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Christopher Willard | Walt Disney Television | Getty ImagesOn the advantage of being an underdog: I grew my business in a man's world. There were no businesses in New York City, especially in real estate, that were owned by women. There weren't any women role models, and the men weren't very forthcoming [with advice]. When I was just starting out, I went to a community business event and none of the men would even talk to me. On why she likes to partner with women in business: Women are more willing to listen [than men], and they're not as cocky they'll be an instant success.

☆ TSX futures crawl higher ahead of Fed meet decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 22(Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index edged up on Wednesday tracking gains in bullion prices, as investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's verdict on further monetary tightening. The Fed is expected to deliver quarter of a percentage-point rate hike at 2 p.m. March futures on the S&P/TSX index were up 0.2% at 7:05 a.m. Gold prices added shine as investors rushed to the safe-haven asset ahead of the Fed's rate decision announcement. ET, while S&P 500 e-minis were up 2.75 points, or 0.07% and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 7.75 points, or 0.06%.

☆ TSX set to commence week slightly higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 20(Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index edged higher on Monday, aided by gains in the prices of safe-haven assets like bullion, as investors returned to markets plagued by uncertainty in the global financial sector. March futures on the S&P/TSX index , which tracks commodity prices, were up 0.3% at 7:10 a.m. Later in the week, investors also await February domestic consumer inflation data and January retail sales data. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended 0.7% down on Friday and hit its lowest weekly levels this year, weighed down by financials. ET, while S&P 500 e-minis were up 2.25 points, or 0.06%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 2.5 points, or 0.02%.

☆ Medvedev aims to build new streak after falling to Alcaraz
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Mar 19, 2023; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Daniil Medvedev (RUS) hits a shot in the men’s final match against Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsMarch 20 (Reuters) - Daniil Medvedev suffered double disappointment on Sunday after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final and seeing his 19-match winning run snapped, but the Russian said the only thing to do now was embark on another streak. That's actually disappointing," Medvedev said. "This would be cool to try to beat it and maybe try to prolong it as long as possible. I'm proud of it, and now it's time to try to build a new streak.

☆ Alcaraz routs Medvedev in Indian Wells final, reclaims No. 1 ranking
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Mar 18, 2023; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) hits a shot in the semi final match defeating Jannik Sinner (ITA) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsMarch 19 (Reuters) - Top seed Carlos Alcaraz snapped Daniil Medvedev's 19-match win streak with a 6-3 6-2 rout in the Indian Wells final on Sunday that will see him leapfrog Novak Djokovic and return to world number one in the rankings. Alcaraz did not drop a set across six matches in the tournament and his performance in the California desert gives him an added boost of confidence ahead of his Miami Open title defence. Djokovic withdrew from the draw for the Indian Wells event in an indication that his application for a COVID-19 vaccine waiver to enter the U.S. might have failed. The Serbian has also withdrawn from the Miami Open.

☆ Saudi leads most Gulf bourses higher; Egypt down
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Md Manzer Hussain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 19(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market closed higher on Sunday to outperform the Gulf region, amid expectations of a lower interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve in the aftermath of the collapse of two big regional banks. Most Gulf currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar, while Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar usually mirror U.S. monetary policy changes. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) ended its five sessions losing streak, jumping 1.8%, the highest intraday rise since Dec 13. The index heavyweight Islamic banks Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA) and Masraf Al Rayan (MARK.QA) rose 1.9% and 3.2% respectively. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) dropped 0.2%, extending its looses into a sixth sessions.

