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☆ Resist the urge to hide in cash. How to boost the yield in your portfolio, according to UBS
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It may seem like second nature to hide out in cash during these volatile markets, but investors ought to snap up bonds while the getting's still good in yields, according to UBS. The central bank's policy tightening has had the upshot of boosting yields on bonds, certificates of deposit and other fixed-income instruments. "Cash deposits have become more appealing to many investors as central banks have tightened," wrote UBS strategist Vincent Heaney in a Thursday report. He noted that a balanced portfolio – one that's 60% allocated toward stocks and 40% allocated toward bonds – beats cash about 80% of the time over a five-year period. That's not to say that investors should redeploy all their cash into bonds immediately.

☆ Video appears to show Russian Wagner troops shooting their own comrade, shoving each other into enemy fire in chaotic trench battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A video from Ukraine shows a chaotic trench battle in the contested city of Bakhmut. A Ukrainian official said it showed Ukraine reclaiming territory from Russia's Wagner mercenaries. Gerashchenko quoted a soldier who sent him the video, saying it shows Ukrainian soldiers retaking a trench from Russian forces. Wagner group soldiers have been particularly involved in the battle for Bakhmut. The Wagner group took on a growing role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the country's army struggled to take over the country.

☆ Russia expanded its territory in Ukraine by less than 0.04% in a month of brutal fighting that cost it thousands of soldiers and vital equipment, says think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia gained just 0.039% of additional territory in Ukraine in February, the ISW told Insider. It continues to lose equipment and a large number of soldiers in exchange for meager gains. Washington DC-based think tank The Institute for the Study of War told Insider that its mapping data showed Russia had gained just 0.039% more territory in Ukraine between January 31 and February 28. Russia gained this tiny amount of land while losing thousands of soldiers and hemorrhaging military equipment. And a senior US diplomat was also scathing about Russia's progress, saying: "Russia has declared that it is launching a new offensive.

☆ China’s New Way to Control Its Biggest Companies: Golden Shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Lingling Wei | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In its uneasy dance with China’s private sector, the Communist Party is moving away from a public battle with some of the country’s biggest companies. Instead, it is inching toward a quieter form of control. At the center of the effort is a push by various levels of government to take stakes in the private companies that have long driven Chinese innovation and job creation.

☆ Xi Jinping’s Subtle Strategy to Control China’s Biggest Companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lingling Wei | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

March 9 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever. Unsurprisingly, Asian markets slumped on Wednesday following the surge in U.S. yields, implied rates and the dollar. MSCI's Asia ex-Japan index fell 1.5%, Hong Kong stocks fell more than 2% and the Hang Seng Tech index fell more than 3%. Bank Negara Malaysia surprised markets in January by keeping its benchmark rate unchanged. The potential for conflict between China and the U.S. appears to be inching up on a near daily basis too.

☆ Factbox: Hold or hike? Latin American central banks' wield rates to battle rising prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As countries begin to diverge in strategies, here are the latest rate decisions from Latin America's top economies:BIGGEST MARKETS* Brazil's central bank decided at a February meeting to keep its Selic benchmark interest rate at 13.75%. The central bank aims to bring inflation down to 3%, plus or minus one percentage. SOUTH AMERICA* Argentina is battling one of the highest inflation rates in the world, with annual price rises nearing 100%. As locals struggle to keep up with daily price increases, the central bank since September has maintained its benchmark rate at 75%. * Peru's central bank maintained its benchmark interest rate at 7.75% in February, unchanged from a 25-bps hike a month earlier.

☆ 2.6 million Americans could lose their jobs if the GOP cuts spending in a debt ceiling deal, a new report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Moody's analysis said GOP spending cuts in a debt ceiling increase could cost Americans 2.6 million jobs. Negotiations to raise the debt ceiling aren't making much progress, with a default potentially as soon as 4 months away. "In fact, the economic impact would be so great, that it would result in even more job losses than a short-lived debt ceiling breach, in both the short- and long-term." If there were to be a default, Moody's sees two scenarios. As Insider previously reported, Republican lawmakers have yet to detail where exactly they want to cut spending in a debt ceiling deal, but they have floated some ideas.

