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☆ Gold eases on stronger dollar, focus on central bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices dipped on Monday as the U.S. dollar edged higher, and investors positioned for a series of major central bank policy meetings this week, with a likely pause in interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Spot gold fell 0.3% to $1,954.78 per ounce by 0235 GMT. The release of U.S. consumer price index and producer price index data on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, are also on investors' radar, as a hotter CPI number could alter rate expectations. Fed fund futures show a 71.2% probability that the U.S. central bank will keep its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 5.00%-5.25% range when its two-day meeting ends on Wednesday. Palladium fell 0.7% to $1,313.77 after hitting its lowest since May 2019 on Friday.

Persons: Matt Simpson, Simpson Organizations: U.S, U.S . Federal Locations: Australia, U.S, China, India

☆ How to invest in AI: New York Life Investments shares 3 ways to sensibly put money into the growing sector as 'its true impact is still uncertain' despite investors rushing to buy the stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lauren Goodwin says investors should keep in mind that AI's eventual impact remains unknown. She said to invest thematically, focus on quality, and look at adjacent industries AI will rely on. Stocks like Nvidia and Microsoft — leaders in the AI space — have alone contributed to about 43% of the index's gains. "The excitement about generative AI has distracted investors from the possible risks of a looming recession," Goodwin said in a note on Tuesday. "The direct winners from AI technology may not be known yet.

Persons: Lauren Goodwin, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Goodwin Organizations: Nvidia, Microsoft, New York Life Investments, Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Intelligence, iShares Robotics, Companies, X Data, Digital Infrastructure ETF, Computing Fund

☆ Eurozone investor mood darkens due to 'problem child' Germany, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, June 5 (Reuters) - Investors got more gloomy on prospects for the euro zone economy in June, dragged down by negative expectations for Germany, Europe's biggest economy, a survey showed on Monday. "A look at the Sentix data of the largest economy then clearly shows that the cause of the misery in Euroland is probably linked to the weakness of the German economy," it said. "The biggest problem child in the Eurozone remains Germany." The Sentix index for Germany in June fell to the lowest since November last year, at minus 21.1, from minus 14.5 the previous month. "No matter how hard the (German) Federal Minister of Economics tries, the story he is writing is not a positive summer fairytale," the survey said.

Persons: Sentix, Riham Alkousaa, David Holmes Organizations: Analysts, Reuters, Germany, Federal, of Economics, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Germany, Europe's, Euroland

Since the release of their last economic projections in March, the unemployment rate has fallen and inflation has largely moved sideways. She expects the Fed to keep its policy rate steady this month "while hinting at potential further hikes," a way to compromise among different views and keep pressure on financial conditions. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and others insist that sort of erratic path is not their base case. The intent, rather, is to reach a "sufficiently restrictive" policy rate and remain at that level until it is clear inflation is falling towards the Fed's 2% target. "I do think they are done" with rate increases, he said, but "I cannot rule out another hike in June."

Persons: they've, Tiffany Wilding, PIMCO, Jerome Powell, Philip Jefferson, Larry Meyer, Ian Shepherdson, Howard Schneider, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal Reserve, Market Committee, Reuters Graphics Reuters, North, Fed, Consumer, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Labor Department, Pantheon, Thomson Locations: U.S, North American, Washington

☆ Measuring inflation can be tricky and quirky. Here are 3 examples
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

HousingRichard Newstead | Moment | Getty ImagesHousing is perhaps the most consequential category in the consumer price index, a key inflation barometer. But Covid-19 warped that dynamic: Housing costs shot up but have slowed and even started to fall in some areas, economists said. Overall inflation is expected to slow sharply during the second half of the year as the CPI incorporates the housing price cooldown, economists said. The government doesn't calculate health insurance inflation by measuring consumers' direct costs, such as monthly premiums. Health insurance inflation readings may flip positive in fall 2023 and persist into 2024 due to this dynamic, Zandi said.

