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☆ Spain votes in a major election that could bring the far right back to power
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A banner showing an image depicting Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, leader of the PP Party. Voters in Spain head to the polls on July 23 to cast their votes and elect Spain's next government. Spain voters are heading to the polls on Sunday in an election that could bring the far right to power for the first time since Francisco Franco's dictatorship. Polls published ahead of the vote projected a conservative win, with the PP (Partido Popular) set to secure about 34% of support — which would not be sufficient to form a majority government. Some political analysts expect PP to join forces with the far right party Vox, which could be the third biggest political force in this election and obtain more than 10% of the votes.

Persons: Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, Spain's, Francisco Franco's, Vox, Federico Santi Organizations: PP Party, Voters, PP, Partido, Vox, Eurasia Group Locations: Spain, Germany

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin was just winging it with his armed revolt and making things up as he went along, CIA director says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin shocked the world when he called on his Wagner Group fighters to invade Russia. CIA Director Bill Burns said this week that Prigozhin was likely improvising during the armed rebellion. Prigozhin was "making some of this up as he went along," Burns told the Aspen Security Forum. Head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the Southern Military District headquarters on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Within hours, the Wagner Group had captured the southern city of Rostov-on-Don without meeting any resistance.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Bill Burns, Prigozhin, Burns, Wagner, Joe Biden, I'm, William Burns, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin, Stringer, he'd, Alexander Lukashenko, Reuters Prigozhin, he'll, Russia —, Vladimir Putin, they've, Putin's misjudgment, Russian Wagner, Mark Milley, Milley Organizations: Wagner Group, CIA, Aspen Security, Service, Russian Defense, Southern Military, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kremlin, Reuters, Belarus —, Wagner, Belarusian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Ukrainian, Joint Chiefs, Staff, NATO Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Ukraine, Rostov, Don, Prigozhin, Russian, Voronezh, Belarus, Belarusian, Africa, Osipovichi, Kyiv

☆ In-N-Out is barring staff from wearing masks unless they have a medical note. The burger icon wants customers to see employees' smiles.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The chain said workers must have a medical note to wear a mask in five states where it operates. "No masks shall be worn in the store or support facility unless an associate has a valid medical note exempting him or her from this requirement," the memo said. Employees must provide a valid medical note to a store manager, divisional manager, manager, or human resources, the memo said. "Without disclosing the medical diagnosis or confidential medical information, the medical note should clearly state the reason for the exemption and include the estimated duration, if applicable," the memo said. Employees who require a mask for medical reasons must wear a company-provided N-95 mask, according to the memo.

Persons: Lynsi Snyder, Biden, Lucky Tran, Snyder's, Harry, Esther Snyder Organizations: Service, Twitter, Employees, Public Locations: Southern California, Wall, Silicon, Arizona , Colorado , Nevada , Texas, Utah, Tennessee, California, Oregon

☆ Goldman says buy call options on these stocks that will report better-than-expected earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Goldman Sachs says it's a good time for investors to eye single stock options ahead of a slate of quarterly results. The firm compiled a list of stocks Goldman labels as "out-of-consensus opportunities" for put and call options ahead of each company's quarterly earnings report date. Goldman sees 3% upside to earnings consensus for the current quarter and 4% upside for the next four quarters. Goldman Sachs retail analyst Kate McShane is forecasting 34% upside for the stock over the next 12 months. Ahead of upcoming results, Goldman recommends buying call options for a $37.50 strike price, expiring in August.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, it's, John Marshall, Goldman, Toshiya Hari, NVDA, Kate McShane, BBWI, Eric Sheridan, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Goldman, CNBC Pro, Nvidia, Body, eBay, EBAY

☆ What to know about crypto investing as regulators weigh the first spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bitcoin has rallied amid news about possible spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds and other big names entering the digital currency space — and financial experts have tips for investors who want a piece of the action. The price of bitcoin topped $30,000 on Wednesday as traders grew bullish about spot bitcoin ETF applications from companies like BlackRock, WisdomTree and Valkyrie. U.S. investors currently have access to bitcoin futures ETFs, which invest in bitcoin futures contracts, or agreements to buy or sell the asset later for an agreed-upon price. The long-awaited bitcoin spot ETF, however, would invest in the digital currency directly. "It's a very serious statement to see BlackRock submit that application," he said, and many crypto advocates believe it's the beeline for a bitcoin spot ETF product.

