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☆ Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, Who Looked at History From the Bottom Up, Dies at 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Jonathan Kandell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, a French historian at the forefront of a scholarly movement that sought to understand the past from the bottom up, by probing the beliefs and psychology of anonymous peasants and priests rather than the exploits of triumphant generals and rulers, died on Wednesday. His family confirmed the death, according to Agence France-Presse and other French news organizations. In a statement from the Élysée Palace, President Emmanuel Macron of France called Mr. Le Roy Ladurie “one of our greatest historians,” adding, “His work truly extended history’s domain — the discipline was enriched because he was able to invent new tools, new approaches, and new subjects.”A prolific and eminently readable scholar, Mr. Le Roy Ladurie was most familiar for his books “Montaillou: The Promised Land of Error” (1975) and “Carnival in Romans” (1979), both of them best sellers and instant classics on both sides of the Atlantic.

Persons: Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, L’Obs, Emmanuel Macron, Le Roy Ladurie “, “, Le Roy Ladurie Organizations: Agence France, Mr Locations: French, Paris, France

☆ China slows Venezuela crude buys as U.S. sanctions lifting triggers 'disarray'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Morichal July 28, 2011. Independent refiners, known as teapots, account for a fifth of China's oil purchases, and more than half of its asphalt production. PetroChina, PDVSA and the Venezuelan oil ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Before the U.S. imposed sanctions in 2019, subsidiary PetroChina Fuel Oil Co was the key seller of Venezuelan oil to independent refiners. Independent refiners like Venezuelan heavy crude for its high yield of road-paving material asphalt at about 60%, versus around 45% for Iranian oil.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Sellers, PetroChina, PDVSA, Muyu Xu, Marianna Parraga, Florence Tan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ICE Brent, Reuters, Fuel, Co, Thomson Locations: Morichal, Rights SINGAPORE, Washington, China, Venezuela, Iran, Russia, Iraq, Canada, OPEC, Malaysia, Venezuela's, Singapore, Houston

☆ I started my natural-candle brand on Amazon with just $500. I became a top seller and now save 15 hours a week with ad tools.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My brand, Hemlock Park, was born in Los Angeles during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. More than 2,000 stores in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia now stock Hemlock Park candles. Over time, I realized it wouldn't be sustainable to run the Amazon business and oversee sourcing, manufacturing, production, and shipping. These days, Hemlock Park generates about 60% of its sales from Amazon, 30% from wholesale channels, and 10% from the Shopify store. When I was getting started, Amazon told me that there were over 5,000 candle sellers on the platform and that it would be hard to break through.

Persons: Mikey Kim, I'd, Goldman Sachs, Marcus, I've, haven't, Amazon, We're Organizations: Business, Amazon Lending, Amazon Locations: Nevada, Los Angeles, Canada, Europe, Asia, LA

Shein's website drew 28.6 million unique monthly visitors in October, up 7.25% from a year earlier, according to Similarweb. Amazon trounces both online retailers with 56% of its 268 million unique monthly visits in October resulting in purchases, its data shows. Temu, which launched in the U.S. in September 2022, is offering deals for cheap goods for the holiday shopping season. Shein is ramping up holiday marketing in the U.S. and Europe as it extends its reach and products on its platform. Peter Pernot-Day, head of corporate strategy at Shein, said Shein has advised its marketplace sellers "to optimize their product listings" by "providing competitive pricing and keeping inventory up to date."

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Temu, Shein, Inditex's Zara, Melissa Minkow, Peter Pernot, Arriana McLymore, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Missguided, CI, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Singapore, Europe, Similarweb, New York

☆ Hedge funds have lost $43 billion trying to short the market as the S&P 500 eyes its best month in over a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hedge fund short sellers have lost $43 billion in recent days as stocks rally, the Financial Times reported. The S&P 500 is on track for its best month since July 2022. With a more than 7% gain in November, the S&P 500 is on pace for its best month since July 2022. AdvertisementThe FT notes that analysts say some hedge funds have had to repurchase stocks to cover their short bets as a "short squeeze" pushed share prices even higher. According to S3 data, bets against technology, healthcare, and consumer discretionary were the most painful for hedge funds.