Persons: Housing Richard Newstead, Zandi, Price, Mark Zandi, Andrew Hunter, Hunter, There's, Jordi Mora Igual Organizations: Housing, Capital Economics, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, CPI, Health, Images, Kaiser Family Foundation, Consumers

CNN —Amazon has agreed to pay more than $30 million to settle two federal lawsuits alleging that the tech giant violated users’ privacy — including that of children — through its Alexa voice assistant and its Ring doorbell cameras. Amazon acquired Ring in 2018, paving the way for the e-commerce giant to get into the home security business. According to the FTC, Amazon kept Alexa voice recordings of children “indefinitely” unless a user specifically instructed the company to delete the recordings. Amazon also agreed to send consumers notices about the FTC settlement, and to implement a privacy program for geolocation data. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Alexa settlement.

Persons: “, Ring, ”, Amazon Organizations: CNN, Amazon, Federal Trade Commission, FTC Locations: U.S

May 31 (Reuters) - Specialized cloud computing provider CoreWeave has raised $200 million in funding from its existing investor Magnetar Capital, highlighting investor interest in backing infrastructure powering the generative AI boom. The funding, which valued the company at more than $2 billion, comes weeks after CoreWeave raised $221 million from investors including Magnetar Capital and Nvidia (NVDA.O). CoreWeave specializes in providing cloud computing services based on graphics processing units (GPUs), the category of chip pioneered by Nvidia that has become central to artificial intelligence (AI) services like OpenAI's ChatGPT. CoreWeave sells computing power to those AI companies, competing with cloud computing service providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon's AWS. (MSFT.O), (AMZN.O)CoreWeave aims to stand out by building its data centers differently for AI work, using a networking technology called InfiniBand to link computers together instead of Ethernet cables that are the current standard in most data centers, McBee said.

Persons: CoreWeave, Brannin, McBee, Krystal Hu, Stephen Nellis, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Magnetar, Magnetar Capital, Nvidia, ChatGPT, Microsoft, AWS, Thomson Locations: New York, San Francisco

The European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), hosted in Geneva, kicks off on Tuesday and brings together everyone from brokers, planemakers to engine producers. CO2 emissions from private jets in Europe grew by 31% between 2005 and 2019, according to environmental group Transport and Environment. Protesters are expected to gather on Tuesday outside the conference location in Geneva to highlight the rising number of private jet flights amidst a worsening global climate crisis. "The big innovations are usually deployed first in our industry," Kok said. Business jet flights have dropped in Europe by around 6% compared with the same time in 2022, WINGX data showed.

Musk revealed those plans on Tuesday at the company's annual meeting, an about-face for the celebrity executive who recently acquired social media platform Twitter. Musk told CNBC he did not yet have a "fully formed strategy" for Tesla advertising. Tesla spent $151,947 on advertising in the U.S. in 2022, according to advertising intelligence firm Vivvix, which measured ads across places including TV, social media, Web banners and billboards. Diaz-Ortiz is a former Twitter manager who has written books about the social media company. Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at Tesla shareholder Globalt Investments, sees Musk's embrace of advertising as a positive.

☆ Mortgage rates tick down for the second week in a row
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates ticked down last week for the second week in a row, as progress on inflation is keeping rates calmer. “This week’s decrease continues a recent sideways trend in mortgage rates, which is a welcome departure from the record increases of last year,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. Mortgage rates topped 5% for the first time since 2011 a little more than a year ago, and have remained over 5% for all but one week during the past year. But over the last month rates have averaged about 6.37% and have been going up and down, but staying under 6.5%. “This should bode well for the trajectory of mortgage rates over the long term.”The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country.

☆ Here's the best time to redeem Series I bonds to maximize your interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meanwhile, annual inflation rose to 4.9% in April, the smallest jump in two years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Wednesday. But after a series of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, alternatives like Treasury bills, certificates of deposit or money market accounts have emerged as competitive options for cash. "You lose that last three months of interest," said Ken Tumin, founder and editor of DepositAccounts.com. watch nowIf you're selling I bonds within five years, it's easy to get confused by how much interest you're giving up. (You can find the rate by purchase date here and rate change by purchase month here.)

