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Managed money net position in CBOT corn futures and optionsAn increase in gross corn shorts was the dominant theme for a third consecutive week, though funds also cut longs in the latest two weeks. Most-active CBOT corn futures had dropped 4.7% in the week ended Aug. 15. Managed money net position in CBOT soybean futures and optionsOpen interest in CBOT corn and soybean futures and options has not fluctuated much in the last couple of months. But open interest in CBOT wheat futures and options has surged 29% over the last seven weeks, directionally seasonal but more than double the recent average rate during the period. Most-active corn futures on Wednesday had hit their lowest levels since Dec. 31, 2020, though soybeans on Friday traded to their highest levels since July 31.

Persons: Daniel Acker, bearishness, ’ bullish, Wheat, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Crop, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tiskilwa , Illinois, U.S, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois

☆ Seed funding valuations sprout a bubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Their need for new cash was nearly three times higher than the available supply last quarter, according to the report. Companies raising seed rounds in today’s market might command higher prices in part because they are better prepared. But it’s unlikely that today’s cohort of seed-stage startups is so markedly superior to predecessors that it warrants record high prices. A newfound focus on seed companies could just be VCs’ latest justification for keeping the tech bubble afloat. Median valuations for venture rounds in startups at all other stages captured by the report have fallen this year relative to their 2022 levels.

Persons: PitchBook, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Venture, National Venture Capital Association, Carta, Tiger Global, Thomson

This set of reports is associated with the largest average CBOT corn and soy moves of the 15 major USDA report days per year. Directionally, corn and soy futures on June 30 tend to react to acres far more often than stocks, though U.S. weather forecasts often add to the chaos. In the six sessions ended Thursday, CBOT December corn futures plunged 15.9%, June’s biggest six-session loss in at least three decades. Analysts basically nailed both corn acres and June 1 corn stocks last year, which was unprecedented, but December futures fell more than 5% on report day. Trade biases for June 30 U.S. stocks, acres versus pricesTrade biases on June 30 U.S. soy stocks, acres versus pricesKaren Braun is a market analyst for Reuters.

Persons: Corn, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, U.S

☆ What Supreme Court ruling against Biden's student loan forgiveness plan could mean for the U.S. economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Seksan Mongkhonkhamsao | Moment | Getty ImagesThe Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan Friday. "The Supreme Court decision to strike down loan forgiveness should have no meaningful impact on the economy," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. The fight against inflation gets a boostIt's challenging to judge the economic effect of a sweeping policy such as student loan forgiveness. However, the resumption of monthly student loan payments in October, after a three-year pause, will likely have a bigger effect. That said, there are student loan policies that have already been enacted by the Biden administration that will likely help borrowers affected by Friday's Supreme Court ruling, economists said.

Persons: Seksan, —, Mark Zandi, Shai Akabas, Zandi, Tim Quinlan, Quinlan, Biden Organizations: Biden, Moody's, Finance, Supreme, Reserve, Center, Wells, Wells Fargo Economics, Friday's Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo

Wendy's will pilot its new AI drive-thru tech this month at some locations in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The hesitancy to discuss any generative AI implementation is understandable. That said, we think that generative AI opportunities at Starbucks are still worth considering. This is where we think there's a clear opportunity for margin improvement as generative AI adoption goes mainstream. There are going to be a lot of opportunities to invest in to play the adoption of generative AI outside of tech.

Persons: hasn't, WEN, Jack, JACK, we've, Todd Penegor, Jim Cramer, Wendy's, Darin Harris, Jim, Harris, It's, —, China's, Jim Cramer's, Scott Mlyn Organizations: Microsoft, Nvidia, Club, Del, Starbucks, AIs, chatbots, Global, Companies, CNBC Locations: Columbus , Ohio, U.S, QSRs, Wendy's, Glassdoor, Dana Point , California

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Chipotle, Chevron, Netflix, Meta, Target and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Bernstein reiterates Target as outperform Bernstein said investors should buy the weakness in Target shares. UBS reiterates Chipotle as buy UBS said the Mexican chain is "well positioned w/ drivers to support transaction and sales growth." RBC reiterates Tesla as outperform RBC raised its price target to $305 per share from $212 and said it's bullish on Tesla's autonomy future. " TD Cowen reiterates Netflix as outperform TD Cowen raised its price target on the stock to $500 per share from $440 and says it's well-positioned. UBS reiterates Chevron as buy UBS said it sees "balance sheet strength & dividend growth" for Chevron.

