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☆ An investor with a $1.8 million portfolio says he sees financial crises as the perfect time to invest in stocks — here's his strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Leo Ginsburg | Nathan Rennolds | Business Insider Deutschland | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

His total portfolio is worth around $1.8 million. He broke down his investment strategy for Insider and why he saw crises as opportunities. He started investing in the stock market 30 years ago and now has a portfolio worth $1.8 million, he told Insider in an interview. Schäfer told Insider about his investment strategy and how he used financial crises to his advantage. "A nice entry point is when a successful company is experiencing a problem and the stock price halves," Schäfer said.

☆ Elon Musk has just given this little-known Twitter exec the toughest job in advertising right now
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Twitter executive Robin Wheeler is leading the company's global ad sales teams. But she is now de facto Twitter ad sales chief, and those who know her say she's used to navigating complex problems. Advertisers describe a sales team hampered by an information vaccuum as Musk unleashes chaos through his tweetsOne of Wheeler's biggest tasks is getting a depleted ad sales team organized and running. From AOL to Twitter, Wheeler has managed sales teams in crisis beforeWheeler has operated successfully in chaotic environments before. In 2020, she become the commercial lead for MoPub, Twitter's ad network that helped publishers and app developers sell mobile ads.

☆ Stocks usually climb in the year after midterms. These Club names have been big winners in prior cycles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The S & P 500 advanced 11.7% in that stretch. 2014 election The S & P 500 rose 4.5% between Nov. 4, 2014 and Nov. 4, 2015. These are the five best-performing Club stocks over those 12 months: Amazon (AMZN), Starbucks (SBUX), Constellation Brands (STZ), Nvidia (NVDA) and Meta Platforms. 2010 election Between Nov. 2, 2010 and Nov. 2, 2011, the S & P 500 climbed 3.7%. 2006 election The S & P 500 rose 6.7% between Nov. 7, 2006 and Nov. 7, 2007.

☆ Market veteran says a new bull market is 'not far away' — and reveals how to play it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The stock market has experienced a series of bear market rallies this year. Demmert said the bear market is now its "third and final phase." It is now in its 11 th month of a typical 12–15-month cycle, according to Demmert — indicating that a bottom could be close. "It's sort of an all-weather company at this point because they have the dominant exposure in that market globally. "That's where people go where they think it's safe, such as Google [parent Alphabet ] and Microsoft in the tech space.

☆ Court records show law firm Brown Rudnick was hacked in 2020 and its insurance paid a $2 million ransom
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The law firm's cyber insurer paid a ransom and wants to hold a tech vendor liable for $2.4 million. The law firm was one of several breached, including Goodwin Procter and Jones Day. The law firm Brown Rudnick paid criminal hackers $2 million in 2020 so they wouldn't publish confidential records online, and its insurer is still trying to recoup the money it spent responding to the attack, Insider has discovered. The software company paid out millions of dollars to settle with people and businesses impacted by the hack. Brown Rudnick’s name was included in a technical alert that was pasted into the lawsuit by its insurance company.

☆ Here's what we've learned about the health of the consumer this earnings season
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Conversely, e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN) has seen sales growth slow, in part due to consumers scaling back online purchases. "We are seeing evidence that the consumer pullback is persisting, if not, worsening," the analysts wrote in a note last week. For October, the retailer reported sales growth of 6.7%, slower than the growth seen in both September and August. Management has acknowledged sales growth is lower in 2022 but said its "beating the rest of the industry." Meanwhile, P & G reported 7% sales growth year-over-year for its fiscal-first quarter, despite having increased prices to preserve its profit margins.

☆ Apple's ad business is quietly expanding into streaming ads and sponsorship, as it pitches $4 million packages for Major League Soccer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple's advertising empire is extending into its Apple TV service. Apple's advertising empire is set to expand beyond the App Store when Apple TV begins broadcasting Major League Soccer for ten seasons beginning February 2023 — a global deal that is costing Apple $250 million per season. The next tier comes at $3 million and the last tier was described by one person familiar as more "a la carte," in which advertisers can cherry-pick a smaller number of specific placements. The Apple TV app will host an exclusive MLS streaming service, and Apple TV+ customers and MLS season ticket holders will be able to access it for free. Today, that business is mostly focused on search ads in the App Store, as well as ads within its News and Stocks apps.

☆ 2 top investors identify fintech trends flying under the radar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Payments and lending are receiving a lot of hype from venture capitalists, but two investors say that needs to change. That's lagging well behind 2021, which saw more than $46 billion raised by US fintechs at this point last year. Kemp and Russ told Insider the top areas they feel have flown under the radar within fintech. B2B PaymentsThe direct-to-consumer space has become digitized and somewhat commoditized, Kemp told Insider. Financial education, equity and accessVenture capital is overlooking a lot of companies doing interesting things around financial education, financial equity, and giving underserved populations access to much-needed financial tools, Russ told Insider.

