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☆ All eyes will be on the Federal Reserve's interest rate outlook next week, Nvidia conference on deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

How the Federal Reserve plans to proceed with interest rates will be in focus next week after some recent signs of hotter inflation muddied the outlook. In December, policymakers had penciled in at least three quarter percentage point rate cuts in 2024. On Friday, stocks were headed for a losing week even after the S & P 500, for example, notched a fresh closing record just this week. The chipmaker will be under increased scrutiny next week as CEO Jensen Huang takes the stage for the company's annual AI conference. TD Wealth's Vaidya anticipates four rate cuts coming in the third and fourth quarters, though he said that outlook will remain data dependent.

Persons: Sid Vaidya, Jensen Huang, Lorie Logan, Molly McGown, McGown, Brian Nick, Wealth's Vaidya, Nick, Mills, —, Samantha Subin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Nvidia, Dallas, TD Securities, Securities, McGown, Bank of America, Housing, Micron Technology, Philadelphia Fed, PMI, PMI Manufacturing, PMI Services SA, Nike, FedEx, Darden Locations: U.S, NAHB

☆ Jefferies expects strong dividend growth this year. Here's how to play it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Their 12-month forward dividend yield is above the regional median and they are highly profitable, with their next two-year return on equity and last 12 months return-on-investment capital greater than 10%. Broadcom is the largest market-cap name on the list and has a 1.6% 12-month forward dividend yield. The branded consumer packaged goods company has a 12-month forward dividend yield of 2.5%. Owners of Enterprise Products Partners ' stock are rewarded with a 12-month forward dividend yield of 7.6%. Lastly, Darden Restaurants has a 3.3% 12-month forward dividend yield and is up 4.5% so far this year.

Persons: Jefferies, Peramunetilleke, Darden Organizations: Broadcom, Wall, Procter & Gamble, Procter, Gamble, of Enterprise Products Partners, Darden Locations: U.S, HQY

☆ Calls of the Day: Regeneron, Thermo Fisher, Darden Restaurants and Nucor
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | 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 EmailCalls of the Day: Regeneron, Thermo Fisher, Darden Restaurants and NucorThe Investment Committee debate the latest calls of the day on a number of stocks.

Organizations: Fisher, Darden

☆ Department of Justice opens probe of Globe Life, American Income Life
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Susan Antilla | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed Globe Life Inc. and its subsidiary American Income Life seeking documents related to one of its top life insurance agencies — the Pittsburgh-based Arias Organization. Globe Life executives made no mention of the DOJ probe during a quarterly earnings call on February 8. In October, insurance regulators in Pennsylvania fined American Income Life $130,000 for engaging in deceptive consumer practices. "We do not believe the litigation will be material to Globe Life's overall results or American Income Life's agency operations," he said. Darden told the analysts that "as soon as American Income became aware of" the allegations, AIL hired an outside investigator to look into the matter.

Persons: Arias, Renee Zinsky, Michael Russin, Joel Scarborough, Globe's, Trina Orlando, Cathy Seifert, Seifert, Scarborough, Simon Arias, Natalie Price, AIL, Warren Buffett's Berkshire, James Darden, Darden, Zinsky, Janet Hendrick, Phillips Murrah, Kathryn D, Terry, Liz Rita, Susan Antilla Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Inc, Organization, News, Business, BI, CFRA Research, Securities and Exchange Commission, Globe, DOJ, Scarborough, US, Office, Western, Western District of Pennsylvania, Arias Agencies, The, Justice, Warren, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Commission, Department of Justice, AIL, Income, Zinsky, Law Locations: Pittsburgh, Scarborough, Western District, Pennsylvania, Dallas, Globe, Denver, AIL, susan.antilla1@gmail.com

The Dells contributed nearly $976 million to their charitable funds, which distribute gifts to a wide array of charities. Together, the 50 donors on the list contributed a total of $11.9 billion to charity in 2023. Only 23 of the richest Americans on the Forbes 400 list donated enough to appear on the Philanthropy rankings. 13 on the list, they contributed $210 million to the Institute for Protein Innovation, which shares its data with scientists for free. _____Maria Di Mento is a senior reporter and Jim Rendon is a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article.

