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☆ Morgan Stanley says these stocks are making improvements on ESG that can also boost returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Morgan Stanley honed in on publicly traded companies that are improving on ESG in ways that can boost shareholder returns. "We think ESG rate of change will be a critical focus for investors looking to identify companies that can generate alpha and ESG impact," he said in a note to clients in late 2022. Though he said both approaches to ESG screens can be useful, he specifically looked for companies doing under-the-radar ESG work. Eighty-percent of analysts rate the stock a buy, FactSet data shows. Roughly two-thirds of analysts rate the stock as buy or overweight, and the average price target implies upside of nearly 15%.

☆ The chemical industry is critical to advanced electronics, says Chemours CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | 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 EmailThe chemical industry is critical to advanced electronics, says Chemours CEOMark Newman, CEO of chemical company Chemours, joins Brian Sullivan and the 'CNBC Special: Taking Stock' to discuss how his company is working to expand the footprint of American manufacturing.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Nine Companies for Moving Iranian Oil Products
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned nine companies for allegedly helping move Iranian petroleum products and petrochemicals valued at hundreds of millions of dollars to buyers in Asia via a previously sanctioned Hong Kong company. Three companies in Malaysia and Singapore are among those facing sanctions, Treasury said Thursday. The companies were allegedly involved in the sale and shipment of products on behalf of Triliance Petrochemical Co., a Hong Kong-based broker that was added to the sanctions list in 2020. “Iran [is] increasingly turning to buyers in East Asia to sell its petrochemical and petroleum products, in violation of U.S. sanctions,” said Brian E. Nelson, a Treasury undersecretary. Officials are considering new sanctions on Chinese surveillance companies over sales to Iran’s security forces.

☆ Mitsubishi, Lotte, and RWE form alliance to study clean ammonia in Texas project
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] The logo of Mitsubishi Motors Corp is seen at a showroom of the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan November 20, 2018. REUTERS/Toru HanaiFeb 8 (Reuters) - Japan's Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T) said on Wednesday it has agreed to jointly study the prospect of producing clean ammonia with South Korea's Lotte Chemical Corp (011170.KS) and German energy firm RWE (RWEG.DE) in the U.S. state of Texas. RWE, Lotte and Mitsubishi have signed a joint study agreement for clean ammonia production and export project in Port of Corpus Christi in Texas, part of the alliance to develop green and blue ammonia supply chains in Asia, Europe and the United States, the Japanese trading company said in a statement. First production is targeted by 2030 and to be gradually increased to up to 10 million tonnes of clean ammonia per year at multiple production units, the statement added. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, Disney, Uber & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Wells Fargo upgrades Spotify to overweight from equal weight Wells said the stock is coming off of "margin probation." Bernstein upgrades Diageo to outperform from market perform Bernstein said shares of the spirits company are compelling at current levels. " Wells Fargo reiterates Tesla as equal weight Wells said the industry dynamic surrounding EV pricing remains "challenged." Raymond James downgrades PayPal to market perform from outperform Raymond James said in its downgrade of PayPal that market share losses are growing. Cowen initiates Dick's as outperform Cowen said its survey checks show that Dick's continues to gain market share.

☆ Exclusive: Starboard to challenge engineering materials maker Rogers' board -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The board challenge comes after chemical company DuPont (DD.N) in November walked away from a $5.2 billion deal to acquire Rogers because it failed to secure regulatory approval for the transaction in China. Starboard and Rogers did not respond to requests for comment. Its stock price tumbled after the DuPont deal was scrapped and is down 47% over the last 52 weeks. The company has made changes since the DuPont deal fell apart. Starboard has been active, including recent bets on cloud-based software company Salesforce (CRM.N), software company Splunk (SPLK.O) and website maker Wix.com (WIX.O).

☆ Headlines about layoffs don't mean you're going to lose your job
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US labor market looks strong, and yet news about mass layoffs dominates the headlines. To be clear: Labor Department data shows that layoffs overall remain historically low and the latest jobs report shows growth is rock solid. But if the fear of losing your job hovers over you like a dark cloud, you're not alone. What people are doing is indicative of a strong economy. Are they operating in a way that's indicative of a strong economy?

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Meta, Align Technology, FedEx, Honeywell and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Align Technology — The orthodontics company saw its shares rise 14% after its quarterly earnings and revenue beat analyst expectations. Align also said it will repurchase up to $1 billion of its common stock over the next three years. The company generated $9.19 billion of revenue, while analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were looking for $9.25 billion. Beauty — Shares for the cosmetics company jumped 1.67% after its fiscal third quarter revenue topped analysts' estimates. Refinitiv analysts had previously called for per-share earnings of 23 cents on revenue of $121.8 million.

☆ Japan's chip equipment makers in the dark about new China export restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Japanese makers of semiconductor manufacturing machinery and materials used to make chips said on Monday they had yet to hear from Japan's government about export restrictions that could directly or indirectly affect their business in China. Without knowing the details of any new restrictions it is impossible to know their impact, he said. Its statement followed a Bloomberg report that the United States had secured a deal with the Netherlands and Japan. Among them was Tokyo Electron Ltd (8035.T), Japan's biggest semiconductor manufacturing machinery maker. Shares of Japanese semiconductor equipment makers were mostly flat on Monday, with Tokyo Electron up 0.68% while Advantest Corp (6857.T) fell 0.32%.

