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☆ Forget U.S. stocks — UBS says Europe's are a better bet. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Michael M. Santiago | Getty ImagesEuropean stocks are now more attractive than their U.S. counterparts, according to Swiss Bank UBS , with factors such as economic data, interest rates and earnings playing a key role. In a note entitled: "A U-Turn: Favouring Europe over US equities," the bank's strategists said European stocks excluding the U.K. now outrank the U.S. on its "regional scorecard." UBS outlined a number of reasons for its "U-turn," especially given U.S. markets tend to outperform European ones. Indicators tracked by the bank — such as purchasing managers' index (PMI) data — suggest an upside risk to European GDP, and a downside risk to U.S. GDP, the bank said. Some of Europe's central banks have already begun easing, and the European Central Bank is expected to do so as soon as June.

Persons: Michael M Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Santiago, Getty, Swiss Bank UBS, UBS, U.S, European Central Bank Locations: New York City, U.S, Europe, Japan, Swiss

☆ 3 reasons the dollar can't be dethroned as the world's dominant currency, according to Morgan Stanley
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

De-dollarization efforts won't do much to dethrone the dollar, Morgan Stanley said. There are no true alternatives to holding the US dollar at the moment, Morgan Stanley strategists said. AdvertisementThe dollar's status as the top currency of central banks and for international trade probably isn't fading soon, according to Morgan Stanley. "Now, reasonable people can disagree about whether cryptocurrencies are going to appreciate or depreciate, but I'd argue that the best outcome for a dominant currency is neither." Displacing a dominant currency is something that happens over the course of decades, economists previously told Business Insider, as it takes time for people to shift to other currencies once a dominant currency is recognized as "safe."

Persons: Morgan Stanley, —, James Lord, Michael Zezas, That's, Lord, there's, Zezas, Crypto, David Adams, Morgan Stanley's Organizations: Service, Rivals, greenback, Business Locations: Beijing, China

☆ Early Facebook investor Accel raises $650 million fund to back European and Israeli startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

AccelVenture capital firm Accel said Tuesday it's raised $650 million for its eighth fund targeted at investing in European and Israeli early-stage startups, in a sign the venture capital market may be showing signs of a recovery. "The environment has dramatically changed since then," Nelis told CNBC. Climate-focused VC firm World Fund closed a 300 million euro fund in March. "We're lucky that with DeepMind here in London and with Fair [Facebook AI Research] in Paris, there's at least two big centers that have great AI expertise," Nelis told CNBC. "My expectation is Europe is going to generate some really interesting AI application companies," Nelis told CNBC.

Persons: Harry Nelis, Sonali de Rycker, Andrei Brasoveanu, Luca Bocchio, Philippe Botteri, it's, Nelis, UiPath, Russia's, Wise, Magnus Grimeland, Grimeland, there's, Victor Riparbelli, Synthesia, Riparbelli Organizations: Accel, Accel Venture, Spotify, CNBC, Skype, U.S, Nvidia Locations: Europe, Israel, Lithuania, Romania, Ukraine, New York, U.S, London, Paris, Synthesia

☆ The UK has 'probably the most convincing disinflation story,' economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | 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 EmailThe UK has 'probably the most convincing disinflation story,' economist saysSanjay Raja, chief U.K. economist at Deutsche Bank, discusses the divergence between U.S. and U.K. central banks.

Persons: Sanjay Raja Organizations: Deutsche Bank

☆ Why you should buy stocks ahead of next week's inflation report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should buy stocks ahead of next week's release of the April CPI report, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee. An in-line CPI report or better would increase the chances of three interest rate cuts this year, Lee said. AdvertisementInvestors should buy stocks ahead of next week's release of the April CPI report, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee. Sweden's Riskbank cut interest rates for the first time since 2016 on Wednesday, and the Bank of England signaled that interest rate cuts are imminent. And next week, we expect incoming data to show overall softening of the key components of inflation," Lee said.

