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☆ Viking joins obesity drug race after promising early trial data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Mariam Esunny | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 28 (Reuters) - Viking Therapeutics Inc's (VKTX.O) experimental obesity drug helped reduce weight and was safe in an early-stage study, the company said on Tuesday, sparking a 60% rise in its shares. While Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) already has its obesity drug, Wegovy, in the market, Eli Lilly is expecting approval for its treatment later this year. That could also make Viking a potential acquisition target, Laidlaw & Company analyst Yale Jen said. Viking said it was planning to test higher doses of the drug over a longer treatment window in a mid-stage trial, versus a shorter limit in the current, early-stage trial. Shares of Viking were trading at $14.15, bringing the drugmaker closer to a market capitalization of $1 billion.

☆ Blackbaud rejects $71/shr offer from stakeholder Clearlake
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 27 (Reuters) - Blackbaud Inc (BLKB.O) on Monday rejected a buyout offer from its largest shareholder Clearlake Capital that valued the software firm at $3.78 billion. Clearlake made an offer of $71 per share in cash, a premium of nearly 23% to Blackbaud's Friday close. Blackbaud provides donor management software for non-profit organizations, foundations and corporations. The private equity firm has been snapping up software firms as remote and hybrid working trends fueled demand for cloud services. It bought management software provider Cornerstone OnDemand and Quest Software in 2021.

☆ BofA, UBS trim forecast for Fed funds rate amid banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Fed's benchmark rate stood in the range of 4.75-5% following a quarter percentage point hike on Wednesday. BofA analysts said the consequent unexpected tightening in bank lending standards could substitute for further hikes. BofA and UBS no longer expect an interest rate hike in June and see the Fed funds rate peaking in May at 5-5.25% and 5.25-5.5%, respectively. Goldman Sachs, which expected the Fed to pause on Wednesday, maintained its terminal rate forecast in the 5.25-5.5% range, but now sees rates peaking in June instead of July. Money markets, which priced in a terminal rate close to 6% by September just as early as this month, now see the rate peaking at 4.9% by May.

☆ Kerrisdale takes short position in Uranium Energy; shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 23 (Reuters) - Kerrisdale Capital said on Thursday that it had built a short position in Uranium Energy Corp (UEC.A), sending the miner's shares down more than 10%. The short seller said in a report that the company had failed to exploit a spike in uranium prices during the last two bull markets. Uranium Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kerrisdale said that of the company's stated 140 million pounds of estimated uranium resources in the United States, none can be mined profitably at current prices. "Only about a quarter of the resources will be economically viable even at the much higher uranium prices."

☆ Reliance Jio's new 5G plans may impact Bharti Airtel's key metrics- JP Morgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, March 23 (Reuters) - The launch of cheaper postpaid plans with unlimited 5G by Reliance's Jio has put rival Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS) on the back foot in the Indian market and may delay recovery in its key profit metric, JP Morgan analysts said on Thursday. Jio, the telecoms unit of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), launched new postpaid plans last week, starting from 399 rupees ($4.85) that included over-the-top (OTT) packages, forcing Bharti Airtel to roll out similar plans. Analysts kept their "under weight" rating on Bharti Airtel, saying that ARPU expansion for Bharti was at risk and could even reduce over 2024-25 as 5G price wars take place. Both, Jio and Bharti Airtel have been rolling out 5G services across the country. ($1 = 82.2100 Indian rupees)Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nvidia stock rides the 'iPhone moment of AI' to add $87 billion in market cap through the banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Anil Varma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nvidia has breezed through the banking turmoil, and is the S&P 500's best performer with a 81% rise year-to-date. The chipmaker has added $87 billion in market value since Silicon Valley Bank was taken over by regulators. "We are at the iPhone moment of AI," CEO Jensen Huang said this week amid the ChatGPT buzz. At about $654 billion, Nvidia is valued almost six times as much as its longtime rival Intel. NVIDIA stock has significantly outperformed the US stock market.

