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☆ JPMorgan taps manager with solid track record to lead its first 'semi-transparent' ETF
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The bank launches the JPMorgan Active Small Cap Value ETF (JPSV) on Wednesday with a goal to outperform the Russell 2000 index of small cap companies. Playford co-manages two other mutual funds — the JPMorgan Small Cap Blend Fund and the JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Fund — both of which sport four-star, silver ratings from Morningstar. Playford's small cap fund, for example, was in the top quartile of small cap growth funds in 2022, according to Morningstar. The new JPSV fund, with an expense ratio of 0.74%, will operate as a semi-transparent ETF. "Active small cap value can be a compelling addition to investor portfolios.

Indonesia, the world's biggest producer of palm oil, raised the mandatory blend of palm oil in biodiesel to 35% starting in February, from 30% earlier, to reduce diesel fuel imports amid high global energy prices and to reduce emissions. The benchmark palm oil contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid 24 ringgit to 4,181 ringgit a tonne on Wednesday. An El Nino episode usually results in below-average rainfall in main palm oil producers Indonesia and Malaysia, cutting yields and pushing up global prices. "It used to be palm oil is export-oriented for Indonesia, but sales are declining and domestic consumption is increasing," Fadhil said. James Fry, the chairman of commodities consultancy LMC International, however, cautioned that the correction in gasoil prices could bring down demand for biodiesel and pull-down palm oil prices.

☆ Facebook's top exec Tom Alison breaks down his top priorities for 2023 and his pitch to creators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tom Alison, head of Facebook, wants the platform to be a more welcoming home to creators. Insider spoke with Alison about Facebook's priorities as uncertainty around Meta layoffs mounts. "We want Meta to be a great home for creators," Alison said. "You layer in some monetization tools on top of that and they can use Facebook to extend their income," Alison said. "We're going to be integrating and embracing more messaging functionality within Facebook," Alison said.

☆ Kremlin says it does not recognise Western price cap on its oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 7 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it did not recognise the price cap introduced by Western countries on its oil exports, after the United States said that the cap was "working well". Washington was one of the key architects of the Western price cap on Russian oil, which aims to drive down Moscow's revenues used to fund its invasion of Ukraine. Russia's economy has proved remarkably resilient in the face of tough Western sanctions, but the price cap has complicated its efforts to sell oil globally. U.S. officials argue that the price cap is working, as Russia's Urals blend - a benchmark of Moscow's exports - sells at a steep discount to international marker Brent. "I think the beauty of the process is that it is working and that Russian oil and Russian products are being traded below the price cap," U.S. Energy Envoy Amos Hochstein said on Monday.

LONDON, March 7 (Reuters) - India’s power generators and coal mines are being stretched to the limit to meet surging demand for power stemming from a fast-growing economy and rapid electrification. Coal units increased generation by almost 16 billion kWh (+18%) compared with a year earlier, in part to offset reduced output from expensive gas-fired units. Chartbook: India electricity and coalBut domestic mines and the rail network are struggling to keep pace with the strong demand from power producers for fuel. Mine production and coal trains despatched to power plants both increased last year by 12%, which was impressive but still below generators’ requirements. The government has also ordered privately owned generators that rely on expensive imported coal to maximise output to relieve power shortages (“India to use emergency law to maximise coal power output”, Reuters, January 30).

☆ Apple may launch mixed reality device this year — but we're not scared, HTC CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cher Wang, chairperson, co-founder and CEO of HTC, speaks at a keynote on the second day of the Mobile World Congress 2023. BARCELONA — The boss of consumer electronics firm HTC thinks Apple is going to launch its own mixed reality headset, but she's not worried about the competition. Speaking with CNBC at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC CEO and co-founder Cher Wang said the Cupertino tech giant was likely to launch a mixed reality, or XR, product "very soon" — potentially as soon as this year. In January, Bloomberg reported that it is gearing up to release a mixed reality headset in the spring. "Apple and the entire industry realizes the potential and hence want to enter and eventually lead this segment," he added.

