DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Side-by-side images from the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes show why NASA spent 25 years and $10 billion on the Webb
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewNASA's James Webb Space Telescope floored astronomers and spectators across the globe when it released its first full-color images. Even those preliminary snapshots revealed countless stars, galaxies, and fine details that hadn't been seen before. A side-by-side collage of the same area taken by Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope in its very first image. In the JWST image, you can see galaxies in the background that were invisible to HubbleA few galaxies that are clearly visible in the JWST image, but not the Hubble image. The JWST image also revealed the stellar nurseries created as galaxies mergeThe JWST image shows a region of gas compressed between merging galaxies.

Persons: —, James Webb, Webb, Joseph DePasquale, JWST, hadn't, Eric Smith, Hubble, STScI Webb, Mark McCaughrean, McCaughrean, Amber Straughn, Jane Rigby, we've Organizations: Service, Business, NASA, ESA, CSA, Hubble, James Webb Space, Hubble Heritage, European Space Agency Locations: JWST

☆ 3 teachers who spent up to $2,000 on their classrooms explain what they bought and why it's important
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A survey of 2,000 elementary school teachers from the Carnation Breakfast Essentials brand conducted by Talker Research in June found that 1 in 5 teachers said they spend over $300 out of pocket on classroom items. AdvertisementMaegan Driver spent money to decorate her room with an ocean theme. She also bought items at local stores. What the three teachers bought for their classroom goals and needsDriver said no one wants to go into a boring classroom, and she bought most of the items in her room. Some items Driver bought this summer include paint brushes, dot markers, a rug, and musical instruments.

Persons: —, Driver, Rebecca Johnson, Johnson, Steve Majors, It's, Yelena Khazan, Khazan, Yelena Khazan Majors, Majors, Rebecca Johnson's, Rebecca Johnson Johnson, Mrs Organizations: Service, Business, Driver, Research, Trinity Christian Academy in, Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle, Teach, America Locations: Trinity Christian Academy in Oklahoma, Ohio, Florida

☆ A top-1% fund manager warns Warren Buffett is behaving like he did before the dot-com crash — and says the S&P 500 could see dismal returns for a decade
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He's also outperformed the S&P 500 over that time by returning 14% per year on average versus the index's 13.8% annualized gains. Between July and September 1999, Buffett shared his outlook for the market in a series of talks that were summarized by Fortune's Carol Loomis in November of that year. AdvertisementSince then, however, investors have enjoyed 15 years of ultra-low interest rates and growing corporate profits — a fact that has Smead worried. "The only problem is it's a curse on long-term S&P 500 performance," Smead said of the 15-year run. Related storiesBaked into Smead's outlook is an against-consensus view that inflation is set to surge again as the Fed cuts interest rates.

Persons: —, Bill Smead, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Smead, Munger, He's, Buffett, Fortune's Carol Loomis Organizations: Service, Business, Morningstar, Apple, Bank of America

☆ A new Zyn competitor is marketing its nicotine pouches to the finance bros
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Excel's is-it-ironic-or-not branding makes sense, given the growing popularity of synthetic nicotine pouches among office workers wanting a boost. Excel Pouches cofounder John Coogan Elspeth VincentIn addition to the corporate world, the pouches have also found loyal devotees within certain circles of the political right. Lucy's first product was nicotine gum, and it also vends a Breakers brand whose nicotine pouches contain a flavor capsule. In an email interview with BI, Day Job cofounder Rion Harmon said the branding was inspired by Wall Street's hedonistic heyday. AdvertisementCoogan likened Excel to "American Psycho," a satire that he said has been "rightly embraced by finance bros as a style guide."

