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☆ TSX starts month on weak note as China slowdown hits sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign board displaying Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) stock information is seen in Toronto June 23, 2014. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended down 93.71 points, or 0.5%, at 20,532.93, after posting its highest closing level in three months in the previous session. The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 1.8% as gold and copper prices fell. Shares of Silvercrest Metals (SIL.TO) were particularly weak, plunging 21.5% after two brokerages cut their price target on the stock. The TSX notched a gain of 2.3% in July, while it has advanced 5.9% since the start of the year.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Robert McWhirter, Fergal Smith, Siddarth, Shilpi Majumdar, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Toronto Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Metals, Toronto Stock, Selective Asset Management Inc, Canada's, Silvercrest Metals, TSX, Thomson Locations: Toronto, China, Coast, Bengaluru

☆ Apollo leads deal for trucking firm Yellow's bankruptcy loan - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - Creditors led by Apollo Global Management Inc (APO.N) are nearing a deal to provide Yellow Corp (YELL.O) with fresh cash during a coming bankruptcy, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Yellow declined to comment, while Apollo did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Yellow, formerly called YRC Worldwide, is the third-biggest U.S. trucking company. Yellow has $1.3 billion in debt payments due in 2024, including a $567.4 million term loan due in June and a $729.4 million U.S. Treasury loan due in September. Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Yellow, Priyamvada, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Apollo Global Management Inc, Yellow Corp, Bloomberg News, U.S, YRC, Teamsters, USF, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, Bengaluru

The lender upgraded its guidance for income growth in 2023 to a 12%-14% range from 10% previously. StanChart's robust results showed how global market conditions are playing to the emerging markets-focused lender's strengths. London-headquartered StanChart's transaction banking income shot up by 92% to $2.86 billion, with cash management income up 166%, benefiting from a favorable interest rate environment. That contrasted with the prolonged slump in income at more deal-focused U.S. and European rivals. Reporting by Selena Li and Lawrence White; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bill Winters, StanChart, Goldman Sachs, Selena Li, Lawrence White, Muralikumar Organizations: Standard Chartered PLC, Jefferies, Hong, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, Hong Kong, London

☆ StanChart lifts annual profit outlook, sets new $1 billion share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The lender upgraded its guidance for income growth in 2023 to a 12%-14% range from 10% previously. StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, said statutory pretax profit for the first six months of the year surged 20% to $3.32 billion, beating the $3.18 billion average of 16 analyst estimates compiled by the bank. Standard Chartered upgraded its annual profit forecast on Friday and set a new $1 billion share buyback after a strong first-half performance, as rising rates and a record financial markets business propelled the lender's margins. An illuminated Standard Chartered Plc logo is displayed on the Standard Chartered Bank building. London-headquartered StanChart's transaction banking income shot up by 92% to $2.86 billion, with cash management income up 166%, benefiting from a favorable interest rate environment.

Persons: Bill Winters, StanChart, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Chartered, Standard Chartered Bank, Jefferies, Hong, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank Locations: Asia, Hong Kong, London

☆ Standard Chartered first-half profit beats estimates, sets new $1 billion share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A sign above the entrance to the headquarters of Standard Chartered Plc in London, U.K., on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Standard Chartered reported on Friday first-half pretax profit rose 20% and announced a new $1 billion share buyback, as rising rates and record financial markets business propelled margins at the emerging markets-focused lender. StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, said statutory pretax profit for the first six months of this year reached $3.32 billion. That compared with $2.77 billion a year earlier and the $3.18 billion average of 16 analyst estimates compiled by the bank. The bank upgraded its guidance for income growth in 2023 to a 12%-14% range from 10% previously.

