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☆ Premarket stocks: Main Street investors bet on comeback for regional banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Forget the banking crisis — Main Street’s retail investors have barreled into embattled bank stocks. At the same time, he said, institutional investors, the so-called “smart money,” have been trading out of volatile regional bank stocks. That could mean bad news for those who are betting they’ll see big returns on regional bank stocks. This is a risky move for retail investors, said Iachini, and a speculative play. We’re not seeing a meaningful recovery, at least yet, for regional bank stocks, he said.

☆ A former Nike runner says the company stopped paying her while she was pregnant and portrayed her as 'Miss America in a crop top'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Nike "takes great pride as a leader in supporting female athletes," the company said. Goucher's book also describes a persistently sexist culture at the Nike Oregon Project and says that Alberto Salazar, a celebrated distance runner and former Nike coach, sexually assaulted her. "My story helped sell shoes, shorts, T-shirts, and bras," Goucher wrote of her time as a Nike-backed runner. "In 2018 we standardized our approach across all sports to support all of our female athletes during pregnancy," Nike said in the statement. We know that Nike can continue to play an elevated role in supporting female athletes and improving their experience in sports."

☆ I rode on Japan's world-famous bullet train that reaches speeds of up to 186 miles per hour. It was an incredible way to travel.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

It was so much easier than flying from Tokyo to Osaka, and required little to no hassle. I didn't have to traverse a crowded airport or clear security…The only thing I had to pass through was this turnstile, which read my ticket. After that, no one checked my bags or if I was even in the correct seat. Taylor Rains/Insider

Previously, the pranks had mostly affected the country’s famous sushi conveyor belt restaurants, prompting questions about their future. A video shared on social media shows a man, believed to be Shimazu, vigorously eating the ginger. Besides Kura Sushi, two other such chains — Sushiro, owned by Food & Life Companies, and Hamazushi — previously told CNN they had suffered similar disruptions. But the latest food pranks, magnified by social media, have sparked fresh debate in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. In recent weeks, some Japanese social media users have questioned whether conveyor belt sushi restaurants and other communal serving practices can continue as consumers demand more attention to cleanliness.

The short-lived fight nonetheless underscores the lengths at which scrappy restaurant operators will go to chase consumer dollars. For restaurants that have been open longer than 13 months, Chipotle’s sales grew faster than Sweetgreen’s in the fourth quarter. That could explain why Chipotle’s valuation, at nearly 5 times forward sales, is more than double that of Sweetgreen’s. Follow on @sharonlam_ TwitterCONTEXT NEWSChipotle Mexican Grill sued rival U.S. take-out chain Sweetgreen for violating its trademarks rights in a similarly branded burrito bowl on April 4, leading to a prompt settlement. Chipotle had argued that Sweetgreen’s “Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl” violated its trademark rights.

The short-lived fight nonetheless underscores the lengths at which scrappy restaurant operators will go to chase consumer dollars. For restaurants that have been open longer than 13 months, Chipotle’s sales grew faster than Sweetgreen’s in the fourth quarter. Sweetgreen billed itself as a tech innovator when it first went public and acquired robotic-kitchen company Spyce back in 2021. Follow on @sharonlam_ TwitterCONTEXT NEWSChipotle Mexican Grill sued rival U.S. take-out chain Sweetgreen for violating its trademarks rights in a similarly branded burrito bowl on April 4, leading to a prompt settlement. Chipotle had argued that Sweetgreen’s “Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl” violated its trademark rights.

☆ Many Startups Operate Without a CFO. That Was a Challenge as SVB Collapsed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Anna Mutoh | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Silicon Valley Bank marketed itself to startups, which may have leaned more heavily on it for financial guidance in the absence of an in-house chief financial officer. When Kevin Lee on the morning of March 9 first heard that Silicon Valley Bank could be in trouble, the 32-year-old co-founder of Immi instant ramen frantically called his partner. “I’m concerned there will be a bank run,” Mr. Lee said he told Kevin Chanthasiriphan , 34, who soon after wired their entire $15 million in capital out of SVB and into fintech provider Brex Inc. where they also had a business account. Messrs. Lee and Chanthasiriphan, who call themselves the “the Kevins,” launched Immi three years ago, reinventing ramen as a low-carb, high-protein and fully plant-based instant food. Just a week before the run on SVB, the Kevins announced a $10 million series A funding that included a bevy of celebrity investors such as tennis player Naomi Osaka , R&B singer Usher and speedskater Apolo Ohno , and were poised for a period of rapid growth with revenue up sixfold last year.

Privately-owned Miki House, like other Japanese companies, is contending with a shrinking workforce, with an estimated shortage of 3.41 million workers by 2030, according to labour policy research group Recruit Works Institute. When Kimura founded Miki House in 1971, Japan had about 2.6 million births a year and was undergoing a rapid economic expansion that prompted parents to splurge on fashionable goods for their youngsters. PRODUCTION SHIFTSJapan's Fast Retailing (9983.T), the nation's biggest clothing seller and owner of bargain brand Uniqlo, manufactures almost all of its products overseas. At Miki House, about 70% of products are still made domestically, but some items, such as children's shoes, cannot be made locally at scale and are manufactured in Vietnam. Demand is shifting too, with about 60% of sales coming from overseas, where Miki House operates 95 stores in 16 countries and regions.