☆ Wall Street gains, Treasury yields soften ahead of Powell testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 3, 2023. All three major U.S. stock indexes gained ground on Monday, appearing to extend last week's rally, with lower Treasury yields boosting interest rate-sensitive megacap stocks. European shares reversed earlier gains and were last essentially unchanged after modest China growth estimates suggested a possible dampening of demand for European goods. Emerging market stocks rose 0.64%. Benchmark U.S. Treasury yields continued to ease as dampening demand supported hopes that the Fed is approaching the end of its rate-hike phase.

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowCurrent Refinance RatesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.65%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.89%, an increase from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022.

"However, given sustained economic growth and continued inflation, mortgage rates boomeranged and are inching up toward seven percent." See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.65%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.89%, an increase from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased significantly in 2022.

☆ Mortgage rates rise for the fourth week in a row
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates shot up for the fourth consecutive week, as inflation concerns remain. “However, given sustained economic growth and continued inflation, mortgage rates boomeranged and are inching up toward 7%.”The lower rates in January brought buyers back into the market, Khater said. The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country. When Treasury yields go up, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow. “The recent jump in mortgage rates has led to a retreat in purchase applications, with activity down for three straight weeks,” said Bob Broeksmit, MBA’s CEO.

☆ How to see the Venus and Jupiter conjunction, when the two brightest planets align in the sky
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jupiter and Venus will appear to almost touch in the night sky on Wednesday and Thursday. They're the brightest objects in the sky after the sun and moon, so they're visible to the naked eye. In fact, Venus is the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon. How to spot Jupiter and Venus in the skyJupiter (left) and Venus (right) are two of the brightest objects in the sky. They'll creep away from each other night after night, Venus rising and Jupiter dropping toward the horizon and the sun.

☆ Salesforce's put-call ratio is inching closer to parity, says Blue Line Capital's Bill Baruch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | 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 EmailSalesforce's put-call ratio is inching closer to parity, says Blue Line Capital's Bill BaruchBlue Line Capital's Bill Baruch joins the 'Halftime Report' investment committee to discuss Salesforce's call and put ratio, the focus of activist investors in Salesforce and the timeline for activist investors to make changes.

☆ Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says that this is a 'New Day' for Salesforce, focusing on profitability above its famous 'Ohana' mantra
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As Salesforce faces activist investor pressure, profitability is now CEO Marc Benioff's key focus. Benioff is now touting a strategy called "New Day," focused solely on profitability and efficiency. Instead, those execs hammered on that "New Day" strategy, which emphasizes profitability and efficiency over all else. The company's recent layoffs, as well as Benioff's comments that employees haven't been as productive since the start of the pandemic, have weighed on employee morale. Former co-CEO Bret Taylor and other top execs like Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield have also departed Salesforce in recent months.

For many economists, globalization appears to have stalled after three decades of low inflation, easy credit, China's integration into the world economy and a relatively peaceful period. As a share of global GDP, trade likely increased from the previous year's 57% and exports as per World Bank data. It is not really evident in the data," Nicita says, estimating that global trade grew by about 3% last year, at a pace similar to the global economy. "Trade and globalization are not on the wane, but they are changing," she told the Chatham House Global Trade Policy Forum in November, citing growth in service- and digital-based trade. UNIPOLAR V MULTIPOLARThis 'regionalization' will continue assuming Beijing's economic, trade and financial ties to the U.S. gradually loosen.

☆ An anonymous 'art-world family' took out a job ad for an executive assistant to make their life easier 'in every way possible'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A job posting for an executive assistant for a "high-profile art world family" recently went viral. For a $65,000-$95,000 salary, the prospective candidate is asked to "make life easier for the couple in every way possible." The ad has been removed, but was originally posted on a job board hosted by the New York Foundation for the Arts. But a recent ad for an "Executive Assistant" for an "Art World Family" has gone viral for its unreasonable — and borderline exploitative — list of job requirements. The ad was originally posted on a job board hosted by the nonprofit New York Foundation for the Arts.

☆ The stock market and the economy are stuck on different pages - but the Fed's going to get the last word
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's one of my favorite books, and the idea is relevant today because "Catch-22" is a fitting characterization of what's facing stocks and economy right now. Good news isn't good news and bad news is good news. To be sure, inflation remains hot, as we saw in Friday's Personal Consumption Expenditure data — the Fed's preferred inflation gauge. Even as many top commentators are split on the outlook for the economy, markets appear stuck digesting a host of mixed signals, from strong economic data on the one hand, to fears of higher rates on the other. The billionaire Tesla chief has warned that the central bank could crush the value of the entire stock market.

