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☆ A generation of high-profile women tech leaders have stepped aside. What’s next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The tech industry has now lost an entire generation of trailblazing women leaders and replaced them mostly with men. And in the wake of the pandemic, women leaders in corporate America more broadly are more likely than ever to quit, according to the most recent Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org. Now that she’s departing, Big Tech is facing a new reckoning over its failure to promote and support women leaders, and what this could mean for the next generation of women in the industry. “Without women in the C-suite who have come before them, it could make this transition period tougher for next generation women leaders,” Kray said. “I think that what she achieved and what she modeled will be something that will live on beyond the fact that now we don’t have a female Big Tech CEO.”

☆ U.S. EPA unveils $550 mln in environmental justice grants
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The money is part of $3 billion included for environmental justice block grants authorized by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration's signature legislation that will drive investment of nearly $369 billion in clean energy and climate priorities. The scale and the vision of this investment that Congress has given us will change these communities," Robin Morris Collin, senior advisor for environmental justice at the EPA, told Reuters in an interview. It will oversee deployment of the $3 billion in environmental justice grants. "We are stepping our processes up to expand what has traditionally not been a very welcoming environment for low income and disadvantaged communities to access financial resources," Collin told Reuters. The block grant program is one of several investments the IRA made focused on environmental and climate justice.

☆ Biden nominates former MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga to head World Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday nominated former MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga to become president of the World Bank, hailing his business experience in his native India and his commitment to mobilizing private funds to expand financial inclusion and help developing countries grapple with climate change. "Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history," Biden said in a statement. "Raised in India, Ajay has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity." Biden singled Banga's decades of experience building global companies and building public-private partnerships to tackle urgent challenges such as climate change, and said he had a proven track record working with global leaders. "He can really be a force for change," Moreno said, noting that Banga enjoyed the trust of financial markets whose support was urgently needed to help raise the trillions of dollars needed to deal with global challenges.

☆ Taiwan is bolstering military exchanges with U.S., President Tsai says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Sarah Wu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meets U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), a member of the U.S. House China Select Committee, and other members of the U.S. delegation at the presidential office in Taipei, Taiwan, in this handout photo released February 21, 2023. TAIPEI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Taiwan is bolstering its military ties with the United States and will cooperate even more closely with it and other friendly nations to deal with "authoritarian expansionism", President Tsai Ing-wen told visiting U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday. While the United States no longer maintains military bases in Taiwan, the two have a good military relationship that has become closer as China steps up pressure to try and force Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty. "Taiwan and the United States continue to bolster military exchanges, and going forward Taiwan will cooperate even more actively with the United States and other democratic partners to confront such global challenges as authoritarian expansionism and climate change," Tsai told the lawmakers at her office in Taipei. In August, China staged military exercises near Taiwan to express anger at then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei.

☆ Why it's so hard to build new electrical transmission lines in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Building new transmission lines in the U.S. takes so long — if they are built at all — that electrical transmission has become a roadblock for deploying clean energy. Energy companies that build new transmission lines need to get a return on their investment, explains James McCalley, an electrical engineering professor at Iowa State University. "Someone that benefits more frequent transmission line will pay more than someone who benefits less from a transmission line." transmission lines, energy grid, clean energyGreat River Energy and Minnesota Power are in the early stages of building a 150-mile, 345 kilovolt transmission line from northern to central Minnesota. Engaging with all members of the respective community is a necessary part of any successful transmission line build out, Patel and Johnson both say.

☆ Buy these 16 dividend stocks to collect consistent cash payments while inflation stays high, according to a fund manager who outperformed 95% of his peers last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"Just simply by focusing on quality companies with strong free cash flows is going to get you through any economic cycle. When looking for dividend stocks, the fund manager said it's crucial to consider a company's cash flow to ensure that it will be able to provide consistently high cash payments each quarter. "We do think it's prudent for investors to focus on — whether it's sectors as a whole or companies — strong, resilient cash flows," Morey said. "Because in an environment that we're in right now, cash is king, and cash flows are the life of companies. And without cash flows, you're tapping into other sources for capital, which is now at a much higher rate."

☆ George Santos's elaborate lies has seen the Congressman compared with a 19th-century huckster. History bears that out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Allegra Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

My obsession is summed up pretty well by a tweet from @blagojevism: "George Santos is essentially a 19th-century character. Media depicting these characters found inspiration from real life: in a time before digital records and facial recognition, opportunity was everywhere. George Santos's brand of full-throated scammery is particularly American, something that belongs to this country as much as Abraham Lincoln and apple pie. The phrase "and if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you" comes from his legendary real-life method. But Santos, so far, has avoided jail time, giving him at least one leg up over the Yellow Kid.

☆ Goldman Sachs says these stocks are too attractive to ignore in an uncertain economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Goldman Sachs unveiled a slew of stocks this week that could have major upside throughout 2023. Howmet Aerospace Goldman Sachs is standing by its buy rating on the aerospace products company. "Howmet remains well positioned in the commercial aerospace growth market, delivering critical components, taking market share, generating strong margins and cash ﬂow," he said. Howmet remains well positioned in the commercial aerospace growth market, delivering critical components, taking market share, generating strong margins and cash ﬂow. The quarter was one of progress on multiple fronts, including margins, market share, and cash flow.