Persons: Bill Winters Organizations: Standard Chartered, Chartered Locations: London, Asia

July 21 (Reuters) - Apollo Global Management Inc (APO.N) co-founder Leon Black paid $62.5 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to avoid any legal claims tied to a Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation, the New York Times reported on Friday. The Times obtained a copy of the settlement agreement from the Virgin Islands government through a public records request. A spokesperson for Black confirmed in an emailed statement to Reuters that Black had settled with the Virgin Islands, noting that there was no suggestion in the settlement "that Mr. Black was aware of or participated in any misconduct." The spokesperson went on to say that, as previously known, Black had paid Epstein for "legitimate financial advisory services" and that Black had "resolved the (Virgin Island's) potential claims arising out of the unintended consequences of those payments." A New York state judge in May dismissed a lawsuit accusing Black, 71, of defaming a woman by falsely claiming she tried to extort him after accusing him of rape, which he denied.

Persons: Leon Black, Jeffrey Epstein, Black, Epstein, Epstein's, Cheri Pierson, Brad Brooks, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Apollo Global Management Inc, U.S . Virgin, New York Times, Times, Virgin, JPMorgan Chase, Forbes, Thomson Locations: U.S, Virgin, Islands, York, defaming, Epstein's, Manhattan, Lubbock , Texas

☆ J&J's strong quarter was amplified by new details around its big Kenvue consumer unit stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported strong second - quarter profit and revenue before the opening bell Thursday, with better-than-expected results both domestically and internationally, as well as across all major operating segments. It's possible that J & J management will offer up Kenvue shares at a discount to market value. Regardless, arbitrage isn't our game and we want to be invested in J & J for the long term. The only change — since J & J owns 89.6% of Kenvue — is that 10.4% of earnings generated since Kevnue went public in early May to the end of the quarter are no longer attributed to J & J. A Johnson & Johnson building is shown in Irvine, California.

Persons: Johnson, —, Kevnue, J, J's, prioritization, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Mike Blake Organizations: Dow, Pharmaceutical, Management, J's, Johnson, J, Consumer, Consumer Health, Pharmaceutical Pharmaceutical, CNBC, & $ Locations: Kenvue, JNJ, KVUE, Spravato, Irvine , California

☆ Citigroup posts better-than-expected earnings and revenue, shares rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Citigroup shares rose in premarket on Friday after the bank reported second-quarter earnings and revenue that topped expectations. Earnings per share: $1.33 vs. $1.30Revenue: $19.44 billion vs. $19.29 billionShares of Citigroup climbed more than 1% in premarket trading. While beating Street estimates, Citi's revenue dipped 1% from a year ago as the decline in markets and investment banking businesses weighed on the result. "In Banking, the long-awaited rebound in Investment Banking has yet to materialize, making for a disappointing quarter." On the bright side, revenue from personal banking and wealth management increased 6% in the quarter to $6.4 billion driven by strong loan growth.

Persons: Refinitiv, Jane Fraser, Fraser Organizations: Citigroup, P Bank ETF, Citi, Investment Banking Locations: premarket, U.S

☆ Exclusive: Bonderman's Wildcat seeks to thwart $2.9 billion Consolidated Communications deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Anirban Sen | Thomson Reuters | Anirban Sen Is The Editor In Charge For U.S. M A At Reuters In New York | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Wildcat said it owned 3 million Consolidated Communications shares, equivalent to about a 2.6% stake. The offer was made on April 12 by a consortium led by private equity firm Searchlight Capital, which owns 34% of Consolidated Communications. Consolidated Communications formed a special committee to consider the offer later that month but has not provided an update since. TD Cowen analysts wrote in an April 13 note that they expected Consolidated Communications to accept the deal given its capital needs and operational challenges. But Wildcat argues that any deal should not be for less than $14 per share because the value of Consolidated Communications' investment in its business has yet to be realized.