☆ NABE economists still expect a recession this year. The question is when
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Nearly 60% of survey respondents said they believe the US had a more than 50% shot of entering a recession in the next 12 months. When such a recession would start was another matter: 28% said first quarter, 33% said second quarter, and 21% said third quarter. Creating some uncertainty among economists, however, is what the Fed might do during that time as well as the potential effect from external factors. NABE economists said they expect unemployment to increase, but the majority doubt it’ll exceed 5%. A mere 2% of respondents said that a “housing market bust” was the greatest downside risk to the US economy in 2023.

☆ Massive forest fires rage on in eastern Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Forest fires raged on in Cuba's eastern region on Monday, inching toward more populated ground more than a week after sparking near a national park. More than 2,000 hectares of forest, including plantations and coffee crops, have been devoured by the flames, authorities said, as firefighters, park employees and soldiers battled the blaze. The fires have moved away from the Mensura-Piloto National Park and toward the province of Santiago de Cuba, home of the populous city of the same name, according to officials. The latest fires add to the dozens in January, which authorities said was a higher-than-average figure. Pinar del Rio and Artemisa, in western Cuba, and Camaguey and Holguin, in the central-eastern region, were the areas most affected.

☆ UK, EU inching towards Northern Ireland deal, Irish prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Momentum has been building for weeks towards a deal to ease checks on trade that were introduced under the Northern Ireland Protocol - the arrangements agreed to avoid a hard border with EU member Ireland when Britain exited the EU in 2020. Lawmakers in British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative party have been told to be in parliament on Monday, in a sign that a deal could be imminent. Certainly the deal isn't done yet, but I do think we are inching towards a conclusion," Leo Varadkar told reporters. While an agreement would mark an end to a two-year standoff between Britain and the EU, Sunak could face a battle with pro-Brexit Conservative lawmakers and pro-British Northern Irish politicians to make the deal work. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the region's largest pro-British party, has said it will not end its boycott of the assembly unless all checks on goods bound for Northern Ireland from Britain are removed.

☆ Sheltering miles from a nuclear blast may not be enough to survive unless you know where to hide, new calculations show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Scientists simulated a nuclear explosion about 37 times more powerful than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This is the first study that shows the impact that nuclear shockwaves could have on humans indoors. Nuclear war is a terrifying thought, but for a team of researchers at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, it's top of mind. An illustration of the shockwave of a 750-kt nuclear bomb 10 seconds after detonation. The team simulated a nuclear explosion from a 750-kiloton atomic bomb.

☆ UK's Sunak wants to 'get the job done' on Brexit with Northern Ireland deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"There's unfinished business on Brexit and I want to get the job done," Sunak told The Sunday Times newspaper in an interview. Sunak said he would try to resolve the concerns of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which is worried about the EU retaining influence over Northern Ireland. Ireland's prime minister Leo Varadkar told reporters earlier on Saturday that Britain and the EU were inching forwards and an agreement was possible, but not guaranteed, in the coming days. Sunak, in a nod to the DUP's worries, said the Good Friday peace agreement for Northern Ireland had been unbalanced by the Brexit deal for the province's trade rules. He said the shooting of a police officer on Wednesday "reminds us of the delicate situation in Northern Ireland, the fragility of it, and we shouldn’t take it for granted.

☆ US stocks close lower to wrap up losing week as hot inflation data jolts markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The two-year Treasury yield neared its highest level since 2007. The S&P 500 notched its worst-performing week in 2023 as investors retreat from risk assets. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. The Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average also ended lower as traders digested discouraging January inflation data. The two-year Treasury yield jumped 11 basis points to 4.81%, nearing its highest level since 2007.

☆ The US economy may be inching closer to the cliff edge given these 4 troubling signs, Larry Summers says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ex-Treasury chief Larry Summers thinks the economy is edging closer to a "Wile E. Coyote" fall off a cliff. "People may be reading a bit too much into the moment in terms of economic strength," he warned. On the other, there is stuff when you look down the road a bit that has to be substantially concerning about a Wile E. Coyote kind of moment," Summers said. As a result, he warned the Federal Reserve needs to stay nimble and flexible given the continued uncertainty about the US economy. Summers' pessimism about the economy builds on warnings he's made in the past.

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