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With nearly three-fourths of the S & P 500 reporting second-quarter results, the earnings picture for the back half of the year is looking unusually complicated. It's been a 'meh' quarter so far We have the usual beat on bottom-line earnings, but revenue beats are below expectations. Most companies are beating on earnings estimates but are declining to hike full-year guidance beyond the beat. Plenty of complaints about a slowing China consumer A weak China economy has been a significant headwind for a number of global companies this season. Procter & Gamble's China sales tumbled 8% from a year ago as consumer spending slowed.

Persons: It's, Sherwin, Williams, Lockheed Martin, Chipotle, Isaac, CDW, Clorox, – Hershey, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, General Mills, Smucker, McDonald's, Wendy's, Bob, Wyndham, Mills, Marriott, LVMH, haven't Organizations: GE Aerospace, Hasbro, Lockheed, Verizon, Mattel, IBM, Juniper Networks, Enphase Energy, NXP Semiconductors, Accenture, Oracle, Procter, Gamble, PepsiCo, ConAgra Brands, Bank of America, MGM Resorts, Comcast, Marriott, Airlines, Allegiant, Ryanair, Gamble's, Starbucks, Visa, Nike, Vegas Sands Locations: J.M, Atlantic City, China, Gamble's China, Greater China, Japan, Macao, Marina, Sands, Singapore

☆ Oil set to fall for fourth week as demand concerns weigh on sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures gained 33 cents, or 0.4%, to $79.85 a barrel by 0020 GMT, after falling 1.5% in the previous session, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 38 cents, or 0.5%, to $76.69, after a 2.1% drop on Thursday. On a weekly basis, Brent futures are on track to fall 1.7%, while WTI futures are set to drop 1.1%. "Markets continue to remain wary of Chinese oil demand after June data came in weaker-than-expected," analysts at consultancy firm FGE said. Asia's crude oil imports dropped to the lowest in two years in July on weak demand in China and India, according to data compiled by LSEG Oil Research. Still, the outlook for Chinese crude oil imports is brightening, FGE analysts noted, citing an increase in strategic purchases and a recovery in refining rates in the country.

Persons: Brent, FGE Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, LSEG Oil Research Locations: Long Beach , California, United States, Europe, Asia, China, India, Iran, Israel

☆ Battle for Lashio: Civilians caught in the crossfire as rebels claim major victory over Myanmar’s junta
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Helen Regan | Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Displaced people fleeing fighting in Lashio try to cross the flooded road to Taunggyi in Myanmar's northern Shan state on July 9, 2024. For Lashio to fall, “it basically eliminates the junta as an effective organized force from a huge part of the country,” Ruser said. The road on the way was badly damaged,” he said as he traveled to Taunggyi, the Shan state capital some nine hours south of Lashio. People queue for food at a monastery turned temporary shelter for internally displaced people in Lashio, Shan state on November 15, 2023. There were also reports in local media that the junta had ordered its staff to leave Lashio as fighting got closer.

Persons: Khin, ” Khin Swe, ”, “, Lashio “, Zaw Min Tun, Lashio, Stringer, Nathan Ruser, ” Ruser, Swe, Khin Swe, –, Arakan Army –, “ They’re, Miemie Winn Byrd, Daniel K, Inouye, ” Byrd, “ I’m, Min Aung, I’m, they’re Organizations: CNN, Northeastern Military Command, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Junta, Getty, Analysts, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, “ Artillery, Facebook, Rebels, Three Brotherhood Alliance, People’s Defence Force, National Liberation Army, Arakan Army, US Army, Pacific Center for Security, Brotherhood Alliance Locations: Myanmar, Lashio, Shan, Zaw, Taunggyi, AFP, Zin Ann, Hsipaw, Mandalay, Arakan, Inouye Asia

Officials quickly moved to tailor the Chicago convention to Harris with only four weeks, in part drawing from the 2008 convention when Barack Obama accepted the nomination given the historic candidacy of Harris herself. Nominee acceptance speeches for the convention, which begins the week of August 19, are currently scheduled for that Wednesday and Thursday night, according to convention officials. Hollywood gets on boardThe Hollywood community is clamoring to support Harris at the DNC, according to numerous agents, publicists and Democratic strategists who spoke to CNN. No performers have been set yet, though various representatives for musicians have been in talks with the Harris campaign, according to two sources. For instance, besides Megan Thee Stallion’s performance at her Atlanta rally earlier this week, Harris had the support of the rapper Quavo, who spoke about gun violence prevention.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, Barack Obama, “, Biden, “ I’m, ”, there’s, She’s, Megan Thee, Donald Trump, Matt Hill, Donald Trump’s, Biden —, —, Biden’s, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Al, Quavo, Kid, Hulk Hogan, Hillary, Hillary Clinton, they’re Organizations: CNN, Democratic National Convention, Trump, Democratic Party, Democratic, ” Democratic National, Hollywood, Atlanta, Black, DNC, Republicans Locations: Chicago, Atlanta, who’s, America, Al Gore

