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☆ Fed Chair Powell and jobs data take center stage next week as Wall Street weighs interest rate outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Next week, the first full trading week of March, macroeconomic concerns will take center stage for investors. Next week, the Fed chief is largely anticipated to stick to the same talking points in testifying before Congress. In fact, the February jobs report, due out next Friday, is expected to show a moderation in payroll gains. Hourly Earnings preliminary (February) 8:30 a.m. Average Workweek preliminary (February) 8:30 a.m. Manufacturing Payrolls (February) 8:30 a.m. Nonfarm Payrolls (February) 8:30 a.m. Private Nonfarm Payrolls (February) 8:30 a.m. Unemployment Rate (February) — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox and Yun Li contributed to this report.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Shannon Saccocia, Kim Forrest, Webull, Michael Hartnett, CNBC's Yun Li, Melissa Brown, Brown, Wealth's Saccocia, Saccocia, Nonfarm Payrolls, —, Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox, Yun Li Organizations: Federal, Fed, Capitol, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, FactSet, Barclays, Bokeh Capital Partners, Labor Department, Bitcoin, BofA Global Research, Apple, Nvidia, Ross Stores, Costco Wholesale, Kroger, . Semiconductor, Broadcom, PMI, PMI Services, Services PMI, Ross, Target, ADP, Labor, Consumer Credit Locations: U.S, REITs, Japan

☆ February was a great month for Wall Street. These were our 5 best-performing stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia (NVDA) year-to-date performance Nvidia was our top-performing stock for February. Shares surged 28.6% in the month on the back of stellar quarterly results and continued investor optimism in generative artificial intelligence. META YTD mountain Meta Platforms (META) year-to-date performance Coming in at No. GEHC YTD mountain GE Healthcare (GEHC) year-to-date performance GE Healthcare shares jumped 24.4% during February, occupying the No. FL YTD mountain Foot Locker (FL) year-to-date performance Foot Locker was the portfolio's fourth-best stock in the month.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Mark Zuckerberg, Locker, Mary Dillon's, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Brendan McDermid Organizations: Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, Dow Jones Industrial, Club, Palo Alto Networks, Wynn Resorts, Nvidia, Facebook, GE Healthcare, Meta, Wall Street, General Electric, Nike, Health, CNBC, Traders, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Wells Fargo, WYNN, FL, New York City, U.S

☆ China calls on foreign businesses to share their problems as investment slumps
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

While the Commerce Ministry meeting did not reveal much new progress on the 24 measures to support foreign business that were announced last summer, attendees said they were able to share specific challenges about doing business in China. The ministry said representatives from more than 60 foreign businesses and 9 associations attended Wednesday's roundtable. Foreign direct investment into China has fallen to its lowest level in three years, according to official data, amid geopolitical tensions and slowing growth in the country. Hart said that it's hard for companies not yet in China to complete due diligence and approve new investments. Biden, who faces re-election this fall, has emphasized the need to compete with China while finding areas of cooperation.

Persons: Aly Song, MofCom, Jens Eskelund, Eskelund, Michael Hart, Hart, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Reuters, Reuters BEIJING — China's Ministry of Commerce, Commerce Ministry, EU Chamber of Commerce, Cyberspace Administration of, China's Ministry of Commerce, American Chamber of Commerce, U.S, U.S . Transportation Department Locations: China, U.S, Yiwu, Zhejiang province, Reuters BEIJING, Beijing, Cyberspace Administration of China, San Francisco

☆ A Tesla Cybertruck was resold for more than twice its price
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Foundation series Cybertruck was sold at an auction for $244,500 on Wednesday — over $130,000 more than its sticker price. AdvertisementSince Tesla started deliveries of the Cybertruck on November 30, Give Me The Vin has received dozens of offers from Cybertruck owners, Wolfe said. It's not the first time Tesla owners have attempted to flip their cars. In 2022, some Tesla owners made up to $7,000 reselling their EVs. However, the resale market has been difficult for Tesla owners in recent years due to the company's recent series of price cuts.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, John Clay Wolfe, Tesla, Wolfe, We've, he's, GiveMeTheVin, Rolls Royce, It's Organizations: Service, Porsche, Cox Automotive's, Business, South Orlando, Elon, Tesla, Rolls Locations: Cox Automotive's Manheim, Dallas , Texas