☆ Artists and labels are sliding songs into augmented-reality filters on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram to promote music
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AR effects are on the rise on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, appearing across billions of videos. Artists, labels, and music marketers are finding new ways to promote tracks via these AR filters. "If you do come up with a cool AR filter, it's easier for the regular user to create a TikTok with than to create a dance." "Artists will hire AR creators to make effects for specific pieces of music," Chris Barbour, Meta's AR partnerships director, told Insider. As with any trend on social media, originality is important for helping an AR effect spread, Yoder said.

Hefty Chinese buying, alongside robust Indian demand, has been spurred by steep price discounts but is providing Moscow much-needed revenue after the Group of Seven imposed a $60 price cap on Russian crude. Tanker tracking consultancies Vortexa and Kpler estimated nearly 43 million barrels of Russian crude oil, comprising about at least 20 million barrels of ESPO Blend and 11 million barrels of Urals, are set to reach China in March. The previous high for Russian seaborne crude imports was 42.48 million barrels in June 2020, shiptracking data showed. The data also pointed to record arrivals of rarely bought oil from Russia's Arctic, with three tankers carrying about 3.15 million barrels due to reach China this month, after 2.7 million barrels landed in February. Most of these cargoes were bought by China's independent refiners, which are larger customers of seaborne Russian oil than the state importers.

☆ Samsung is 'working out' a roadmap for mixed reality devices as rumors of an Apple headset swirl
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article SSNLF Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSamsung is working out a roadmap for its mixed reality products, according to a senior executive. In 2015, the company launched a virtual reality headset called the Gear VR (pictured). Now Samsung is looking for a new direction in mixed reality, an area tech giants think could mark a huge shift in computing. Patrick Chomet, an executive vice president at Samsung Electronics, told CNBC in an interview that the company is "working out" a roadmap for mixed reality products. Qualcomm sells a series of chips called Snapdragon XR specifically designed for mixed reality products, such as headsets.

The approved rulemaking is not expected to take effect until summer of 2024, the sources said. The rule would be a win for the ethanol industry, which has sought for years to expand sales of so-called E15, which contains 15% ethanol, and for the farm industry, as ethanol is made from corn. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to seek a public comment period on the rule, sources said. President Joe Biden lifted the ban last summer in an attempt to lower historically-high gasoline prices. Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Tom Hogue and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ron DeSantis' past views could come back to bite him in Iowa, a critical state for any GOP challenger to Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ron DeSantis' potential bid to dethrone former President Donald Trump could hit a critical snag in Iowa, home to the first-in-the-nation caucuses. "If you come to Iowa, you're going to talk about agriculture," Monte Shaw, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, told Insider. DeSantis won't be alone in facing questionsTrump's own administration was hammered over its handling of the renewable fuel standard. Like Iowa's senators, he was also deeply frustrated by how Trump's EPA enforced the renewable fuel standard. Chris Carlson/APTexas Sen. Ted Cruz was hammered for months on the campaign trail for wanting to phase out the Renewable Fuel Standard.

☆ Meet Sandra Douglass Morgan, the only Black female president in the NFL: ‘This job is much bigger than me’
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Growing up in Las Vegas, Sandra Douglass Morgan never dreamed about making history — she just wanted to make herself, and her parents, proud. But Douglass Morgan didn't need to eavesdrop to understand that she and her family would be treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. Douglass Morgan, now 44, made a promise to herself: No matter what she did, she would champion equity and respect. Months later — and after the abrupt departure of two presidents — Davis approached Douglass Morgan about the job. Douglass Morgan sought the counsel of friends and family, including her husband, Don Morgan, who played four years in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals.

☆ The best fixed income deals for investors as interest rates surge higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors searching for income were buoyed by the move higher in the 10-year Treasury yield, but there are also some other opportunities to bring in some cash. "They can blend A with AA and AAA and you can get better yields," Weinberg explained. In fact, a good signal to buy munis is when their yields are at least 85% of corresponding Treasury yields, he said. Investors can also buy municipal bond funds to get exposure to the market. Investors can also get exposure through a diversified exchange traded fund, such as the iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF .

☆ Putin's KGB past is key to grasping what he might do next in his failing Ukraine war, ex-spies say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Putin's time in the KGB helps explain his worldview and brutal approach to warfare, ex-spies say. As Western intelligence agencies vie to stay two steps ahead of the Russian leader and get inside his head, peering into Putin's KGB past may offer clues on what he's thinking. "Putin's KGB background tells us a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the war. He is a creation of the KGB, and the KGB was a terrorist organization," John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served in Russia, told Insider. The Ukraine war has seen Putin and his propagandists make a series of assertions — ranging from plausible to preposterous — to justify Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Nepo babies like Myles O'Neal and Ella Bleu Travolta do a plant-based take on their parents' "Got Milk?" ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Plant-based brand Silk has a new ad campaign that features nepo babies sporting milk mustaches. The ads are aimed at "the next generation of milk drinkers and plant-based enthusiasts," Silk said. Those ads featured celebrities from Whoopi Goldberg to Frankie Muniz donning milk on their upper lip, presumably after taking a sip from a glass. David Beckham, Kelly Preston, Christie Brinkley, and Shaquille O'Neal all appeared in "Got Milk?" US consumers bought $2.6 billion worth of the alternatives to cow's milk in 2021, according to the Plant Based Foods Association.

☆ Here's why it makes sense that stocks are rallying as rates rise and a recession approaches, and what to own because they could keep going, according to research firm Leuthold Group.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Leuthold Group CIO Doug Ramsey says the "irrational" stock market rally could continue. Ramsey says that when economic indicators hit a low point, it's generally very good for stocks. It might not make a lot of sense that stocks have jumped in 2023 even as recession concerns have risen and interest rates have climbed to 15-year highs, notes Doug Ramsey, investment chief at Leuthold Group. Ramsey concedes that the moves are "irrational," but that doesn't mean there is no reason to be optimistic about stocks. He notes that a closely watched measurement of economic activity, the Conference Board's Leading Economic Index, is in a downturn.

☆ Analysis: Russian economy holding up but the road back to prosperity may be long
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Alexander Marrow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"The Russian economy and system of governance proved to be much stronger than the West supposed," President Vladimir Putin told Russia's political, military and business elite this week. 'GUNS NOT BUTTER'He also argued for sustainable domestic development and a self-sufficient economy, recalling a criticism levelled against Soviet leaders so focused on military spending they ignored people's welfare. But Russia is ramping up military spending, and diverting funds from hospitals and schools will ultimately hamper the development of civilian economic infrastructure. Prokopenko, who also highlighted the opportunity cost to the economy, said Russia's financial leadership had become used to navigating crises. Putin can be proud of his 'Fortress Russia' that his financial leadership built for him," she said.

☆ Inside Citadel's internship program for aspiring traders that paves the way for a six-figure salary at the elite hedge fund after college
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Citadel, one of the largest hedge funds, accepts just 1% of applicants to its associate program. Few college students know what a hedge fund is, let alone that they want to work for one. Its associate program lets aspiring fund managers skip the traditional two-year investment banking program that is usually a prerequisite for a hedge fund job. The associate program is different from Citadel's broader internship program. But the accelerated nature of the CAP program appealed to him over other opportunities, he said.

☆ Russia’s economy is hurting despite Putin’s bluster
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Russia’s economy did weaken as a result. “The Russian economy and system of government have turned out to be much stronger than the West believed,” Putin said in a speech to Russia’s parliament Tuesday. The bloc, which dramatically reduced its dependence on Russian natural gas last year, officially banned most imports of Russian crude oil by sea in December. Russia’s oil problemIn fact, Russia’s export revenue from oil rose last year. On the declineThe International Monetary Fund still expects Russia’s economy to expand by 0.3% this year and 2.1% the next.