☆ Why Pizza Hut’s red roofs and McDonald’s play places have disappeared
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

As fast-food chains spread across the US after World War II, new roadside restaurant brands needed to stand out. So restaurant chains turned to architecture as a key tool to promote their brand and help create their corporate identity. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBut the fast-food architecture of today has lost its quirky charm and distinctive features. Googie style fell out of fashion in the 1970s as fast-food style favored dark colors, brick and mansard roofs. But in the effort to modernize, some say fast-food design has became homogenized and lost its creative purpose.

☆ In this volatile housing market, here's how to know when the bottom is in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

"People for the most part have come to terms with interest rates." No return of 2008, or 3% mortgage rate The biggest reason why housing prices aren't plunging like they did after 2008? At current levels, the Housing Affordability Index says the median buyer can afford the median U.S. home — but barely. Having seen 6 percent interest rates when she bought her first place in 2007, she's not daunted by today's rates, she said. "People have wrapped their heads around where interest rates are, and they have adapted," Fisher said.

☆ Why some analysts are still worried about Roku even after it posted strong Q4 results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Roku is not out of the woods yet, even after posting strong results for the fourth quarter, according to some analysts. The company's first-quarter revenue guidance of about $700 million also beat a StreetAccount estimate of $691.6 million. While those results and guidance are welcome by the market — Roku shares rallied 12% in the premarket — some analysts covering the stock remain skeptical about the company's prospects going forward. The ad market has taken a hit in recent months as companies pulled back as a way to save money. "Given mgmt's track record of conservative guidance ... we think investors will look past weaker 1Q revenue guidance," Helfstein said in a Wednesday note to clients.

☆ Former ASML Employee in China Misappropriated Data, Company Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Kyle Morris | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ASML said it had reported the incident to the relevant authorities. ASML Holding NV said it had experienced an unauthorized misappropriation of data relating to proprietary technology by a former employee in China, but that it believes it isn’t material to the business. The Dutch semiconductor-equipment maker said in its annual report that it launched an internal review. As a result of the incident, certain export-control regulations might have been violated, it said.

For airlines, sale-and-leasebacks have been a popular way to generate liquidity and ease balance sheets. They then aim to sell them at a profit to lessors at the expense of agreeing to pay a rent. "It's a cheap and often tax-efficient way for the airline to raise finance," said an aircraft finance source. "Lessors are already queuing up to do business with Air India. Some lessors say it is not worth it after new money poured into aviation looking for returns when interest rates were low.

☆ Livestream shopping took China by storm. Now Amazon, TikTok and YouTube are betting the QVC-style pitches will take off in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Livestream shopping took China by storm over the past three years. In the U.S., TikTok, Amazon, Walmart , Shopify and YouTube are all getting in on the game. On Amazon Live, influencers pitch products live from the intimacy of their own homes. Tiana Young MorrisTiana Young Morris first went viral in 2020 for videos in which she tried on wigs and then reviewed them. Amazon continued its live-shopping investments with the launch of Amazon Live in India in September.

☆ NBA roundup: Kings spoil Mavs' Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Kevin Huerter scored all 15 of his points in the second half, Trey Lyles added 14 points and Harrison Barnes had 13 for the Kings. Mikal Bridges scored 23 points in his Nets debut after being obtained from the Phoenix Suns on Thursday for Kevin Durant. The Hornets' losing streak reached seven games despite LaMelo Ball coming within a rebound of a triple-double. Jokic, who pulled in seven offensive rebounds, scored 40 points in a mid-December home victory against the Hornets. DeMar DeRozan followed with 16 points, and Nikola Vucevic notched a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds.

☆ NBA roundup: Bucks best Clippers for 10th straight win
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Brandon Boston Jr. scored 20 points and Paul George added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers. Norman Powell had 16 points and Marcus Morris Sr. scored 15 for Los Angeles, which has lost two games in a row. Domantas Sabonis put up 18 points, 11 rebounds and a team-high seven assists for the Kings. Detroit's Jaden Ivey supplied 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, while Isaiah Stewart had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Desmond Bane added 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. tallied 15 points and six rebounds.

☆ Finance Chiefs, Facing Another Year of Persistent Inflation, Prioritize Cost Savings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Finance chiefs are pushing their companies to do more with less as they face another year of rising costs. Obviously, we’re dealing with a very unique environment right now with the unprecedented level of cost inflation. But we’re not in that environment right now. Ideally, we can grow as the demand environment hopefully normalizes. And that’s going to give us more optionality as we better understand our demand for AI over time.

