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The holiday season, which begins with Black Friday at the end of November and lasts roughly until the end of December, is expected to be especially tough for retailers selling discretionary items, executives say. "We are seeing some early Black Friday sales start just now," Barbie maker Mattel's (MAT.O) president and chief commercial officer, Steve Totzke, told Reuters on Monday. "The market for toys has been declining for the whole year," said Florian Sieber, CEO of German toy maker Simba. "We are expecting a good holiday season for Mattel," Totzke said. "We expect to continue to gain share throughout the holiday season."

Persons: Peter Nicholls, Larian, Santa Claus, Barbie, Loo, Isaac Larian, Toymakers, Nic Aldridge, Aldridge, Mattel's, Steve Totzke, Florian Sieber, Simba, Sieber, Totzke, Frédérique Tutt, Jerry Storch, Richa Naidu, Matt Scuffham Organizations: REUTERS, Hasbro, Mattel, Consumers, Euromonitor, MGA Entertainment, Toymakers Hasbro, Reuters, Bandai, P, Global, Storch Advisors, Hudson's, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Europe, Santa, United States, Loo Wee, U.S

☆ Sonos' first-ever chief commercial officer dishes on her plans to overhaul its marketing strategy and turbocharge its share of the audio market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Monday, Deirdre Findlay started her first day as Sonos' chief commercial officer, a newly-created position that's an amalgam of chief marketer, chief revenue officer, and chief customer officer. As a high-end speaker brand, Sonos has found itself in an enormously competitive category that has been plagued with weakening consumer demand. Next week, Findlay said her team will start digging into what Sonos knows about its customers. Findlay also needs to figure out how to convince new customers to buy Sonos products. Whether or not Sonos continues to target new consumers who want more affordable electronics is something that Findlay is still figuring out.

Persons: Deirdre Findlay, Sonos, Findlay, Condé Nast, Patrick Spence, Spence, hasn't, She'll Organizations: Google, Business, Retailers

☆ Samsung Elec sold more ASML shares in Q3 -company filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 15 (Reuters) - South Korea's Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) cut its stake in semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker ASML (ASML.AS) further in the third quarter, the company's latest financial statement showed. Samsung Electronics more than halved its stake in ASML earlier this year. The stake Samsung sold is worth around 726.7 million euros ($789.92 million) based on the latest share prices. That brought Samsung Electronics' holding in the Dutch chip equipment maker down to 0.4%, or 1.58 million shares, according to the report. Samsung Electronics did not have an immediate comment.

Persons: Ed Davies Organizations: Samsung Electronics, Samsung, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, ASML

The Energy Department is making a push to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain, announcing up to $3.5 billion for companies that produce batteries and the critical minerals that go into them. Some officials, industry experts and others concerned about climate change uneasy supply of battery materials will not keep pace with demand. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law assigned $6 billion in total funding for battery material processing and manufacturing. An initial round went to 15 projects including companies that mine critical minerals like graphite and nickel, used in lithium batteries. Tom Moerenhout, a professor at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, said it will be a big challenge to ramp up the global supply of critical minerals for the projected battery demand in 2030.

Persons: Harris, Jodie Lutkenhaus, “ I’m, ”, ” Lutkenhaus, Matthew McDowell, Tom Moerenhout, “, Moerenhout Organizations: Energy Department, DOE, Biden, Texas, M University, Infrastructure Law, Georgia Institute of Technology, Columbia University's Center, Global Energy, Companies, ____, AP Locations: Asia, Albemarle, Kings Mountain , North Carolina, U.S

☆ The promise and risks of deep-sea mining
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

The promise and risks of deep-sea mining A vast treasure of critical minerals lies on the ocean floor. All of these factors make deep-sea mining more appealing, supporters say. Environmentalists, however, say it’s a false dichotomy, as land mining will continue whether or not deep-sea mining is allowed. Any country can allow deep-sea mining in its territorial waters, and Norway, Japan and the Cook Islands are close to allowing it. For now, the ISA's members are hotly debating the best standards for deep-sea mining.