☆ Trump's bitcoin strategy was shared behind closed doors with CEOs who raised $25 million. Here's what he told them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

Bitcoin 2024 attendee wears "Make Bitcoin Great Again" baseball cap. Trump said on Saturday that his campaign has raised $25 million from the crypto industry since it began accepting cryptocurrency donations in May. "Make Bitcoin Great Again" hats displayed for sale at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, US, on Saturday, July 27, 2024. "The rules will be written by people who love your industry, not hate your industry," Trump declared that afternoon in the main auditorium as he warmed up the crowd. As Riot's Les put it, "I think the core message that we communicated to President Trump was, 'This is your industry leadership group.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jon Cherry, Donald Trump White, Tyler, Cameron Winklevoss, Paul Grewal —, David Sacks, Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Marsha Blackburn, Vivek Ramaswamy —, Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Les, Fred Thiel, Zach Bradford, Chris Cook, Amanda Fabiano, Michael Saylor wasn't, Saylor, Trump, That's, Donald Trump's, Les, he's, litigator, Tracy Hoyos, Cyrus strummed, " Hoyos, López, Hoyos, Cyrus, López Trump, Marathon's Thiel, Thiel, David Bailey, Bailey, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Gary Gensler —, Kamala Harris, Cook, Saturday's, CleanSpark's Bradford, Riot's Les, indoctrinating, Bradford, they've, It's, we're Organizations: Republican, Getty, Music City Center, GOP, Gemini, Trump, U.S ., State Department, Marathon Digital Holdings, CNBC, Music City, Riot, Attorney, Bitcoin, BTC Inc, U.S . Securities, Exchange, US, Bloomberg, indoctrinating Trump, Industry, Mar Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, San Francisco, Nashville, Mar, Lago, U.S, San Bernardino County, López

☆ 6 top Goldman dealmakers, from Dan Dees to Gene Sykes, reflect on their careers at the investment bank, from junior banker to partner
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Wall Street careers are notoriously grueling and littered with politicking and jockeying to climb the ranks. AdvertisementNow, these six partners are looking back on their own rise, offering words of wisdom from their own Wall Street origin stories. At Goldman Sachs, the core of who we are in investment banking is M&A. Gene Sykes, cochairman of global M&A and global TMT:Gene Sykes Courtesy of Goldman SachsThe market for M&A advice has evolved over time. Are you a Goldman Sachs or Wall Street insider?

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Alison Mass, Stephan Feldgoise, Dan Dees, Hank Paulson, Tim Ingrassia, Alison, Goldman, Peter Weinberg, Gene Sykes, It's, Mark Sorrell, John Thornton, John Waldron, Karen Cook, Yoel Zaoui, Gregg Lemkau, it's, Jennifer Kopylov, Reed Alexander Organizations: Service, Wall, Partners, Business, US Treasury, Street, Goldman Locations: New York City, London, New York, Europe, American

☆ To woo investors, hedge funds are reviving a strategy left for dead post-crisis — supercharged index investing
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Read previewFaced with higher rates and a daunting fundraising climate, hedge funds are wooing investors with a seemingly antithetical pitch: index investing with a twist. Hedge fund industry insiders are abuzz right now about "portable alpha," a blast-from-the-past strategy that's undergoing a revival. According to the Morgan Stanley white paper, it can take on a variety of forms, including "dedicated portable alpha funds, portable alpha share classes, portable alpha feeder funds and other solutions." Advertisement"It's a nice way of smuggling hedge funds into your portfolio if you're an allocator," said Jon Caplis, CEO of hedge fund research firm PivotalPath. He said much of the industry still hasn't woken up to the appetite for portable alpha solutions and the potential boon to hedge funds.