☆ Asia's 'best restaurants' list is out — and it's no surprise which country made the list 17 times
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

William Drew, director of content for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, said Japan's strong performance is "no surprise." The top 50 restaurants in AsiaThis year commemorates the 10th anniversary of the "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" list. Asia's top 50 restaurantsThe list of "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" for 2023 are: 1. Ten restaurants that ranked among Asia's best 50 restaurants last year fell into the 51-100 ranking this year. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023Labyrinth also rose 29 spots to No.11, winning the "Highest Climber" award.

☆ ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Review: Keanu Reeves Keeps Killing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

According to one obsessive website, assassin extraordinaire John Wick has killed 299 people in his first three screen outings. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers are slackers by comparison. Continuing on with “John Wick: Chapter 4,” the hit-man action franchise continues to excel at its job as well. We go to these movies to see hyperviolence choreographed with an intricacy that would shame a Broadway musical, and we are not disappointed. As the receipts generated by the films have grown, so has their scale, which was once somewhat modest but has now reached “Mission: Impossible” levels.

Asia-Pacific markets point to a negative open Friday, as investors weigh remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who said federal emergency actions to back up failed regional banks could be used again if necessary. This conveyed a different message compared to Yellen's remarks a day earlier, when she told senators that the Treasury was not considering any plans to insure all U.S. bank deposits without congressional approval. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was 0.59% lower, while in Japan, the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 27,120, and its counterpart in Osaka was at 27,110 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,419.61 . Japan saw its core inflation come in at 3.1% for March, the first time the pace of inflation had slowed since January 2022, while headline inflation was at 3.3%. Both Japan and Australia will release PMI estimates for March, for the manufacturing and services sectors.

Asia-Pacific markets are headed for a fall on Thursday, following Wall Street reaction overnight after the U.S. Federal Reserve hiked rates by another 25 basis points. The central bank's kept its terminal rate forecast at 5.1%, which means that only one more rate hike is expected this year before rates peak. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.77%, and Japanese markets are set to follow in the same direction. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago at 27,040, and its counterpart in Osaka at 27,010, compared to the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,466.61. However, the Hang Seng index looks set to buck the trend and open higher, with Hang Seng futures at 19,762 compared to the index's last close at 19,591.43.

Pictured here is Shanghai's Lujiazui Financial District on June 7, 2022. Asia-Pacific markets are headed for a fall on Monday after UBS agreed to buy its banking rival Credit Suisse in a $3.2 billion takeover over the weekend. Asian markets will also be expecting several economic releases, such as China's loan prime rate and export data out of South Korea later today. In Japan, markets look to open sharply lower, as the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago stood at 26,945 and its counterpart in Osaka was at 26,700, against the Nikkei 225 last close at 27,333.49. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.76%, with shares of all of its major banks slightly down.

Asia-Pacific markets are set to fall on Thursday as fears persist of a widespread banking crisis spreading into Europe, sparked by the turmoil around global bank Credit Suisse. In Asia, the Australian S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.78%, dragged by miners and the banking sector. The country will release its unemployment rate for February, forecast to come in at 3.6%. In Japan, the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 26,625, while its counterpart in Osaka was at 26,480 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,229.48. Japan will release its trade balance data for February, with exports and imports expected to grow at 7.1% and 12.2% respectively.

"Until now, the ministry has taken the defence companies for granted," said Masahisa Sato, an influential ruling party lawmaker and former deputy defence minister. Three of them, Mitsubishi Heavy, Mitsubishi Electric and IHI Corp (7013.T), which makes jet engines, bridges and heavy machinery, confirmed they had also taken part in other lower-level discussions. Reuters asked 10 of Japan's military suppliers, including Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin and Subaru, for interviews with their defence unit managers. Despite diplomatic tensions, China is Japan's top trade partner and a major manufacturing base for many Japanese companies. Even so, Japanese companies often refer to their military products as "special equipment," the government official said.

A pedestrian along the Bund in Shanghai, China Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets are set to rise on Wednesday following a slightly cooler U.S. inflation report and as the fallout in the banking sector seemed to be contained. The U.S. consumer price index report for February came in at 0.4% and an annualized increase of 6%, in line with Dow Jones estimates. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.64% as bank stocks rallied early in the trading day. In Japan, the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 27,225, and its Osaka counterpart stood at 27,190 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,222.04. Investors will be closely watching a slew of economic data releases from China today, with the country set to release its retail sales and industrial output numbers for February, as well as its one year medium term lending rate for March.

