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☆ Now is your last chance to lock in a guaranteed 5% return before the Fed cuts rates, investing experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

After months of high interest rates, the economic tides appear to be shifting. Experts largely expect the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates during the central bank's meeting on Wednesday, a reversal of a rate-hiking policy aimed at taming post-pandemic era inflation. For consumers, declining short-term interest rates will come as a relief. Versions of all three vehicles currently offer guaranteed interest rates north of 5%. That means, for certain savers, now may be the last opportunity to lock in a relatively high interest rate on short- to medium-term investments, says Amy Arnott, a portfolio strategist with Morningstar Research Services.

Persons: Amy Arnott Organizations: Federal Reserve, Morningstar Research Services

☆ Investing experts: Lock in a guaranteed 5% return before the Fed slashes interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

With inflation finally beginning to cool of late, experts expect the Federal Reserve to begin trimming its benchmark interest rate. For savers, it means earning less on interest-paying vehicles such as bonds, cash accounts and certificates of deposit. Versions of all three vehicles currently offer guaranteed interest rates north of 5%. Why it makes sense to lock in higher rates nowFor years, when interest rates were near zero, it was hard to earn practically anything on a short-term bond or cash account. "I do think that leads to interest rate cuts in the U.S. [in the second half of 2024].

Persons: It's, Amy Arnott, we've, Arnott, Christopher R, Jackson, You've, That's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Morningstar Research Services, Treasury, UBS Wealth Management Locations: U.S

☆ Walmart and Target are slashing prices. What does that mean for inflation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That doesn’t mean the battle against inflation is won. Walmart saw first-quarter sales at stores open at least a year climb 3.8% from the prior year, in part thanks to its ability to keep prices low even as inflation remains sticky. “Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating” with consumers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a call with analysts. Investors will get more inflation data next week from the Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million).

Persons: Doug McMillon, Price, we’re, ”, Preston Caldwell, Scarlett Johansson, Will Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI, Johansson, OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, Brian Fung, OpenAI didn’t, Anna Cooban, “ Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Walmart, Ikea, Aldi, Morningstar Research Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Investors, Citi, Citigroup, Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England’s Prudential, Authority, CNN Locations: New York, United States

☆ Take a look at how the market hinges on solid earnings from the 'Magnificent 7' this quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Six of the Magnificent Seven companies — Alphabet , Apple , Amazon.com , Meta Platforms , Microsoft and Nvidia — are set to be the top six companies driving year-over-year earnings growth in the fourth quarter, Butters noted. Without them, earnings in the other 494 other S & P 500 companies are set to have fallen by 10.5%. And, taken as a whole, S & P 500 earnings are tracking to have eased 1.4% in the quarter. "Are companies in the 'Magnificent 7' ... expected to drive earnings higher for the S & P 500 for the fourth quarter?" In the first quarter of 2024, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Nvidia are projected to report year-over-year earnings growth of almost 80%.

Persons: John Butters, Butters, Dave Sekera, Sekera, FactSet's John Butters Organizations: FactSet, Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, Morningstar Research Services Locations: U.S

☆ The S&P 500 tops a record high that ‘clears the charts’ of resistance ahead of a week of earnings, inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The S & P 500 rallied more than 1% on Friday, above both its closing and intraday records that it last reached in January 2022. "Meaning that when a major index like the S & P 500, like the Nasdaq 100, reaches a new all time high, what it does is, it clears the charts of resistance." For 2024, Wald anticipates the S & P 500 will end the year at the 5,400 level, representing a roughly 12% rise from Friday's close of 4,839.81. Inflation data, earnings ahead Next week will also bring the Fed's preferred inflation gauge for December, which is expected to confirm the recent trend of easing inflation. Leading Indicators Tuesday Jan. 23 10 a.m. Richmond Fed Index (January) Earnings: General Electric , Synchrony Financial , D.R.