Persons: David Bonderman, Wildcat, TD Cowen, Tom McConnon, McConnon, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis, Edwina Gibbs, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: YORK, Wildcat Capital Management LLC, TPG, Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc, Consolidated Communications, Reuters, Searchlight Capital, Consolidated Communications . Consolidated Communications, Apollo Global Management, Lumen Technologies, Sorrento Therapeutics Inc, Thomson Locations: New York, , Illinois, Sorrento

☆ Oil ticks down on interest rate hike fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Rate hike expectations boost fears of slow economic growthWeak economic data in China weighs on sentimentHOUSTON, June 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged lower on Thursday, as fears that rising interest rates could dent global economic growth and crude demand offset a bigger-than-expected fall in U.S. inventories. Brent crude futures fell 38 cents, or 0.5%, to $73.66 a barrel by 1127 a.m. Investors were concerned about rising interest rates and economic growth after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that he expects the moderate pace of interest rate decisions to continue in the coming months. "Crude traders remain torn between rising interest rates with fears of a global recession against elevated travel demand and shrinking crude supplies," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. "The lack of prospects for fuel demand growth has limited the gain in oil prices, even with supply curbs by oil producers," said Tetsu Emori, CEO of Emori Fund Management Inc.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Dennis Kissler, Christine Lagarde, Tetsu Emori, Ahmad Ghaddar, Yuka Obayashi, Jason Neely, David Evans, Barbara Lewis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Investors, Federal Reserve, BOK Financial, European Central Bank, Emori Fund Management Inc, Thomson Locations: China, HOUSTON, European, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, London

☆ Oil prices fall on concerns of slow fuel demand, weak China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices fell on Thursday, paring some of the previous day's gains, as investors took profits on concerns of further interest rate hikes dampening economic growth and global fuel demand while weak economic data in China also weighed on sentiment. "The market turned around on renewed worries about further rate hikes in the U.S. and Europe, which will reduce global oil demand," said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, president of NS Trading, a unit of Nissan Securities. Adding to pressure, annual profits at industrial firms in China, the world's second-biggest oil consumer, extended a double-digit decline in the first five months as softening demand squeezed margins. Brent's six-month backwardation - a price structure whereby sooner-loading contracts trade at higher prices than later-loading ones - reached its lowest since December, but still indicated higher demand for immediate delivery. "Behind the backwardation is the expectation that the immediate demand for fuels will stay firm as the United States has entered the driving season, but the global economy will slow down toward the second half of this year, reducing oil demand," NS Trading's Kikukawa said.

Persons: paring, Brent, Hiroyuki Kikukawa, Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde, Tetsu Emori, Kikukawa Organizations: TotalEnergies, . West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, NS, Nissan Securities, U.S . Federal, European Central Bank, Emori Fund Management Inc Locations: Leuna, Germany, China, U.S, Europe, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, United States

☆ Oil steadies after spiking on U.S. inventory fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures was up 10 cents, or 0.1%, to $74.13 a barrel by 1032 GMT. Nonetheless, the impact that stocks have on oil prices was on display yesterday on a smaller scale," PVM Oil analyst Tamas Varga said. Concerns about the impact that rising interest rates will have on economic growth came back to the fore, however, halting the rally. Adding to pressure, annual profits at industrial firms in China, the world's second-biggest oil consumer, extended a double-digit decline in the first five months as softening demand squeezed margins. "The lack of prospects for fuel demand growth has limited the gain in oil prices, even with supply curbs by oil producers," said Tetsu Emori, CEO of Emori Fund Management Inc.

Persons: Tamas Varga, Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde, Tetsu Emori, Yuka Obayashi, Jason Neely Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, . Federal, European Central Bank, Emori Fund Management Inc, Thomson Locations: China, Saudi Arabia, OPEC

TAIPEI, June 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan's top chip design company MediaTek Inc (2454.TW) said on Thursday it will defend itself in court against accusations from Realtek (2379.TW) that it paid a company that sues over patents a "secret litigation bounty" to file meritless lawsuits. Realtek Semiconductor Corp's lawsuit, lodged in California, accuses MediaTek of conspiring with IPValue Management Inc in an effort to drive Realtek out of the market and monopolise the industry for chips used in smart televisions and set-top boxes. In a statement to the Taiwan stock exchange, MediaTek said the case was in the process of being litigated and it will submit evidence and defend itself against the accusations. It added that the litigation has no significant impact on the company. Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: MediaTek, Ben Blanchard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: MediaTek Inc, Realtek Semiconductor, IPValue Management Inc, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Realtek, California, Taiwan