Persons: —, John Coogan, Zyn, John Coogan Elspeth Vincent In, Tucker Carlson, Alp, Coogan, Soylent, Coogan —, Lucy, l6qOZlHH6e — John Coogan, Rion Harmon, Wall, Harmon, " Coogan, Patrick Bateman, Gordon Gekko Organizations: Service, Business, Excel, Fund, Goods, Colgate, bros Locations: Excel's, Los Angeles, Montauk

☆ There's a 12% correction looming for the stock market by the end of the year, Stifel says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Stifel warns of a sharp stock market correction by year-end, with the S&P 500 potentially dropping 12%. "Our instruments tell us to expect an S&P 500 correction to the very low 5,000s by 4Q24," Bannister said. AdvertisementInvestors should prepare for a sharp and quick correction in the stock market before the end of the year, according to Stifel. In a note on Thursday, chief equity strategist Barry Bannister of Stifel warned that the S&P 500 could trade 12% lower in the fourth quarter. "Our instruments tell us to expect an S&P 500 correction to the very low 5,000s by 4Q24," Bannister said.

Persons: Stifel, Barry Bannister, Bannister, — Organizations: Service

☆ From gold and silver, to oil and aluminum: Where analysts see prices now the Fed has cut rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

HSBC in a Sept. 17 report examined the relationship between Fed rate cuts and copper and aluminum prices over the past 30 years. In its base case, Citi sees copper prices averaging $9,000 per ton for the rest of this year, citing U.S. election uncertainty and weak manufacturing sentiment. Energy Citi anticipates that oil will suffer renewed price weakness in 2025, with Brent falling to around $60 a barrel. Based on what happened in 2019, trade tariffs lowered global oil demand growth by 0.2 million barrels a day. A slowdown in China, among the world's largest importer and consumer of oil, has been blamed on slowing global oil demand.

Persons: annualized, it's, that's, Brent Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Citi, HSBC, Commodities, Energy Citi Locations: China, U.S, Europe, Iran

☆ Harris didn't miss a beat dropping ad dollars to link Trump and a scandalized NC Republican
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewFewer than 24 hours after bombshell allegations dropped about North Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson, Kamala Harris' campaign released an ad tying him to former President Donald Trump. The television blitz comes as Harris outspends Trump on advertising, particularly in battleground states like North Carolina. The disparity is particularly stark in battleground states such as North Carolina, where Harris has made inroads. The Trump, Harris, and Robinson campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Gov, Mark Robinson, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris outspends Trump, Robinson, Harris, he's, Trump, Walz, Vance, they're, scandalized Robinson, Martin Luther King, didn't, The Trump Organizations: Service, North Carolina, CNN, Business, Trump, Labor, Facebook, New York Times, Democratic National Committee, DNC, NBC News, YouTube Locations: North Carolina

☆ Trump presses to change Nebraska election law, in fight for a sole electoral vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Jeff Zeleny | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Jim Pillen to discuss the feasibility of overturning a 30-year law, which awards electoral votes by congressional district, rather than statewide winner-take-all. The former president called into the meeting briefly, a GOP official told CNN, hoping to win support and impress upon them the importance of a single electoral vote. It’s yet another sign of just how close the election against Vice President Kamala Harris could be, with one electoral vote from an Omaha-area congressional district emerging as potentially pivotal. Democrats are less optimistic about a Maine sweep, party officials say, than winning one of Nebraska’s electoral votes. Time has run out for Maine to change its law, state officials have said, with 90 days required for any legislation to take effect.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jim Pillen, Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Kamala Harris, Harris, “, ” Graham, ” Trump, Joe Biden, Pillen, ” Pillen, Sen, Mike McDonnell, Barry Rubin, “ Sen, McDonnell, ”, Tony Vargas, Don Bacon, ” Bacon, Jane Kleeb, ” Kleeb, CNN’s Alayna Treene, David Wright, Morgan Rimmer Organizations: CNN, Republican, Nebraska GOP, Republican Gov, GOP, White, Nebraska, The Washington Post, Nebraska Legislature, “, WTA, Democratic, GOP Rep, Nebraska Democratic, Trump, Nebraskans, Republicans Locations: Nebraska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Omaha, Wisconsin , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine

☆ Stock market today: Indexes close at record highs and tech soars after Fed rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Kelly Cloonan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Indexes rallied to record highs as investors cheered Wednesday's rate cut from the Fed. Jobless claims reinforced the Fed's message of a strong labor market, with last weeks's claims down 12,000. AdvertisementMajor stock indexes surged to record highs on Thursday, a day after a jumbo rate cut from the Federal Reserve. On Wednesday, the Fed cut interest rates for the first time in four years, slashing its benchmark rate by 50 basis points. The Fed's dot plot shows the central bank will likely cut another 50 basis points this year and 100 basis points next year.

