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☆ NBA All-Star Saturday: Damian Lillard tops 3-Point Contest field
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Feb 13, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) stands with teammates during the singing of the national anthem before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center. / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY SportsFebruary 15 - Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who has hit the sixth-most 3-point shots in NBA history, will take part in the 3-Point Contest as part of All-Star Saturday Night this week in Salt Lake City. Also competing in the 3-point event will be Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and Sacramento Kings swingman Kevin Huerter. Curry won the 3-Point Contest in 2015 and 2021, and Allen won it in 2001. The Slam Dunk Contest will include one player, Mac McClung, who hasn't appeared in an NBA game this season.

☆ George Soros' fund snapped up Tesla stock, boosting its stake by nearly 50% as Elon Musk's Twitter antics weighed on the automaker's shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Billionaire investor George Soros's family office loaded up on Tesla stock in the last quarter of 2022. Soros Fund Management grew its stake in the EV maker by nearly 50%, a SEC filing showed this week. Concerns about CEO Elon Musk's fueled a Q4 selloff in Tesla, but its share price has risen 58% in 2023. Soros Fund Management bought about 42,000 Tesla shares in the three months ending December 31, lifting its stake by 47% to around 132,000 shares, according to a 13F filing published Monday. Soros Fund Management also snapped up 500,000 call options on ARK's Innovation ETF – the Cathie Wood-managed fund that tumbled in 2022 but lists Tesla as its biggest holding.

☆ NBA roundup: Giannis' triple-double sparks Bucks to 7th straight win
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Khris Middleton scored 24 points off the bench for the Bucks, who won their seventh straight game. Tyler Herro added 24 points despite shooting just 2 of 8 from 3-point range, and Bam Adebayo recorded a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Brunson scored 41 points, three shy of his career high, while Julius Randle posted 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks. De'Andre Hunter scored 20 points and Clint Capela had 12 points and 11 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan collected 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, and Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and 11 rebounds.

☆ NBA roundup: Five players ejected as Magic drop Wolves
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 points, Alec Burks chipped in with 16, Jalen Duren collected 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Isaiah Stewart added eight points, 16 rebounds and six assists. Mason Plumlee added 13 points, and Gordon Hayward chipped in 12. Jayson Tatum had a poor shooting night, hitting 3 of 15 from the floor en route to 20 points, and Derrick White added 19 points. Clint Capela hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds and scored nine points for Atlanta. Jordan Clarkson scored 24 and Mike Conley, playing his 1,000th NBA game, chipped in with 20 points and eight assists.

☆ Boom in January jobs shows employers fear worker shortage more than recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

January's super strong jobs report underscores that employers are more worried about not having enough workers than they are about a slowing economy. But Zandi notes that of all the components of the jobs report, the one that matters most to the Fed is average hourly wages, and they have been coming down. It's just really strong," said Tom Simons, money market economist at Jefferies. The strong report means interest rates will continue to rise, and the Federal Reserve will raise benchmark overnight lending rates by another quarter point in March. ISM Services data Friday reinforced some of the strength in the jobs report.

☆ January job growth is forecast to slow slightly, but the impact from big corporate layoffs is uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Economists expect slightly slower, but still strong job growth in January, while the impact of corporate layoff announcements is unclear. According to Dow Jones, the consensus forecast calls for 187,000 new nonfarm jobs in January, down from 223,000 that were created in December. "The number is not really the number of jobs created, but how many fewer workers were let go," he said. The jobs report is of key importance for the Federal Reserve, which has been trying to slow the economy —and inflation — by cooling the hot labor market. Goldman Sachs economists forecast a payrolls increase of 300,000 for last month and said their above consensus forecast was based on the fact that companies do not yet seem to be implementing layoffs, despite the announcements.

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is still weighing candidates for new top economic advisers, officials familiar with the process said, and no final decisions are expected before next week's State of the Union speech. Biden is focused on Tuesday's address to Congress and had not made a decision on the top jobs at the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), officials said. Other candidates for the NEC job include Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Reuters reported last week. Only the CEA job requires Senate confirmation. Brainard was widely floated as the frontrunner for Treasury secretary when Biden came to office, only for him to pick Yellen instead.

The White House will likely appoint Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard to run the National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein to lead the Council of Economic Advisers, sources familiar with the matter tell CNBC. The appointments are expected to be announced after incoming White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients assumes his role, as soon as next week. Bernstein is a member of the board he is expected to head, the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The White House is holding a ceremony on Wednesday to thank outgoing White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and welcome Zients to the position. Current White House NEC Director Brian Deese is expected to depart imminently, sources said.

☆ One of the biggest problems for plant-based products — people don't know where to find them at the grocery store
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Where plant-based meat sits in a grocery store can affect sales. Sales of plant-based meat grew quickly during the early months of the pandemic. But that growth slowed down in 2022, leading some analysts to question the long-term potential of plant-based foods. Earlier this month, Bloomberg Businessweek published a cover story declaring plant-based meat was "just another fad." In response, Impossible took out a full-page ad in the New York Times that decried media coverage "hating on plant-based meat."