Persons: it's, Katie Stockton, we've, Oppenheimer's Ari Wald, Wald, Dow Jones, That's, Dave Sekera, Sekera, Jan, Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin Wednesday Jan, Kimberly, Clark, Northrop Organizations: Fed, Nasdaq, Morningstar Research Services, Richmond Fed, Synchrony, Raytheon Technologies, Verizon Communications, Halliburton, Johnson, Procter, Gamble, Lockheed, Lockheed Martin Wednesday, PMI, SA, PMI Manufacturing SA, PMI Services SA, Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, New, . Kansas City Fed Manufacturing, Northrop Grumman, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Comcast, PCE, Norfolk, American, CNBC Locations: Stockton, U.S, Horton, Freeport, McMoRan, . Kansas

☆ Investors see opportunities in these beaten-down areas of the stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Cash is king right now, but investors aren’t casting stocks away completely. Yields jumped on Thursday, after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in a speech that he’s unsure whether the central bank has adequately tightened monetary policy. Ham says he sees opportunities in dividend growth stocks, whose declines this year mean they’re priced at attractive levels. Investors also shouldn’t overlook small-cap stocks, says Matt Stucky, chief portfolio manager of equities at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. However, investors are bullish about another pause in rate hikes next month, according to fed funds rate futures.

Persons: Cash, That’s, Jerome Powell, ”, Emerson Ham III, Ham, Dave Sekera, he’s, They’re, hasn’t, Matt Stucky, Stucky, It’s, “, ” Powell, Bryan Mena, Powell, Trevor, Elon Musk, Clare Duffy, Musk, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Investment Company Institute, Treasury, Advisors, Big Tech, Morningstar Research Services, Utilities, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, International Monetary Fund, Economic, of New, LinkedIn, Facebook, Center, Anti, Defamation League, ADL Locations: New York, Washington ,, of New York

☆ Wall Street will try to maintain momentum next week after a strong start to November
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Stocks will try to maintain their upward momentum next week after a strong start to November, with Treasury yields falling from their highs and investors betting the Federal Reserve may well be done raising interest rates. Those gains came after the Fed kept rates unchanged for a second straight meeting, and as bond yields tumbled. Earnings and economic data Of course, investors will absorb some notable data next week. "Bond yields are the primary concern for investors and what drives bond yields are supply and demand," Stovall said. Initial Claims (11/04) Earnings: Wynn Resorts Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 10 a.m. Michigan Sentiment preliminary (November) 2 p.m. Treasury Budget (October)

Persons: Stocks, Sam Stovall, Stovall, FactSet, D.R, Horton, Jerome Powell, he's, they've, Dave Sekera, Cook, John Williams, Sekera, you've, Erika H, James, Ralph Lauren, Warner Organizations: Treasury, Reserve, Nasdaq, Fed, Stock Traders, International Monetary Fund, Morningstar Research Services, Duke University, New York Federal Reserve, Duke University ,, Economic Club of New, Harvard Club, Consumer Credit, Occidental Petroleum, eBay, Air Products, Chemicals, DC, Walt Disney Company, MGM Resorts International, Warner Bros, Wynn Resorts, Treasury Budget Locations: Michigan, U.S, Washington ,, Duke University , Durham, N.C, Economic Club of New York, Horton, Washington, a.m

☆ Protect your portfolio income from hefty state taxes with these funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors in high-tax locales can protect some of their portfolio income from steep levies by adding state-specific municipal bond funds to their fixed-income roster. "In the muni bond fund market, we're seeing yields higher than they have been in more than a decade," said Amy Arnott, portfolio strategist for Morningstar Research Services. That's because while muni bond income is generally free of federal taxes, it can also avoid state levies if the investor resides in the state where the bond was issued. That's where state-specific muni bond funds come into the picture. See below for a chart of 10 large state-focused muni bond funds.