☆ Explainer: What to expect during the green comet's encounter with Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nicknamed "dirty snowballs" by astronomers, comets are balls of ice, dust and rocks that typically hail from the ring of icy material called the Oort cloud at our solar system's outer edge. One known comet actually originated outside the solar system - 2I/Borisov. Comets are composed of a solid core of rock, ice and dust and are blanketed by a thin and gassy atmosphere of more ice and dust, called a coma. Its greenish, emerald hue reflects the comet's chemical composition - it is the result of a clash between sunlight and carbon-based molecules in the comet's coma. NASA plans to observe the comet with its James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which could provide clues about the solar system's formation.

☆ Analysis: India's EV dawn fans expectations fuel demand may peak early
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Mohi Narayan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Currently, around 90% of Indian petrochemical demand is met by China, he said, so a shift by Indian refiners towards domestic chemical needs could dramatically change supply dynamics. Indian refiners are investing billions of dollars to raise petrochemical capacity. Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), the country's top refiner, is raising petrochemical capacity at its Panipat refinery by 13% and building new plants linked to its Paradip and Gujarat refineries. India's state refiners, which dominate fuel retailers, plan to set up EV charging facilities at more than 22,000 fuel stations and highways by 2024. About 40% of India's fuel demand is for diesel, which is mostly used by trucks.

☆ NASA and DARPA plan to test a nuclear-powered rocket that could take humans to Mars in record time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NASA aims to test a nuclear-powered rocket within five years, the agency said Tuesday. The space agency aims to put humans on Mars for the first time by the late 2030s. The agency is teaming up with the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to make a rocket that could reach Mars in record time. The agency aims to put humans on Mars, for the first time, by the late 2030s or early 2040s. Transit to Mars using a nuclear-powered rocket could take four months, a lot shorter than the usual nine months for older rocket models, Reuters reported.

☆ A 24-year-old says she 'ignored' her bloating and stomach pain until it got so bad she went to the ER. Doctors diagnosed her with ovarian cancer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Catherine Schuster-Bruce | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A woman, 24, found out she had ovarian cancer after her stomach pain got so bad she went to the ER. Etheridge told SWNS that she "ignored" her pain for months because she didn't know cancer could cause it. Generally, people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer after menopause and it's rare in people younger than 40 to develop the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. "I don't think young women know the symptoms of ovarian cancer," she said. Chemotherapy was 'brutal'Treatment of ovarian cancer depends on the type of cancer and how far it has spread, but includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and surgery.

☆ Plastics Export: How I Keep My Family, Baby Safe From Toxic Microplastics.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Adrienne Matei | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Hardman does research on microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic debris that are broken down from larger plastic items. Microplastics are often too small to pick up or even notice, but they are everywhere: in the air, dust, and rain. Laura HardmanPlastic is a relatively new pollutant, so there's still a lot we don't know about it. In the lab, my team of researchers and I focus on the sources, effects, and fate of plastics in the ocean. The simple answer is we don't know what plastics might be doing to us, but I've started to get really concerned.

☆ Cramer on the astonishing rise of offensive stocks — and what could come next
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

When I went over about 1,000 stocks this weekend, I was astonished to see that the stocks with the strongest charts were those in the most offensive categories. Not even a weaker U.S. dollar has meant anything to brace these stocks from a further fall. There's one group, though, that's just plain hard to call, and that's tech. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Ancient Roman concrete was incredibly strong — scientists may have just figured out why
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ancient Roman concrete is incredibly durable, even more so than modern concrete. One team may have cracked the mystery — focusing on tiny white flecks once seen as imperfections. These scientists suggest the secret is in white flecks found in the concrete called "lime clasts." Courtesy of the researchersLime clasts — the white flecks — are quite brittle, and that's a good thing. They made up concrete blocks, one using the powdered lime and one using a more modern version of the concrete that did not.

☆ Swiss Six exchange opens probe into Clariant whistleblower case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Six stock exchange on Thursday opened an investigation into Clariant (CLN.S) over the possible disclosure of price-sensitive information, following whistleblowers' allegations that some staff had manipulated accounts. A spokesperson for the specialty chemical company said the investigation related to a delay in publishing its 2021 results, due to an investigation into the accounting of some provisions and accruals. In February, Clariant delayed the release of 2021 results as independent advisors looked into the allegations that some staff manipulated accounts in 2020 and 2021 to help meet financial targets. In April that investigation concluded that there had been no impact on sales and cash numbers previously reported, it said. Reporting by Miranda Murray and John Stonestreet; Editing by Noele Illien and Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fire rages at Illinois chemical plant, residents ordered to shelter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - A chemical plant in northern Illinois went up in flames on Wednesday morning, sending up plumes of black smoke and prompting officials to advise nearby residents to shelter in place as emergency crews responded to the blaze. The fire broke out at the Carus Chemical Company complex in LaSalle, a city of less than 10,000 residents located about 100 miles southwest of Chicago. [1/4] Firefighters tackle a large blaze at the Carus Chemical Plant in LaSalle, Illinois, U.S. January 11, 2023 in a still image from video. A shelter order remained in place for residents north and west of the incident, Janick said. Reporting by Tyler Clifford; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Venator Materials' investor pushes for board change amid plummeting stock price
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

