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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.

Carlsberg shares have risen more than 60% during Hart's tenure, outperforming AB Inbev and Heineken, whose shares have dropped around 47% and risen around 45% respectively. Carlsberg's shares fell 3.5% at market open in Copenhagen, but later pared losses and were 0.7% lower at 1118 GMT. "Cees 't Hart has delivered remarkable results during his time at Carlsberg," Supervisory Board Chair Henrik Poulsen said. It is also seeking an option to buy back the Russian business in the future. With only around 16% of revenue coming from Eastern Europe, Carlsberg's biggest markets are Western Europe and Asia.

☆ Morgan Stanley's guide for tech investors playing the end of this bear market — and the start of the next bull
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tech (and media and telecom) investors should start preparing their buy lists now ahead of a bear market low, Morgan Stanley said. Given this, the strategist offered an investment guide for the period before, during and after the stock market trough. Netflix was among the names Morgan Stanley recommended for the period prior to the market bottom. Meanwhile, after the bear market low, Morgan Stanley said cyclicals, lower quality and value names have the most "impressive outperformance." Meanwhile, for investors trading through the trough and into the bull market, names such as Salesforce and Microsoft are buying opportunities, Morgan Stanley said.

☆ Active vs. passive managers: 2022 was a surprisingly good year for active management
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Active vs. passive managers: 2022 was a surprisingly good year for active management. On the plus side for active managers: for large-cap equity fund managers (the largest and most closely-watched category), 51% underperformed their benchmarks last year. Here's the bad news for active managers Active managers often say that while passive investing may often outperform, during periods of high volatility they will have a chance to shine. For example, S & P 500 Growth was down 29%, but S & P 500 Value was down only 5%. "A manager selecting a random stock would have had a 59% chance of beating the S & P 500 and a 30% chance of outperforming the S & P 500 by 20% or better," the authors wrote.

☆ Artificial intelligence could soon be widely used to detect breast cancer — and may be more effective than doctors at doing so, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Experts are debating the most effective uses of artificial intelligence as the technology grows. One of the most beneficial use cases so far has been the tech's ability to identify cancer, the NYT reported. The success of using AI to detect cancer in the Hungarian clinics has inspired doctors in England, Scotland, and Finland to also experiment with the technology, per the Times. Companies have been developing such programs for years, as existing artificial intelligence technologies grow increasingly capable of more complex tasks. "An AI-plus-doctor should replace doctor alone, but an AI should not replace the doctor," Peter Kecskemethy, a computer scientist and cofounder of a company that develops the AI programs assisting doctors, told the Times.

☆ This fund is trouncing the S&P 500 by focusing on international stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A fund once led by an investing great known for finding opportunities in distressed assets is beating the market — but with a somewhat different focus. The Third Avenue Value Fund (TVFVX) outperformed the S & P 500 in 2022, rising 11.2% while the broad-market index shed 19.4%. 'Go where the opportunities are' Fine said that can happen by looking at both country and industry trends. The fund had just over 40% and 30% of its holdings in small- and mid-cap companies, respectively, at the end of 2022. portfolio manager Matt Fine Fine was able to work under Whitman and eventually take over the value fund, which is one of the first the company created, in 2017, a year before Whitman died.

☆ These are Wall Street analysts' favorite global stocks for U.S. investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly 70% of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy, with the average price target implying upside of roughly 20%. The average price target on Legend Biotech implies upside of 56.6%. More than 81% of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy. Streaming company Joyy made the list as well, with nearly 80% of analysts covering the stock rating it as buy. The average price target on the stock implies upside of 44%.

☆ Ken Griffin’s hedge fund Citadel is up again in 2023 following a record year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Billionaire investor Ken Griffin's flagship hedge fund matched the broader market's performance in the beginning of 2023 following a record year, according to a person familiar with the returns. Citadel's multi-strategy flagship Wellington fund gained 0.7% last month, bringing its 2023 performance to 2.8% through February, the person said. This year's gain comes after a stellar year for the hedge fund, which soared 38% in 2022, marking the firm's best year ever and outperforming its largest competitor, Millennium, by more than 3 to 1. Hedge funds aim to offer downside protection during market turmoil, and Citadel managed to shine during the worst chaos in the market in years. Citadel's equities fund, which uses a long/short strategy, is up 2.4% this year, while its global fixed income fund is higher by 1.6% so far in 2023, the person said.

☆ JPMorgan upgrades Procter & Gamble, says consumer staples stock could be an earnings compounder
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

She also raised her price target by $5 to $155, which implies the stock could advance 10.8% from Thursday's close. Teixeira said investors should try to get ahead of what she sees as a likely inflection point in its fiscal 2023 fourth quarter. She said pressures easing can also help the stock regain its reputation as an earnings compounder, a term used to describe businesses that get good return on capital they invest into the business. To be sure, she noted that the company — and its peers in the consumer staples sector — has a connection to bonds. But she thinks investors will see the relative resilience of the company's brands and its earnings compounder distinction as more important.