Persons: —, punchier, Kim Shaw, Morgan Stanley, There's, Shaw, Penny Novick, Morgan, Novick, Bill Gross, Myron Scholes, PIMCO's, Roark Stahler, Jon Caplis, Russell, PIMCO, Sabrina Callin, Brian Payne, Payne, Caplis, hasn't Organizations: Service, Trading, Business, Man, CME Group, BlackRock, Barclays, Russell Investments, Institutional, State, Investor, BCA Research, Teachers, Investors Locations: Winton, American, Illinois

☆ Southport stabbings: Far-right disinformation fuels riots across UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Kara Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Far-right demonstrators chanted anti-migrant, anti-Muslim slogans at the London rally that turned violent on Wednesday. He added that, while the algorithm played a part, there was also a “huge amount of organizing happening” in a variety of different places that are not algorithmically oriented – for example in far-right groups on the instant-messaging platform Telegram. Like what was being shared on X and other platforms, the Telegram group “Southport Wake Up,” also posted false information about the alleged suspect. Hours after the attack, the group’s creator sent out the details for the first protest: Meet near a Southport mosque on Tuesday. The “Southport Wake Up” group is still active, and on Thursday, posted calls for similar disruptions at Muslim centers in other cities across England.

Persons: Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, Keir Starmer, Benjamin Cremel, Neil Holyoak, Axel Rudakubana, Tim Squirrell, “, who’s, ”, Squirrell, ’, ” Squirrell, Starmer, Downing, ” CNN’s Jessie Gretener, Duarte Mendonça, Ivana Kottasová, Radina Gigova Organizations: CNN, England, ”, city’s Metropolitan Police, London, Getty Images Met, Southport stabbings, Institute for Strategic, Communications, Intelligence Service, Telegram, Southport, Southport Wake Locations: Southport, London , Manchester, Hartlepool, Downing, Manchester, London, AFP, Banks , Lancashire, Cardiff , Wales, England

The strike on Beirut was the first time during this war that Israel has targeted such an influential Hezbollah leader in Lebanon’s capital. Hours later, the killing in Iran of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was considered the most brazen breach of Iran’s defenses in years. Image A protests in Tehran on Wednesday after Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, was assassinated in Iran. Despite his title as Hamas’s political leader, Mr. Haniyeh is replaceable, said Joost Hiltermann, the Middle East and North Africa program director for the International Crisis Group. In January, Israeli strikes killed a senior Hamas leader in Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut, leading to fears that Hezbollah would mount a particularly fierce response on Hamas’s behalf.

Persons: Amira, Hassan Fadlallah, Fuad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh, Diego Ibarra Sanchez, Iran —, Michael Stephens, Haniyeh’s, Stephens, Mr, Andreas Krieg, Arash Khamooshi, ” Mr, Krieg, ”, it’s, Haniyeh, Joost Hiltermann, “, Israel, Israel Katz, Katz, Itamar Rabinovich, Israel’s, Rabinovich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Vivian Yee Organizations: Israel’s, The New York Times Iranian, Foreign Policy Research Institute, King’s College ,, The New York Times, International Crisis, United Nations, Hezbollah Locations: Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel, Iran, simultaneity, Yemen, Iraq, Credit, United States, Philadelphia, King’s College , London, Tehran, East, North Africa, Hezbollah’s, Syria, Bourj el Barajneh, U.S, Washington

☆ The Killing of a Hamas Leader Is Part of a Larger War - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Matthew Duss | Nancy Okail | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Indeed, within hours, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared his intention to attack Israel. The almost certain escalation from the Haniyeh assassination signals a fundamental flaw in President Biden’s Gaza policy: the hope that the Gaza war could be contained to Gaza. But for months, the war has already been spreading — to Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and now, to Iran. Some in the U.S. foreign policy establishment argue that since neither the United States nor Iran desires full-scale war, cooler heads will prevail. The current precarious moment is the result of a series of false assumptions that U.S. policy was built on since well before the war began.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Israel —, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel, Biden’s Locations: Tehran, Gaza, Biden’s Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, U.S, United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia

☆ Amazon decision to deprioritize 7 cloud services caught customers and even some salespeople by surprise
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAmazon's recent decision to stop accepting new users for several cloud services caught some customers, partners and even a few employees by surprise. No new customers, no new featuresFor a business as important as AWS, deprioritizing services is a tricky balancing act. However, at the scale of AWS, this still means that thousands of developers and other customers likely still rely on these cloud tools. "We will continue to support our customers, whether they continue to use these services, or they migrate to other AWS offerings or alternative third-party solutions." Consider Amazon Q, Amazon Connect, Amazon Bedrock, AWS Marketplace, Amazon WorkSpaces, Amazon SageMaker, Amazon QuickSight, and many other offerings that have had significant success with customers," he wrote in an email.