Persons: Tom Lee, Lee, — Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, Bank of England

☆ The US and the West are facing the blowback of sanctions against Russia, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe US miscalculated when it imposed harsh sanctions on Russia, and not only has Vladimir Putin's economy weathered the impact, but the West is facing the negative effects of the economic restrictions it imposed. Food and energy prices have soared since the West imposed sanctions on Russia, he noted partly because Russia is one of the world's largest exporters of oil and grain. Even the US dollar may end up worse off due to sanctions, Rubin said. Russia's trade with China, for instance, has nearly completely phased out the dollar, Russian officials said last year. "Sanctioning the ruble and confiscating a third of the Russian central bank's foreign reserves was supposed to cripple the Russian economy.

Persons: —, Vladimir, Jeff Rubin, " Rubin, crimp, Rubin, Putin Organizations: Service, Business, The Globe, Federal Reserve Board, Bank of Canada Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China, Russian

☆ 'It's our duty': Bank of England chief says cutting rates just before a UK election wouldn't be an issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey addresses the media during the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, Britain, on February 1, 2024. LONDON — Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey on Thursday played down any political pressure received by his institution, confirming that a rate cut immediately before a General Election wouldn't be out of the question. This is especially true in election cycles if citizens are dealing with an economic downturn or a cost-of-living squeeze. The Bank of England, which became officially independent in 1998, is no stranger to this pressure with elections expected before the end of this year. The Bank is nearing its first rate cut since 2020, despite holding steady on Thursday.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, wouldn't, Bailey, CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, it's Organizations: England, Bank of England, LONDON — Bank of England Locations: London, Britain

☆ Bank of England set to hold rates as Europe's central banks diverge from Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Variegated tulips planted in flower beds opposite the Bank of England in the City of London on 7th May 2024 in London, United Kingdom. =LONDON — The Bank of England is set to hold interest rates steady at its Thursday meeting, with traders expected to pore over the details of Governor Andrew Bailey's statement as anticipation builds for a potential summer rate cut. The BOE's Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to keep the Bank Rate at 5.25%, with an announcement due at midday. The latest March meeting saw eight votes to keep rates steady and one to cut. It's going to reach target pretty soon, and that will put the Bank under a lot of pressure to start normalizing policy."

Persons: Andrew Bailey's, Bailey, Francesco Garzarelli, Garzarelli, CNBC's, There's Organizations: Bank of England, Eisler Capital, Bank Locations: City of London, London, United Kingdom

☆ People in Korea are buying gold from vending machines and convenience stores amid 2024's frenzy for the precious metal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Korea's convenience stores and vending machines are selling gold, with younger people flocking to buy. Bite-sized gold bars have been selling since April, weighing in between 0.1 and 1.87 grams. AdvertisementGold bars are displayed for sale alongside packaged kimchi and ramen in convenience stores across Korea, with the yellow metal gaining among younger consumers in 2024. AdvertisementYoung Koreans are leading the pack of buyers snapping up gold from CU stores, accounting for 41.3% of the total purchases, according to data from the company's app. However, the country's central bank hasn't joined the gold rush, keeping its gold reserves steady at 104.4 tons since 2013.

Persons: —, hasn't, China —, David Rosenberg, Ed Yardeni Organizations: Service, Printing Corporation, Chosun, CNBC, World Gold Council Locations: Korea, South, South Korea, Asia's, China

☆ The US dollar is so strong that China's central bank, among others, just keeps loading up on gold
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Central banks are on a gold-buying spree, contributing to record-high spot gold prices. Other central banks are also snapping up gold to diversify their assets on the back of a strong greenback. Other central banks are also loading up on gold. Emerging market central banks that bought gold in the first quarter of the year include Kazakhstan, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, and Poland. There are political motivations for central banks to diversify their assets, too.

