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Here's a look at some of the key counties to watch across the seven presidential battleground states, ordered by the state's final poll closing time (in Eastern Standard Time). Mitt Romney won more than 80% in Forsyth in 2012, but Trump won just two-thirds of the vote there eight years later. In 2020, Joe Biden won this county by only 4 points over Trump, while Hillary Clinton carried it by 13 points in 2016. While Trump won it by 3 points in 2016, Biden won Maricopa by 2 points four years later. And that Democratic gain helped the party flip Wisconsin in 2020, given that Biden won the state by just 20,000 votes.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Anson, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Hurricane Helene, Trump, Romney, Nikki Haley, Nash, Biden, It's, Dave Wasserman, Amy Walter, Barack Obama, they've, Harris, Clinton, Dane Organizations: NBC News, Trump, Cobb, Black, Democratic, Republican, The, NBC, Clinton, Biden, Democrats, Maricopa, Arab American, University of Wisconsin, Republicans, Biden’s, GOP Locations: . Georgia, County, Forsyth, exurbs, Marietta, Gwinnett, Atlanta, North Carolina, Henderson, South, Asheville, Raleigh, North Carolina . Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philly, Erie, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Lake Erie, Lackawanna, Scranton, Northampton, Arizona, Maricopa, Michigan, Kent, Grand Rapids, Wayne, Detroit, Traverse City, . Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington

☆ Schonfeld is leading its peers a year after the $11.6 billion firm ended tie-up talks with Millennium. How the industry's biggest funds did in October.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Schonfeld is up by 15.5% for the year in its flagship fund. They said the flagship fund had been up in 17 of the past 18 months. AdvertisementOctober was a strong month generally for the large multistrategy managers that have dominated industry headlines in recent years. Ken Griffin's Citadel was up by 1.2% last month in the firm's flagship Wellington fund, a person close to the Miami-based fund told Business Insider. AdvertisementMillennium, meanwhile, made 0.4% last month, pushing its annual return to 10%, a person close to Izzy Englander's firm said.

Persons: Schonfeld, —, Ken Griffin's, Izzy Englander's Organizations: Citadel, Service, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors, Partners, Equity, Microsoft, Business, Ken Griffin's Citadel Locations: York, Wellington, Miami

☆ Joe Arden's voice made him the hottest narrator in romance. Then, a sexting scandal turned BookTok against him.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Anna Merlan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +34 min

But there's no denying that a large number of people, mostly women, found Joe Arden's voice to be exceedingly hot: smooth, insistent, husky, occasionally dropping to a seductive growl. Arden's voice made him one of the most popular romance audiobook narrators of his generation. Last year, a promising new romance author reached out to Blue Nose Audio and received a reply from Joe Arden. "My working name of 'Joe Arden,' has always been just that, a professional persona that labeled my career," he added. For good measure, they dug up Cronin's abandoned trademark application for the Joe Arden moniker, first filed in 2020.

Persons: Joe Arden's, Men's, I've, Joe Arden, Joey, Arden, He's, Lauren Blakely, Vi Keeland, Meghan March, Blakely, BookTok, TikTok, Joe, Ardenmania, —, BookTok influencers, who'd, Brynne Weaver, they'd, wasn't, quizzing, Arden she'd, didn't, she'd, Arden's, sexting, he'd, Angela, Aiden Snow, Julie McKay, Blue, James Patrick Cronin, Rice, Cronin, Beatrice Colen, Patrick Cronin, manny, Max Thomas, McKay, Maxine Mitchell, Sean Zanni, Patrick McMullan, Sarah J, Brittanée Nicole, Nicole, Teddy Hamilton, Hamilton, Brynne Weaver's, it's, Brittany Lowry, Kate Stewart's, Arden isn't, pant, Shane East, Paige Reisenfeld, he's, Tor, influencer, you'd, Sean Crisden, Crisden, Maas, Craig Barritt, Arden blowup, voEROS, Arden —, who've, Kathy Haan, Patreon Organizations: Men's Health, Audio Publishers Association, Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, Arden, BI, East Tennessee State University, University of Louisville, Getty, SAG, Texas, GQ, Wired, Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Times, Publishers, TikTok, Tantor Media, The New York Times, New York Comic Con, Communications Locations: Arden, sexting, gaslighting, TikTok, Los Angeles, East, New York City, York, LA, Audm, Ghostface Gulf, masturbate, Romanceland

☆ Here's how bad housing affordability is now
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Home prices set another record in April, even as mortgage rates rose and the supply of homes for sale increased. Usually, under those circumstances, prices would weaken, but today's housing market is unlike any other in recent history. The housing cost burden has hit a record, according to a new report from Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. Housing supply was already low before the Covid pandemic hit, because homebuilders had yet to recover from the 2008 financial crisis. Then there was a pandemic-induced run on housing, causing supply to drop to record lows for several years.