Persons: Gerard Barron, Margo Deiye, “ We’re, ”, Barron, “, Beth Orcutt, Jason Gillham, Joe Carr, Pradeep Singh, Kira Mizell, Julia Wolfe, Katy Daigle, Claudia Parsons Organizations: International Energy Agency, P Global, Authority, United Nations, ISA, Metals Co, Russia's JSC, Blue Minerals, Exploration, Metals, Clarion, Companies, U.S . Geological Survey, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, The Metals Co, Northwest, Maine's Bigelow Laboratory, Ocean Sciences, Impossible Metals, NOAA, Research, Aquarium Research, Bigelow Laboratory, Research Institute, Sustainability, . Geological Survey Locations: Brazil, Norway, Japan, Cook, Vancouver, Blue, Blue Minerals Jamaica, China, Hawaii, Mexico, Nauru, U.S, Russia, France, India, Poland, Tokyo, Monterey

"We are seeing some early Black Friday sales start just now," Barbie maker Mattel's (MAT.O) president and chief commercial officer, Steve Totzke, told Reuters on Monday. "The market for toys has been declining for the whole year," said Florian Sieber, CEO of German toy maker Simba. "We are expecting a good holiday season for Mattel," Totzke said. "We expect to continue to gain share throughout the holiday season." "But it's a reality that there won't be as many toys sold this year as last year."

☆ Sephora has locked up all its perfume. It says too many people were stealing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Sephora has drastically changed the way people shop for fragrances in its stores, and it’s blaming store thefts for it. Sephora locked up the fragrances and added more staff specifically tasked with stopping theft. “To minimize the threats of retail theft and to provide our shoppers with the peace of mind during their experience at Sephora, we’ve increased the presence of Sephora loss prevention investigators across all stores. “The ultimate victim of retail crime is 100% the consumer,” said Landon Winkelvoss, co-founder of Nisos, a provider of threat intelligence to companies and organizations. “Sephora freed the products and put them straight into consumers hands so they could touch, swatch and experience the products at their leisure,” she added.

Persons: New York CNN — Sephora, Sephora, I’m, ”, Mark Skertic, Skertic, Landon Winkelvoss, Manola Soler, Alvarez, “ Sephora Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, “, eBay, Facebook, Walgreens, Marsal’s Consumer, Retail, swatch Locations: New York, Sephora, Chicago

Retail sales fell 0.1% last month after jumping a strong 0.9% in September, according to a report released Wednesday by the Commerce Department. Excluding sales of gas and autos, retail sales ticked up 0.1%. “The October retail sales report was stronger than expectations, but confirmed a slowdown in consumption,” Ellen Zentner, chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley, wrote in a note to clients. Restaurants and bars reported a 0.3% sales increase, though that was much lower than September's 1.6% gain. The government’s monthly retail sales report offers only a partial look at consumer spending; it doesn’t include many services, including health care, travel and hotel lodging.

Persons: “, ” Ellen Zentner, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Commerce Department, Consumer, Walmart, Target, Federal Reserve, National Retail Federation Locations: U.S, Europe, United States

Target, like other U.S. retailers, has been struggling with slowing sales as consumers show more caution in the face of steep inflation. This profit performance benefited from ... efficiency and disciplined inventory management," Target CEO Brian Cornell said in a statement. In August, the retailer cut its full-year sales and profit expectations to reflect the impact of slowing consumer demand. Target said on Wednesday it expects holiday-quarter comparable sales to decline in the mid-single-digit percentage range, compared with expectations of a 3.97% drop. Target shares have lost 25.7% of their value this year, in contrast to rival Walmart's (WMT.N) 18.2% rise.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Brian Cornell, Cornell, Walmart's, Siddharth Cavale, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Azusa , California U.S, REUTERS, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Azusa , California, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland , Oregon, Bengaluru

☆ Italy arrests six in crackdown on fentanyl smuggling from China to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Emilio Parodi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] An undated handout picture released by Guardia di Finanza shows banknotes that were seized as a part of an operation against fentanyl trafficking from China to U.S., in Piacenza, Italy. Guardia di Finanza Press Office/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Italian police have arrested six people in a crackdown on a network that allegedly played go-between for fentanyl trafficking from China to the United States, Guardia di Finanza police and prosecutors in the northern city of Piacenza said on Wednesday. Washington is hoping to secure more cooperation from Beijing in combating production of the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, a scourge in the United States, when President Joe Biden meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. Among those arrested in Italy is the alleged head of the network, a 51-year-old Italian man suspected of buying fentanyl from China over the past three years. He sold it on to buyers in the United States, and in one case in Mexico, the chief prosecutor said.