Persons: —, Jeff Barr, Patrick Neighorn, Neighorn, Randall Hunt, Horovits Organizations: Service, Business, Web Services, AWS, Data Pipeline, Barr's, Amazon Connect

☆ Opinion | The Dangerous Game That Iran Is Playing
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

One of my ironclad rules of reporting in the Middle East is that sometimes you need to rereport a story to see things even more clearly than you did earlier. I’m having that experience with the Iran-Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah war, which could soon draw in the United States. Iran has been building that network to supplant America as the most powerful force in the Middle East and to bleed Israel to death by a thousand cuts inflicted by its proxies. But America must always be wary about what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is up to. As a former Israeli diplomat, Alon Pinkas, observed in Haaretz on Thursday, one has to wonder why Netanyahu chose now to assassinate the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran — in the middle of delicate hostage talks.

Persons: Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Alon Pinkas, Netanyahu, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel “, ” Organizations: Hamas, Israeli Locations: Iran, Israel, United States, Jerusalem, America, Israeli, Tehran —

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card. How to earn Alaska Airlines milesThere are two types of Alaska miles: Elite-qualifying miles and redeemable miles. Earn Alaska miles for car rentalsYou can opt-in to earn Alaska miles when you rent cars through Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, or Thrifty. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is a highly lucrative frequent flyer program even if you never actually fly on Alaska Airlines. Redeem Alaska miles for flights on partner airlinesUsing Alaska Airlines miles for award flights on partner airlines is perhaps the best way to use your Alaska miles.

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☆ These income plays could do better than money market funds when the Fed cuts rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Cash has poured into money market funds since the Federal Reserve began its rate hiking cycle. Short-term debt has been a popular investment over the past few years, and money market funds are a top example. For perspective, there was roughly $4 trillion in total money market funds as of the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the St. Louis Fed . Money market funds hold very short-term debt, and many currently offer a yield above 5%. "Historically, you don't tend to see money market inflows stop or convert to outflows until you get below say 3% on those rates.

Persons: Cash, Louis Fed, Sam Huszczo, Huszczo, Todd Sohn, Ken Brodkowitz, weren't, Brodkowitz, Strategas, Sohn, " Sohn, Callie Cox, Cox Organizations: Federal Reserve, Investment Company Institute, SGH Wealth Management, Federal, Bond, SEC, Gries Financial Partners, Fidelity, Income, Morningstar, US Treasury, Ritholtz Wealth Management, Ritholtz Locations: Detroit , Michigan, BlackRock

☆ China securities regulator promotes law enforcement chief to vice chair
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A China Securities Regulatory Commission sign is seen at the regulator's headquarters on November 16, 2020 in Beijing. China's securities regulator on Tuesday promoted its head of law enforcement to the role of vice chairman, underscoring Beijing's determination to tighten oversight of its $5.1 trillion stock market. Li Ming, chief of the enforcement bureau of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, will replace vice chairman Fang Xinghai, the CSRC said in a statement, citing a decision by China's State Council, or cabinet. The CSRC has pledged to regulate the market with "teeth and thorns" under chairman Wu Qing. Prior to the promotion, Li headed the enforcement bureau, which is responsible for probing illegal securities activities, handing criminal cases to the relevant authorities and facilitating cross-border investigations.

Persons: underscoring, Li Ming, Fang Xinghai, Fang, Xi Jinping, CSRC, Wu Qing, Li Organizations: China Securities Regulatory, China Securities Regulatory Commission, China's State Council, Reuters Locations: China, Beijing, Europe, United States

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSenator Cynthia Lummis lays out draft bill for U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, Zach Pandl, head of research at Grayscale Investments, discusses the asset manager's new spot bitcoin ETF with a lower fee than GBTC and Sen. Cynthia Lummis explains her draft bill that would create a strategic bitcoin reserve.

Persons: Cynthia Lummis, explainers, Zach Pandl, Sen Organizations: CNBC Crypto, CNBC

BYD launched the BYD Seal in Europe at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany. BEIJING — Uber and BYD announced Wednesday that drivers on the ride-hailing platform can get pricing and financing deals for the Chinese company's electric cars, starting in Europe and Latin America. The two companies will also develop "autonomous-capable vehicles" for Uber's platform, according to a press release. The multi-year strategic partnership, which the companies said could bring 100,000 BYD cars to Uber, comes despite the EU following the U.S. this year in raising tariffs on imports of Chinese-made electric cars. The company surpassed Tesla in total vehicle production for two straight years and has ramped up overseas expansion, including investments in factories abroad.