☆ Costco's new roast beef sandwich costs as much as 6 of the retailer's hot dogs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Costco's food court is known for cheap fast-food staples such as $1.50 all-beef hot dogs. But some are balking at the price of the $9.99 roast beef sandwich. Many hard-core warehouse fans complained it was too expensive for Costco's food court, known for cheap fast-food staples such as $1.50 all-beef hot dogs and $10 whole pizzas. It is made with sliced roast beef, onion relish, a mayonnaise and mustard blend, lettuce, and roasted cherry tomatoes and served on a hoagie-style roll. When asked about the status of the roast beef sandwich, a food court worker answering the phone at the Lynnwood warehouse said 29 were left.

☆ Photographer Nicolas Remy captures image of the rare spotted handfish
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

There are fewer than 3,000 spotted handfish remaining in the wild. Of the red handfish, only 100 adults are thought to remain, while the Ziebell’s hasn’t been spotted in the wild since 2007. The red handfish is currently only found on two small patches of reef in south-eastern Tasmania. In the Derwent River, the team has planted artificial habitat to encourage spotted handfish spawning, which has already shown promising results in stabilizing populations, says Stuart-Smith. The Ziebell's handfish is the most elusive of the three pecies, with no confirmed sightings since 2007.

Persons: Nicolas Remy, Remy, Nicolas REMY Eventually, ”, Ziebell’s, Tyson Bessell, Jemina Stuart, Smith, Stuart, Andrew Green, Mark Strickland Organizations: CNN, Andrew Locations: Derwent, Sydney, Australia, Tasmania, American

☆ King Charles's coronation to feature 12 new pieces of music
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Twelve newly commissioned pieces of music will play at the coronation of Britain's King Charles at Westminster Abbey this May, including Greek Orthodox music, Buckingham Palace said, with the 18th century "Zadok the Priest" also to be featured. Six orchestral commissions, five choral commissions and one organ commission have been composed for the occasion, the palace said on Saturday, including a new Coronation Anthem by musical theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber. Music by Elgar, Parry, and Williams were also performed at the crowning of Charles's late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. Handel's coronation anthem "Zadok the Priest," which was composed for the coronation of King George II in 1727, will be played at the ceremony, the palace said. I hope my anthem reflects this joyful occasion," composer Lloyd Webber said of his coronation anthem in the statement.

☆ Breakfast giant Post is making a bet on cereal designed to put you to sleep
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The company behind Grape Nuts has a new cereal designed to be eaten before bed. Post's "Sweet Dreams" is designed to stoke your body's melatonin production. It's the latest new food or beverage product designed to help you sleep. Post Consumer Brands will start selling "Sweet Dreams" across the US, the company said on Thursday. Those ingredients make the cereal "designed to be part of a healthy sleep routine while still satisfying those nighttime food cravings," Post said in an announcement.

☆ Seen Big Ben already? Here's a Londoner's guide to visiting other parts of the city
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Central London's City of Westminster is its political heart, while the City of London is where the capital's financial decisions happen. But be warned: Several paths across Hyde Park are pedestrian-only, and police often fine people who cycle on them. The City of London is a blend of old and new, with St Paul's Cathedral close to skyscrapers as well as Roman ruins. While north London has Hampstead Heath, south of the river is Richmond Park, which dwarfs its northern counterpart in size. There's also a branch in central London's Covent Garden — the flower-filled restaurant The Petersham — that has an sit-down deli and bar.

☆ I’ve helped thousands of millionaires find love—here are my 7 rules for attracting and dating an ultra-wealthy person
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Amy Andersen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As the "Cupid of Silicon Valley," I've helped thousands people find long-term relationships through my matchmaking service, Linx Dating. There's nothing wrong with dating for money. Many people I know don't take offense if someone admires them for their money, especially if they worked hard for it. If you're thinking this sounds like something from the 1950s, know that about a third of my wealthy clients are women who are looking for love, no matter their suitor's net worth. After 20 years of matchmaking, here are my rules for dating and marrying an ultra-wealthy person:1.

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