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☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Meta, Apple, Uber, Target, SoFi, Nike, Amazon, GM and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said in a note Friday that it sees several reasons for share outperformance. Morgan Stanley upgrades Evotech to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the drug discovery and development company is well-positioned for artificial intelligence. As such we are upgrading to Market Perform with a $44 price target." Morgan Stanley reiterates Snowflake as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's bullish heading into the company's upcoming investor day. Barclays reiterates Uber as overweight Barclays raised its price target on Uber to $70 per share from $57 and says it's well-positioned.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Apple, Stephens, KeyBanc, Wells, Armour, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Valvoline, underperform SVB, Wayfair, Snowflake, it's, Uber, Roth, Bernstein, Jefferies Organizations: Deutsche Bank, Nike, Sovos Brands, UAA, Outsized NA, JPMorgan, Global Products, Securities, Bed, Barclays, Amazon, Citi, General Motors Locations: China, Italian, downgrades, EBITDA

Epstein had been a JPMorgan client from 1998 and 2013 when the bank terminated his accounts. Lawyers for the victims plan to seek up to 30% of the settlement amount for legal fees, court records show. The victims' lawyers also represented Epstein victims in a similar $75 million settlement with Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), where Epstein was also a client. JPMorgan also faces a lawsuit over Epstein by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned two neighboring islands. The case is Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Morgan Chase, Mike Segar, Jeffrey Epstein's, Epstein, Jan, Jed Rakoff, Jane Doe, JPMorgan, Rakoff preliminarily, Jes Staley, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Jahnavi, Robert Birsel Organizations: Co, New York City, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase's, U.S, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Reuters, U.S ., JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, Southern District, Southern District of New York, Bengaluru

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan on Friday denied "in its entirety" the U.S. Virgin Islands' request to again have Dimon and another JPMorgan employee testify under oath. The territory, where Epstein owned two neighboring islands, is seeking damages from JPMorgan for allegedly ignoring Epstein's sexual abuses and letting him set up a sex trafficking operation there. Epstein was a JPMorgan client from 1998 until the bank terminated him in 2013. Dimon said he did not recall discussing Epstein's accounts at the time, and had barely heard of Epstein until his July 2019 arrest. The case is U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase, Jeffrey Epstein, Jed Rakoff, Epstein, U.S . Virgin Islands, Jeffrey, Dimon, Jes Staley, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan, U.S . Virgin, U.S, Barclays, Virgin, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

NEW YORK, June 15 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) urged a federal judge to reject the U.S. Virgin Islands' demand that Chief Executive Jamie Dimon sit for a second deposition for its lawsuit about the bank's long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. JPMorgan also said messages between Epstein and former bank executive Jes Staley, where Epstein name-dropped people like billionaires Bill Gates and Leon Black and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, did not justify more questioning of Dimon about alleged "Epstein referrals" of prospective customers. A spokesman for the U.S. Virgin Islands had no comment on the letter to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan. The U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned two neighboring islands, is suing JPMorgan for allegedly enabling Epstein to set up a sex trafficking operation there. The case is U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, Jeffrey Epstein, Dimon, Epstein, Jes Staley, Bill Gates, Leon Black, Ehud Barak, Jed Rakoff, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan, U.S . Virgin, U.S . Virgin Islands, The U.S ., U.S ., Virgin, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, The U.S, The U.S . Virgin Islands, U.S . Virgin, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

☆ ‘Past Lives’ Review: Longing for a Future
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Manohla Dargis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“Past Lives” is a wistful what-if story about two people, the children they were and the adults they become. The movie follows them through the years and across assorted reunions, separations and continents as well as milestones momentous and ordinary. “Past Lives” centers on Nora (played as an adult by a terrific and subtle Greta Lee) and a boy named Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), though mostly it’s about her. They’re charming — they’re children — and close. Hae Sung comforts her because he’s a nice boy; he will become a nice man, but by then she will be long gone.