Persons: Evercore, it's bullish, Emerson, Bernstein, Mizuho, Coinbase, Moody's, Guggenheim, McDonald's, Chipotle, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Wells, Wells Fargo, Tesla, it's, Oppenheimer, SoFi, Uber, Jefferies, TD Cowen, NFLX, Cowen, Stifel Organizations: ISI, Energy & Materials, Livent, HSBC, Emerson, " Bank of America, P, Bank of America, Citi, American Express Citi, American, Citi Credit Card, Travel & Entertainment, RBC, Nvidia, UBS, Mobile, Diageo, Spirits, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, Microsoft, Netflix, Corning, Chevron, Meta, DR Locations: Mexican, Allegiant, Edgewater

☆ These companies are winners in the debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The debt ceiling deal in Washington did not set off a celebration in the stock market. The Sierra Club called on Congress to reject the deal and pass a clean bill to raise the debt ceiling. Wall Street is also betting lending company SoFi will cash in from the debt ceiling deal because it calls for borrowers to start paying back federal student loans at the end of the summer. IRS funding cuts, defense spending intactMeanwhile, the debt ceiling deal would shift a total of $20 billion in IRS funding from fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025 to be used in non-defense areas. The defense industry is also emerging largely unscathed from the debt ceiling battle, unlike in 2011 when Washington agreed to significant defense spending cuts.

☆ Instant View: Solid April US jobs report undermines case for Fed cut soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

ANTHONY SAGLIMBENE, CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST, AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL, TROY, MICHIGAN“It's definitely telling you that the job market is still hot. PETER CARDILLO, CHIEF MARKET ECONOMIST, SPARTAN CAPITAL SECURITIES, NEW YORK“It was a hotter than expected report, it certainly didn’t show any cooling in the labor market. Hourly earnings were a little higher than I was looking for.”“Bottom line, this is a strong report and shows that the labor market is resilient. So I think the real focus is on the inflation numbers, and what's happening with wage growth. We are hopeful the continued strength of the jobs market and signs of slowing inflation will ease market volatility in the coming months.

☆ Apple's profit report is the market's next big test now. JPMorgan breaks down whether it can deliver
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

With the Federal Reserve's rate decision now in the rear view mirror, the next major test for markets will come from Apple 's March quarter earnings, scheduled for release postmarket Thursday. The largest tech companies so far this earnings season appear to be faring better-than-feared, despite expectations for broad earnings declines compared to a year ago. Some of those "dissimilarities" include stabilizing growth rates "more evident for other Big Tech companies versus Apple's set up for revenue and earning declines," he said. However, "fundamental drivers" for Apple and its stock differ from most of its Big Tech rivals, Chatterjee noted. Apple reports fiscal second quarter results Thursday covering the calendar first quarter, as Apple's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

☆ US stocks end mixed after new batch of earnings reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The S&P 500 was flat, and tech stocks pushed through rising bond yields. The Dow industrials were hurt in part as Disney shares fell. Meanwhile, Netflix shares fell after mixed results from the streaming service. Morgan Stanley shares fell as the investment bank posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit but dealmaking at the firm slowed. In the bond market, yields rose along with UK sovereign yields after British inflation unexpectedly held above 10% as food prices rose in March.

☆ Intuitive Surgical beats first-quarter sales on higher procedure volumes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Sriparna Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 18 (Reuters) - Intuitive Surgical Inc (ISRG.O) beat estimates for first-quarter sales on Tuesday as the surgical robot maker recorded a rise in total procedure volumes. The company reported quarterly sales of $1.70 billion, beating analysts' estimates of $1.60 billion, according to IBES Refinitiv data. The medical device maker posted a 26% growth in procedure volumes of its surgical robot da Vinci in the first quarter through March from a year earlier. Investors are eyeing the launch of company's new multiport surgical robot, which could be a potential near-term catalyst, analysts said after Intuitive in January told its next generation system is not expected to be launched this year. Excluding items, Intuitive earned $1.23 per share in the first quarter, above analysts' average estimate of $1.20 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