Persons: Bonds, haven't, Amy Arnott, Dan Herron, Herron, Arnott, CNBC's Gabriel Cortes Organizations: Federal Reserve, Muni Bond ETF, Morningstar Research Services, Vanguard, SEC, Vanguard New, CPA, Wealth Advisors, muni Locations: California, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Jersey

☆ Debunking claims that a 'cartel' of asset managers controls major U.S. corporations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If you look up the top institutional investors in these firms, you will find major asset managers close to the top of the list. 2, and State Street is No. State Street, Vanguard and BlackRock are the top shareholders in Lockheed, in that order. Pfizer's top shareholders: Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street. That's because BlackRock makes money by collecting fees from its investors, not by reaping profits from the companies it invests in.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Daniel Sotiroff Organizations: Apple, Lockheed, Pfizer, Vanguard, BlackRock, Morningstar Research Services, State Locations: BlackRock

☆ Yields on inflation-protected bonds spiked after the Fed’s tough outlook. What’s next for investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The yield on the 5-year TIPS was 2.48% on Wednesday afternoon, while the rate on the 10-year TIPS was 2.29%. The par value of the bonds adjusts with inflation, based on the consumer price index for all urban consumers. Duration is a measure of a bond's price sensitivity to changes in interest rates, and as bond prices swooned in 2022, TIPS also suffered. "They're not always the perfect inflation hedge in the short term, and they are very sensitive to changes in market interest rates." Be aware that while there are no state or local taxes on interest, federal taxes apply.

Persons: Brett Wander, Morningstar, US5YTIPS, Bill Ahmuty, Amy Arnott, They're, Arnott Organizations: Federal Reserve, Schwab Asset Management, Fed, State Street Global Advisors, Morningstar Research Services Locations: TreasuryDirect

☆ Large U.S. companies outperformed other investments over the last 20 years—but you should still diversify, pros say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In theory, the more return you hope to earn from an investment, the more risk you'll have to take on. While most asset classes follow the risk/return rules, a couple notable outliers emerge. Commodities, despite being one of the jumpier asset classes, offer the weakest 20-year return at 0.73%. There are compelling cases to be made that, given their outsize performance, large stocks are overvalued compared with other asset classes, such as small-company and developed and emerging markets stocks, Stovall adds. For long-term investors, he says, "nibbling at small- and mid-cap stocks as well as international investments might be a good thing."

Persons: We've, there's, Sam Stovall, they'll, Wayne Gretzky, Stovall, Amy Arnott Organizations: Morningstar Direct, Commodities, Morningstar Research Services

☆ Cash accounts are paying more than 5% in interest—but 'don't load up on it,' says money expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

With interest rates hovering near zero for much of the last decade, savers couldn't expect to earn much in interest when they stashed their money. Online banks are offering high-yield savings accounts paying interest in the neighborhood of 5%, according to Bankrate. High-yield savings accounts High-yield savings accounts and money market accounts are both insured, up to $250,000, by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Money market funds Money market funds are mutual funds that invest in short-term low-risk debt. There is a very small risk of losing money with these, and they generally pay attractive interest rates and can be quickly liquidated.

Persons: Cash, Amy Arnott, there's, they've, Arnott, Banks, Morgan, Charles Schwab Organizations: Federal Reserve, Morningstar Research Services, ., Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Vanguard

☆ Wall Street embraces biggest IPO in nearly two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The largest public offering since 2021 is here. After a nearly two-year drought in the IPO market, UK-based chip designer Arm started trading in New York on Thursday with 95.5 million shares under the ticker ‘ARM’ (ARM) on the Nasdaq. Wall Street views Arm’s listing as a weather balloon for a number of tech companies waiting to go public. A successful debut by Arm could be the big IPO that clears the pipeline for the rest. That would provide a positive market sentiment for the overall stock market.”Goldman Sachs is the lead underwriter in the IPO.

Persons: haven’t, Goldman Sachs, ”, David Solomon, Dave Sekera, ” Goldman Sachs Organizations: New, New York CNN, ARM, Nasdaq, Trading, Apple, Samsung, Nvidia, Companies, Google, AMD, Morningstar Research Services Locations: New York

That's because the Federal Reserve has been hiking interest rates since March 2022 in an effort to cool inflation. So the question remains: When will we finally see interest rates start to come down? CNBC Select asked three experts to give their take on what lies ahead for interest rates. What we'll coverWhen will interest rates come back down? Existing loans with a variable rate may also start charging less interest as the Fed lowers interest rates.

