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Berkshire Hathaway vice president Gregory Abel bought nearly $25 million worth of Berkshire's class A stock last week, filings show. He previously bought $68 million worth of Berkshire stock in September. Berkshire's class A shares, and the "Baby Berkshire" class B shares, both have dropped about 3.4% this year, underperforming the S & P 500. Berkshire Hathaway vice chair Greg Abel bought $24.6 million worth of Berkshire's class A stock on March 17. Capri Holdings CEO John Idol bought nearly $10 million worth of stock on March 16.

☆ The Manhattan DA's likely case against Trump would be far from a 'slam dunk conviction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

New York state prosecutors have never brought an election law case involving a federal campaign, per NYT. If the DA's office brings a criminal case against Trump, it would be far from a "slam dunk conviction," one ex-prosecutor said. Among the charges Trump could face is violating New York's business records statute, which bars individuals from falsifying business records with an intent to defraud. Some legal experts have pointed out that New York has a long history of bringing felony prosecutions based on falsifying business records. If Trump is charged with falsifying business records, "expect to see this defense."

NEW YORK, March 21 (Reuters) - Worries over the banking crisis are boosting disparate assets, with traditional safe-havens such as gold, Treasuries and money markets seeing high demand along with more speculative instruments such as tech stocks and bitcoin. The gains have come alongside big moves in assets traditionally perceived as safe-havens during uncertain times. Yields on shorter-dated Treasuries, which move inversely to prices, saw a historic drop last week, while money market funds notched their biggest inflows since April 2020 in the week to March 15, Refinitiv Lipper data showed. Well, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield is down about 60 basis points from early March,” said Keith Lerner, chief market strategist at Truist Advisory Services, in a Monday report. Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf and David Randall; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK, March 17 (Reuters) - Whipsawed U.S. stocks have gained an unexpected ally in recent days - a historic plunge in bond yields. The volatility in fixed income markets has unsettled investors, and falling yields can reflect expectations that the Fed will cut rates because of a hit to growth. The index finished up 1.4% for the week, with strength in technology stocks outweighing sharp declines in bank shares. Tech stocks vs US bond yieldsThe near-term trajectory of yields will likely hinge on next week's Federal Reserve meeting. The S&P 500 trades at 17.5 times forward earnings estimates compared to its historic average P/E of 15.6 times, according to Refinitiv Datastream.

☆ Avoid companies that pay dividends out of a dwindling supply of money, says Randall Eley of Edgar Lomax
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | 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 EmailAvoid companies that pay dividends out of a dwindling supply of money, says Randall Eley of Edgar LomaxRandall Eley, The Edgar Lomax Company, joins CNBC's Kelly Evans and 'The Exchange' to discuss what he's watching in the market now.

☆ Analysis: Investors brace for hard landing as banking woes stoke recession fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] The Charging Bull, or Wall Street Bull, is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 16, 2019. “The no landing scenario has quickly evaporated,” said Emily Roland, co-chief investment strategist at John Hancock Asset Management. A financial accident has happened, and we are going from no landing to a hard landing driven by tighter credit conditions,” he wrote in a Wednesday note. Some investors believe regulators' quick backstop of Silicon Valley Bank, which included guaranteeing the funds of depositors, will prevent a crisis and allow for a soft landing. “The odds of a soft landing have gone down and the likelihood of a hard landing has gone up,” he said.

Possible outcomes for under-pressure regional banks could see a stronger rival take over a weaker, or cash infusions from investors such as private equity, the industry sources said. Reuters GraphicsUNDER PRESSUREInvestors voted with their feet on Monday, putting bank stocks under pressure around the world. So investors think it’s a relative gamble staying around owning regional banks before knowing what will change in regulation," said Brian Levitt, global market strategist for Invesco. Regional bank stocks are "an incredible bargain now," billionaire investor Bill Ackman said on Twitter on Monday. "There’s value in these banks, they are not all alike," said Michael Farr, chief executive of investment advisory firm Farr, Miller & Washington who owns banks stocks including PNC and Truist.

☆ Morgan Stanley, BlackRock funds among those exposed to regional bank failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Lucas JacksonNEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - Mutual funds managed by Morgan Stanley (MS.N), Fidelity, and BlackRock (BLK.N) appear to be among the most exposed to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Morningstar data showed, as a market selloff has erased more than $100 billion of U.S. banks' value. Few funds held positions that alone appeared large enough to badly damage them, though further selloffs in regional bank shares could increase the pressure, said Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at data analysts firm VettaFi. Regulators closed Signature Bank on Sunday, marking the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history, after Silicon Valley Bank on Friday became the country's second-largest bank to collapse. The $3.9 million BlackRock Future Financial and Tech ETF , meanwhile, held 3% of its assets in Signature and 1.7% in Silicon Valley Bank as of the end of December. Prior to the fall of Silicon Valley Bank, financial shares had drawn some U.S. investors, who expected rising interest rates to lift bank margins.