Persons: —, it's, bode Organizations: Service, People's Bank of China, greenback, Gold, JPMorgan, Allianz Locations: China, Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, United States

☆ Japanese yen: How the currency’s record slump is squeezing the Japanese
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Higher interest rates in the United States and other countries mean investors can make bigger returns on investments there than they can in Japan. This encourages carry trades, in which investors borrow money in yen to invest it in higher-yielding assets priced in other currencies. That weakens the Japanese currency. A Big Mac costs 50% more in the next cheapest G10 currency, the New Zealand dollar, than it does in yen, he added. … and lots of drawbacksBut the falling yen has caused much pain at home and not just for small businesses like Japan Fraise.

Persons: hasn’t, Hiroko Ishikawa, “ It’s, ” Ishikawa, “, we’re, We’re, Himari Semans, That’s, ” Nigel Green, Kit Juckes, Warren Buffett, ” Sean Callow, ”, Sato Hitomi, Semans, I’ve, —, Laura He, Chris Lau Organizations: Tokyo CNN, US, Reserve, CNN, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, deVere, greenback, Labor, Societe Generale, New Zealand, Japan’s National Tourism Organization, Tokyo’s Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan, United States, Sydney, Hawaii

☆ Japan's finance minister says yen intervention may be necessary when there are 'excessive' moves
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during the presidency press conference at the G7 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors, at Toki Messe in Niigata, Japan, Saturday, May 13, 2023. "When there is an excessive movement, it may be necessary to smooth it out," he told CNBC's Dan Murphy, according to a translation. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki on Friday backed currency interventions by his country's policymakers if the yen moved in sharp directions that started to impact households and companies. The finance minister declined to comment when asked whether current levels for the yen were appropriate. In the last few decades, while other global central banks have tightened their policies, Japan had maintained its ultra-loose strategy.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, CNBC's Dan Murphy, they've, Nicholas Smith Organizations: Toki, Japanese Finance, CNBC Locations: Niigata, Japan, Tbilisi , Georgia, propping

☆ Japan's yen had a rollercoaster week amid suspected intervention. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An undated photographic illustration of Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar bank notes. The yen touched 160.03 against the greenback on Monday, for the first time since 1990, but strengthened to 156 levels later that day amid speculation about an intervention by Japanese authorities. Japanese authorities are yet to issue an official statement confirming their role in propping up the currency. In the last few decades, while other global central banks have tightened their policies, Japan had maintained its ultra-loose policy, leading to concentrated carry trades in the Japanese yen. Market participants believe Japanese authorities will intervene further to prop up the currency.

Persons: Glowimages, they've, Nicholas Smith, Kazuo Ueda, Edward Yardeni Organizations: U.S, Glowimages, CNBC, Bank of America Global Research, Bank of Japan, Bank of, Federal Reserve, Yardeni Research Locations: propping, Japan, U.S, Bank of Japan

☆ Gold prices flutter higher as Fed holds rates steady
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Fed left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday as expected. Its latest policy statement kept key elements of its economic assessment and policy guidance intact, framing its discussion of interest rates around the conditions under which borrowing costs can be lowered. Traders were relieved that Powell slammed the door shut for further hikes, helping gold prices climb back above $2,300, City Index senior analyst Matt Simpson said. Lower interest rates increase the appeal of holding non-yielding bullion. The U.S. non-farm payrolls report is due on Friday.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Matt Simpson, Simpson Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S ., Traders, City Index, U.S, Palladium, MKS PAMP

☆ Treasury yields hold steady as investors weigh monetary policy outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

ET, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was up by less than one basis point to 4.5975%. The 2-year Treasury yield was last at 4.9393% after rising by less than one basis point. U.S. Treasury yields were little changed on Thursday as investors digested the outcome of the latest Federal Reserve meeting. Investors considered the path ahead for interest rates after the Federal Reserve's meeting concluded on Wednesday. Policymakers also provided some guidance about the outlook for interest rates, with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicating that it was unlikely for the next interest rate decision to be a hike.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell Organizations: Treasury, Reserve, Federal, Fed

