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ORLANDO, Florida, April 10 (Reuters) - Hedge funds started the second quarter positioning for a steeper U.S. yield curve by offloading 10-year U.S. Treasuries futures at one of the fastest rates on record. In one way, betting on a steeper 2s/10s yield curve indicates funds are hoping the trend of recent weeks continues - the curve steepened around 33 basis points in March, the biggest monthly steepening in a decade. The difference is, that was driven by a massive "bull-steepening," buying two-year futures when the banking shock forced funds to cover their near-record short position. In the week through April 4 funds increased their 10-year Treasuries futures net short position by almost 150,000 contracts. A short position is essentially a wager that an asset's price will fall, and a long position is a bet it will rise.

☆ Top analysts are bullish on these five long-term picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Here are five stocks chosen by Wall Street's top analysts, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. Rakesh holds the 94th position among more than 8,000 analysts followed on TipRanks. The analyst ranks 439th among more than 8,000 analysts followed on TipRanks. The analyst remains bullish on the stock and raised his price target to $134 from $128, as he continues to see a "meaningful upside." Santarelli holds the 27th position among more than 8,000 analysts on TipRanks.

☆ Asia's 'best restaurants' list is out — and it's no surprise which country made the list 17 times
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

William Drew, director of content for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, said Japan's strong performance is "no surprise." The top 50 restaurants in AsiaThis year commemorates the 10th anniversary of the "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" list. Asia's top 50 restaurantsThe list of "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" for 2023 are: 1. Ten restaurants that ranked among Asia's best 50 restaurants last year fell into the 51-100 ranking this year. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023Labyrinth also rose 29 spots to No.11, winning the "Highest Climber" award.

☆ To escape the rat race, this pair cycled 15,000 km along the route from Finland to Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Audrey Wan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Valtteri Heinila was working in a startup when he realized he needed a break. With his friend Alvari Poikola, Heinila cycled through 21 countries in eight months, he told CNBC. The men chose Singapore as their goal because it was the farthest point they could cycle to, Heinila said. Valtteri Heinila (left) and Alvari Poikola at the Imperial City of Hue in Vietnam. Valtteri Heinila

The outages have in recent days led to growing concern that French and regional supplies of fuels, in particular diesel, could tighten in the coming weeks. Reuters GraphicsThe profit margin for refining crude oil into diesel has jumped by nearly 40% over the past month. The Ekofisk North Sea crude grade, produced at a field in Norway where TotalEnergies has equity, relies on France for two-thirds of its export stream, Rauball said. Meanwhile, prices for crude grades from Nigeria, one of France's top suppliers, have dropped by around $1/bbl in the past two weeks, traders said. "It's a buyer's market, with WTI and Azeri crude offered way down to sell," a trader of West African crude said.

☆ French strikes continue to block refinery shipments and LNG terminals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Eric GaillardPARIS, March 20 (Reuters) - Shipments of refined products from French refinery and depots were blocked on Monday by a 13th day of strike action, though some refineries operated with a reduced flow. The cost of keeping LR2 vessels floating outside ports is leading many traders to avoid shipments into France, traders said. Strikes also continued through the weekend and into Monday at ExxonMobil (XOM.N) subsidiary Esso's Fos refinery, blocking deliveries, CGT union representative Germinal Lancelin said. At French liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, the strike was extended until March 27 at the three terminals operated by Engie (ENGIE.PA) subsidiary Elengy, a union representative said. Another vote will be held later this week, possibly on Wednesday, on whether to take further strike action, the representative added.

☆ Top Wall Street analysts pick these five stocks for the long term
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Given the ongoing uncertainty, turning to stock market experts to pick attractive stocks for the long term could be a good decision. Allegro expects to flourish in these two key markets and to deliver low-double-digit percentage revenue growth from fiscal 2023 to 2028. CrowdStrike's adjusted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 (ended Jan. 31) increased 57%, fueled by revenue growth of 48%. The company's adjusted EPS grew 8% and came ahead of Wall Street's expectations, while revenue growth of 18% fell short of estimates. Nonetheless, Oracle is optimistic about the solid potential of its cloud business, which delivered 45% revenue growth in the fiscal third quarter.