Persons: Amy Hubble, hasn't, Preston Caldwell, Caldwell, Hubble, Elliot Eisenberg, you'll, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, CNBC, Federal, Market, Morningstar Research Services, Ally Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, Jumbo, Navy Federal Credit, PNC Bank, PNC Bank Mortgage, Savings, Axos Bank, FDIC, CNBC Select's, Facebook, Twitter Locations: U.S

Today's "niche" companies and those seen as AI leaders are unlikely to be the biggest winners for long-term investors, said Barry Glassman, a certified financial planner and member of CNBC's Advisor Council. "I've been through this enough to see that the niche players early on may not, in fact, be the long-term plays," Glassman said. Dan Romanoff, senior equity analyst with Morningstar Research Services, echoed that sentiment, saying investors would be hard-pressed to find a good "pure play" AI company in which to invest today. I would ask the question: What company isn't an AI company nowadays? However, it's unclear if such companies will remain among the AI leaders as the technology develops, experts said.

Persons: Jaap Arriens, Barry Glassman, I've, " Glassman, OpenAI, chatbot, Glassman, DocuSign, Dan Romanoff, Romanoff Organizations: Getty, San, Wealth, AOL, Cisco, Morningstar Research Services, Microsoft, Nvidia Locations: San Francisco, Vienna , Virginia, North Bethesda , Maryland

☆ There hasn't been a 'significant tragedy' related to nuclear waste storage, says Morningstar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThere hasn't been a 'significant tragedy' related to nuclear waste storage, says MorningstarAdam Fleck director of research, ratings, and ESG at Morningstar Research Services, says the "biggest issue" concerns costs.

Persons: Morningstar Adam Fleck Organizations: Morningstar Research Services

☆ These energy investments spin out attractive income, even as oil prices have fallen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Energy stocks are also this year's underdogs, with the S & P sector down more than 7%. In turn, the limited partners collect income distributions from the business. MLPs aren't subject to federal income taxes, but the limited partners are responsible for levies on the income they receive. In that case, the C-corp pays corporate income taxes and the shareholders are responsible for levies on dividends they get. Tax hurdles Attractive income aside, investors need to be on the lookout for where they keep these MLPs.

Persons: there's, Stephen Ellis, Ellis, MLPs, George Gagliardi, you'll Organizations: West Texas, Energy, Morningstar Research Services, Wealth Management, MLP, Internal Revenue Service

June 20 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR (KKR.N) has agreed to purchase a substantial portion, or up to 40 billion euros ($43.71 billion), of payments company PayPal's (PYPL.O) buy now, pay later (BNPL) loans in Europe, the companies said on Tuesday. After the deal closes, PayPal expects to allocate roughly $1 billion to incremental share repurchases in 2023, contributing to an updated outlook of about $5 billion in total share repurchases so far this year. PayPal last year processed more than $20 billion of BNPL payment volume globally, up nearly 160% from 2021. Since launching its BNPL service in 2020, PayPal has issued more than 200 million loans to more than 30 million customers globally. The company said it will continue to remain responsible for all customer-facing activities, including underwriting and servicing associated with its European BNPL products.

Persons: BNPL, Brett Horn, Horn, Manya Saini, Hannah Lang, Arun Koyyur, Will Dunham Organizations: KKR, PayPal, Morningstar Research Services, Thomson Locations: Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Bengaluru, Washington

☆ 'Real' meat maker Cargill may emerge big winner in plant-based food as buzzy startup boom fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Additionally, Cargill began marketing several plant-based protein ingredients, made from soy, pea and wheat, to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide. What to expect for plant-based meat in next decade Cargill's calculated approach to plant-based meats coincides with the nascent industry's trajectory. And then there's the consumer's appetite to pay a premium price for plant-based meat. So Cargill's biggest competition will be the established plant-based meat companies, like Beyond and Impossible, he said. The future of plant-based meat might be analogous to the ongoing transition to electric vehicles.

