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☆ Apple and others to benefit from China's reopening, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

But Wilson said that investors may still benefit from Beijing's reopening by choosing stocks and industry groups with high revenue exposure to China. Here are three of Morgan Stanley's China reopening stock picks: Apple China accounts for approximate 20% of Apple 's revenue and a staggering 95% of its production. "While a reopening and initial spread of Covid infections could cause near-term disruption, we ultimately believe a relaxing of restrictions should be a positive for production," Wilson wrote. Branded Apparel & Footwear coverage from a broad China reopening," Wilson said. Las Vegas Sands has seen visitation drop more than 80% from pre-Covid levels due to travel restrictions, according to Morgan Stanley.

☆ U.S. Covid-19 Pandemic Enters Fourth Year With Hospitalizations on the Decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jon Kamp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Three years after health authorities announced the first known Covid-19 case in the U.S., the virus behind the disease remains persistent but thus far hasn’t triggered the severity of the waves seen in prior winters. A recent climb in hospitalizations and Covid-19 wastewater readings—two key metrics for spotting trends—appears to have stalled following the quick rise of the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant. The U.S. was gripped in significantly more deadly waves at this point in the last two winters, though currently there are still hundreds of deaths reported each day.

☆ Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounts for nearly half of U.S. COVID cases- CDC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 20 (Reuters) - The fast-spreading Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounted for nearly half of the COVID-19 cases in the United States, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Friday. It is estimated to have accounted for 49.1% of COVID cases in the country in the week ended Jan. 21, compared with 37.2% estimated last week. It is an offshoot of XBB, a combination of two other Omicron sub-variants, which was first detected in October. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted a few weeks ago that XBB.1.5 has been on the rise globally and identified in over 25 countries. read moreReporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Alphabet, Chipotle, Microsoft & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Morgan Stanley downgrades Chipotle to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said it's concerned about "traffic headwinds." Morgan Stanley upgrades Domino's to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said Domino's is best positioned to handle a downturn. Morgan Stanley upgrades Church & Dwight to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said it sees "fundamental inflection ahead." Morgan Stanley downgrades AutoNation to underweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said it sees too many headwinds for shares of AutoNation right now. Morgan Stanley upgrades Kroger to equal weight from underweight Morgan Stanley said it sees more people eating at home.

☆ U.S. airlines do not see speedy return of China, Japan travel demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The group added ticket sales for the U.S.-China market as of December remained 88% below 2019 levels, adding passenger demand for both markets remains "severely depressed." The group added that "international air travel to China remains severely depressed due to cumbersome, uncertain, and constantly evolving travel requirements and entry barriers." The group said travel to Tokyo Haneda airport remains severely depressed. "While Japan is starting to reopen to international travel and, as a result, the U.S.-Tokyo demand environment is improving, the pace of the rebound has been sluggish and forward-looking demand remains choppy," the group said. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) said on Friday it expects to cautiously "rebuild capacity to China in line with demand starting later this year."

To start with, the familiar winter increase in Covid cases is back again this year. The week of October 5, 2022, there were about 320,000 new Covid cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The week of January 11, 2022, there were more than 5.4 million new Covid cases in the United States, according to the CDC. Since October 5, 2022, the weekly Covid death number has largely bounced between 2,000 and 3,000. One other way 2023 feels unlike 2022 or 2021.

☆ These three giant historic mansions were all on the market at the same time in Detroit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Konstantina Buhalis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Book, Kresge, and Whitney mansions were on the market until the Book finally sold. The Book, Kresge, and Whitney mansions were on the market for months, with the Book finally selling at the end of 2022. The Book Mansion, sold for $1.2 millionJames Burgess Book Jr. developed the Book Mansion, part of the historic Indian Village neighborhood, in 1911. James Burgess Book Jr. developed the Book Mansion, part of the Indian Village neighborhood, in 1911. The Kresge Mansion has staff quarters and a carriage house with living quarters upstairs.

☆ Analysis: China's rapid reopening brings joy and woe for world markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The impact of the reopening of the world's second largest economy on financial markets, hit by double-digit losses last year as inflation and interest rates jumped, is critical. Being touted among the top buying bets on recovery hopes are emerging markets, commodity currencies, oil, travel and European luxury companies. The boost to world growth from China's reopening was expected to hurt the safe-haven dollar but benefit the euro. INFLATION CAUTIONBut a boost from China's reopening raises some concerns about inflation. China is the world's leading importer of oil and many other commodities -- oil prices have risen 10% since mid-December to almost $84 .

☆ Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounts for 43% of U.S. COVID cases - CDC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 13 (Reuters) - The fast-spreading Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 43% of the COVID-19 cases in the United States for the week ended Jan. 14, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Friday. The subvariant accounted for about 30% of cases in the first week of January, higher than the 27.6% the CDC estimated last week. The World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier this week XBB.1.5 may spur more COVID-19 cases based on genetic characteristics and early growth rate estimates. The rise in the new variant correlated with an uptick in COVID-19 cases in United States over the last six weeks. Increased prevalence of XBB.1.5 cases has eclipsed the previously dominant Omicron subvariant BQ.1.1 and BQ.1, which were offshoots of BA.5.