☆ Gold holds steady ahead of U.S. inflation print
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold bars are displayed at a bullion merchant's, Baird & Co., in London, U.K., on Friday, March 14, 2008. Gold prices were flat on Wednesday, as traders positioned themselves for key U.S inflation data due later in the day, which could impact the Federal Reserve's policy stance. Although gold is considered a hedge against inflation, rising interest rates dull non-yielding bullion's appeal. "The outlook of a weak U.S. currency and yields reignite the safe haven status of gold. Spot silver fell 0.1% at $25.58 per ounce, platinum edged 0.1% higher to $1,105.82, and palladium gained 0.1% at $1,571.23.

☆ Quiet quitting hits the housing market: Tight inventory and still-high mortgage rates keep would-be buyers sidelined
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today we're talking housing — but before we get to that, the big thing to watch today is President Joe Biden's meeting with congressional leaders. Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesThe housing market seems to be taking a page from the labor market's playbook right now. Daryl Fairweather, Redfin's chief economist took to Twitter last week to describe the sluggish sector:"Homeowners are quiet quitting the housing market." In effect, more and more homeowners are choosing to stay put with their low mortgage rates locked in, rather than trying to finance a new home at rates that are hovering around 20-year highs. That's due mostly to high rates causing homes to sit on the market longer than usual, which leads to accumulating inventory.

☆ Gold holds ground as investors brace for U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A five hundred gram gold bar, left, and a a one kilogram gold bar, produced by Swiss manufacturer Argor Hebaeus SA, in Budapest, Hungary. Gold prices flitted in a narrow range on Tuesday ahead of U.S. inflation data, which investors will scrutinize for clues on the Federal Reserve's policy path. If the inflation report comes hot and fans worries of another Fed rate hike in June, gold prices could eventually drop to $1,950-$1,920 level, said Ajay Kedia, director at Kedia Commodities in Mumbai. Besides economic data, market participants are also monitoring developments surrounding the U.S. banking sector and debt ceiling. "If there is news of further stress in the banking sector, we will see gold move towards the $2,100 level," Kedia added.

☆ Gold flat as traders gear up for U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A one-kilogram gold bar sits at Gold Investments Ltd. bullion dealers in this arranged photograph in London, U.K., on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Gold prices were listless on Monday, as cautious investors awaited a key U.S. inflation data due this week that could influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy stance. Bullion prices fell more than 2% on Friday after stronger-than-expected U.S. payrolls data tempered expectations of interest rate cuts from the Fed. Gold would be among the "prime beneficiaries" if there are further signs of weakness in the U.S. economy, if the stars align for gold, prices could move to $2,100 sooner rather than later, Waterer said. On the physical front, China held 66.76 million fine troy ounces of gold at the end of April, up from 66.50 million ounces at end-March.

☆ Banks ask SEC to stop short-seller attacks on their stocks driven by social-media speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A leading banking group called for the SEC to do more to stop speculative short selling in bank stocks. The American Banking Section said social-media speculation about banks was disconnected from their financial reality. "ABA is, however, unalterably opposed to short selling practices that distort the markets through manipulation and abuse," he said. Nichols called for the SEC to take a clearer stance against what he called market manipulation and abusive short selling practices. "The harm caused by short selling that runs counter to economic fundamentals ultimately falls on small investors, who see value destroyed by others' predatory behavior."

May 4 (Reuters) - Canadian lender Toronto-Dominion Bank Group (TD.TO) has called off its deal to acquire First Horizon Corp (FHN.N) for $13.4 billion on Thursday, sending the U.S. bank's shares down 44.5% in premarket trading. As part of the termination, TD will pay $200 million to First Horizon in addition to a $25 million fee reimbursement, the banks said. TD first agreed to buy First Horizon in February last year to expand its presence in the United States. Since then, the lender has acquired New York-based boutique investment bank Cowen Inc for $1.3 billion this year. ORTEX data from early last month showed the second-largest Canadian lender was the world's most shorted banking stock.