SummarySummary CompaniesCompanies Law Firms Realtek said MediaTek used patent lawsuits to stifle businessAccused chipmaking rival of antitrust violationsJune 6 (Reuters) - Realtek Semiconductor Corp (2379.TW) sued rival Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek Inc (2454.TW) in Northern California federal court on Tuesday, claiming MediaTek paid a company that sues over patents a "secret litigation bounty" to file meritless lawsuits in the United States to disrupt its business. Realtek said MediaTek signed a patent licensing agreement with IPValue subsidiary Future Link Systems LLC in 2019 that included the secret "bounty" agreement. Realtek said Future Link has kept details of the agreement "buried under confidentiality obligations and protective orders." Future Link settled several other patent cases against tech companies including MediaTek competitor Amlogic soon after the ITC criticized it, Realtek said. The case is Realtek Semiconductor Corp v. MediaTek Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Realtek, MediaTek, IPValue, Amlogic, Rudy Kim, Michael Murray, Nafeesah, Paul Hastings, Steven Baik, Blake Brittain Organizations: Realtek Semiconductor Corp, MediaTek, IPValue Management Inc, Link Systems, U.S . International Trade Commission, ITC, MediaTek Inc, Northern, Northern District of, White, Thomson Locations: Northern California, United States, West Texas, Northern District, Northern District of California, Washington

☆ Jim Cramer's top things to watch in the stock market Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

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. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ Private equity is being squeezed from all sides
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Edward Chancellor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

But this time around there’s a lot more private equity money chasing a limited number of opportunities. So private equity funds could face the prospect of a prolonged period of higher borrowing costs, lower valuations, and depressed investment returns. The birth of private equity coincided with the Reagan administration’s policy of relaxing regulations and tax cuts. Recent high profile corporate bankruptcies owned by private equity include car-rental firm Hertz and retailer Toys R Us. The private equity industry could soon find itself caught in a pincer, between tighter financing on the one hand and tighter regulation on the other.

Like its peers, private equity firm Apollo was hit by a slump in dealmaking in the quarter that made it challenging to cash out of its private equity holdings for top dollar. Its asset management and retirement businesses, however, helped it cushion the blow. Apollo said its adjusted net income fell to $845 million from $917 million a year earlier. That resulted in adjusted net income per share of $1.42, lower than the average analyst forecast of $1.47, according to Refinitiv data. By contrast, private equity funds of Blackstone, Carlyle and KKR appreciated by 2.8%, 1%, and 2%, respectively.

☆ Apollo to take aerospace supplier Arconic private in $5.2 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Pratyush Thakur | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Arconic Corp (ARNC.N) has agreed to be bought by Apollo Global Management Inc (APO.N) in a take-private deal valued at about $5.2 billion, the U.S. aerospace supplier said on Thursday. Apollo will pay $30 for each Arconic share held, representing a premium of 35.6% as of close on Feb. 27, a day before reports of deal talks emerged. The company, which supplies to Boeing Co (BA.N), had rebuffed an almost $10 billion offer from Apollo in 2018. Two years later, the company split into two publicly traded firms, Arconic Corp and Howmet Aerospace Inc (HWM.N). Arconic retained rolled products, aluminum extrusions, and building and construction systems business, while the engine products, fastening systems and forged wheels businesses were spun off to Howmet.

SAS has lost almost 60% of its value since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last July, seeking to slash costs and debt after wage talks with pilots collapsed. Apollo will mainly work with aviation regulators in Sweden and Denmark to secure approval, the first source said. The move comes as the airline looks for large investors and seeks to raise equity as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan. Denmark's finance ministry told Reuters it was looking for one or more shareholders to take a majority stake in SAS. The company also became the largest shareholder in Mexican airline Aeromexico (GRPAF.PK) in 2020 following Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

☆ Tori Bowie: Olympic and world champion has died at age 32, agent tells CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jill Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —American sprinter and long jumper Tori Bowie – a three-time Olympic medalist and a two-time world champion in track and field – has died, according to her agent, Kimberly Holland. Holland told CNN on Wednesday that Bowie was found dead at home in Florida and that the cause of death is not known yet. “We’re devasted [sic] to share the very sad news that Tori Bowie has passed away,” an Instagram post from Bowie’s representation and Holland’s company, Icon Management Inc., said. A native of Sandhill, Mississippi, Bowie was a three-time All-American at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her last appearance on the world stage was in 2019 at the world championships in Doha, when she finished fourth in the long jump.