☆ Hong Kong stocks are back from the dead. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index surged more than 7% in April as the best-performing major index in the world. The valuation of Hong Kong stocks has also become more “compelling” relative to the rest of the Asian region after the pullback last year, said Zhikai Chen, head of Asian equities at BNP Paribas Asset Management. He added that there is a shift in investors’ sentiments as Chinese economic data turned more positive. Innes said global investors are currently “underweight” in Chinese markets, including Hong Kong, because of geopolitical tensions and concerns surrounding potential fallout from the upcoming US elections. Stock exchange data showed that southbound investors (meaning investment from mainland China into Hong Kong) have bought nearly $20 billion of Hong Kong-listed stocks in March and the first three weeks of April on a net basis.

Persons: ”, Kelly Chung, Zhikai Chen, Stephen Innes, David Chao, Nomura, Xiaomei Chen, Angelina Lai, Innes, Kong, BNP Paribus Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, Value Partners, BNP, Management, P Global, PMI, Kong's, Reuters, US, People’s Bank of, HK, “ Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Beijing, India, James’s, People’s Bank of China

☆ Yen clings to sharp gains after suspected intervention, Fed in focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen held its line against the dollar on Tuesday after making sharp gains the previous day in moves that traders said were sparked by suspected intervention by Japanese authorities. "There is clearly a possibility that the sharp and sudden lifts in the JPY were sparked by intervention. Official figures that would reveal whether intervention did in fact occur won't be available until late May. The Japanese currency still sits lower than it was before the Bank of Japan's policy announcement last week. The Fed is expected to strike a hawkish message, meaning more yen selling is likely, CBA's Kong said.

Persons: haven't, Masato Kanda, Carol Kong, bode, CBA's Kong, pare, Sterling, bitcoin Organizations: Federal, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Trading, Markets, Bank of, Fed, Traders, European Central Bank Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tokyo, Asia, Japan, U.S, Bank of England

☆ IMF chief warns of emerging market risk with high U.S. interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a briefing on the Global Policy Agenda at IMF headquarters during the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC on April 18, 2024. Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, played down the prospect of any negative impact from a monetary policy divergence between Europe and the U.S., but said issues could be more acute in emerging markets. The benchmark rates of most advanced economies soared in recent years, as central banks aimed to tame inflation following the Covid-19 pandemic. A high U.S. interest rate environment is traditionally bad news for emerging markets, as it makes their debts — often priced in U.S. dollars — more expensive. "It is a much more serious issue for countries where the impact of high interest rates in the United States are more profound — in many emerging market economies," Georgieva told CNBC's Silvia Amaro in Brussels on Monday.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, Georgieva, CNBC's Silvia Amaro Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, International Monetary Fund Locations: Washington , DC, Europe, U.S, United States, Brussels, Japan

☆ IMF chief concerned about the prospect of central banks diverging on rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | 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 EmailIMF chief concerned about the prospect of central banks diverging on rate cutsKristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, discusses the outlook for economic growth in Europe and reflects on the prospect of major central banks diverging on monetary policy.

Organizations: IMF, International Monetary Fund Locations: Europe

☆ Billionaire investor David Einhorn shares an overlooked theory for why gold prices have spiked so much
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The recent gold rally is counterintuitive, as high interest rates typically make bullion less attractive. But billionaire investor David Einhorn has a theory that he shared in his latest investor letter. Einhorn suggests that gold's rally is potentially due to countries in the East buying gold from Western nations. To explain the strong run for gold, billionaire investor David Einhorn offered a potential theory in his latest letter to investors published this week. Others, like billionaire investor Ray Dalio, say gold can hedge risks stemming from high government debt levels.

