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America PAC has been tasked with much of the pro-Trump canvassing operation as his campaign focuses its efforts on a more limited effort targeting so-called low-propensity voters. “I know it’s been flagged for America PAC that this has been transpiring,” an operative formerly on the effort said. As some of that data spilled into public view last month, an operative close to the effort said: “All hell has broken loose” inside the PAC. Through late October, America PAC had spent upward of $54 million on Blitz’s services, according to Federal Election Commission filings — more than the PAC has on the three other vendors combined. America PAC ended its relationships this summer with two other prominent GOP-aligned canvassing firms that were knocking on doors as part of its effort.

Persons: they’re, Donald Trump’s, Trump, canvassers, ” Drew Ryun, Chris Turner, Jefferson Thomas, Josh Penry, Jon Seaton, ”, ‘ There’s, Ron DeSantis ’, Elon Musk, Phil Cox, “ isn’t, Turner, Thomas, Penry, Seaton, baselessly, ‘, ‘ Donald Trump, ’ ‘, it’s, Alysia McMillan, I’ve, “ We’re, we’ve, Helene, “, “ I’m, David Plouffe, Kamala Harris ’, “ Elon Musk, Elon Organizations: Republican, Elon, America PAC, NBC News, Trump, NBC, telltale, PAC, Patriot Grassroots, Synapse Group, Echo Canyon Consulting, Florida Gov, Musk’s, America, Patriot, Synapse, . America PAC, GOP, Blitz, The Guardian, Reuters, ”, CNN, Nelk Boys YouTube Locations: Nevada and Arizona, Florida, Nevada , Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina, . In Nevada, America, Nevada, ”, Wisconsin, Iredell County, Charlotte

☆ A stunning sterling rally is about to collide with Britain's political realities
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sterling breached $1.33 against the greenback for the first time since March 2022 on Thursday, and was trading at $1.3315 early London time Monday. The pound's rally was tied to the BOE communication and "looks fully justified," Chris Turner, global head of markets at ING, said in a Friday note. Higher rates are traditionally a positive for a domestic currency as the higher yield can attract more foreign capital. watch nowGabriella Dickens, G7 economist at AXA Investment Managers, also cautioned on the pound's outlook in a note Thursday. If the government is more stringent on fiscal policy, we think the Bank will be forced to increase the pace of the cutting cycle to offset the hit on both households' and businesses' finances."

Persons: Keir Starmer, BOE, Chris Turner, Turner, Jane Foley, Gabriella Dickens, Dickens Organizations: Bank of England, Labour, Sterling, greenback, London, ING, Fed, U.K, European Union, Rabobank London, CNBC, AXA Investment, Bank, quicken Locations: Britain, –

☆ Taco Bell could hold the secret formula for bringing customers back to fast food
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Fast food giant Yum Brands is going all in on value — but only Taco Bell is performing well enough to immediately bring back inflation-weary customers. But Gibbs said Taco Bell is outperforming its rivals in the fast food industry. “I think we’re really seeing Taco Bell stand out from the crowd,” he said to investors. Of the three, only Taco Bell’s US same-store sales grew in the second quarter of 2024, at 5%. The earnings call highlighted how fast food and fast casual chains are struggling to retain customers who believe it is cheaper to just eat at home.

Persons: Taco Bell, David Gibbs, Gibbs, ”, Chipotle, Taco, ” Gibbs, YUM, Chris Turner, Burger, Bell, Lawrence Kim, Yum, CNN’s Clare Duffy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Yum Brands, KFC, Taco, ! Brands, CNN Locations: New York, East, Malaysia, Indonesia, Israel

☆ ‘Pig butchering’ crypto scam: Americans taking their lives after losing savings to international criminal gangs
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Teele Rebane | Ivan Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

In early March, Dennis’ children scheduled a meeting to help their father get back on his feet after the scam. Matt and Adrienne lost their father Dennis to suicide in March after he fell victim to a cryptocurrency investment scam. Hard to believe I’m falling for a man I have never seen or spoken to,” Carina told him just a few weeks in. Carina, scam victimCarina didn’t tell her family about what had happened and the stress she was under until the very final moment. After months of hiding it, Carina told her family, who suggested she speak to Kraken directly.