☆ I celebrated 3 months of sobriety with an all-inclusive vacation. I fell off the wagon when I got home, but I'm trying again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jennifer Greenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Three months into my sobriety, I took an all-inclusive vacation. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . But, unlike the previous times I had gone on the wagon, this time, I would be doing it for myself. As I had my challenges with binge drinking in my 20s, I had avoided all-inclusive resorts since a vacation in my teens, when my brother and I were accidentally given adult bracelets and our parents turned the other cheek.

Persons: —, Grandma Bevy, I'd, pina coladas poolside, sipping, curt, hesitantly, I'm, Beverly Mendel Organizations: Service, sipping White Locations: New York, Montreal, Cana

Birkenstock on Thursday beat holiday quarter revenue expectations, reporting a 26% year-on-year jump, as the German sandal company benefited from higher pricing and rising U.S. demand. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 12% year-on-year to 81 million euros, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 26.9%, down from 29.1% a year earlier. "However, in the medium-term, we are confident we will continue to deliver our objectives of a gross profit margin over 60% and an adjusted EBITDA margin in the low thirties percent." Within a few years, its sales nearly doubled and its market cap is now around $9.7 billion, double its 2021 valuation of $4.85 billion. Since going public, Birkenstock has used some of its proceeds to pay down debt.

Persons: Oliver Reichert, Reichert, Armour, Birkenstock, Johann Adam Birkenstock Organizations: LSEG, New York Stock Exchange, Nike, Catterton Locations: North America, Birkenstock

☆ Kroger, Albertsons and the New Antitrust Playbook - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“The proposed acquisition is by far the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history,” one that would unite “the No. 2 traditional supermarket chains in the United States,” it says in its complaint. is correct on the numbers, but the key word is “traditional.” Traditional supermarket chains no longer dominate the grocery business. Kroger is a distant second to Walmart, with a 10 percent market share, and Albertsons is fourth (behind Costco Wholesale), with 6 percent. So even if Kroger and Albertsons merged, they would be only a little more than half of Walmart’s size.

Organizations: Kroger Co, Albertsons Companies Inc, titans, Federal Trade Commission, Albertsons, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Solomon Partners, Kroger, Costco Wholesale Locations: United States

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers push for 6-year sentence in multibillion-dollar FTX fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Under federal sentencing guidelines, he could face a maximum of 110 years. In the memo, Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, Marc Mukasey, asks the judge overseeing the case to reject the pre-sentencing report prepared by the Probation Department, which recommends a 100-year sentence. Considering Bankman-Fried’s “charitable works and demonstrated commitment to others” Mukasey recommends a prison sentence between five and six-and-a-half years. The judge overseeing the case, Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York, will weigh several factors in deciding Bankman-Fried’s sentence, including arguments from prosecutors, defense counsel and the recommendations from the Probation Department. Typically, in white-collar crimes, the bigger the financial loss, the longer the sentence.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Marc Mukasey, ”, “, ” Mukasey, —, Mukasey, FTX, Lewis Kaplan, Jordan Estes, Kramer Levin, Estes Organizations: New, New York CNN, Probation Department, Southern, of, Department, ”, US Attorney’s, Southern District Locations: New York, Manhattan, FTX, Brooklyn, of New York

☆ FAA gives Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to address quality issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Boeing must produce within 90 days a plan to fix serious quality and safety issues, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday. The agency said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker and Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun held a day-long meeting on Tuesday where Whitaker made the demand. The FAA said the Boeing plan must address weaknesses in implementing the company’s Safety Management System, known as SMS, as well as integrating the SMS program with another quality program. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images North America/Getty ImagesThe panel that reported on Boeing’s safety shortcomings on Monday recommended the company address those issues within six months; the FAA’s new directive sets a faster timeline. The resulting plan from Boeing must lead to a “measurable, systemic shift in manufacturing quality control,” the FAA said.