☆ Stock futures rise slightly ahead of key inflation data and the kickoff of earnings season: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S equity futures rose slightly Sunday evening as investors looked ahead to key inflation data and the start of first-quarter earnings season. Futures tied to the broad market S&P 500 rose 0.2% and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures edged up 62 points, or 0.2%. The market was volatile as economic data showed signs of a weakening labor market. The March jobs report on Friday showed a resilient economy and moderate inflation, however, which pushed stock futures and Treasury yields higher. "It's still probably a toss-up as to whether the Fed hikes by another 25 basis points at its next meeting and stands pat; the next set of inflation data will probably be the deciding factor."

☆ Bitcoin is a solution looking for a problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since his Miami proclamations, bitcoin’s price has fallen by nearly 40%, though in the last few weeks after Silicon Valley Bank’s failure it has had a resurgence. At first glance, his prediction seems wildly optimistic but directionally reasonable – bitcoin has surged by over 35% since SVB’s collapse on March 10. What’s more, bitcoin may never have surpassed $60,000 to reach its highest-ever price level in 2021 had the Fed not kept interest rates consistently low. It’s the prospect of lower rates – not the lack of government stability – that is opening the door to riskier bets like those on bitcoin. Gold is a tangible asset, unlike bitcoin, and that’s precisely what makes it an inflation hedge.

☆ Oil plunge is bad for energy stocks but actually good for other areas of our portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The extent of the decline in West Texas Intermediate crude — down 5.5% to under $67 per barrel — seems overdone in an energy market that remains structurally undersupplied. Bad for energy stocks For now, we're holding onto our three oil exploration and production (E & P) stocks — Coterra Energy (CTRA), Devon Energy (DVN) and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) — because their breakeven levels are around $40 per barrel. The big question is whether the federal government will make good on its signals to replenish the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) at WTI prices below $70 per barrel. In turn, higher energy costs eat into discretionary spending budgets. Now, with energy costs coming down, we would expect these input costs to subside a bit.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Amazon, Arista, Costco, Joby, Netflix & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Northcoast upgrades Costco to buy from hold Northcoast said it sees more upside for the wholesale retailer. " Goldman Sachs initiates Arista Networks and Juniper as buy Goldman initiated several networking equipment stocks, noting they are attractively valued. Deutsche Bank downgrades Joby to sell from hold Deutsche said it sees too many risks for the aviation company. Morgan Stanley reiterates Walmart as overweight Morgan Stanley said its standing by shares of Walmart as the retail giant continues to sign up new members for its Walmart+. Loop reiterates Netflix as hold Loop said its survey checks show that password sharing charging is increasing revenue for Netflix.

☆ How's the return to office going? Just look at shares of one of the largest office REITs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vornado says it owns 20 million square feet of office space plus 2.6 million square feet of street retail space in Manhattan alone, 3.7 million square feet at The Mart in Chicago and a controlling stake in almost 2 million square feet of office in San Francisco. But in the New York metropolitan area last week, the rate fell to 46.7% from 47.8% the week before, Kastle said. In San Francisco, the rate was even lower last week, at 43.9%, while in Chicago it was 49.4%. Maybe that's why Deutsche Bank analyst Derek Johnston ranked office REITs last out of eight REIT industry groups in a monthly review released on Tuesday. In January, subsector year-over-year cap rates climbed the most for office owners, he said, up 80 basis points, or 8/10ths of a percentage point.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Tesla, Snowflake, Salesforce, Nio, Nvidia & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

JPMorgan downgrades Nio to neutral from overweight JPMorgan said it sees too many challenges after the Nio's earnings report on Wednesday. JPMorgan downgrades Dollar Tree to neutral from overweight JPMorgan said it sees too many macro headwinds for the discount retailer. Morgan Stanley upgrades Pinduoduo to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the ag-tech company is a "long-term growth story." Morgan Stanley reiterates Liberty Formula One as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's bullish on shares of the auto racing company. Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said competitors can't keep up after Tesla's investor day on Wednesday.