Persons: Bitcoin, WisdomTree, Douglas Boneparth Organizations: Federal Reserve, Silvergate, Finance, Amazon, Bone, CNBC's, BlackRock Locations: BlackRock, New York

☆ Dyson doubles down on Singapore and ramps up hiring globally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Nessa Anwar | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The company is trying to hire another 2,000 engineers globally, according to Dyson's director of upstream robotics, Kashyap Chandrasekar. The Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum is displayed at the company's headquarters at St. James Power Station in Singapore in May 2023. Lauren Choo | CNBCAnother Dyson device that has garnered attention, due to its futuristic look, is the Dyson Zone — headphones that double as a wearable purifier. Dyson's global investment planSince its inception in 1991, founder Sir James Dyson has been set on pioneering new technology. The company currently has a £2.75 billion investment plan divided across Singapore, the U.K. and the Philippines.

Persons: Dyson, John Churchill, Kashyap Chandrasekar, Lauren Choo, Churchill, We'll, Sir James Dyson, they're Organizations: Robotics, James Power, CNBC, Dyson, St Locations: St, Singapore, United Kingdom, Philippines, Malaysia, Shanghai, Batangas

☆ How many engineers does it take to make a Dyson headphone? We tour its secret labs to find out
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Nessa Anwar | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dyson is one of the world's most recognizable vacuum makers, raking in revenue of about $8 billion in 2022. But the tech giant is also known for other household appliances such as bladeless fans, air purifiers and hair styling products. The company is building a giant battery plant the size of 53 basketball courts in Singapore, due to open in 2025. James Dyson, the company's founder, was a vocal supporter of Brexit, arguing that the U.K. would create more wealth and jobs outside the EU single market. Watch the video to learn more about why the multibillion-dollar tech company is expanding in the region.

Persons: Dyson, John Churchill, – Dyson, Churchill, James Dyson, Brexit Organizations: CNBC, EU Locations: Singapore

☆ Who is winning the war in Ukraine? Experts break down the territorial, psychological, and military gains made by Putin and Zelenskyy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Insider spoke to four experts about who they think is currently winning the war in Ukraine. But two experts told Insider this appears to be unattainable. "So territory-wise, I don't think Zelenskyy has budged on his objective of liberating all of the occupied territories," Miron told Insider. Photo by Getty ImagesMilitary victoryIt is difficult to analyze who is currently winning from a military standpoint because a lot of hinges on Ukraine's counteroffensive, all experts told Insider. John E. Herbst, who was the US ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, told Insider that he believes that right now, the advantage lies with Ukraine.

Persons: —, Ukraine —, Vladimir Putin, Marina Miron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Miron, David Lewis, Yasuyoshi Chiba, University of Birmingham's Jaroslava Barbieri, " Barbieri, Lewis, John E . Herbst, Bakhmut, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Barbieri, Herbst, Putin Organizations: Service, Department of, King's College London, Institute for, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Kyiv, University of Birmingham's, Getty Images, Washington Post, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Crimea, Sloviansk, AFP, Ukrainian, Irpin, Bakhmut

That implied 'terminal' rate is lower than Fed officials' new year-end median projection of 5.60%. When set against the implied 2023 year-end SOFR rate of 5.20%, traders are pricing in almost 150 bps of rate cuts next year. Analysts at TD Securities reckon the Fed is done raising rates and will begin easing in December this year. This is the first time in more than a year no rate cuts have been priced into the 2023 SOFR futures curve. Just over a month ago, the curve implied around 100 bps of rate cuts in the second half of this year.

Persons: they're, Societe Generale's Stephen Gallagher, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Jamie McGeever, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal, Fed, Traders, Reuters, Securities, Societe, Thomson Locations: ORLANDO, Florida

☆ France plans to close tax loophole benefiting AirBnB
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File PhotoPARIS, June 9 (Reuters) - France's finance ministry is working on plans to close a tax loophole benefiting short-term furnished rentals such as AirBnB (ABNB.O), Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday. A trio of cross-party lawmakers last month called for rules regulating such rentals to be tightened and for an end to the more favourable tax treatment such rentals receive vis a vis normal long-term rentals. "I have a hard time understanding the very favourable tax treatment for AirBnB. We are going to reform the tax rules and I will make proposals," Le Maire said on BFM TV. "When a windfall gets too big and tax is too favourable, there is no reason to keep such tax treatment that leads to excess," he added.