Persons: BYD, BEIJING — Uber, Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi Organizations: U.S, Tesla Locations: Europe, Munich, Germany, BEIJING, Latin America, Shenzhen

☆ With a NATO war and Ukraine's knack for shooting down planes in mind, Russia is holding back its airpower and most advanced jets
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Read previewRussia has kept much of its airpower and some of its most advanced aircraft out of the war in Ukraine. But Baum and other air warfare experts have warned Russia's air force should not be underestimated and cautioned that NATO should be ready. AdvertisementRussia's air force is weaker than NATO's airpower, but Russia's war in Ukraine shows it can still cause a lot of damage. Russia's air force has suffered high attrition rates from Ukraine's ground-based air defenses when operating in the country. Related storiesHe said that Russia "has a lot of trouble replacing lost advanced aircraft," only making a few a year.

Persons: —, John Baum, Su, Andrew Curtis, Curtis, Michael Clarke, Christopher Cavoli, it's, Clarke, Evelyn Hockstein, Baum, Peter Layton, Layton, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jens Büttner, Russian Sukhoi Su, Nicola Marfisi, Russia's, There's, Sukhoi Su, Aleksey Nikolskyi, REUTERS George Barros, Jake Epstein, Gustav Gressel, Tim Robinson, Russia's Su, Robinson, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix Organizations: Service, NATO, Mitchell Institute, US Air Force, Business, UK Ministry of Defense, Russian Air Force, Royal Air Force, REUTERS, Ukraine, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Russian, Getty Images Air, Getty Images, it's, Sukhoi, Sputnik, European Council, Foreign Relations, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, Getty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, NATO, Russian Sukhoi, Ukrainian, Moscow, Kremlin, AFP

☆ Here's what American air-to-air missiles can do for Ukraine's new F-16s against the Russians
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThe US is sending Ukraine air-to-air missiles to go with the new F-16 fighter jets coming this summer from European partners, per a new report on armaments. AdvertisementPowerful air-to-air missilesThe AIM-120 is an all-weather, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile with active radar for decreased dependence on the aircraft for intercepts. On the other missile Ukraine is receiving, the AIM-9X is a short-range air-to-air missile with an infrared seeker and is the newest variant in the Sidewinder family. The Russians are operating Su-35 and MiG-31 fighter jets that carry long-range air-to-air missiles like the R-37. With F-16s, Ukraine can potentially better use these weapons to degrade Russia's vaunted air-defense capabilities.

Persons: —, Boris Roessler, it's, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, George Calin, Netherlands —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, James Hecker, Hecker Organizations: Service, AIM, Air Missile, 9X, Street, Business, Danish Air Force, Getty, Ukrainian Air Force, Eglin Air Force Base, US Air Force, Guardian, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Ukrainian Air, REUTERS Kyiv, Soviet, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Germany, Fla, Ukrainian, Soviet, Fetesti, Romania, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands

☆ Bernstein analyst finally likes PayPal after correctly staying on sidelines for 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

After nearly three years of underperformance, PayPal is finally on track for positive momentum, according to Bernstein. Analyst Harshita Rawat upgraded shares to outperform, the first upgrade following a downgrade to market perform in 2021. When Bernstein downgraded PayPal three years ago, the firm cited concerns about rising competition, structural changes in the e-commerce sector and weak execution that was hurting the company's gross profit. Those fears materialized, with PayPal shares losing approximately 75% of their value since late July 2021. PayPal shares are up 8.3% in 2024, lagging the S & P 500's 15.9% gain.

Persons: Bernstein, Harshita Rawat, Rawat Organizations: PayPal

☆ 'Pulsating' mechanized assaults in Ukraine may reflect the limit of Russia's offensive abilities, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Conflict analysts say these armored assaults are constrained to specific areas and may reflect the limits of Moscow's offensive power and inability to execute a large-scale, multi-directional offensive operation. AdvertisementThese "periodic and pulsating Russian mechanized assaults likely represent the extent of Russia's current offensive capacity, and Russia is unlikely to mount a distinct new summer offensive operation due to material and manpower constraints," the analysts wrote in an assessment on Wednesday. Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe analysts said Russia has struggled throughout the war to stage multiple large-scale offensive operations simultaneously. In late June, ISW noted that "Russian forces continue to prioritize gradual advances through consistent grinding assaults over operationally significant gains through rapid maneuver." The analysts said that Russia aims to "win a war of attrition against Ukrainian forces," exhausting its manpower and materiel.