☆ BlackRock's Larry Fink said the last few years have dramatically reshaped supply chains. Data — and experts — disagree.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

From the headlines, it's easy to think that supply chains are making a major shift closer to the consumer. "The repeated shocks of the past few years have also dramatically reshaped supply chains," Fink wrote in his highly-anticipated annual letter to shareholders Wednesday. His statements echo those from other top execs and prognosticators, who looked at the last few years and saw inevitable evolution toward more localized supply chains. Before the pandemic, supply chains were largely built with cost as a guiding principle. Is a "dramatic" redesign of supply chains possible?

☆ How to Pick a Financial Advisor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +12 min

Read on to get started:Types of financial advisorsMany financial professionals, including financial planners, securities brokers, investment managers, and insurance brokers call themselves financial advisors so it’s important to know exactly what services an advisor provides before hiring one. Financial advisor designationsThere are myriad designations for financial advisors but only a handful that indicate the expertise most consumers need. CPAs, or Certified Public Accountants, can be certified with a Personal Financial Specialist credential, which combines their tax expertise with personal financial planning knowledge. How to find a financial advisorFinding a financial advisor is not so different from finding any other specialized service you’re in the market for. The right financial advisor can help navigate your financial life, from budgeting everyday spending to fulfilling long-term financial goals over a lifetime including the purchase of a home and a comfortable retirement.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Nvidia, Roku, Coinbase, DraftKings, Disney & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Friday: Compass Point upgrades Coinbase to buy from neutral Compass said the "long-term opportunities outweigh near-term risks." Goldman Sachs reiterates Tesla as buy Goldman said it's bullish heading into the company's investor day on March 1. KeyBanc reiterates Nvidia as overweight KeyBanc raised its price target on the stock to $280 per share from $220. Daiwa reiterates Disney as buy Daiwa said it sees international growth for Disney which will further drive parks outperformance. Evercore ISI adds a positive tactical call on Walmart Evercore said it's bullish on Walmart heading into earnings next week.

☆ Citi says buy 3 stocks tied to the consumer for the same reasons we own them
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

What Citi thinks Analysts at Citi chose our three Club holdings among their top-rated picks — initiating coverage in U.S. beverages, household and personal care products. STZ YTD mountain Constellation Brands (STZ) YTD performance Citi also said it's time to buy Constellation Brands, the company behind Mexican beers Corona, Modelo and Pacifico. Analysts at Citi have a $265 price target on the stock, which fell slightly lower Friday to just under $227. EL YTD mountain Estee Lauder (EL) YTD performance Citi also estimates "strong topline/margin recovery" from Estee Lauder as China's economy continues to reopen. Buy Estee Lauder."

☆ Citi says buy Coca-Cola as beverage giant emerges stronger post-Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Coca-Cola is a stronger company post-Covid, according to Citi. Analyst Filippo Falorni named Coca-Cola as one of his top buy-rated picks in the U.S. beverages and household products sector. He added that the beverage giant "can navigate well through weaker macro conditions, and/or offer compelling long-term growth stories" at a reasonable valuation. "KO has emerged as a stronger company post-COVID with a more effective networked organizational model aiding market share gains and innovation, and an improved margin structure with a more efficient advertising spend," Falorni wrote. We view KO's valuation close to the average of mega-cap peers as compelling given a stronger topline growth and higher margin profile."

☆ How big hedge funds would trade sticky inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Hedge funds, pinning little hope on central banks' attempts to cool inflation, are spotting ways to profit from climbing interest rates. Five prominent hedge funds shared five ideas using five different asset classes to profit from inflation so pugnacious it might force the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer. Lancaster favours a trade selling long-term borrowing costs against shorter-term ones, on the view that the spread between them will decline. "Concern now for markets is that reacceleration of the economy will lead to higher terminal rates," said Lancaster. Buying U.S. long-dated natural gas futures for these reasons and also, he added, "in an inflationary cost/wage environment looks compelling."