Persons: Michael Bloomberg, Phil Knight, Penny, Michael Dell, Susan, Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, Bernie Marcus, Ken Langone, Arthur Blank, “, ”, Renee Kaplan, — Franklin Antonio, Hugh Hoffman, —, Tim Springer, Chafen Lu, Diego’s Jay Kahn, Lauder, Sergey Brin’s, Michael J, Robert Kraft, Lucia Woods, David, Kathleen LaCross, Pierre Omidyar, Pam, They’re, John, Laura Arnold, Laura, ” Laura Arnold, Wendy Schmidt, Eric Schmidt, “ Younger, Kaplan, Jeff Sobrato, _____ Maria Di Mento, Jim Rendon, Kay Dervishi Organizations: New, New York City, Nike, Bloomberg, Knights, University of Oregon, Dells, Forbes, Forward, Qualcomm, Summer Science, SETI Institute, ALS Association , University of Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati Zoo, Botanical, Nature Center, Yale University, Institute for Protein Innovation, Price Club, Apple, San Diego Foundation, Discovery Foundation, Google, Fox Foundation, Parkinson’s Research, New England Patriots, Foundation, Combat, Ms, Foundation for Women, Chicago Foundation for Women, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, eBay, District of Columbia, Associated Press, Philanthropy Locations: New York, Portland , Oregon, Ohio, Moderna, California, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Hawaii, Massachusetts

☆ These stocks are well positioned for when the Federal Reserve starts cutting rates, Barclays says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

This would likely push the Federal funds target range to between 4.5% to 4.75% by the end of this year, he said. Take a look at the stocks Barclays thinks are best-positioned for lower rates later this year. Darden Restaurants is one of the consumer names Barclays believes can outperform when the Fed loosens rates. Clothing retailer Gap is another stock Barclays believes will be a rate-cut cycle winner. GPS YTD mountain The Gap shares in 2024 Agribusiness company Bunge also made the cut.

Persons: Terrence Malone, Malone, Jeff Bernstein, Bernstein, Jason Goldberg, Goldberg, Adrienne Yih, Bunge, Ben Theurer, —, Michael Bloom Organizations: Barclays, Darden, Olive Garden, LongHorn, Fifth, Bancorp, Old Navy, Banana, Analysts, Bunge Locations: Olive, Banana Republic

☆ Labor coalition accuses Starbucks of 'flawed' union strategy, risking shareholder value
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The coalition is pushing to replace three current Starbucks board members with its own nominees. The SOC proxy presentation claims the company's board has backed what it calls an "unnecessarily confrontational" strategy with the union. Starbucks said it has not only a new CEO, but with these additions, it has added five new board members in the past year. The proxy presentation targets three current Starbucks board members: Ritch Allison, Andy Campion and Jørgen Vig Knudstorp. Allison, Campion and Knudstorp, specifically, provide "continuity and highly-valuable unique perspectives," the Starbucks presentation said.

Persons: Baristas, Nielsen, Maria Echaveste, Joshua Gotbaum, Wilma Liebman, Daniel Servitje, Neal Mohan, Mike Sievert, Ritch Allison, Andy Campion, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Allison, Campion, Knudstorp, Wendy's, Narasimhan Organizations: Starbucks, CNBC, Organizing Center, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, Starbucks Corporation, Siren Retail, Service Employees International Union, Starbucks Workers United, Communications Workers of America, United Farm Workers of America, Chipotle, Darden, Restaurant Brands, Yum Brands, White House, Hawaiian Airlines, White, Grupo Bimbo, YouTube, Mobile, SEC Locations: Buffalo, Arlington , Virginia, China, U.S

NEW YORK (AP) — Super Bowl Sunday is here — and, as always, there's a vast roster of advertisers ready to vie for fans' attention during game breaks. Airing a Super Bowl commercial is no easy feat. “This Super Bowl is a blast from the past. She added that “everything old is new again,” with successful Super Bowl ads or messages from the past making more returns this year. Of course, not all advertisers release their ads ahead of the game, so there will be surprises on Sunday.