☆ U.S. inflation roller coaster prompts fresh look at long-ignored money supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The recent decline in the money supply comes as the Fed has been aggressively raising rates to push inflation back to its 2% target. That dynamic changed in the last two years, though, with money supply trends moving in roughly the same direction as inflation pressures: As money supply rose rapidly into early 2022, so did inflation; since M2 started a persistent decline last summer, inflation pressures have also receded. To be sure, measuring money supply is complicated, with no one way to do it. Bullard, acknowledging the cooling off of money supply, said this downshift in money "bodes well for disinflation," which means the Fed is likely to face an enduring trend of lower price pressures. Economists, meanwhile, are still taking on board whether money supply is something they need to pay greater mind to as they contemplate monetary policy and inflation.

☆ NBA roundup: Damian Lillard scores 60, moves up 3-pointer list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Jerami Grant added 19 points and Anfernee Simons had 16 points and nine assists, which won its second game in a row. 76ers 137, Nets 133Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points, Joel Embiid added 26 points and 10 rebounds and host Philadelphia defeated Brooklyn. Rui Hachimura scored 12 points in his Lakers debut after he was acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards on Monday. Pat Connaughton had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Khris Middleton added 10 points for the Bucks. Mathurin went for a game-high 26 points, but Banchero's Magic came out on top thanks to a strong start.

☆ NBA roundup: Jalen Green, Rockets end 13-game skid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Alperen Sengun added 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Houston ended a 10-game homecourt skid. Brook Lopez had 21 points, Bobby Portis logged 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jevon Carter also scored 18 points for the Bucks. Patrick Williams had a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Alex Caruso (12 points) and Coby White (10) also finished in double figures for Chicago. Trae Young paced Atlanta with 21 points and 13 assists, joining Clint Capela (16 points, 12 rebounds) with a double-double. Jordan Clarkson added 18 points for Utah, which has won three of its past four.

☆ NBA roundup: Thunder win on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's late shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nnaji was fouled on an offensive rebound and hit two free throws to tie it at 99-all with 30.2 seconds left before Gilgeous-Alexander's late heroics. Clippers 112, Mavericks 98Kawhi Leonard had 30 points and nine rebounds, and visiting Los Angeles dominated the fourth quarter in a win over Dallas. Paul George scored 21 points and Norman Powell added 19 for Los Angeles, which outscored the Mavericks 33-19 in the final period. New Orleans' CJ McCollum took a 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left that would've given the Pelicans a 99-98 lead, but the shot missed off the front of the rim. Dennis Schroder added 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds as Los Angeles won its second straight game.

☆ NBA roundup: Nuggets best Blazers on Nikola Jokic's triple-double
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Damian Lillard scored 44 points -- the third time in four games he put up 40 or more -- for the Trail Blazers, who have lost eight straight road games. The Sixers topped 110 points for the 15th consecutive game, doing so even with James Harden limited to six points on 1-of-6 shooting. Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac each scored 12 points for the Clippers, who finished 2-3 in a run of five consecutive home games. Bobby Portis recorded his 27th double-double of the campaign with 12 points and 12 rebounds for Milwaukee, which played its fourth consecutive game without Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee). Brooklyn took its third straight loss despite getting a triple-double -- 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists -- from Ben Simmons.

☆ NBA roundup: Joel Embiid, Sixers sink Jazz in final seconds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

NBA scoring leader Doncic had a season-worst 15 points -- 19 below his average -- to go with 10 assists and six rebounds. LaMelo Ball's 31 points led the Hornets, while Terry Rozier posted 21 points and P.J. Mason Plumlee added nine points and 16 rebounds. Murray came back with four straight points. Naz Reid's 17 points and Jaylen Nowell's 16 points paced the Minnesota reserves, who combined to outscore the Cleveland bench by a 29-point margin.

☆ Markets think the Fed is about to deliver a smaller rate hike, but here's one big reason the central bank could stay aggressive on its next move
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Investors are locking in expectations that the Fed will downshift its interest rate hike in February. The December core rate was 0.3% on a monthly basis, up from 0.2% in November. Shelter inflation that monitors costs for renters and homeowners climbed 0.8%. "Bond yields moving lower, the VIX moving lower and the dollar moving lower suggests that the iceberg of fear that we've seen for the last year almost is easing," Russell said. "The market looks out and they see a scenario of lower inflation … they see that we're getting to the end of this aggressive rate hiking."

☆ NBA roundup: Luka Doncic, Mavs survive 2OT battle with Lakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Another reserve, Jordan Nwora added 16 points, hitting 4 of 8 from long range. Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points while Derrick White added 15 as Boston shot 47.7 percent and began surging ahead while Tatum rested early in the fourth. James Harden added 24 points, 15 assists and six rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey scored 17 points. Anunoby had 15 points and four steals and Fred VanVleet contributed 11 points and eight assists. Terry Rozier added 21 points and Mason Plumlee had 16 points and 15 rebounds.