Persons: —, Stocks, Goldman Sachs, Nicholas Colas, Jessica Rabe Organizations: Financial Times, Service, Wednesday Financial, S3 Partners, Federal Reserve, Carnival Corp

☆ Spain's watchdog clears Amazon, Booking.com, Tripadvisor over fake reviews
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics centre in Boves, France, October 6, 2021 REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - Spain's anti-trust watchdog on Wednesday cleared Amazon (AMZN.O), Booking Holdings (BKNG.O) and Tripadvisor (TRIP.O) of participating in or facilitating fake reviews on their websites. CNMC, as the watchdog is known had been looking into a complaint lodged by a local association defending consumers. "CNMC found no indication that the platforms have participated in or facilitated the publication of these false opinions," it said in a statement, adding that the companies invested in detecting fake reviews and collaborated with ongoing investigations. The watchdog has, however, detected possible signs of a violation of consumer protection regulations, and therefore sent the complaint to the consumer rights authority. An Amazon spokesperson said his company is acting against fake reviews on its websites.

Persons: Pascal, CNMC, Tripadvisor, Maria Luiza Amaral, Inti Landauro, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Booking Holdings, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Boves, France

☆ Soaring mortgage rates take their toll on the US housing market as sales slump to a 13-year low
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Activity is now at a 13-year low as rising borrowing costs take their toll on the US housing market. Mortgage rates have cleared 7.5% this year, driven higher by the Federal Reserve’s war on inflation. AdvertisementThe spike in mortgage rates dragged on the US housing market once again last month, as activity plunged to a 13-year low even as prices ticked up. Soaring mortgage rates, driven to their highest level since the turn of the century by the Federal Reserve's war on inflation, have fueled the housing-market slowdown. As a result, existing homeowners have opted to cling to the historically low mortgage rates they locked in over the last 15 years rather than move house.

Persons: —, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Federal, Service, Biden Administration, NAR

☆ 20 metro areas with the highest share of home-price cuts in October, some in the $200,000s — plus 6 aggressive bargains buyers can ask for, according to 2 real-estate experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The significant advantage to buyers is negotiating power, and if done right, it could help offset some of those higher mortgage rates. Below is a list of 20 metro areas with the highest share of home sellers dropping their listing prices in October. The data is based on the top 50 most populated areas as defined by the US Census Bureau. If they need to move by a specific date or need that cash, you can offer a quick closing. More than one-third — or 35% — of home sales in the three months ending October 31 included concessions to buyers, according to Redfin.

Persons: Shmuel Shayowitz, It's, Shayowitz, Dottie Herman, Douglas Elliman, Herman, Price Organizations: Competition, Business, US Census Bureau, Orlando, Phoenix, DC Locations: Redfin, Metro, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Denver, Tampa, Portland, Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Minneapolis, Worth , TX, Jacksonville, Louis, Sacramento, Seattle, WA, Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, AZ, Kansas City, Washington

☆ A 27-year-old who brings in up to $16,000 a month 3D printing ornaments and other products explains how he built a side hustle selling on Etsy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The very first product Ziegler listed for sale fell into the latter category. "So then I started just 3D printing products and trying to sell them on Etsy." Ziegler started his 3D printing business, Ziggy Zig Designs, with two Prusa printers and filament. He also bought 3D printing filament and downloaded a design software called SolidWorks . He shipped two more 3D printers to his place in Portland and cut his trip short to assemble the printers and start fulfilling orders.