☆ London stocks fall ahead of BoE rate decision, banks down
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.7%, after recording its highest closing level in more than a week on Wednesday. The focus now shifts to the BoE, which is widely expected to also raise its lending rate by 25 bps at 1200 GMT. "It's highly unlikely that the BoE would diverge from other central banks," said Julien Lafargue, chief market strategist at Barclays Private Bank. Ahead of its decision on interest rates, the BoE said in a letter to lawmakers that more sharp moves in asset prices could expose weaknesses in parts of Britain's financial system. Informa (INF.L) dropped 2.7% after Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the events organizer's stock to "equal-weight" from "overweight".

☆ Fitness chains add financial muscle as more Americans hit the gym
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Some of the major players in the fitness sector have pushed the envelope on membership rates after the pandemic scare, helping them beef up earnings, when most other industries are under stress from the impact of a cautious consumer. Larger rival Planet Fitness Inc (PLNT.N) added 400,000 members in the fourth quarter, taking the total to about 17 million in 2022. "People that are working out, are working out slightly more than they did in the past ... So even with the recessionary talks and layoffs you see, cancellations are just slightly better," Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau said at a JPMorgan conference last week. A Planet Fitness executive said Gen Z represented 25% of the company's total membership.

☆ First Republic slumps after report of potential government backing in deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 21 (Reuters) - Shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N) tumbled 14% in extended trade on Tuesday following a report that a potential deal for the troubled bank could rely on government backing to encourage buyers. Potential government backing in a deal to save First National could involve conditions at the expense of the bank's shareholders, said Dennis Dick, a trader at Triple D Trading in Ontario, Canada. While a sale of the entire bank remains possible, First Republic is currently focused on raising capital, the third source said. First Republic's shares had surged as much as 60% on Tuesday before closing up 30%, but even so First Republic's stock has lost over 80% in value in the past two weeks. JPMorgan is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said.

☆ Everything you need to know about UBS's historic $3 billion deal to rescue rival bank Credit Suisse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

UBS agreed to buy its longtime rival Credit Suisse for $3 billion on Sunday. There's one big winner — and lots of losers — from the Credit Suisse rescue deal. The deal announced Sunday afternoon valued Credit Suisse shares at just 0.76 Swiss francs, one-fifth of the price the Saudi National Bank paid. Lastly, the merger between UBS and Credit Suisse could be bad news for the Fed. Here's how the Credit Suisse rescue deal impacts the central bank.

Traders have raised bets of the Fed likely hitting a pause on rate hikes on Wednesday to ensure financial stability as bank sector troubles triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (SBNY.O) threaten to snowball. Over the weekend, UBS (UBS.N) agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse for $3.23 billion, in a merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more market-shaking turmoil in global banking. U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse plummeted 48.5% to hit a fresh record low, while UBS reversed premarket declines to rise 7.8%. PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) jumped 21% after the bank said deposit outflows had stabilized, while New York Community Bancorp (NYCB.N) also gained 33% after the bank's unit agreed to buy deposits and loans from Signature Bank. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX), which on Friday had logged their largest two-week drop since March 2020, rose 1.4% and 3.2%, respectively, in early trade.

Over the weekend, UBS (UBS.N) agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse for $3.23 billion, in a shotgun merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more market-shaking turmoil in global banking. U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse were down 58.4% in premarket trading and set to open at a fresh record low, while those of UBS were down 3.6%, as focus shifted to the hit to some Credit Suisse bondholders from the acquisition. "Investors are still worried about the banking industry, even though UBS has agreed to take over Credit Suisse. Regional bank First Republic Bank (FRC.N) was down 19.1% after paring some declines, while peer Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) edged 0.7% lower. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) on Friday logged their largest two-week drop since March 2020.