Persons: —, Dan Ives, Ives, Jerome Powell, Powell, Richard Bernstein Organizations: Fed . Tech, Nvidia, Meta, Service, Federal Reserve, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Broadcom, ASML, Labor Department, Treasury, Fed, Trump Media Locations: Here's

☆ The Fed has poured rocket fuel on the red-hot AI trade
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AI stocks surged after the Federal Reserve's 50 basis point rate cut. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 soared nearly 3% on Thursday, while the underlying AI trade saw even bigger gains. Investors in the stock market's AI trade can thank Fed chairman Jerome Powell for Thursday's risk-on surge in tech, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. AdvertisementIves said that while the AI trade has mainly been focused on Nvidia and Microsoft, other companies are starting to join in on the fun.

Persons: Dan Ives, —, Jerome Powell, Ives Organizations: Federal, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Broadcom, Service, Federal Reserve, Investors, Big Tech, Microsoft, Oracle, Dell, IBM, APple Locations: Asia

☆ Ron Insana: Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell unnecessarily complicated the outlook for interest rate policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Ron Insana | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the spirit of ESPN's Monday Night Countdown, a word to Federal Reserve Chairman, Jay Powell ... "C'Mon Man!" While the markets have rebounded nicely on Thursday, it seems to me that Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell unnecessarily complicated the outlook for interest rate policy on Wednesday by saying the Fed will decide, meeting by meeting, what to do next. Meanwhile, long-term interest rates, after having fallen for weeks in anticipation of a half-point cut, which the Fed delivered, have actually moved up a bit. I'm not entirely certain but I suspect it's the lack of clear direction on future rate policy that is the culprit. In those days, the Fed was loathe to discuss its actions publicly and only signaled to markets what it had done with respect to interest rate policy a considerable time after the action was undertaken.

Persons: Jay Powell, Powell, Paul Volcker Organizations: Federal, Fed Locations: China

☆ JPMorgan economist who nailed half-point call sees another big Fed rate cut in November
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

At its much-anticipated meeting Wednesday, the Fed approved a half percentage point, or 50 basis point, cut to its benchmark funds rate that ran counter to the 25 basis point move that many Wall Street economists and strategists had been expecting. The benchmark fed funds rate now stands at 4.75% to 5.00% after Wednesday's move. Futures market pricing Thursday suggested a 25 basis point move in November followed by a 50 basis point cut in December, according to the CME Group's FedWatch. A basis point equals 0.01%. "Ultimately what we found most important in what Powell said was also among the least surprising things he said: future decisions are going to depend on the data," Feroli wrote.

Persons: Michael Feroli, Feroli, Jerome Powell, Powell Organizations: Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Fed, Street Locations: U.S

☆ Tesla, Nvidia lead tech-heavy Nasdaq to one of best days of 2024 after Fed rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Ari Levy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang presents the Nvidia Blackwell platform at an event ahead of the COMPUTEX Forum, in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 2, 2024. Led by a 7.4% gain in shares of Tesla and a 4% jump in Nvidia , the Nasdaq rose 2.5% on Thursday, its fourth-sharpest rally of 2024. Nvidia, whose processors are powering the generative AI boom and services like OpenAI's ChatGPT, gained 4% on Thursday to $117.87. Su said AI is going to make its way into "all aspects of our lives," including education and drug development. Among the other top tech companies, Apple and Meta also closed with big gains, each rising almost 4%.

