DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Dozens of sanctioned superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs still hang in limbo, racking up millions in maintenance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Grace Kay | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Seized yachts owned by sanctioned Russian oligarchs hang in limbo as US and European authorities decide next steps. Annual maintenance for some of the yachts costs as much as $115.6 million. Earlier this week, CNBC reported that billions of dollars in oligarch's assets — from yachts and villas to private jets — are still frozen. And while the Russian oligarchs are still technically responsible for paying for yacht maintenance, they're unlikely to fork over the maintenance cost or authorities will encounter difficulty collecting the funds due to sanctions on financial transactions with the billionaires. According to Maltby, the maintenance cost of a yacht usually totals about 15% to 20% of its overall value.

☆ Be skeptical of funds that invest like politicians: 'The smart money is not even in the same building'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Last year, a bipartisan bill seeking to ban members of Congress from trading stocks while in office fell short of a floor vote in the House. That's the conceit behind two recently unveiled exchange-traded funds from Subversive Capital and investment data firm Unusual Whales. One with the ticker symbol NANC invests in stocks purchased or sold by Democratic members of Congress and their spouses. The fund trading under the symbol KRUZ does the same for Republicans. "There are far cheaper ways to get that exposure than paying 75 basis points," says Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at investment research firm VettaFI.

☆ Time for a change? Shifting away from this popular ETF strategy may benefit investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With Wall Street jitters increasing over the number of interest rate hikes ahead, VettaFi's Todd Rosenbluth sees signs of a comeback in managed fixed-income exchange-traded funds and away from passive ETF products. "So, [investors] want to lean on the active managers to be able to do that." Rosenbluth said top ETF providers such as BlackRock's iShares and Vanguard, and newer players such as Morgan Stanley and Capital Group, are saturating the market with a wide array of fixed-income ETFs. "You've got two of the leading fixed-income ETF providers offering up some of the largest products. According to Rosenbluth, this versatility is attracting investors by offering more opportunities to take advantage of active ETFs for leverage.

☆ Bond ETFs are bouncing back this year. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

After a dismal 2022 for fixed income funds, bonds are steadily regaining steam in the new year thanks in part to an inverted yield curve. "There's now income within the fixed income ETFs that are available," Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, told Mike Santoli on CNBC's "ETF Edge" on Monday. We've seen high-yield fixed income ETFs see inflows this year, as well as some of the safer products." Given the inverted shape of the yield curve, JPMorgan Ultra-Short Income ETF (JPST) offers a portfolio comprised of short-term, investment-grade bonds. "It's really too early to declare and wave a victory flag with regard to the soft landing," Schneider said in the same segment on Monday.

☆ ETF Edge: 'Active' ETFs are making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailETF Edge: 'Active' ETFs are making a comebackJPMorgan's James McNerny and Vettafi's Todd Rosenbluth join the 'Halftime Report' to discuss 'active' ETFs.

☆ Delta passenger says an 'out of control' flight attendant told his wife she had a 'stupid face' before their family was kicked off plane
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Delta passenger accused a flight attendant of telling his wife she had a "stupid face." Todd replied, "I have you on video saying my wife has a stupid face," prompting the flight attendant to say: "I don't care. You're being rude, rude, rude since the moment of the back." The couple was told by a flight attendant that they were not allowed to use the first-class storage space, according to the blog. "So then she looks at Jen and says, 'don't look at me with that stupid face.'

☆ Cathie Wood's Innovation ETF notches best month ever as beaten-down tech stocks roar back
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cathie Wood notched her best month ever as her beaten-down innovation darlings staged a big comeback in the new year. Wood's flagship Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) jumped 3.7% on Tuesday, bringing its January return to 27.8%. The innovation investor has said that the macroeconomic trends should start to work in her favor. The muted flows marked a stark difference from the same month last year when it enjoyed $238 million in inflows. The widely followed fund manager has been buying the beaten-down Tesla for a few months during the sell-off.

☆ NBC News host scoffs at Sen. Ron Johnson after he said the media was biased during a charged interview: 'You can go back on your partisan cable cocoon'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Ron Johnson appeared on NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Johnson and NBC News Host Chuck Todd repeatedly cut each other off throughout the interview. Johnson repeatedly claimed that the media was biased whenever Todd called him out. They make these things up," Johnson told Todd, later refuting the idea that the recent insurrection in Brazil looked similar to the January 6, 2021 insurrection. "Senator Ron Johnson, I look forward to our face-to-face at some point.

It said 80% of its close to $8 trillion in assets are in its index funds, which primarily attract retail investors. Vanguard's biggest competitors, BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) and State Street Corp's (STT.N) asset-management arm, rely more on institutional investors including pension funds and foundations. Many retail investors are also interested in matters like climate change, but prioritize them less in building retirement portfolios, said Rosenbluth and other industry analysts. A FINRA Investor Education Foundation study of retail investors last March found only 9% of respondents held ESG investments. A big factor behind this gap is retail investors' lack of familiarity or knowledge about ESG products, the study found.