In theory, that should be welcome news for stocks and other so-called risk assets, which wilted under the barrage of hikes last year. Yet some investors worry this year's 6.5% rebound in the S&P 500 has made equities expensive. Many are also wary that the Fed's rate hikes may precipitate a recession later this year. Stocks fell on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 ending down 0.7%, after the Fed's latest policy decision in which the central bank also raised rates by 25 basis points, as markets expected. Friday's U.S. employment report and next week's consumer price index data may give investors a sense of how deeply the Fed's rate hikes have seeped into the economy.

The path to the pause will roll out in marquee monthly data on the key topics of jobs and prices, but also weekly series tracking emerging concerns about the financial industry. Here's a guide to what's ahead:JOBS: Next release May 5The data calendar will let the Fed receive two monthly jobs reports, covering April and May, before its June 13-14 policy meeting. For the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the measure used to set the Fed's 2% inflation target, only the April report will be available. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsReuters GraphicsFEDSPEAK: OngoingThe Fed's internal communications rules set a "blackout" period around each policy meeting. The curtain of silence around the May meeting lifts on Friday, May 5, and Fed officials can speak publicly about their views through Friday, June 2.

☆ Factbox: Short sellers rake in $1.2 bln in profits as US regional bank stocks suffer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 3 (Reuters) - Short sellers have pocketed $1.2 billion in paper profits betting against U.S. regional lenders in the first two days of May, analytics firm Ortex said, as the third major regional bank failure in two months sparked a selloff in the sector. U.S. regulators seized First Republic Bank and sold most of its assets to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) on Monday in a $10.6 billion deal. Here is a list of companies that generated the most profits for short sellers on May 1 and May 2:Source: Ortex dataCompiled by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Edited by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here's what history indicates is in store for U.S. and global stocks in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On the other hand, May hasn't been such a sure performer historically, according to CNBC Pro's analysis of S & P 500 index data on FactSet dating back to 1928. On average, stocks have risen in May 56 out of the 95 years, or about 60% of the time. The losses are more severe at 4.7% when there are negative returns in May. The chart below shows month-on-month performance of the S & P 500 over the past 20 years. For the second quarter as a whole, the direction of travel for the S & P 500 was less clear .

SummarySummary Companies Silver, platinum, palladium set for monthly gainDollar eyes monthly fallApril 28 (Reuters) - Gold prices eased on Friday as the dollar firmed in the run up to U.S. inflation data, but economic jitters kept safe-haven bullion on course for a second consecutive monthly rise. Spot gold edged 0.2% lower to $1,983.01 per ounce by 0915 GMT, but was up 0.8% for the month. But "a sudden deterioration in the bank sector crisis could trigger a rush to safe-havens likely to see gold prices soar above previous records," Evangelista added. A weaker dollar makes bullion more affordable for overseas buyers. Silver fell 0.5% to $24.82, platinum shed 1% to $1,066.57, while palladium was flat at $1,495.13 -- all headed for monthly gain.

☆ Inflation is still 'the problem' for the Fed, says Stifel's Lindsey Piegza
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | 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 EmailInflation is still 'the problem' for the Fed, says Stifel's Lindsey PiegzaLindsey Piegza, Stifel chief economist, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest personal consumption expenditures price index data, a key inflation gauge, and more.

☆ UPS and FedEx are shrinking as packages evaporate. Automation could make the changes permanent.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Revenue in the first quarter was down 6% and package volume was down by 5.4%. Both UPS and FedEx are downshifting and planning futures with smaller, more efficient networks. But beyond initial cuts, UPS and FedEx are leaning into technology upgrades to shrink strategically and emerge from the doldrums more efficient. The company has already begun the combination of Ground and Express, which will involve closing Express facilities and moving those operations into nearby Ground buildings. These networks have long acted as a moat around UPS and FedEx — making entering the delivery space so expensive it was rarely attempted.

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