☆ New hope China may soften on Covid boosts our stocks most tied to world's No. 2 economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

After all, Chinese officials have not announced an official transition away from their very strict Covid policy. Nevertheless, the moves in certain stocks tied to China — including many owned by the Club — show the market is taking the vaccine policy change in stride. The cosmetics giant has a big China business and just a few days ago it cut its sales guidance partly due to China's Covid policy. The price move provided some support for oil stocks in Friday's volatile stock market. It's not immediately clear when expatriates in China could actually start getting a shot of the BioNTech-Pfizer Covid vaccine.

☆ Civil rights leaders call for all advertisers to stop spending on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The coalition, dubbed #StopToxicTwitter, consists of organizations including Media Matters, Free Press, Accountable Tech and Color of Change. The group is now urging companies to pause spending on Twitter, fearing that widespread layoffs at the company could impede Twitter's ability to moderate content on the site. Twitter gets over 90% of its revenue from advertising, though Musk has said there will be new subscription offerings with premium features. Angelo Clarisonic of Media Matters said in response that the pressure on Twitter is coming from advertisers and not merely the activists. González said that when she spoke to Musk earlier this week, "he seemed genuine but his actions have betrayed his words."

☆ Jim Cramer says to parse the Dow for recession-resilient stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Thursday advised investors on where to look for stocks that can withstand a potential economic downturn. "The Dow Jones Industrial Average is filled with relatively cheap stocks because traders assume these 30 old-line companies are the most vulnerable to a recession. Dow stocks that Cramer has touted as recession-resilient names in recent weeks include Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble . Cramer also reiterated his advice to sell volatile tech stocks in favor of financial, oil and health care names. Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.

The drop is not just because industrial companies are turning down thermostats, they are also shutting down plants that may never reopen. And while lower energy use helps Europe weather the crisis sparked by Russia's war in Ukraine and Moscow's supply cuts, executives, economists and industry groups warn its industrial base may end up severely weakened if high energy costs persist. Reuters GraphicsThe International Energy Agency estimates European industrial gas demand fell by 25% in the third quarter from a year earlier. "We are doing all we can to prevent a reduction in industrial activity," an European Commission spokesperson said in an email. "From Jan. 1, we will be able to switch to oil," company executive Wolfgang Ott said, as the company seeks government help to cushion energy costs.

☆ Jim Cramer says these 8 stocks can withstand the Fed’s tightening cycle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Tuesday offered investors a list of stocks that he thinks will weather the market turbulence ahead. Leaders like health care, leaders like the oils, leaders like the financials that lay off people as a matter of course. He also echoed his sentiment that tech stocks are no longer market leaders and should be avoided. "When there was lots of free money sloshing around, you wanted to know how much free money you could get. Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Constellation Brands, Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.

☆ With the Dow outperforming, here's how investors can harness the stock index
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Of the three major stock market indices, investors currently favor the Dow Jones Industrial Average – particularly in the wake of last week's dismal quarterly reports by mega cap tech firms and the subsequent sell off. So, given this backdrop, how can investors harness an outperforming Dow when constructing their portfolio? The simplest approach would be to look at the companies that comprise the index and pick those with further room to run. Here's a rundown of how we measure our portfolio against the Dow across health-care, finance and semiconductor stocks. Photo taken on March 1, 2022 shows monitors displaying stock market information at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, the United States.

☆ Here's how 8 Club stocks also in the Dow did during the average's best month since 1976
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Dow Industrials just chalked up the best month since 1976 — and out of the 30 stocks that make up the average, we hold eight of them in the Club portfolio. Here's how all of our stocks in the Dow did in the month. Salesforce (CRM) had the third-largest gain of the eight Club stocks in the Dow, rising 13% in October. Keep in mind that for the year, J & J has outperformed the Dow as investors have flocked to classic defensive pockets of the market like health care. J & J closed at nearly $174 on Monday.

☆ Marketers Brace to Defend Their Ad Budgets in an Unsteady Economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Megan Graham | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

ORLANDO, Fla.—An opening session of a major marketing conference this week included a quick mention of a conversation many industry executives expect to be having soon. As the ad industry braces for whatever broader macroeconomic troubles come its way, its executives expect history to repeat itself: When the economy sputters, companies frequently reduce their ad and marketing budgets. Bob Liodice, chief executive of the Association of National Advertisers, at its conference this week in Orlando. The 4A’s has put together a paper on “recession-profing,” which argues that defending marketing budgets is synonymous with maintaining brand health long-term and keeping customer advocates. The consulting firm Analytic Partners promised during a virtual-only workshop to help marketers defend their spending to the C-suite.

☆ Here's a round up of 8 price target changes we made in Club stocks post earnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Matthew J. Belvedere | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here's a rundown of the price target changes we recently made in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio we use for the CNBC Investing Club. However, we cut our price target to $140 per share from $160, acknowledging headwinds due to rising interest rates and lower earnings estimates. We lowered our price target for the Google parent to $130 per share from $160. Microsoft (MSFT): Despite our longer-term positive view, we reduced our price target to $300 per share from $375. We said Tuesday evening that Microsoft's fiscal second-quarter guidance will likely lead to downward earnings and price target revisions from analysts on Wall Street.