☆ This growth ETF is leaving one of its top competitors in the dust. Here's how they differ
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) has blown past one of its closest competitor from iShares, the S & P 500 Growth ETF (IVW) . The Vanguard fund has a total return of 7.96% this year, while the iShares fund has returned just 3.15%, according to FactSet. The Vanguard funds track the growth indexes from CRSP, while iShares S & P 500 follows products from S & P Dow Jones. Since IT has done well this year and energy has not, ETFs tracking S & P indices have underperformed growth ETFs tracking other indices," Ullal wrote. Meanwhile, the iShares S & P fund has more than a 4% combined weighting in ExxonMobil and Chevron .

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☆ These dependable dividend increasers are beating the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While recent dividend cuts may make investors concerned about what's to come next, there are still many stocks that have dependable dividend increases. Last week, Intel slashed its dividend by more than 65% , following VF Corp.'s dividend cut and Hanesbrands elimination of its dividend last month. The exchange operator has increased its payout four of the last five years and has a one-year dividend-per-share growth of 24.1%. United Parcel Service has the highest one-year dividend-per-share growth at 49% on our list. Finally, Target has a 2.7% dividend yield and has a one-year dividend-per-share growth of 22.5%.

Wonderboom 3 is a compact Bluetooth speaker that delivers a ton of value for $100. The new speaker improves upon the battery life and Bluetooth range of the older Wonderboom 2, while keeping that model's compact, waterproof design. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 The newest ultra-portable speaker from Ultimate Ears, the Wonderboom 3, is a 360-degree speaker that's ideal for travel and outdoor listening. There's also a feature that lets you pair two Wonderboom speakers together as a stereo set. Ultimate EarsThe Wonderboom 3 has nearly every feature you'd want from a portable Bluetooth speaker in the $100 price range.

☆ Goldman says these are the favorite stocks of both mutual funds and hedge funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mutual funds and hedge funds tend to have different risk tolerance and exposure, but Goldman Sachs found a list of stocks loved by both cohorts. It then compiled the "Hedge Fund VIP basket," consisting of 50 stocks that most frequently appear among the largest 10 holdings of hedge funds, and the "Mutual Fund Overweight basket," consisting of 50 stocks in which mutual funds are the most overweight. Goldman found that there are 10 "shared favorites" among hedge funds and mutual funds last quarter. "We expect 2023 to be a more fertile environment for hedge funds and mutual funds given an increasingly micro-driven market." Meanwhile, a duo of insurers — UnitedHealth, Humana — were also loved by both mutual funds and hedge funds.

☆ This emerging markets fund outperforms by finding ideas in small- and mid-cap companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A keen appreciation for ideas that fly under the radar helped one emerging markets fund outperform during the pandemic. Since starting at the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies (MSMLX) fund in 2020, Vivek Tanneeru said he has kept his focus on small- and mid-cap companies to generate alpha (returns above a benchmark). For example, his Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future fund (MISFX) fund, which he founded in 2015, is also given five stars at Morningstar. One stock Tanneeru is particularly bullish on now is Legend Biotech . For Tanneeru, small caps are a more nimble way for investors to gain access to emerging markets and tap into consumer preferences there.

☆ Salesforce shares jump 13% on better-than-expected forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Salesforce shares soared 16% in extended trading on Wednesday after the cloud software maker beat Wall Street estimates on profit and issued a better-than-expected forecast. Here's how the company did:Earnings: $1.68 per share, adjusted, vs. $1.36 per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. $1.68 per share, adjusted, vs. $1.36 per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. Revenue: $8.38 billion, vs. $7.99 billion as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. Salesforce sees adjusted earnings per share for the full 2024 fiscal year of $7.12 to $7.14 and revenue of $34.5 billion to $34.7 billion.

☆ Kohl's shares sink after big holiday-quarter losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Kohl's shares sunk on Wednesday after the retailer posted a big loss and a sales decline of about 7% in the holiday quarter. Kohl's is not the only retailer that has felt a pullback as consumers spend more on food, housing and other necessities. During that same three-year period, spending at Kohl's fell by 15.4% and profit at the company plummeted by 203%. Kohl's inventory remains elevated, up 4% year over year as of the end of the fourth quarter, the company said. As of Tuesday's close, Kohl's stock is up about 11% this year, outperforming the approximately 3% gain of the S&P 500.

☆ Stock pickers continue to shine after a better year and here are their favorite names in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Wall Street investment bank analyzed the holdings of 543 mutual funds with $2.4 trillion of assets under management at the start of 2023, based on regulatory filings. It then compiled a basket of the most popular bets, called "Mutual Fund Overweight basket," consisting of 50 stocks in which mutual funds are the most overweight. Year to date, 43% of large-cap mutual fund managers have outperformed their benchmarks, well above the long-term average of 38%, Goldman said. Goldman's mutual fund overweight basket has gained 2% in 2023, in line with the S & P 500's performance. Credit card duo Mastercard and Visa were the two most loved names by mutual funds at the start of 2023, according to Goldman.

