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☆ Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Waver; First Republic Stock Tumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Activision shares are sinking ahead of the bell as investors digest a U.K. rejection of Microsoft's planned takeover of the game maker. The wild ride in First Republic stock continues, with the lender's shares down sharply. Stock futures are rising ahead of results from companies including Meta Platforms after the close. ET: the Journal's Nick Timiraos and Gunjan Banerji will join finance editor Charles Forelle for a discussion about the Fed and markets ahead of the central bank's meeting next week. Watch here.

Current Mortgage and Refinance RatesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.39% for the week ending April 20, according to Freddie Mac. 30-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is the most common type of home loan. Use our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.76%, an increase from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. But average 30-year fixed rates will likely remain somewhere in the 6% to 7% range throughout 2023.

☆ Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Waver; JPMorgan Posts Record Revenue as Banks Report Earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Friday's big story: Earnings season has kicked up a gear, with reports from big banks including JPMorgan, which posted record quarterly revenue. New data this morning also showed retail sales fell in March. Meanwhile, a Fed official said inflation is still high and that he's prepared to approve another interest-rate increase. Stock futures are wavering, with Dow industrials and S&P 500 futures not far off flat. Nasdaq-100 contracts are lower, as are gold prices, which hit their highest level of the year Thursday.

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Binance founder Changpeng Zhao could never be accused of thinking small. The 46-year-old CEO didn't waver in his belief as he built up his crypto exchange. Binance and Zhao did not respond to requests for comment for this article. Binance became the world's biggest crypto exchange within six months, and now accounts for about 60% of global crypto trading volumes, according to research firm CryptoCompare. While Binance has hired widely from the traditional financial and regulatory worlds in recent years, Zhao's tight control over his company has continued.

☆ Sharks goalie Reimer declines to wear Pride jersey
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 18 (Reuters) - San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer said he will not wear the National Hockey League team's Pride jersey during warm-ups ahead of their game against the New York Islanders on Saturday because they do not align with his religious beliefs. Reimer is the second NHL player to refuse to participate in a team's Pride-themed initiatives following a similar decision by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov in January. In addition, both the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild opted against wearing Pride jerseys and using sticks wrapped in rainbow tape during their Pride nights in January. As part of the Sharks' Pride Night, the team had specially-designed nameplates put on locker stalls while some players will use Pride Tape on their sticks. The Sharks said in a separate statement that they are proud to host Pride Night and that it reinforces the team's commitment to inclusiveness but also said they support Reimer's decision.

☆ Futures waver as banking crisis worries persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N), however, fell 3.8% in premarket trading as the bank suspended its dividend payout. Concerns about a global banking crisis have dominated market sentiment this week after the collapse of SVB Financial (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O). While the focus remains on the health of the banking sector, investors also looked ahead to U.S. central bank's policy meeting next week to gauge how it will tame inflation amid a banking crisis. Yield on the two-year Treasury note, which best reflects interest rate expectations, rose to 4.15% as some tensions about the banking sector abate. Shares of Fedex Corp (FDX.N) rose 11.1% premarket after the delivery giant raised full-year earnings forecast after cost cuts.

☆ Some Starlink customers say they're nervous that SpaceX will continue hiking prices after their subscription cost jumped to $120 a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's the second time SpaceX has increased Starlink prices in a year. Some customers said they were worried SpaceX would increase prices further. It's the second time in a year that SpaceX has hiked Starlink service prices. Multiple Starlink customers who were notified about the price increase this week told Insider they weren't happy about paying more for the service. The company's email to customers said the company was launching more satellites to increase Starlink capacity and frequently updating the network to improve the service.

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb 22 (Reuters) - Although China's selling of U.S. Treasury securities over the past year raises multiple geopolitical questions, it's merely switching to other dollar bonds - casting doubt about a more alarming strategic investment shift. Beijing's stash of U.S. government bonds ended last year at $862.3 billion, the lowest since May, 2010, according to Refinitiv data. Meanwhile, China's holdings of U.S. agency bonds last year rose by $50.9 billion and valuation effects accounted for $34.8 billion. This means the real increase was $85.9 billion, substantially more than the decline in Treasuries holdings. "Maybe the big story is there is no sign that China's dollar holding portfolio has changed much.

Challenged to respond to the invasion, Biden said the United States and its NATO allies replied: "Yes, we would stand up for sovereignty. Biden went on to say that "there should be no doubt: Our support for Ukraine will not waver, NATO will not be divided, and we will not tire." Biden rejected Russia's assertion that Western allies were seeking to control or destroy Russia through their backing of Ukraine. In two speeches last September, Putin indicated that he would, if needed, use nuclear weapons to defend Russia. The biggest land war in Europe since World War Two has displaced millions, left Ukrainian cities, towns and villages in ruins and disrupted the global economy.

