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☆ The chip stock is getting a ton of love from Wall Street, and it's not Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A major chipmaker is getting a lot of love on Wall Street — and no, it's not Nvidia . Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company posted third-quarter results Thursday that topped analysts' expectations. While the company reported its largest profit decline since 2019, it signaled a looming end to a difficult inventory correction. The Taiwan-based semiconductor company plays an integral role in the attention-grabbing artificial intelligence chipmaking industry, supplying products to Apple , Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices . However, now may mark an opportune time for long-term investors to get into a company poised to experience mid- to high-teens growth in 2024.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Bruce Lu, Lu, Brad Lin, Gokul Hariharan, Hariharan, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Taiwan Semiconductor, Apple, Bank of America, JPMorgan Locations: 2024E, Taiwan, China, U.S

☆ Tesla story 'broken?' Analysts cut their price targets on the electric car maker after disappointing third-quarter earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

TSLA 1D mountain Tesla shares Many analysts covering Tesla had already forecast margin pressures due to lagging sales and just reiterated their ratings on the company's shares following Wednesday's release. Goldman Sachs reduced its price target to $235 from $265, which implies 3.2% downside. He reiterated his underperform rating and $150 price target on shares, which implies 38% downside from Wednesday's close. The bank reiterated its neutral rating, while bringing down its price target to $255 from $271. Even Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas trimmed his price target to $380 from $400, though the new forecast still implies more than 56% upside.

Persons: weren't, Elon Musk, Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Mark Delaney, Delaney, Toni Sacconaghi, Bernstein, Wells Fargo, Wells, Colin Langan, Langan, Musk's, Phillippe Houchois, Itay Michaeli, Michaeli, Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas, Jonas, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Jefferies, Citi, U.S, EV, Tesla, Network Services, Mobility, Party, Energy, Insurance Locations: Mexico, Wells, Musk's Cybertruck

☆ ESG is 'as crowded as ever,' AllianceBernstein says, naming 'high conviction' stock ideas to play it
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

ESG is "as crowded as ever," according to AllianceBernstein, which revealed "high conviction" stock ideas to play it. Here are some of their "high conviction" stock ideas to play the theme. 'High conviction' stock ideas AllianceBernstein likes German athletic apparel company Adidas for its "best-in-class" ESG credentials. They gave the firm an outperform rating at a price target of 151 Swedish krona ($13.83), which represents an upside of around 57%. American fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill was also given an outperform rating, and a price target of $2,300 – representing upside of around 26%.

Persons: Ann Larson, AllianceBernstein, ESG, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Adidas Locations: North America, Europe, Asia, American, Swedish, U.S

☆ S&P 500 to mount 'relief rally' to new record before year-end, says Piper Sandler chart analyst
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Piper Sandler is bullish on the strength of the S & P 500 , calling for the broad-market index to end the year at 4,825 — a nearly 12% rally from Wednesday's close — even as high Treasury yields have dented stocks. Markets are facing a broad array of hurdles, including ongoing economic headwinds, inflation worries and increased turmoil as tensions build in the Middle East. Underlying signs of improvement Johnson noted increased strength from earnings this week and a better-than-expected retail sales report . In particular, stocks of financial companies and names in the consumer discretionary space have perked up, he said. The recent runup in Treasury yields has slowed the advance of equities, Johnson noted.

Persons: Piper Sandler, Craig Johnson, Johnson, Goldman Sachs, Russell, advancers, decliners, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Treasury, Bank of America, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Locations: Wednesday's

☆ Piper Sandler names its 'highest conviction' large-cap stock to own into the year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Piper Sandler named Microsoft as its "highest conviction" large-cap stock to own into the year-end. Analysts from the financial services company pointed to a few drivers for the stock in an Oct. 15 note. Piper Sandler also described Microsoft's upcoming M365 Copilot in November as a catalyst. Piper Sandler is optimistic, noting there's been increased traffic to Microsoft's Copilot adoption website. Piper Sandler believes it has further upside, giving it a price target of $400.