Persons: —, Diego Herrera Carcedo, John Kirby, Ukraine —, Russia's, Kirby, Vladimir Putin's, ISW Organizations: Service, Business, Institute for, Getty, Ukraine's, White House National Security Council, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk, Moscow, Russia, Toretsk, Anadolu, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Russian

☆ We're raising our Stanley Black & Decker price target on the stock's earnings rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Stanley Black & Decker on Tuesday morning delivered solid quarterly results — enhanced by strong cash flow performance, allowing management to raise its full-year guidance. Stanley Black & Decker Why we own it: Stanley Black & Decker is in the later innings of a multi-year restructuring plan. Stanley Black & Decker, which also makes fastening and assembly systems, jumped 7.5% on Tuesday's release following last week's 9.7% gain. Full-year organic sales in Tools & Outdoor are projected to be down about 1% at the midpoint, with year-over-year margin improvement. To honor the occasion, Donald Allan, Jr., President & CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, joined by Chris Taylor, NYSE Global Head of Advisory, rings the Opening Bell®.

Persons: Stanley Black, Decker, we're, Don Allen, DeWalt, Pat Hallinan, —, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Donald Allan , Jr, Chris Taylor Organizations: Revenue, Bosch, Techtronic Industries, Federal Reserve, Management, Stanley, Aerospace, CNBC, The New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Global Locations: Europe, France, Italy, Latin America

Analyst Alex Henderson reiterated his buy rating for the cybersecurity firm but lowered his price target to $375 from $425. JPMorgan analyst Kenneth Worthington attributed a higher assumption for total crypto market cap as one reason for his price target raise. "We see the cryptoecosystem in the midst of a material participation rally, benefitting Coinbase revenue generation near term," the analyst wrote. Analyst Eric Joseph's December 2025 price target of $8 implies a 51% decline ahead for the stock. He also maintained his $725 price target, which implies upside of 15.6% from Monday's close.

Persons: Oppenheimer, Needham, Alex Henderson, CrowdStrike, Henderson, Lisa Kailai Han, Keefe, Bruyette, Meyer Shields, Shields, — Lisa Kailai Han, Kenneth Worthington, JPMorgan downgrades, Eric Joseph's, Joseph, Chipmaker, Simon Coles, Coles, Jason Helfstein, NFLX, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, Barclays, Netflix, Security, Aon, JPMorgan, Sanofi Locations: Woods, Coinbase, China, Monday's

☆ Starbucks' turnaround takes an encouraging step forward. Here's what we what to see next
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Starbucks Why we own it : Starbucks has one of the most recognizable brands of any restaurant. Like Starbucks, McDonald's has had a challenging 2024 and the company reported uninspiring results — missing on revenues, same-store sales, and earnings per share. Quarterly commentary Comparable store sales in North America — a key restaurant industry metric — fell 2%, slightly beating estimates of a 2.2% drop forecasted by Wall Street analysts, according to FactSet. In Starbucks' international segment, comparable store sales fell 7%, missing estimates of a 5.1% decline. A Starbucks store stands in Manhattan on January 30, 2024 in New York City.

Persons: Elliott, Elliott Management's, Dunkin, McDonald's, We'd, Laxman Narasimhan, We're, Narasimhan, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Spencer Platt Organizations: Starbucks, Revenue, Elliott Management, Bros, McDonalds, Citi, Wall Street, CNBC, Getty Locations: China, North America, U.S, East, Southeast Asia, Europe, Manhattan, New York City

☆ Bill Ackman won’t raise anything close to what he planned for his hedge fund IPO
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Bill Ackman, billionaire hedge fund manager and chief executive of Pershing Square Capital Management, is seeking $2 billion to take the company’s investment fund public. In a letter to strategic partners last week, Ackman said that he expected to raise between $2.5 billion to $4 billion. The company will offer 40 million shares priced at $50 apiece, according to a Tuesday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. That would be an additional $300 million value for the investment fund, Pershing Square USA. Pershing Square officially hung up its activist megaphone in 2022, opting to work with a small group of companies behind the scenes.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Ackman, ” Ackman, Pershing, — Organizations: New, New York CNN, Pershing, Capital Management, Wall, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Underwriters, Citigroup, Bank of America, Jefferies, USA, New York Stock Exchange, Herbalife, Trump Locations: New York, Israel

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