Persons: Mike Whitaker, Dave Calhoun, Whitaker, Sen, Mark Warner, Anna Moneymaker, Max, CNN’s Chris Isidore Organizations: CNN, Boeing, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Max, company’s, Management, SMS, Capitol, North Locations: Washington , DC, North America

Without ever clicking a mouse or touching a screen, Mark selected this command on his computer simply using signals from his brain. “I figured I had two choices: I could wallow in self-pity, or I could pick myself up by the bootstraps and do what I could to help,” Mark said. Synchron’s brain implant, the one Mark has, is called a Stentrode and consists of a stent with electrode sensors that can detect electrical brain activity. That external transmitter sits right above the internal transmitter and carries the signal from Mark’s brain to the computer almost instantaneously. Earlier this month, Musk also said Neuralink’s first human trial participant can control a computer mouse with their brain.

Persons: Sanjay Gupta’s, Erin Burnett OutFront, CNN —, Mark, Lou Gehrig’s, ” Mark, Elon Musk, ”, “, Sanjay Gupta, Synchron, Tom Oxley, hardwired, he’s, Mark didn’t, “ We’d, Maria Nardozzi, ” Oxley, CNN Mark, Musk’s Neuralink, Oxley, António Guterres, ” Elon Musk, Gonzalo Fuentes, Neuralink, Musk, Hope Organizations: CNN, BCI, US Food and Drug Administration, Netflix, US Securities and Exchange Commission, United Nations, Reuters, SpaceX Locations: Neuralink, UNESCO’s, Pennsylvania

☆ Stock futures are little changed Tuesday night as investors await fresh inflation data: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 41 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures pulled back 0.04%, while Nasdaq 100 futures slid 0.08%. In Tuesday's regular session, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite ended the day with small gains, up 0.17% and 0.37%, respectively. The S&P 500 and the Dow are off the highs they just notched late last week, but investors may want to think twice before they aggressively ramp up on equities. On Wednesday, investors will look to earnings results from retailer The TJX Cos. and pharmaceutical name Viatris in the morning.

Persons: Dow, Drew Pettit, hasn't, Cos, Salesforce Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Stock, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, eBay, Urban Outfitters, Citi

☆ Costco's average customer shops there at least twice per month and spends around $100 on each visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Every day, thousands of shoppers push their ultra-wide shopping carts through Costco's warehouse doors, collectively spending more than $237.7 billion last fiscal year. The wholesale club boasts 129.5 million membership cardholders representing households and small and midsize businesses, but which shoppers are the "typical" Costco shoppers? The retailer also consistently leads the pack when it comes to customer satisfaction, though Walmart and Target are gaining ground. The typical customer visits Costco every two weeks or so — about 30 trips per year — and spends about $100 per trip for a total annual expense of $3,018. Compared with other shoppers, Costco members are more likely to be homeowners who love organic foods and actively manage their health.

Organizations: Costco, Business, Walmart, Target, Star Locations: North America

☆ Wall Street analysts come out very bullish on this recent sporting goods IPO
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Roach is even more bullish than many on Wall Street with a price target of $21 per share. Like many peers on the Street, she sees the company getting a boost from market share growth and an expansion of direct-to-consumer. Multiple analysts deemed Arc'teryx the "crown jewel' of Amer's portfolio. Though Arc'teryx provides a key reason for bullishness, analysts also have their eyes on other well-known brands in the portfolio. "But, the business faces an uncertain 1H24 wholesale backdrop, & comes with single-segment growth & profitability expansion reliance, multi-brand portfolio volatility risk, & high relative leverage levels."