Persons: Austin Ziegler, Ziegler, " Ziegler, Zig, Rollo, I'm, Etsy, Long Organizations: Business, YouTube Locations: Portland, Hawaii, Spokane , Washington

The letter came after a series of lawsuits Combs filed against Diageo, whose other brands include Johnnie Walker, Don Julio and Smirnoff. Diageo ended the Cîroc partnership over the summer, saying at the time that Combs had breached his contract. That period, the company said, "happens to correspond with the pendency of Combs Wines' original lawsuit against Diageo." Diageo didn't respond to requests for comment. Revolt didn't respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Cassie, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Smirnoff, Roberta Kaplan, Casandra Ventura, Ventura, Harve Pierre, Pierre, Pierre didn't, @Diddy, Dawn Montgomery, Montgomery, Kelly, Kesha, they'd, Faith Evans, Sean John streetwear, Sean John, Sean John's, Evan Nierman, wasn't Organizations: Diageo, New York Times, Combs, Bad Boy Records, Boy Entertainment, NBC News, Bad, Variety, Combs Enterprises, Love Records, Motown Records, Nordstrom, Saks Locations: New York, London, Los Angeles

☆ US mortgage interest rates fall to two-month low
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A more timely mortgage tracker also saw the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fall to a two-month low. The third consecutive weekly decline in both gauges comes amid signals that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates further. The dip in mortgage rates meant more would-be purchasers. The MBA's Purchase Composite Index, a measure of all mortgage loan applications for purchase of a single family home, increased 3.9% from the prior week. Sellers locked into lower mortgage rates also continue to hold their homes, keeping housing inventory tight.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Freddie Mac, Sellers, Lindsay Dunsmuir, Chizu Nomiyama, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Mortgage Bankers Association, Federal, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S

☆ IRS Delays Tax Rule for Online Sellers—Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ashlea Ebeling | Richard Rubin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The IRS again postponed enforcement of a law requiring e-commerce platforms like eBay to send the agency information about users earning more than $600 in revenue a year. Photo Illustration: Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/Getty ImagesThe Internal Revenue Service offered a surprise paperwork reprieve to millions of Americans as tax-filing season nears, delaying a new requirement affecting people who sell stuff on eBay , resell concert tickets, and use payment processors such as Venmo. For the second straight year, the IRS postponed enforcement of a law that requires those e-commerce and payment platforms to send the agency information about many users who receive more than $600 in revenue a year.

Persons: Budrul Chukrut Organizations: IRS, eBay, Internal Revenue Service

Sales of existing homes fell by 4.1% in October as a shortage of houses for sale and higher mortgage rates dampened activity, the National Association of Realtors said on Tuesday. The annual level of sales reached 3.79 million, down 14.6% from a year ago when sales were 4.44 million. “Prospective home buyers experienced another difficult month due to the persistent lack of housing inventory and the highest mortgage rates in a generation,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. There is some relief, however, as mortgage rates have fallen in the past week. Some housing industry analysts believe rates could trend under 7% early next year as overall interest rates begin falling amid expectations the Federal Reserve is done raising rates.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, ” Yun, “, Danielle Hale Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Midwest, Federal Locations: “

☆ I made $34,400 this year selling digital products on Etsy. I only spend an hour a month on it – here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I sell digital products on Etsy. I'm an introvert and I didn't want to become a creatorI figured I could sell templates to other businesses. I'd group my products into bundles so that business could download a range of digital templates for a set price. I started another shop focused on digital products for wedding coordinators in September 2022. I spend around an hour a month on my shops except for periods when I add new products.

Persons: Desiree Sandison, —, I've, I'd, It's, We've, That's Organizations: Business, Disneyland Locations: Vancouver, Canada, Paris

☆ October home sales fell because of high mortgage rates, soaring prices and low inventory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Sales slumped in October and prices continued to climb, as mortgage rates surged last month and inventory remained extraordinarily low. Home sales remained at 13-year lows as buyers competed for the few available homes on the market and continued to push up prices. Elevated prices, together with the average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage nearing 8% in October, have created the least affordable market in several decades. Home sales were down in lower priced categories – under $750,000 – due to lack of inventory and sales grew in higher price categories where there was more inventory. “The lack of inventory and higher interest rates really hitting the home sales market,” said Yun.