☆ In a health system in crisis, Britain's heart care suffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Britain's cardiology departments are a microcosm of the problems that have spread through the system. In November, around 8,000 people like Cogan had been waiting more than a year for heart treatment, up from a couple of dozen pre-pandemic. Reuters GraphicsTeams were still trying to restore cardiac services to pre-pandemic levels, NHS England said. Pandemic disruptions to diagnosis and treatment, in addition to delays in emergency care, had an outsized impact on cardiological care, she said. On one visit to his local Colchester hospital, staff could not find a working ECG machine to read his heart's electrical activity when he felt a twinge.

☆ This could be a 'banner year' for cruise stocks. Why Citi says it's time to reconsider the industry as a long-term trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After a long port of call, it may be anchors aweigh time for investors in cruise stocks, according to Citigroup. Royal Caribbean is favored thanks to its solid track record of maintaining costs, and offers the best risk-reward opportunity within the group. So far this year, Royal Caribbean shares are off to a solid start, up more than 41% after tumbling about 36% in 2022. Citi reestablished a price target on RCL shares of $80, implying 19% upside from Wednesday's close. Hardiman retained a neutral but high risk rating on Carnival, lifting his price target to $13 from $9 a share.

As the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England and other Western central banks to varying degrees drained the liquidity punchbowl this year by raising rates and initiating quantitative tightening, the BOJ was on the other side with People's Bank of China filling it back up again. Liquidity support for world markets next year was always going to dwindle, but few would have had a possible BOJ halt to asset purchases on their bingo card so soon. ROCKY ROAD AHEADThis year has been one of the worst ever for world markets, hammered by multi-decade high inflation and interest rates across much of the developed world, and a rampant dollar. "The largest expansion of central bank balance sheets in history will give way to the largest contraction in history," they said. The ECB last week laid out plans to stop replacing maturing bonds from its 5 trillion euro ($5.31 trillion) portfolio.

☆ Analysis: As Bank of Japan switches gears, roaring dollar hits the skids
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Reuters GraphicsThe dollar has risen 9% this year, as the Federal Reserve has jacked up interest rates to combat inflation at 40-year highs. As other central banks, from the Bank of England, to the European Central Bank, and the Reserve Bank of Australia, have raised their own rates, dollar bulls have run out of puff. The close relationship between Japanese monetary policy and U.S. Treasuries adds another twist to the story. It all boils down to whether Japanese investors have hedged their Treasury exposure or not, he said. But the stress is on "at the margin", not least because of the sheer size of Japanese investors' holdings of U.S. debt, analysts said.

LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The market for old oil tankers is booming, and it's all down to efforts by Western nations to curb trade in Russian crude. The European Union banned all seaborne Russian crude imports from Dec. 5, with a fuel import ban to follow in February. PRICE SURGEMajor Western oil companies typically stop using tankers when they are about 15 years old, and many would be scrapped. More tankers are now being used for voyages taking weeks, shipping Russian oil from the Baltic and Black Sea to Asia, whereas Russian oil was mainly sold in Europe previously and the voyages only took a few days. Ship broker Braemar also said that some of the vessels involved in shipping Iranian and Venezuelan oil were shifting to transporting Russian oil.

☆ With Debt Coming Due, Investment-Grade Companies Are Paying Up, Too
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

What’s more, volatile markets have resulted in fewer opportunities for companies to sell their debt. Investment-grade U.S. companies have between $550 billion and $750 billion coming due per year from 2023 through 2027, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., with about $59 billion left to pay off or refinance in 2022. Of the $615.54 billion, $504.31 billion were new issuances, compared to $111.23 billion in refinancings, Dealogic said. But investor demand for bonds has been stronger in recent days, leading Amazon.com Inc. and others with near-term debt coming due to the market. Among the businesses that recently took out bond debt at a higher cost is retail giant Walmart Inc.

