futures also sat near its flatline. Those moves come after a mixed day on Wall Street. But the blue-chip Dow slipped almost 200 points, or 0.5%. Monday's action follows a notable week on Wall Street amid renewed hopes about the state of inflation and monetary policy.

Persons: Dow, Jamie Dimon, Keith Buchanan, Christopher Waller, Tom Barkin, Raphael Bostic Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Stock, Nasdaq, Dow Jones Industrial, Palo Alto Networks, LSEG, Nvidia, JPMorgan, Globalt Investments, Federal, Richmond Fed, Atlanta Fed, Traders

☆ Live Updates: Inflation Cooled Slightly, Offering Some Relief for Consumers and the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Ben Casselman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

But economists cautioned that one month of encouraging data was far from enough to set those worries to rest. Both overall and core prices rose 0.3 percent from the previous month, down from 0.4 percent in February and March. The encouraging inflation report on Wednesday is unlikely to change those expectations. The report is also likely to be met with relief at the White House after what has been a rough recent run of inflation data for President Biden. Gasoline prices rose a seasonally adjusted 2.8 percent in April from March.

Persons: “, ”, Stephen Stanley, there’s, Sarah House, Biden, Jerome H, Powell, we’re, Blerina Uruci, Rowe Price, Jeanna Smialek, Jim Tankersley Organizations: Labor Department, Federal Reserve, Santander, White, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Fed Locations: Wells Fargo, Amsterdam, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

☆ Shopify embraced a 'new shape' after a post-pandemic slump and has charted an 18-month comeback
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewIn October 2022, Shopify's once high-flying stock hit its lowest price since before the Covid pandemic. AdvertisementNow, after two rounds of layoffs and a divestment of its fulfillment and logistics business, the picture looks a bit different for Shopify. Shedding a "money-losing logistics business"Dropping logistics and fulfillment is a major part of Shopify's stock comeback story. In May 2023, Shopify announced it would be selling the logistics business entirely to Flexport. In May 2023, Shopify cut another 20% of its workforce as it sold its logistics business to Flexport.

Persons: —, Shopify's, Shopify, Oppenheimer, Ken Wong, Wong, D.A, Davidson, Gil Luria, Tobi Lütke, Lütke, Luria, Morgan Stanley, Jeff Hoffmeister, Bhavin Shah, GMV, We've, Shah Organizations: Service, Business, Systems, Investors, SEC, Deutsche Bank Locations: Salesforce, mstone@businessinsider.com

☆ Stock futures are little changed as investors look ahead to Fed decision, megacap earnings: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on February 29, 2024 in New York City. U.S. stock futures were little changed Monday night after a positive start to the week, as investors brace for megacap earnings, the latest Federal Reserve interest rate decision, and a jobs report. S&P 500 futures slid 0.05%, while Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.03%. The S&P 500 added 0.32%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.35%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are headed for declines of more than 2%, each.

Persons: Stocks, Dan Greenhaus, CNBC's, Jerome Powell's, Eli Lilly Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Apple, Dow Jones, Management, Amazon, Restaurant Brands, PayPal, Devices, Micro Locations: New York City . U.S, China

☆ Why economists who originally expected multiple deep rate cuts in 2024 now say a hike is possible
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

From deeps rate cuts to a potential rate hike in 2024, one firm has changed its forecast in a big way. Macquarie said the resilient economy means potential interest rate cuts won't happen until 2025. Assuming the central bank moves the federal funds rate down by 25 basis point increments, that would equate to nine interest rate cuts just this year. AdvertisementThat lack of economic weakness has led to a stark shift in interest rate forecasts, with even the Federal Reserve suggesting that its initial projections of three interest rate cuts this year could dwindle to one rate cut or even none. That could be a double whammy for a stock market that had been largely fixated on interest rate cuts this year.

Persons: Macquarie, —, David Doyle, Neil Shankar, Jerome Powell Organizations: Service, Macquarie, Federal Reserve, Fed, UBS

☆ Bets on Rate Cuts This Year Are Fading Away
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | More About Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the start of 2024, investors expected the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates substantially this year as inflation cooled. Investors and economists are questioning when and how much Fed policymakers will manage to cut rates — and some are increasingly dubious that Fed officials will manage to lower them at all this year. Inflation’s stickiness has prompted Fed officials to signal that it may take longer to reduce interest rates than they had previously expected. Policymakers raised interest rates to 5.33 percent between March 2022 and last summer, and have held them there since. Investors who came into the year expecting a first rate cut by March have pushed back those expectations to September or later.