Persons: ”, Linli Xu, Christopher Walken, Kate McKinnon, There’s, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Uber, Judy ” Judy Sheindlin —, Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty, Patrick J, Adams, Gabriel Macht, Kimberly Whitler, “, Taylor Swift Organizations: University of Minnesota, Sunday's San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, CBS, Paramount, BMW, University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, Mobile Locations: Sunday's, Labrador

☆ Super Bowl Ads Ditch Politics for Celebs, Taylor Swift and AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Sheila Dang(Reuters) - Fans can expect celebrities and more lighthearted commercials, along with glimpses of Taylor Swift, during the Super Bowl on Sunday, as corporate advertisers avoid the recent practice of using the big game to promote social causes. While high-priced Super Bowl commercials often play for laughs in trying to make an impression, the flashy productions can also reflect the national mood. Budweiser in 2017 used the Super Bowl to depict Anheuser-Busch's founder making the journey from Germany to America in 1857, encountering xenophobia and discrimination along the way. NONPROFITS GET IN ON THE GAMEWhile corporations may steer clear of potentially divisive issues, at least two nonprofits have announced Super Bowl ads. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will air a tense anti-cheese commercial featuring actress Edie Falco and a mother cow in distress.

Persons: Sheila Dang, Taylor Swift, ”, Kim Whitler, Lionel Messi, Swift, Travis Kelce, Charles R, Taylor, “ It's, ” Taylor, Bud Light, Light Genie, Dana White, Hall, Peyton Manning, Todd Allen, Whitler, ” Whitler, Robert Kraft, Clarence B, Jones, Martin Luther King Jr, Edie Falco, Bill Berkrot Organizations: University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, Procter & Gamble, Budweiser, Anheuser, Clydesdale, Super Bowl, NFL, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Villanova University School of Business, Swift, CBS, UFC, Hall of Fame, Google, Foundation, Combat, New England Patriots, Clarence, Animals, PETA Locations: Germany, America, Israel, Austin

☆ Activist pushes Mattel to fix American Girl, Fisher-Price brands or sell them off
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Activist investor Barington Capital is pushing Mattel to consider selling off its American Girl and Fisher-Price brands, citing underperformance within the divisions. Mattel shares were up around 3% in premarket trading Friday following a letter sent to Mattel Thursday, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. American Girl and Fisher-Price, two iconic brands, are among the most popular in their respective markets. Mitarotonda said that if Mattel cannot stymie continued erosion in both Fisher-Price and American Girl, which has suffered similar declines, the company "may not be the right owner of these brands." "We believe that these brands are now detracting from the success at Mattel's other segments and hurting shareholder value," Mitarotonda said in a release.

Persons: Barbie, Barington, Price, Fisher, Barington's James Mitarotonda, Ynon Kreiz, Mitarotonda, Mattel, Kreiz, Michael Dolan, Dolan Organizations: Mattel Inc, Mattel, American, Price, Wall Street, Fisher, Bacardi, IMG, Young, Body Works, Darden Locations: El Segundo , California

Fourth-quarter earnings season is kicking off with a mix of good and bad news. Without those six stocks, the rest of the S & P is expected to see earnings fall 6%. There's a lot riding on earnings in 2024 For the S & P 500 to increase in 2024, earnings need to expand. But with the S & P 500 up over 20% last year, the forward earnings multiple is roughly 19.6, in the very pricey range. We need higher revenues The biggest risk to higher earnings is lower revenue growth.

Persons: Savita Subramanian, General Mills, Mobileye, Nick Raich, Adam Crisafulli, BofA's Subramanian, Deutsche, Binky, Sam Stovall Organizations: Pfizer, Merck, Moderna, Bank of America, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Nike, FedEx, General, Darden, Constellation Brands, Technology, Samsung Electronics, Vital, Deutsche Bank's Locations: Wayfair, Conagra

☆ Olive Garden owner Darden beats earnings estimates, hikes guidance as sales climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-15 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Darden Restaurants on Friday reported quarterly earnings that beat expectations and raised its annual guidance, helped by sales growth at chains such as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. Darden completed its acquisition of Ruth's Hospitality Group, owner of chain restaurant Ruth's Chris Steak House, in June. The company will not include same-store sales from Ruth's Chris Steak House until Darden has owned and operated the restaurant for a 16-month period. "We continued to profitably grow market share again this quarter as we outperformed industry same-restaurant sales and traffic," said Cardenas in a statement. The LongHorn Steakhouse owner also projects $11.5 billion in sales for the fiscal year, as well as 50 to 55 new restaurant openings.

