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☆ Bath & Body Works beats quarterly profit estimates on higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 18 (Reuters) - Bath & Body Works Inc (BBWI.N) beat first-quarter profit expectations on Thursday, as higher product prices outweighed cost pressures and a slowdown in demand, sending its shares up over 9% in premarket trading. Specialty retailers such as Bath & Body Works have selectively raised prices to shield profit margins from spiraling costs associated with transportation, raw materials, labor and supply chain. Ohio-based Bath & Body Works saw net sales fall about 4% to $1.40 billion in the quarter ended April 29, but were in line with analysts' average estimate, according to Refinitiv data. Excluding items, the home fragrance and personal care products maker earned 33 cents per share, topping analysts' expectations of 26 cents. Separately, Bath & Body Works in April had said its finance chief would step down in July or earlier after the company faced a potential challenge from billionaire investor Daniel Loeb's hedge fund Third Point.

☆ How the U.S. and South Africa ended up in a dispute over Russian gunrunning allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON, D.C - Sep. 16, 2022: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (L) in the Oval Office of the White House. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesRelations between the U.S. and South Africa frayed last week, when U.S. South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), released a rather different interpretation of the conversation in its readout. RICHARDS BAY, South Africa - Feb. 22, 2023: Russian military frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" docked at the port in Richards Bay on February 22, 2023. South Africa drew criticism from the U.S. and Europe for holding 10 days of joint naval exercises with Russia and China.

☆ Retail Sales to Show Americans’ Appetite to Spend in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Gwynn Guilford | Sarah Nassauer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This week’s U.S. retail-sales data will provide the latest update on inflation and the economy. New data on existing home sales, the housing-market index and housing starts will also be released. Photo: Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesApril’s retail-sales report will show consumers’ willingness to spend at stores and restaurants and online as easing inflation returns some spending power to shoppers. Consumers cut retail spending for the second straight month in March, pulling back on purchases of furniture, appliances and gasoline. But a solid labor market last month kept wage growth elevated while inflation cooled to its slowest pace in two years—which could in turn help boost consumer spending, the primary driver of economic growth.

☆ John Durham’s Report and a Presidency in Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Holman W. Jenkins Jr. is a member of the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Jenkins joined the Journal in May 1992 as a writer for the editorial page in New York. In February 1994, he moved to Hong Kong as editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal's editorial page. Mr. Jenkins won a 1997 Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial coverage. Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Jenkins received a bachelor's degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

☆ Stocks Close Higher With Debt-Ceiling Talks in Focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Miao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This week’s U.S. retail-sales data will provide the latest update on inflation and the economy. New data on existing home sales, the housing market index and housing starts will also be released. Photo: Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesU.S. stocks edged higher Monday as investors monitored debt-ceiling negotiations, coming off two consecutive losing weeks for the S&P 500. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.1%, or nearly 50 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7%.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Horizon Therapeutics, Capital One, RH, Home Depot and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Western Alliance Bancorp — Western Alliance shares jumped 3.6% after Bank of America reinstated coverage on the stock with a buy rating. Home Depot , Lowe's — Shares of home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe's lost 1.4% and 1% in midday trading Tuesday. On Monday, Daniel Welch, a director at Seagen, disclosed the sale of 1,864 shares, a stake worth more than $370,000. GE HealthCare — The medtech company's shares gained nearly 3% after Oppenheimer initiated coverage with an outperform rating on Monday. GE HealthCare separated from parent company General Electric earlier in 2023 and began publicly trading on the Nasdaq Jan. 4.

☆ How Wall Street pros traded 7 of our Club stocks, including Salesforce, in the first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Lots of Club holdings, including Nvidia (NVDA) and Alphabet (GOOGL), were among the stocks traded by some of Wall Street's biggest investors and money managers in the first quarter. That firm, Jeffrey Ubben's Inclusive Capital, had owned 1.63 million Salesforce shares at the end of December, worth nearly $217 million at the time. Jeff Smith's Starboard Value also sold some Salesforce shares in Q1, leaving the firm with 2.5 million shares at the end of March. Mason Morfit's ValueAct Capital amplified its Salesforce stake in the first quarter, ending with 3.5 million shares, up from just 560,221 shares at the end of 2022. Loeb's Third Point amassed 4.75 million shares of Alphabet, worth $492.7 million at the end of the first quarter.

