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☆ TSX set for worst week in five months as rate hike worries mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ET (1527 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) was down 132.38 points, or 0.66%, at 19,954.34. The rate-sensitive financials sector (.SPTTFS) slumped 1.4% to a two-month low, while banks (.GSPTXBA) fell 1.3%. Across the border, U.S. stock indexes fell on a selloff in bank shares after SVB Financial's efforts to raise capital sparked worries about the sector's health. Among company news, Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO) shed 1.2% after it said it would acquire Loyalty Ventures' (LYLT.O) subsidiary's rewards program AIR MILES for an undisclosed amount. Loyalty Ventures fell 54.2% in U.S. trading.

☆ Powell reiterated what we've been hearing all along, says Edward Jones' Mona Mahajan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailPowell reiterated what we've been hearing all along, says Edward Jones' Mona MahajanBespoke Investment Group's Paul Hickey and Mona Mahajan of Edward Jones join Mike Santelli and the 'CNBC Special: Taking Stock' to discuss today's market reaction to Fed Chair Jay Powell's Senate testimony.

☆ What to expect in the market ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhat to expect in the market aheadMona Mahajan, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the market and her expectations.

☆ The unraveling of fintech darling Vise
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +28 min

It was April, and more than two dozen salespeople who worked for the fintech startup Vise had been ordered to a multiday off-site at the W Hoboken hotel in New Jersey to share exhaustive reports on their performance. Even salespeople at bigger, established, top-tier investment-management firms typically wouldn't close $250 million in a year, multiple sales employees said. (K-means clustering is an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm often referred to as a form of AI, Vise's founders said). (Vise's founders disputed this, saying the company received updated financial data only once a day for its portfolio-construction engine.) And to address its "leaky funnel" of overestimating prospective sales, Vise was to stop outreach to new clients while it onboards and upsells to existing clients, the document said.

☆ Buffett's Berkshire has record annual operating profit despite inflation, rate pressures
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) on Saturday reported its highest-ever annual operating profit, even as foreign currency losses and rising interest rates contributed to lower earnings in the fourth quarter. Buffett called 2022 a "good year" for Berkshire in his annual shareholder letter, after the conglomerate's dozens of businesses generated $30.8 billion of profit despite rising inflation and supply chain disruptions, including from the war in Ukraine. Berkshire also bulked up its cash hoard, ending the year with $128.6 billion after selling about $16.3 billion of stocks in the fourth quarter. Quarterly operating profit fell 8% to $6.71 billion, or $4,596 per Class A share, from $7.29 billion. Berkshire projected that Geico, which shed 7% of its 41,000-person workforce last year, will generate an underwriting profit in 2023.

☆ Stocks are reversing course as inflation looks sticky with more retail earnings on deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The optimism about inflation and the U.S. economy is quickly waning on Wall Street, and the early 2023 rally for stocks is fading. The market was under pressure again on Friday after a hotter-than-expected reading for personal consumption expenditures, sending rates higher and stocks lower. Economic updates Next week brings a new round of economic indicators to see how the sticky inflation is affecting consumers and business. Other looks at the economy will come through key earnings reports. Speech by Fed Governor Christopher Waller Friday: 9:45 a.m. Markit Services PMI 10:00 a.m. ISM Services PMI 3:00 p.m.

Feb 21 (Reuters) - TJX Cos Inc (TJX.N) is likely to see a strong growth in annual sales as inflation pushes bargain-hungry but brand-conscious customers to off-price retailers offering cheaper deals and promotions. A case in point is Nordstrom Inc (JWN.N), which cut its annual profit forecast after its off-price store chain Rack failed to attract people despite heavy discounting due to inventory mismanagement. Jessica Ramirez, analyst at Jane Hali and Associates, said TJX is in tune with what the customer is shopping for and are interested. "TJX is very strong with their assortment ... they have been able to bring a lot of good names into their product offerings," she said. Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Aatrayee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Americans are quitting plant-based meat due to high prices, worse taste, and questionable health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2020, retail sales of plant-based meat grew 45%, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Questionable taste and health benefits are scaring off consumersFirst, it's unclear whether the plant-based meat industry has a growing customer base. On the all-important issue of taste, many Americans say plant-based meat disappoints, and some experts think the industry's efforts to compare plant-based meat to the real thing is a losing battle. Additionally, while plant-based meat has environmental benefits, growing research suggests it may not be much — if at all — healthier than traditional meat, something consumers are beginning to suspect. It's also possible that cultivated meat — meat grown from animal cells in a lab — will prove to be the answer, though this innovation could face some obstacles as well.

