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Here's an update on technology-related holdings in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio we use at the CNBC Investing Club. Jim ran through the 35 stocks during the Club's inaugural Annual Meeting, an in-person event Saturday in New York City. Big picture, we think AMD shares will continue to increase in value as its leadership over Intel is further cemented. But sentiment is improving, with AMD shares climbing around 21% year to date. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Recessions risks knock stocks, speculators drawn back to yen
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Nikkei dip and the bounce for the yen suggest such speculation is here to stay, at least for now. April was another possibility, she added, since by then the BOJ would have a new governor. "My guess would be that more speculators would look to build positions going into these meetings." Microsoft's announcement of 10,000 layoffs and hawkish comments from Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester and St. Louis Fed President James Bullard added to the gloom, with both Fed officials expecting U.S. interest rates above 5% this year. The Australian dollar was last down 0.5% at $0.6907, losing ground after data showed an unexpected fall in Australian employment last month.

☆ European markets head for lower open as investor mood sours
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets are heading for a negative open Thursday as investors gauge the economic outlook, a topic high on the agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. CNBC will be speaking to a range of delegates at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, including the CEOs of Enel, Merck, Rio Tinto and leaders of the Netherlands and Ireland, among many others. The lower open in Europe comes after the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 600 points on Wednesday as investors took profits on some of the strong January gains, and as a disappointing December retail sales reading in the U.S. raised concerns about a recession. Overnight, shares in the Asia-Pacific traded mixed on Thursday after tracking the losses on Wall Street.

☆ Turmoil and Protests Shake Latin America as Region Sours on Democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Ryan Dube | Juan Forero | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LIMA, Peru—This country has had six presidents in five years, the latest taking power last month and igniting protests that have cost 42 lives and paralyzed many of Peru’s highland cities. In Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has taken measures that undermine the country’s independent electoral agency, while thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , many of them who said his opponent had rigged the October presidential election, last week ransacked the country’s presidential palace, the Congress and the Supreme Court.

☆ Hundreds of Tesla owners in China protested after missing out on big price cuts, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla owners in China gathered at delivery hubs and outlets to protest price cuts, per Reuters. The EV maker has cut prices in China for the second time in three months, with some missing out. Tesla cut prices in China for the second time in three months on Friday as it struggles to make sales. EV makers have been forced into sudden price changes in recent months as big car makers raise their game and the global economy sours. But Tesla's move to cut prices in China more reflects depressed demand due to years of COVID-19 lockdowns, as well as Tesla's floundering share price and its big bet on a Shanghai factory.

☆ Taking out debt used to be a mark of shame in the startup world. Investors like Peter Thiel are helping make it cool.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

InsiderPeter Thiel poured $250 million into Tacora Capital, which reflects a new interest in venture debt. Data from the startup tracker PitchBook showed that US venture debt reached $26.5 billion in value at the end of November. Startups can access venture debt through banks like Silicon Valley Bank or funds that specialize in the vehicle. Since those lenders deal with younger companies, venture-debt terms can be more flexible than traditional business loans. Traditional VC isn't going anywhereWhat the experts all agree on is that venture debt isn't going to replace the traditional venture-capital model anytime soon.

☆ The SEC is reaching out to Blackstone and Starwood after the real-estate giants limited investors' withdrawals from their funds, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Alex Nicoll | Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Investors are pulling their money from big real estate funds at a quick pace. Blackstone and Starwood recently limited investors' ability to withdraw. The real estate funds have recently seen a surge in withdrawal requests amid a broad drop in investor sentiment and potential economic downturn. Representatives for the SEC and Starwood did not immediately return requests for comment on Friday. But this year has brought challenges as the real estate market sours and more investors are turning bearish.

☆ What to do about the highest interest rate in 15 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

In its last policymaking meeting of the year, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate for the seventh time in a row, to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. Otherwise, any remaining balance will be subject to a new interest rate that could be higher than you had before if rates continue to rise. That said, “don’t jump into a large purchase that isn’t right for you just because interest rates might go up. If that’s not possible, consider paying off that balance by taking out a HELOC with another lender at a lower promotional rate, McBride suggested. The floating rate is tied to a short-term benchmark rate, such as the fed funds rate, so it will go up whenever the Fed hikes rates.

☆ JPMorgan says this resilient software stock can rally more than 25% even if the economy worsens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Monday.com has navigated a tightening economy well so far, JPMorgan said Monday, noting that the software stock's price is a good entry point for long-term investors. Analyst Pinjalim Bora upgraded the stock to overweight from neutral and increased his price target by $10 to $140. Bora originally had concerns about what a worsening economic backdrop would mean for share value, though fears have been mitigated by recent performance. Down 64.4% compared with the start of 2022, he said the stock is at an "attractive entry point" for long-term investors. Compared with direct peers Smartsheet and Asana , Bora said Monday.com has the fastest revenue growth and an "elite" margin profile.