Persons: Florian Schattenmann, Cargill Cargill, Cargill, Schattenmann, it's, John Baumgartner, Baumgartner, Caroline Bushnell, Bushnell, that's, Seth Goldstein, Goldstein, Tyson's Organizations: Cargill, Foods, Tyson Foods, Hormel Foods, Smithfield Foods, Cargill Inc, The, Bloomberg, Getty, Foods Cargill, Mizuho Securities USA, Good Food Institute, Cubiq Foods, FDA, North, Food and Drug Administration, Morningstar Research Services, Nielsen, annualized Nielsen, Nestle, Tesla, tiptoed, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Volkswagen Locations: U.S, Minneapolis, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Spanish, Berkeley , California, Puris, North American, Netherlands, Bflike, Belgian, North America

☆ Get paid for doing nothing: What you should know about cash sweep accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Doing nothing pays these days — at least that's the case if you're talking about cash that's sitting in your brokerage account. Consider Fidelity Investments is offering a 2.6% APY on its cash management account, but LPL Financial pays 0.45% on its insured cash account for clients with $300,000 to $500,000 in household value. First, examine your goals for the money before you shop around for cash sweep rates. Finally, if you do pile cash into your sweep account, think about the tax implications of doing so. Some firms offer different options for investing your cash sweep account, including a municipal money market fund for investors who reside in high-tax states.

☆ This portfolio manager’s frugality and eye for income protected her fund from the worst of 2022’s tumult
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amid the tumult, the Fidelity Equity-Income Fund (FEQIX) outperformed the broader market with a total return of -5.07% – the result of portfolio manager Ramona Persaud's search for value and quality. The fund posted 3-year trailing returns of 18.71%, through April 4, according to Morningstar. "She thinks that a portfolio of companies that are inexpensive, high quality dividend paying stocks should outperform on a risk-adjusted basis." "When the market panics, you get this sweeping effect when everything gets sold off," Persaud said. "There's a lot of cyclical tech, things like semiconductors, that sold off really hard because of the fear around long duration.

Big gas producers including Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O) and Comstock Resources Inc (CRK.N) are reducing their drilling. "About a third of U.S. gas production is associated gas - produced from oil wells," said Jacques Rousseau, a managing director at research firm ClearView Energy Partners LLC. Gas from the Permian also has climbed to record highs every month this year. PRODUCTION REMAINS STICKYU.S. gas production remains on track to hit 100.67 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) this year, up from last year's record 98.09 bcfd, according to the U.S. government. Despite low gas prices, U.S. drillers have 160 rigs seeking gas up 16% from a year ago, according to data from Baker Hughes Co (BKR.O).

☆ Investors are pouring record amounts into money market funds as rates rise. How to pick the best one
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors in search of relative safety and attractive yields are piling into money market funds at record levels. In particular, they fled to government money market funds – which hold U.S. Treasurys – with retail assets surpassing $1.25 trillion. Here's what you should know as you browse: Three varieties In addition to government money market funds, there are also tax-exempt money market funds. She noted that there are also some state-specific money market funds, which might make sense for residents in high-tax jurisdictions. Money market funds also shouldn't be confused with money market accounts – which are interest-bearing accounts you can open at a bank.

☆ Six-month Treasury yield tops 5%. Here’s how you can put your idle cash to work
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Rates on U.S. Treasurys have spurted even higher, and that means you don't have to look too far to safely grab some yield for your cash holdings. The yield on six-month Treasurys have surpassed 5%, and even 1-month bills tout rates of 4.5%. Further, you can put the same concept to work with short-dated Treasurys to get a little more yield on your cash and do so safely. Risk management and ladders When interest rates are rising, you can reinvest the proceeds of the maturing bonds in your ladder into a longer-dated issue. In a falling rate environment, you can count on the bonds that have already locked in the higher yields.

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