Persons: Piper Sandler, there's, Amy Hood, It's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Jordan Novet Organizations: Microsoft, OpenAI

☆ What new U.S. export controls on China mean for Nvidia and other key parts of AI ecosystem
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Washington's tightened grip on artificial intelligence chip sales to China could have long-term implications for Nvidia , 2023's famed AI darling. Through Wednesday's close, Nvidia, the dominant AI player, had lost 7% this week, while Advanced Micro Devices and Marvell Technology slumped more than 2%. What it means for Nvidia Nvidia said in an SEC filing this week that the latest government curbs could hinder its new product development timeline, and a handful of chip models. The major aim of the latest U.S. restrictions is to prevent China from harnessing advanced semiconductor chips to strengthen its military. To be sure, Nvidia isn't the only company slated to feel the pressure from the latest export curbs.

Persons: Greg Bassuk, Atif Malik, Morgan Stanley's Joseph Moore, Malik, America's Vivek Arya, Harlan Sur, Goldman Sachs, Toshiya Hari, Paul Meeks, Meeks, Charles Shi, JPMorgan's, Raymond James, Srini Pajjuri, Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, U.S . Commerce Department, Devices, Marvell Technology, Commerce Department, Micron Technology, AXS Investments, Nvidia Nvidia, SEC, United, United Arab Emirates, Citi, Intel, Investments, Bank, America's, JPMorgan Chase, Lam Locations: China, Boise , Idaho, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Freemont , California

☆ 'They crushed it.' Analysts cheer Netflix's strong third-quarter earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Netflix 's better-than-expected quarterly earnings has analysts cheering the company's new subscriber growth initiatives, keeping them optimistic on the stock's growth potential. Yoon increased his price target to $390 from $375, implying 12.6% upside potential from Wednesday's close. Shares already rallied more than 13% Thursday during premarket trading, surpassing his price target. Anmuth raised his price target to $480 from $455, implying shares could jump 38.6% from Wednesday's close. UBS, Citi and Evercore all reiterated their price targets of $500 on shares, while Bank of America kept its $525 target price.

Persons: Bernstein, Laurent Yoon, Yoon, Goldman Sachs, Eric Sheridan, Doug Anmuth, Anmuth, Brian Kraft, Kraft, John Hodulik, Hodulik, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Mark Mahaney, Mahaney, –, Michael Bloom Organizations: Netflix, ARM, JPMorgan, Deutsche, Bloomberg, UBS, Citi, Bank of America, of America, Global, Revenue Locations: U.S, Wednesday's

☆ Analysts are nervous heading into Tesla's third-quarter earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Wall Street will be closely looking at Tesla's gross margins to gauge if the trough has passed — or if there's more downside potential ahead. Ahead of Tesla's quarterly release, several Wall Street analysts have pulled back their performance forecasts. Wells Fargo cuts target price Wells Fargo trimmed its price target by $5 to $260 on Oct. 9, leaving its investment recommendation at equal weight. However, we doubt either will be enough, and therefore more px cuts, particularly globally, may be needed in Q4 to hit the delivery target." The broker has a sell rating on the stock and a price target of $125 which, if reached, would send Tesla 49% lower.

Persons: Tesla, StreetAccount, they've, Elon, Piper Sandler, slowdowns Piper Sandler, Wells, Goldman Sachs, Tesla Goldman Sachs, Guggenheim, bearish Guggenheim, Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank, Deutsche Bank, Wall, Tesla, Austin & Shanghai Locations: StreetAccount, 4Q23, China, Austin, EVs, U.S

☆ Buy this newly public chipmaker that can rally more than 20%, KeyBanc says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should pick up shares of Arm as the world becomes increasingly reliant on the company's intellectual property over time, according to KeyBanc. "This will only increase the industry's reliance on Arm IP, ultimately resulting in royalty rate expansion and market share gains." Vinh expects Arm to gain market share in the data center, networking and automotive sectors to support outsized growth. Arm's market share gains will be greatest within cloud infrastructure, where it's expected to increase from 10% in 2022 to 28% by 2025, according to KeyBanc. Within the auto sector, Arm is expected to have 78% of market share by 2031.