☆ One of the most powerful rich families in American politics just got their son in the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ricketts' family owns the Chicago Cubs and has broadly supported conservative causes. Ricketts will replace former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse who left the chamber. Pete Ricketts will be joining the US Senate, an appointment that caps his political comeback and cements his family, which owns the Chicago Cubs, as one of the most powerful forces in American politics. Sen. Deb Fischer, a two-term Republican incumbent and loyal ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is also up for reelection then too. Along with owning the Cubs, the Ricketts family has long been among the biggest funders of Republican campaigns.

☆ South Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a ban on abortion after six weeks, ruling the restriction enacted by the Deep South state violates a state constitutional right to privacy. With federal abortion protections gone, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic sued in July under the South Carolina constitution’s right to privacy. Currently, South Carolina bars most abortions at about 20 weeks beyond fertilization, or the gestational age of 22 weeks. In South Carolina, lawyers representing the state Legislature have argued the right to privacy should be interpreted narrowly. South Carolina Democratic House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said any continuation of Republicans’ “war on women” is a deliberate waste of taxpayer dollars.

☆ Damar Hamlin showing signs of 'remarkable improvement,' the Bills say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Erika Edwards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours," the Bills tweeted. Hamlin, 24, has been in intensive care after collapsing on the field from cardiac arrest during "Monday Night Football" on Jan. 2. There has been no official statement about what caused Hamlin's cardiac arrest. It is in this exact moment, experts say, that a blow to the chest in the exact right place can launch an otherwise healthy person into cardiac arrest. Thursday morning, Hamlin's teammate Kaiir Elam said in a tweet, "Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement."

☆ With big bets on Musk, these funds may have a Tesla problem in '23
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Those funds dropped by an average of 42.1% last year, more than double the average 17% decline among U.S. stock funds, according to Morningstar. The $6 billion Baron Partners Retail fund, which leads all US mutual funds with about 52% of its assets in Tesla shares, fell nearly 43% last year, while the $54 million Zevenbergen Genea Institutional fund, which has 13% of its assets in Tesla, fell nearly 59%. Tesla fell about 65% last year, with declines accelerating after Musk decided to buy social media network Twitter, which some investors see as a distraction to the chief executive. His net worth has fallen by more than $100 billion, according to Forbes, bumping him from the position of world's richest person. The fund fell 67% last year, putting it near the bottom of all U.S. equity funds.

☆ The Top 5 Interior Design Trends for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Kathryn O Shea-Evans | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

AS INTERIOR DESIGNERS look ahead to 2023, they disagree on a fundamental question as to the shape of furniture to come: Will it be curvy or linear? A significant number of the hundreds we polled for our annual end-of-year trends predictions foresee more of the bowed sofas and circular swivel chairs that have been dominating chic living spaces. “Rounded shapes have been popular for a while now and continue to be a huge trend,” said architect Mary Maydan, in Palo Alto, Calif. Meanwhile, New York City designer Todd Raymond has tired of organic shapes and forecasts that rectilinear, restrained furniture will feel fresher to tastemakers and clients alike. His impassioned plea: “Bring back right angles!”

☆ Analysis: Wood’s ARK slammed by higher interest rates in 2022 along with other growth funds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ARK Innovation Fund has lost around 67% year to date, more than tripling the decline of the S&P 500 index (.SPX). With the S&P 500 on pace for its biggest annual decline since the Great Financial Crisis, few funds are likely to escape 2022 unscathed. Wood's fund ranked 3,544 among all 3552 actively-managed U.S. equity mutual funds tracked by Morningstar. The worst performing fund of the year, by comparison, was the Voya Russia fund, which is down 92% for the year to date. CRASH LANDINGOther funds that soared in recent years on the backs of large bets on technology stocks fell on hard times in 2022.

☆ Indiana is suing TikTok over claims it misled users about child safety and data security
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The lawsuits center on the safety of user data and the treatment of younger users. One of the lawsuits alleges that TikTok promotes content to young users that isn't age-appropriate. One of the lawsuits alleges that TikTok promotes content to young users that isn't age-appropriate, per court documents. The other lawsuit alleged that users' data can be accessed by Chinese authorities. A spokesperson for TikTok told Insider: "The safety, privacy and security of our community is our top priority.

☆ Indiana Attorney General files lawsuits against TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN Business —Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita on Wednesday announced he has filed two separate lawsuits against TikTok, which accuse the company of making false claims about the safety of user data, and age-appropriate content. “The TikTok app is a malicious and menacing threat unleashed on unsuspecting Indiana consumers by a Chinese company that knows full well the harms it inflicts on users,” Rokita said in a statement. “With this pair of lawsuits, we hope to force TikTok to stop its false, deceptive, and misleading practices, which violate Indiana law.”The lawsuits mark the most serious action taken yet by a state against TikTok, amid increasing attention to and concern about TikTok from state and federal officials in recent months. TikTok does not comment on pending litigation, but said, “the safety, privacy and security of our community is our top priority,” according to a statement from a company spokesperson. And there has been renewed criticism of TikTok this year, stemming from a Buzzfeed News report in June that said some US user data has been repeatedly accessed from China.

WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Indiana sued Chinese-owned short-video sharing app TikTok on Wednesday over allegations that it is deceiving users about China's access to their data and exposing children to mature content. The complaint added that inappropriate sexual and substance-related content can easily be found and are pushed by the company to children using TikTok. A spokesperson for the video sharing app said it did not have a comment on the pending litigation. TikTok has said the concerns prompting state bans were largely fueled by misinformation. President Joe Biden in June 2021 withdrew Trump's executive orders that sought to ban the downloads and directed the Commerce Department to conduct a review of security concerns posed by the apps.

Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, has formed a campaign to run for governor in 2024, according to paperwork filed Tuesday. The development, first reported by Politico, had been expected for months, with Braun hinting hard that he was interested in the race. The state's other GOP senator, Todd Young, was re-elected by a convincing margin this month. In a statement Wednesday morning, Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl greeted Braun's candidacy with derision. "As a so-called businessman, Mike Braun has done very little to improve Indiana as a U.S. senator and he surely won’t do it as governor," Schmuhl said.

☆ Indiana prosecutor seeks to punish doctor in 10-year-old's abortion case
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Gabriella Borter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, accused Dr. Caitlin Bernard of "violating a patient’s privacy rights" and the obligation to immediately report child abuse to Indiana authorities. Rokita has been investigating whether Dr. Bernard followed state law requiring doctors to report abortions, even though public records showed Dr. Bernard promptly reported the abortion as required. The attorney general is not questioning whether the girl met the Indiana statutory requirement that she be no more than 22 weeks pregnant. When Dr. Bernard learned of the situation, the girl was three days past the six-week limit in Ohio. News of the 10-year-old's case launched a bitter legal battle between Dr. Bernard and Rokita.

So far this season, an estimated 6.2 million flu illnesses have been logged, according to the latest CDC data. Of the samples reported to the CDC this season, about 76% are the H3N2 strain of influenza A. With the early start to the flu season this year, many people were infected before they had a chance to get vaccinated, making it easier for the virus to spread. “It’s a pretty safe bet that flu activity is going to continue on for several more weeks or months,” said Brammer. “Then the floodgates opened.”Now, 30% to 40% of Rice’s patients in need of the most intensive care have the flu.

☆ Holiday rush: Why investors may want to add retail ETFs to their cart
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Despite consumer headwinds tied to the economic slowdown, Amplify ETFs' Brian Giere sees opportunities in retail. Giere oversees the Amplify Online Retail ETF, which trades under the IBUY. VettaFi's Todd Rosenbluth, who's taking a wait and see approach on retail spending this holiday season, highlights the SPDR S&P Retail ETF as a "more targeted way of getting exposure" to traditional consumer discretionary companies such as Macy's and Gap . "[It] has become larger than some of the online retail peers that are out there." The SPDR S&P Retail ETF is down 26% so far this year.

☆ Expanding equity income strategies in a rising rate environment
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Amplify Enhanced Dividend Income ETF (DIVO ) ranks in the top 5% of all ETFs in terms of inflows in 2022. As dividend ETFs continue to outperform the S&P 500 this year, Todd Rosenbluth of VettaFi said that advisers are consistently seeking alternatives to traditional fixed income — including dividend income strategies and covered call strategies. VettaFi recently surveyed advisers to canvas their views on dividend strategies and discovered a possible shift in how they approach the funds. "Instead of looking at it from an income component that they've historically done throughout 2022 in the rising rate environment, they're now looking for more growth from these strategies," Rosenbluth explained. As a result, VettaFi expects dividend growth products to garner more attention, like the WisdomTree US Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW ) and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index ETF (VIG ).

☆ Amplify's Brian Giere and Vettafi's Todd Rosenbluth offer dividend growth ETF opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAmplify's Brian Giere and Vettafi's Todd Rosenbluth offer dividend growth ETF opportunitiesCNBC's Seema Mody joins 'ETF Edge' with Brian Giere, Amplify ETFs, and Todd Rosenbluth, Vettafi, to discuss dividend growth and ETFs.

Indiana's Republican-controlled legislature passed the law in May, overriding the veto of the state's Republican governor, Eric Holcomb, who had said it was unnecessary. Proponents of the law say that allowing transgender girls to play on girls' teams is unfair because they have a biological advantage. The mother of a 10-year-old transgender girl attending public school in Indianapolis then sued the school district in Indianapolis federal court, seeking to stop it from enforcing the law against her. The Indianapolis school district itself did not oppose the injunction, but the state of Indiana intervened to defend its law. A group of 19 Republican-led states filed their own brief supporting Indiana in September.

Search resuls for: "Todd R"

25 mentions found