Persons: Nora, Greta Lee, Hae Sung, Teo Yoo, —, “, ” Nora, ”, He’s, Celine Song, Jacques Rivette’s, Julie Go Organizations: Korean Locations: Seoul, American, Canada, Nora’s

☆ Canadian banks see earnings risk from commercial property loans, TD in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Nivedita Balu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TORONTO, May 22 (Reuters) - Canadian banks are expected to report a rise in bad debt provisions and highlight risks from commercial property loans when they report earnings this week, with the country's No.2 bank TD (TD.TO) in focus after its acquisition of First Horizon (FHN.N) failed. Bay Street analysts have lowered their second quarter earnings expectations for Canadian banks, anticipating higher expenses and slowing loan growth as turmoil south of the border weighs on the broader banking sector. Still, investors view Canadian banks as safer bets than their U.S. counterparts due to their strong capital levels. BMO and Scotia Bank (BNS.TO) are due to report earnings on Wednesday, while TD, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM.TO) and Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) report on Thursday. Canadian bank stocks have largely underperformed TSX Canadian bank stocks have largely underperformed TSXEmpty offices in big cities have raised concerns among investors about banks' commercial property loan exposure, since about 10% of the lending portfolio of the Big-6 banks is tied to commercial real estate.

Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) constituent Cisco Systems Inc's (CSCO.O) shares fell 4.3% in premarket trading after it said a large backlog of products weighed on demand for new orders from customers. Shares of Walmart Inc (WMT.N) rose 1.7% after the retailer raised its annual sales and profit targets, befitting from inflation-wary consumers trading down to cheaper groceries. ET, Dow e-minis were down 31 points, or 0.09%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 1.75 points, or 0.04%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 15 points, or 0.11%. Bath & Body Works Inc (BBWI.N) gained 13% after the beauty and skincare firm raised its annual profit forecast. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he welcomed and expected more investment from global chipmakers in the country.

Shares of U.S. regional banks rose, led by a 12.6% rise in Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) as the lender's deposit growth exceeded $2 billion and brokerage Bank of America Global Research resumed coverage of the bank with a "buy" rating. The KBW Regional Banking Index (.KRX) rose 3.1% after losing 1.8% in the previous session, while S&P 500 banks (.SPXBK) added 2.4%. "Cautious optimism expressed from both President Biden and Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy about the progress of the debt talks has made people feel a little bit better," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities. Retailers Target Corp(TGT.N) and TJX Companies Inc (TJX.N) forecast current-quarter profit below expectations despite beating estimates for the first quarter. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.69-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.39-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

Shares of U.S. regional banks rose, led by a 11.6% premarket rise in Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) as the lender's deposit growth exceeded $2 billion and brokerage Bank of America Global Research resumed coverage of the bank with a "buy" rating. U.S. President Joe Biden will continue talks with congressional leaders on the debt ceiling later this week, the White House said one day after an hour-long meeting seen as productive. "Cautious optimism expressed from both President (Joe) Biden and Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy about the progress of the debt talks has made people feel a little bit better," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities. Target Corp(TGT.N) edged 0.4% higher in choppy trading after the retailer beat first-quarter profit expectations but forecast current-quarter profit below expectations. ET, Dow e-minis were up 129 points, or 0.39%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 13 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 18.5 points, or 0.14%.

☆ Çanakkale: Where ancient Troy sits beside the modern city
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Nick Hilden | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —An enormous wooden horse presides over the marina in Çanakkale, a small port city southwest of Istanbul. The clapboard animal is a mock-up of the Trojan Horse of mythological fame. Çanakkale (pronounced cha-na-call-ay) stands adjacent to the archaeological site that was once the ancient city of Troy, best known as the setting of the Trojan War in Homer’s “Iliad.”A giant wooden horse watches over Çanakkale. Today when you visit Truva – either via car or a short bus ride from Çanakkale – a second model of the Trojan Horse looms at the entrance. “We know that there were many wars that occurred at Troy,” Rose explains.