Persons: Wilson, Arc'teryx, FactSet, Goldman Sachs, Brooke Roach, Roach, She's, Amer, Lorraine Hutchinson, Matthew Boss, Paul Lejuez, Salomon, Baird, Jonathan Komp, Amer's, Jay Sole, Morgan Stanley, Alex Straton, Straton Organizations: Amer, New York Stock Exchange, DTC, Bank of America, Amer Sports, Citi, UBS Locations: China

☆ US government sues to block largest supermarket merger in history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block the $25 billion deal between Kroger and Albertsons, alleging the largest supermarket merger in US history would lead to higher prices for consumers. The merger, announced in 2022, sought to combine the fifth and tenth largest retailers in the country. “This supermarket mega merger comes as American consumers have seen the cost of groceries rise steadily over the past few years. With the FTC’s blessing, Haggen, a small supermarket chain in the Northwest with just 18 locations, bought 146 of the former Albertsons and Safeway stores. She criticized the FTC’s handling of Albertsons’ deal with Safeway, pointing to it as a prime example of the limitations of divestitures.

Persons: Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, Kroger, Rodney McMullen, Henry Liu, Piggly, Khan, Lina Khan, Haggen, ” Khan, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FTC, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Competition, S Wholesale Grocers, Democrats, Republicans, Capitol Locations: New York, United States, Aldi, FTC’s, Northwest

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Alphabet, Salesforce, Arm, CVS, BJ's, Super Micro & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Morgan Stanley reiterates Target at overweight Morgan Stanley stood by its overweight rating on the department store owner. Morgan Stanley reiterates Salesforce as overweight Morgan Stanley said it likes the setup heading into earnings later this week. Morgan Stanley upgrades HashiCorp to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the software company has a compelling valuation. Morgan Stanley upgrades AvalonBay to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said apartment REIT stocks like AvalonBay are '"cheap for a reason." Morgan Stanley upgrades Sun Country to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said it likes the airline's business model.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Salesforce, Rosenblatt, Jefferies, Amer, Wells, Jane Fraser, Roth MKM, Roth, TD Cowen, TD, DA Davidson, OW, Fannie Mae, KBW, Freddie, Truist, it's, Piper Sandler, Piper, Bentley Organizations: Nvidia, BMO, Apollo, Amer Sports, Citi, Citigroup, Bank of America, KKR, APO, BJ's Wholesale, D.A, Susquehanna, Energy, HSBC downgrades Moderna, HSBC, Moderna, Google, YouTube, " Bank of America, Omega Healthcare, Sun, DuPont's Mobility, JPMorgan, Navy, Bentley Systems Locations: USD75, Asana, ASAN

☆ Aviation safety panel finds Boeing culture included safety ‘gaps,’ fear of retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Chris Isidore | Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Federal Aviation Administration issued a report Monday sharply critical of the safety culture at Boeing, following two fatal crashes and several years of safety and quality issues at the troubled aircraft maker. Its work included conducting more than 250 interviews and reviewing more than 4,000 pages of documents, and focused on both safety culture and the FAA program that delegates some aircraft certification work to Boeing employees. The panel was not charged with reporting on any specific incident involving Boeing aircraft. “However on several occasions during the expert panel’s activities, serious quality issues with Boeing products became public. In particular, it found Boeing repeatedly revised its Safety Management System – or SMS – manual, which is suppose to guide employees on procedures they should follow to insure planes are safe.

Persons: Boeing’s repreated, ”, Dave Calhoun, “ Organizations: CNN, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, FAA

☆ Stock futures are little changed ahead of key inflation data and corporate earnings: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, July 20, 2023. U.S. equity futures were little changed on Sunday as investors looked forward to the latest reading of the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation reading as well as a slew of big earnings reports. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down by 0.04%, while S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures ticked lower by 0.04% and 0.05%, respectively. "Nvidia has been the gift that keeps on giving with blockbuster earnings reports driving semis, tech, and the broader market higher this past week. "A hotter than expected PCE report this week could be a data point that could dampen the market enthusiasm."