☆ Meet a 35-year-old teaching tech skills to low-income youth through video games
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As tech talent remains in high demand, Damon Packwood, founder and executive director of Gameheads, a nonprofit teaching tech and video game design skills, is making sure that underserved youth has the tools necessary to get jobs in the field. But teaching tech skills through video games was still uncharted territory. "And teaching game design to low-income students of color has value because when you break apart a video game, you get these different medias. You get sound design, level design, architecture, coding, project management, art and animation, and motion picture. And there are some partnerships we have where they just give us books, laptops that they're not using anymore or video game consoles that they don't need anymore.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Nvidia, First Republic, FedEx and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

FedEx — Shares were up 11.6% after the company's fiscal third-quarter earnings topped analysts expectations. FedEx reported adjusted earnings of $3.41 per share, topping a Refinitiv consensus forecast of $2.73 per share. Credit Suisse — The Swiss bank's U.S.-traded shares were down 4.1% during premarket trading. Credit Suisse shares have had a volatile week after its largest investor announced it would not provide additional funding to the bank. First Republic Bank — Shares of the bank declined 13.3% during premarket trading.

Egypt desperately needs the proceeds from privatisation after a series of economic shocks. STAKE SALE DRIVEEgypt set a target in 2022 of raising $10 billion annually over four years through private investment in state assets. Egypt has established its own sovereign fund to bring in private investors to develop state assets, but the move appears designed to attract capital without relinquishing control, said Sayigh. "They want others to help the state with its financial burden, but it's still the state that determines priorities and investments," he said. MILITARY TAX BREAKSFuture asset sales will be complicated by an expansion under Sisi of the military's often opaque economic role, analysts say.

☆ Silicon Valley Bank seizure leaves a massive hole — and a large opportunity — in the world of climate finance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"Nobody understands startups as well as Silicon Valley Bank and how to lend to them," says Zachary Bogue, a long-time tech investor and cofounder of DCVC. "Silicon Valley Bank understood that even though we may have only had $10,000 or so in deposits at the time, we had a lot of potential," Clerico told CNBC. "That early investment in our relationship paid off," Clerico told CNBC. In this, the bank "was a climate bank pioneer," said Steph Speirs, co-founder and CEO of Solstice Power Technologies, which has built a technology to help connect people to community solar projects. But it will take some time, and delays can be costly in the fight against climate change," Bhatraju told CNBC.

☆ Most Gulf markets turn south as Credit Suisse woes roil markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Saudi woman walks at the Saudi stock market (Tadawul), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia March 9, 2020. The lender lost almost $25 billion in market value since Oct. 27 after committing to invest in the embattled Credit Suisse. Oil — a key catalyst for the Gulf's financial markets —extended losses, with Brent crude hitting a three-month low as unease over Credit Suisse spooked world markets, offsetting hopes of a Chinese oil demand recovery. "At the same time, traders will remain attentive to the developments in global markets and central bank decisions this week and the next." Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) plunged 4.2%, with investment bank EFG Hermes (HRHO.CA) diving more than 12%.

☆ SVB fallout unlikely to affect fundraising for Southeast Asia startups, venture capitalists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Golden Gate Ventures, which also invests in Southeast Asian startups, said the SVB fallout is an opportunity for the region. "This has actually been helpful to Southeast Asia. Investors are starting to say: I want to diversify to different bank accounts, different geographies, different currencies," Vinnie Lauria, managing partner at Golden Gate Ventures, told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Tuesday. "And this is where Southeast Asia has the time to shine, in light of the situation," added Lauria. When asked if the situation makes fundraising more difficult, Gowdey said funds in Southeast Asia are well capitalized.

☆ SVB's new CEO urges clients to 'help us rebuild our deposit base'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view of Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, after the federal government intervened upon the bankâs collapse, on March 13, 2023. "The number one thing you can do to support the future of this institution is to help us rebuild our deposit base, both by leaving deposits with Silicon Valley Bridge Bank and transferring back deposits that left over the last several days," Mayopoulos wrote. SVB's failure was the second-largest ever for a U.S. bank, behind the 2008 collapse of Washington Mutual. Federal regulators intervened over the weekend, guaranteeing that depositors would not suffer losses as the contagion threated to spread to other banks. The FDIC is only mandated to insure $250,000 worth of deposits per customer.