Persons: Jensen Huang, Nvidia Blackwell, it's, they're, Lisa Su, Jim Cramer, Su, Tesla Organizations: Nvidia, COMPUTEX, Investors, Federal Reserve, Tesla, Nasdaq, Federal, Market, Microsoft, Oracle, Devices, Broadcom, AMD, Apple, Meta Locations: Taipei, Taiwan

☆ Treasury yields rise as investors digest Fed’s jumbo rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The 2-year Treasury yield was last less than one basis point higher to 3.6127%. U.S. Treasury yields were higher on Thursday as investors digested the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday delivered a 50 basis point interest rate reduction, bringing the federal funds rate to 4.75%-5%. The size of the cut was in line with market expectations, which had shifted from expecting a 25 basis point cut to a bigger 50 basis point one in recent days. Elsewhere, the Bank of England is set to announce its latest interest rate decision.

Organizations: Treasury, U.S, Federal Reserve, Bank of England Locations: U.S

Mortgage rates came down again last week, and with the expectation that they could fall further, mortgage demand suddenly jumped, especially for refinancing. The Federal Reserve is expected to make its first interest rate cut in four years on Wednesday, and while mortgage rates don’t follow the Fed exactly, they are influenced by policy. “The most important takeaway is that lower mortgage rates are not only not remotely guaranteed by [the] Fed rate cut. “Application activity was up significantly last week, as market expectations of a rate cut from the Fed pulled mortgage rates lower,” said Joel Kan, an economist with the Mortgage Bankers Association. “Homebuyers are seeing improving affordability conditions, sparked by lower rates and slower home-price growth.”

Persons: Jerome Powell’s, They’re, ”, Matthew Graham, Joel Kan, ” Kan, “ Organizations: Federal, Mortgage News, Mortgage, Labor, Fed, Association

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Hoping for a 50-basis-point cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThis report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Without any warning signs flashing red, it's difficult for the Fed to justify lowering rates by more than a quarter point. That's why some economists and analysts hope the Fed will cut by half a point. "But I suspect they'll cut 25," Zandi added.

Persons: Anna Moneymaker, Mark Zandi, they'll, Zandi, Hope, Jeff Cox, Hakyung Kim, Samantha Subin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Getty, CNBC, Dow, Moody's Locations: Washington , DC, U.S

☆ A portfolio manager who's outperformed a major value index for over a decade shares 4 cheap stocks that the market's overlooking
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Christine Ji | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Market disconnectsSpeaking of mistakes in the market, Rosenthal thinks the current composition of the market is untenable and due for a correction. "We don't think the equal-weighted S&P or any kind of index ex the Mag Seven is at an extremely low valuation," Rosenthal said. Rosenthal holds CVS (CVS) in his portfolio. Nippon Sanso (NPXYY) is a Japanese oil and gas company that Rosenthal believes is undervalued. Combined with the structural tailwind of corporate reforms within Japan, Rosenthal believes this Japanese company's stock is well-positioned to appreciate in the coming years.

Persons: —, Scott Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Rosenthal's, it's Organizations: Service, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management, Wiley Global Value Fund, Business, Econ, CVS, Nippon Locations: Japan

☆ Weekly mortgage demand surges 14% higher as interest rates hit two-year low
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mortgage rates came down again last week, and with the expectation that they could fall further, mortgage demand suddenly jumped, especially for refinancing. The Federal Reserve is expected to make its first interest rate cut in four years on Wednesday, and while mortgage rates don't follow the Fed exactly, they are influenced by policy. "The most important takeaway is that lower mortgage rates are not only not remotely guaranteed by [the] Fed rate cut. Even with this large jump in volume, it is coming off a very low base, as the vast majority of borrowers have loans with interest rates well below 5%. "Homebuyers are seeing improving affordability conditions, sparked by lower rates and slower home-price growth."

Persons: Jerome Powell's, They're, Matthew Graham, Joel Kan, Kan Organizations: Federal, Mortgage News, Mortgage, Labor, Fed, Association

☆ The Fed forecasts lowering rates by another half point before the year is out
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rate policy in Washington, U.S., July 31, 2024. The Federal Reserve projected lowering interest rates by another half point before the end of 2024, and the central bank has two more policy meetings to do so. Through 2025, the central bank forecasts interest rates landing at 3.4%, indicating another full percentage point in cuts. Through 2026, rates are expected to fall to 2.9% with another half-point reduction. The central bank lowered the federal funds rate to a range between 4.75%-5% on Wednesday, its first rate cut since the early days of the Covid pandemic.

