DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 'It's just consensus bearishness' out there amongst investors, says RBC's Amy Wu Silverman
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | 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 Email'It's just consensus bearishness' out there amongst investors, says RBC's Amy Wu SilvermanAmy Wu Silverman, RBC Capital Markets head of derivatives strategy, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest equity market trends, which she has compared to a duck - appearing calm on the surface but furiously paddling beneath.

☆ Massive city growth and climate change are twin opportunities, says manager of $40 billion fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"Investing in infrastructure, climate-related technology is the future," Wahba told CNBC in a video interview in May. The road is made of bitumen," a derivative of an oil product, Wahba told CNBC. Each stage of that process poses an infrastructure climate problem. "There are very, very attractive returns," Wahba told CNBC. Of course, some climate investments are risky.

☆ Analysis: Options investors guard against U.S. stock tumble, despite buoyant markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidNEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - Options market demand for insurance against a stock market crash has soared to multi-month highs, even as equities have calmed down after a choppy start to the year. U.S. stock market volatility has subsided as the S&P 500 (.SPX) has logged a 7% year-to-date gain. Though stock market gyrations have subsided in recent weeks from levels hit during the regional banks crisis, investors see plenty of catalysts for volatility ahead. Institutional investors' stock exposure has inched higher after slumping in 2022 to a decade low, excluding the COVID-19 market crash of March 2020, Deutsche Bank data showed.

☆ Options investors guard against US stock tumble, despite buoyant markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Crypto firms call for global consensus instead of "fire hose" of rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Apart from compliance with rules to stop money laundering and terrorist financing, crypto firms are largely unregulated in many parts of the world. "If we built a good regulatory regime, people would come. We are shooting ourselves in the foot by not having a regulatory regime in the U.S.," Peirce said. U.S. Congress needed to decide which regulatory body has authority over crypto, Peirce added. Global standards and harmonisation as much as possible are key, said Sarah Pritchard, executive director for supervision at Britain's Financial Conduct Authority.

☆ The stocks that may move the most on debt ceiling drama and how to play it with options
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This political and economic uncertainty related to the U.S. Congress extending the debt limits may lead to short-term volatility in the financial markets," the Goldman report said. The debt ceiling debate is now front and center in Washington. All three stocks could be hurt by potential cuts or disruptions to government health care spending. One way to play the potential future volatility in these stocks is through an options strategy using so-called straddles. Goldman highlighted the July 21 straddles in the note, which would let investors capture any volatility through most of the projected debt limit stand-off.

Investors will look for clues on whether inflation is continuing to ease following the Labor Department's consumer price index (CPI) report on Wednesday. Shares of PayPal Holdings (PYPL.O) dropped and pressured the benchmark S&P 500 after the company cut its margin forecast. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 4, 2023. Under Armour Inc (UAA.N) fell 5.66% as the sports apparel maker forecast its annual sales and profit below street expectations. The S&P 500 posted 14 new 52-week highs and 14 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 77 new highs and 171 new lows.

☆ How El Chapo’s sons built a fentanyl empire poisoning America
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

Headed by Iván, El Chapo’s oldest son, the siblings have emerged as key figures in the Sinaloa Cartel, U.S. and Mexican anti-narcotics officials said. But he was killed in 2008 in Culiacán in a hail of bullets amid infighting between warring factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. The agency in April placed Iván on the list of its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, joining Jesús Alfredo and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a Sinaloa Cartel legend and El Chapo’s alleged former business partner. They also kidnapped eight soldiers and surrounded military housing where wives and children of Mexican soldiers lived, Mexican officials said. Despite that blow to the Sinaloa Cartel, fentanyl keeps flowing north.

☆ Inaction from congress on debt ceiling 'will be throwing flames on a fire', says Matt Maley
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | 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 EmailInaction from congress on debt ceiling 'will be throwing flames on a fire', says Matt MaleyMatt Maley, Miller Tabak + Co. chief strategist, and Eric Johnston, Cantor Fitzgerald head of equity derivatives, join 'Closing Bell Overtime' with reaction to Secretary Yellen's comments on the debt ceiling, U.S. dollar, a possible recession and more.

☆ Sterling hits one-year high as Bank of England decision nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Harry Robertson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - The pound rose to just shy of a one-year high against the dollar on Friday, and to a one-month high against the euro, as traders eyed the Bank of England's interest rate decision next week. Sterling was up 0.21% at $1.26 on Friday, after reaching $1.263 earlier in the session, the highest since late May last year. The euro was down 0.14% against the pound at 87.49 pence, after earlier falling to 87.42 pence, the lowest since April 6. The European Central Bank on Thursday raised rates by 25 bps, a step down in the pace of monetary tightening. Traders broadly expect the Bank of England to raise rates by 25 basis points to 4.5% on Thursday next week, according to pricing in derivatives markets.