☆ Private equity firms Apollo and KKR among those reviewing Silicon Valley Bank loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Seema Mody | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People wait outside the Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, to withdraw funds after the federal government intervened upon the bank's collapse, on March 13, 2023. Two of those people said Apollo may be interested in acquiring a piece of the business at par. Private equity firms Apollo Global Management and KKR are among the parties reviewing a book of loans held by Silicon Valley Bank, people familiar with the discussions told CNBC. Previously, Bloomberg reported that several private equity firms have been conducting due diligence on the loan assets. That report, which cited several people with knowledge of the talks, said Apollo, Ares Management , Blackstone , Carlyle Group and KKR were among those reviewing a potential deal.

☆ Most Middle Eastern stock markets in red as bank worries spread
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 12 (Reuters) - Most stock markets in the Middle East ended lower on Sunday, with the Egyptian bourse leading the declines, in response to Friday's fall in global shares over fears of contagion following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) (SIVB.O). The startup-focused lender became the largest bank to fail since the 2008 financial crisis on Friday, roiling global markets and leaving billions of dollars belonging to companies and investors stranded. In Qatar, the index (.QSI) slid 1.6%, as almost all the stocks were in negative territory including Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA), which tumbled 3.9%. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) dropped 0.8%, weighed down by a 1.7% fall in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE) and a 0.8% decrease in Retal Urban Development CO (4322.SE). Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) tumbled 3.1%, with 28 of thirty one stocks on the index trading red, including top lender Commercial International Bank (COMI.CA), which was down 1.8%.

☆ Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport. These people hate it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The sound and disruption from pickleball, America’s fastest-growing sport, is driving some neighbors, tennis players, parents of young children, and others crazy. Pickleball is America's fastest-growing sport. Some tennis players are also frustrated because pickleball is taking over tennis courts. There were 11,000 places to play Pickleball at the end of 2022, an increase of around 130 new locations a month, according to USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body. People play pickleball on what were once tennis courts at Allendale Park in Pasadena, CA, in 2022.

☆ Reaction to Biden's 2024 budget proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Katharine Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday delivered a budget proposal that includes a robust spending agenda, higher taxes on the wealthy and plans to reduce the deficit, a document that forms the blueprint for his expected 2024 re-election bid. Here is reaction to Biden's budget proposal to Congress for the 2024 fiscal year:HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIR JODEY ARRINGTON, A REPUBLICAN FROM TEXAS:"His policies have led to 40-year record inflation, soaring interest rates, and the prospect of a sustained economic recession. Unfortunately, Biden’s latest budget is more of the same bloated bureaucracy at the expense of working families, while sticking our grandchildren with the bill." HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER HAKEEM JEFFRIES, ON TWITTER:"The Biden budget plan protects Social Security, strengthens Medicare and invests in our children. SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY:"Even with near-record revenues, President Biden wants to raise taxes on every segment of America.

☆ Egypt central bank seeks advisor for United Bank sale -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, March 9 (Reuters) - Egypt's central bank has sent investment banks a request for proposals to pitch for an advisory role in the sale of United Bank of Egypt, which the central bank owns, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. The search for advisors comes after talks with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund to acquire United Bank failed after disagreement over its valuation. The government said it planned to sell stakes in 32 companies, but since then has placed stakes in other companies up for sale as well. The finance ministry said last month it was seeking to sell the 20% stake in AlexBank that it still owns. Analysts say a stake in the state-controlled House and Development Bank may also be up for sale.

"I was quite angry honestly because the court crew wouldn't let us warm up before the match," Ruud said. "I don't know if it was good or not but Netflix was there catching it all. Canada's Auger Aliassime feels the impact of the show most acutely in the U.S., where Netflix has its biggest market. "I thought the episode was really great but there were a couple things that were missed," the American said. "But it's been fun to be part of something Netflix has made together with (the Formula One) "Drive to Survive" and the golf series ("Full Swing").

