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☆ A soft landing is more likely than not, says Goldman Sachs' Luke Barrs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | 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 EmailA soft landing is more likely than not, says Goldman Sachs' Luke BarrsLuke Barrs, global head of client portfolio management at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss long term equity investment, terminal rates for fixed income markets, and the growing potential for a soft landing.

☆ Juul Labs settles litigation in the United States
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Rob Mclean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —E-cigarette maker Juul Labs said Tuesday that it has settled litigation it faced in the United States, resolving a substantial amount of legal issues for the company. “The global resolution covers more than 5,000 cases brought by approximately 10,000 plaintiffs against Juul Labs and its officers and directors,” the company said in a news release. The investigation found that Juul deliberately marketed its products to young people, even though e-cigarette sales to children are illegal. In the past, Juul Labs has sold some of the most popular vaping products in the United States, especially its flavored products. A court temporarily blocked the FDA ban, so the products are still for sale in the United States.

☆ UK retailer Next to buy collapsed rival Joules - media reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 1 (Reuters) - British fashion chain Next Plc (NXT.L) has secured a deal to buy collapsed retailer Joules (JOUL.L) out of administration, according to media reports on Thursday. Before Joules went into administration, Next was in talks with the company over a potential 15 million pound equity investment, but talks were eventually terminated. Last month, some reports said South African fashion retailer TFG (TFGJ.J), the owner of British brands such as Phase Eight, Hobbs, Whistles and Damsel, was also in the race to buy Joules. loadingNext, TFG, M&S, Frasers and Joules' administrator, Interpath Ltd, did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. TFG's chief executive on Wednesday had declined to comment on reports that it was buying Joules.

☆ Investors are looking for inflation protection through these 'yield-generating assets,' CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | 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 EmailInvestors are looking for inflation protection through these 'yield-generating assets,' CEO saysSteffen Pauls, chairman and CEO of private equity investment platform Moonfare, says investors are increasingly looking to private equity to hedge against recessionary and inflationary forces.

☆ Lau: Wait for earnings to settle down in the market
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | 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 EmailLau: Wait for earnings to settle down before jumping back into risky equity investmentsBenjamin Lau, Chief Investment Officer at Apriem Advisors, joins Worldwide Exchange to discuss his investment strategy.

☆ Global investors are bullish again on China as Beijing switches to damage control
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A key index of Chinese stocks in New York jumped 15% during the same period. Some investment banks even upgraded their China growth forecasts following the policy changes. They want to correct the market’s perception of China’s economic outlook, as President Xi Jinping interacts with global leaders at G20,” it said. “I don’t think the long-term appetite for China and Hong Kong shares will return so quickly. The Nasdaq Golden China Index, a popular index tracking Chinese companies in New York, has plunged more than 33% so far in 2022.

☆ Passed on investing in FTX, twice, says former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"We looked at investment twice, and passed both times," Mnuchin said at the CNBC Technology Executive Council Summit in New York on Tuesday. I did not expect it would unwind nearly as quickly, and if indeed customer funds were misused those are very serious issues," he said. "We were a bit surprised by the overall level of valuation," Mnuchin said. "You had people doing an investment a day in tech," Mnuchin said at the CNBC event. Though he added that the allegations of misuse of customer funds in the FTX case do point to a foundational principal in financial regulation.

☆ Canada's largest pension fund CPPIB among the investors indirectly hit by FTX blowup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Danielle Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board had an indirect exposure to FTX through a Sequoia private-equity fund it was invested in. Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan said last week that it had invested a total of $95 million in FTX International and its US entity since October 2021. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, one of the world's largest pension funds, can be counted among the investors now impacted, either directly or indirectly, by the blowup of crypto exchange FTX. Toronto-based CPPIB has an indirect exposure to FTX through its investment in a Sequoia Capital private-equity fund. Sequoia's other impacted fund, SCGE Fund, L.P. had $63.5 million invested in FTX and FTX US, according to the firm's letter to clients.

☆ Buffett's Berkshire discloses big Taiwan Semi stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) said it bought more than $4.1 billion of stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW), a rare significant foray into the technology sector by billionaire Warren Buffett's conglomerate. In a Monday regulatory filing describing its U.S.-listed equity investments as of Sept. 30, Berkshire said it owned about 60.1 million of Taiwan Semiconductor's American depositary shares. Berkshire also disclosed new, smaller stakes in building materials company Louisiana-Pacific Corp (LPX.N) and the financial services company Jefferies Financial Group Inc (JEF.N). Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tiger Global, Coatue, and other hedge funds tried to upend venture capital. It backfired and now they're 'licking their wounds,' VCs say.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

New investments by Tiger Global and Coatue fell 60% and 67%, respectively, this year. "They're licking their wounds," said Nihal Mehta, a founding partner at Eniac Ventures, whose portfolio includes the marketing-tech startup Attentive, a crown jewel of Tiger Global and Coatue's portfolios. Speaking to founders, Mehta hears crossover funds come up less and less in conversation, and partners at some crossover funds tell him they're pulling back from new deals, though crossover funds haven't disappeared altogether. Crossover funds found themselves with billions of dollars in deployed capital and few exits in sight. Last month, Tiger Global and Coatue both revealed they are seeking to raise new funds earmarked for early-stage startup deals.