☆ Long Covid may be 'the next public health disaster' — with a $3.7 trillion economic impact rivaling the Great Recession
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Norpel is one of millions of Americans with long Covid, also known as long-haul Covid, post-Covid or post-acute Covid syndrome. Key symptoms: Long Covid has been linked to more than 200 symptoms, according to The Rockefeller Foundation. Duration: There's no consistent definition of how long symptoms must persist for someone to be considered a long Covid patient. What experts do know is that for some, long Covid symptoms can last months or even years. "I don't know if it's for the rest of my life or not," Hurst said of feeling long Covid symptoms.

☆ 'Compelling' and 'attractive': These stocks are firing on all cylinders, JPMorgan says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Analysts at JPMorgan said this week there's a whole host of stocks that they say are flying under the radar. CNBC Pro combed through top JPMorgan research to find some unique stocks that are just too compelling to ignore. At the same time, Allstate's low stock valuation is "compelling," with a "depressed multiple on depressed earnings." With visibility improving, now's the time to buy the stock, JPMorgan concluded. ... .Our positive view reflects an expected recovery in margins & ALL's compelling valuation.

☆ BoE must sell emergency bond purchases in 'timely' way - Hauser
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - The Bank of England must sell in "a timely and orderly" way the 19.3 billion pounds ($21.7 billion) of government bonds which it bought as part of its recent emergency operation to support the market, a senior BoE official said on Friday. When the programme was launched, the BoE said it would sell the bonds purchased "in a smooth and orderly fashion once risks to market functioning are judged to have subsided". Hauser said the BoE still needed "to remain sensitive and, if necessary, appropriately responsive to still-febrile market conditions". However, Hauser said liquidity in the gilt market had not yet fully recovered. ($1 = 0.8910 pounds)Reporting by David Milliken Editing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top economist David Rosenberg shares 20 ETFs and investment themes that are critical plays for 'long-term return prospects' — including one that's an optimum hideout during bear markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Top economist David Rosenberg breaks down key investment trends for the bear market and long-term. In a recent note, Rosenberg says these 12 ETFs have "long-term return prospects." But these conditions have brought valuations back to more reasonable levels and thereby improved long-term investors' return prospects, he added. Water scarcity and food insecurityFirst, there's water scarcity. Investors who want exposure to water companies could look to exchange-traded products like Invesco's Water Resources ETF and First Trust's Water ETF, he says.

☆ RBC calls this stock the most compelling long-term growth story it covers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shopify 's valuation will likely continue to be hurt by the uncertain economic outlook even if its bottom line isn't showing warning signs, RBC said. He cut Shopify's price target to $55 from $60 despite keeping the stock at an outperform. The revised target implies the stock could almost double in value from closing price of $29.75. These stocks include companies like Shopify that haven't had a long track record of profitable growth. But Treiber says there is a chance Shopify will top both RBC and Wall Street's expectations for third-quarter revenue growth, when it reports its results on Thursday.

☆ How to Find a Financial Advisor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +12 min

Read on to get started:Types of financial advisorsMany financial professionals, including financial planners, securities brokers, investment managers, and insurance brokers call themselves financial advisors so it’s important to know exactly what services an advisor provides before hiring one. Financial advisor designationsThere are myriad designations for financial advisors but only a handful that indicate the expertise most consumers need. Advisor fees and minimumsHow a financial advisor gets paid can be as important as how much you pay them because you want an advisor whose paramount consideration is your best interest, not their own, and whether or not that is the case is largely determined by how you pay them. How to find a financial advisorFinding a financial advisor is not so different from finding any other specialized service you’re in the market for. The right financial advisor can help navigate your financial life, from budgeting everyday spending to fulfilling long-term financial goals over a lifetime including the purchase of a home and a comfortable retirement.

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