Persons: KeyBanc, IoT, John Vinh, Vinh, Michael Bloom Organizations: ARM, Arm Holdings

☆ Morgan Stanley says this China stock is a global video game 'powerhouse' with 40% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should scoop up shares of NetEase before it hits the global runway, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Alex Poon maintained his overweight rating on the China-based technology company and raised his price target by $15 to $150. "After tripling its market share in China in the last decade, NetEase is emerging as a global video games content powerhouse by forming synergistic partnerships with gaming industry veterans globally that will likely drive a similar runway for its global market share," Poon wrote in a Tuesday note. Another potential boost to NetEase's growth is its long-term goal to develop at least one-third of its global IPs in future, which would drive half of its game revenue from international markets and provide "significant upside" to its current global market share of roughly 1%, the analyst said. NetEase expects its international studios to start releasing game titles in 2025.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Alex Poon, Poon, NetEase, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Locations: NetEase, China

☆ Citi cuts Nvidia price target on U.S. chip export restrictions to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Citi maintained its buy rating on Nvidia but lowered its price target to $575 from $630. The bank's lowered outlook comes after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new export restrictions Tuesday that would curb the sale of more advanced artificial intelligence chips to China. The move will restrict the export of Nvidia's A800 and H800 chips as the federal government attempts to further tighten last year's restrictions on AI chip exports. Malik lowered his full-year 2025 earnings per share by 0.3% to reflect lowered China exposure with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards. Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore lowered his target by $30 to $600 on the back of the new export controls.

Persons: Atif Malik, Malik, Morgan Stanley, Joseph Moore, Moore, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Citi, Nvidia, U.S . Department of Commerce, NVIDIA, federal, United Arab Locations: China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

☆ ASML is a top pick despite mixed third-quarter results, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bank of America is confident in semiconductor equipment maker ASML Holding as a long-term play despite the company's mixed earnings report. The Dutch technology firm reported slightly weaker-than-expected net sales for third quarter and a net profit that was about in line with an LSEG consensus forecast. Those figures — €6.67 billion for net sales and €1.89 billion in net sales — represent quarter-over-quarter declines. Still, ASML reaffirmed its guidance for net sales to increase 30% year on year for 2023. ASML YTD mountain ASML stock.

Persons: Didier Scemama, ASML, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: of America, ASML, Bank of America Locations: Dutch, China

☆ Morgan Stanley says buy this real estate name focused on sustainability after sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hannon Armstrong 's improving fundamentals should lead to a turnaround for the stock, according to Morgan Stanley. Structured as a real estate investment trust, Hannon Armstrong provides renewable energy projects with debt and equity capital. HASI YTD mountain HASI YTD chart The analysts believe the selloff cannot be justified when given the company's strategic business decisions, along with its balance sheet flexibility and move toward an equity self-funding model. Additionally, Morgan Stanley noted that the sustainable investment firm's high cash flow can support steady dividends to come. Morgan Stanley isn't the only firm on Wall Street that likes Hannon Armstrong.

Persons: Hannon Armstrong, Morgan Stanley, Andrew Percoco, Hannon Armstrong's, HASI, Morgan Stanley isn't, Baird, — CNBC's Michael Bloom

☆ The analysts who study price charts for a living don’t like this stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The stock market is showing signs of shaking off its late summer slump, paving the way for a potential year-end rally. The S & P 500 is up more than 3% since Oct. 3 and has risen comfortably above its 200-day moving average near 4,200. And other indexes that try to better represent the entire market than the S & P 500 are showing weakness, according to a Monday note from Strategas strategist Chris Verrone. "These have been very messy charts, but both the equal-weight S & P and the Russell 2000 are again back to negative standing in our proprietary trend model," Verrone said. "The S & P 500 continues to track its seasonal tendency as well.

Persons: JC O'Hara, Roth MKM, Jonathan Krinsky, Chris Verrone, Russell, Verrone, Verrone's, Jason Trennert, Frank Gretz, Wellington Shields, Gretz, Oppenheimer, Ari Wald, " Wald, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Wall, Nasdaq, Wellington, CNBC Locations: U.S, uptrends

☆ A widely followed Wall Street survey shows investors turning bearish again, raising cash levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Professional investors are turning more bearish again amid the current macro backdrop, according to a closely watched Wall Street survey from Bank of America. The bank's Global Fund Manager survey showed investors have upped their cash levels and are maintaining a pessimistic outlook on growth and the economy. Specifically, strategist Michael Hartnett said the cash allocation among those surveyed increased to 5.3% from 4.9%, while staying neutral on stocks. "1 out of 4 [fund manager survey] investors expect that there will be no recession in the next 18 months," Hartnett said. A record number of respondents also indicated that monetary policy remains too tight, while fiscal policy is too easy.