☆ Fisker's cash tied up in bank guarantees, short-seller report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 1 (Reuters) - Short-seller Fuzzy Panda Research said on Thursday that Fisker Inc's (FSR.N) access to its funds is limited by bank guarantees that set a mininum cash balance, sending the electric-vehicle maker's shares down 5%. In a report disclosing an unspecified short position, Fuzzy Panda Research said nearly all of the $825 million Fisker has in cash "is tied up" in guarantees to its manufacturing partner Magna Steyr, the Austrian unit of Magna International Inc (MG.TO). The guarantees include Fisker paying for Magna's tooling costs as well as manufacturing margins and direct manufacturing costs, the short seller said, citing interviews with former employees. The EV maker is the latest target of Fuzzy Panda Research, which has previously issued reports on EVgo Inc (EVGO.O), Workhorse Group Inc (WKHS.O) and now bankrupt Electric Last Mile Solutions. The short-seller also said that Fisker has been selling shares to raise cash and pay expenses instead of funding operating losses using its cash balance.

☆ Indonesia's GoTo to cut 1,300 jobs to step up cost cutting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GoTo said it has achieved around 800 billion rupiah ($51 million) in cost savings in the first half of this year through efficiency measures in technology, marketing and outsourcing. GoTo, which offers ride-hailing and financial services, went public in April with a $1.1 billion stock sale. Its shares are trading 44% below its initial public offering price, as investor sentiment on the tech sector sours amid soaring inflation and interest rates. Shares in GoTo rose 2.8% on Friday after announcing the job cuts. In recent months, Southeast Asia's largest-ecommerce firm Shopee cut jobs in various countries and shut some overseas operations as parent Sea (SE.N) struggle with losses.

☆ Britain's Nationwide warns of rising bad loans as outlook sours
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Nationwide Building Society said bad loans are likely to rise as pressure on household finances squeezes its customers, even as it reported profits ticking up from rising interest rates. Nationwide's results come a day after Britain's budget forecasting office warned the country faces a record hit to living standards this year, as surging inflation erodes income. Britain's second biggest provider of home loans said profit for the six months rose 13% to 969 million pounds from the same period a year ago, but said bad loans had risen and would continue to do so. Nationwide said credit impairment charges rose to 108 million pounds from a net release of 34 million pounds set aside for potential loan losses in the first half of last year. ($1 = 0.8401 pounds)Reporting by Lawrence White; Editing by Mark Potter and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Wall Street Sours on Coinbase, Signaling Broad Crypto Doubts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Sam Goldfarb | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A year ago, cryptocurrencies were roaring and Coinbase Global Inc., considered the Charles Schwab of crypto exchanges, was fresh off an IPO that valued the firm at $85 billion. Today, one market-based measure suggests that investors have doubts about whether the company can survive. As a publicly traded entity, the U.S. firm, which originated in San Francisco but says it has no headquarters, seems to have steered clear of the complex financial maneuvers that helped fell FTX, a competitor whose stunning collapse has rocked an already-reeling industry. Nonetheless, Coinbase has been burning through its cash and losing the confidence of investors. Its shares are down 81% since the start of the year, its market capitalization has shrunk to $11 billion, and its bonds are trading at a little more than half their face value.

☆ Private equity is ready to make moves as the economy sours, but its approach to dealmaking might be different than in years past
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

When the going gets tough, PE gets going. Insider's Casey Sullivan and Rebecca Ungarino examined one segment of Wall Street that is primed to take off despite an economy that has left almost everyone hurting. The big question is where will PE firms look to deploy capital. How long PE firms resist those types of deals still remains to be seen, though. People who left Wall Street for crypto aren't second guessing themselves.

☆ Tech investor Draper sours on China, says it has left the free market
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] U.S. venture capitalist Tim Draper speaks to Reuters on his way to visit the National Space Organization in Taipei, Taiwan, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - China is no longer a place to invest and has left "the free market" under President Xi Jinping, said U.S. venture capitalist Tim Draper, an early investor in Elon Musk's Tesla and SpaceX. "I used to be an investor in China," he told Reuters late on Monday after arriving in Taipei. "Then I got an early indication that China was going to leave the free market and I decided that that was not a place I wanted to invest," Draper said, without elaborating. "I'm just hoping that President Xi hasn't lost his mind completely," Draper said, referring to a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan.

It culminated on Wednesday, with Binance pulling out of its deal and throwing FTX's future into uncertainty. Bankman-Fried told Reuters on Tuesday that "I'll probably be too swamped" to do interviews. Voyager filed for bankruptcy protection the following month, with FTX's U.S. arm paying $1.4 billion for its assets in a September auction. Daily withdrawals normally totaled tens of millions of dollars, Bankman-Fried told his employees. Bankman-Fried signed a non-binding letter of intent for Binance to buy FTX’s non-U.S. assets.

