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☆ BofA says these global stocks can weather a choppy market — and are 'inexpensive'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As sentiment turns a little bearish, BofA screened for cheaper global stocks that proved resilient during the financial crisis of 2008. Europe has been one of the brightest spots in the global stock market this year, with Wall Street calling the region a better bet than the U.S. right now . BofA screen BofA screened for European stocks that met the following criteria: Inexpensive compared with the past 15 years' average 12-month forward price to earnings ratio. According to FactSet, analysts covering the stock gave it average potential upside of around 23%, and 62% rated it a buy. According to FactSet, analysts covering the stock gave it average potential upside of around 26%, and 78% rated it a buy.

Commodities from iron ore to crude oil to copper rallied after Beijing's surprise abandonment of the zero-COVID policy late last year, but have since eased back. While there are other factors driving commodity prices, it's also the case that the positive market sentiment created by expectations of a rebound in the world's second-largest economy ran ahead of actual commodity demand. China's imports of major commodities have yet to show any major spike higher, even as they remain at relatively robust levels. The irony is that just as commodity prices are losing some steam, China's economic momentum appears to be gathering pace. Overall, there is little doubt that China's re-opening will be positive for the country's commodity demand.

The Newcastle Index only covers a relatively small portion of the seaborne thermal coal market, reflecting higher energy cargoes bought mainly by utilities in Japan and South Korea. A mild winter and strong domestic output have limited China's appetite for imported thermal coal, putting downward pressure on prices, especially for Indonesian grades. Europe's imports of seaborne thermal coal are also dropping, with Kpler estimating February arrivals of 6.61 million tonnes, down from 8.16 million in January and 8.75 million in December. Asia, Europe LNG imports vs spot priceLNG DIPSSimilar to thermal coal, a drop in demand from China and from Europe is freeing up spot LNG cargoes and contributing to lower prices. This may mean that spot LNG and thermal coal prices may remain at levels that appear elevated compared with the average of the last decade, especially as new supply will only arrive in significant volumes for LNG around 2025.

☆ Russia proposes caps on oil export discounts -draft law
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies NK Rosneft' PAO FollowMOSCOW, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Russia's State Duma introduced a bill late on Saturday setting discounts for Russian oil exports, according to the lower house of parliament's website. Under the draft proposal, the discount on dated Brent oil will be limited to $34 per barrel in April, declining to $31 in May, $28 in June and $25 in July. The government has been debating how to calculate Russia's taxable oil price following the European Union's import ban and the resulting lack of a reliable price-setting mechanism. Russia currently uses Urals price assessments in Europe's Rotterdam and Augusta ports, provided by commodity price reporting agency Argus, to determine its mineral extraction tax, additional income tax, oil export duty and reverse excise on oil. Russia said on Friday it will cut oil production by 500,000 barrels per day, or around 5% of output, in March, following the West's imposition of price caps on Russian oil and oil products.

Coking coal prices, along with those for iron ore, have rallied on the back of this optimism, with both steel raw materials recording strong gains this year. The answer is that for coking coal there appears to be both rising demand and some supply disruptions at work. Japan, the second-biggest buyer of seaborne coking coal, imported 5.01 million tonnes in January, up from December's 3.98 million and roughly level with last January's 5.08 million. Outside of Asia, Europe's imports of coking coal rose to 3.81 million tonnes in January from December's 3.55 million, according to Kpler. The overall picture from coking coal imports is that there has been a move higher in recent months, which does provide some fundamental backing to the rally in prices.

While the Chinese ban has been lifted, it's unlikely that buyers will flock back to Australian thermal coal, given the availability of cheaper, and similar quality, coal from Russia. The weakness in prices wasn't limited to Australian thermal coal, with Indonesian grades also dropping. Indonesia is the world's largest exporter of thermal coal, while Australia ranks second and Russia third. Russian thermal coal from Vostochny port, which is largely being bought by China after Japan curbed imports following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has also been weakening. Prices for Indonesia, Russia and Australia thermal coalVOLUMES SLIPThe softer prices for thermal coal are occurring as demand for seaborne cargoes appears to be weakening among Asia's top two importing nations.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Intel, Apple, Amazon, McDonald's, Tesla, Sunrun, Meta & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Citi reiterates Apple as buy Citi says it's sticking with its buy rating heading into earnings next week. We maintain our Buy rating." Citi reiterates Intel as neutral Citi says it's standing by its neutral rating on the stock, but that Intel's earnings report on Thursday was "bad news." Wells Fargo reiterates Amazon as overweight Wells says it's standing by its buy rating heading into Amazon earnings on February 2. Argus reiterates Tesla as buy Argus says it's sticking with its buy rating after the company's earnings report earlier this week.