☆ Bank-rule pendulum swings back to 'safety first'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The crisis that struck the U.S. banking system over the weekend had many causes. After the 2008 crisis, Congress bound up the financial system with rules to prevent bank death spirals. The major financial authorities – the Fed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency – applied the lighter touch. The Fed was permitted to retain tough rules for banks with assets over $100 billion, but decided not to. There are, after all, only 17 banks with assets between $100 billion and $250 billion – two fewer than last week.

Big investors including Kyle Bass and Bill Ackman argue the government must take quick action to avoid Silicon Valley Bank's collapse sparking more widespread withdrawals in the banking system. That could be determined by how hard the world's central banks continue to push interest rates higher. The market is signaling contagion could factor into the Fed's calculus, possibly prompting it to slow down the pace of interest rate hikes. Silicon Valley Financial Group was deeply woven into the fabric of the technology industry. Bass and Ackman separately warned that the government would have to move quickly in resolving Silicon Valley Bank to assure depositors.

☆ Michigan man arrested after alleged threats against governor, Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 10 (Reuters) - A Michigan man was arrested and charged with illegal ownership of firearms after he made death threats against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and President Joe Biden, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday. Federal agents, after receiving an online tip this week from YouTube owner Google (GOOGL.O), uncovered threats posted on YouTube, which also included threats to members of the LGBTQ community and FBI agents, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Berka, 30, illegally possessed four firearms, three long guns and a pistol, the Justice Department said. The Justice Department said that among statements Berka posted were: "im going to kill these democrats biden deserves to die" and "im gonna kill lgbt freaks." At his initial court appearance on Friday, a federal judge ordered Berka to be detained pending another hearing on March 15, CNN reported.

☆ Cathie Wood's ARK Fund set for worst week since Sept as higher rates loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla (TSLA.O), the fund's top holding, is down nearly 11% for the week to date, while online education company 2U Inc (TWOU.O) is down nearly 18% for the week. Overall, the fund is down approximately 10% for the week to date, its worst weekly performance since an 11.1% decline in the week ending Sept. 23, according to Refinitiv data. None of the 27 companies in the fund's portfolio are in positive territory for the week. Higher rates weigh heavily on technology stocks by increasing the cost of borrowing and decreasing the value of expected future profits. "(ARK) is a good barometer of sentiment toward higher risk, higher reward investments.

☆ Investors fear inflation, higher yields may make U.S. equities 'dead money'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Jonathan Golub, managing director at Credit Suisse, is among those with a bleak outlook for equities. "A six-month (Treasury) yield effectively guaranteed at 5.25% changes the dynamics for investors when the stock market looks shaky," he said. "You would need to get risk-adjusted returns in equities of at least 1 or 2 percentage points more than that, so in that environment stocks are not worth the effort and are dead money. Still, stocks have managed to hold onto their year-to-date gains so far even as bond yields have risen, with the S&P 500 up 4% and the Nasdaq Composite up nearly 11%. "You no longer have to hold your nose and invest in stocks because there's no other alternative," he said.

REUTERS/Lisi NiesnerBILOZERKA, Ukraine, March 1 (Reuters) - When Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November, Andrii Povod returned to find his grain farm in ruins. The institute's Baliuk said the war damage could lead to an alarming loss of fertility. ECHOES OF WORLD WAR ONEA working group of soil scientists created by the Ukrainian government estimates it would cost $15 billion to remove all mines and restore Ukraine's soil to its former health. If studies of damage to land during World War One are anything to go by, some areas will never recover. To be sure, World War One lasted four years, and the war in Ukraine only one year so far, but lead remains a key component of many modern munitions, Rintoul-Hynes said.

☆ Venus Williams joins private equity firm Topspin Consumer Partners
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Abigail Summerville | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 1 (Reuters) - Venus Williams has joined private equity firm Topspin Consumer Partners as an operating partner, the latest endeavor in the world of business by a top tennis champion who has emerged as a prolific entrepreneur. Williams will work with companies owned by Topspin on their marketing strategies and investment opportunities, the firm said in a statement on Wednesday. Her sister, Serena, 41, who is also a tennis champion, has withdrawn from the game but has said it's possible she could return. Founded in 2000, Topspin is a U.S. private equity firm that invests in consumer businesses with revenue below $100 million. Venus Williams joins in the footsteps of other sports stars who have entered the world of private equity.

☆ Why 94-year-old ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ star James Hong says he's not close to retiring
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Onstage, Hong reflected on the early days of his career, when he often played side characters to white leads in yellowface. Hong recalled that producers "said Asians were not good enough and they are not box office. After decades in the industry, Hong is getting greater public recognition for his work. Hong received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022, making history as the oldest recipient to receive the honor. Hong says he's a better actor today than ever.