Persons: —, ”, Lawrence Yun, Yun, “ Organizations: DC CNN —, National Association of Realtors, West, NAR, “ Locations: Washington, Northeast, Midwest, South

☆ Home sales fell to a 13-year low in October as prices rose
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The October sales count is based on closings from contracts likely signed in August and September. At the end of October there were 1.15 million homes for sale, down 5.7% from a year earlier. Sales fell in all price categories up to $750,000, but there was an increase in sales of higher end homes. Yun also noted that there are more homes available for sale on the higher end of the market. First-time buyers represented 28% of October sales, unchanged from a year ago and still significantly lower than the 40% share they have represented historically.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slumped in October to their slowest pace in more than 13 years as surging mortgage rates and rising prices kept many prospective homebuyers on the sidelines. That’s weaker than the 3.90 million sales pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. They have fallen five months in a row, held back by climbing mortgage rates and a thin supply of properties on the market. Political Cartoons View All 1260 Images“Lack of inventory along with higher mortgage rates (are) really hindering home sales,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. That amounts to just a 3.6-month supply, going by the current sales pace.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac, homebuyers Organizations: ANGELES, National Association of Realtors, Homes, NAR Locations: U.S

“Participants generally noted a high degree of uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook,” the minutes noted. “FOMC minutes reinforced the ’wait and see’ policy stance was unanimous. Focus was on tightening in financial conditions and slowing in inflation and labor market. The central bank will meet on Dec. 12 for a two-day meeting of its monetary policy committee, but the markets are pricing in no increase in interest rates. “I’m expecting continued relief concerning inventory and mortgage rates as the Fed begins cutting rates in the first half of next year,” Torres says.

Persons: “, ” Kathy Jones, Jose Torres, “ I’m, ” Torres, Torres Organizations: Schwab Center, Financial Research, Fed, National Association of Realtors, Interactive

Analysts attended earnings calls in the third quarter armed with questions for healthcare and consumer companies about the potential effect on their sales from the growing popularity of these drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists. A Reuters analysis of earnings transcripts for the third quarter showed "GLP-1" or alternatives like "obesity" or "weight-loss medications" were mentioned 256 times across 29 U.S. and European healthcare and consumer companies. That's more than double the mentions for the second quarter, when those phrases came up 127 times. While some consumer companies have talked about factors such as fewer calories being consumed, "these kind of large extrapolations" seem to be a bit of a stretch, said BMO Capital analyst Evan Seigerman. For big pharma manufacturers like Pfizer (PFE.N) and Amgen (AMGN.O), analyst questions were aimed at their obesity drug candidates.

Persons: Lilly, George Frey, Jeff Jonas, it's, Eli Lilly's, John Furner, Mondelez, Eli Lilly, Evan Seigerman, LVMH, Rajesh Kumar, Jonas, Bhanvi Satija, Savyata Mishra, Arpan Varghese, David Gaffen, Shounak Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Gabelli, Novo, Walmart, Walmart U.S, Hershey, Truist Securities, Krispy, BMO Capital, Danish, pharma, Pfizer, Devices, HSBC, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, United States, Novo, Bengaluru

☆ Bank of America's Michael Hartnett thinks the market is ignoring risks of a hard landing in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"We believe the risk of a 'hard landing' for the economy is higher-than-expected." In that kind of a climate, Hartnett expects commodities, including copper and oil, to outperform, along with bonds and cash. "We are sellers of crowded 'no landing' plays into recession," Hartnett said, making a call that includes the "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks along with semiconductors, homebuilders and biotech. The firm is "buyers of 'hard landing' plays at onset of recession," he said, including REITs, banks, defensive stocks, small-cap stocks and China. Despite Hartnett's warnings, BofA overall is looking for a soft landing with easier monetary policy.

Persons: Michael Hartnett, Hartnett Organizations: Bank of America, Bulls, U.S ., Reserve Locations: BofA, China