Persons: Charles Platiau, Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, pollsters, Le Maire's, Leigh Thomas, Elizabeth Pineau, Louise Heavens Organizations: La Defense, REUTERS, Finance, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France

☆ G7 leaders gather on China's doorstep to seek unified response to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘Economic coercion’Another important theme of the summit will be economic security, including how to counter China’s economic pressure tactics. As the G7 summit gets underway, Chinese officials will be closely watching from Beijing and will not hide their displeasure, experts say. In the lead-up to the summit, Beijing has already berated a statement by G7 foreign ministers. Similarly, Beijing also lashed out at accusations of its “economic coercion,” claiming it is the “victim of US economic coercion” rather than a perpetrator. And while China is not invited to Hiroshima, it is hosting its own summit with Central Asia countries, experts noted.

☆ Photos show just how big the SpaceX Starship mega-rocket is
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Crystal Raypole | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

SpaceX's Starship rocket is the tallest rocket ever built, but just how tall is that? The Starship rocket consists of a first and second stage. Even close up, humans look tiny compared to Starship and Super Heavy:Stacking Starship on the Super Heavy booster. Making up the remaining six engines are Starship's powerhouse, which consist of three Raptor engines and three even larger Raptor Vacuum engines. SpaceX via TwitterThe Starship mega-rocket recently attempted its first flight toward space but exploded a few minutes after launch.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Meta, Tesla, Amazon, Nike, Hasbro, First Republic & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Citi upgrades Squarespace to buy from neutral Citi said it sees an "improved growth outlook" for the website hosing company. Citi reiterates Netflix as buy Citi said it sees more upside in shares of Netflix. Credit Suisse upgrades Zebra Technologies to outperform from neutral Credit Suisse upgraded the computer technology company due to Zebra' s strength in Europe. Credit Suisse reiterates Amazon as outperform Credit Suisse said it's standing by shares of Amazon heading into earnings later this week. Citi reiterates Meta as buy Citi said it's staying bullish heading into Meta earnings on Wednesday. "

☆ Morgan Stanley reveals its top picks ahead of earnings, including this movie theater chain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

He is doubling down on shares of the movie theater chain ahead of earnings in early May. "Films outside the Top 10 in box office revenues saw a ~100% increase YoY and contributed ~28% of 1Q overall box office," Swinburne wrote. Morgan Stanley said it likes stocks that can "deliver above-peer, and above consensus/market expectations long-term organic sales growth," and Church & Dwight fits the bill. … recent weeks, we have fielded concerns around WSC's ability to remain resilient in an environment where investors are increasingly discounting near-term earnings upside. … Films outside the Top 10 in box office revenues saw a ~100% increase YoY and contributed ~28% of 1Q overall box office."

The chart showed that Serbia declined to provide training to Ukrainian forces, but had committed to sending lethal aid or had supplied it already. It also said Serbia had the political will and military ability to provide weapons to Ukraine in the future. The Pentagon also did not immediately respond to Reuters questions about the document's reference to Serbia and has previously declined to comment on any of the leaked documents. Vucic's government has professed neutrality in the Ukraine war, despite the country's deep historic, economic and cultural ties with Russia. "We didn't export any weapons or ammunition to Russia or Ukraine," he said during a March 5 visit to Qatar.

☆ What's in the leaked Pentagon documents that could hurt Ukraine and has US officials panicking
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Dozens of secret Pentagon documents were leaked online in recent weeks. Many of the documents appear to be intelligence briefing materials on a wide range of subjects, dating back to around early March. When were the documents leaked and who leaked them? But Bellingcat reported that some of the materials date back to January and may have been leaked online earlier. Leaked documents claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought to attack Russian troop deployments inside Russia with drones.

☆ Healthcare, college education, and childcare started getting worse decades ago. Now we're all finally feeling it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Americans are accruing billions in debt to pay for things like education and healthcare. But that would require shifting the idea of childcare, education, and healthcare and thinking of them as public goods — not businesses. That ultimately meant millions in funding for public childcare. "If the US health system was a country, it would be about the fourth-largest country in the world," Cooper said. There's much less government involvement in the US healthcare system than in other countries, Cooper said.