Persons: Dow, they're, Stephanie Lang, Homrich Berg Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Federal, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Nvidia, CNBC, Norwegian Cruise, AMC Entertainment, Anheuser, Busch Locations: New York City, Norwegian

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Rivian, DraftKings, Nio, Fox, Carvana, Pfizer and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: UBS double-downgrades Rivian The firm said to sell the electric vehicle maker's stock, joining a growing group of concerned analysts following the company's earnings report. Raymond James upgrades Carvana The investment bank moved Carvana to market perform from underperform following the fourth-quarter earnings results. Guggenheim initiates Pfizer The firm opened coverage of the biopharmaceutical stock with a buy rating and $36 price target. " Rosenblatt initiates Adeia The firm began coverage with a buy rating and $15 price target. Roth MKM initiates CPI Card Group Roth MKM started coverage of the financial technology stock with a buy rating and $40 price target.

Persons: Ross, ROST, Raymond James, EBITDA, 4Q23, Guggenheim, ATNI, Morgan Stanley, Brighthouse, Rosenblatt, Roth MKM, Fred Imbert Organizations: UBS, Barclays, CNBC, Citi, Fox, JV, Ross, Price, Pfizer, DRG, Equitable, JPMorgan, Traction, JPMorgan downgrades Locations: 1Q24, Xperi, 4Q22

☆ Wall Street will try to maintain AI-fueled momentum in the final week of February, as inflation concerns linger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In the final week of February, Wall Street will strive to maintain its AI-fueled rally even as economic concerns linger and the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation measure is on deck. But many worry the writing is on the wall for these market leaders as economic and inflation risks linger. The 'lone cloud' of inflation The Fed's preferred inflation gauge will also be released in the week ahead. Investors are concerned that sticky inflation will mean that the Fed will hold onto its higher-for-longer interest rate policy. Next week will also be the final week of February, with stocks headed for another strong month of gains.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Patrick McDonough, Europe's, PGIM's McDonough, McDonough, Charlie Ashley, Dhaval Joshi, Joshi, Ashley, John Williams, TJX Cos Organizations: Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Japan's Nikkei, Catalyst Funds, BCA Research, CPI, PPI, Dow, New, Dallas Fed, Fidelity National Information Services, Richmond Fed, eBay, Enterprise, Cruise Line Holdings, New York Federal Reserve Bank, York, Monster Beverage, Paramount Global, PCE Deflator, Chicago PMI, . Kansas City Fed Manufacturing, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Autodesk, Body, Hormel, PMI, Manufacturing Locations: U.S, Lowe's, Chicago, . Kansas, Michigan

☆ Premarket stocks: Could the Federal Reserve rule out rate cuts in 2024?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Now, some are wondering if the central bank might not cut rates at all in 2024. He expects the central bank to cut rates two to four times this year. Plus, there’s no official indication that the central bank won’t cut rates this year. • If the neutral interest rate, or the rate that maintains full employment and stable inflation, is revised upward closer to 3.5%. The neutral rate should be 2.5%, based on Fed officials’ estimates for the central bank’s key interest rate, inflation and unemployment.

Persons: stoked, Stocks, won’t pare, ”, Tom Graff, Jerome Powell, Oliver Darcy, “, Eddy, Apple’s, Read, Here’s what’s, Chris Isidore Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN —, Federal Reserve, Deutsche Bank, Fed, Deutsche Bank economists, ” Apple, Wednesday, Apple Sports, NBA, NHL, MLS, NCAA, NFL, MLB, ESPN, Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, SAG Locations: New York, America

☆ Duke's 3-year fraud investigation into Dan Ariely has ended, and the star professor still has a job. Does he want it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

For years, the Duke professor Dan Ariely was at the top of his game. Three professors behind the blog Data Colada reported evidence of fake data in a 2012 paper Ariely coauthored on honesty pledges. "When people do take a risk and they succeed, everybody enjoys it," Ariely told BI. In 2010, Ariely told NPR that two dentists examining the same teeth for cavities would agree only 50% of the time, citing research from Delta Dental. While the board originally said it would "unanimously stand in support of President Gay," Gay stepped down in early January in response to the backlash.