☆ China says U.S. refused to share information on downed Chinese balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. "China early on through protected consular channels clearly demanded the United States notify (China) on the progress (of recovery of the balloon), but the United States refused to respond." China said that the alleged spy balloon is a civilian airship used for meteorological purposes, and that it was accidentally blown off course into U.S. airspace. The United States has said a Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Virginia is analysing debris from the balloon for "counterintelligence exploitation." The Chinese defence ministry later said it declined a proposed phone call with the Pentagon because the United States had not created the "appropriate atmosphere".

☆ Canada has firepower to invest billions in green transition, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

OTTAWA, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Canada has the firepower to invest billions of dollars in the green transition over the coming years to make it more competitive with the United States, analysts said, while also ensuring its public finances stay on a sustainable path. Because nominal growth is forecast to be weak in the 2023/24 fiscal year, the ratio might creep up before heading downward again. Many in industry say Canada must do more to be a key player in the green transition as the IRA is already spurring investment in the United States. Bartlett estimates Canada could spend an additional C$20 billion ($14.9 billion) per year and keep the net debt-to-GDP ratio below 2021/22's 45.5%, which was the lowest in the G7. Promised investments in the green transition will not "be overly inflationary" and they would provide certainty for investors and businesses, Bartlett said.

☆ Wall St Week Ahead: U.S. economic resilience could add luster to semiconductor shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index (.SOX) is up about 16% so far this year, dwarfing the 3% year-to-date gain for the S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq Composite’s (.IXIC) 8.5% rise. With semiconductors a key component in countless products, some investors are betting economic strength could help the shares outperform. "If that’s the case, then I think semiconductors can do very well.”Of course, economic strength has been a double-edged sword for stocks lately. Semiconductor shares have pulled back recently along with broader markets on worries of a "no landing" economic scenario in which strong growth keeps inflation elevated and prompts the Fed to raise interest rates higher for longer. And if tighter Fed policy eventually brings on a recession in the second half of the year, as some fear, semis could suffer.

☆ Wall St Week Ahead U.S. economic resilience could add luster to semiconductor shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Florence Regional Airport in Florence, South Carolina, U.S., March 12, 2022. Trump said his post was "clearly about" and merely repeated his formal response to the first lawsuit, and was therefore covered by "absolute litigation privilege" under New York law, dooming the defamation claim. Carroll's lawsuit also includes a battery claim under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which lets sexual abuse victims sue their attackers even if statutes of limitations have run out. A Washington appeals court is deciding whether Trump should be immune from Carroll's first lawsuit, but not her second, because he was acting as president when he spoke. The case is Carroll v. Trump, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

☆ 5 times scientists thought they'd maybe discovered signs of extraterrestrial life but sadly didn't
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Extraterrestrial life could exist, but mysterious objects in the sky aren't evidence of aliens. Scientists have thought they were close to discovering alien life a few times — none of it via UFOs. As the US discovered a flurry of UFOs — officially called "unidentified anomalous phenomena," or UAPs — in early February, Google searches for "extraterrestrial life" and "are aliens real" spiked. There have been incidents in the past where some researchers thought they'd come close to discovering signs of alien life — or even extraterrestrial intelligence — but none were UFOs. They dubbed the first interstellar object 'Oumuamua, which is a Hawaiian term meaning "a messenger from afar arriving first."

☆ Analysis: U.S. stocks’ early-year rally is melting away as Treasury yields surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Cracks are widening in an early-year rally in stocks, as rising Treasury yields bolster the allure of bonds and skew equity valuations. Stocks are still sitting on sizeable year-to-date gains, though some of their rally has melted away in recent days. The S&P 500 (.SPX) is down 4.4% from its recent highs, but remains up 4.1% year-to-date. That is a "death zone" that makes the "risk-reward very poor" for stocks, strategist Michael Wilson wrote. To be sure, bullish investors might have history on their side, thanks in part to January’s hefty 6.2% gain for the S&P 500.

☆ The UFO shoot-downs show the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Extraterrestrial life likely wouldn't show up as flying objects, but finding it could cause similar chaos. An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

☆ Downed Chinese balloon aimed for Hawaii but was blown off course, U.S. official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Randall HillWASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. officials believe a Chinese balloon that was shot down after crossing the continental United States originally had a trajectory that would have taken it over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course by prevailing winds, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday. U.S. military and intelligence agencies tracked the balloon from when it lifted off from Hainan Island near China's south coast, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The U.S. military said on Monday it had recovered critical electronics from the balloon as well as large sections of the vessel itself. Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Writing by Eric Beech, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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