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☆ Everyday investors are feeling good about the market again
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Retail investors are optimistic about the stock market again despite a backdrop of geopolitical and economic uncertainty. CNN’s Fear & Greed Index, which measures seven barometers of market sentiment, closed at an “extreme greed” reading on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, investors are largely bullish on artificial intelligence-related stocks over the next three months, according to the Schwab survey. The job market has also stayed remarkably strong even as interest rates hover around a 23-year high, helping keep recession worries at bay. About 48% of traders believe the US will likely avoid a recession this year, up from 23% last quarter, according to the Schwab survey.

Persons: Charles Schwab, Schwab, ”, James Kostulias, stoking, Anna Bahney, —, Lawrence Yun, Read, Henri Nestlé, Wegovy, Hanna Ziady, Mark Schneider, ” Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Retail, “, Dow Jones, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal, National Association of Realtors, NAR Locations: New York, United Kingdom, Japan, Washington, Swiss

☆ California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers could make burgers and chicken so expensive that people just buy more groceries instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some diners could be put off eating out when fast-food prices in California go up in the spring. The state is raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour, prompting restaurants to hike menu prices. California is putting up the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour on April 1 — and it could make restaurant prices so unpalatable that people buy more groceries to cook at home instead. The state's current general minimum wage is $16 an hour, compared to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 . But the new statewide legislation, AB 1228, will only create a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers.

Persons: Jon Tower, Jack, Darin Harris, Jonathan Knowles, –, Harris, Matt Clark, Clark Organizations: Citi, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: California

☆ Restaurants Across America Are in Crisis Because of Stubborn Diners
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Corey Mintz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Unlike most in rich countries, American restaurant servers depend primarily on tips for their income. You might not know “dynamic pricing” by name, but if you’ve ever booked a flight, hotel room, or gone to the movies on a Tuesday, you understand it intrinsically: Dynamic pricing is when the price of goods or services fluctuates based on demand. “When confronted with dynamic pricing, customers react negatively,” a 2022 study said . In late 2023, after 35 years, Bayless decided to try dynamic pricing, raising the dinner menu on weekends from $165 to $185. Nick Kokonas, who cofounded Toast, also uses dynamic pricing at his Chicago restaurants.

Persons: Toast, they’re, Tipping, Michael Lynn, Zachary Brewster, Lynn, L’Oca, “, ” Adam Orman, we’ve, haven’t, Crudo, you’ve, Sherri Kimes, Rick Bayless, Bayless, It's, ” Bayless, ”, Roger Yang, Nick Kokonas, Ari Weinzweig, ” Weinzweig, Yang, Corey Mintz Organizations: National Restaurant Association, Bureau of Labor Statistics, waitstaff, Cornell University, “, Michelin Locations: America, Italian, Austin, Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Ann Arbor , Michigan

☆ Premarket stocks: Could the Federal Reserve rule out rate cuts in 2024?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Now, some are wondering if the central bank might not cut rates at all in 2024. He expects the central bank to cut rates two to four times this year. Plus, there’s no official indication that the central bank won’t cut rates this year. • If the neutral interest rate, or the rate that maintains full employment and stable inflation, is revised upward closer to 3.5%. The neutral rate should be 2.5%, based on Fed officials’ estimates for the central bank’s key interest rate, inflation and unemployment.

Persons: stoked, Stocks, won’t pare, ”, Tom Graff, Jerome Powell, Oliver Darcy, “, Eddy, Apple’s, Read, Here’s what’s, Chris Isidore Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN —, Federal Reserve, Deutsche Bank, Fed, Deutsche Bank economists, ” Apple, Wednesday, Apple Sports, NBA, NHL, MLS, NCAA, NFL, MLB, ESPN, Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, SAG Locations: New York, America

☆ 2023 was year of the strike. Here’s what’s possibly ahead in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The 33 strikes last year is roughly double the average of 16.7 major strikes a year over the course of the last 20 years. A separate database of all work stoppages by Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations shows that there were 451 work stoppages in 2023, up 9% from the 2022 total. So the major strikes of 1,000 or more account for less than 10% of the overall number of strikes. So many of the major strikes and contract negotiations that occurred in 2023 will not occur again in 2024. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a chance of some major work stoppages this year.

Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, SAG, Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, General Motors, Ford, Anheuser, Busch, Teamsters, CNN, Molson Coors, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Boeing Boeing, Boeing, Max, Alaska Airlines, Professional, American Airlines, Labor, Railway Labor Locations: New York, America, Fort Worth , Texas, Canada, Hollywood, Washington

☆ The 4 most in-demand jobs that pay more than $120,000 per year, according to new research
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The labor market continues to offer jobseekers a plethora of opportunities, with employers adding 353,000 jobs in January altogether, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among the industries with the most openings were professional and business services, which added 74,000 jobs, health care, which added 70,000 jobs and retail, which added 45,000 jobs. Here are Ladders' four most in-demand jobs as of February, including the qualifications necessary and annual salaries. Project managerProject managers work in many fields such as architecture, tech and construction. Project managers can make as much as $137,000 per year, according to Indeed.

Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, CVS, Walgreens

☆ It looks like high-income shoppers are becoming increasingly loyal to Walmart
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Walmart is cutting prices on essentials like eggs and breadInflation has cooled in recent months after soaring during the pandemic. "Some of this is the result of customer acquisition becoming more modest, and some is because of the continued financial pressure on core Walmart shoppers which is seeing them cut back on non-essential spending," he wrote. Saunders noted that lower levels of inflation would make it harder for Walmart to acquire new customers. "This essentially puts Walmart in the position of having to work far harder and more creatively to generate growth," he wrote.

Persons: Walmart's, —, John David Rainey, Rainey, Neil Saunders, Saunders, Doug McMillon, McMillon, John Furner, Furner Organizations: Walmart, Service, GlobalData, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Shoppers

☆ JPMorgan's Kolanovic doubles down on bearish stance, says a 'second inflation wave' could take hold
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The stock market's strong start to 2024 could be short lived as the door for inflation to come back remains wide open, according to JPMorgan's Marko Kolanovic. The S & P 500 is coming off its first weekly loss in six weeks. Year to date, the S & P 500 is up about 4% and reached an all-time high earlier this month above 5,000. "Optimism now is quite high and some describe the current regime as 'parabolic stock markets' and 'platinum-locks,'" he said. According to CNBC Pro's Market Strategist Survey , JPMorgan has an S & P 500 target of 4,200.

Persons: JPMorgan's Marko Kolanovic, Kolanovic Organizations: U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNBC Pro's, Survey, JPMorgan Locations: Japan, Germany, Europe

☆ Remember the labor shortage? Immigrants are helping to fix it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Andy Kiersz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThat means the strong job numbers of recent months have largely been due to immigrants , specifically foreign-born workers, entering the workforce in large numbers. “Foreign-born labor force participants have accounted for all of the job growth over the last year,” Bill Adams, an economist at Comerica Bank, told The New York Times. AdvertisementAdditionally, he said these job gains haven’t come at the expense of US-born workers either. As of 2022, foreign-born workers were more likely than US-born workers to be in service, natural resources, construction, and maintenance jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of January, 65.7% of foreign-born workers were working or looking for work, compared to 61.4% of US-born workers.

Persons: —, ” Bill Adams, Paul Krugman, “ They're, ”, Louis, Miguel Faria, Castro, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Business, Comerica Bank, New York Times, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Immigrants, Congressional, Office, St, Louis Fed

☆ The average Uber and Uber Eats driver saw their earnings decline over 15% in 2023, per Gridwise
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over the past year, Uber drivers have told Business Insider that it’s gotten harder to make money . Gridwise told BI these earnings reflected the amount drivers took home after Uber took its cut of drivers' gross earnings. The average Uber driver’s earnings before expenses declined from $29 an hour in 2022 to $25 in 2023. Meanwhile, the average Uber Eats driver’s earnings fell from roughly $20 to $18 an hour before expenses — the average driver worked 27 hours a month. While Uber drivers saw the largest year-over-year decline in monthly pay, the average driver’s $25 an-hour earnings before expenses were still higher than any other gig.

Persons: Gridwise, Uber, it’s, haven’t, Lyft Organizations: Business, Bureau of Labor Statistics

☆ The Fed has a very strong case to keep rates higher for longer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Yet Jerome Powell and his central bank colleagues have rebuffed those forecasts, and markets have pushed their rate cut predictions further into 2024. And the producer price index for January came in at 0.3% on Friday, higher than the expected 0.1% increase. Jimmy Chang, the chief investment officer for Rockefeller Global Family Office, told Business Insider that it would be difficult for the Fed to cut rates in the current landscape. AdvertisementThe Fed's next moveThe case for keeping rates unchanged has gained momentum over recent weeks, but both markets and the Fed ultimately expect easing interest rates in 2024. Bank of America forecasts that the first cut likely won't happen until June, and policymakers could opt to cut rates "later and faster."