Persons: Inflation’s stickiness Organizations: Federal Reserve, Investors

☆ New Zealand finance minister discusses rate outlook and inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNew Zealand finance minister: Rates aren't going down until inflation 'stickiness' is reducedNicola Willis, finance minister of New Zealand, discusses the country's inflation forecast and what the government and central bank are doing to get inflation back into the target range.

Persons: Nicola Willis Locations: Zealand, New Zealand

☆ UK inflation eases less than expected to 3.2% in March, sparking concerns of U.S.-style stickiness
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Food prices provided the biggest downward drag on the headline rate, the ONS said, while motor fuels pushed it higher. The core figure, excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, came in at 4.2%, compared with a projection of 4.1%. Services inflation, a key watcher for U.K. monetary policymakers, declined from 6.1% to 6% — again above the expectations of both economists and the BOE. This week, investors have been monitoring signs of a cooling U.K. labor market, with unemployment unexpectedly rising to 4.2% in the period between December and February. The central bank's own forecast is for inflation to "briefly drop" to its 2% target in the spring before increasing slightly.

Persons: BOE, BOE Governor Andrew Bailey Organizations: National Statistics, Bank of England, Reuters, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S

Does this mean that lower mortgage rates are off the table for 2024? It's possible that mortgage rates will still go down in 2024, but they probably won't start trending down until later in the year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched up to 6.16% last week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates increased dramatically over the last two years, but they're expected to go down at some point this year.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ Stocks are undergoing a needed, and (so far) modest, pullback in a longer-term bull market
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The result was a 1.5-percent weekly drop in the S & P 500 , with Friday's setback exacerbated at least somewhat by a collective clenching-up of risk markets on some geopolitical worry. This dynamic hasn't been reversed, but the signal has grown a bit staticky, draining some conviction from the macro bullish case with the S & P 500 still 24% above the October low. Bull market's backdrop First, it's a bull market, and not a particularly mature or excessively generous one yet. Yet both stocks are still outperforming the S & P this year. The S & P 500 closed Friday at exactly the same level of five weeks earlier, on March 8 – which was perhaps the moment of maximum investor confidence in the "we can have it all" thesis.

Persons: I've, Jerome Powell, Powell, Wall, it's, We're, John Butters, Fastenal, Scott Chronert Organizations: Federal, ICE, Treasury, CPI, Fed, Grainger, Citi

☆ 'Big bargains': Morgan Stanley names 3 overlooked global tech stocks, giving one almost 100% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In Europe — much like in the U.S. — a few key stocks have been driving the market, especially earlier this year, according to Morgan Stanley. In late February, just five stocks were responsible for 60% of European stock market gains year-to-date, the bank said. The company has grown into one of the largest, most integrated payment providers, Morgan Stanley said. Exclusive Networks Morgan Stanley says this is one of the largest and fastest-growing specialist distributors of cybersecurity products globally. The nature of threats is constantly changing, and so the products offered by the vendors – and the vendors themselves – are constantly changing," Morgan Stanley said.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, CompuGroup Morgan Stanley, Networks Morgan Stanley, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Solutions, Networks Locations: Europe, U.S, —, Germany, France, Austria

☆ Key Fed inflation gauge rose 2.8% annually in February, as expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While the Fed looks at both measures when making policy, it considers core to be a better gauge of long-term inflation pressures. The Fed targets 2% annual inflation; core PCE inflation hasn't been below that level in three years. Inflation pressures came more from the goods side, which rose 0.5%, compared to the 0.3% increase for services. That countered the trend over the past year, during which services rose 3.8% while goods actually fell by 0.2%. Along with the inflation increase, consumer spending shot up 0.8% on the month, well ahead of the 0.5% estimate, possibly indicating additional inflation pressures.