☆ Expectations for the Fed to downsize future rate hikes soar after CPI shows inflation cooled in December
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Investors on Thursday were pricing in a more than 90% chance the Fed will reduce the size of its interest rate hike in February. The more bullish view on a potential downshift was sparked by cooler prices in the December inflation report. But there are 'lingering pressures' within core inflation for the Fed to consider. Investors also chopped down expectations for a March 22 rate hike of 50 basis points, to 5.4% from 18.6%. Core CPI that excludes energy and food prices rose 0.3%, meeting expectations but it was slightly higher than 0.2% in November.

☆ NBA roundup: Nets sneak by Heat in final seconds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Nets, who have won 14 of their past 15 games, also got 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks from Nic Claxton. 76ers 123, Pistons 111James Harden delivered a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, Tyrese Maxey had 23 points and visiting Philadelphia rolled past Detroit. Gary Trent Jr. had 19 points, Fred VanVleet had 14 points and seven assists and O.G. Anfernee Simons added 22 points, Josh Hart had 18 points, Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 18 rebounds and Jerami Grant also scored 14 points for Portland. Luguentz Dort added 18 points for the Thunder.

☆ NBA roundup: Hornets come out firing, blow out Bucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 26 points and Tobias Harris had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Romeo Langford added 15 points for San Antonio, with Malaki Branham hitting for 14 and Jeremy Sochan 10. Daniel Gafford had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Kristaps Porzingas added 14 points and 10 rebounds. John Wall had 14 points and eight assists, and Moses Brown produced 14 points and 11 rebounds. Bam Adebayo recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds and Jimmy Butler added 20 points and six assists for the Heat.

☆ Jobless benefits rolls grow but U.S. labor market remains resilient
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Dan Burns | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Meanwhile, the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid rose 41,000 to 1.710 million in the week ending Dec. 17. The latest report is the first since February to show them breaching the lower end of the 1.7-1.8 million trend that prevailed in the years leading up to the coronavirus pandemic, a level seen then as emblematic of a tight labor market. Reuters GraphicsAnd, while the figures for new benefits claims have been choppy in recent weeks, they have held well below the 270,000 threshold that economists see as a red flag for the labor market. The unemployment rate is estimated to have remained unchanged at 3.7%. "This dichotomy of demand cannot persist indefinitely, but it will help the labor market achieve a softer landing than it would otherwise."

☆ Why everyone thinks a recession is coming in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"Historically, when you have high inflation, and the Fed is jacking up interest rates to quell inflation, that results in a downturn or recession," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. When inflation picks up and the Fed responds by pushing up interest rates, the economy ultimately caves under the weight of higher interest rates." The central bank helped stimulate lending by taking interest rates to zero, and boosted market liquidity by adding trillions of dollars in assets to its balance sheet. It is now unwinding that balance sheet, and has rapidly raised interest rates from zero in March - to a range of 4.25% to 4.5% this month. The Federal Reserve's latest economic projections show the economy growing at a pace of 0.5% in 2023, but it does not forecast a recession.

☆ NBA roundup: Devin Booker erupts for 58 in Suns' comeback win
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Dec 17, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (right) against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker in the second half at Footprint Center. Paul added 18 points for Phoenix while Mikal Bridges hit for 15 and Bismack Biyombo had 11. Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 22 points, while Devin Vassell scored 18 and Zach Collins added 13. Lauri Markkanen and Malik Beasley both scored 18 points for the Jazz, who scored fewer than 100 points for just the second time this season. Evan Mobley recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists to send the Cavaliers to their second win over the Mavericks in four days.

☆ Dow and stock market tumbles. So much for an end-of-year rally
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Christmas is just ten days away, and investors are still hoping for a Santa Claus rally. The Dow tumbled more than 700 points, or 2.1%, Thursday, and it is down about 4% in December following solid gains the previous two months. The S&P 500 is now off more than 4% for the month while the Nasdaq has sank 5%. The Fed raised rates by “just” a half of a percentage point Wednesday, as expected. It didn’t help that the government also reported a much bigger drop in retail sales for November than expected on Thursday.

☆ Fed discount window borrowing is edging up, but is it a problem?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In March 2020 at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic discount window borrowing surged to a peak of around $50 billion. Reuters GraphicsA JUMP IN BORROWINGDiscount window borrowing is opaque by design, and firm conclusions are difficult to reach, analysts say. “There really shouldn't be a reason discount window borrowing is increasing at all,” said Thomas Simons, an economist with investment bank Jefferies. “The increase in discount window borrowing may be a sign that funding pressures are building at the fringes of the market,” Abate wrote. Rising discount window borrowing might also have implications for the Fed's ongoing efforts to shrink the size of its balance sheet.

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