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☆ Bitcoin keeps wavering between a store of value and a high-risk asset. How investors square that with their traditional investments.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"If you make an investment into bitcoin, you understand that this is par for the course, it just is," he told CNBC. "Because bitcoin takes on a lot of asset profiles – risk asset, store of value, VC-like nascent asset class – investing in it is actually really attractive," said Greg King, CEO of investment company Osprey Funds. A very early technology play Looking at the price path on short timeframes, bitcoin will and often does mimic high-risk assets. Ross had a nuanced view, arguing that bitcoin remains a highly volatile asset. New crypto investors often overlook the Bitcoin technology, focusing instead on bitcoin the crypto asset.

☆ Mark Cuban says he could get people to pay $100 for Twitter's blue checkmarks—Elon Musk's strategy is a 'huge mistake'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"There were 100 ways [Musk] could have asked legacy checks for $100," Cuban wrote. When rolling out the subscription service, Musk removed blue checkmarks from previously verified users, and made them available to anyone willing to pay. It's unclear whether he's paying for Twitter Blue or Musk is covering his subscription. Musk's implementation of Twitter Blue could make both elements harder for many users, particularly when they're no longer sure who they're actually speaking with. "Twitter still is the best game in town for so many different types of communications," Cuban wrote.

☆ VC firms create $60 billion-plus climate tech alliance with backing from the UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A group of venture capital firms including Tiger Global and Union Square Ventures on Tuesday set up an alliance aimed at making private tech investing more climate-friendly. Called the Venture Climate Alliance (VCA), the coalition of more than 20 climate tech and generalist funds seeks to get the VC industry to increase its commitments to climate tech, a branch of technology devoted to finding solutions to the climate crisis. Generalist VC firms will need to make routine assessments of their carbon footprint, align their early-stage startup bets with net-zero goals. It is not the first initiative to bring climate's role in startup investing to the forefront. The alliance will fall under the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a group formed during the COP26 climate conference.

Summary German public sector secures 5.5% rise for 2024Deal sets precedent, piles pressure on ECB's forecastsECB to raise rates on May 4FRANKFURT, April 24 (Reuters) - The "very generous" pay rise secured by Germany's public sector workers may complicate the European Central Bank's fight against inflation, analysts said on Monday. "The permanent increase next year may raise some eyebrows at the ECB because wages were supposed to peak this year," Natixis economist Dirk Schumacher said. Other economists noted the German public sector pay agreement followed a period of falling real wages, when prices grow faster than salaries. "Doves may argue that the deal comes after a period of wage restraint and is reasonably front-loaded," Christian Schulz, an economist at Citi, said. "This means that it will probably take at least another five years for public sector wages to recover this loss of purchasing power and for employees to have the standard of living they had in 2021," Fratzscher said.

☆ NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell exits after an 'inappropriate relationship,' shocking insiders, and Comcast won't rush to replace him as corporate exec Mike Cavanagh steps up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's exit shocked company insiders and all of Hollywood. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's bombshell departure on Sunday night was a surprise to the well-regarded executive and also to his closest colleagues. Deadline reported that Shell's relationship was with CNBC's senior international correspondent, Hadley Gamble, which lasted 11 years but had ended a couple of years ago. "Comcast is as buttoned-up and straight as ever — this is a black eye for Brian Roberts," the Comcast CEO. A second company insider, however, said that Cavanagh is expected to remain in the role for some time.

☆ Germany's foreign minister: Parts of China trip 'more than shocking'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Alexander Ratz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBERLIN, April 19 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday described parts of her recent trip to China as "more than shocking" and said Beijing was increasingly becoming a systemic rival more than a trade partner and competitor. Beijing in turn asked Germany to support Taiwan's "reunification" and said China and Germany were not adversaries but partners. Speaking to the German Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on Wednesday about her China trip, Baerbock said "some of it was really more than shocking". China is Germany's largest trading partner, said Baerbock, but this did not mean Beijing was also Germany's most important trading partner.

☆ Elon Musk now says he wants to create a ChatGPT competitor to avoid 'A.I. dystopia'—he's calling it 'TruthGPT'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"I'm going to start something which I call TruthGPT," Musk told Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Monday, adding that he'd want his AI chatbot to be a "maximum truth-seeking AI that tries to understand the nature of the universe." He didn't provide evidence for those claims, or detail exactly what a "truth-seeking AI" might entail. "A path to AI dystopia is to train AI to be deceptive," Musk said. "It could cause harm," Pichai told CBS News' "60 Minutes" on Sunday. Twitter — which intends to pursue generative AI, Musk told the BBC last week — is a for-profit company.

☆ 31-year-old makes $105,000 a month in passive income from her side hustle: 'I work just 2 hours a day'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jasmine Mccall | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

One day, I posted a YouTube video sharing how I went from a credit score of 495 to 820 — simply by disputing inaccurate information on my credit report. By May 2022, I was earning enough to quit my Amazon job to work on my side hustle. From December 2022 to March 2023, we earned an average of $105,000 a month in passive income, mostly from digital product sales and YouTube ad revenue. The best part is that I work just two hours a day. Photo: Jasmine McCallI have a designated task for each day of the weekI usually start working by 11 a.m. Mondays and Tuesdays are my YouTube content days.