Persons: Chris, Rick Cardenas, Cardenas, Raj Vennam, Darden, Chris Steak Organizations: Darden, Olive Garden, LongHorn, LSEG, Ruth's Hospitality Group, Chris Steak House, CNBC PRO Locations: Olive

☆ Landing your dream job by getting an MBA isn't as easy anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

One second-year student told Business Insider he had to pivot to a job in consulting. His job win comes as the field of consulting isn't as red-hot as it was in 2021 and 2022, experts told Business Insider. But now a range of companies are being more deliberate about how quickly they're hiring MBAs, administrators told BI. However, it's actually close to a normal market for MBA grads, industry and career experts told BI. Still, that's leaving some MBA students uneasy.

Persons: —, he'd, Jeff McNish, MBAs, it's, that's, It's, he's, McNish, Stephanie O'Connor, aren't, we've, O'Connor, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Ivy League, Business, University of Virginia Darden School, Darden, Center, BI, grads, Bain & Company, — McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

☆ Wall Street is asking how weight-loss drugs will affect consumer giants — but it may be too early to tell
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Angelica Peebles | In Angelicapeebles | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Photographer: Caitlin O'Hara/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesIf you listen to third-quarter corporate earnings calls, it might seem like everyone is taking weight-loss drugs. Delta Air Lines , PepsiCo , Philip Morris International and Darden Restaurants are just some of the companies that faced questions from analysts about how the drugs are affecting their bottom lines. While some analysts are making sweeping claims about how obesity drugs will reshape the industries they cover, the medicines are still in the early days. Known as GLP-1s, the drugs were first approved for diabetes and are now also being used for obesity. But even so, only a sliver of eligible people are actually taking the drugs at this point, said Goldman Sachs analyst Chris Shibutani.

Persons: Caitlin O'Hara, Philip Morris, it's, Nestle –, It's, Wegovy, Goldman Sachs, Chris Shibutani Organizations: PepsiCo Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, Delta Air Lines, PepsiCo, Philip, Philip Morris International, Darden, Hershey, Conagra, Nestle, Novo Nordisk Locations: Phoenix , Arizona, U.S, Novo

☆ Restaurant stocks McDonald's and Chipotle could be due for a pullback after the market's rally this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The stock market is enjoying its best week of 2023, but some names may have gotten ahead of themselves. That said, some stocks have become overbought during this week's rally — and could be due for a pullback. MCD YTD mountain McDonald's stock Beverage company Coca-Cola was another one of the several consumer names on this week's overbought list. Here are the 10 most oversold names in the broad market index: Several health-care companies were among this week's most oversold stocks. SEDG 1D mountain SolarEdge shares Revvity, Henry Schein, Align Technology and Fortive are some of the other oversold names from this week.

Persons: McDonald, Kraft Heinz, Amgen, David Palmer, CNBC's, Dr Pepper, SolarEdge, Zvi Lando, Henry Schein Organizations: Dow Jones, Nasdaq, PayPal, Pfizer, CNBC, Beverage, PepsiCo, Monster Beverage, Grill, Darden, Moderna, Enphase Energy, SolarEdge Technologies, Technology Locations: U.S, Europe

☆ Starboard says Rupert Murdoch's News Corp should break up
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jeff Smith, CEO and chief investment officer of Starboard Value, L.P., speaks at a panel discussion at the SALT conference in Las Vegas May 14, 2014. Smith's remarks at the 13D Monitor Active Passive Investor Summit came after Reuters revealed last week that Starboard had become a News Corp shareholder, a prelude to a potential shake-up at Murdoch's media empire. "We believe separate news and real estate assets could help unlock $7 billion or more in value," he added. Starboard, which has pushed for changes at companies ranging from Salesforce (CRM.N) to Darden Restaurants <DRI.N,> would struggle to shake up News Corp without Murdoch's consent. If News Corp separates its real estate assets, shareholders would benefit, Smith said.