☆ Dan Loeb's Third Point takes a stake in Alphabet, making it one of his biggest bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Dan Loeb's Third Point built a sizable stake in Google parent Alphabet in the first quarter, according to a new regulatory filing. The hedge fund added a position in Alphabet worth nearly $500 million at the end of March, making it the fund's fifth biggest holding, the SEC filing showed. Shares of Alphabet rallied almost 12% this month alone, pushing its 2023 gain near 36%. Third Point kept its biggest holdings — PG & E , Colgate-Palmolive , Danaher and Bath & Body Works — relatively unchanged last quarter. In other bets, Loeb added a new stake in Salesforce , worth $160 million at the end of March.

☆ Biden is trying to lure Saudi Arabia's crown prince away from China with lucrative promises, despite once threatening to make him a 'pariah'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US has replaced its threats with lucrative contracts for the crown prince as part of a high stakes power game being waged over dominance of the region. Biden last weekend dispatched his national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, to Saudi Arabia, for discussions with Saudi officials. Last year, Crown Prince Mohammed and Xi agreed to deepen their cooperation across a range of economic and security issues. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8, 2022. "It is important to note that Saudi Arabia is not seeking to burn its bridges with the United States.

☆ Chess’ Governing Body Delays Report on Cheating Scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( David Segal | Dylan Loeb Mcclain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The internet was soon awash with theories about how Niemann might have secreted a radio device on his body. In a postgame interview at the Cup, Niemann offered to play naked, in a radio signal-proofed room, to prove he was playing clean. He also said emphatically that he had never cheated during an over-the-board game, as in-person chess is known. Many in the chess world did not believe him. Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion, put it this way: “I thought Carlsen literally cracked at the end.”

The US Federal Reserve Building is seen in Washington, DC, May 3, 2023. However, the Fed did hint at a possible pause to hikes. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.24%, ahead of the country's March trade data due later Wednesday. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were also lower standing at 19,656, compared to its last close of 19,699.16. Mainland Chinese markets are set to reopen after the Labor Day holiday, while Japanese markets are closed for a holiday Thursday.

☆ Carl Icahn, Activist Investor, Becomes Target of Short Seller
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Michael J. De La Merced | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over nearly a half-century, Carl Icahn has shaken up Wall Street as a corporate raider and activist shareholder, making corporate titans bow down to his demands and change their business strategies. But on Tuesday, his publicly traded company, Icahn Enterprises, became a target of Hindenburg Research, the short seller firm that has made its name in recent years by taking on the Indian tycoon Gautam Adani and the Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. Hindenburg accused Icahn Enterprises of being overvalued. The company trades well above its net asset value, unlike similar financial vehicles run by William A. Ackman and Daniel S. Loeb. “Icahn has been using money taken in from new investors to pay out dividends to old investors,” Hindenburg wrote in a public report.

☆ Short investor Hindenburg erases fifth of Icahn empire’s value
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In a report published on Tuesday, Hindenburg accused IEP of overvaluing its holdings and relying on a “Ponzi-like” structure to pay dividends. The subsequent plunge in IEP shares wiped $2.9 billion off Icahn’s net worth, leaving him with an estimated $14.7 billion, according to Forbes. NAV is a key gauge of a fund’s performance, measuring the market value of securities held by the fund. Driving the frothiness in IEP’s stock, Hindenburg argued, is its dividend yield of 15.8%, the highest of any US large cap company by far. Hindenburg also offered examples it said showed IEP itself was valuing its holdings way above their market value.

In a report published on Tuesday, Hindenburg accused IEP of overvaluing its holdings and relying on a "Ponzi-like" structure to pay dividends. The subsequent plunge in IEP shares wiped $2.9 billion off Icahn's net worth, leaving him with an estimated $14.7 billion, according to Forbes. NAV is a key gauge of a fund's performance, measuring the market value of securities held by the fund. Driving the frothiness in IEP's stock, Hindenburg argued, is its dividend yield of 15.8%, the highest of any U.S. large cap company by far. Hindenburg also offered examples it said showed IEP itself was valuing its holdings way above their market value.

☆ Ding Liren of China Wins World Chess Championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Dylan Loeb Mcclain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ding Liren of China won the world chess championship in a tiebreaker on Sunday, defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia to become the first Chinese man to hold the world title. Ding’s victory is the latest high point in chess for China, a rising power in the game. The country, which once banned chess as a symbol of a decadent West, now holds both the men’s and women’s world championships. Chinese users, full of pride and relief after two anxiety-filled weeks, celebrated the championship even as some admitted to their ignorance of how to play chess. Nearly all agreed, though, on the weight of the moment.