Persons: Brian Luke, Dow, HJCH, homebuilders, Homebuilders couldn't, Orphe Divounguy Organizations: Mortgage News, Dow Jones, Harvard's, for Housing Studies

☆ It finally looks like the US economy is sticking its soft landing
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A soft landing is on the horizon, too — or already here depending on who you ask — and recent data reinforces that. AdvertisementThere has been a ton of moderation in this rate particularly when comparing recent changes to those seen in 2022, another sign pointing to a soft landing. AdvertisementThe soft landing might already be hereDavid Kelly, chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, believes the US has already achieved a soft landing. "To me, a soft landing is when the unemployment rate has basically hit its full-employment level, and the inflation rate is gradually coming down to a rate that's acceptable," Kelly said. Advertisement"In other words, a fairly comfortable soft landing with occasional turbulence," Draho added.

Persons: —, That's, it's, Joseph Briggs, Goldman Sachs, Briggs, Nick Bunker, Bunker, David Kelly, Kelly, Jason Draho, Draho, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Bureau of Labor Statistics, North America, UBS, Morgan Asset Management, UBS Global Wealth Management

☆ Cramer's week ahead: Labor report, plus Gitlab and Crowdstrike earnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday told investors what to pay attention to next week on Wall Street, highlighting the nonfarm payroll report and earnings from GitlLab and CrowdStrike . Cramer said he's waiting to see how the company will perform because some in the enterprise software sector see issues with sales. Tuesday brings quarterly results from CrowdStrike, and Cramer said this cybersecurity company has been doing better than many of its peers. Friday brings perhaps the most important event of the week, according to Cramer, the Labor Department's nonfarm payroll report. Cramer said the Federal Reserve won't be inclined to cut rates until the unemployment rate reaches 4%.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer, he's, Hewlett Packard, Ferguson, PVH, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Campbell Soup, Jack Daniels, Brown, Forman, Lululemon, JM Smucker, Smucker Organizations: Dell, athleisure, Labor

☆ The Fed’s preferred inflation measure rose 0.2% in April, as expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Inflation rose about as expected in April, with markets on edge over when interest rates might start coming down, according to a measure released Friday that is followed closely by the Federal Reserve. Including the volatile food and energy category, PCE inflation was at 2.7% on an annual basis and 0.3% from a month ago. Goods prices rose 0.2% while services saw a 0.3% increase, continuing a normalization trend for an economy in which services and consumption provide much of the fuel. Personal income increased 0.3% on the month, matching the estimate, while spending rose just 0.2%, below the 0.4% estimate and off March's downwardly revised 0.7%. "The PCE Price Index didn't show much progress on inflation, but it didn't show any backsliding, either.

Persons: Dow Jones, Dan North, Jerome, Powell, I'm, Chris Larkin, Morgan Stanley, John Williams Organizations: Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Labor Department, The Commerce Department, North America, Allianz Trade, Treasury, New York Fed

After finally dropping below 7% earlier this month, 30-year mortgage rates have been holding relatively steady in the mid-to-high 6% range, according to Zillow data. Once the Fed is able to start lowering rates, mortgage rates are expected to fall. Mortgage rates are expected to go down this year, but they might not drop as much as initially expected. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal, Consumer, Mortgage, Zillow, Association, Sky Locations: March's, Chevron

☆ British retail sales plunge 2.3% in April, missing estimates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People walk in the rain over the London Bridge in central London on March 12, 2024. Lucy North - Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty ImagesLONDON — U.K. retail sales volumes dropped 2.3% in April as wet weather deterred shoppers, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. "Sales volumes fell across most sectors, with clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores doing badly as poor weather reduced footfall," the ONS said. Sales were up 0.7% across the three months to April compared to the previous three months following a weak December and holiday season, but were down 0.8% year on year. watch nowKris Hamer, director of insight at the British Retail Consortium, pointed to bright spots in the data in cosmetics and computer sales.

Persons: Lucy North, Kris Hamer, Hamer, GfK Organizations: National Statistics, Reuters, British Retail Consortium, Bank of England's Locations: London

☆ Fed officials seem like they have ‘no idea’ what is going on with U.S. inflation, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"I think the message that's coming through is that they have no idea what's going on," Howard said on CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Wednesday. Fed Governor Christopher Waller on Tuesday said that he needed to see further data evidence that inflation was softening before supporting rate cuts. Waller's comments were echoed by other Fed officials on Tuesday, including Boston Fed President Susan Collins. 'A credibility problem'But Fed officials have not come out with a clear message about their expectations or to address why inflation remains elevated, GAM's Howard said. "And now [policymakers] think inflation is coming down but its not coming down fast enough," he said.