Persons: Matt, “, Adrienne’s, Dennis Jones, Jessie, ”, Dennis, Dennis ’, Adrienne, ” Matt, Chris Turner, Amanda Swinhart, they’ve, Erin West, “ I’ve, I’ve, Erin, “ We’ve, Shawn Bradstreet, Jim Castel, Bradstreet, Bumble, GASO, that’s, Tom Booth Rakesh, Rakesh, “ Klara Semonov, Tawee Sodsong, Tom Booth Pachara, Jeff Rosen, ’ Carina, “ Evan ”, Carina, WhatsApp, ” Carina, Evan Van ”, CNN Evan, Evan, consoling, Jim Castel ‘, ” Dennis messaged, ” Adrienne, Carina didn’t, “ It’s, ” Dennis ’ Organizations: Lifeline, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Worldwide, CNN, Facebook, FBI, San, LinkedIn, Meta, Indian, Thai National Broadcasting, Befrienders Locations: Virginia, Southeast Asia, scammers, Santa Clara, California’s Bay, San Francisco, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Thai, ”, Russian, Salt Lake City, scamming

☆ Fast-food chains like Burger King, Shake Shack, and KFC are doubling down on digital order kiosks — but watch out, you'll probably end up spending more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fast-food giants are rapidly deploying more order kiosks in the US. AdvertisementMajor US fast-food chains plan to aggressively add more digital order kiosks to their restaurants – and bring in bigger checks in the process. They make up "well over" half of its in-restaurant orders at these locations, CFO Katie Fogertey told investors in November. As well as labor savings, kiosk orders "tend to skew to dine-in" and thus use less packaging than other digital orders, she said. In the US, digital orders currently make up just 15% of Burger King's sales.

Persons: Patrick Doyle, —, Burger, Josh Kobza, Shack, Katie Fogertey, Chris Turner, Turner, Sharon Zackfia, William Blair, Fogertey, Grace Dean, Randy Garutti, cashiers, Fogerty, Andy Barish, Jon Tower, Kobza, Zackfia, Barish, Popeyes, Tim Hortons Organizations: Service, Restaurant Brands, Brands, Taco Bell, KFC, Business, Jefferies, Citi, Burger, Firehouse, North Star Locations: Taco, China, London, millennials

U.S. Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. Deutsche Bank's CVIX (.DBCVIX) - the currency market's version of Wall St's "fear index" of stock volatility and a weighted average of implied "vol" in nine major pairings - has basically imploded. By driving short-term dollar cash rates and U.S. bond yields higher over the past 20 months, the Fed basically sucked cash from the wider investment world and supercharged dollar exchange rates everywhere. Now that it looks done, the buck's finally on the back foot - plumbing levels not seen since August. With implied volatility directionally biased, the dollar index and the CVIX are typically well correlated and both peaked in tandem in same month of September last year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Deutsche Bank's, Chris Turner, Francesco Pesole, BOJ, BOE, Marcelli, Morgan Stanley, Matthew Hornbach, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Deutsche, U.S, ING, Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank and Bank of England, ECB, UBS Global Wealth, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S . Federal, Japan, U.S

Bostic was partly responding to the outburst of violence in Israel and Gaza, said Joseph Trevisani, senior analyst at FXStreet in New York. "You can pretty much count on the Fed taking that into its world view and that's only going to be lower rates." U.S. Treasuries rallied, pushing two-year yields to their lowest in a month, as safe-haven demand was driven by the ongoing Mideast bloodshed and dovish Fed comments. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury , which moves inversely to the price, was down 12.5 basis points at 4.6571%. The Swiss franc , a traditional safe-haven currency, was at 0.9045 to the dollar, which weakened about 0.21%.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Raphael Bostic, Bostic, Joseph Trevisani, Treasuries, Shaun Osborne, Israel's shekel, They're, Chris Turner, Herbert Lash, Harry Robertson, Tom Westbrook, Simon Cameron, Moore, Susan Fenton, Sharon Singleton, Jonathan Oatis, Mark Heinrich, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Atlanta Fed, Fed, American Bankers Association, U.S, Scotiabank, Traders, Bloomberg, Analysts, Columbus, Kyodo, Bank of Japan, . Treasury, ING, Swiss, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Israel, Gaza, New York, Toronto, Palestinian, London, Singapore