Persons: Jerome Powell, Nonfarm payrolls, Mary Daly, agilely, Joe Seydl, Seydl, Jimmy Chang, Chang, Austan Goolsbee, Goolsbee, Jay Woods, We're, Woods, Powell Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Atlanta Fed, San Francisco Fed, JPMorgan Private Bank, Rockefeller Global Family Office, Fed, Chicago Fed, Council, Foreign Relations, Freedom Capital Markets, Bank of America

If inflation remains near current levels or looks like it's ticking back up, mortgage rates could climb higher. Average 30-year mortgage rates rose 13 basis points to 6.77% this week, according to Freddie Mac. Once the Fed starts lowering its benchmark rate, the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to go down as well. This means we might not see mortgage rates fall substantially until the second half of 2024. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, Price, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

One silver lining is that inflation generally corresponds with higher rates on savings accounts. CDs and high-yield savings accounts currently earn more interest on your money. AdvertisementHere are some smart moves you can make to get the most out of your money when inflation is high:Shop around for higher interest rates on savingsIncreased inflation generally corresponds with higher interest rates paid by high-yield savings accounts. High-yield savings accounts are designed to make your money grow in a way a typical savings account can't. Boost Your Savings Western Alliance Bank's savings account offers an industry leading APY.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal, Savings, Savings Western Alliance

Mortgage rates rose following the release of the latest Consumer Price Index data, and they remain elevated today. Though the Fed doesn't directly impact mortgage rates, investor expectations of Fed policy moves can push mortgage rates up or down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. Mortgage Rates for Buying a Home30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Up Closer to 7% (+0.24%)The current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.68%, up 24 points from where it was this time last week. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Back Above 6% (+0.31%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.05%, up 31 points from last week.

Persons: they've, we'll, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Zillow, FHA Locations: reaccelerate, Chevron

☆ Diners are getting annoyed at how expensive fast food has become — and the likes of McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Shake Shack seem to be listening
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementChains like McDonald's, Shake Shack, and Taco Bell say they're only planning small price increases in 2024 as inflation cools. But in the year to January 2024, prices at limited-service restaurants rose just 5.8%, per BLS data. Martin Jennings, a 51-year-old truck driver from Florida, told Business Insider that his family was being deterred by higher prices at fast-food chains. Customers are looking for app deals and choosing value menusCustomers are looking for ways to get cheaper meals at fast-food chains. Chipotle said it's eyeing a price increase in the mid-single digits, depending on consumer sentiment and actions taken by other fast-food chains.

Persons: —, Taco Bell, Martin Jennings, Ben Heyworth, Burger King, McDonald's, Ian Borden, Jennings, David Gibbs, Kempczinski, Gunther Plosch, Chipotle, it's, Katie Fogertey Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Shack, Taco, Brands Locations: Florida, Orlando, Burger, Taco Bell, California, America

☆ The Big Number: 2.7%
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Marie Solis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Reporting on the business news of the weekMarie Solis Reporting on the business news of the weekAmerican workers are getting more done. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, productivity increased 2.7 percent in 2023. Over the past two quarters, it has been growing at more than double the rate from 2005 to 2019. Here’s how it could affect the economy →

Persons: Marie Solis Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics

☆ The racial wage gap starts as early as 16 for Black workers—and results in ‘a lifetime of consequences,’ says expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The racial wage gap may be shrinking, but it's still got a ways to go. The median weekly earnings for full-time wage and salaried Black or African American 16-to-24-year-olds was $614. Though a smaller gap than the national one, that still works out to be about 82 cents to white workers' dollar. Children born in higher income and higher wealth families will have greater access to opportunities. Andre Perry Senior fellow at BrookingsThe resulting family wealth can hinder access to higher paying jobs as well.

Persons: it's, haven't, Andre Perry, Andre Perry Senior, Perry, Valerie Wilson Organizations: Nationwide, Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Brookings, Pew Research Center, BLS, Economic Policy Institute Locations: Brookings

The number of U.S. workers on strike more than doubled last year. But about half of 2023's total striking workers were on the picket line for more than a month, Thursday's report notes. And the amount of strikes and lockouts with a first contract demand more than doubled compared to 2022, the Labor Action Tracker found. According to Thursday's report, accommodation and food services saw more work stoppages than any other industry last year, accounting for 33.4% of the total strikes and lockouts. But the information industry had the highest number of striking workers and strike days — making up for 34.5% of all workers on strike and 83.8% of strike days.

Persons: Johnnie Kallas, “, ” Kallas, Alexander Colvin Organizations: — Auto, Labor, Cornell University, University of Illinois, Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics

Tuesday's CPI report suggests we may need to wait at least a few more months before we see rates start to fall. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThis week's average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.64%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched down to 5.90% last week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's, they've Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ Over 500,000 workers went on strike in 2023 — double from last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The report finds that, in 2023, there were 470 work stoppages — 466 of which were strikes. In total, around 539,000 workers were involved in work stoppages last year. And while most work stoppages involved workers in unions, around a fifth were actually helmed by nonunion workers — meaning they had less protection than their unionized counterparts. A common misperception around strike activity, he said, is that union leaders are pushing workers to go on strike when they don’t want to. “Unions are more willing to use the strike weapon after it being pretty quiet for quite a while,” Colvin said.