Persons: Grazia Pradella, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Emilio Parodi, Keith Weir Organizations: Guardia, Finanza, REUTERS Acquire, U.S . Drug Enforcement Administration, Reuters, U.S, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Police, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Piacenza, Italy, United States, Guardia, Washington, Beijing, Mexico, Rome, Ukrainian, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, bitcoin

☆ Target finally gets some good news. But there’s a catch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —After a half year of negative headlines, culture war distractions and a massive stock slump, Target finally had something to cheer. Target’s profit beat Wall Street’s expectations last quarter, and the stock surged 14% in premarket trading Wednesday. Heading into Wednesday, Target’s stock had dropped 36% over the past year. But Target’s inventory levels are leaner than they were a year ago and Target is marking down fewer products. Target’s profit also grew from lower freight and supply chain costs.

Organizations: New, New York CNN, Target Locations: New York

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). Using your credit card rewards can save you money on travel, gifts, and the credit card bill. You can also earn rewards by strategically using your credit card to cover groceries, shopping, and travel. But your holidays don't have to be more expensive — if you use the right credit card rewards to make those purchases, you can save yourself some money. Here are three ways to use your credit card rewards for holiday shopping:1.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, National Retail Federation, National Retail

For the seventh time, Taiwan will be represented by Morris Chang, the 92-year-old founder of the world-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Chang is known as the godfather of the industry that has put Taiwan in the top ranks of high-tech manufacturing and personal electronic devices. Taiwan has participated in APEC since 1991 under the name Chinese Taipei. It began taking part just two years after the group's inception and the same year that China and the semi-autonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong joined. These acts of political intimidation have the potential to wear down the operational resiliency of the island's military equipment and personnel.

Persons: Morris Chang, Chang, —, Finance Chuang Tsui, yun, Janet Yellen, BIDEN, Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Hong Kong, William Lai, Terry Gou Organizations: —, Economic Cooperation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, APEC, Finance, U.S, Treasury, BE, Liberation Army, Democratic Progressive Party . U.S . National Security, Nationalist Party, Kuomintang, KMT Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, — Taiwan, Asia, San Francisco, China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, TAIWAN, U.S, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Pacific, Hong, British, Taiwanese

☆ Target’s aim is better at the bottom than the top
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Target (TGT.N) is improving what it can control to try to compensate for price-sensitive consumers. That’s despite a 4% decline in sales, as customers pulled back on buying apparel, electronics and home accessories. It’s the best the $60 billion retailer can do, and shareholders are rightly rewarding it. The key to its success this quarter is inventory, which fell 14% from the same period last year. For a long time, too much stuff sat in Target’s back room.

Persons: Brian Cornell, Jennifer Saba, taints, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Commerce Department, Cornell, X, Alstom, Thomson Locations: U.S, Target’s

☆ Retailers and delivery apps must act on e-bike safety, NY officials say, after 3 people died in a house fire linked with a scooter battery
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New York City officials say retailers and food delivery apps must act on unsafe e-bike batteries. There have been hundreds of fires linked to lithium ion batteries in e-bikes and scooters in the city. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. "It's extensively damaged," Kavanagh said, adding that the battery that sparked the fire was for a "scooter of some kind." The city has seen hundreds of fires linked to the lithium ion batteries that power electric bikes and scooters in recent years.