☆ Stocks ride wave of risk appetite; Israel conflict rages on
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Global stocks rose on Tuesday, as a wave of risk appetite swept through markets after Federal Reserve officials signaled the recent yield surge could justify caution on interest rates, while oil eased, but violence in Israel made for nervy trading. "Based on Monday's comments from the Fed, the market is starting to think that the central bank does take greater notice of bond yields after all," ING strategist Chris Turner said. "However, we suspect that this may not be a defining story for the bond market in that no central bank likes being backed into a corner over what bond yields mean for monetary policy." Oil prices eased after climbing more than 4% on Monday.

Persons: Treasuries, Kallum Pickering, Chris Turner, Brent, Kane Wu, Stella Qiu, Kim Coghill, Christina Fincher, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Federal, Hamas, Fed, ING, Garden Holdings, HK, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Israel, Europe's, U.S, Palestinian, Gaza, Hong Kong, Sydney

Moves were relatively muted as traders waited for more Fed officials to speak later in the day, as well as minutes from the last Fed meeting to be released on Wednesday and U.S. inflation data on Thursday. The euro was last up 0.12% against the dollar at $1.0581. The dollar index , which tracks the greenback against six peers, was last up less than 0.1% at 106.05. The Swiss franc , a traditional safe-haven currency, was last flat, with the dollar trading at 0.9068 francs. Fed officials Raphael Bostic, Christopher Waller, Neel Kashkari and Mary Daly are due to speak later on Tuesday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Simon Harvey, Israel's shekel, They're, Chris Turner, Israel, Raphael Bostic, Christopher Waller, Neel Kashkari, Mary Daly, Harry Robertson, Tom Westbrook, Sam Holmes, Simon Cameron, Moore, Susan Fenton, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, Bloomberg, Columbus, Treasury, Kyodo, Bank of Japan, . Treasury, ING, Swiss, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, London, Singapore

☆ Taco Bell has the fastest drive-thru, and its latest tech could get customers their orders even faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementTaco Bell has the fastest drive-thru, and it's testing technology that could get customers their orders even faster. This marked the third straight year that Taco Bell had the fastest drive-thru. Mystery shoppers reported they received their orders in under three minutes at the Taco Bell Defy location. McDonald's ranked eighth with a four minute and 51 second average service time, and Chick-fil-A ranked last with a five minute and 12 second average service time. In the test of the new pilot programs, Taco Bell was also the fastest.

Persons: —, Bell, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Taco, Chris Turner Organizations: Taco, QSR, Customers, Service, KFC, Intouch, Taco Bell, Cowen, Consumer Conference, Yum, Brands Locations: Brooklyn Park , Minnesota, Alpharetta , Georgia, Fort Worth , Texas

☆ From taking orders to cutting avocados, AI is solving the labor shortage problem for fast-food chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Checkers & Rally'sLast year, Checkers & Rally's became one of the first big chains to implement widespread use of AI-powered voice assistants. Out of the 803 Checkers and Rally's restaurants, voice AI was live in 390 as of August. AdvertisementAdvertisementSoundHound, best known as a music-recognition app, has spent years perfecting its conversational voice AI bots. Sister burger chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's also announced plans to test Presto's AI voice bots this year. Hardee's and Carl's Jr. are also testing voice AI bots by OpenCity.

