DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China consumption shows 'no sign' of a strong V-shaped recovery, McKinsey says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"But there are no signs it should be a strong, V-shaped recovery," said Zipser, who is also a senior partner at McKinsey and author of a new report called "China Consumption: Start of a New Era." China's retail sales have generally remained lackluster since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. The overall economic recovery and the recovery of the property market has not been what people hoped for. "The overall economic recovery and the recovery of the property market has not been what people hoped for," he said. China's retail sales rose by 7.6% in October from a year ago, beating analysts' expectations.

Persons: Daniel Zipser, Zipser, Major Organizations: Future Publishing, Getty, BEIJING, McKinsey, Apple, Starbucks, World Bank . U.S Locations: Lianyungang City, East China's Jiangsu Province, Asia, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia

☆ Some Uber and Lyft drivers have learned they can make more money if they're pickier about who they serve
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some Uber and Lyft drivers say being picky about the rides they accept can help their bottom lines. Business Insider asked drivers whether declining certain rides is a good strategy for increasing pay. AdvertisementThere's no cheat code for making money as an Uber or Lyft driver — but some have found strategies that work for them. "I have seen a 50-mile trip that only $20 was offered," Ken previously told Business Insider . Last year, the 70-year-old earned over $28,000 across roughly 1,500 Uber trips.

Persons: —, Lyft, Ken, Nathan Stirk, Uber, hasn't, Bill, Mario Tama, he's, they're, New York Jefferson Siegel, Reuters Fred, Fred Organizations: Business, Service, Reuters Locations: Houston, North Carolina, New York, Virginia

☆ The winning themes of 2023 could mature and keep climbing next year, BlackRock says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investors don't need to abandon the themes that worked in 2023 just because the calendar is about to change, according to BlackRock. Jacobs said that 2023 could prove to be a "year of training" for AI but that the benefits could broaden out going forward. IRBO YTD mountain This broad iShares ETF focused on AI and automation has outperformed the S & P 500 year to date. Mexico stocks, as measured by the iShares Mexico ETF (EWW) , has been a strong performer this year with a total return of 25%, according to FactSet. A competitor fund, the WisdomTree India Earnings Fund (EPI) , has performed better in 2023 with a total return topping 15%.

Persons: Jay Jacobs, Jacobs, IShares, Eli Lilly Organizations: BlackRock, CNBC, Nvidia, Microsoft, Robotics, Intelligence, Technology, Novo Nordisk, Biotechnology, VanEck Pharmaceutical Locations: BlackRock, U.S, United States, Mexico, India

☆ Dating is hard. Have apps made it worse?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“Dating on the apps, it’s ruined dating a bit,” Nguyen-Don, who works as a digital marketing manager, said. “The… design of those dating apps should definitely be held accountable for this kind of dating culture,” Zhou said. His experiences on dating apps were positive, he said, and he valued the ways they introduced him to new people and new experiences. Dating apps know this. For all their flaws, dating apps are unlikely to disappear any time soon.

Persons: Jenny Nguyen, Don, Nguyen, didn’t, WhatsApp, hadn’t, he’d, texted, ” Nguyen, “, Alexis Dougé, Tinder, ”, Dougé, who’s, Benson Zhou, Zhou, ” Zhou, Brian, they’ll, CNN he’s, Foyin Ogunrombi, Ogunrombi, she’s, —, Who’s, Silas Stein, “ It’s, ” Ogunrombi, David Argetsinger, Argetsinger, ” Alissa Wilson, ” Wilson, Maxine Simone Williams, WeMetIRL, ” Williams, Williams, Bumble Organizations: CNN, Twitter, New York University Shanghai Locations: London, TikTok, Atlanta, Johannesburg, South Africa, Everett , Washington, Arlington , Virginia, New York, cologne

☆ A 70-year-old Uber driver explains how canceling over 30% of his rides and only driving during busy periods have helped boost his pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementBill, a part-time Uber driver , began driving for extra income after he retired six years ago. As a result, he's driving less and accepting fewer rides than he used to. Bill said that the standard, non-surge pay rate calculated by Uber in his area is $0.61 per mile. But there are more drivers now: Uber reported that its number of drivers hit a record-high five million in 2022. To avoid one-way rides, Bill asks customers when he picks them up whether their destination is in the area.