Persons: Valerie Plesch, Julian Howard, Howard, Christopher Waller, Waller's, Susan Collins, GAM's Howard, They've Organizations: Eccles Federal, Bloomberg, Getty, Federal, GAM, Fed, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Boston Fed, Atlanta Federal Reserve Locations: Washington , DC, U.S, Washington

So far in May, 30-year mortgage rates have averaged around 6.75%, which is 10 basis points lower than the previous month's average. If the next few months continue to show that inflation is decelerating, mortgage rates could go down further this year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Down (-0.09%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.00%, nine basis points lower than last week. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: they'll, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Gold prices are at yet another record high. That means rate cuts are coming soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gold reached a new record of $2,454.20 per ounce on Monday as markets price in Fed rate cuts. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementGold set another record high on Monday as Wall Street readies for monetary policy to ease this year. Given that gold is a safe haven asset, rising international face-offs have prompted more investors to buy the bullion. Meanwhile, US sanctions on Russian reserves sparked central banks to snap up the metal at record pace.

Persons: Gold, —, Grzegorz Drozdz, David Miarrions Organizations: Service, P, Trade

☆ Buckle up America: Powell says interest rates will likely stay higher for longer as inflation stubbornly refuses to come down
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewInflation and interest rates are still high, but Americans shouldn't count on any relief just yet. Advertisement"The status of the battle against inflation requires that interest rates remain elevated in the near-term," Hamrick said. "The first quarter in the United States was notable for its lack of further progress on inflation," Powell said during the panel. But while job seekers and workers may find this cooldown concerning, that moderation is also welcome and the labor market is still strong. "Paired with high borrowing costs — like high interest rates on your credit cards — and the current economy can feel quite uncomfortable," Renter added.

Persons: —, That's, Mark Hamrick, Hamrick, Jerome Powell, Powell, Joanne Hsu, Nick Bunker, Ted Rossman, Rossman, Elizabeth Renter, Renter, it's Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI, Business, Federal, University of Michigan, North America Locations: Amsterdam, United States, —

☆ Interest-rate cuts could be coming this fall, adding another wrinkle to an election set to focus on the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In today's big story, inflation is cooling just in time for a US presidential election that will likely focus heavily on the economy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The big storyThe economy and the electionAnna Moneymaker/Getty, Anna Moneymaker/Getty, Tyler Le/BISometimes, the biggest surprise is when there isn't one at all. AdvertisementOn Wednesday, Biden and Trump agreed to face off in two debates, the first coming in June . Now he has 18 direct reports, according to an internal org chart seen by Business Insider.

Persons: —, Anna Moneymaker, Tyler Le, haven't, Insider's Madison Hoff, they're, Jennifer Sor, Ed Yardeni, Jerome Powell hasn't, Powell, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Trump's, Alyssa Powell, Keith Gill's, Jim Simons, Shaw, Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Sameer Samat, Sundar Pichai, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Biden, White, Democratic, Renaissance Technologies, Sigma, Bloomberg, Android, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Walmart Locations: New York, London

☆ Inflation slightly cooled off in April as expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Consumer Price Index increased 3.4% year over year in April, just below March's rise of 3.5%. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementInflation in the US is still above 3%, new Consumer Price Index data released on Wednesday suggested, but cooled off slightly in April. The Consumer Price Index or CPI, an inflation measure, climbed 3.4% from April 2023 to this past April. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Index, Business Locations: Investing.com

☆ Treasury yields fall ahead of fresh consumer inflation figures
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The 2-year Treasury yield was last at 4.8061% after falling by over one basis point. U.S. Treasury yields were lower on Wednesday is investors considered the outlook for inflationary pressures and awaited the latest consumer price index data. The producer price index for April, which tracks wholesale prices, came in higher than expected on Tuesday. This comes ahead of the consumer price index for April which is expected to be released Wednesday. On an annual basis, inflation is anticipated to slow slightly to 3.4% from 3.5% in March.

Persons: Dow Jones, Jerome Powell Organizations: Treasury, Investors, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI, Core CPI

☆ Here's everything to expect from Wednesday's key report on inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"I expect that inflation will move back down on a monthly basis to levels that were more like the lower readings we were having last year," he told attendees at a banking conference. So we're just going to have to see where the inflation data fall out." The index, a proxy for wholesale prices, accelerated 2.2% on an annual basis, the highest reading in a year. "This will be the most important read of the month [excluding nonfarm payrolls] as inflation continues to defy expectations," said Dan North, senior economist at Allianz Trade North America. Even if the report comes in around consensus expectations, it will be "inadequate progress for the Fed to consider a cut until September," he added.