Persons: Michael Hartnett, Hartnett, —, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank of America, Global, Reserve

☆ Amazon has room to go higher even after this year's 58% rally, Stifel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon 's sheer scale and potential for margin improvements should give it a leg up, according to Stifel. Shares of Amazon have rallied nearly 58% this year. AMZN YTD mountain AMZN ytd chart Kelley pointed out that, since its inception, Amazon has overtaken other e-commerce platforms in terms of sheer scale. "We also note that Amazon offers broader ad tech tools and is now a Pinterest advertising partner, offering Amazon advertisers as an incremental demand source." Kelley's comments comes after Amazon held its Prime Big Deal Days event earlier this month.

Persons: Mark Kelley, Kelley, Kelley's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Amazon, Deal

☆ JPMorgan's top strategist says buy more gold, stay underweight stocks because of high rates, geopolitics
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

JPMorgan's top strategist is telling investors to buy more gold and remain underweight stocks. All three major averages remain higher this month, shrugging off higher yields and the breakout of the Israel-Hamas conflict. "Our outlook is likely to remain cautious as long as interest rates remain deeply restrictive, valuations expensive, and the overhang of geopolitical risks persists," Kolanovic wrote. In fact, the strategist expects the upward march in equities is 'unsustainable' in a higher-for-longer interest rate environment. Equities are up YTD mostly on multiple expansion while real rates and cost of capital are moving deeper into restric-tive territory," Kolanovic wrote.

Persons: Marko Kolanovic, Kolanovic, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Locations: Israel

☆ As oil prices rise, these global stocks are set to outperform: Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has seen oil prices jump as investors consider the risk of wider geopolitical issues across the Middle East. These rising prices will benefit a number of stocks, according to Paulina Strzelinska, quant strategist at Bank of America. Outperformers when natural gas prices rise In a separate screen, Bank of America revealed its list of companies that tend to outperform when natural gas prices rise. Equinor is listed on both the Oslo Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, while Rio Tinto is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange. Meanwhile Anglo American has a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Persons: Paulina Strzelinska, Brent, Duncan Wanbald, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Sam Meredith Organizations: Hamas, Bank of America, Bank, Boliden, Royce, Aegon, Galp Energia, Wolters Kluwer, London Stock Exchange, Oslo Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Rio Tinto, Australian Securities Exchange, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Reuters Locations: Israel, Europe, Antofagasta, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Rio Tinto, Rio, American, Johannesburg

☆ JPMorgan sees 20% upside for this information security firm with 'best-in-class' revenue growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CyberArk will retain its strong position as an industry leader, and investors should buy its stock, according to JPMorgan. Analyst Brian Essex still sees upside for the name, given increasing demand toward high priority cybersecurity spending. CYBR YTD mountain CYBR YTD chart "CyberArk has underperformed our coverage universe YTD with recent pressure due in part to concerns over the company's operational exposure to Israel," he wrote. Besides increased demand, Essex thinks CyberArk's growth outlook is exceedingly strong due to government traction and future deal wins. The company's 40% year-over-year growth in the second quarter of 2023 was "best-in-class," and the analyst forecasts this strong revenue growth will continue going forward.