Persons: Bill, Uber, He'll, —, he's, He's, I'm, Jacob Zinkula, Scott Olson, they're, Sergio Avedian, Guy Organizations: Service Locations: North Carolina

☆ Morning Bid: Amazon and goldilocks ride to the rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Unlike the reaction to similarly decent results from some of its Big Tech peers this week, shares in the online retail giant Amazon climbed 5% after hours. And both Nasdaq and S&P500 futures were set to bounce into the weekend later after the cash markets closed at their lowest since May. With nominal U.S. growth running at close to 8%, depending on which inflation gauge you use, the heat is impressive. And even the racy headline GDP growth rate was below many assumptions of a 5%-plus print. That bond relief has perhaps flattered the overnight stocks bounce - although on aggregate the earnings season is pretty decent too.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, megacaps, Wang Yi, crumb, Sanofi, TRowe Price, Stanley Black, Decker, CBRE, Christine Lagarde, Jane Merriman Organizations: Chevron Corp, Hess Corp, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Amazon, Big Tech, Nasdaq, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Fed, Big, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Apple, of Japan, European Central Bank, Britain's NatWest, Financial, Authority, University of Michigan, Colgate, Palmolive, Xcel Energy, Charter Communications, Phillips, Central Bank, European Union Summit, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, United States, China, Syria, Europe, Dallas, Abbvie, LyondellBasell, Brussels

☆ Why Walgreens pharmacy workers are walking off the job
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Retail pharmacists and technicians around the country say they’re overworked, underpaid and fed up. Pharmacy staff at Walgreens locations across the country called out of work on Monday to protest harsh working conditions, leaving some stores closed or critically understaffed. Organizers told CNN that hundreds of workers participated in the organized action, which is expected to last through Wednesday. The walkouts come just two weeks after dozens of pharmacy employees at CVS, America’s largest retail pharmacy chain, walked off the job in Kansas City. Walgreens on Monday said it understands “the immense pressures felt across the US in retail pharmacy right now,” according to Fraser Engerman, senior director of external relations at Walgreens.

Persons: ”, Michael Hogue, Shane Jerominski, Amy Thibault, Fraser Engerman, “ There’s, Dr, Peter Bonis, “ I’m, Hogue, Amanda Applegate, don’t, “, Jerry Seinfeld, that’s, CVS walkouts, “ I’ve, they’ve, we’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walgreens, CNN, CVS, Employees, American Pharmacists Association, Community Pharmacists Association, Pharmacists, Walmart, Amazon, Kluwer’s, Wolters Kluwer Health, Pharmacy, Kansas Pharmacists Association, American, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Locations: New York, Kansas City, United States, “, Kansas

☆ Germany Stalling Long-Range Cruise Missile Delivery to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Bojan Pancevski | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/germany-stalling-long-range-cruise-missile-delivery-to-ukraine-66354f53

Persons: Dow Jones, 66354f53 Locations: germany, ukraine

☆ Hedge funds boost bearish bets on US equities amid market jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Carolina Mandl | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 15, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Hedge funds increased their bearish bets mainly on U.S. stocks last week when the major stock indexes plunged, Goldman Sachs (GS.N) showed in a report. The bank said its clients mostly added short positions while also getting rid of long positions. Hedge funds added short positions mainly in so-called macro products, including equity index and exchanged-traded funds, the bank said. Goldman Sachs also said hedge fund managers decided to unwind risk last week, mostly by selling long equity positions.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Carolina Mandl, Richard Chang Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nasdaq, The Bank of Japan, Carolina, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Japan, New York

☆ Opinion: Sha’Carri Richardson says she’s now embracing the most important cause of all
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Opinion Amira Rose Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Over the past week, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Richardson has taken the transformation a step further. Online, her sometimes brash dismissal of other track athletes invited more scorn — particularly from supporters of the Jamaican team. But at the end of the day, I’ve always been with me.”Richardson is very vocal about issues facing track and field athletes. Richardson is very proud to be among prominent Black women athletes and fiercely celebrates Black womanhood. She said, wisely, after winning the 100-meter race that the most important cause she’s embracing is herself.