Persons: Jeff Smith, Rick Wilking, Rupert, Smith's, Smith, REA, Murdoch, Lachlan, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Sharon Singleton, David Gregorio Our Organizations: SkyBridge, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, 13D, Investor, Reuters, News Corp, Dow Jones, Street, Darden, Corp, Svea, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Exclusive: Activist hedge fund Starboard eyes Rupert Murdoch's News Corp -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The fund's plans and the size of its stake in News Corp could not be learned. News Corp declined to comment and Starboard did not respond to a request for comment. Starboard, which has pushed for changes at companies ranging from Salesforce (CRM.N) to Darden Restaurants (DRI.N), would struggle to shake up News Corp without Murdoch's consent. Irenic did succeed in drumming up investor opposition to Murdoch's proposed merger with his other company Fox Corp (FOXA.O), forcing him to abandon the plan. Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York Editing by Greg Roumeliotis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Bing Guan, Jeffrey Smith, Rupert Murdoch's, Smith, Murdoch, Dow Jones, Irenic, Murdoch's, Lachlan, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Greg Roumeliotis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: News Corporation, News Corp, Fox, REUTERS, 13D, Investment, New York Times Co, Darden, Corp, Irenic Capital Management, Wall Street, Fox Corp, Reuters, Svea, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Retailers are using a simple mind trick on you to make their discounts seem bigger than they are
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This has retailers using an old trick to hide the true value of discounts from consumers, Walmart's ex-CEO says. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This means prices are still rising faster than the Fed's goal of getting inflation back down to 2.0%. The same logic applies here as a percentage discount doesn't mean you're getting a good deal if the original price was already greatly inflated.

Persons: Walmart's, —, it's, Bill Simon, Simon, they'll Organizations: Service, CNBC, Walmart, Hanes, Darden, Brands, Costco

☆ Starboard Value's Jeff Smith says companies are more receptive to activists like him
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Starboard Value's Jeffrey Smith, one of the busiest activist investors for two decades, said companies have grown more receptive to voices like him. Smith also sought a turnaround at pizza chain Papa John's in 2019 at a tumultuous time for the company . The Starboard CEO was even active during the Covid-19 pandemic . We're simultaneously respected and feared inside companies," Smith said. "More often than not, now the conversations are highly constructive and respectful and relatively easy," Smith said.

Persons: Jeffrey Smith, Smith, …, we've, I'm, We're Organizations: CNBC's Financial, Olive, Darden, Mercury Systems, Wharton Locations: New York

☆ Earnings season begins with markets lower than three months ago, but expectations are higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Q3 S & P 500 earnings: Trending higher July 1: $55.76 Today: $55.78 Source: LSEG Q4 S & P 500 earnings: Trending higher July 1: $57.58 Today: $58.14 Source: LSEG The fact that the third quarter estimate of $55.78 is slightly below the third quarter of last year ($56.02) is not important; what matters is the trend in earnings. For Q3 2023, 76 S & P 500 companies have issued negative EPS guidance and 42 S & P 500 companies have issued positive EPS guidance, according to John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet. "The earnings outlook for the S & P 500 for the third quarter is less negative relative to recent quarters," Butters told clients. "The percentage of companies issuing negative earnings guidance is equal to the 10-year average." Here's what stands out: The average earnings growth was 10.6%; the average revenue growth was 4.2%.