"Consumers are looking for convenient, filling, and nutritious meals, while at the same time paying more attention to the price tag," Kraft's chief executive Miguel Patricio said, adding the company would halt fresh price hikes in North America, Europe, Latin America and most of Asia. Retailers have also been increasingly opposing food manufacturers' price hikes. Last year, Kraft briefly stopped supplying some products to Tesco (TSCO.L) due to pricing disagreements with the British supermarket chain. It said average selling prices rose 15.2 percentage points in the fourth quarter, while sales volumes declined 4.8 percentage points. Net sales rose 10% to $7.38 billion, beating the estimate of $7.27 billion.

☆ A lot of investors were underweight earlier in the year, says Edward Jones' Mahajan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA lot of investors were underweight earlier in the year, says Edward Jones' MahajanMona Mahajan of Edward Jones joins Bleakley Advisory Group's Peter Boockvar and the 'CNBC Special: Taking Stock' to discuss investors' post-CPI playbook.

☆ Analysis: Rebounding yields could scuttle U.S. stock rally as Powell stays firm on rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The S&P 500 (.SPX) rose 1.3% along with a 6 basis points rise in the 10-year U.S. benchmark Treasury yield . yields vs stocksHigher bond yields dull the relative appeal of stocks while raising companies’ borrowing costs. Higher Treasury yields can also weaken the valuations of equities in standard valuation models, particularly for tech and other companies that rely on future profits that are discounted at higher rates when yields rise. Meanwhile, some investors are not yet worried about the threat to stocks from yields. Jacobsen is bullish on growth stocks, which were squashed by higher yields last year but have staged a strong rebound in 2023.

☆ Bigger utilities to benefit most from Biden's clean-energy funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration's $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act devotes billions of dollars for tax credits and direct payments for solar, wind, battery and other energy sources to move electric power supplies from fossil fuels. Regulated utilities including Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N) and Dominion Energy Inc (D.N) begin reporting fourth-quarter results this week and analysts expect them to lay out plans for capitalizing on the IRA. NextEra, the biggest U.S. generator of renewable energy, has a backlog of 16,500 megawatts of renewables projects. The parent of Florida Power and Light has added 25% to that backlog in the last year, executives have said. Solar projects in sunny states in the south and southwest and wind projects in the Midwest are among the best situated to collect IRA dollars, she said.

☆ With unemployment at 3.4%, a recession is clearly not imminent, says Edward Jones' Mona Mahajan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWith unemployment at 3.4%, a recession is clearly not imminent, says Edward Jones' Mona MahajanMona Mahajan, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones, and Ron Insana, co-CEO at Contrast Capital Partners, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the latest labor market numbers, the Fed's quantitative tightening, and speculative investments making gains.

☆ Analysis: From Meta to Microsoft, AI's big moment is here
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] A Microsoft logo is seen a day after Microsoft Corp's $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn Corp, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File PhotoFeb 3 (Reuters) - Big Tech companies have a new obsession: artificial intelligence. Executives from Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), behind the latest big rivalry in tech, took their battle to the conference-call front lines. We can bring those to life using generative (AI) art, which I think is really exciting," he said. "One of my goals for Meta is to build on our research to become a leader in generative AI," said Zuckerberg.

Wall Street's major indexes had lost ground immediately after the Fed announced its rate hike decision. After the press conference, money markets were betting on a terminal rate of 4.892% in June compared with bets for 4.92% just before the Fed's statement. U.S. futures were still pricing in rate cuts this year with the fed funds rate seen at 4.403% by the end of December, the same as before the meeting. The S&P 500 posted 24 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 136 new highs and 23 new lows. About 13.7 billion shares changed hands in U.S. exchanges, compared with the 11.5 billion daily average over the last 20 sessions.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Citi's Scott Chronert and Edward Jones' Mona Mahajan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Citi's Scott Chronert and Edward Jones' Mona MahajanScott Chronert, Citi U.S. equity strategist, and Mona Mahajan, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones, join 'Squawk on the Street' to break down the market, a possible mild recession, and more.

☆ Texas Instruments signals expanding pain for chipmakers with somber forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Chavi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Texas Instruments (TXN.O) forecast first-quarter revenue and profit largely below Wall Street targets on Tuesday, as an economic downturn threatens to shackle demand from the chipmaker's so far resilient markets. Order cancellations rose during the fourth quarter, head of investor relations Dave Pahl told analysts in an earnings call. Total revenue fell 3% to $4.67 billion in the quarter, compared with estimates of $4.62 billion. Texas Instruments expects revenue of $4.17 billion to $4.53 billion in the first quarter, the mid-point of which is lower than estimates of $4.41 billion, according to Refinitiv data. It expects current-quarter earnings per share between $1.64 and $1.90, the mid-point of which also fell short of expectations of $1.87.