Persons: Amira Rose Davis, CNN —, Amira Rose Davis Michael, Davis, Sha’Carri Richardson, Richardson, ” Richardson, —, “, “ I’m, I’m, phenom, ”, “ I’ve, I’ve, Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Midge Purce, Dearica Hamby, “ It’s Organizations: Department of, African Diaspora Studies, University of Texas, CNN, US, Louisiana State University, Jamaican, America, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Austin, Budapest, Hungary, Dallas

☆ Taliban stopped 100 women flying to Dubai for university scholarships, UAE billionaire says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Afghan women shout slogans during a rally to protest against what the protesters say is Taliban restrictions on women, in Kabul, Afghanistan, December 28, 2021. REUTERS/Ali Khara/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - The head of a Dubai-based conglomerate on Wednesday said Afghanistan's Taliban authorities had stopped around 100 women from travelling to the United Arab Emirates where he was to sponsor their university education. Spokespeople for the Taliban administration and Afghan foreign affairs ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. They allow Afghans to leave the country but usually require Afghan women travelling long distances and abroad to be accompanied by a male chaperone, such as their husband, father or brother. Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Maha El Dahan Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ali Khara, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Al Habtoor, Charlotte Greenfield, Maha El, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, United, United Arab Emirates, Al, UAE, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Dubai, United Arab, Maha

ORLANDO, Florida, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Investors are hoping policymakers gathering at the Kansas City Fed's annual Jackson Hole Symposium later this month will shed light on one of the murkiest - yet fundamentally most important - tenets of monetary policy: R-star. Even the New York Fed's two most renowned R-star indicators, the Laubach-Williams model and the Holston-Laubach-Williams model, are, metaphorically speaking, miles apart. Martínez-García's estimate of short-term R-star is negative, while the New York Fed staffers' models suggest it has "increased considerably over the past year". The Fed is near the end of its tightening cycle having raised interest rates by 525 basis points to the highest since 2007. Longer-dated real bond yields have shot up to their highest level since 2009 even as market expectations for inflation and Fed rates have held steady.

Persons: Treasuries, Gennadiy Goldberg, Goldberg, Williams, Enrique Martínez, García, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, David Mericle, Jackson, John Williams reckons, Jamie McGeever Organizations: Kansas City Fed's, Fed, New, Dallas Fed, TD Securities, York, Dallas and New York Fed, New York Fed, Citi, Reuters, New York Times, Atlanta, Thomson Locations: ORLANDO, Florida, New York, U.S, Dallas

☆ What we can learn from Simone Biles’ mental health break
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A mental health break seems to have done the trick for champion gymnast Simone Biles. Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesCNN: What can we learn from Simone Biles’ mental health break? There are people who, for their mental health, need to learn to build what’s called frustration tolerance skills. What is good for their mental health, what might be most productive, is learning to stay engaged and overcome feelings of discomfort. CNN: How do you know whether you need a mental health break?

Persons: Simone Biles, “, ” Biles, Chloe Carmichael, Biles, Stacy Revere, she’s, Carmichael, we’re, overdoing, you’re, you’ve, It’s, “ I’m, I’m Organizations: CNN, CNBC, Tokyo, Getty Locations: Hoffman Estates , Illinois, Chloe Carmichael , New York City, overdiscipline