☆ Amazon is the latest threat to Facebook as ad targeting suffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

"So many people start their shopping on Amazon," Hassett said in an interview. People take selfies in front of the logo of Facebook parent company Meta on November 9, 2022 in Menlo Park, California. Liu Guanguan | China News Service | Getty ImagesFor Loftie, Amazon and Google provide better value because a shopper is showing intent by searching for a particular item. "In the near term, we expect Meta ad share to decline further in '23 given macro headwinds and the pivot to Reels," they wrote. Rachel Tipograph, CEO of marketing technology firm MikMak, said there are other unforeseen costs tied to Amazon advertising.

☆ Futures rise on earnings optimism, Disney climbs on revamp plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Casino stocks Wynn Resorts (WYNN.O) and MGM Resorts International (MGM.N) gained about 5% each after reporting fourth-quarter results, with Wynn indicating a meaningful return of visitation and demand in Macau during the recent Chinese New Year holiday period. PepsiCo Inc (PEP.O) rose 1.4% as the soda maker reported better-than-expected results for its fourth quarter. Of more than half of the S&P 500 companies that have reported fourth-quarter results so far, 69% have topped analysts' earnings estimates, as per Refinitiv IBES data. ET, Dow e-minis were up 254 points, or 0.75%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 37.25 points, or 0.9%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 162.5 points, or 1.3%. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar, Medha Singh and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Morning Bid: Corporate scatter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. A hail of mega corporate updates distracted stock markets from a confusing macro picture - but offers little more clarity with scattergun fortunes and ambiguous readouts for the wider economy. The flub fed worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft (MSFT.O) in the renewed craze around artificial intelligence. European shares touched a fresh nine-month high on Thursday as Germany's Siemens and UK's AstraZeneca boosted earnings euphoria, while Britain's bank, commodity and pharma heavy FTSE100 hit another record high. Norway's $1.35 trillion sovereign wealth fund said it had recently divested virtually all its remaining shares in the Adani group.

☆ Cavaliers use balanced attack to rout Wizards
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Feb 6, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) advances the ball against Washington Wizards guard Monte Morris (22) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY SportsFebruary 7 - Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen scored 23 points apiece as the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers routed the short-handed Washington Wizards 114-91 on Monday. Isaac Okoro scored 12 points and Caris LeVert had 10 points and eight rebounds. Will Barton scored 15 points, Deni Avdija added 12, Daniel Gafford had 11 points and eight rebounds and Monte Morris tallied 10 points and seven assists. Cleveland has won its last three meetings against the Wizards, including a 117-107 overtime victory on Oct. 23.

☆ New politically-themed investment funds that mimic lawmakers' money moves aim to shame Congress into banning individual stock trades
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New exchange-traded funds based on congressional stock holdings are launching Tuesday. "90% of it is a product that performs well and 10% of it is shaming," the fund manager told Insider. A press release about the new funds says that in 2022, congressional holdings beat the SPY index fund by nearly 18%. Insider's "Conflicted Congress" project has identified dozens of members of Congress who have violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act — whose enforcement is woefully lacking — by failing to disclose their stock trades on time. Last week, Democratic lawmakers including outspoken trading ban advocate Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia sent Speaker Kevin McCarthy a letter urging him to follow through on his plan to "change the current behavior."

☆ Disney needs to show investors it has a plan to make streaming profitable — and stop hemorrhaging money
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Disney's direct-to-consumer unit, which includes streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, has yet to reach profitability — losing nearly $1.5 billion last quarter. Those loses spurred Disney's board to push out then-CEO Bob Chapek and bring Iger back to the top job. In 2021 Disney spent $25 billion to produce original content, and the following year expanded its budget to $33 billion. Similarly, Macquarie's Nollen said Disney's advertising-based subscription tier for Disney+ is "a lever Disney can pull to raise revenue." "Lots of angry people ask me why I support Nelson Peltz for the Disney board, and I give a simple answer: What has this board done for its shareholders other than wipe out more shareholder money?"

☆ The Brooklyn Nets Trade Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Robert O'Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

After four seasons in which Kyrie Irving was often absent, occasionally brilliant, and always mercurial, the Brooklyn Nets have traded the embattled All-Star guard to the Dallas Mavericks, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed. The deal comes days before Thursday’s trade deadline and days after Irving reportedly requested a trade away from Brooklyn. The Nets, who are also trading forward Markieff Morris, will receive no All-Star in return; Dallas is sending back forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Spencer Dinwiddie, along with one first-round draft pick and multiple second-rounders. The trade was first reported by the Athletic and ESPN.

☆ Did investors learn nothing from last year’s market meltdown?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Shares of movie theater chain AMC (AMC) have soared nearly 65% so far in 2023, and AMC (AMC)’s companion preferred stock (which trades under the ticker APE as a nod to the nickname AMC (AMC) fans have given themselves on social media) has more than doubled. So did investors learn nothing from last year’s market meltdown? I don’t agree with this market rally in meme stocks,” said Erik Ristuben, chief investment strategist with Russell Investments. Another strategist agrees this recent rally for meme stocks and other speculative bets may not end well. If they’re upbeat about spending, that could keep the rally in consumer stocks going.

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