Persons: uptick, ” Alex Colvin, —, Colvin chalks, ”, Colvin, Shawn Fain, that's, ” Colvin, they're, Uber, “ Organizations: Service, UAW, Labor, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, Employment Relations School, University of Illinois, Business, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, Cornell, SAG, of Labor Statistics, — Locations: Hollywood

A TV presenter gets ready for the daily reporting from the floor of the German share price index DAX at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, November 15, 2023. LONDON — European markets were set for a lower open Wednesday as investors assessed incoming corporate earnings and inflation prints in both the U.S. and the U.K. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 was predicted to open 15 points lower at 7,492 points, the DAX down 40 points to 16,833 points and France's CAC lower by 15 points to 7,605, according to IG data. Losses deepened after new figures showed U.S. inflation rose by more than expected in January, as stubbornly high shelter prices squeezed consumers. Wednesday will see reporting from several major European businesses, including ABN AMRO and Capgemini.

Persons: DAX Organizations: LONDON, U.S, U.K, CAC, of Labor Statistics, Dow, U.S . Federal, ABN AMRO, Capgemini Locations: Frankfurt, Germany

☆ Wall Street learns an important lesson. Don’t fight the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

That sudden volatility highlights something that we often write about in Before the Bell: the major mismatch between policymaker and investor expectations for interest rate cuts this year. Federal Reserve officials, including Chair Jerome Powell, have repeatedly said they envision at most three rate cuts in 2024. Wall Street, meanwhile, has ignored those warnings and has opted to practice unflinching optimism instead. It’s not the first time they’ve had to learn an important lesson: Don’t fight the Fed. Bad for the markets, good for the Fed: Markets clearly don’t often take kindly to higher-for-longer interest rates, which can negatively impact earnings and stock prices.

Persons: New York CNN —, Jerome Powell, Dow, It’s, they’ve, Don’t, –, ”, Quincy Krosby, Arnim Holzer, José Torres, Chris Zaccarelli, doesn’t, ” Carl Icahn, Carl Icahn, Icahn, Chris Isidore, JetBlue’s, Samantha Delouya, Lyft, Erin Brewer Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, of Labor Statistics, BLS, Treasury, LPL, Fed, Interactive Brokers, CPI, Independent, Alliance, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Analysts Locations: New York, December’s, “, ”

☆ Deflation: Here's where prices fell in January 2024, in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

These are the big deflationary factors"A lot of factors have come together to push goods prices down," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. In addition to normalizing supply-demand dynamics, a historically strong U.S. dollar relative to other global currencies has also helped rein in goods prices, Zandi said. Falling energy prices have also put downward pressure on goods prices, due to lower transportation and energy-intensive manufacturing costs, economists said. Lower energy prices also put downward pressure on the transportation of food to store shelves. Consumers get more for roughly the same amount of money, which shows up as a price decline in the CPI data.

Persons: RC Willey, George Frey, Jay Bryson, there's, Mark Zandi, Zandi, rebalancing, J.P, Hopper Organizations: RC, Bloomberg, Getty, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wells, Wells Fargo Economics, Moody's, U.S . Federal, Services, Finance, Morgan's, Investment, Group, of Labor Statistics Locations: Draper , Utah, Wells Fargo, U.S, Salinas, California

☆ Here's the most troubling part for market bulls in the CPI report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

What investors found most unsettling in the January consumer price index, which came in hotter than expected , is the core inflation reading. "The most troubling thing to me is that the core inflation rate in the last three months has shot up," said Komal Sri-Kumar, president of Sri-Kumar Global Strategies. Economists polled by Dow Jones were anticipating a 0.2% monthly gain and a 2.9% annual increase. Economists were anticipating respective increases of 0.3% and 3.7%, according to Dow Jones consensus estimates. Stocks tumbled Tuesday following the report, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 500 points, or 1.3%.

Persons: Kumar, Dow Jones, Dow, Stocks Organizations: Sri, Kumar, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve

☆ Inflation comes in hotter than expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The consumer price index increased 3.1% year over year in January, higher than the forecast of 2.9%. The CPI rose 0.3% month over month in January. January’s year-over-year rise in the CPI was expected to be 2.9%, which would have been a massive slowdown from December’s 3.4%. CPI increased by 0.3% month over month in January. Additionally, New York Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations data shows the one-year ahead median expected inflation rate had largely been cooling but stayed at 3.0% in January.

Persons: That's, —, That’s, Mark Hamrick Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI, University of Michigan, Consumers, , New York Fed Survey, Consumer Locations: January’s, ,

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