☆ Futures fall as Credit Suisse rescue, liquidity steps fail to quell bank scare
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures down: Dow 0.99%, S&P 0.96%, Nasdaq 0.70%March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell on Monday as steps taken by central banks to boost liquidity and a deal to rescue Credit Suisse failed to quell investor worries of severe turbulence in the banking sector. U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse and UBS were down 59.6% and 12.5%, respectively, in premarket trading. Separately, top central banks, faced with the risk of a fast-moving loss of confidence in the financial system's stability, moved on Sunday to bolster the flow of cash around the world. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) on Friday logged their largest two-week drop since March 2020. Treasury yields edged lower on Monday, with investors flocking to bonds on worries over the interest-rate path the U.S. central bank may take.

Markets have scaled back expectations for an aggressive 50-basis-point interest rate hike from the Fed at its March 22 meeting, following the turmoil in the banking sector triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (SBNY.O) earlier this month. Over the weekend, UBS (UBS.N) agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse for $3.23 billion, in a merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more market-shaking turmoil in global banking. While the deal helped calm jitters about the banking sector, U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse plummeted 54.9% to hit a fresh record low. PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) jumped 11.5% after the bank said deposit outflows had stabilized, while New York Community Bancorp (NYCB.N) gained 32.1% after the bank's unit agreed to buy deposits and loans from Signature Bank. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX), which on Friday had logged their sharpest two-week drop since March 2020, rose 1.4% and 2.6%, respectively.

☆ Explainer: How resilient are Indian lenders amid a global banking turmoil?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Siddhi Nayak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He does not foresee a direct impact of the global banking turmoil on Indian banks. HOW WELL CAPITALISED ARE INDIAN BANKS? Reuters GraphicsHOW ARE INDIAN BANKS' BOND PORTFOLIOS PERFORMING? Indian banks are not facing the same level of pressure on their bond portfolios as U.S banks because Indian interest rates have risen less. If Indian banks mark their held-to-maturity (HTM) investments to market, it would bring down their CET-1 capital by 12-25%, estimates Moody's Investors Service.

March 16 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) shares fell 17% in extended trading on Thursday, despite an unprecedented show of support in the bank from nearly a dozen of the world's largest financial institutions. The bank's shares, which had closed 10% higher after a volatile day that saw trading halted 17 times, slumped in after-market trading. Jason Ware, chief investment officer for Albion Financial Group, said the Dimon-led banking sector intervention on Thursday was a "shot in the arm of the system" but likely more was needed. A First Republic Bank branch is pictured in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. The bank's shares have been hit hard in recent days in the aftermath of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

☆ We need to continue to invest in 'pandemic preparedness,' says microbiologist
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Tania Bryer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe need to continue to invest in 'pandemic preparedness,' says microbiologistCNBC's Tania Bryer sits down with Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation, and Professor Peter Piot, microbiologist and co-discoverer of the Ebola virus, to discuss how the global health-care industry can be more equitable.

The planned rescue package was discussed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. A central player in the deal was Rodgin Cohen, a veteran lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, two sources familiar with the matter said. A First Republic Bank branch is pictured in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. Other lenders including BNY Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist and U.S. Bank channeled $1 billion of deposits into the San Francisco-based lender. Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed was always ready to provide liquidity through its discount window.

☆ First Republic Bank tumbles, drags down shares of other regional lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 16 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank (FRC.N) fell about 30% on Thursday, leading shares of other regional lenders lower, as fears of a banking crisis loomed large. "Short sellers are attacking banks they think are weak, unfortunately First Republic has not done a very good job of pushing back. The regional banking sector has been reeling from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on worries that nervous customers may rush to withdraw their deposits, potentially triggering a liquidity crisis. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that First Republic was weighing options to shore up its liquidity and that larger rivals might show interest in taking over the bank. "So when you're looking at regional banks, this net interest margin situation is much more damning."