☆ Bank of Japan has its cake and eats it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Governor Kazuo Ueda on Friday shocked global markets by pledging more flexibility in the Bank of Japan’s (8301.T) yield curve control scheme, its mechanism for controlling long-term interest rates. The central bank said its previous rigid target of keeping yields on 10-year sovereign bonds in a range of 0.5% to minus 0.5% was now just a “reference”. And it promised to buy 10-year bonds at 1%, which Ueda defined as a “just-in-case” cap. Traders immediately breached the officially unchanged range; the yield on 10-year government bonds hit a 9-year high of 0.575%. Instead, the bank may have found a way to make it more sustainable.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Bank of Japan’s, Traders, Global, Twitter, Consumers, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Japan, Una

☆ How China, U.S., Russia and Ukraine tension threatens global economic growth: Jeffrey Sachs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Mark Licea | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Geopolitical tension is the biggest risk to companies' bottom lines right now said Columbia University economics professor, Jeffrey Sachs. We should negotiate a peace in Ukraine," Sachs told CNBC. He said issues between China, Ukraine and Russia are major reasons why global profitability is low. Trade conflict between the U.S. and China is strained due to a history involving tariffs, tech rivalry and alleged spying. As a result, the U.S. government is dismantling long-standing supply chain relationships with China, creating supply shocks.

Persons: Jeffrey Sachs, Sachs, we're Organizations: Columbia University, CNBC, U.S Locations: U.S, Ukraine, China, Russia, United States

☆ Morning Bid: As yields and the yen go, so goes the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders in Asia nudged both yields and the dollar a whisker lower on Tuesday, with an eye on Wednesday's U.S. inflation data. Two-year and ten-year Treasury yields are back below 5% and 4%, respectively. The yen is in the driver's seat in foreign exchange markets, as investors pull back on high-yielding bets in emerging markets that have been funded by cheaply borrowed yen. Such trades are placed by selling yen for dollars and then dollars for emerging-market currencies such as the peso or the real, so reversing them requires selling dollars for yen. The yen has risen to the strong side of 141 per dollar for the first time in three weeks.

Persons: Tom Westbrook, Janet Yellen's, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Traders, ., HK, Ant Group, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Asia, U.S, Beijing, Hong Kong

An upcoming study from researchers at Stanford University offers a new way to trace far-flung smoke and pollution back to individual wildfires of origin. What’s burning in a wildfire determines what kind of pollution is in the smoke. Dr. Ford and others have studied wildfire smoke patterns, as well as the resulting exposure to particulate matter pollution. But the Stanford researchers have pulled off something new by putting the two together, she said, especially over so many years and so much land area. Aside from that, Dr. Lin thought the Stanford study would be very useful in figuring out the real human toll of wildfire smoke.

Persons: ”, Jeff Wen, Mr, Wen, Bonne Ford, it’s, Ford, John Lin, Lin, Stanford Organizations: Stanford University, Stanford, . Canadian Forces, Reuters, Seaboard, Colorado State University, University of Utah Locations: United States, U.S, Mistissini, Quebec, Georgia, Florida

☆ Accused in Missing Man’s Grisly Killing: His Ex-Wife and Her Husband
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Erin Nolan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just before 4 p.m. on April 28, 2020, Steven Kraft did as he often did on Tuesday afternoons. He caught up with them over a fast-food dinner before returning them to their mother’s home around 7 p.m.That was the last time anyone saw Mr. Kraft alive. But on Thursday, Mr. Kraft’s ex-wife, Jamie Orsini, and her husband, Nicholas Orsini, were arrested and each charged with one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of conspiracy. The Orsinis are accused of concocting and executing an elaborate scheme to murder Mr. Kraft, 34, and dismember and burn his body, according to a criminal complaint filed in Federal District Court in White Plains, N.Y. Mr. Kraft’s body has not been recovered, according to investigators.

Persons: Steven Kraft, Kraft, Kraft’s, Jamie Orsini, Nicholas Orsini Organizations: Court Locations: Marlboro, N.Y, Beacon, White Plains

☆ I've traveled 18,000 miles in an electric car. Here are the 4 things that surprised me about long-distance EV road trips.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Gia Mora | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She and her partner have traveled 18,000 miles in the electric car on multiple road trips. Here are four things people should know if they're planning to travel long distances in an EV. We arrange to fill up at an Electrify America station every 150 miles or so. More remote charging stations can be adventures in themselvesPlenty of charging stations look exactly as you'd expect, but when we ventured outside of major metropolitan areas, we discovered some unique stops. Green River, Utah, is home to 847 people, one Tesla Supercharger, and four Electrify America stations located beside the tiny, quirky Green River Coffee Company.

