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☆ After a Bumpy Year, Renewable Energy Looks Poised for Boom Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

The future has never been brighter for renewable energy, as some of the snags that kept wind and solar production from going full throttle this year seem poised to ease. What is more, by early 2025, the IEA said it expects renewable energy to be the largest source of electricity in the global power mix, surpassing coal. Driving the IEA’s rosier outlook: First is the global energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that led European nations to try to build more renewable energy capacity within their borders to improve their energy security and replace Russian fuel imports. But the climate-and-spending bill’s support for growth of the solar industry should reverse the recent spikes in PPA costs, he said. GridsLong waits for permits and permissions to build new grid infrastructure remain a challenge to getting more renewable energy.

Like many residents, he's been on a spree - because on Jan. 1 Singapore's sales tax goes up for the first time in 15 years. From next year, the sales tax on everything from groceries to diamond rings goes from 7% to 8%. By buying everything now before the hike, Soif said he's saving S$250 ($185) on his purchases, now in storage at retailers' facilities. The upbeat spending comes against a backdrop of concern, and some opposition, among the population about the tax hike. It has also said it would review the second step of the tax hike if there was a major global downturn next year.

☆ Why we stepped into this week's lousy market to make a bunch of buys
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It was a choppy week for the major stock averages as macroeconomic data once again came in above expectations. That's why we stepped up to the plate this week and did a bunch of buying. Meanwhile, building permits were down 11.2% monthly (-22.4% annually) at a 1.342 million SAAR, below expectations for a 1.48 million SAAR. On Wednesday, existing home sales were reported to have fallen 7.7% monthly (-35.4% annually) in November to a SAAR of 4.09 million units, below the 4.17 million SAAR expected. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Startup Plans to Make Synthetic Natural Gas With Green Hydrogen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Giulia Petroni | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Hydrogen company Tree Energy Solutions plans to provide low-emission fuels for businesses in Europe as they struggle with energy shortages and higher prices. PREVIEWRoughly 96% of the hydrogen in Europe is produced using natural gas, resulting in significant CO2 emissions, according to the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm. Marco Alverà, head of TES and former chief executive officer of Italian gas grid operator Snam SpA, spoke with WSJ Pro Sustainable Business about a green-hydrogen-based process to create synthetic natural gas. Mr. Alverà: I’m a fan of hydrogen, but not of hydrogen in itself. Suddenly, we’ve turned something problematic and illiquid like hydrogen into something very fungible like natural gas.

☆ Rising rates are weighing on the housing market - and macro headwinds could keep the sector depressed in 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Don't shoot the messenger here, but today I'm breaking down the many troubles plaguing the housing market and homebuyers. The Fed's interest rate maneuvering and the housing market are connected, and mortgage rates often move in lockstep with the central bank's benchmark rate. Brian Jacobsen, a senior strategist for Allspring Global Investments, pointed to a triumvirate of headwinds weighing on the housing sector: labor shortages, rising costs, and soaring mortgages. That means more rate hikes are effectively guaranteed, which raises the odds of a recession and can further squash housing demand. What's your forecast for the housing market next year?

☆ Nike shares surge as inventory challenges start to abate, demand stays strong
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At least 12 brokerages raised their price targets on the stock after Nike reported better-than-expected quarterly results on Tuesday, benefiting from higher discounts and strong demand in North America. While Nike's quarterly inventory declined about 3% from the prior quarter, margins fell 300 basis points due to higher promotions and discounts. Still, the decline was smaller than expected, according to analysts, thanks also to higher-priced product launches such as the LeBron 20s and Nike Mercurial shoes. "Nike offered promotions, but at the same time, they also pushed for new product without the promotion," said Jane Hali & Associates analyst Jessica Ramirez. Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal and Deborah Sophia; Additional reporting Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The US is releasing doses of flu medicine from the national stockpile amid a surge in cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

HHS said today that states can now access the national stockpile of Tamiflu, a flu antiviral. There's a shortage of the medicine, thanks to a rough start to this flu season. This comes as flu season continues to sweep across the US, with thousands of hospitalizations. States were given access to their own stockpiles last week, according to the statement. Rui Vieira/PA Images via Getty ImagesThis flu season is intense—and it started early.

☆ A top 1% performing fund manager explains why history proves the S&P 500 will fall another 30% in the next 3-to-9 months — and shares 11 compelling stocks to buy in 2023 that will power through a rece
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He foresees the S&P 500 falling another 30% and bottoming within the next three to nine months. Abate shared 11 compelling stocks to buy to mitigate looming recessionary risks. But with the looming threat of a recession, Abate believes that the days of big contrarian trade ideas are now behind us. Especially "idiosyncratic stocks that have kind of already felt the pain of a downturn, so even if a recession happens, their backlogs can get them through recessionary conditions." Two biotechnology names Abate noted as standout idiosyncratic ideas are Biogen (BIIB) and Gilead (GILD).