Mortgage rates have dropped quite a bit so far this month, with 30-year mortgage rates hovering right around 7% after spiking close to 8% in October. As things continue to normalize, mortgage rates should continue to trend down. Cooler economic data is good news for mortgage rates, because it means that the once-overheated economy is coming back into balance. Sky-high inflation has helped push mortgage rates up over the past couple of years, and as it decelerates, mortgage rates should come down further. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you've, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ Bayer stops blood thinner drug trial due to lack of effect, in major setback
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Logo and flags of Bayer AG are pictured outside a plant of the German pharmaceutical and chemical maker in Wuppertal, Germany August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 19 (Reuters) - Germany's Bayer (BAYGn.DE) has aborted a large late-stage trial testing a new anti-clotting drug due to lack of efficacy, dealing a fresh blow to the embattled drugmaker and throwing its most promising medium-term development project in doubt. The trial halt, which followed recommendation of independent trial supervisors, marks another setback for a company burdened by a weak herbicide business, high debt and by U.S. lawsuits over the alleged carcinogenic effect of its commonly used Roundup weedkiller. Bayer said it will further analyse the data of the discontinued trial, known as OCEANIC-AF, which was initiated in August 2022. It said the independent trial supervisors recommended the continuation of a separate phase III trial, OCEANIC-STROKE, testing asundexian to prevent repeated strokes in participants who have already suffered one.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Germany's Bayer, Bill Anderson, Bayer, Stefan Oelrich, Johnson, Ludwig Burger, Jose Joseph, Miranda Murray, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Bayer AG, REUTERS, Bristol, Myers Squibb, Johnson, Thomson Locations: Wuppertal, Germany, United States, asundexian, U.S, Frankfurt, Bengaluru

☆ Legendary short-seller Jim Chanos slams Elon Musk supporters as news emerges that the Tesla bear will shut down his funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jim Chanos tore into Elon Musk's supporters Sunday in an expletive-laden post on X. "If you are a cult member who believes rockets exploding are a 'success'... please sit down and STFU," the legendary short-seller said. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Chanos would be shutting down his hedge funds. AdvertisementJim Chanos appeared to rip into supporters of Elon Musk in an expletive-laden rant Sunday, just days after the Wall Street Journal reported the legendary short-seller and longtime Tesla bear would be closing down his funds. "The marketplace for what I do has changed," Chanos told the Journal, likely referring to short sellers' struggles in 2023.

Persons: Jim Chanos, Elon Musk's, —, Elon Musk, Tesla, Chanos, he's, Musk's Tesla Organizations: Elon, Street, Service, Wall Street Journal, Enron

Money managers through Nov. 14 expanded their net long in CBOT soybean meal futures and options to 131,404 contracts from 111,987 a week earlier, also on new longs. January meal futures surged 21% during those five weeks and nearly 4% in the most recent week, reaching their highest ever levels for the date. The pre-2023 record open interest in meal futures and options was 594,016 contracts set in mid-2018 after drought significantly cut down top meal exporter Argentina’s soybean crop. March CBOT wheat futures rose fractionally during the week, and funds trimmed nearly 3,000 contracts from their huge net short, resulting in 89,271 futures and options contracts. wheat, funds have been very heavy sellers of spring wheat futures since late July.

Persons: Gustavo Bonato, Soyoil, Karen Braun, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Campo Verde, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, United States, U.S, Kansas City, Minneapolis

☆ 'Dupes' clothing, perfume craze lures holiday shoppers as major brands fret
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Hashtag searches for dupes of major brands - including Skims underwear and Deckers' (DECK.N) Ugg boots - have been viewed millions of times on TikTok. Graphic shows pictures of four original products and their original prices under named brands compared with the prices of their 'dupe' counterparts. Newer technologies like the Google Lens app allow people to take photos of items they like and find similar products for sale. In other cases, dupe sellers opt to replicate the look of higher-priced originals with cheaper materials to maximize profit. However, experts say dupe sellers have grown increasingly skilled at avoiding brand logos and other design features that could infringe existing patents or copyrights.

Persons: Lauren Maginness, Shannon Stapleton, Maginness, Estee, Tom Ford, Dupes, “, ”, Penny Pincher, Leslie Ghize, Doneger Tobe, Calvin McDonald, Ian Taplin, Juozas Kaziukenas, Kaziukenas, Maria Boschetti, Mike Scheschuk, Birkenstock, Katherine Masters, Dorothy Kam, Vanessa O'Connell, Rod Nickel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Abercrombie, Fitch, Scout, Walmart, Department, Nordstrom, Circana Inc, COMMERCE, Wake Forest University, eBay, Google, HK, Amazon, New, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Hong Kong, TikTok, Los Angeles, Zara, Italy, New York

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