He suspended a nuclear arms control treaty on Tuesday, accusing Washington of turning the war into a global conflict by arming Ukraine. China and Russia struck a new "no limits" partnership just weeks before the invasion, and China's foreign minister Wang Yi was due to meet Putin on Wednesday. 'FIND A SOLUTION'U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin's suspension of the nuclear treaty was "deeply unfortunate and irresponsible". On Wednesday, Biden will meet leaders of the Bucharest Nine, NATO's eastern members that joined the alliance after years of Cold War domination by the then Soviet Union. Two civilians were wounded in a Russian missile strike on Wednesday on industrial facilities in Kharkhiv, the biggest city in eastern Ukraine, local officials said.

☆ Analysis: Why China's reopening isn't inflationary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, economists see no challenge to global inflation, pointing instead to Chinese President Xi Jinping's new blueprint for self-sufficiency, broader prosperity and a socialist ideology as checks on big-ticket shopping. The slack in China's labour markets and Beijing's growth priorities will also take the edge off inflation, they say. "I don't think China's recovery or the reopening will cause any significant global inflation," said Chi Lo, senior market strategist for Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas Asset Management. BNP's portfolio managers are positioning for China's rebound to boost regional tourism, but not export price rises for manufactured goods. "I'm very much of the view that (China's reopening) will be positive for the world in terms of either not being too inflationary, but more widely having deflation in some key new goods and services," Westpac senior economist Elliot Clarke said.

☆ Supergoop survived the 2008 recession. Today its founder and CEO share how to build a recession-proof business.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Supergoop's values helped it stay focused throughout its history , including the 2008 recession. Remembering its core values has helped the company through its 15-year history, which includes the 2008 recession, Thaggard and Supergoop CEO Amanda Baldwin told Insider. Thaggard and Baldwin shared their advice for founders on building a recession-proof business. Determine your values early on and don't waverWhen Thaggard started expanding her Supergoop team, they came together to determine the list of 10 core values, Thaggard said. As eternal optimists, the leaders and their team hope for the best but prepare for the worst, Baldwin and Thaggard agreed.

Interest rate announcements are also due on Thursday from the Bank of England and the European Central Bank - and both are expected to hike rates by 50 bps. Equity markets may have factored in the end of central bank rate hikes, but they do not yet reflect the potential hit to earnings from a slowing economy, Schneller said. U.S. stock futures, the S&P 500 e-minis , were down 0.3%. read moreU.S. stock futures fell, pointing to a lower open for the benchmark indices following Monday's losses. U.S. Treasury yields edged lower ahead of the central bank meetings and economic data, with the benchmark 10-year note last down 3 basis points at 3.524% .

[1/4] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana attend bilateral talks, at the treasury offices in Pretoria, South Africa, January 26, 2023. Nevertheless Lavrov made a stopover after visiting South Africa, which his counterpart Thulisile Dladla described as a "profound honour." Eswatini relies on the United States for aid, but its absolute monarchy has suffered U.S. criticism on human rights. South Africa, alongside Russia and China, is pushing for a "multipolar" world in which geopolitical power is less concentrated around the United States. "It hasn't delivered the kind of benefits South Africa was hoping to get."

☆ Sneaker resale platform StockX says it turned away $100 million in fake items in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

StockX says it rejected $100 million worth of counterfeit products from resellers in 2022. The resale marketplace said in its annual report that it recorded record revenues in 2022. Overall, the resale platform turned away over 330,000 fake items shipped by sellers for verification last year, according to its latest annual marketplace report. StockX currently inspects over 1 million items a month at its 13 authentication centers worldwide. Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas, New Balance, and Converse once again were the top selling sneaker brands on the platform.

☆ Xi Jinping: Saudi's MBS rolls out the red carpet for China's president, in a not too subtle message to Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi leaders will infuse the trip with a dose of spectacle. The Saudi king – or his powerful Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman – may bestow the Chinese leader with some honors and medals. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15. Today, the US consumes only a fraction of that Saudi oil, and China is Saudi Arabia’s biggest client and trading partner. Over the last year, Gulf Arab countries appear to have ramped up their independent-minded policy.

Much of Ukraine’s resisting force has had to hunker down in muddy trenches, fighting tooth and nail to deny Russian forces a victory they desperately crave. Vasco Sousa Cotovio/CNNFamily tiesCaesar’s ideological drive is not the only reason some Russians have chosen to side with Ukrainians on the battlefield. Evidence of mass graves and civilian executions in those areas emerged following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kyiv region in early April. Russian soldiers fighting for Ukraine could face tougher consequences than their Ukrainian counterparts if they’re captured by the enemy. Vasco Sousa Cotovio/CNNBut pain and death are not a part of this unit’s lexicon, even as they face overwhelming odds in Bakhmut.

☆ Leaked Kremlin poll shows 55% of Russians want to see negotiations with Ukraine to end the war: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A leaked Kremlin poll found 55% of Russians want talks to end the war in Ukraine, per Meduza. The poll also found just a quarter of Russians support continuing the war. The survey, conducted by Russia's Federal Protective Service (FSO), found that 55% of Russians favor peace talks with Ukraine. This represents a massive shift from an FSO poll in July that found just 32% of Russians favored talks, according to Meduza's reporting. Ukraine has regained control of approximately 55% of the territory occupied by Russia following the invasion, according to a recent assessment from the New York Times.