☆ Steelmaking Is Trying to Make Itself Greener and Researchers May Have Found a Way
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Steelmaking is one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the world, but researchers may have found a way to make it greener. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Sustainable Business A weekly look at environmental, social and governance issues and strategies for corporate decision makers. The system essentially creates a closed loop where the carbon split using the perovskite is put back into the system. “After five years, this system would save the U.K. steel industry £1.28 billion [equivalent to $1.57 billion], while reducing UK-wide emissions by 2.9%,” Ms. Kildahl said. For example, H2 Green Steel in Sweden is looking to cut carbon emissions by using hydrogen as a fuel source.

☆ Wealthy boomers are buying more Skechers — and it's a problem for Nike
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Skechers ranks second only to Nike for US shoppers seeking casual footwear, according to Cowen. Skechers' cheaper shoes are helping lure customers away from Nike and Adidas amid high inflation. Skechers is seemingly taking customers away from Nike and Adidas, as high inflation prompts consumers to buy more affordable shoes, Cowen said. While more millennials and Gen Z are buying Skechers, older generations of consumers can largely be credited with the company's evolving reputation in casual footwear. Skechers preference share among adults 55 or older was around three times higher than younger customers in 2022, according to Cowen's study.

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The premium of high-grade thermal coal over coking coal in Asia is shrinking as China's re-opening and ending of a ban on imports from Australia powers a rally for coking coal, a key steelmaking ingredient. Newcastle thermal coal futures have traded above coking coal contracts since June 1 last year - something that had not occurred previously in the history of the two contracts. At the same time, coking coal prices weakened as steel production outside China softened while the global economy simultaneously tried to deal with an energy crisis and the accompanying surge in inflation. Thermal coal vs coking coal pricesAUSTRALIA EXPORTSIt's worth noting that the end of Beijing's unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia has yet to show up in any meaningful way in China's imports, although there are signs that coking coal flows will resume. This raises the possibility that coking coal prices will continue to rally, while thermal coal prices may soften as the northern winter ends.

☆ Analysts love these stocks that are flush with cash — giving one over 75% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We prefer companies generating cash rather than those that need capital to grow. The higher the free cash flow yield, the better a company's position to meet its debt obligations. A company with a high free cash flow is also able to access cash more quickly in the event of an emergency or opportunity. Using FactSet data, CNBC Pro screened for stocks that boast lots of cash and could be well positioned for a rocky year. U.S.-listed Chesapeake Energy Corporation was the only energy stock to appear on the screen, with its free cash flow yield at nearly 14%.

LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - European Union energy regulators published their first daily liquefied natural gas (LNG) price assessment on Thursday, a first step in the EU's plan to launch a new European LNG benchmark price by the end of March. WHY DOES THE EU WANT A NEW LNG PRICE? Unlike pipeline gas, LNG is not widely traded on exchanges, so there is less visibility on how much the fuel costs. HOW WILL ACER'S LNG PRICE BE DIFFERENT? ACER can only produce a price assessment if it receives at least five transactions in the assessed five-day period.

☆ An oil historian explains China's impact on a key Russian oil product — which is now trading far below the EU's price cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In December, a $60-per-barrel price cap was established to limit how much cash Moscow could pull in from oil exports. But the country's key oil product is trading far below that level, which in one sense makes the cap moot. Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks to workers while visiting the Rosneft oil refinery in the Black Sea port of Tuapse, southern Russia. But to Gregory Brew, a Kissinger Visiting Scholar at Yale, rather than being a direct consequence of any sanction measure, the steep discount reflects the easing global market. It isn't about what Russia can produce or how badly it's revenue is impacted by sanctions, but instead the focus should be on what kind of market Russia will be operating in.

The first, and most important, is that Australian coal will struggle to compete on price in China, especially thermal grades used to make electricity. Once the informal ban came into effect, Australia's share of China's imports dropped to zero by early 2021. China's imports of Russian thermal coal have remained solid, with some seasonal variations, since then and were 2.96 million tonnes in December, according to Kpler. The question is whether Australian coal miners can compete on price with Russian thermal supplies, and the answer is probably not. Add in a likely price disadvantage and it's hard to see Australian thermal coal charging back into China.

☆ Wall Street analyst calls on Thursday including Tesla & Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Barclays names Starbucks a top 2023 pick Barclays said the coffee giant is a "best-in-class" stock for 2023. UBS names Chipotle a top 2023 pick UBS said the Mexican chain restaurant is defensive in a "tough macro." Bank of America downgrades PNC to underperform from neutral Bank of America said shares of PNC are trading at a premium. Bank of America downgrades Ally Financial to underperform from buy Bank of America said Ally is most exposed to auto loans. Bank of America reiterates Amazon as buy Bank of America said Amazon layoffs are "not a positive signal, but good for sentiment."

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: TG Therapeutics, Micron Technology, ChargePoint and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A ChargePoint station at the New Carrollton Branch Library in New Carrollton, Md. TG Therapeutics — Shares jumped more than 9% after the biotech company announced this week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis in adults. Micron Technology — Shares of the chipmaker dropped 2% after the stock got downgraded to hold from buy by Argus Research. ChargePoint — The maker of EV charging technology saw shares rise more than 4% after Q-GRG VII (CP) Investment Partners bought more than 1.4 million shares, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The move came as the company announced plans to raise cash by selling up to $125 million of senior convertible bonds.