Persons: Dan Ariely, Dan Ariely's, Jesse L, Martin, Ariely, Duke, sniffed, they'd, James B, —, they're, Francesca Gino, Ariely's, Marc Tessier Lavigne, Claudine Gay, Prince Andrew ., he's, Brad Swain, He's, Gordon Pennycook, Sean Gallup, Nick Brown, who's, Michael Sanders, who'd, Sanders, Gino, Aimee Drolet Rossi, Rossi, she'd, Amir, wasn't, hasn't, I've, haven't, isn't, would've, Claudine Gay's, Andrew Lichtenstein, Bill Ackman, Gay, Harvard, doesn't, Gay should've, Brown, Cornell Watson, who've, wouldn't Organizations: Google, NBC, UCLA, Duke, Business, Harvard Business, TED, Irrational, Cornell, Getty, Burda, King's College London, New York Times, NPR, Delta Dental, Higher Education, Hartford, Ariely, Harvard, University, Universities, BI, Colorado's, King's College Locations: Buckingham Palace, British, Hartford, Gaza, Montana

☆ Mortgage demand takes a massive hit as interest rates cross back over 7%
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mortgage interest rates surged last week to the highest level since early December, and that hit mortgage demand hard. "Potential homebuyers are quite sensitive to these rate changes, as affordability is strained with both higher rates and higher home values in this supply-constrained market," Fratantoni added. With rates higher, the adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity increased to 7.4% of total applications. ARMs offer lower interest rates but are considered more risky because they can adjust higher after a fixed period. Mortgage rates jumped even higher Friday after a monthly government report on wholesale prices showed inflation is still persistent and hotter than most analysts had expected.

Persons: Mike Fratantoni, Fratantoni Organizations: Woodland, Lifestyle Homes, Mortgage Locations: Cold Springs , Nevada

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly higher in Asia after Chinese markets reopened Monday from a long Lunar New Year holiday. Markets will be closed Monday in the United States for President's Day. Elsewhere in Asia, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher to 7,665.10 and the Kospi in Seoul picked up 1.2%, to 2,680.26. It also discouraged bets that a Fed move to relax conditions on the economy and financial markets could come even in May. Higher rates and yields make borrowing more expensive, slowing the economy and hurting prices for investments.

Persons: Hang Seng, Australia's Organizations: President's, Ocean, China Vanke, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, United States, China, Shanghai, Seoul, India

☆ Top Wall Street analysts like these 3 stocks for long-term growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Wall Street analysts are ignoring the short-term noise to focus on picking stocks with strong fundamentals and long-term growth potential. Here are three stocks favored by the Street's top analysts, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. In reaction to the upbeat results, Baird analyst David Tarantino reiterated a buy rating on CMG stock and boosted the price target to $2,850 from $2,650. He thinks that this pace of unit growth, coupled with mid-single-digit comps, would help the company "sustain scarce top-line growth characteristics for many years to come." Total comparable sales growth came in at 2.7%, with e-commerce comps rising 21%.

Persons: Baird, David Tarantino, Tarantino, TipRanks, Meta's, Brian White, White, Meta, Peter Benedict, Benedict Organizations: Street, Grill, Meta, Costco Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Canada

If inflation remains near current levels or looks like it's ticking back up, mortgage rates could climb higher. Average 30-year mortgage rates rose 13 basis points to 6.77% this week, according to Freddie Mac. Once the Fed starts lowering its benchmark rate, the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to go down as well. This means we might not see mortgage rates fall substantially until the second half of 2024. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, Price, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

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