The full moon, otherwise known as a strawberry supermoon, is seen over the Skyline of the CBD in Sydney, Australia June 15, 2022. Asia-Pacific markets are set to fall on Tuesday, mirroring losses on Wall Street overnight as investors continue to grapple with the banking fallout in the U.S. The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw its fifth straight day of losses, even as a plan to backstop all the depositors in failed Silicon Valley Bank, along with other extraordinary measures, failed to boost bank shares. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.75%, largely led by losses in the banking sector. In Japan, the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 27,365, while its counterpart in Osaka was at 27,230 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,832.96.

Storm clouds are seen over the city skyline on October 01, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Asia-Pacific markets traded lower on Monday, as U.S. regulators announced plans to backstop both depositors and financial institutions associated with Silicon Valley Bank, seen as a move to stem further systemic risk. Silicon Valley Bank last week was shuttered by regulators, after customers withdrew a staggering $42 billion of deposits by the end of Thursday. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.24%, while Japanese markets opened lower. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 27,635, while its counterpart in Osaka was at 27,530 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 28,143.97.

☆ Asia-Pacific markets set to fall ahead of crucial U.S. jobs data, Bank of Japan decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Horizontal cityscape against clear sky at Tokyo bay area. Illuminated skyscrapers and Tokyo Tower in the dusk. Stocks in the Asia-Pacific are set to fall on Friday, as investors await the closely watched February non-farm payrolls report from the U.S. that could further determine the direction on the Federal Reserve's rate hikes ahead. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 opened with sharp losses, tumbling 1.5% — continuing the selloff seen in the U.S. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 28,095 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 28,000 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 28,623.

☆ Scientists have created mice with two biological fathers. They say the technique could one day be replicated in humans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Speaking at a conference, they said they made female eggs from male cells. He then used that technique to make female eggs, called oocytes, from male cells and fertilized them to create seven mice with two biological dads. REUTERS/Alan Trounson/California Institute for Regenerative Medicine/HandoutThey then deleted the Y chromosomes in the cells and duplicated the cells' X chromosomes, before prompting the cells to turn into egg cells with two X chromosomes. The technique could also help women and people with two X chromosomes who have a genetic issue with one of the X chromosomes to have children, he said. Human reproductive cells are very complex and much less well-known than mice cells.

☆ Asia-Pacific markets poised to fall as Powell hints at higher rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Storm clouds are seen over the city skyline on October 01, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.67% as investors digest Reserve Bank of Australia's governor Philip Lowe's speech after the bank's 25 basis point hike the day before. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 28,200 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 28,210. Both are lower compared to the Nikkei 225's last close at 28,309.16. The Hang Seng futures was at 20,314, a lower figure compared to the Hang Seng index 's last close at 20,534.48.

☆ Japan's new rocket fails after engine issue, in blow to space ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Tim Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] An H3 rocket carrying a land observation satellite lifts off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan March 7, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. The 57-metre (187 ft) tall H3 rocket lifted off without a hitch from the Tanegashima space port, a live-streamed broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) showed. But upon reaching space, the rocket's second-stage engine failed to ignite, forcing mission officials to manually destroy the vehicle. "This will have a serious impact on Japan's future space policy, space business and technological competitiveness," he added. A successful launch on Tuesday would have put the Japanese rocket into space ahead of the planned launch later this year of the European Space Agency's new lower-cost Ariane 6 vehicle.

☆ Asia markets to rise as investors further digest China's modest growth target
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Hang Seng index on Tuesday gained 1.84%, or 363.88 points — the most gains the index has seen since January 2018, when the index rose nearly 2% on the first trading session of the year. Stocks in Asia-Pacific were set to trade higher on Monday as investors further digested China's growth target set in its parliamentary sessions and looked ahead to a week of economic data. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 28,196 and its counterpart in Osaka was at 28,210, up against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,927.47. South Korea's inflation showed further easing in February. Futures for the Hang Seng index also pointed towards a higher open as investors further digested key targets released from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's government work report released Sunday.

Asia-Pacific markets are set to rise on Friday after Wall Street's rally overnight as investor concerns over higher U.S. interest rates continued to linger. Japanese markets are set to open higher, with the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago at 27,710, and its counterpart in Osaka at 27,700 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,498.87. Key economic data is set to come out across the region, with Japan seeing its unemployment rate for January come in at 2.4%, the lowest level since February 2020. The country will also see the release of its services purchasing managers index for February by au Jibun Bank. China will release its services PMI data for February from Caixin, while a private survey on factory activity for February will be out in India on Friday.

Seoul city skyline and landmark Namsan tower (Photo by Ed JONES / AFP) (Photo by ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)Asia-Pacific markets are set to trade mixed as U.S. treasury bond yields briefly topped 4% overnight on Wall Street, weighing equities down. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 opened 0.21% higher on Thursday after seeing a marginal dip on Wednesday. in Japan, markets are headed for a lower open as the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago stood at 27,485, while its counterpart in Osaka was at 27,480 against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,516.53. South Korea will release its factory activity for February from S&P Global, following news that its industrial output fell 12.7% in January on an annualized basis, lower than analysts expectations of 8.9%. Singapore is also expected to release its factory activity data for February.

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