☆ Taiwan to invest 10 mln euros towards chip production in Lithuania
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VILNIUS, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Taiwan, the world's biggest supplier of semiconductors, will invest more than 10 million euros ($9.98 million) towards chip production in Lithuania, the head of the Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius said on Monday. Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in its country in November last year, angering China which views the democratically-governed island as its own territory. Earlier this year, Taiwan launched a 200-million-euro equity investment fund and a 1-billion-euro loan facility for Lithuania and other central and eastern European countries. The first equity investments totalling 10 million euros in Lithuanian would be completed by early next year, said Huang, adding that first loans amounting to 9 million euros should be dispersed by the end of this month. Lithuania formally launched its own representation in Taiwan on Monday.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway's operating earnings jump 20%, conglomerate buys back another $1 billion in stock
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Earnings from the company's utilities and energy businesses came in at $1.585 billion, up from $1.496 billion year over year. Insurance underwriting suffered a loss of 962 million, however, while railroad earnings dipped to $1.442 billion from $1.538 billion in 2021. Berkshire spent $1.05 billion in share repurchases during the quarter, bringing the nine-month total to $5.25 billion. However, Berkshire did post a net loss of $2.69 billion in the third quarter, versus a $10.34 billion gain a year before. Berkshire suffered a $10.1 billion loss on its investments during the quarter, bringing its 2022 decline to $63.9 billion.

☆ Warren Buffett's equity portfolio is concentrated in just 5 stocks. Here's what they are
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway just revealed that 73% of its equity portfolio was focused on just five names. The legendary investor kept his biggest holdings unchanged during the third quarter, as the broader market experienced heightened volatility due to the Federal Reserve's aggressive tightening. The legendary investor again asked investors to not focus on the quarterly fluctuations in its equity investments. The tech giant has become Buffett's favorite stock for its quality products, loyal customer base as well as the company's big buyback program. Other big bets included Coca-Cola, American Express and Bank of America , which have been Buffett's longtime holdings.

☆ Homebuyers battling high mortgage rates could soon have a new option: sell a stake in their future home for as much as $250,000 toward a down payment
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The next frontier: making similar investments to buyers who need help with a down payment. Down-payment investments could help them avoid those costs, which can amount to hundreds of dollars a month. So we're gearing up for that," Riccitelli said, adding that down-payment investments represented "a massive opportunity." Indeed, one of the industry's trailblazers, Unison, stopped offering down-payment investments earlier in the pandemic, choosing instead to focus on traditional home-equity agreements. "One of the big mortgage companies is going to have to get in on it," the executive added.

☆ Uber shares surge on solid profit forecast as rideshare recovery defies inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Nivedita Balu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) on Tuesday forecast fourth-quarter operating profit above Wall Street estimates, betting on cost controls and rising demand for its rides as customers resume spending more on travel, sending its shares up 13%. The logo for Uber Technologies is seen on a vehicle in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew KellyThe company forecast fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA, a profitability metric keenly watched by investors, between $600 million and $630 million. Revenue rose 72% to $8.34 billion and adjusted profit was $516 million, both beating estimates. Shares of peers Lyft Inc (LYFT.O) and DoorDash Inc (DASH.N), which are yet to report results, were also trading higher.

☆ Uber share surge on solid profit forecast as rideshare recovery defies inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Nivedita Balu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Monthly active users on Uber's apps rose 14%, exceeding the levels seen in September 2019, helped by airport trips, while revenue from the rideshare segment rose 73% in the third quarter. The company forecast fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA, a profitability metric keenly watched by investors, between $600 million and $630 million. Reuters Graphics"It is just more confirmation that this can be a very profitable business," Fox Advisors CEO Steven Fox said. Revenue rose 72% to $8.34 billion and adjusted profit was $516 million, both beating estimates. Shares of peers Lyft Inc (LYFT.O) and DoorDash Inc (DASH.N), which will report results later this month, also surged 9% and 4%, respectively.

☆ Uber shares surge as rideshare recovery powers operating profit forecast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Nivedita Balu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) on Tuesday forecast fourth-quarter operating profit above Wall Street estimates, betting on cost controls and rising demand for its rides as customers resume spending more on travel, sending its shares up 10%. "It is just more confirmation that this can be a very profitable business," Fox Advisors CEO Steven Fox said, highlighting Uber's goal of $5 billion in operating profit by fiscal 2024. The company forecast fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA, a profitability metric keenly watched by investors, between $600 million and $630 million. Revenue rose 72% to $8.34 billion and adjusted profit was $516 million, both beating estimates. Shares of peers Lyft Inc (LYFT.O) and DoorDash Inc (DASH.N), which are scheduled to report results later this month, were up about 5%.