☆ NBA fines Mark Cuban's Mavericks $750K for tanking key game
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | 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 EmailNBA fines Mark Cuban's Mavericks $750K for tanking key gameHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC. Shams Charania, Fan Duel TV's "Run It Back" co-host, joins the show to discuss the NBA fine against the Mavericks.

☆ Banking turmoil questions begin at board level, says Basel's de Cos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

These events marked the first real stress test of banks since the global financial crisis of 2007-09, de Cos told an Institute of International Finance roundtable in Washington. While it was unlikely a single culprit was to blame, he said the "whodunnit" task should start with bank boards. "A bank’s board, senior management and risk management function should be asking themselves questions in a timely fashion and taking credible measures to shore up resilience," de Cos said. De Cos also said supervisors should also ask tough questions and take "decisive action" to ensure safety and soundness of banks. Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England and former chair of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the G20 watchdog that drove through post-global financial crisis reforms of banking rules, has called for a rethink of bank liquidity rules.

☆ BoE's Bailey says bank reforms worked but questions about liquidity buffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Today I do not believe we face a systemic banking crisis. Bailey, however, echoed calls from his predecessor Mark Carney by saying there might be questions over the size of liquidity buffers required of banks in order to tide them over short-term shocks. This must beg the question of what are appropriate and desired liquidity buffers that create the time needed to take action to solve the problem." Data from the European Central Bank on Wednesday showed a slight weakening in liquidity buffers at banks it regulates, though they are still well above minimum requirements. Banks' holdings of liquidity have more than doubled since the global financial crisis, helping to contain fallout from the recent banking turmoil, de Cos said.

☆ MLB roundup: Ryan Mountcastle's 9 RBIs propel Orioles to win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Austin Hays also homered and went 4-for-5 as the Orioles won for the second night in a row. Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run and Bryson Stott added two hits and two RBIs for Philadelphia. Guardians starter Hunter Gaddis (0-1) allowed eight runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks in three-plus innings. Blue Jays 9, Tigers 3Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run home run and had four RBIs as Toronto won its home opener, beating Detroit. Detroit right-hander Matt Manning (1-1) allowed four runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in six innings.

☆ The US could lose up to 900 warplanes fighting a Chinese invasion of Taiwan but would emerge victorious, says think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A think tank ran war game analyses for a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan. One of the analysts told Insider the US and Taiwan would likely succeed in beating back a Chinese invasion. The Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, conducted war games last year to imagine how such a conflict would play out. The war games are designed to help envision how conflicts would play out. China conducted military drills around Taiwan following Pelosi's visit and said that further "training and war preparation" would continue, The Guardian reported.

☆ A top tip for central banks: talk less, smile more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investors hang on central bankers’ every word, hoping to gain an edge for their next trade. But with consumer prices rising at the fastest pace in decades, central bankers can’t easily cut borrowing costs, either. Chatty central banks are a relatively new phenomenon. Investors are also more sensitive to central banks today than in years past. Still, being more careful about what’s said, and how it’s said, could help central banks better balance their priorities.

☆ Starbucks new CEO wants senior leaders to work in stores. Every leader should follow suit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former Walmart CEO Greg Foran used to visit stores every week to observe factors like customer service, inventory levels, in-stock levels, and assortment. Fewer retail CEOs got their start working in storesLowe's CEO Marvin Ellison started his retail career as a Target security guard. Others went through management-training programs operated by department stores. As department stores started facing stiff competition from specialty stores, they scrambled to cut costs. These days, finding a qualified retail CEO seems like one of the hardest jobs to fill, with many companies looking outside the retail industry.

☆ Mark Cuban rejected this 'Shark Tank' company—and said he'd take its ideas to one of its competitors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

You don't often see an investor taking an entrepreneur's idea and giving it to a competitor, but that's exactly what Mark Cuban did on Friday's episode of ABC's "Shark Tank." During the episode, Justin Crowe pitched his 3-year-old cremation alternative startup Parting Stone to investors, including Cuban. Eterneva currently focuses on turning ashes into diamonds, and Cuban viewed Parting Stones' offerings as a great second product line. Lori Greiner called Parting Stones "genius," and Kevin O'Leary said the category was right up his alley. Crowe rejected them all, saying that Parting Stone had both direct-to-consumer sales and business-to-business sales through funeral homes — and he'd only pay royalties from the consumer side.

☆ Mark Cuban says the best way to start a business is with 'as little money as possible'—here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If you think that raising capital is the best way to get your business off the ground, you're wrong, according to Mark Cuban. Cuban, of course, has invested in hundreds of startups, including some on ABC's "Shark Tank." Now, I've got to go raise money,'" Cuban said, adding: "Just remember raising money, whether it's from me, on 'Shark Tank' [or] anywhere, that's an obligation. Elon Musk, who has an estimated net worth of $187.9 billion, owns about 23% of Tesla and 74% of Twitter, according to Forbes. Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank," which features Mark Cuban as a panelist.