Persons: Gia Mora, Morris, it's, I'm, We've, we've, Lucky Buck Organizations: Hyundai, Walmart, Morning, Apple, Walmart Walmart, Sam's, Coffee, Yosemite National Locations: Los Angeles, Colorado, Scottsdale , Arizona, LA, San Diego, Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, America, Walmart's, Plenty, Green River , Utah, Yosemite

☆ The Artists Depicting the Power and Strangeness of Breasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Zoë Lescaze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Not all artists painting breasts are interested in them as sexual objects, but their erotic associations can be difficult to shake. “Or people just like sex.” Frustrated, she took a temporary break from breasts to focus on ankles and hands. Image In oil paintings such as “Figure and Monstera” (2022), Somaya Critchlow imbues her subjects with a sense of interiority and unapologetic sensuality. Credit... © Somaya Critchlow. Endowing them with exaggerated breasts is a provocation to the viewer to move past the obvious.

☆ Why China Doesn’t Have a Property Tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Across China, many local governments are on the brink of insolvency. Central government bailouts are a possibility to rescue cities from their deep budget problems, but China hasn’t turned to a source of revenue that would be an obvious option in other countries: property taxes. In China, where the government owns the land, localities almost never tax homeowners to support services like schools. Revenue from these land sales has plunged in the past year. That knowledge means officials in Beijing could start a nationwide property tax system.

☆ The Elusive Fix for China’s Budget Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Central government bailouts are a possibility to rescue cities from their deep budget problems, but China hasn’t turned to a source of revenue that would be an obvious option in other countries: property taxes. In China, where the government owns the land, localities almost never tax homeowners to support services like schools. Revenue from these land sales has plunged in the past year. Last month, after a decade-long effort that involved 100,000 workers, China’s central government said it had finally figured out who even owns 790 million apartments and other properties. That knowledge means officials in Beijing could start a nationwide property tax system.

Since then, the combined net long hit an all-time high near 840,000 futures and options contracts in April 2022. In the July contracts, soybeans and soymeal fell 5%, corn and soyoil shed around 6% and CBOT wheat plunged 8%. The only period in which funds were more bearish toward CBOT wheat was between July 2016 and January 2018. ADDITIONAL PRESSUREThe downturn continued for corn and wheat futures between Wednesday and Friday, likely increasing bears’ recent momentum in the grains. Most-active CBOT wheat fell nearly 3% over the last three sessions and featured a dip on Friday to the lowest levels since July 2021.

☆ Goldman Sachs says these 'compelling' stocks are earnings season winners
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Sifting through the flood of financial reports this week, Goldman Sachs analysts have named a slew of stocks poised for more growth ahead. Constellation Brands Shares of the beer and wine maker are just too attractive to ignore, the firm said. Braze "Long-term fundamentals are intact," analyst Gabriella Borges said of the cloud software marketing company. Braze shares are up more than 7% this year, after coming off of a better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter report . Importantly, the company raised its full year outlook at the high end of prior range, with ~8% net sales growth and ~11% adj.

☆ Factbox: Lithium key element for electric vehicle ramp up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Chile, the world's second largest lithium producer, said it plans to transfer control of the production of the mineral essential for electric vehicle (EV) batteries to a new state-owned company. Australia is the world's largest lithium producer, but Chile has by far the largest known reserves. Battery grade lithium prices touched record levels of $85,000 a tonne in December, but have slumped by nearly 50% since then. EV battery makers have developed multiple types of lithium battery products. Lithium demand is expected to balloon to 3 million tonnes a year by 2030 from only 300,000 tonnes in 2020, according to Bank of America analysts.

Search resuls for: "Ling Long"

25 mentions found