☆ Sons of Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' deny trafficking fentanyl in rare letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, May 4 (Reuters) - Sons of former Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman denied U.S. allegations that they were major traffickers flooding the United States with synthetic opioid fentanyl, addressing the claims against them in a rare letter. The U.S. Justice Department last month charged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with trafficking fentanyl and other drugs, including four sons of El Chapo, the cartel's one time leader who is now imprisoned in the U.S. "We have never produced, manufactured or marketed fentanyl or any of its derivatives," the sons wrote in the letter, published by Mexican news outlet Milenio late on Wednesday. They also singled out Los Chapitos as key figures in the Sinaloa Cartel, blaming them for worsening the U.S. opioid epidemic. Mexico and the United States agreed last month to ramp up efforts to stop the trafficking of fentanyl, which has driven a surge in overdose deaths in the United States.

☆ The cost of insuring against a US default hits an all-time high as debt ceiling deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The insurance cost against a US default hit a fresh high Thursday as lawmakers wrangle over raising the debt ceiling. One-year US government credit default swaps traded at 152 basis points. One-year US government credit default swaps traded at 152 basis points, surpassing trades above 134 in late April when those derivatives were the costliest since the 2008 global financial crisis. Buyers of credit default swaps, or CDS, seek insurance against a borrower that may not meet its debt-payment obligations. The bill offered to lift the debt ceiling in exchange for government spending cuts of roughly 8% in 2024, among other terms.

Companies Genesis Global Capital, Llc FollowMay 4 (Reuters) - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX received U.S. bankruptcy court permission on Thursday to sell its LedgerX business for $50 million, raising additional funds to repay creditors. Miami International Holdings owns the Bermuda Stock Exchange and several U.S.-registered securities exchanges, including the Miami International Securities Exchange. FTX said in a court filing that Genesis owes it that money as a result of transactions that took place shortly before FTX's bankruptcy filing. Genesis, unlike other creditors, was largely repaid before FTX went bankrupt, FTX said. FTX, a once-prominent crypto exchange, filed for Chapter 11 amid allegations that founder Sam Bankman-Fried used FTX customers' money to prop up Alameda's balance sheet.

NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters) - The cost of insuring against further losses in regional U.S. bank stocks stood near a one-month high in options markets on Wednesday, even as shares of lenders saw a reprieve from their recent sell-off. Skew on the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF - a gauge of relative demand for puts versus calls - remained elevated, hovering near the highest level since the COVID-19 market slump, data from OptionMetrics showed. The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF rose about 1.9% to 39.64 in afternoon trade, though it is down 33% on the year and fell on Monday and Tuesday. "The fact that you didn't see the follow-through from some of these other regional banks, with what would appear to be such great news, really didn't inspire a lot of confidence in some of these regional banks," said Seth Hickle, a derivatives portfolio manager at Innovative Portfolios, referring to JPMorgan’s rescue of First Republic. "The problem with regionals are going to be rising interest rates,” said Matt Amberson, principal at options analytics firm ORATS.

☆ Federal Agency Suspends Inspector General After Oversight Body Alleged ‘Substantial Misconduct’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Alexander Osipovich | Paul Kiernan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A. Roy Lavik began serving as CFTC inspector general in 1990. Photo: Office of the Inspector General, Commodity Futures Trading CommissionA federal regulator has suspended its inspector general after an oversight body found that he engaged in “substantial misconduct,” including wasting government funds, outing whistleblowers and disparaging employees, people familiar with the matter said. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates derivatives markets, voted 3-0 to place its inspector general, A. Roy Lavik , on “non-duty status” while it considered what further action to take, the people said. The agency informed leaders of several congressional committees of the move earlier this week, the people said.

Though stocks remain near their 2023 highs, some investors now believe those factors will soon start taking a greater toll, limiting further upside. The market may be "back in the soup on the banking crisis," said Chuck Carlson, chief executive officer at Horizon Investment Services. Many investors don’t expect that calm to continue, as a battle over raising the $34 trillion U.S. debt ceiling looms. In the six rate-hiking cycles since 1984, the S&P 500 has posted an average three-month return of 8% following the peak funds rate, Goldman Sachs strategists wrote. However, the S&P 500 is already trading well above its valuation at the end of any cycle except the one ending in 2000, when the S&P 500 declined despite a Fed pause, the bank said.