With nearly one-third of midterm election voters indicating inflation as their top concern this year, attention now turns to what the new political alignment in Washington D.C. will mean for tackling the issue. Were they to gain full control of Congress, Republicans have pledged to roll back the Biden administration’s spending efforts, which opponents of President Joe Biden blame for inflation. Inflation remains largely a consumer-driven phenomenon because it is propelled in large part by household spending. "In the event of recession, divided governments generally deliver only limited and late fiscal support," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a note to clients. Meanwhile, much of the spending laid out in the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act has already been distributed, the analysts said, noting that, in any case, congressional legislation would be subject to a veto by President Biden.

☆ Morning Bid: Midterms vigil and new crypto wobble
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. Tuesday's U.S. mid-term elections held world markets in thrall and investors now assume policy gridlock will emerge as the winner. With a critical U.S. inflation reading due on Thursday, there was some attention on San Francisco Fed research showing credit across the economy is tighter than the Fed's policy rate suggests and financial conditions by September were more reflective of a 5.25% policy rate than the current 3.75%-4%. FTX token , the native token of crypto exchange FTX, plunged 20% amid a range of reports and speculation that dragged the whole crypto complex lower and saw drop 5%. FTX has come under pressure after the head of rival exchange Binance said on Sunday his firm would liquidate its holdings of the FTX token due to unspecified "recent revelations".

☆ What rising interest rates mean for your credit, loans, savings and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Interest rates have increased at the fastest pace in 40 years,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. They’re offering far higher rates – with some topping 3% currently – and have been increasing them as benchmark rates go higher. At the most recent auction in October, for instance, the 5-year TIPS had an interest rate of 1.625%. Home loans: Lock in fixed rates nowMortgage rates have been rising over the past year, jumping more than three percentage points. That said, “don’t jump into a large purchase that isn’t right for you just because interest rates might go up.

☆ Bank of America double downgrades Twilio, slashes price target as demand sours
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Twilio could be in trouble as signs point to less spending from clients, according to Bank of America. The analyst also slashed his price target on the stock to $85 from $175. That adds to challenges expected as increased competition will create add to pricing pressure and revenue forecasts are at risk. That resulted in Funk lowering the company's 2023 revenue estimate to an increase of 25.1% from 30% and to 26.1% from 30% in 2024. Increased competition has also placed additional pressure on Twilio prices, he said.

☆ If a recession comes, don't count on unemployment insurance — states aren't ready to give you benefits
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The result: Many states pay little and for fewer weeks, and it takes over a month to get benefits. And, if you do need to access UI benefits, they might not arrive for a while. Right now, according to the TCF report, just 15 states are doing that. Black workers are more likely to live in states with lower benefits. Many states have cut how many weeks workers are eligible for benefits over the last decade or so.

☆ Mastercard shares down as dim forecast sours profit beat
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Mastercard Inc (MA.N) forecast a weaker-than-expected revenue growth for the last three months of the year on Thursday, overshadowing an upbeat quarter where the card issuer beat profit estimates on resilient consumer spending. The company said it expected revenue to rise in "low double digits" at the lower end of its forecasted growth range for the fourth quarter. Shares of the Purchase, New York-based company were down more than 2% in premarket trading. Last quarter, Mastercard warned of a slowdown in spending from lower-income customers in the United States in the face of red-hot inflation. Excluding one-time costs, Mastercard earned $2.68 per share, beating Street estimate of $2.56 per share.

☆ Your coworkers aren't less productive because they're 'quiet quitting.' They're just new to the job.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some say "quiet quitting" is among the key reasons why. But "quiet quitting" likely isn't why. But while quiet quitting may be a real phenomenon and newly coined phrase, the practice is not a new one. "I don't think "quiet quitting" is real or affecting productivity growth," Adam Ozimek, chief economist at the policy organization Economic Innovation Group, wrote on Twitter last week. But while remote workers may be productive once they're up and running, it's possible new remote employees are less productive.

☆ Wall St extends rally on signs of ebbing Fed rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The S&P 500 has reclaimed nearly 8% from the trough of its Oct. 12 close. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, all but energy (.SPNY) were green, with real estate stocks (.SPLRCR) enjoying the largest percentage gain. Third-quarter reporting season is firing all pistons, with 129 of the companies in the S&P 500 having reported. Analysts have set the bar low; aggregate S&P 500 earnings growth is now seen landing at 3.3% year-on-year, down from 4.5% at the beginning of the month, per Refinitiv. The S&P 500 posted 12 new 52-week highs and 1 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 65 new highs and 108 new lows.

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