Persons: Brian Essex, CyberArk, Essex, Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, CAC Locations: Israel, Essex

☆ Goldman says it's time to buy this dollar store chain that has fallen 20% this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar Tree 's investments into improving its store experience for consumers are finally paying off, according to Goldman Sachs. Dollar stores have been recently slammed by deteriorating consumer fundamentals and investor sentiment, as gas prices have risen and student loan payments resumed. Dollar Tree, for example, has seen its stock slide 22% since the start of the year. McShane noted that Dollar Tree's "recent investments in price, labor and merchandising" should also serve as catalysts. All in all, McShane believes Dollar Tree's multiyear initiatives should propel the company forward to generate its targeted earnings of $10 per share in 2026.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Kate McShane, McShane, — CNBC's Michael Bloom

☆ Pfizer gets upgrade at Jefferies, which says there's a buying opportunity in the pharma giant's stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jefferies thinks its time for investors to go long on Pfizer . "In our view, PFE has one of the most intriguing catalyst paths over the next yr in large cap pharma and trades ~15% below where it traded at the start of the COVID pandemic." The analyst added Pfizer has already presented "an impressive innovation framework" that has helped the company adapt to healthcare headwinds, which underpinned the bullish long-term view. "During the pandemic, Pfizer in collaboration with Biontech rolled out COVID vaccines in a historical timeframe. PFE YTD mountain Pfizer stock YTD — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

Persons: Jefferies, Akash Tewari, it's, Tewari, PFE, Biontech, Paxlovid, Michael Bloom Organizations: Pfizer, pharma

☆ Despite headwinds from the UAW strikes, Barclays sees 20% upside for this under-the-radar auto stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stellantis ' strong growth outlook should successfully mitigate any headwinds from the ongoing United Auto Workers strike, according to Barclays. Barclays' price target of €22.5, or $23.74, implies more than 20% upside from Stellantis' $19.68 close Friday afternoon. Despite this, Stellantis' stock is still trading near its all-time highs after rallying close to 40% so far this year. STLA YTD mountain STLA ytd chart Analyst Henning Cosman acknowledged that many investors may be reluctant to jump into the stock at its current elevated levels. As another risk factor, Cosman believes the company will not be able to report a clean set of earnings until July 2024 or August 2024 given the current strike.

Persons: Stellantis, Henning Cosman, Cosman, Carlos Tavares, Michael Bloom Organizations: United Auto Workers, Barclays, UAW, EU, US Auto Locations: Amsterdam

☆ Stifel upgrades Colgate-Palmolive, sees 14% upside driven by strong Hill's pet food sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Colgate-Palmolive has more upside ahead than downside, according to Stifel. Still, the new forecast implies roughly 14% upside from Friday's $70.95 close. Colgate-Palmolive stock has slipped nearly 10% since the start of the year. CL YTD mountain Colgate-Palmolive stock. Stifel also expects year-over-year market share improvement in Colgate toothpaste, "which began in 1Q22 following years of share underperformance, to continue," Astrachan said.

Persons: Mark Astrachan, Stifel, Astrachan, Morgan Stanley, Morgan, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Colgate, Palmolive Locations: 2Q23, 3Q23, 1Q22

☆ Amid a rocky market in preferred securities, Bank of America finds opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

It hasn't been a great time for preferred securities. Yet Bank of America sees opportunity in some areas of the market. The ICE BofA Core Plus Fixed Rate Preferred Securities index, which has an effective yield of 6.71%, has seen a total return of -7% in the last six months. "Having said that, we think that certain names and pockets of the market may offer relative value," Youngworth said. Here are some of the $25 par fixed-rate preferreds Bank of America recommends, which have at least two years of call protection.

Persons: Michael Youngworth, He's, Youngworth, — CNBC'S Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank of America, ICE, Securities, preferreds Bank of America

☆ These AI 'enablers, adopters and adapters' are seeing earnings grow and their stocks outperform, Evercore ISI says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

But companies with upward earnings per share revisions that mention artificial intelligence could be positioned to outperform, according to Evercore ISI. Evercore ISI estimates that the search giant has a 44% exposure to generative AI. The power management company, up nearly 34% this year, is well-situated to benefit as AI revolutionizes the industrial sector, Evercore ISI said. "ETN's electrical business is the driver of its stock at 70%-75% of total company sales and earnings," Emanuel wrote. Evercore ISI also highlighted Booking Holdings , Arista Networks , CarMax and Pure Storage on its screen of AI winners.

Persons: JPM, Julian Emanuel, Emanuel, financials, Eaton, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: ISI, Nvidia, Google, JPMorgan Chase, JPMorgan, Holdings, Arista Networks

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