☆ Porsche to raise prices further as profits jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, May 3 (Reuters) - Luxury carmaker Porsche (P911_p.DE) will raise prices by 4-8% in Europe and the U.S. in the second half to combat higher costs that weighed on returns in the first quarter, even as profits and revenue jumped by over 25%, it said on Wednesday. Porsche listed on the stock market in September last year, splitting from its former parent Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) - a decision Meschke said was leading to higher speed in decision-making on products and hiring. The company reported revenue of 10.1 billion euros in the first quarter of 2023 and operating profit of 1.84 billion euros, beating expectations of three analysts polled by Refinitiv. Operating profit in its financial services arm declined to 86 million euros from 102 million previously, which it attributed to the valuation of interest rate hedges and derivatives as well as the impact of the interest rate rise on financing products. ($1 = 0.9060 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Maria SheahanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dollar in defensive mood after jobs data; Fed in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in Chicago on October 18, 2022. The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six rivals, eased 0.029% to 101.820 after sliding 0.245% on Tuesday. "If the difference in rates between the two regions become clearer, DXY (dollar index) may fall below the 100 mark." The kiwi rose 0.35% versus the greenback to $0.623, while sterling was last trading at $1.2479, up 0.12% on the day. The Japanese yen strengthened 0.11% to 136.40 per dollar, clawing back some of its losses from last week when the Bank of Japan stuck to its ultra-loose monetary policy.

☆ Coinbase launches international crypto derivatives exchange
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - Coinbase Global Inc (COIN.O) launched an international exchange for cryptocurrency derivatives on Tuesday, as the company looks to expand its global footprint amid escalating tensions between the crypto sector and regulators in the United States. The exchange will let institutional users in eligible jurisdictions outside the U.S. to trade in perpetual futures, Coinbase said. The digital assets industry is recovering from several blow-ups last year, including the bankruptcy of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange FTX. "We would like to see the U.S. take a similar approach instead of regulation by enforcement, which has led to a disappointing trend for crypto development in the U.S.," the crypto exchange said. Separately, another crypto exchange Gemini on Tuesday launched a derivatives platform for trading perpetual futures, outside the U.S. jurisdiction.

NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - The weekend rescue of troubled lender First Republic Bank (FRC.N) has done little to allay options traders' concerns about the overall health of U.S. regional banks. Traders who had bought upside calls on regional banks on Friday appeared to be exiting those positions as the regulator-engineered rescue of First Republic failed to catalyze a rally in the mid-cap bank sector. SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF shares were down 2% at $41.70 in afternoon trading. At the individual stock level, traders were focused on regional lender PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) on Monday. With PacWest shares down 7%, put options, typically used for bearish bets, outnumbered call options, usually employed for bullish bets, 4-to-1, according to Trade Alert data.

☆ I'm a bear when it's called for, like in 2007. But this stock market belongs to the bulls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

I have not been bombarded with as many warnings about how we are about to embark upon a wave of failures of all sorts — shadow banks, regional banks, commercial real estate lenders, real estate investment trusts — at any time since 2007. Let's take commercial real estate. I mention SL Green because it may be the most challenged of the REITs, real estate investment trusts, other than Vornado Realty Trust (VNO), a historically fine New York real estate concern, which just delayed its dividend. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ Resolving Credit Suisse: an alternative history
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Reuters GraphicsThe market shock will be all the more extreme because Credit Suisse doesn’t obviously need more capital. It seems perverse to put taxpayer money on the line while leaving the Credit Suisse bonds untouched. Of the 30 global lenders classed as systemically important by the Financial Stability Board, Credit Suisse is the third-smallest by total assets. It also enables the Swiss National Bank to offer Credit Suisse an open-ended credit line, hopefully ending the bank run. Credit Suisse is suffering from a crisis of confidence brought on by years of mismanagement, rather than a system-wide meltdown.

☆ Analysis: Debt ceiling worries bubble up in US stock options market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, April 26 (Reuters) - Worries over a debt ceiling showdown are creeping into U.S. options markets, as investors grow increasingly concerned that lawmakers will be unable to hammer out a deal in coming weeks, potentially sparking stock volatility as a key deadline nears. In the options market, however, worries are bubbling as some analysts warn the so-called X-date, after which the government is no longer able to pay all its bills, could come in the first half of June. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday warned that failure by Congress to raise the government's debt ceiling - and the resulting default - would trigger an "economic catastrophe" that would send interest rates higher for years to come. AWKWARD TIMINGLegislative standoffs over debt limits this last decade have largely been resolved before they could ripple out into markets. "You are going to have all these fundamental pressures -- and then our friends in Washington aren't going to be able to agree on what to do with the debt ceiling," he said.

☆ Debt ceiling worries bubble up in US stock options market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Bitcoin surges 9% toward key level of $30,000 as crypto market rallies amid fresh banking sector fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The rally comes as First Republic Bank stokes fresh fears over weakness in the banking sector. Investors are also adding risk as they anticipate a Fed pivot, a crypto exec told Insider. First Republic Bank stock nosedived almost 50% on Tuesday and lost another 20% Wednesday, hitting a record low, after reporting higher-than-expected customer deposit withdrawals. Bitcoin rallied through the turmoil in March as Silicon Valley Bank failed, and industry observers said a similar situation is playing out for the world's largest crypto amid the latest bout of uncertainty. Another crypto exec echoed similar sentiments, adding that the slew of bank failures like Silicon Valley Bank last month made investors question the stability of traditional financial services.

Search resuls for: "Derivatives"

25 mentions found