☆ Netflix's expected password-sharing crackdown puts college students on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Sam Figiel, a sophomore at Mercer University in Georgia, said access to Netflix is required for many of his peers' classes. Yet the gradual password-sharing changes have created uncertainty for college students who might not have, or want to spend, disposable income for their own subscriptions. People in the 18-to-34 age group, which accounts for 30% of all Netflix users, are more likely to exchange passwords than older viewers. "There are a lot, lot, lot of U.S. users that are not paying for it, and so I think they're very sensitive to the backlash that they're going to get when they institute this," Nollen said. Staying or leavingEven if the cost of a subscription could rise for borrowers, some college students think Netflix is too important to give up.

☆ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's bet big on A.I. is paying off as his core technology powers ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

As the engine behind large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Nvidia is finally reaping rewards for its early investment in AI. Nvidia counts on China for about one-quarter of its revenue, including sales of its popular AI chip, the A100. Nvidia Founder and CEO Jensen Huang shows CNBC's Katie Tarasov a Hopper H100 SXM module in Santa Clara, CA, on February 9, 2023. Nvidia founders Curtis Priem, Jensen Huang and Chris Malachowsky pose at the company's Santa Clara, California, headquarters in 2020. "We invented this new way of doing computer graphics, ray tracing, basically simulating the pathways of light and simulate everything with generative AI.

☆ These 3 stocks have gained every year for a decade — and are expected to keep rising
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Only three stocks are in the green this year and have had positive returns every year for the past decade, data shows. Insurance company Progressive Corp and aerospace manufacturing company TransDigm Group — both U.S. listed — along with Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard are the only three stocks in the MSCI World Index to achieve this feat. The Canadian stock is also the largest holding in the only ETF that's posted gains yearly for the past decade . ATD has posted 725% in total returns and 23% CAGR over the past decade. TDG shares have risen by nearly 900% over the past decade in addition to this year, representing 25.4% in total CAGR.

☆ US House Speaker McCarthy plans to meet Taiwan's president in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to meet Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in the U.S. in coming weeks, two sources told Reuters on Monday, a move that could replace the Republican Speaker's anticipated but sensitive trip to the democratically governed island claimed by China. One of the sources said should the U.S. meeting go forward - likely in April - it did not necessarily rule out McCarthy visiting Taiwan in the future. During a CNBC interview earlier on Monday, McCarthy declined to answer whether he would visit Taiwan, saying he would announce any travel plans when he had them. Since then, Taiwan has welcomed a wave of U.S. lawmakers, and speculation has swirled around whether McCarthy would travel there this year. McCarthy last year expressed interest in visiting Taiwan if he became speaker, a role he assumed in January after Republicans took control of the House in November's midterm elections.

☆ Ron DeSantis attacks liberals in California speech as he mulls White House run
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SIMI VALLEY, CA March 5 (Reuters) - Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took his fight against liberalism deep into the Democratic territory of California on Sunday, part of a national road show as he lays the ground for an expected White House bid. While he has not yet announced a White House bid, one candidate who has - former Republican President Donald Trump - clearly views DeSantis as a major potential threat as the Republican nominating contest kicks into gear. Trump has already launched personal and political attacks on DeSantis as the race for the Republican Party's 2024 White House nomination begins to heat up. DeSantis also took aim at the Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), which opposes a Florida law that restricts classroom instruction of gender and sexual orientation. "There's a new sheriff in town," DeSantis declared, referring to what he has called the end of Disney's "corporate kingdom."

☆ Saudi bourse gains on upbeat earnings, non-oil activity; Egypt falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 5 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market extended gains for a third session on Sunday on buoyant earnings and upbeat non-oil business activity, while the Egyptian bourse fell further on profit taking. The kingdom's non-oil business sector activity soared to its highest level in eight years in February, a survey showed on Sunday, based on a strong increase in demand and an optimistic economic outlook. "However, the developments in oil markets could still have an uncertain impact on Saudi stocks due to the current volatility." Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) eased 0.1%, extending losses on profit-taking after the market hit a high in February. According to a media report, the telecom firm and Huawei Egypt inked a cooperation agreement to foster cooperation in digital transformation.

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