☆ The Coronation of King Charles: Order of Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +46 min

The Archbishop saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? Christopher Finney GC saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? We praise thee, we bless thee,we worship thee, we glorify thee,we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O clap your hands together, all ye people;O sing unto God with the voice of melody. The King touches the Ring and the Archbishop saysReceive this Ring, symbol of kingly dignity and a sign of the covenant sworn this day, between God and King, King and people.

By attributing that knowledge to JPMorgan, Epstein's accusers might show that JPMorgan "actually knew" about the venture or "recklessly disregarded" its existence, Rakoff said. JPMorgan is separately suing Staley to cover its losses in the two lawsuits it faces, and forfeit eight years of pay. 22-10018; Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

☆ The park with the most roller coasters in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Impressive collections can be found in many parts of the world, but which park currently holds more roller coasters than any other? With a whopping 20 roller coasters, Six Flags Magic Mountain even rates a mention with Guinness World Records – helping the park justify its “Thrill Capital of the World” slogan. “I think there are a lot of great rides at Six Flags Magic Mountain.” he told CNN Travel recently. “But there are some other more fundamental reasons for why Six Flags Magic Mountain has so many roller coasters.”Location, prosperity and weather all played roles, he said. They’re fast, they’re twisty.”GoliathMartin Lewison said Goliath has the biggest drop of any traditional-style roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

☆ South Koreans tap cash-giving apps to help offset rising living costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As many as three in four adults earn cash through such applications, showed a recent survey by job portal Incruit. Retiree Han Sun-jae, 77, said he had made some 50,000 won ($37.91) so far through the Toss app. The trend shows people are going the extra mile to help overcome an increasingly dire economic situation, experts said. "While the effort to make pocket money is commendable, it could also leave people vulnerable to personal data use," said Lee Eun-hee, a consumer studies professor at Inha University. ($1 = 1,318.79 won)Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Major analysts are cautious on Tesla, say EV leader may be going too far with price cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But the focus of analysts were the price cuts and how far the company will go to juice demand. That said, this is balanced by concerns of increased EV competition, further price cuts, and macro challenges. Evercore ISI, In Line rating, $165 price target: "Gross margin red line of "20%" breached (Q2 will be lower)." Bernstein, Underperform rating, $150 price target: "Importantly, despite significant price cuts, demand still appears challenged for Tesla and price elasticity appears to be more muted than Tesla believed. Citigroup, Neutral rating, $175 price target (Down from $192): "The Q1 margin miss confirms that price cuts weren't offset to the extent previously expected.

In Southeast Asia, some countries posted their highest ever recorded temperatures this week, while searing heat in the Indian subcontinent has killed more than a dozen people. Neighboring Myanmar set an April temperature record on Monday as Kalewa, in central Sagaing region, reached 44°C (111°F), Herrera tweeted. April and May are typically the hottest months of the year for South and Southeast Asia as temperatures rise before monsoon rains begin and bring some relief. On Monday, more than 100 weather stations in 12 provinces broke their April temperature record, according to climatologist Jim Yang. Extremely hot temperatures across South and Southeast Asia are expected to continue.

☆ 35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Francesca Paris | Larry Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +24 min

People are using ChatGPT and other A.I. Here’s how 35 real people are using A.I for work, life, play and procrastination. People are using A.I to …Plan gardens. Chris Norn Researcher at the University of Washington Two years ago researchers cracked the code on using A.I. When you run a Dungeons & Dragons game, Mr. Green says, you have to be creative, but that almost always means pulling from existing fantasy literature.