Persons: DoorDash, Deloitte, Keyvan Mohajer, it's, Mohajer, Schier, Rally's, Domino's, ConverseNow, SoundHound, SoundHound's Mohajer, Beef, Chippy, Rebecca Harrington, McDonald's, Carl's Jr, Del, Carl's, Hardee's, Presto, Taco, Chris Turner, Turner, Taco Bell Organizations: Service, Chipotle, Industry, National Restaurant Association, Deloitte, Wingstop Tech, Anthony's, Slim, Dialog, Taco Bell, Taco, Yum Brands Locations: White, Wall, Silicon, McDonald's, Texas, California , Texas, Florida, Chicago, Thai, Newport Beach , California, Del Taco, Mexican, Southern California, Taco Bell's

That has put pressure on risky EM currencies, echoing the dynamics observed last year when the Fed began raising rates. In the Sept. 1-6 poll, almost all beaten-down emerging market currencies were forecast to move little, or trade modestly higher against the dollar in a year, with some making small gains in three months. The underperformance of China has probably been the biggest story holding back EM currencies." Earlier this year, many analysts expected China's reopening to boost the yuan and other EM currencies, especially those exporting commodities to the world's second-largest economy, but this scenario did not unfold as anticipated. Through the end of this year, we believe most EM Asia currencies can weaken," said Nick Bennenbroek, international economist at Wells Fargo.

Persons: Chris Turner, Nick Bennenbroek, Hugo Pienaar, Devayani Sathyan, Veronica Khongwir, Jonathan Cable, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Treasury, greenback, Fed, ING, Reserve Bank of India, Korean, Bureau for Economic Research, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, JOHANNESBURG, China, Asia, Wells Fargo, Russian, South Africa, Bengaluru

☆ Euro falls as ECB hike bets take hit on inflation, policymaker comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Samuel Indyk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. But, while euro area-wide inflation unexpectedly held at 5.3% this month, underlying price growth fell, complicating matters for the ECB, who now appear more likely to keep interest rates unchanged next month than raise them. ECB rate-setter Schnabel - considered one of the most hawkish members on the ECB - said euro zone growth was weaker than predicted but that does not necessarily void the need for more rate hikes. "I think the fact she is flagging downside risks to growth is putting some downside pressure on the euro." Both sterling and the euro are set for monthly drops of over 1% against the dollar in August.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, policymaker Isabel Schnabel, Schnabel, We've, Michael Brown, Chris Turner, Samuel Indyk, Tom Westbrook, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, ECB, Trader, Traders, Federal, Commerce Department, UK, CEE, New Zealand, Aussie, Thomson Locations: Tokyo

☆ Euro slips as ECB policymaker takes cautious tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The lettering Euro can be seen on a 1 euro coin, taken on 10 August 2023, in Baden-Württemberg, Rottweil. The euro edged back on Thursday after comments from German policymaker Isabel Schnabel failed to give firm clues on whether the European Central Bank will raise rates in September. ECB rate-setter Schnabel said that euro zone growth was weaker than predicted but that does not necessarily void the need for more rate hikes. "We've heard the most influential hawk on the Governing Council take on a much more cautious tone," said Michael Brown, analyst at Trader X. "I think the fact she is flagging downside risks to growth is putting some downside pressure on the euro this morning."

Persons: policymaker Isabel Schnabel, Schnabel, We've, Michael Brown, Chris Turner Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Trader, Traders, Federal, Commerce Department, UK, CEE Locations: Baden, Tokyo

Some investors and economic analysts are sceptical that expansion will lead to increased foreign direct investment (FDI) within the bloc. Still, BRICS leaders and other investors touted the increased economic heft from the expansion. Increasing use of national currencies to reduce U.S. dollar dependence was another goal BRICS leaders discussed at the summit in Johannesburg. And with oil producer heavyweights among the newcomers, investors said this would feed speculation that Saudi Arabia might increasingly switch to non-dollar-denominated currencies for oil trade. "The short-term consequences could be seen in oil," said Kaan Nazli, a portfolio manager at asset manager Neuberger Berman in London.