☆ Here are JPMorgan's top clean energy picks for 2023 after tough year for sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Next year should be a pivotal one for clean energy companies — and certain stocks are poised to stand out in the crowd, according to JPMorgan. Supply constraints and Covid-related dislocations have made for a difficult 2022 for clean energy names, analyst Bill Peterson said. Hydrogen company Plug Power is a leader in the emerging global hydrogen ecosystem, Peterson said. "The company continues to innovate, pursue global partnerships and acquisitions, and win customer bookings across its lines of business," Peterson wrote. Thus, the reward should be strong, sustainable growth within an expanding customer base as the EV market expands," Peterson wrote.

☆ Companies are too quick to lay off employees in a recession, one entrepreneur says. Instead, they should focus on retaining valuable 'human capital.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Instead, he said, business owners should look at other ways to cut costs. This article is part of Talent Insider, a series containing expert advice to help small business owners tackle a range of hiring challenges. He attributed that outcome to the closer relationships business owners have with their employees. But Niddel said it's not enough to ask employees to take a pay cut if the founder isn't doing so as well. For example, Luzio and her chief operating officer took larger pay cuts than the rest of the staff.

☆ Tax-loss selling in battered U.S. stocks could spur January snap-back
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yet some investors are betting a number of those beaten-down stocks and possibly the broader market could snap back in January, once the selling period is over. DoubleLine founder Jeffrey Gundlach told CNBC on Wednesday that risk assets will likely rally in January once retail investors finish tax-loss selling. Strategists at Evercore wrote on Nov. 30 that they were "buyers of stocks whose 2022 Tax Loss selling pressure will soon abate." Investors appear to have already started selling underperforming shares. Private clients at BofA, for instance, sold nearly $1.4 billion of stocks in likely tax-motivated selling in November, up from roughly $800 million last year, and appear poised to continue that outsized rate of selling this month, the firm said.

☆ The Fed will raise rates again. But it’s playing with fire
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —The Federal Reserve is all but guaranteed to announce Wednesday that it will once again raise interest rates. The Fed bumped up rates by three-quarters of a percentage point in the past four meetings (June, July, September and November). The more widely watched Consumer Price Index data for November comes out Tuesday, just a day before the Fed announcement. Jones still thinks the Fed will raise rates by only half a point this week and may look to hike them just a quarter point in early 2023. It seems likely that the Fed will cut its GDP target and raise its expectations for the jobless rate and consumer prices.

☆ Disney's streaming platform poised to take on competition with new ad-tier
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The streaming service also offers plans that include Hulu and ESPN+. In a cautionary tail, cable news network CNN in April shutdown its streaming service, CNN+, after just a month. Building and growing an industry-leading streaming service has required Disney to incur high costs along the way. Analysts at the bank said they were "bullish" on the streaming giant's new advertising tier to help churn, or the rate at which customers give up the streaming service. Importantly, we are eager to hear Iger's position on the future of Disney's streaming service, given the recent change in leadership.

☆ 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.

☆ The traditional December bounce for stocks may be more elusive, but it’s still possible
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In those years, December was just the fourth best month, with the S & P 500 rising 1.35% and gaining 68% of the time. As the S & P 500 exits November, it is down about 17% this year. The S & P 500 could mirror some of the other very negative years. For instance, the S & P 500 was down 18.5% through November in 2002, and then bottomed in March 2003, gaining 26.4% that year. Watching key levels In order to confirm a bullish cycle, Suttmeier said the S & P 500 needs to regain the 40-week moving average at 4,033.

"While we have been cautious, there is an important shift going on with the COVID reopening." The protests were the strongest public defiance during Xi's political career, China analysts said. If protests were to continue, this would add to the risk premium, said Sean Taylor, chief investment officer for Asia-Pacific at DWS Group. Social discontent stemming from the zero-COVID policy added to risks in executing and implementing government policies, said Mark Haefele, global wealth management CIO at UBS in Zurich. We also view China’s sluggish recovery as a risk for the global economy and markets."

"Protests are a concern in the short-term," Seema Shah, chief strategist at $500 billion asset manager Principal Global Investors told Reuters, adding that latest events supported the view that winds were changing. "While we have been cautious, there is an important shift going on with the COVID reopening." If protests were to continue, this would add to the risk premium, said Sean Taylor, chief investment officer for Asia-Pacific at DWS Group. "We believe this divergence in view will drive an outperformance in A shares over H shares," Tang said. We also view China’s sluggish recovery as a risk for the global economy and markets."