Persons: David Einhorn, Einhorn, —, there's, David Rosenberg, Ed Yardeni, Ray Dalio Organizations: Service, Federal, Greenlight, World Gold, People's Bank of Locations: China, People's Bank of China, India, Singapore

☆ Europe is beating inflation. Why can’t America declare victory?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Fed aims to keep inflation at 2% over the longer run. Meanwhile, among the 20 countries that use the euro, annual consumer price inflation has slowed steadily since the start of the year. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said earlier this month that she would favor a rate hike “should progress on inflation stall or even reverse.”So why does the United States appear to have a bigger inflation problem than Europe? Some economists argue there isn’t actually much daylight between the US and European rates of inflation, pointing to a quirk in the US measures. The measure is designed to track inflation in the real estate market while accounting for the fact that most Americans own their homes.

Persons: Michelle Bowman, Paul Donovan, Simon MacAdam, ”, MacAdam, ” Carsten Brzeski, Janet Yellen, Jim Watson, Brzeski, “, ” Davide Oneglia Organizations: London CNN, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, PCE, UBS Global Wealth Management, Capital Economics, ING, CNN, Monetary Fund, Washington, Reuters, Getty, —, ECB, Lombard Locations: United States, Europe, Centreville , Maryland, AFP, Russia, Ukraine

On Wednesday the Microsoft -backed company priced shares at $32 each, above its expected range of $28 to 31 per share. In selling 23.5 million shares, it raised $752 million. Rubrik shares are trading under the ticker "RBRK." Many technology companies appeared on public markets in the 2010s as central banks kept interest rates low. Rubrik, founded a decade ago, reported a $354 million net loss in the latest fiscal year, compared to a $278 million loss in the year prior.

Persons: Rubrik, It's, Bipul Sinha Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Microsoft, Astera Labs

☆ Buy these gold and copper stocks to ride AI, China demand and more, say fund managers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Gold and copper have been on fire, as geopolitical tensions mount, central banks buy up gold, and AI demand for copper grows. Copper, too, has done well, with copper futures hitting their highest level since 2022 last weekend. Stock picks He named Australian gold miner Northern Star and copper miner Southern Copper as stocks he's bullish on right now. He said against that backdrop, he's getting back into some gold mining stocks such as Gold Fields and K92 Mining. It said that copper demand will already "significantly exceed" supply starting this year — and that's not even accounting for demand growth from data centers.

Persons: Kingsley Jones, Jevons, CNBC's, Jones, Kamil Dimmich, Dimmich, he's, that's, Jefferies, Teck, Ian Roper, Michael Bloom Organizations: Wall Street, U.S . Federal Reserve, Stock, Northern Star, South, K92 Mining, Jefferies, JPMorgan, Teck Resources, North, Astris Advisory Japan KK, CNBC Locations: USA, Europe, South Capital, East, China, Freeport, McMoRan, Lundin, Teck, North America

☆ ‘A real wildcard’: World’s largest wealth fund issues inflation warning on hot commodity markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The chief executive of the world's largest wealth fund says there are many wild cards in financial markets right now, but the "big worry" for investors is what a commodities rally could mean for the inflation outlook. Oil and copper prices have climbed around 13%, respectively, year-to-date, while gold has repeatedly notched fresh record highs in recent months. Asked whether he had any concerns about hot commodity markets, NBIM's Tangen replied, "Yes, the big worry is just what that could mean for inflation right?" He added, "So, if energy and raw material prices continue to move up, that is going to feed through to end-product prices, which are going to be higher. And that could be the real wildcard when it comes to inflation expectation."

Persons: Nicolai Tangen, CNBC's, NBIM's Tangen Organizations: Norges Bank Investment Management

☆ Gold prices have another 29% upside as China's central bank continues its buying spree, famed economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gold prices are set to continue their record bull run to $3,000 per ounce, according to David Rosenberg. Rosenberg highlighted a buying spree from China's central bank as one reason why prices will rise. AdvertisementFamed economist David Rosenberg is feeling good about where gold prices are headed. But its share of gold reserves is tiny compared to other central banks, with the global average being 13%. That means there could be plenty of runway left for China to keep adding to its gold reserves.

Persons: David Rosenberg, Rosenberg, —, it's Organizations: Federal, Service, Fed Locations: China

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