☆ JPMorgan downgrades electric vehicle stock Nio, says expectations are too high
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's time to step to the sidelines on Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio after its latest quarter, according to JPMorgan. Analyst Nick Lai downgraded Nio to neutral from overweight, saying it will be increasingly challenging for the electric vehicle maker to deliver on high expectations. He said that the firm's fourth-quarter results were a miss because of vehicle margin contraction. The analyst's new December-2023 price target is $10, down from $14, which implies upside of roughly 13%. The firm reduced its price target to $10, from $18.

☆ Black families' net worth has grown more than other racial groups since Covid, but wealth gap remains wide
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Getty ImagesBlack families saw their wealth grow more than that of non-Black households during the pandemic, but the racial wealth gap is still vast, a new study showed. While non-Black families had a much higher starting point at roughly $950,000 just before the onset of the pandemic, their wealth has risen just 21% over the same period, the Wells study showed. Even with the improvement, the racial wealth gap is still staggering: Black Americans' net worth is 70% below that of non-Black households. "This is a step in the right direction, but there's still a lot of progress that needs to be made here." One factor contributing to the slight shrinking in the wealth gap is actually the fact that the assets of Black households are much less diversified.

☆ I'm an experienced female solo traveler—here are 4 tips I use to be smart about my money on the go
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Solo travel is one of my favorite perks of being single. Plus, like the everyday costs that rack up quickly for singles, solo travel can often be more expensive than going with a companion. I'm not alone: Search interest in female solo travel specifically recently hit a 10-year high, according to Google Trends. These are my top four tips for smarter saving and spending on your next solo trip. The destination itself might even be a chance for you to save money.

☆ How analysts are playing gig economy stocks ahead of earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The 2022 selloffs underscored the challenges gig economy stocks have faced in recent years as novelty and venture capital funding chilled, analysts have said to clients. Analysts are now contemplating how to position ahead of the major gig companies' earnings reports, which kick off with Uber on Feb. 8. A look at where each company stands: Uber UBER LYFT,DASH 5Y mountain Gig economy stocks One area where analysts at SVB MoffettNathanson, Jefferies and Bernstein all agree: be bullish on Uber. Lyft Analysts at the three firms, however, are leery when it comes to competitor Lyft. DoorDash Analysts were split on DoorDash.

☆ Earnings are showing signs of strain and are likely to get worse as economy slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Earnings for all S & P 500 companies fell 2.9% for the fourth quarter, based on actual reports and estimates. Rauscher expects a shallow recession, and his view is S & P 500 earnings for 2023 will be about $210, below the street's consensus closer to $230. According to Refinitiv, analysts expect a 1.2% decline in first quarter earnings, followed by a 2% drop in the second quarter. Tech earnings have been a mixed bag. He remains defensive on the market even with the 6.5% gain in the S & P 500 in January so far.

Organizations: & $

Shares of household product giant P & G have been hit hard over the past few weeks due to a market rotation out of defensive companies that outperformed last year. P & G lost about 7% in 2022's terrible year, much less than the S & P 500 's more than 19% decline in 2022. Sure the 6% decline in sales volume was more noticeable from the prior quarter when volume fell 3%. For example, 1 percentage point of the volume decline was due to P & G cutting its Russia portfolio in half due to Moscow's unprovoked war on Ukraine. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ Earnings playbook: What investors can expect out of Tesla, Microsoft and Boeing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Tuesday Johnson & Johnson is set to report earnings before the bell, followed by a conference call at 8:30 a.m. What history shows: Johnson & Johnson has beaten earnings expectations 95% of the time, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Wednesday Boeing is set to report earnings before the bell, followed by a call with analysts at 10:30 a.m. What history shows: FactSet data shows Boeing has posted a greater-than-expected loss in the last five quarters. Tesla is set to report earnings after the close, with management set to hold a call at 5:30 p.m.

☆ Overconfidence can be 'a pathway to poor portfolio performance,' says chief investment officer. How to check your ego
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"It's very easy to have an impression of, 'Actually, I know a lot and haven't been proven wrong,'" Egan said. For example, investors can fall prey to "confirmation bias," whereby they seek out evidence in social media circles that confirms a previously held but potentially false belief. When an investment is trendy, 'start watching yourself'Overconfidence bias in investing tends to manifest most often with get-rich-quick type investment decisions, Egan said. "That's when you need to start watching yourself," he said. Similarly, overconfidence may lead rushed investors to accidentally buy the wrong stock, Egan said.

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