☆ How Deadly Were the Covid Lockdowns?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Rob Arnott | Casey B. Mulligan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

During the first two years of the pandemic, “excess deaths”—the death toll above the historical trend—markedly exceeded the number of deaths attributed to Covid. In a paper we just published in Inquiry, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we found that “non-Covid excess deaths” totaled nearly 100,000 a year in 2020 and 2021. Even these numbers likely overestimate deaths from Covid and underestimate those from other causes. Covid testing has become ubiquitous in hospitals, and the official count of “Covid deaths” includes people who tested positive but died of other causes. On the other side, some Covid deaths early in the pandemic weren’t diagnosed as such.

☆ Viking cruise passengers tried to maintain their sense of humor after marine growth on the ship's hull left them trapped onboard for 10 days: 'It was a plot twist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Passengers aboard the Viking Orion missed several port stops due to marine growth on the ship. It was to be the "trip of a lifetime," Heydrick told Insider. The Viking Orion made headlines last month after the cruise ship missed several planned port stops due to "marine growth" found in the ship's hull. Cruise liner Viking Orion (L) is moored in Melbourne's Port Philip Bay on March 24, 2020. "Viking Orion" cruise ship under the flag of Norway is seen anchored at Bodrum Cruise Port in Bodrum district of Mugla, Turkey on April 18, 2021.

☆ Here’s the inflation breakdown for December 2022 — in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A decline in the annual inflation rate doesn't mean consumers saw deflation, which is when overall prices decrease. Categories with the largest changes in Decemberwatch nowWhile on the decline, the annual inflation rate remains at its highest since the early 1980s. Car and truck rental prices fell by 4.9%, while beef and veal prices fell by 3.1%, women's dresses by 2.3% and admission to sporting events by 1.5%. A decline in the inflation rate for electronics may seem counterintuitive when iPhones and other gadgets didn't necessarily come with steep discounts in 2022. Hourly wages have fallen by 1.7% in the past year, after accounting for inflation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

☆ Cramer: This market is split in two and only one part is worth owning right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Why didn't those who think Powell is a doofus speak up and say maybe he's gotten it right? Its market cap looks too big, but it might actually be right because of its service revenue. The rest of the market, including stocks like Micron, will trade as it has in any recession. But the bottoming process for high-growth tech is pretty unfathomable because it was never valued right in the first place. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounts for 27.6% of U.S. COVID cases - CDC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - The Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, is estimated to account for 27.6% of COVID-19 cases in the United States for the week ending Jan. 7, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Friday. The CDC revised its estimate for the week ended Dec. 31 to say XBB.1.5 made up 18.3% of cases, not about 40% of cases. The agency did not immediately respond to a Reuters request seeking details about the change in estimated data. The World Health Organization's senior epidemiologist, Maria Van Kerkhove, earlier this week said XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible Omicron sub-variant that has been detected so far. Reporting by Leroy Leo and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Automakers won’t go back to normal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Jan 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For U.S. automakers, 2023 is all about trying to stay in their lane. That left 2021 at around 15 million sales; full-year 2022 sales are likely to come in at 13.7 million, according to Cox Automotive. But while supplies may return to normal, the industry might not follow suit. Automakers’ production may not return either, though. Some automakers may want a controlled exit from the pandemic – but getting everyone to play along is another matter.

☆ Leading WHO advisers call for 'realistic' COVID data from China at key meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jennifer Rigby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The World Health Organization logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseLONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Leading scientists advising the World Health Organization said they wanted a "more realistic picture" about the COVID-19 situation from China's top experts at a key meeting on Tuesday as worries grow about the rapid spread of the virus. The WHO has invited Chinese scientists to a virtual closed meeting with its technical advisory group on viral evolution on Tuesday, to present data on which variants are circulating in the country. Speaking to Reuters ahead of the meeting, she said some of the data from China, such as hospitalisation numbers, is "not very credible". A WHO spokesperson said that a "detailed discussion" was expected about circulating variants in China, and globally, with Chinese scientists expected to make a presentation.

The subvariant of omicron, named XBB.1.5, has raised concerns about another potential wave of Covid cases following the busy holiday travel season. The CDC projected Friday that about 40% of confirmed U.S. Covid cases are caused by the XBB.1.5 strain, up from 20% a week ago. There’s no indication it causes more severe illness than any other omicron virus, Dr. Barbara Mahon, director of CDC’s Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, told NBC News. The XBB.1.5 is a relative of the omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants. Yet, only 37.5% of that age group has received the most recent omicron booster, according to the most recent CDC data.