Persons: —, Laura Kavanagh, Albertha West, Michael West, Jamiyl West, Kavanagh, haven't, Meera Joshi, They're, Joshi, Josh Gold, Uber, Patrick Burke Organizations: Service, —, Fire, Amazon, Walmart, City Hall, UL, Local Locations: York City, — New York City, Brooklyn, New York City

☆ For Latin Grammy Nominee Edgar Barrera, Mistakes Can Be Perfection
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jon Pareles | More About Jon Pareles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I always try to have real musicians play, even if I found a loop in a music library,” he said. Even if a replayed part has mistakes, he added, “those mistakes in records make it feel more real and authentic. I think that in those mistakes is where the perfection is found.”Where other producers deliver programmed beats and bombast, Barrera offers clarity. And it’s exciting to see 14-, 13-year-old kids playing tololoche, upright bass, the way they slap it. “And I try not to be too complicated, especially because the audience who I’m writing to is a younger generation.

Persons: Barrera, “, ”, bombast, ” Barrera, ” “

☆ US retail sales dip; producer prices post biggest drop in 3-1/2 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales would fall 0.3%. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales rose 0.2% in October. Data for September was revised up to show these so-called core retail sales rising 0.7% instead of the previously reported 0.6%. Core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of GDP. Goods prices rose 0.8% in September.

Persons: Bill Adams, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Paul Simao Organizations: Saks Fifth, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Federal, Comerica Bank, Commerce, Data, Reuters, United Auto Workers, Treasury, Consumer, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wednesday, PPI, Reuters Graphics, Fed, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Dallas, Commerce Department's

☆ China's JD.com posts higher Q3 profit as supply snarls ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign of China's e-commerce company JD.com is seen at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2016 in Shanghai, China, May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm JD.com reported quarterly revenue below estimates on Wednesday, but posted a surge in profit as supply chain problems eased. JD.com has fewer popular livestreamers than its competitors, such as Austin Li, who exclusively streams on Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) platform. The company reported net revenue of 247.7 billion yuan ($34.19 billion) for the third quarter, missing analysts' average estimate of 249.26 billion yuan according to LSEG data. But it posted net income attributable to shareholders of 7.94 billion yuan, up 33% from 5.96 billion yuan a year earlier.

Persons: Aly, JD.com, Xu Ran, Austin Li, Alibaba's Tmall, Arsheeya Bajwa, Akash Sriram, Sophie Yu, Varun, Kim Coghill Organizations: CES, REUTERS, JD Retail, HK, Citi, Daiwa, Jefferies, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: Asia, Shanghai, China, Bengaluru, Beijing

☆ Microsoft is fine avoiding China as U.S. considers national security implications, CEO Satya Nadella says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft is not focused on China as a domestic market, though the company has notable Chinese customers with operations outside the world's second most-populous country, CEO Satya Nadella said on Wednesday. "A lot of the Chinese multinationals operating outside of China are our bigger AI customers, perhaps." Microsoft provides artificial intelligence services to electric vehicle maker Li Auto and consumer electronics company Xiaomi, among others. Still, Nadella acknowledged on Wednesday that the U.S. government has important restrictions to follow when it comes to doing business in China. The U.S government uses Microsoft Azure cloud services and Microsoft 365 productivity apps.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Nadella, CNBC's Jon Fortt, Li, Nadella's, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Meta's, Bing, Deepwater's Gene Munster Organizations: Microsoft, Microsoft's Ignite, Li Auto, U.S, . Commerce Department, Meta's Facebook, Baidu, USG, LinkedIn Locations: China, Seattle, San Francisco, Bing, Beijing, United States, U.S, Europe, Asia

☆ Target CEO signals a halt to revenge spending and delays in impulse buys
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementTarget's CEO said Wednesday that customers are continuing to make more tradeoffs in their family budgets and delay some spending. The lower price-points are meant to inspire more of the unplanned purchases that make a Target run a Target run. "This year, we've seen more and more consumers delaying their spending until the last moment," Cornell said. "It all puts pressure on discretionary spending."