Persons: Jerome Powell Organizations: Federal, Committee, Federal Reserve Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ It’s Fed decision day, and investors aren’t 100% sure what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Traders across Wall Street expect the Fed to lower rates, ending the tightening cycle that began in March 2022. That said, investors aren't sure how big the rate reduction will be. To be sure, it closed more than 30 points below the closing all-time high of 5,634.58 set in July. We tend to agree with that, but also think the setup for a 'false breakout' remains high," wrote Krinsky. Elsewhere on Wall Street this morning , Barclays upgraded VF Corp to overweight from equal weight.

Persons: Chris Murphy, Susquehanna, Jonathan Krinsky, It's, Adrienne Yih Organizations: Federal, Traders, Barclays, Corp

☆ Fed slashes interest rates by a half point, an aggressive start to its first easing campaign in four years
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The matrix of individual officials' expectations pointed to another full percentage point in cuts by the end of 2025 and a half-point in 2026. In all, the dot plot shows the benchmark rate coming down about 2 percentage points beyond Wednesday's move. On core inflation, the committee took down its projection to 2.6%, a 0.2 percentage point reduction from June. In fact, the last time the monthly hiring rate was this low – 3.5% as a share of the labor force – the unemployment rate was above 6%. At his press conference following the July meeting, Powell remarked that a 50 basis point cut was "not something we're thinking about right now."

Persons: Michelle Bowman, Jerome Powell, Powell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal Reserve, Market, Dow Jones, Fed, Gross, Atlanta Fed

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Hoping for a half-point cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Anna Moneymaker, Mark Zandi, they'll, Zandi, Hope, Jeff Cox, Hakyung Kim, Samantha Subin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Getty, CNBC, Dow, Moody's Locations: Washington , DC, U.S

☆ The Fed goes big — a nice jumpstart to lowering mortgage rates and boosting housing plays
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Fed was widely expected to lower short-term interest rates, but the 25 basis points versus 50 debate raged right up until the announcement. Mortgage rates: We talked last week during our September Monthly Meeting about how housing activity can start to pick up when mortgage rates fall off their cycle highs to somewhere in the range between 5% and 6.5%. However, what the data shows is how sensitive activity is to every dip in mortgage rates. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Jerome Powell, Stanley Black, Decker, Mortgage Banks, Jim Cramer's, Lisa Su, Oliver Garden, Jim Organizations: CNBC, ., Federal Reserve, Stanley, Mortgage, Micro, LongHorn, Darden, Jim Cramer's Charitable

Mortgage rates have dropped substantially in recent weeks, with 30-year rates now almost 40 basis points down from where they started the month. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. Current 30-Year Mortgage RatesAverage 30-year mortgage rates have gone down this week and are now hovering below 5.60%, according to Zillow data. Mortgage rates are determined by a variety of different factors, including larger economic trends, Federal Reserve policy, your state's current mortgage rates, the type of loan you're getting, and your personal financial profile. Because markets are already anticipating that the Fed will lower rates, mortgage rates might not drop much in response to a Fed rate cut.

Persons: it's, refinance, you'll, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow, Fed Locations: Chevron

Boeing 737-790 aircraft belonging to Alaska Airlines is seen flying at Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, United States on July 2, 2024. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines can go through with their planned merger, but they must maintain the value of their airline reward systems and preserve several key routes, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Tuesday. The two carriers' $1.9 billion merger agreement cleared the U.S. Justice Department's review last month. That put it in the hands of the Transportation Department, which must also review airline mergers. The Department of Transportation noted that the airlines can begin the process of closing the merger, but still need approval for a transfer application, which allows them to combine and operate international routes under one certificate.

Persons: Anchorage Ted, Department's, Transportation Pete Buttigieg Organizations: Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Anchorage, International, Hawaiian Airlines, U.S . Department of Transportation, U.S ., Transportation Department, Transportation, Department Locations: Alaska, Anchorage , Alaska, United States, U.S

Search resuls for: "Dot"

25 mentions found