☆ Mario Gabelli ranks these old media stocks among the best trades he’s ever made. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A simple focus on what is now a well-known phenomenon helped Mario Gabelli execute what he calls some of the best trades in his decades-long career. One of those companies, Chris-Craft, was eventually bought by News Corp. for $5.5 billion in the early 2000s. It was an investment on which Gabelli said he made at least 10 times his original stake. The other money-making trade, on the now defunct Lin Broadcasting, was one Gabelli said he made a "significant amount of money" on. "It basically became EBITDA minus capex, and that notion has gotten pretty far along in the last 40 years," he said.

☆ Biden Calls for Release of Jailed Journalist Evan Gershkovich, Other Detainees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( John Mccormick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington on Saturday. Photo: saul loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPresident Biden and others at an annual Washington dinner called for the release of jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia during a gathering that brought together members of the media and government officials to celebrate press freedom. Mr. Biden met privately with Mr. Gershkovich’s family, who attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as Journal guests, as he arrived for Saturday’s black-tie gala and recognized them in his remarks.

☆ These vulnerable major stocks could be activists' next targets, according to Goldman
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shareholder activism could continue its momentum this year, and a number of major companies could be popular targets, according to Goldman Sachs. "Sales growth has been the most important variable in determining an activist target, followed by EV/sales valuation." Goldman screened the Russell 3000 index for companies that may be susceptible to a campaign by an activist investor. Bath & Body Works could experience more action from activists this year, according to Goldman's screen. In the retail space, Goldman also predicts activists may target Best Buy , Burlington Stores and CarMax .

☆ Space Force chief says U.S. is facing a 'new era' of threats beyond Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Morgan Brennan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Chance Saltzman took the stage for his keynote at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this week, his message was simple: The U.S. is in a new era of space activity. "The threats that we face to our on-orbit capabilities from our strategic competitors has grown substantially," Saltzman, the U.S. Space Force's second-ever chief of space operations, said in a CNBC interview after the speech. Case in point: the Space Force's recently announced procurement strategy for more launch services. With business to be awarded next year, the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 is estimated to run into the billions of dollars and is expected to draw bids from the likes of Rocket Lab , Relativity Space and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, among others. While still just a fraction of the country's overall defense budget, the Space Force's $30 billion request for fiscal 2024 represents a 15% increase from this year's enacted levels.

☆ This 1977 Nike memo that calls personal ambition a 'danger' and urges workers to 'fight the law' is getting renewed attention thanks to 'Air'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 1977, Nike executive Rob Strasser typed a list of 10 company "principles." The raw and unfiltered list captures the irreverence and combativeness of early Nike employees. It was republished after the April 2023 release of "Air," a movie about how Nike signed Michael Jordan. The list, which captures the irreverence and competitiveness of early Nike employees, once again is making the rounds on social media. One of them: "Be on the offense, always," a direct nod at Strasser's list, and a phrase that remains a favorite of Nike executives.

☆ The Stupid War Between Disney and DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Virginia Norwood, ‘Mother’ of Satellite Imaging Systems, Dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dylan Loeb Mcclain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Virginia Norwood, an aerospace pioneer who invented the scanner that has been used to map and study the earth from space for more than 50 years, has died at her home in Topanga, Calif. She was 96. Her death was announced by the United States Geological Survey, whose Landsat satellite program relies on her invention. Her daughter, Naomi Norwood, said that her mother was found dead in her bed on the morning of March 27. Ms. Norwood, a physicist, was the person primarily responsible for designing and championing the scanner that made the program possible. NASA has called her “the mother of Landsat.”

As Wall Street gears up for another earnings season, analysts see some stocks better positioned than others for gains. Against this backdrop, CNBC Pro used FactSet data to screen for stocks that Wall Street analysts think have the largest potential upside heading into a new earnings season. And more than half of analysts covering Booking Holdings still rate it a strong buy or buy, according to Refinitiv data. BKNG YTD mountain Shares of Booking Holdings Another stock expected to outperform during earnings season is Paccar . Salesforce's earnings per share are estimated to climb by 24% over the next six months.

☆ The Devil and Alvin Bragg
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ EastGroup CEO: Here's why banking turbulence is 'net positive' for REITs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | 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 EmailEastGroup CEO: Here's why banking turbulence is 'net positive' for REITsEastGroup CEO Marshall Loeb joins 'Squawk on the Street' to explain why he thinks the banking sector turbulence could be a 'net positive' for commercial real estate space and more.

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