☆ Inflation struggles, China's Covid: What to watch for in the economy in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

But economists and CEOs warn the economy will remain on shaky ground in 2023, which could mean another turbulent year for consumers. After months of strict lockdowns that caused rolling disruptions to supply chains and greatly stifled demand from Chinese consumers, China began lifting its Covid restrictions in recent weeks. “The most important thing for 2023 is by far China’s Covid policy,” Dan Klein, the head of energy pathways at S&P Global Commodity Insights. Covid infections have continued to shut down factories around the world, aggravated by China’s loosening of Covid restrictions. In the meantime, with demand outstripping supply, car prices are up by nearly 24% over the past two years.

☆ Risk of a dangerous new Covid variant in China is ‘quite low,’ U.S. health expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | Evelyn Cheng Is A Senior Correspondent With Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, pointed out there were likely billions of omicron infections worldwide this year, but no new Covid variant has emerged, only subvariants of omicron. “That’s why I would put the risk as quite low that there is a dangerous new variant in China,” he said. The U.S., Japan and a few other countries this week subsequently announced new Covid testing requirements for travelers from China. China’s National Health Commission said Sunday it would stop releasing daily information on Covid infections and deaths. Covid testing is no longer mandatory in China.

Although many public health experts are expressing concern about the rising COVID cases in China, infectious disease experts have been increasingly worried about the XBB.1.5 variant. Recombinants of the BA.2 variant, XBB and XBB.1.5, together accounted for 44.1% of the total cases in the country for the week ended Dec. 31. For the week ended Dec.24, XBB.1.5 had made up 21.7% of the total cases. The XBB variant has been driving up cases in parts of Asia, including Singapore. It accounted for 3.6% of the total cases in the U.S. this week compared with 4.2% in the previous week.

☆ Opinion | Vaccines, Inflation, Abortion: 2022 in Charts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Steven Rattner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

By the end of 2022, 23 percent of American women resided in states with effective bans on abortion. June 2022 March 2022 Dec. 2021 Sept. 2022 Dec. 2022 Fed Funds Rate 6% 5 4 3 2 1 2022 2023 2025 2024 Longer run Unemployment 5% 4 3 2 1 2022 2023 2025 2024 Longer run G.D.P. Growth 4% 3 2 1 2022 2023 2025 2024 Longer run Core Inflation 5% 4 3 2 1 2022 2023 2025 2024 Sept. 2022 June 2022 March 2022 Dec. 2021 Dec. 2022 Fed Funds Rate G.D.P. Growth 4% 6% 5 3 4 3 2 2 1 1 2022 2023 2025 2022 2023 2025 2024 2024 Longer run Longer run Core Inflation Unemployment 5% 5% 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 2022 2023 2025 2022 2023 2025 2024 2024 Longer run Source: Federal Open Market CommitteeThe sustained period of high inflation left the Fed playing catch-up, as it had initially believed that the surge would prove transitory. 150 100 Xi Jinping addresses in 2017 & 2022 50 1982-2012 Economy Military Market Technology Reform Security Source: Capital EconomicsThen there was China: Our biggest source of imported goods became ever more clearly our biggest strategic adversary.

☆ Here's where Covid rules for visitors from China are changing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vernon Yuen | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Some countries announced new Covid testing requirements for visitors from China after the mainland said it would finally relax border controls. Covid-19 infections surged this month in mainland China, but there is limited data available publicly. Those who test positive will need to quarantine at a designated facility, the ministry said. The new rules also apply to people who visited mainland China within the seven days prior to arrival in Japan, the health ministry said. The rules do not apply to flights from Hong Kong or Macao.

☆ China Jan-Nov industrial profits fall 3.6% vs Jan-Oct 3% fall
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms in January-November fell 3.6% from a year earlier, after contracting 3.0% in the first 10 months, according to data the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released on Tuesday. The world's second-largest economy faces headwinds from multiple directions. COVID-19 infections are surging after an abrupt relaxation of harsh restrictions, hitting businesses and consumers, while a weakening global economy is hurting Chinese exports. Industrial profit data covers large firms with annual revenue above 20 million yuan ($2.87 million) from their main operations. ($1 = 6.9792 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

They promoted and delivered vaccines, developed prevention strategies, monitored data and did a million other unheralded things to help weave a stronger public health safety net. Meanwhile, top health officials are warning that persistent vaccine misinformation remains a serious public health threat. Particularly in vulnerable communities where access to vaccines, therapeutics and good information are lacking, there is much work to be done. And this common-sense principle is still true: When you enact and maintain good policies, good things happen. In the past two weeks, deaths from Covid are up 63%, a possible harbinger of things to come in 2023.

☆ You really should mask up again, says infectious disease expert: The tripledemic is hitting 'too fast and too furious'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Most Americans aren't wearing face masks anymore — and their timing isn't great, says a leading infectious disease expert. Just 26% of Americans reported in October that they're wearing masks outside of their homes. Covid alone currently accounts for 386 deaths per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The flu and RSV likely add to that figure, though the agency doesn't report the number of deaths per day for those viruses. "Everyone needs to know that masking really does protect individuals against all three viruses," Hijano says.

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