Persons: Frederic J, Brown, Dow Jones, Jerome Powell, we're, Dan North Organizations: AFP, Getty, Federal Reserve, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Allianz Trade North, Fed Locations: Rosemead , California, Amsterdam, Allianz Trade North America

☆ Stock market today: Indexes hover at records ahead of big inflation report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A downgrade revision in March's producer price index helped curb inflation concerns. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell signaled that interest rates will have to remain higher for longer. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . While April's producer price index gained 0.5% against expectations of a 0.3% rise, March's data was revised to show a 0.1% decline. Many are also waiting to see Wednesday's consumer price index release, before determining whether to retreat from markets.

Persons: Stocks, Jerome Powell, —, Quincy Krosby Organizations: Service, Nasdaq, Federal, Global, LPL, AMC Locations: Here's

☆ 4 reasons why the S&P 500 has another 5% upside this year, UBS says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The ongoing S&P 500 rally could extend to 5,500 this year, UBS said. Tech earnings have remained strong, with ex-Mag 7 tech firm profits revised 7% higher since March. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementWith last month's equity jitters already quashed, the ongoing rebound is the start of an extensive summer rally, UBS said. According to a note published Tuesday, the S&P 500 could reach the firm's upside scenario of 5,500 by this year's end.

Persons: Disinflation, —, Marcelli, That's Organizations: UBS, Tech, Service, Global Wealth Management, Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple

☆ European markets head for mixed open as traders look ahead to latest U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets are heading for a mixed open at the start of the new trading week, and investors will be keeping a close eye on the latest U.S. inflation figures. April's consumer price index report is due out on Wednesday, with traders hoping that a return to rate hikes is largely off the table for the U.S. Federal Reserve despite a slew of hotter-than-expected inflation prints recently. Overnight, Asia-Pacific markets were mixed as investors assessed China's stronger-than-expected April inflation data; China's consumer price index climbed 0.3% year on year, beating Reuters estimates of a 0.2% rise. India's inflation figures will also be out late Monday, with economists polled by Reuters expecting inflation in the world's fifth-largest economy to slow slightly to 4.8% in April, down from March's 4.85%.

Organizations: U.S . Federal, Reuters Locations: Asia, Pacific, March's

☆ Euro zone business activity grows at fastest pace in almost a year, PMI shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Euro zone business activity expanded at its fastest pace in almost a year last month as a resurgence in the bloc's dominant services industry more than offset a deeper downturn in manufacturing, a survey showed on Monday. That was its second month above the 50 mark separating growth from contraction and the highest since May last year. The services PMI leapt to 53.3 from 51.5, above the flash estimate of 52.9 and its highest reading since last May. A sister survey released last week showed factory activity in the euro zone took a turn for the worse in April, highlighting the divergence between the two sectors. The composite future output index dipped only slightly from March's 61.6 - its highest since February 2022 - to 61.6.

Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia Organizations: P Global, Service, Hamburg Commercial Bank, PMI Locations: March's, Hamburg

Once the Fed is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Down (-0.24%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.24%, 24 basis points lower than last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates Fall Slightly (-0.06%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 7.36%, six basis points lower than last week. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Investors, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Treasury yields inch higher ahead of April jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

One basis point is equivalent to 0.01%. ET, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was up by more than one basis point to 4.5814%. The 2-year Treasury yield was last over one basis point higher to 4.8891%. U.S. Treasury yields were slightly higher on Friday as investors awaited key labor market data that could provide hints about the state of the economy. Investors looked ahead to the April jobs report, which investors will be scanning for clues about whether the labor market is easing or remaining resilient.

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: Treasury, U.S, Investors, Federal Reserve

☆ Baltimore bridge insurer is reportedly set to write a $350 million check
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chubb, the Baltimore bridge insurer, is set to pay out $350 million, per The Wall Street Journal. The bridge's collapse in March killed six people and shut down the port of Baltimore. Chubb, the state of Maryland, and victims' families will likely sue the ship's owners, per the Journal. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe insurer of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is gearing up to issue a $350 million payout to the state of Maryland, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Persons: Chubb, Baltimore . Chubb, —, Francis Scott Key, Henry Daar, WTW, Daar, Dali, Chubb didn't Organizations: Street, Service, Barclays, Business Locations: Baltimore, Maryland, London

Hiring activity was stronger than expected in the US private sector last month, according to payroll processor ADP’s latest employment estimates. Employers added 192,000 jobs in April, down from March's job gains, (which were upwardly revised by 24,000 to 208,000 jobs) according to ADP’s national employment report released Wednesday. However, economists were anticipating a net gain of 175,000 jobs, according to FactSet consensus estimates. While job growth has accelerated to start the year, wage gains are showing a continued moderation, according to the report. While ADP’s tabulations don’t always correlate with the official federal jobs report — which is due out Friday — it’s sometimes viewed as a proxy for overall hiring activity.

Persons: tabulations, it’s

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