☆ Argus downgrades Micron
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailArgus downgrades MicronThe "Halftime Report" traders debate the biggest analyst calls of the day.

☆ The Investing Club's top 5 things to watch in the market Friday: Stocks lower, China Covid cases, Dogs of the Dow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ 'The music stopped': 6 founders tell how they survived this year's bursting VC funding bubble, customers unwilling to spend, and a graveyard of fallen startup peers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

This year's economic caution marked a huge contrast to 2021's exuberance and record VC funding. Insider spoke with six founders about how they've handled the abrupt switch from market exuberance to economic caution. But at the same time, they said, they've sought to pounce on new opportunities created by the economic downturn. ElektraShifting landscapes, changing prioritiesAfter a year of record venture capital funding, the abrupt shift in investor sentiment hit hard in 2022, founders told Insider. Artificial intelligence startups are the latest beneficiary of VC hype, buoyed by breakthrough software tools such as DALL-E and ChatGPT.

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The folly and futility of forecasting commodity prices was rammed home this year, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine upending markets and rendering all prior expectations largely irrelevant. The first thing to note about 2022 was that while commodity prices were shocked by Russia's Feb. 24 attack on Ukraine, many are ending the year little changed or weaker than where they concluded 2021. This dynamic is probably already on display in crude oil, the world's most important commodity, with Brent futures poised to end the year little changed from the last trading day of 2021. In contrast to LNG and coal, metals have largely struggled in 2022, notwithstanding the bump from the conflict in Ukraine. The exception is lithium, with battery-grade lithium hydroxide up 132% so far this year as demand from vehicle and battery makers surge.

☆ Russia's Urals oil averaged $57.49/bbl in past month, below price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Urals price was sharply lower than $80 per barrel for the international Brent benchmark . According to Reuters data, the Urals price for delivery from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk on a FOB basis is currently $48.69 per barrel. Market sources said Urals crude has been sold at deeper discounts this month following a European ban on Russian oil imports, and dominant buyer India has bought barrels at well below the West's $60 price cap. Since Russia sent its troops into Ukraine in February, India has become the main outlet for seaborne cargoes of Urals crude. The spread, or difference, between Urals and dated Brent - the price of physical, light North Sea crude oil, - has risen sharply from early February, when it stood at around minus $1.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the market Wednesday: Fed day, crypto hearings, Nvidia boost
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Deutsche Bank raises its price target on Club holding Nvidia (NVDA) to $170 per share from $150; keeps hold rating. Deutsche Bank initiates coverage of Club holding Danaher (DHR) with a buy rating and a $310-per-share price target. Goldman Sachs cuts its price target on Tesla (TSLA) to $235 per share from $305, but keeps a buy rating. Wells Fargo raises its price target on Goldman Sachs (GS) to $400 per share from $380; keeps an overweight (buy) rating. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

The centre-left federal government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has played its cards, announcing on Dec. 9 plans to legislate a year-long price cap for wholesale natural gas and thermal coal in the country's populous eastern states. Australia vies with Qatar and the United States for the title of the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is the second-biggest shipper of thermal coal after Indonesia. Australia still generates about 50% of its electricity from thermal coal, although this share is shrinking rapidly as the country installs renewables such as solar, wind and battery storage. The ruling Labor Party's plans call for a price cap of A$12 ($8.15) per gigajoule (GJ) for gas and A$125 a tonne for thermal coal, with the government saying it will support any coal miner whose costs exceed the price cap. The gas industry probably would have been better served by asking some more relevant questions, such as whether a price cap is the best method of delivering relief to consumers.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Netflix, Lululemon, DocuSign and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday:Lululemon — Shares of Lululemon fell 12% after the athletic apparel company gave a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter outlook. Broadcom — Broadcom gained 3.1% after giving an upbeat revenue forecast and reporting better-than-expected quarterly results after the bell Thursday. Netflix — Netflix gained 5% after being named a "best idea" for 2023 by Cowen and being upgraded by Wells Fargo to overweight from equal weight. DocuSign — Shares of DocuSign jumped 16% after the electronic signature company posted upbeat quarterly results. Bath & Body Works — Shares of Bath & Body Works gained rose 2.1% after activist investor Dan Loeb boosted his stake in the retailer.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Tesla, McDonald's, Netflix, Carvana, Microsoft & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Cowen names Costco a top 2023 pick Cowen said Costco is well positioned in a deteriorating macro environment. " Cowen names Caterpillar a top 2023 pick Cowen said the company is well positioned heading into 2023. Cowen names Netflix a top 2023 pick Cowen said it sees free-cash flow ramping up for Netflix in 2023. Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said investors should take advantage of any weakness and buy the dip in shares of Apple . Morgan Stanley reiterates Lululemon as overweight Morgan Stanley said the company's fundamentals remain strong after its earnings report on Thursday. "

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