Persons: Dow Jones, Victoria Greene Organizations: Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Fed, G Squared, Wealth, CNBC, PCE, Federal, Market

☆ Federal regulators are wielding a classic Warren Buffett concept to go after Apple — his biggest stock bet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Federal regulators used the word "moat" eight times in their civil antitrust complain to describe the defenses that Apple sets up to keep competitors at bay. AdvertisementCastles and moatsBuffett popularized the concept of a company having a "moat" around it that protects it from rivals. The dynamics of capitalism guarantee that competitors will repeatedly assault any business 'castle' that is earning high returns. AdvertisementThe Department of Justice has added insult to injury by not only targeting Buffett's biggest stock bet, but also wielding the investor's moat metaphor against him, at least indirectly.

Persons: —, cheekily, Warren Buffett, Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, you've, Elon Musk, he's, Charlie Munger, Apple, He's, Tim Cook, they're Organizations: Service, Justice, Apple, Business, Berkshire, Coke, Gillette, Costco, Cola, American, Regulators, of Justice Locations: Berkshire, Apple, Buffett's, Berkshire's

☆ 15 cities where apartments are getting cheaper while rent reaccelerates nationwide
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

However, as the chart below shows, one-bedroom apartments were 0.5% cheaper than they were last year while two-bedroom places were 0.8% more expensive. 15 cities where rent is decliningApartments across the country generally got more expensive in March, Zumper's report found, though there are some notable exceptions. Two-thirds of the top-100 US real estate markets had higher rent compared to last month while 19 cities were flat, Zumper researchers noted. However, more than a dozen metropolitan areas — many of which were in the Southwest or South regions — actually became cheaper to rent in. Along with each are its month-over-month and year-over-year rent changes, average rent price, and national rent ranking among the largest 100 cities in the US.

Persons: shouldn't, PqameYEcoP — James Faris, @JamesFaris_, it's, Anthemos Georgiades, there's, Zumper, Zumper's Organizations: Business, Zumper, CPI Locations: Realtor.com, Southwest

☆ Gold slips as dollar firms, cenbank meetings in focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gold prices slipped on Monday as the dollar held firm and investors braced for a slew of policy decisions from major global central banks including the U.S. Federal Reserve this week. The Fed is considered certain to keep rates at 5.25%-5.5% at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday. The dollar held steady near a two-week high against its rivals, making gold more expensive for other currency holders. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is expected to exit its ultra-dovish monetary policy at its two-day meeting ending on Tuesday. The Bank of England will hold its meeting on Thursday and is expected to stay put on rates.

Persons: Kyle Rodda Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of, Bank of England Locations: Bank of Japan

☆ Gold's three-week winning streak under pressure amid U.S. inflation heat
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices were on track on Friday to snap a three-week winning streak as surprisingly hot U.S. inflation readings prompted traders to re-think on how swiftly and deeply the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates this year. A reading on consumer inflation earlier this week also showed some stickiness in inflation. Higher inflation adds pressure on the U.S. Fed to keep interest rates elevated, weighing on non-yielding assets such as gold, and increasing appeal for bonds, raising the dollar. Other data showed U.S. retail sales rebounded last month, but were below analyst estimates, while fewer people sought unemployment claims. Spot platinum fell 0.4% to $927.35 per ounce, palladium dropped 0.2% to $1,066.86, while silver was up 0.6% at $24.97.

Persons: Hugo Pascal Organizations: U.S, Fed, Traders Locations: Singapore, InProved .

☆ Dollar steadies as traders weigh hotter-than-expected inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar held steady against a handful of rival currencies on Wednesday, as traders weighed what impact hotter-than-expected inflation data could have on chances of an interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve's June meeting. The U.S. dollar held steady against a handful of rival currencies on Wednesday, as traders weighed what impact hotter-than-expected inflation data could have on chances of an interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve's June meeting. The U.S. consumer price index, or CPI, increased solidly in February, beating forecasts and suggesting some stickiness in inflation. That has left analysts wondering whether the Fed will have sufficient data to justify more than a couple of rate cuts all year. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of peer currencies, was little changed at 102.91.

Persons: Powell, Matt Simpson, Kazuo Ueda's, bitcoin Organizations: U.S, Federal, Fund, U.S ., CPI, Bank of Japan, Traders, European Central Bank Locations: U.S

Search resuls for: "stickiness"

25 mentions found