NEW YORK, April 12 (Reuters) - A new version of a lawsuit accusing JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) of aiding in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking includes claims that the bank ignored pleas to cut ties with the financier, and that someone joked about whether Epstein knew Miley Cyrus. In a complaint made public on Wednesday, the U.S. Virgin Islands said JPMorgan compliance officials urged the bank to sever ties with Epstein years before it did so in 2013. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Netflix, Tesla, Honeywell, Amazon, Shopify, Hyatt & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

UBS upgrades Goldman Sachs to buy from neutral UBS said in its upgrade of the banking giant that it's "resilient." "We are upgrading GS to Buy from Neutral as the firm appears well positioned to outperform amidst elevated levels of market volatility." Morgan Stanley upgrades MongoDB to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its upgrade of the developer data platform that it has "share gain opportunities." Morgan Stanley names Box a top pick Morgan Stanley named the cloud content management company as a top pick and says it sees more margin upside ahead. Morgan Stanley upgrades Evercore to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the investment bank has "underappreciated resiliency."

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☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls of the day: Apple, Amazon, UPS, Netflix, WW, Disney & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Morgan Stanley names UnitedHealth a top pick Morgan Stanley says the healthcare company is best positioned in a recession. Morgan Stanley reiterates Netflix as equal weight Morgan Stanley said Netflix is the "streaming winner" but that it's "priced as such." Morgan Stanley downgrades Nasdaq to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said that it has growth concerns for the exchange operator. JPMorgan upgrades Federated Hermes to overweight from underweight JPMorgan said the rate environment makes the capital market company's stock more attractive. Morgan Stanley upgrades AstraZeneca to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the pharmaceutical company is "leading the race" to outsmart cancer.

JPMorgan sued Staley last month to have him cover its losses in both lawsuits and forfeit eight years of compensation. Epstein killed himself at age 66 in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

☆ McIlroy's career Grand Slam bid officially ends with missed cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

One of the pre-tournament favourites, McIlroy's disappointment dragged on into Saturday as 39 players returned to complete their weather hit rounds where the cut line was set at three over. Major winners Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson along with Jason Kokrak all missed the cut. Tiger Woods made the cut but by the skin of his teeth when good friend Justin Thomas bogeyed the 17th moving the cut line to three over. "I've always loved this golf course, and I love playing this event," said Woods at the end of his round before the cut line had been set. Couples also became the oldest player in Masters history to make the cut when the 63-year-old returned a second round two-over 74 for a one-over total.

☆ Bank Regulator Drops Case Against Ex-Rabobank U.S. Compliance Chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rabobank NA was the California subsidiary of Netherlands-based Rabobank. A branch in Thousand Oaks, Calif., shown above in 2018, the year the bank pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal its problems from the OCC. A U.S. banking regulator has dropped a case against a former Rabobank NA compliance chief who allegedly tried to cover up problems in the bank’s anti-money-laundering program, finding the judge in the case hadn’t given her a fair hearing. The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said it would “reluctantly” end its case against Laura Akahoshi, a onetime OCC employee who later worked as Rabobank’s compliance chief. She was accused of obstructing OCC efforts to investigate Rabobank by allegedly working to hide a critical report produced by an accounting firm.

"Jane Doe herself has directly accused him of horrific sexual misconduct and, if true, he must be held accountable." In a separate letter, lawyers for the Epstein accusers also supported severing the Staley case, but for a different reason. 22-10018; Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

☆ Scheffler gets late Masters tee time, LIV Golf players separated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

World number one Scheffler, bidding to become the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion, will go out in the third-last group at 1:36 p.m. Australian Smith, one of 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in the field at Augusta National, will set off at 10:54 a.m. ET in the company of 2021 Masters winner Matsuyama on Japan and South Korea's Im Sung-jae. Among other notable LIV Golf players at the year's first major, three-times Masters champion Phil Mickelson will play alongside fellow American Tom Hoge and South Korea's Kim Si-woo. Dustin Johnson, who won the 2020 Masters before making the move to LIV Golf last year, will tee off with Canada's Corey Conners and England's Justin Rose.

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