Persons: —, Brian Cornell, Christina Hennington, we've, Cornell, Anna Wong Organizations: Service, Bloomberg Economics, Target

☆ Here’s a rapid-fire update on all 35 stocks in our portfolio, including a new industrial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Here's a rapid-fire update on all the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio we use for the CNBC Investing Club. Honeywell International (HON): This is the most undervalued stock in our portfolio, Jim said. In a diversified stock portfolio, Jim said there's always room for high-quality companies like P & G, which also has a track record of raising its dividend. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. Here's a rapid-fire update on all the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio we use for the CNBC Investing Club.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim, Bausch, That's, Dupont De Nemours, Dupont, Danaher, Walt Disney, Estee Lauder, Locker, Vimal Kapur, we're, We've, we've, Linde, Eli Lilly, Eli, hasn't, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's, Zuckerberg, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, Ted Pick, James Gorman, he's, there's, Patience, Stanley Black, Decker, Wells Fargo, Jim Cramer Organizations: Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, CNBC, Club, Apple, Amazon Web Services, Broadcom, VMWare, Bausch Health, Caterpillar, Costco Wholesale, Coterra Energy, Disney, Eaton Corp, Emerson, Ford, Union Auto Workers, GE Healthcare Technologies, General Electric, GE, Management, Google, YouTube, Honeywell International, Honeywell, Linde, LIN, Reality Labs, Microsoft, Nvidia, U.S, Oracle, Palo Alto Networks, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, Constellation Brands, Corona, Modelo, Stanley, TJX, Wynn Resorts, WYNN, Trust Locations: China, India, Salesforce's, redeploy

☆ Wholesale prices fell 0.5% in October for biggest monthly drop since April 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Wholesale prices in October posted their biggest decline in 3½ years, providing another indication that the worst of the inflation surge may have passed. Final demand services prices were unchanged. Some 80% of the drop in goods prices came from a 15.3% tumble in gasoline prices, the Labor Department said. Airline passenger services prices increased 3.1%. Correction: Wholesale prices in October posted their biggest decline in 3½ years.

Persons: Dow Jones, Price, Stocks Organizations: Dow, Labor Department, PPI, Federal, Airline, Commerce Department, Empire, Manufacturing Survey, New York Federal Reserve Locations: New York

☆ Where prices fell in October 2023 — in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesInflation continued its broad moderation in October, down significantly from pandemic-era highs that hadn't been seen in more than 40 years. Why some prices are deflatingwatch nowSome prices, like those for airline tickets and eggs, have also declined off record-high levels. Egg and airline ticket prices are down about 22% and 13% in the past year, according to CPI data. How measurement quirks affect pricesSome of the declines are due partly to measurement quirks. Consumers get more for roughly the same amount of money, which shows up as a price decline in the CPI data.

Persons: hadn't, Andrew Hunter Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Capital Economics, CNBC, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Locations: New, U.S

☆ Target's new favorite buzzword is 'value'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Target 's goal this holiday season: be more like Walmart . The retailer's leaders said customers will see thousands of gift ideas under $25, store displays that highlight affordability and low-priced Thanksgiving ingredients. The company's executive team used the word "value" 17 times. Target has struggled to improve sales as shoppers focus more on essentials while being choosier when buying clothing, electronics and more. Going into the holiday season, nearly two-thirds of those displays meet that standard.

Persons: Kendra Scott, Christina Hennington, Hennington, John Mulligan Organizations: Walmart, Target Locations: Minneapolis

Signs of Chinese yuan and U.S. dollar are seen at a currency exchange store in Shanghai, China August 8, 2019. "I hope over time, we will be more than just a Middle East investor in China. I want us to be perceived also as a local Chinese investor," Ben-Gacem told Reuters, adding that the final fundraising size will depend on investor appetite and market conditions. Some private equity and venture funds are stepping up efforts to raise yuan funds. ($1 = 7.2884 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Kane Wu; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Investcorp, Investcorp's, Hazem Ben, Gacem, Ben, Mubadala, LSEG, China Everbright, Fung, Roxanne Liu, Kane Wu, Sumeet Chatterjee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Electronics, Middle, Rongsheng Petrochemical, CYVN Holdings, NIO Inc, Gulf Cooperation Council, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Bahrain, East, Abu Dhabi, Investcorp, Shandong, Tengzhou, Middle East, Gulf, U.S, Hong Kong, Chinese, Guangdong, Macau

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