☆ Uber reports another loss but beats on revenue and the stock is up
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Uber reported a third-quarter loss Tuesday but beat analysts' estimates for revenue and showed a surge in bookings. He said October is tracking to be the company's "best month ever for both Mobility and total company Gross bookings." Here's how Uber's largest business segments performed in the quarter:Mobility (gross bookings): $13.7 billion, short of analysts' estimates of $13.83 billion according to StreetAccount. Delivery (gross bookings): $13.7 billion, short of analysts' estimates of $14.01 billion according to StreetAccount. That trend continued during the third quarter, as Uber's mobility segment reported $3.8 billion in revenue while delivery reported $2.8 billion.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Abiomed, Uber, SoFi, Pfizer and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Uber Technologies (UBER) – Uber rallied 8.8% in the premarket after it reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue as gross bookings surged compared to a year ago. SoFi Technologies (SOFI) – SoFi surged 14.3% in premarket trading, following a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and revenue that exceeded analysts' forecasts. Pfizer (PFE) – Pfizer jumped 4% in premarket trading following a better-than-expected quarter and an improved financial outlook. Avis Budget (CAR) – Avis Budget shares gained 3.7% in the premarket following better-than-expected quarterly earnings from the rental car giant amid continued strong travel demand. Trex (TREX) – Trex shares tumbled 7.5% in premarket trading after the maker of decking and railing materials missed both top and bottom line estimates for its latest quarter.

☆ UK will not take action over Czech mogul's plan to raise Royal Mail stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Britain is no longer intervening in Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's plan to increase his stake in Royal Mail parent International Distributions Services (IDSI.L), sending the company's shares up more than 7% on Monday. In August, Royal Mail said it had been notified by then business minister Kwasi Kwarteng that he was exercising powers to look into proposals by Kretinsky's vehicle, Vesa Equity Investment, under the National Security and Investment Act. The Royal Mail review came days after the government decided not to take action over billionaire Patrick Drahi's stake in telecoms firm BT (BT.L). Vesa, Royal Mail's biggest shareholder which is ultimately controlled by Kretinsky and his business partner Patrik Tkac, in August said it had voluntarily contacted the government to inform them of its intention to increase its stake in Royal Mail, which is currently just over 22%. "Vesa Equity Investment welcomes the decision ... and reiterate our commitment to continuing long term investment presence in the U.K., including our partnership with Royal Mail," a spokesperson said.

☆ Blackstone strikes twice with Emerson carve-out
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The transaction employs an unusual structure similar to one Blackstone used successfully five years ago. It looks a lot like the deal Blackstone struck with Thomson Reuters(TRI.TO) – the parent company of Breakingviews – back in January 2018. Because debt accounted for around two-thirds of the purchase price, the quick sale roughly doubled the value of Blackstone and Thomson Reuters’ equity investments. Private equity group Blackstone will contribute $4.4 billion in cash, receiving a 55% equity stake in the business and a $2 billion convertible preferred note. Emerson, an industrial conglomerate that makes industrial instruments and software, will retain 45% of the division’s equity and a note worth $2.25 billion.

☆ Battery-recycling startup Ascend Elements just pulled in $800 million in funding. Here's why investors are betting on it to beat out rivals like Redwood Materials.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ascend Elements wants to lead in the crucial EV-battery-recycling space. The burgeoning battery-recycling startup Ascend Elements is sitting on a fresh $800 million — and its CEO plans to spend it on beating out rivals like Redwood Materials. Redwood Materials, arguably the most-known player in the industry, saw a whopping $700 million Series C last year. Correction: October 26, 2022 — An earlier version of this story misstated the breakdown of Ascend Element's funding. The $50 million strategic investment from SK is part of the $200 million in equity funding, not in addition to it.

☆ Online real-estate investment firm Fundrise is paying way over housing-market value for some build-to-rent communities. Here's why it says it's still a winning strategy.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Alex Nicoll | Lisa Kailai Han | James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Build-to-rent communities skip the intermediary and go straight to the homebuilder. While typical single-family rental strategies, pioneered by Blackstone in the aftermath of the Great Recession, are inherently tied to the housing market, build-to-rent is not. In the eyes of private equity, there's no difference between build-to-rent communities and apartment blocks. If you value Cypress Bay as an apartment building, instead of a collection of homes, Fundrise got a good deal. Fundrise is still working on deals, Miller said, with a deal pipeline stretching out to 2025.

☆ Private credit is king, for now: How Blackstone is seizing on making loans while banks pull back in a dismal market
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Blackstone is doubling down on private credit investments in a volatile market. While its corporate private equity investment performance fell in the quarter, private credit rose. As stock markets plunge, private equity investments' values sour, and central banks hike interest rates, the growing private credit market is heating up — and benefitting private investors stepping in to make loans as banks pull back. Take Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager known for its powerful private equity and real estate businesses. Risks and opportunitiesBlackstone is hardly alone as it doubles down on private credit investments.

☆ Cost pass-through key amid high inflation, argues Edison Group executive director
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | 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 EmailCost pass-through key amid high inflation, argues Edison Group executive directorNeil Shah, executive director for content and strategy at Edison Group, outlines his equity investment strategy as earnings season kicks off amid high inflation.

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