J&T wrote that it has tried to work constructively with the Venator board since May 2022 but has encountered "apparent delay tactics and gamesmanship." "We strongly urge you to immediately add myself and another independent director to be nominated by us to the Board," the letter said. Venator said it has an open dialogue with all shareholders and has worked to engage in "constructive conversations" with J&T. Venator was spun off from chemical company Huntsman Corp (HUN.N) and its share price tumbled 71% in the last 52 weeks. While Venator rivals have directors with broad experience, the Venator board's skills are focused mainly on the chemicals industry and have prevented it from creating "a go-forward strategy to restore confidence among investors," the J&T letter said.

☆ Venezuelan president names new head of PDVSA, foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CARACAS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday named Pedro Rafael Tellechea as the new head of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) (PDVSA.UL) and said Yvan Gil Pinto would become the new foreign minister. Exports this year are expected to get a lift after the United States relaxed oil sanctions by authorizing some PDVSA partners to resume taking Venezuelan crude. Former head of PDVSA Asdrubal Chavez, a cousin of late President Hugo Chavez and former oil minister, will soon have new responsibilities, Maduro added. In a separate tweet, Maduro named Gil Pinto to head the country's diplomacy. "It's a great responsibility I'm sure he will perform with great professionalism," Maduro said about Gil Pinto, who had been serving as vice-minister for Europe.

☆ Goldman Sachs: Buy these 20 stocks poised for up to 50% upside over the long term as inflation cools down in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Inflation is expected to cool down in 2023, partly due to the Inflation Reduction Act. Last March, Fed Chair Jerome Powell embarked on an aggressive interest rate-hiking cycle, while President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in August. 20 stocks to profit from taming inflationAccording to Lee, IRA tailwinds could drive over 50% upside in earnings or stock prices in 20 select stocks as early as 2023. Surprisingly, the 20 stocks poised to benefit from IRA also included names from energy services and financials, two sectors with "underappreciated upside," Lee wrote. Below are the 20 stocks Lee and his team identified as the biggest IRA beneficiaries.

☆ Bank of America expects SABIC Agri-Nutrients shares to rise by 50% due to a worldwide fertilizer shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Sabic Agri-Nutrients are expected to rise by more than 50% over the next year thanks to a limited fertilizer supply worldwide, according to Bank of America. In contrast, BofA analyst Sashank Lanka said Sabic Agri-Nutrients pays $1.25/MMBtu for the gas, owing to its relationship with Saudi petrochemicals company Sabic, which is a majority shareholder. "We also expect the urea cost curve to steepen, supported by rising gas prices in EU and Asia along with high coal prices," Lanka added. Although gas prices have eased since their August peak, analysts expect demand to pick up in Europe during the winter. Sabic Agri-Nutrients reported an increase in net profits by 93.3% to 2.3 billion Saudi riyals ($610 million), compared to the previous year.

☆ China starts up crude oil pipeline linked to mega private refiner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Rongsheng Petrochemical Co Ltd FollowSINGAPORE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - A major crude oil pipeline connecting a storage farm in east China's Zhoushan of Zhejiang province to mega private refiner Zhejiang Petrochemical Corp (ZPC) started pumping oil for the first time on Wednesday, local state media reported. The 46.5-kilometer (28.89 miles) pipeline is designed to carry 20 million tonnes a year of crude oil and is expandable to 30 million tonnes, as reported by Zhejiang Daily. The pipeline has a diameter of 0.8 meter, spanning 800 meters over land and 45.7 kilometers under the sea. It starts at the Huangzeshan crude oil storage base and ends at the ZPC refinery, which is China's single-largest refiner with daily processing capacity of 800,000 barrels. The Huangzeshan storage base started operating in October with crude oil and refined fuel tanks, with total capacity of 1.51 million cubic meters, or about 9.5 million barrels, Zhoushan government has said.

☆ Fentanyl Crisis Fed by Flow of Chinese Chemicals to Mexican Cartels
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Brian Spegele | Julie Wernau | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese chemical companies are playing a major role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis as the main producers of ingredients needed to make the drug. Strained relations between Beijing and Washington are undermining efforts to stop the flow of those chemical building blocks, and thus impeding the struggle against illicit fentanyl.

☆ Saudi index falls on economic worries, Egypt extends losses
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 18 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market ended lower on Sunday, ending three sessions of gains, in response to Friday's fall in oil prices and global shares. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) dropped 0.4%, snapping a three-day winning streak, hit by a 2.5% fall in Riyad Bank (1010.SE). Elsewhere, oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) retreated 0.6%. On Friday, MSCI's world stock index (.MIWD00000PUS) lost 1.1% and touched its lowest level in over a month, as a hawkish tone from central bankers and weak data stoked recession fears. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) declined 2$, extending losses from the previous session when it retreated from over four-year highs.

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