Persons: Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China Xi, Cyril Ramaphosa, India Narendra Modi, Sergei Lavrov, Viktor Szabo, Li Kexin, Ola El, Chris Turner, Jakob Ekholdt Christensen, Hasnain Malik, abrdn's Szabo, Kaan Nazli, Neuberger Berman, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bansari Mayur, Marc Jones, Jorgelina, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Russia's, Iran, United Arab Emirates, abrdn, Emerging Markets, ING, Reuters Graphics, China, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: China, India, Sandton, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, JOHANNESBURG, LONDON, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Johannesburg, United States, Saudi, London, Van Eck, New York, Copenhagen, Dubai, Bangalore, Rosario

Japanese Yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. The dollar hit a one-month high against a basket of major currencies, before steadying, as investors sought a safe haven on concerns about China's economy. Japan's currency weakened to as low as 145.22 per dollar in early Asian hours, its lowest since Nov. 10, before quickly reversing course in a volatile start to the week. Japan intervened in currency markets last September when the dollar rose past 145 yen, prompting the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to buy the yen and push the pair back to around 140 yen. With the yen loitering around the 145 level again, traders expect Japanese officials to start warning of intervention soon as they did in June.

Persons: Yen, Dado Ruvic, Charu Chanana, Chris Turner, Russia's rouble, Sterling, Joey Chew, Ankur Banerjee, Harry Robertson, Shri Navaratnam, Lincoln, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Ministry of Finance, Saxo Markets, International Trust Co, ING, Australian, Federal, Asia FX, HSBC, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Japan, United States, China, U.S, Russian, Ukraine, Asia, Singapore, London

☆ Yum Brands gets a lift as KFC's cheaper options draw more customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Quarterly comparable sales at KFC jumped 13% and topped estimates for an 8.29% growth, as options like the 2-for-$5 fried chicken wrap and launches including chicken nuggets pulled in lower-income consumers struggling with high food prices. [1/2]A Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) bucket of mixed fried and grilled chicken is seen in this picture illustration taken April 6, 2017. Yum Brands' revenue rose 3% to $1.69 billion but fell short of estimates of $1.75 billion, largely due to weaker-than-expected sales at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Excluding items, Yum Brands earned $1.41 per share, above estimates of $1.24. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Taco, David Gibbs, Edward Jones, Brian Yarbrough, Carlo Allegri, Chris Turner, Deborah Sophia, Shinjini Ganguli Organizations: KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza, Yum Brands, Wednesday, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Pizza, U.S, Kentucky, Russia, Ukraine, Bengaluru

☆ Dollar sinks to a 14-month low as waning inflation kills bets for further Fed interest-rate increases
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US dollar index plunged to its lowest level since April 2022 as inflation dramatically cooled again. ""For the big dollar trend, this may be the start of the long-awaited cyclical decline," ING strategists said. It declined accelerated after data released Wednesday showed US inflation came in at 3.0% in June annually, the lowest level since March 2021. "For the big dollar trend, this may be the start of the long-awaited cyclical decline. The Fed has raised benchmark rates by 500 basis points since last spring, from near-zero levels to north of 5%.

Persons: Chris Turner, DXY, James Knightly Organizations: ING, Service, Fed Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Dollar holds near 7-month high vs yen on policy split; Swedish crown record low
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Samuel Indyk | Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration picture taken June 15, 2022. The ministry of finance and BOJ intervened in the currency market last autumn when the dollar strengthened beyond 145 yen. “They’re expressing confidence that a faster rate of QT is going to deliver a stronger crown and I think that’s a bit unproven,” ING’s Turner said. The dollar added 0.1% to 7.2492 yuan in the offshore market, taking it close to the previous day’s 7-1/2-month low of 7.2694. The Russian rouble weakened past 87 against the dollar to a 15-month low, hampered by domestic political risk concerns after an aborted mutiny over the weekend.

Persons: Florence Lo, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, “, BOJ, ”, Chris Turner, ING’s Turner, hasn’t, Russian rouble Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, ING, Reuters, People’s Bank of, Citi Locations: U.S, there’s, Spain, tomorrow’s, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany’s, People’s Bank of China, Russian