☆ The Fed's going to have to come down hard on consumer demand to tame inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But remember, a strong consumer means high demand, which helps inflation stick around. Higher-for-longer rate hikes don't bode well for the stock market. In JPMorgan's view, the stock market has yet to come to terms with that possibility. (It's worth noting that just a couple months ago, markets were expecting interest rate cuts by late 2023.) The stock market bubble has burst and those betting on a rebound are in denial, according to Richard Bernstein Advisors.

☆ Italy's MPS to rejoin Milan's blue-chip index from March 20 - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) (BMPS.MI) is set to rejoin the FTSE MIB blue-chip index on the Milan stock exchange after six years of absence, two market sources told Reuters on Monday. MPS is currently in the FTSE MID Cap index and left the blue-chip index in March 2017. At 1536 GMT, its stock was up by more than 3.6%, outperforming Italy's bank sub-index (.FTITLMS3010). One trader said MPS' stock has benefited from very high liquidity following November's 2.5-billion-euro new share issue, making it eligible for blue-chip status. At the same time, Italian cement maker Buzzi Unicem (BZU.MI) is "very likely" to be downgraded from the blue-chip to the FTSE MID Cap index, the trader said.

☆ French defence group Thales to recruit 12,000 staff as orders boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: The logo of French defence and electronics group Thales is seen at an office building at the financial and business district of La Defense in Courbevoie near Paris, France, January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierPARIS (Reuters) - French defence and technology group Thales plans to hire 12,000 new staff this year as there is strong demand across its product range, CEO Patrice Caine said in an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche. Caine said that all the firm’s activities - defence and security, aeronautics and space, identity and digital security, were growing strongly. “The company is a reflection of its markets, which are all seeing dynamic growth, with needs growing in all our fields of activity,” he said. Caine, who recently met with Ukraine’s defence minister, said that France would deliver its Ground Master 200 radar air defence system to Ukraine in May.

☆ These highly rated stocks have big economic moats and they are outpacing the market this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The so-called moat has been a popular factor to pick stocks, touted by none other than Warren Buffett, and these names with a wide moat are outperforming the market this year. CNBC Pro used Morningstar to identify wide moat stocks that are beating the market this year. We also screened stocks with a market cap bigger than $500 million and rated 4 or 5 stars by Morningstar. On the top of the list were two big tech stocks — Meta and Salesforce . Automation company Teradyne and tech name Transunion were also wide moat stocks, according to Morningstar.

☆ These growth stocks are highly rated and are outperforming the S&P 500 in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Even as the prospect of higher rates weighs on markets, it could be time to take a closer look at some top-rated growth stocks. Growth stocks are outperforming in 2023 after getting hammered on Wall Street last year. Still, for investors searching for growth stocks outperforming the S & P 500 this year, there are some highly-rated names, according to Morningstar data. Shares rose slightly Friday after Block reported fourth-quarter earnings that showed strong growth in gross profit , even as earnings missed expectations. Uber Technologies , Snowflake and Salesforce are some other growth stocks that made this list.

☆ The pullback in this high-quality edtech stock could be opportunity for investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Knoblauch raised his price target to $27 from $21, saying the stock's underperformance so far this year is an opportunity. Last year, PowerSchool's stock outperformed its edtech peers by a wide margin. Demand for PowerSchool's products are largely driven by the growth of school budgets, which are recession-resilient. The international opportunity Thill said it's early days for PowerSchool's international expansion, and it's one of the reasons he's positive on the stock in the long term. We're particularly optimistic regarding the company's persona-based cloud bundles and international opportunity.

☆ Short duration Treasury ETFs gain favor as rates reverse course and push higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The recent move higher in Treasury yields appears to be sparking a shift back into short-term bond funds by investors. The 10-year Treasury yield is threatening to climb back above 4%, and the 6-month yield has already topped 5%. The three biggest funds for inflows over the past week were short-term Treasury ETFs, led by the iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (SHV) , according to FactSet. When interest rates are rising, short-term bonds become more attractive for investors. The FolioBeyond Rising Rates ETF (RISR) , which invests in a slice of mortgage products that benefit from higher rates, is still under $100 million in assets despite outperforming in 2022.

"His deep understanding of our customers' needs, and the broader industry make him an ideal candidate for Chairman of the Supervisory Board from 2024 onwards," Plattner added. Plattner, who co-founded SAP in 1972 alongside four other former IBM employees, stepped down from active management in May 2003 to head the supervisory board after serving as SAP's CEO since 1997. He owns a 6.16% stake in SAP which is currently worth 8.23 billion euros ($8.73 billion), and said he would remain committed to the company as an "investor with an unchanged stake". SAP, in a separate statement, said it would propose a dividend of 2.05 euros per share for 2022. The company paid 2.45 euros a share for the previous year, which included a 0.50 euros apiece special dividend.

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