☆ Unilever CFO Struggles With Forecasting Accuracy Amid High Inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Unilever on Thursday said its expected net inflation from materials is €4.5 billion—equivalent to $4.5 billion—for 2022, up from €1.3 billion the previous year. Materials inflation generally ranged from €100 million to €300 million during the years before 2021, Mr. Pitkethly said. “Our forecasting accuracy has been a lot worse over the last year or so since this period of inflation hit,” he said. Graeme Pitkethly, chief financial officer at Unilever. Further hiking prices in the fourth quarter is a “distinct possibility,” Mr. Pitkethly said, adding he doesn’t expect the increases to deter consumer demand.

☆ Facebook used to be a Big Tech giant — now Meta isn't even in the top 20 most valuable U.S. companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Ari Levy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Far from Facebook's Big Tech days, Meta is no longer among the 20 most valuable U.S. companies after the stock sank 23% on Thursday. The company has shed 70% of its value this year and 74% since the stock peaked in September 2021, totaling over $730 billion in market cap lost. It's now worth half as much as Berkshire Hathaway and has a smaller market cap than companies including UnitedHealth , Chevron , Eli Lilly , Procter & Gamble , Bank of America and AbbVie . Within tech, the other two companies Meta has fallen behind are Tesla and Nvidia . Next on the list would be Oracle , which is currently valued at just over $200 billion, or $70 billion below Meta.

"The peak of pricing and commodities will be the second half of this year," he added, saying supply chain cost inflation is starting to come down. Despite those pressures, Reckitt now expects like-for-like sales growth of 6%-8% in 2022, compared with its previous guidance of 5%-8%. "Clearly consumers are buying a little less in more discretionary categories," Carr said, flagging that sales volumes had declined in the supplements, vitamins and air freshener categories. Sales volumes declined 4.6%. Once all these one-offs are excluded, some sell-side analysts believe underlying sales growth is far more modest and close to the bottom end of medium-term sales growth guidance."

☆ Reckitt upbeat on sales outlook as prices rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The higher prices, which are contributing to a global cost-of-living crisis, are denting sales volumes as many people turn to cheaper or private label products. The company's third-quarter like-for-like revenue rose 7.4%, above the 6.1% growth analysts had expected in a company-supplied poll. Sales volumes declined 4.6%. Prices for the company's products rose 12% in the quarter. Reckitt, which has held off on price increases in this category, said it estimated this benefit to have added about 3% to net revenue growth in the third quarter.

German chemicals maker Covestro (1COV.DE) lowered its 2022 earnings guidance for the third time this year, blaming gas and raw material prices. Gas prices in Europe have eased in response to an unusually warm October and projections of a mild winter. The group, which relies heavily on natural gas, is buying from outside Europe, where prices are lower. RACE TO CUT COSTSCompanies across Europe are racing to reduce their energy use ahead of the winter when demand increases as households turn up the heat. Chemical companies are among the hardest hit by the energy crisis because they use gas as a raw material for production and as an energy source.

☆ Flying taxis, robotic avatars and holograms — Saudi Arabia pushes ahead with its sci-fi city vision
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Emma Procter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The future Site of the city Neom, a planned cross-border city, stands empty before development begins in the Tabuk Province of northwestern Saudi Arabia, December 18, 2019. NEOM political map of the 500 billion dollar megacity project in Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea coast. Granger's firm has been working closely with Neom and she believes the view of Saudi Arabia among the business community has changed inexorably. The aim is to transform and grow the kingdom's media industry — another key focus of the Vision 2030 plan. Visitors watch a 3D presentation during an exhibition on 'Neom', a new business and industrial city, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 25, 2017.

Along with other consumer goods companies, Unilever has faced a surge in labor, freight and ingredients costs. Billionaire Peltz in recent weeks met two possible contenders to replace Jope, one of the sources said. FLORIDA TALKSEven before Jope announced his departure, Peltz met with a former consumer goods CEO in Florida, one of the sources said. In the last month, Peltz and his team also approached another former consumer packaged goods CEO about the Unilever job, the source said. Peltz supports Unilever's sustainability strategy, including a plan to decarbonize the company's business units, Unilever has said.

☆ For the Well-Off, the Economy Is Still in a Postpandemic Spending Boom
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Jon Sindreu | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wealthier households own most of the stock market. They may also hold the keys to a stock-market rebound—in the form of their own spending. In recent weeks, many consumer-facing companies have warned of lower sales and earnings than Wall Street expected. Examples include KitchenAid owner Whirlpool , Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung and apparel labels like Adidas and H&M . Packaged-goods giants such as Procter & Gamble and Nestlé are making more money by raising prices, but still reported falling sales volumes.

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