HONG KONG, April 26 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered PLC (StanChart) (STAN.L) on Wednesday said first-quarter pretax profit jumped 21%, beating analyst estimates, as rising interest rates buoyed cash management income and retail product sales of the emerging markets-focused lender. StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, said statutory pretax profit for January-March reached $1.81 billion. That compared with $1.49 billion a year earlier and the $1.43 billion average of 14 analyst estimates compiled by the bank. It was the bank's largest single-quarter profit since the start of 2014, as rising interest rates boosted lending income while its financial markets trading division saw frenzied trading from customers amid volatile markets. The earnings update from StanChart showed how rising central bank rates have boosted revenue, as it charged borrowers more interest while not passing through all of the increase to depositors.

☆ Standard Chartered's first-quarter profit rises 21% as interest rates soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Standard Chartered on Wednesday said first-quarter pretax profit jumped 21%, beating analyst estimates, as rising interest rates buoyed cash management income and retail product sales of the emerging markets-focused lender. StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, said statutory pretax profit for January-March reached $1.81 billion. That compared with $1.49 billion a year earlier and the $1.43 billion average of 14 analyst estimates compiled by the bank. It was the bank's largest single-quarter profit since the start of 2014, as rising interest rates boosted lending income while its financial markets trading division saw frenzied trading from customers amid volatile markets. The earnings update from StanChart showed how rising central bank rates have boosted revenue, as it charged borrowers more interest while not passing through all of the increase to depositors.

☆ StanChart profit swells on soaring global interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Standard Chartered PLC (StanChart) on Wednesday said first-quarter pretax profit jumped 21%, beating expectations, as rising interest rates buoyed cash management income and retail product sales for the emerging markets-focused lender. The earnings update showed how rising central bank rates have boosted revenue, as StanChart charged borrowers more interest while not passing all of the increase to depositors. StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, said January-March statutory pretax profit reached $1.81 billion. The bank said income in its corporate cash management business tripled due to "strong pricing discipline and passthrough rate management". Retail banking income rose 53%, propelled by deposit income which also tripled to $771 million.

☆ The growth fund that dodged the worst of the 2022 bear market by leaning on fundamentals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The firm's $1.7 billion Large Cap Growth Fund , with some of the biggest technology names among its top holdings, lost 24.3% in 2022. 'Rigor and process' Kantor and Regenbaum have spent years managing the fund by taking a magnifying glass to the inner plumbing of some of the biggest growth stocks. Indeed, Morningstar says the fund's portfolio has a lower price-to-book-value than other large cap growth funds or Morningstar's benchmark index for the group, and faster book value growth. There were "crazy growth companies that went to the moon," Kantor said, "and then unfortunately at some point had to return to Earth." Investors are at an important moment given the Federal Reserve's campaign to rein in inflation by hiking interest rates, and the interest-rate sensitive nature of growth stocks.

☆ Opinion | Religion Has Friends Among Judges in High Places
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Linda Greenhouse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Emergency room doctors have to help patients who have been in lots of different life situations, including life situations that the doctors might not approve of. If treating a patient makes you feel “complicit” in whatever the patient did to come to the emergency room, being an emergency room doctor is not the job for you. And, I’ll add, it’s remarkable that three federal appellate judges gave these plaintiffs a green light. But another portion of the opinion is a specific and special gift to employers who claim that their opposition to Obamacare’s mandatory coverage provision is motivated by religion. The Affordable Care Act “forces these plaintiffs to choose between purchasing health insurance that violates their religious beliefs and foregoing conventional health insurance altogether,” he wrote.

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