Persons: —, John Butters, Butters, Nick Raich, It's, Chadha Organizations: FactSet, Companies, FedEx, Oracle, Darden, Costco, Pepsi, PepsiCo, Frito, Barclays, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank Locations: America, AutoZone, United States, Mexico, Russia, Canada, China, South Africa, Japan, abate

☆ Top Wall Street analysts expect these dividend stocks to boost portfolio returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The company's dividend hike of 3.4% last year marked the 40th consecutive year of annual dividend growth. Mizuho analyst Nitin Kumar reiterated a buy rating on Exxon with a price target of $139 after attending the company's Product Solutions Spotlight event. Calling CTRA his top pick, Kumar reiterated a buy rating on the stock with a price target of $42. (See BIP Stock Chart on TipRanks)American Electric PowerAnother RBC Capital analyst, Shelby Tucker, is bullish on utility stock American Electric Power (AEP). Recently, Tucker lowered the price target for AEP to $90 from $103 to reflect a high interest environment but reiterated a buy rating.

Persons: Sergio Moraes, Wall, Mizuho, Nitin Kumar, Kumar, TipRanks, Marcellus Shale, Robert Kwan, Kwan, Shelby Tucker, Charles E, Tucker Organizations: AEP BIP, Exxon Mobil Corp, Oil, Gas Expo, Exxon Mobil First, Exxon Mobil, Exxon, Coterra Energy, CTRA, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Brookfield Infrastructure, RBC Capital, Power, American Electric Power, AEP, 453rd, Darden Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Baytown, Singapore, Anadarko, TipRanks, Brookfield

☆ Stock market bulls are hopeful that earnings will be a welcome distraction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

After September lived up to its reputation as the worst month of the year, bulls are hopeful earnings will prove a welcome distraction for a stock market mired in weak seasonal trends and rising interest rates. "Net net, the earnings estimates for these early reporters are going up, and that is a positive sign for earnings season," Earnings Scout founder and CEO Nick Raich from told me. Valuations are coming down but are still high The forward multiple for the S & P 500 (Q4 2023, and Q1-Q3 for 2024) is 17.9. For example, industrials have seen a significant decline in earnings estimates due to very large estimate declines for Boeing. Bulls hopeful earnings will prove a welcome distraction The expectations for rising earnings has many hopeful that it will help get stocks out of their recent rut due to rising interest rates.

Persons: Nick Raich, John Butters, Nicholas Colas, Raich Organizations: JPMorgan, FedEx, Oracle, Darden, Costco, Pepsi, General Motors, Ford, Netflix, NVIDIA, Apple, Intel, Boeing, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Parcel Service Locations: AutoZone, Horton

☆ Little Caesars knows what you're going to order before you do. With AI tools, soon more restaurants will.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AI tools are enabling some restaurants to get a jump on what customers want — and when. AdvertisementAdvertisementLittle Caesars, Darden Restaurants, and Jack in the Box are each tapping into troves of sales data. "If you forecast your traffic better, you order better, you receive better, you schedule better," Cardenas said. AdvertisementAdvertisementService is also better, Klopfenstein said, since the AI tools enable Little Caesars to hire more easily and train new employees more quickly — a big lift in a tight labor market. If tech isn't easy to use, customers won't come back, Anita Klopfenstein, Little Caesars' chief information officer, said.

Persons: —, Jack, Anita Klopfenstein, Danny Meyer, Ricardo Cardenas, Cardenas, Klopfenstein, Mike Glinski, Darin Harris, Harris, they're Organizations: Service, Darden, Little Caesars, Olive Garden, LongHorn, Caesars, Microsoft

☆ Cheap stocks to buy after the worst sell-off in months
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After the worst sell-off in months, CNBC Pro sought to find stocks trading at deeply discounted levels that could pay off for investors buying for the long term. Fears of longer-than-expected interest rate hikes hammered down on stocks this week. Citigroup last week trimmed its price target on Devon Energy by $2 to $55 and maintained its buy rating. Other energy names Eversource and Atmos , both in the red for the year, are also trading at significant discounts. Recent highs in oil prices have driven bullish sentiment on energy stocks.

Persons: Wall, Darden Organizations: CNBC Pro, Dow Jones, Olive Garden, Devon Energy, Citigroup, Depot, Norfolk Southern Locations: Olive

☆ Olive Garden Owner Is Snubbing Short-Term Discounts to Build Its Brands for the Long Haul
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Megan Graham | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/olive-garden-owner-darden-snubbing-short-term-discounts-to-build-its-brands-78b9e706

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: darden

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