☆ Welders wanted: France steps up recruitment drive as nuclear crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Benjamin Mallet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

EDF estimates that France's nuclear industry needs to recruit between 10,000 and 15,000 workers a year over the next seven years. Despite relatively high unemployment, France's manufacturing, construction, engineering and IT industries complain they can't get the workers they need. These people work with molten metal at 1,500 degrees Celsius, and sometimes have to stand upside down," said one welder in the nuclear industry, who asked not to be identified. Before the war in Ukraine, successive administrations sought to reduce France's reliance on nuclear energy, not build new reactors, they say. For a long time, France was Europe's nuclear energy champion - and its biggest electricity exporter.

☆ Wall Street titan Apollo has a new class of dealmakers. Here's how 3 rose to partner while in their 30s.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Casey Sullivan | Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

He persevered through the brutal all-nighters, the perplexing spreadsheets, and the temperamental bosses who walked the halls of the midtown Manhattan investment firm. At Apollo, executives tend to grow up quickly. Some of their former colleagues have tried to make more money elsewhere, such as the hedge funds run by billionaire personalities that Apollo's executives quietly root against. Associates sometimes dealt with burnout from heavy workloads and demanding bosses by escaping for a walk through Central Park to let off steam, according to the former firm associates. We're Rayman Apollo!'"

☆ Elon Musk's net worth slips below $200 billion as Tesla shares waver
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File PhotoNov 8 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's net worth dropped below $200 billion on Tuesday as investors dumped Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) shares on fears the top executive and largest shareholder of the world's most valuable electric-vehicle maker is more preoccupied with Twitter. Musk now has a net worth of $194.8 billion, according to Forbes, with a big share of that coming from his nearly 15% stake in Tesla, which has a market value of $622 billion. The company has lost nearly half its market value and his net worth has dropped by $70 billion since he bid for Twitter in April. Since buying Twitter, Musk has made very few tweets on Tesla, a practice that helped him gain traction on the platform. The net worth of the world's richest person, who also owns rocket company SpaceX, is roughly $40 billion more than the second richest person, LVMH-owner Bernard Arnault.

☆ Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom faces Republican Brian Dahle in the California gubernatorial election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Gavin Newsom is seeking a 2nd term in office after beating back a recall election last year. Democrats have won every gubernatorial election in the Golden State since 2010. Gavin Newsom, who was elected to lead the Golden State in 2018 and easily won a recall election last year, is running for a 2nd term against Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle. After cruising to an easy victory in the recall, Newsom solidified his political standing both as governor and as a potential Democratic presidential aspirant in the years ahead. California's voting historyCalifornia has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1992.

In the wake of Greene’s statement and other Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump questioning the amount of U.S. aid delivered to Ukraine in recent weeks, Sens. A key supporter of Kyiv, Portman is the co-chair and co-founder of the Senate Ukraine Caucus and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His departure from Congress is seen as a potential blow for Ukrainian support. Some Ukrainian officials have expressed nervousness in recent weeks, as news stories indicated potential GOP opposition to continued support for Kyiv. Barry Reeger / AP fileYuriy Saks, adviser to Ukraine Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, told NBC News on Monday that he hoped the results of the U.S. election would not affect the country’s continued support of Ukraine.

☆ China's daily local COVID cases hit 3,200 for Nov 2, highest since Aug. 17
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - China recorded 3,200 daily local COVID-19 cases for Nov. 2, the highest in two and a half months, of which 531 were symptomatic and 2,669 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. It was the first time local daily cases have exceeded 3,000 since Aug. 17. The capital Beijing reported 28 symptomatic and three asymptomatic local cases on Wednesday, compared with 28 symptomatic and four asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government data showed. Financial hub Shanghai reported one symptomatic and two asymptomatic cases on Wednesday, compared with one symptomatic and no asymptomatic cases a day before, the local health authority reported. Guangzhou, also in the south, reported 50 new locally transmitted symptomatic and 323 asymptomatic cases, compared with 73 symptomatic and 253 asymptomatic cases a day before, authorities in the city of nearly 19 million people said.

☆ Asian shares waver, dollar dips ahead of Fed policy decision
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

However, traders are split on the size of the hike in December, with futures market pricing in a 44.5% probability of a 50-bps increase, according to CME's Fed tool. Cummins expects the Fed to step down to a 50 basis point rate hike in December. That sparked a reversal in Treasury yields and lifted market bets on interest rates to above 5% next year. In commodities, oil climbed after industry data showed a surprise drop in U.S. crude stockpiles, suggesting demand is holding up. U.S. crude oil futures rose 0.5% to $88.93 per barrel, while Brent crude futures was up 0.4% at $94.98.

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