But COVID-19 vaccine sales exceeded diminished expectations and demand for cancer drug Darzalex helped drive the fourth-quarter profit beat. The company reported $689 million in quarterly COVID-19 vaccine sales from outside the United States. J&J said it expects U.S. sales of Stelara to be flat to lower in 2023 due to competition from less expensive biosimilars in certain regions. It forecast adjusted 2023 earnings of $10.45 to $10.65 per share, above analysts' estimates of $10.35. Excluding items, J&J earned $2.35 per share for the quarter, topping analysts' estimates by 12 cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

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☆ J&J forecasts 2023 profit above expectations on pharma strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of the drugmaker, however, fell 1% to $166.12 in premarket trading as fourth-quarter sales missed analysts' estimates due to lower demand for its medical devices. J&J expects to earn between $10.45 and $10.65 per share on an adjusted basis for 2023, above analysts' estimates of $10.35 per share profit at the midpoint. The higher 2023 profit forecast also reflects better-than-expected cost controls by J&J, Edward Jones analyst John Boylan said. Darzalex sales were $2.08 billion, while analysts were expecting $2.02 billion, according to Refinitiv. Excluding items, J&J earned $2.35 per share, above analysts' average estimates of $2.23 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

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☆ Stock futures are little changed as Wall Street looks to build on back-to-back gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Stock futures were largely flat on Monday evening as investors looked to continue a strong start to the week during a busy stretch of corporate earnings. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures were each lower by less than 0.1%. The muted move in futures comes after a solid start to the week on Wall Street. The gains have come despite an underwhelming start to earnings season and more signs that the U.S. economy is slowing. On Tuesday, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson and Verizon are among the key companies reporting earnings before the bell.

☆ Nike faces 3 obstacles that could threaten its dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden could reinvigorate the rivalry with Nike. Top of mind with stock pickers: Nike needs to shed inventory and get sales growing more in China. Where is the next leg of growth going to come from? Before the December earnings report, Simeon Siegel, managing director for equity research at BMO Capital Markets, told Insider Nike appeared to be turning a corner in China. Analysts also think new Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden, who previously worked as CEO of Puma, could reinvigorate the rivalry with Nike.

☆ Wall St Week Ahead U.S. investors hunt for gains in foreign stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Europe's STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) has gained some 17% since the end of the third quarter, versus 11% for the U.S. benchmark S&P 500. MSCI's gauge of global stocks excluding the U.S. has risen more than 20% over that time. The firm last month rotated more into international equities as it increased its overall stock exposure, de Longis said. US vs European stock performanceInternational stocks were recently touted by investor Jeffrey Gundlach of DoubleLine Capital and BofA Global Research, which projected global stocks would "crush" their U.S peers in 2023. Buying international stocks could be a "complement" to the opportunity domestically, said Mona Mahajan, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones.

☆ Experts react to December's inflation report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailExperts react to December's inflation reportEdward Jones' Mona Mahajan, Conference Board's Dana Peterson, University of Michigan's Michael Strain, and Betsey Stevenson, former chief economist at the Labor Department, join 'Squawk Box' to share their opinions on December's CPI print.

[1/3] A trader works on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2023. The U.S. consumer price index (CPI) is expected to show December's headline inflation at 6.5% versus 7.1% in November. "Inflation and what the Fed's response to it is still remains the number one focus and anxiety for the market," said Manulife's Theoret. "The risk going into Thursday is really that the market is more vulnerable to an upside surprise in inflation. U.S. crude settled up 0.66% at $75.12 per barrel and Brent finished at $80.10, up 0.56% on the day.

Ram 1500 Revolution BEV electric concept pickup truck Stellantis"This is a vision, or a glimpse, into the future of Ram Trucks," Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. told CNBC. The electric Ram truck is expected to enter an increasingly crowded segment of electric pickups that already includes the GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, Lordstown Endurance and smaller Rivian R1T. Ram 1500 Revolution BEV electric concept pickup truck StellantisKoval said Ram isn't worried about being late to the segment. Ram 1500 Revolution BEV electric concept pickup truck StellantisThe design of the concept electric Ram pickup appears to be more of a lifestyle pickup rather than a traditional work truck, but executives said the production vehicle will serve both purposes. "The TRX (a performance version of the Ram 1500) has that in spades," Gilles told CNBC.

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