☆ Market watchers' comments on COVID-19 protests in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what market watchers are saying about the unrest:ALLAN VON MEHREN, CHIEF ANALYST, DANSKE BANK, COPENHAGEN:"Normally protests in China are aimed at local governments but a crowd in Shanghai directed their protest against the Communist Party and Xi Jinping." "The protests come as the recent tweaks in the zero-Covid policy seem to have backfired as they led to rising cases across the country that subsequently triggered new restrictions being implemented. MARK HAEFELE, GLOBAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT CIO, UBS, ZURICH:"We do not expect economic or market headwinds in China to abate significantly over the coming months. KEN CHEUNG, CHIEF ASIA FX STRATEGIST, MIZUHO, HONG KONG:"The China economy is heading to the direction of reopening but the road to the reopening could be a bumpy one. GARY NG, ECONOMIST, NATIXIS, HONG KONG:"The market does not like uncertainties that are difficult to price and the China protests clearly fall into this category.

☆ China's COVID protests weigh on European shares
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) slipped 0.5%, tracking a sharp decline in Asian stocks. China posted record-high COVID-19 infections on Monday, after a weekend of protests, raising worries about the management of the country's zero-COVID policy and its impact on the world's second-largest economy. Other European sectors exposed to China, including automakers (.SXAP) and luxury, also fell in morning trade. European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde will testify before the European parliament later in the day. Shares of Adler Group (ADJ.DE) surged 61.5% after the German property firm secured a deal with bondholders over $971 million debt.

☆ Falling house prices will help the Fed tame inflation – but they also increase the risk of a prolonged economic downturn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But a housing market slowdown also increases the risk of a recession. The aggressive monetary tightening lifted the average 30-year US mortgage rate from 5.60% to 6.84% over the last three months, according to Bankrate. "A decline in home buying is one of the byproducts of tighter monetary policy," Macquarie's head of economics David Doyle told Insider. What has the Fed said about the housing market? Should borrowing costs remain too high for too long, those industries risk facing a decline in business at a time when monetary tightening is already squeezing their cash flows.

☆ From giant kites to foldable wings, here's what container ships could look like by 2050 as companies race to decarbonize their supply chains
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Shipping giants are racing to find scalable green alternatives to gas-guzzling container ships. Other shipping giants are betting big on green methanol fuel derived from agricultural waste. Courtesy of VeerBut the real challenge, Fagerheim said, is convincing clients to get onboard with the boat's slower transit time compared to a traditional container ship. By comparison, conventional container ships can handle loads of over 38,000 tonnes. ©PIRIOU / courtesy of TransOceanic Wind TransportBut as more shoppers prioritize sustainability, some big name brands are pledging to use sustainable cargo ships once the designs become a reality.

Meanwhile, the downturn in euro zone business activity eased slightly in November, offering a glimmer of hope the expected recession there may be shallower than feared, but consumers still cut spending amid a cost of living crisis. However, November is the fifth month the index has been below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction. But in France activity contracted for the first time since February 2021 as lower new orders weighed on the euro zone's second-biggest economy. Activity in the bloc's dominant services industry declined again, with the headline index matching October's 20-month low of 48.6. Manufacturing activity, particularly hard hit by soaring energy prices and disrupted supply chains, also declined but at a slower pace.

☆ Fed's Mester says she supports smaller rate hike in December
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 21 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve can downshift to smaller interest rate hike increments from next month as it fine-tunes its policy actions to help bring down high inflation while keeping the economy humming, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said on Monday. I don't have a problem with that, I do think that's very appropriate," Mester said in an interview with broadcaster CNBC. "But I do think we're going to have to let the economy tell us going forward what pace we have to be at." Investors overwhelmingly expect a rate increase of 50 basis points at the Fed's next policy meeting on Dec. 13-14. "Right now my forecast is that we're going to see some real, good progress on inflation next year," Mester said.

☆ Insana: The ‘7% solution’ on interest rates could come back to haunt the Federal Reserve
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Ron Insana | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A trader watches as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), November 2, 2022. Brendan McDermid | ReutersSt. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard suggested on Thursday that the central bank might have to raise short-term interest rates as high as 7% to ensure that inflation goes away. Once again, Bullard and other Fed officials say that the central bank cannot repeat the policy errors of the 1970s. Raising rates by up to three full percentage points from the Fed's current target range of 3.75% to 4% would ensure a very deep recession. That's the case whether its headline or core consumer prices or other measures of inflation more closely watched by the Fed.

☆ 'Indiscriminate use of hydrogen' could slow the energy transition, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"Indiscriminate use of hydrogen could therefore slow down the energy transition," it added. The energy transition can broadly be seen as a shift away from fossil fuels to a system dominated by renewables. Hopes for hydrogen Described by the International Energy Agency as a "versatile energy carrier," hydrogen has a diverse range of applications and can be deployed in a wide range of industries. During a roundtable discussion at COP27 last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described green hydrogen as "one of the most important technologies for a climate-neutral world." "So it requires an extra effort to make green hydrogen projects ...

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