☆ MLB roundup: Rays beat A's to stay undefeated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Stroman has allowed two runs and 17 hits over 32 innings while winning each of his last five home starts. Ji Hwan Bae, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Connor Joe each had an RBI double, and Oneil Cruz and Jason Delay hit RBI singles for the Pirates. Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill allowed seven runs and eight hits in four innings. Alex Cobb (0-1) was the hard-luck loser for the Giants after holding the Royals to two runs on seven hits in seven innings. Kershaw (1-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings.

CNBC Pro looked at the 100-day rolling correlations of S & P 500 stocks to West Texas Intermediate futures to see which names tend to follow oil the closest. In other words, when oil rises, these stocks tend to follow it higher. Clorox and General Mills both have negative current correlations to oil. In other words, when oil rises, these stocks have fallen lately. Both stocks are underperforming oil this week, with Clorox losing 0.1% and General Mills advancing just 1.7%.

☆ Billionaire Mark Cuban says successful people aren't afraid to go broke: 'When you've got nothing to lose, you go for it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Before becoming a billionaire, Mark Cuban slummed it in an apartment with five other guys, sleeping on the floor and using "nasty" towels taken from a Motel 6. Those circumstances may seem pretty bleak, but they're exactly what drove Cuban to put his all into entrepreneurship. Cuban, who has an estimated net worth of $6.5 billion, referenced his "Shark Tank" co-star Daymond John's phrase "the power of broke," saying it's "one of the defining elements" of any successful business owner. Most people consult with friends and explore their idea on Google, but ultimately never follow through, Cuban said. Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank."

☆ German smart thermostat maker clinches top-up from U.S. investor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, April 4 (Reuters) - 08German thermostat maker Tado has secured 12 million euros ($13.08 million) from U.S. investor S2G Ventures, it said on Tuesday, two months after it raised funds to expand in an increasingly energy-conscious European market. The need to actively manage household heating, often fuelled by gas, became a top political priority last year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Data gathered by Tado from hundreds of households where it has installed meters suggested Europeans were heeding calls from politicians to conserve energy. The top-up bolsters the Munich-based company's fundraising to 55 million euros ($59.93 million) so far in 2023 when it expects to reach profitability. The funding announcement comes weeks after major start-up supporter Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, prompting panic among venture-stage firms, particularly in North America.

☆ Bank bail-ins, and how to prevent climate bailouts: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mark Carney helped design the post-2008 system for resolving bust lenders. In this episode of the Exchange, the ex-Bank of England governor tells George Hay what he makes of last month’s rescue of Credit Suisse, and how to limit future financial sector hits from climate change. Listen to the podcastFollow @gfhay on TwitterSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Thomas ShumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Liquidity rules need rethink after Silicon Valley Bank crash, says Carney
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the United States last month highlighted the "greater flightiness" of desposits, particularly those of small business clients, Carney told a Reuters Breakingviews podcast. Over $40 billion left Silicon Valley Bank in 24 hours, leaving authorities confronting a new risk: the social media bank run as depositors can withdraw cash with just a few taps on their phone. These buffers should also count a bank's access to central bank liquidity as part of their calculations, he added. The United States has generally applied Basel standards only to its biggest banks, which did not include Silicon Valley Bank. Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods told lawmakers last week that bank liquidity rules might now be an open question for international policymakers.

April 4 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) lost a bid to register part of a federal trademark for "Apple Music" on Tuesday after a U.S. appeals court ruled for a jazz musician who challenged the tech giant's application. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected Apple's argument that it had priority over trumpeter Charlie Bertini's "Apple Jazz" trademark rights based on its ownership of an earlier trademark from the Beatles' music label Apple Corps Ltd. The court allowed Bertini to block Apple's bid for a federal Apple Music trademark covering live performances, one of several trademark uses Apple sought to secure. Apple launched its streaming service in 2015 and applied the same year for a federal "Apple Music" trademark covering several categories of music and entertainment services. It said Apple could not "tack" its trademark rights for live performances to the Apple Corps trademark for sound recordings, a different category of goods.

☆ Starbucks' new CEO plans to spend time working at his company's coffee shops. Here's why every retail leader should take a shift on the sales floor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former Walmart CEO Greg Foran used to visit stores every week to observe factors like customer service, inventory levels, in-stock levels, and assortment. Fewer retail CEOs got their start working in storesLowe's CEO Marvin Ellison started his retail career as a Target security guard. David Swanson/ReutersOf course, times have changed — in the past, many retail CEOs got their start at the store level. As department stores started facing stiff competition from specialty stores, they scrambled to cut costs. These days, finding a qualified retail CEO seems like one of the hardest jobs to fill, with many companies looking outside the retail industry.

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