☆ Explainer: What is Microsoft-backed OpenAI's GPT-4 model?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 15 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp-backed (MSFT.O) startup OpenAI began the rollout of GPT-4, a powerful artificial intelligence model that succeeds the technology behind the wildly popular ChatGPT. GPT-3.5 is limited to about 3,000-word responses, while GPT-4 can generate responses of more than 25,000 words. Soon ChatGPT users will have the option to change the chatbot's tone and style of responses, OpenAI said. According to OpenAI, GPT-4 has similar limitations as its prior versions and is "less capable than humans in many real-world scenarios". OpenAI said GPT-4 can rival human propagandists in many domains, especially when teamed up with a human editor.

☆ Prudential says exposure to SVB minimal, sales to China travellers pick up
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 15 (Reuters) - Asia-focused insurer Prudential's (PRU.L) said its exposure to collapsed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) is minimal, and expects little impact on its "conservative" balance sheet. "Our exposure to SVB is de minimis," Turner said. The insurer's stock price ended 1.18% lower in Hong Kong on Wednesday, while the broader market was up 1.52%. Its London-listed shares fell 4.7% by 9 a.m. GMTAnalysts say they expect a stronger pickup in sales from Chinese mainland visitors to Hong Kong, the insurer's key revenue centre. As China ended its Zero-COVID policy, border restrictions were removed last month allowing mainland visitors to go to Hong Kong and buy insurance again.

☆ Prudential's full year profit up 8%, COVID curbs removal a boost: CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, March 15 (Reuters) - Asia-focused insurer Prudential's (PRU.L) operating profit rose 8% in 2022, boosted by new insurance sales despite the coronavirus pandemic, and its new boss said on Wednesday sales had picked up further since China lifted its COVID-19 curbs. Adjusted operating profit from the London and Hong Kong dual-listed company came in at $3.38 billion on a constant exchange rate basis, up from $3.23 billion in 2021, Prudential said in a statement. The result beat a forecast of around $3.34 billion from 22 analysts' forecasts provided by the company. The insurer has now completed the move of its entire senior management team from London to Hong Kong - its new global headquarters - which is closer to its revenue sources. Reporting by Selena Li Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Adobe lifts profit forecast for fiscal 2023 and beats estimates on quarterly results
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Adobe shares rose 5% in extended trading on Wednesday after software maker announced fiscal first-quarter results that topped Wall Street estimates and lifted its full-year foercast. Here's how the company did:Earnings: $3.80 per share, adjusted, vs. $3.68 per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. $3.80 per share, adjusted, vs. $3.68 per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. For the second quarter, Adobe expects earnings per share of $3.75 to $3.80 on an adjusted basis and $4.75 billion to $4.78 billion in revenue. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv had been expecting $3.76 per share in adjusted earnings and $4.76 billion in revenue.

☆ Short sellers may pocket $2.3 bln from U.S. bank rout over last three days -S3 Partners
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - Short sellers may have raked in $2.29 billion in profit in the past three sessions, as they took advantage of a selloff in regional bank shares following the collapse of SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O), S3 Partners said. SVB Financial and Signature Bank are among the top five most profitable shorts among regional banks this year, the research firm said in a client note. Short sellers have pocketed $3.53 billion so far in March on a mark-to-market basis, according to S3. "SIVB and SBNY short sellers are sitting on massive mark-to-market profits but have no way to realize those profits at the moment," S3 Managing Director Ihor Dusaniwsky said. Short sellers profit from stock declines by borrowing shares of companies that they believe are overvalued, selling them, and then buying them back at a lower price later.

☆ Wall Street ends green as inflation cools, bank jitters ebb
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Financial stocks clawed back some losses, with the S&P 500 Banks index (.SPXBK) coming back from its steepest one-day sell-off since June 2020. Bank contagion fears were allayed on Tuesday as reassurances by U.S. President Joe Biden and other global policymakers vowed the crisis would be contained. Even so, inflation has a considerable way to go before approaching the central bank's average annual 2% target. [1/4] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 14, 2023. The S&P 500 banking index (.SPXBK) reclaimed territory lost to Monday's plunge, its biggest one-day drop since June 2020.

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