☆ Greenback gains, Aussie jumps on RBA rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Karen Brettell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar gained against the euro and yen on Tuesday as investors focused on the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will continue hiking rates, while the Aussie jumped after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) surprised with a rate increase. “We’re waiting to see if inflation is going to provide some upside surprises,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA in New York. Fed funds futures traders see the Fed as likely to then resume rate increases, with a 65% chance of an at least 25 basis-point increase in July, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool. The euro was last down 0.15% against the dollar at $1.0694 and the greenback gained 0.06% to 139.64 yen . ========================================================Currency bid prices at 3:00PM (1900 GMT)Additional reporting by Samuel Indyk in London; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: “, ”, Edward Moya, we’re, Moya, Chris Turner, Samuel Indyk, Sharon Singleton, Chizu Organizations: YORK, U.S ., Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia, New York Fed, Bank of, BoC, U.S, Canadian, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York, London

The Aussie was last up 0.6% at $0.6656, after leaping as high as $0.6686, a level last seen on May 16. "For this week it will be wait-and-see mode for euro-dollar," Al-Saraf said, expecting euro-dollar to remain rangebound around 1.07. Meanwhile, the dollar was flat at 139.58 yen , while sterling fell 0.2% to $1.2410. Elsewhere, bitcoin attempted to find its feet around $25,700, after tumbling 5.1% on Monday in its biggest drop since April 19. Reporting by Samuel Indyk and Kevin Buckland; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sean Callow, Chris Turner, Mohamad Al, Saraf, bitcoin, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Samuel Indyk, Kevin Buckland, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill, Ed Osmond Organizations: Australian, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S, Westpac, Bank of, BoC, Canadian, CENTRAL FOCUS, Market, Danske Bank, Fed, European Central Bank, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Sterling slips after survey data shows house building slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Harry Robertson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - The pound slipped on Tuesday as data showed that British house building wilted in May and the dollar found a footing. The survey data showed house building in Britain fell at its fastest pace since May 2020 last month as construction companies struggled with rising interest rates. Yet the headline concealed divergence within the construction sector, with commercial and civil engineering activity rising but house building suffering. Turner said this could lead to the Bank of England (BoE) raising interest rates by less than markets expect. Traders currently envisage rates rising to around 5.4% later this year, from 4.5% currently.

Persons: Sterling, Chris Turner, Turner, BoE, Harry Robertson, Mark Potter Organizations: ING, Bank of England, Traders, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ Sterling hits one-year high as Bank of England decision nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Harry Robertson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - The pound rose to just shy of a one-year high against the dollar on Friday, and to a one-month high against the euro, as traders eyed the Bank of England's interest rate decision next week. Sterling was up 0.21% at $1.26 on Friday, after reaching $1.263 earlier in the session, the highest since late May last year. The euro was down 0.14% against the pound at 87.49 pence, after earlier falling to 87.42 pence, the lowest since April 6. The European Central Bank on Thursday raised rates by 25 bps, a step down in the pace of monetary tightening. Traders broadly expect the Bank of England to raise rates by 25 basis points to 4.5% on Thursday next week, according to pricing in derivatives markets.

☆ Pizza Hut-parent Yum Brands profit sliced by promotions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of the KFC and Pizza Hut owner tumbled more than 4% after the company also warned of a $10 million to $20 million hit to current-quarter operating profit. However, along with higher food and labor costs, foreign exchange pressures and ramped up investments in automation and digital business, the aggressive promotions largely drove a 25% slump in profit. McDonald's Corp (MCD.N), Burger King parent Restaurant Brands (QSR.TO) and Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.N) all topped quarterly sales and profit estimates on the back of price hikes and robust demand. Labor challenges were also easing, with the company seeing job application rates increase while staffing levels were either at or near 2019 levels. Excluding special items, it earned $1.06 per share, missing estimates of $1.13, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Yum Brands earnings miss estimates despite KFC and Pizza Hut's recovery in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Yum Brands on Wednesday reported quarterly earnings that fell short of analysts' expectations, despite a China sales rebound for KFC and Pizza Hut. Yum joins the growing list of companies that includes Procter & Gamble and Starbucks that have reported recovering sales in China. In China, KFC's largest market, system sales climbed 17%, helping lift the chain's international same-store sales growth 11%. Overall, Pizza Hut's same-store sales rose 7%. Next quarter, Yum won't face any comparisons that include its Russian business because the company suspended operations there in early March last year.

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