☆ In Beijing, French business community welcomes Macron's overtures
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, April 6 (Reuters) - Among the French business executives travelling to Beijing with President Emmanuel Macron, the mood was cautiously sanguine on the thawing post-pandemic trade prospects with China, with some rejecting American-led calls for 'decoupling'. It shows the business community is supported by the president, it's very important vis-à-vis the Chinese authorities," Thierry de la Tour d'Artaise, chairman of French appliance group SEB (SEBF.PA), told Reuters. The size of Macron's business delegation was criticised by some commentators, though. "Three-quarters of the delegation are business leaders: the goal is first and foremost to sign contracts," Raphael Glucksmann, a left-wing member of the European parliament, wrote on Twitter ahead of Macron's visit. Operating in China still presented challenges for French businesses, China-based French expats said.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, FedEx, Pinterest & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Raymond James upgrades FedEx to outperform from market perform Raymond James said and "undeniable" positive change is underway at the shipping giant. "We are initiating coverage of XPO, one of the largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, in North America, with an Outperform rating and a $44 target price." "We are initiating coverage of Skyworks Solutions, with a Buy rating and $150 target price. Raymond James upgrades Wells Fargo to strong buy from outperform Raymond James said the banking giant is well positioned in the current environment. Raymond James initiates Pinterest as outperform Raymond James said it sees "steady user growth" for Pinterest.

☆ An indicator with a 94% accuracy rate says stocks will finish 2023 positive, according to $1 trillion LPL. Here's their top pick for where to put your money right now — and 5 other areas of the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The December Low Indicator just signaled stocks should finish 2023 in the green. The indicator also shows the S&P 500 could return well above 10% this year. A stock-market signal with a 94% accuracy rate just delivered good news: there's a high chance stocks finish positive in 2023. The S&P 500 returned more than 7% in the first quarter, so it's well on its way to a double-digit year." The Vanguard Industrials ETF (VIS) and the iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (IVE) offer exposure to the above areas of the market.

BRUSSELS, March 27 (Reuters) - Alitalia, the predecessor of Italian state-owned airline ITA Airways, will have to repay a 400 million-euro ($430 million) loan to the Italian government because the money breached EU state aid rules, EU competition authorities said on Monday. Italy granted the loan in 2019, two years after giving a 900 million-euro loan to keep the loss-making company operating. The European Commission, which acts as the competition watchdog in the 27-country bloc, subsequently ruled that both loans constituted illegal state aid. The Commission had in 2021 it ordered Alitalia to repay the 900-million-euro illegal loan. Successive governments pumped an estimated 10 billion euros into Alitalia to keep it afloat in its last 14 years of life, despite heavy losses and bad management.

March 22 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a two-day summit in Moscow this week. UKRAINEPutin said Chinese proposals could be used as the basis of a peace settlement in Ukraine, but nothing emerged from the meeting to tie his hands militarily. Bottom line: The agreed summit language suits Putin's purposes, enabling him to continue fighting while saying he is open to talk peace. Bottom line: Russia is still waiting on a deal and China has powerful leverage to secure advantageous price terms. Putin said Chinese companies would be first in line to replace Western companies that have quit Russia.

☆ Abortion pill mifepristone ruling in Texas case could hinge on 1873 Comstock Act
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A federal judge in Texas may try to invoke an obscure 19th-century law called the Comstock Act to roll back mail delivery of the abortion pill mifepristone. His rationale could hinge in part on the Comstock Act. The anti-abortion group's attorneys argued that the Comstock Act and other laws ban mail delivery of mifepristone. The Comstock Act has not been enforced in decades, said Rachel Rebouche, an expert on reproductive health law at Temple University. Congress passed the Comstock Act in 1873 after an anti-vice crusader named Anthony Comstock successfully lobbied lawmakers to declare "obscene" materials as not mailable.

☆ At a high-stakes meeting in Moscow, China has to decide whether Putin's failure in Ukraine means it's time to cross a red line
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some analysts believe China is poised to escalate its support for Russian in Ukraine. China's Xi Jinping at a welcoming ceremony at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on March 20, 2023. China has sought to portray the war in Ukraine as a result of Western meddling, citing the massive influx of Western weaponry to Ukraine's armed forces. But China may now be preparing so cross the same line and offer weapons of its own to Putin's Russia. If that dynamic continues, Ward said China may decide to risk the wrath of the West and openly provide lethal aid.

☆ China doesn't want Russia to lose in Ukraine. But Beijing's endgame is murky.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

China is becoming more involved in the Ukraine war, raising alarm in the West. As the West warns China could send weapons, experts are torn over Beijing's goals and endgame. But they agree that China does not want to see Russia lose, despite its claim of neutrality. China wants to see the war "prolonged without Russia being humiliated," June Teufel Dreyer, a China expert at the University of Miami, told Insider. A man watches a news broadcast showing military operations near Taiwan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA), in Beijing, China, on August 3, 2022.

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