DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The contender for tech's next big boom or bubble is here
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's the hunt for big paydays that keeps VC markets a little frothy when new tech like generative AI hits the scene. And a bubble is only a bubble in the rear-view — in the moment, it's just making sure you don't miss out on the future. Generative AI tools can be used to create a variety of texts and images like this one, which was produced by OpenAI's DALL-E 2. But could generative AI be the next bubble in tech? Click here to read whether the next tech bubble is already here.

More than a decade later, those that heeded this advice went on to become game-changing tech behemoths, including CNBC Disruptor 50 companies Block , Pinterest , Slack, Twilio , and Cloudera. Seed rounds had a record deal value in 2022, and valuations continued to grow even as late-stage venture companies nearer to the public market suffered. Venture funds raised a record amount of money in 2022, with $162.8 billion closed across 769 funds, according to PitchBook and the NVCA. We've seen companies struggle as public companies and then skyrocket, so a lower value-IPO is not the end of the road." "But when you can generate new share in a difficult market, when the market does turn, they are in a perfect position to capture more market share and customers."

☆ The S&P 500 and the VIX are near key thresholds, which could test the market’s mood
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

This is the daily notebook of Mike Santoli, CNBC's senior markets commentator, with ideas about trends, stocks and market statistics. On balance, the result for stocks is a hesitation right near a fulcrum point for the S & P 500 – its 200-day moving average and the downtrend line from the January 2022 peak. In the very short term (like on a five-day rate-of-change scale) the S & P as of Wednesday's close was getting slightly stretched. -In the '90s, the Fed thought unemployment anywhere below around 5% to 6% would cause inflation to accelerate, but that proved wrong. For all of 2022, it has been smart to sell into rallies in the S & P at or above the 200-day average and when the VIX has dropped to or below 20.

☆ Final call: Nominate a company for CNBC's 2023 Disruptor 50 list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Disruptor 50 list — our annual look at the most innovative venture-backed companies using breakthrough technology to meet increasing economic and consumer challenges. The IPO market has collapsed in lockstep: only three Disruptor 50 companies went public in 2022, compared to a record-breaking 20 companies in the year prior. Last month, another Disruptor 50 fintech firm, Checkout.com, slashed its internal valuation to $11 billion, versus a previous investor valuation of $40 billion. Klarna raised financing at a $6.7 billion valuation last year, an 85% discount to its prior valuation of $46 billion. But it's workers who have been hit the hardest by these severe haircuts: at least one-third of companies on the 2022 Disruptor 50 list announced layoffs last year, signaling leaner times ahead.

Proptech customers, employees, and investors said they went from delighted to disillusioned. Proptech investors eager to capture these trends pumped $32 billion into the industry in 2021. As markets deteriorated, disillusionment set in among proptech customers, investors, and employees. Some customers say they were disappointed buying homes via proptech startupsReal-estate startups like Divvy Homes and Better launched under the auspices of helping customers afford quality homes. Investors in proptech firms are taking financial hitsYou don't need to ask proptech investors whether they're disappointed in the sector's performance — just look at share prices.

☆ Homebuyers will be able to get bigger mortgages in 2023 but it could be a bad idea for Americans to stretch their budgets too far
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Federal Housing Finance Agency raised its conforming loan limit values for mortgages in 2023. In most of the US, the agency raised the conforming loan value from $647,200 to $726,200. However, updates from The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which has increased its conforming loan limit values for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages in 2023, will likely change the equation for many homebuyers. However, in high-cost areas of the country, such as New York City or San Francisco, the loan limit ceiling has been changed to $1,089,300. Higher loan limits are a double edged sword for first-time buyersCohn is not alone in her thinking.

☆ Big Tech predictions for 2023: A rival for Twitter, Amazon deceleration, Google's AI wake-up call, Microsoft's serious game, cloud bills, and DTC decline
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Hugh Langley | Kali Hays | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The painful adjustments will ripple across the industry in 2023.Insider's Big Tech reporters share what to watch this coming year. At $44 billion, the debt-fueled deal was completed quickly at valuations from the frothy tech bull market of 2021. Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe slow breakdown of Twitter under Musk appears to be upon us. Mastodon has experienced a major influx of users, hitting more than 5 million accounts after Musk took over Twitter. With intense tech antitrust scrutiny, these new services are unlikely to be gobbled up by Big Tech.

☆ Housing slump to continue but some hopeful signs ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

While that’s already had a negative impact on the housing market, we’ll get more details this week about how much worse the damage has become. A long list of housing data is on tap. On Tuesday the US Census Bureau will report housing starts and building permits figures for November, followed by Friday’s release of new home sales data for the same month. Housing market was frothy, but not a bubbleOthers in the industry are cautiously optimistic as well. That all amounts to a few good reasons why the housing market could avoid a severe and prolonged slump.

But many are delaying IPOs amid a stock market rout that has raised concerns over frothy tech valuations. In a statement to Reuters, Snapdeal said it has decided to withdraw the IPO prospectus "considering the prevailing market conditions", without elaborating. It adding that Snapdeal may reconsider an IPO in future depending on its need for capital and market conditions. The change of Snapdeal's plans comes as tech stocks in India that listed in recent years face investors' wrath. In August, TPG and Prosus-funded Indian online pharmcy PharmEasy withdrew papers for its $760 million IPO, while Warburg Pincus-backed seller of wireless earphones, boAT Lifestyle, also withdrew its papers in October.

☆ More Foreclosures, Easier Mortgages Would Help Fix America's Housing Market
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

These standards are based on factors including the borrower's financial stability and the state of the housing market and economy. Finding the right size for the credit box is much easier said than done. A tidal wave of foreclosures followed, plunging the US housing market — and the global economy — into chaos. Even just stabilizing the credit box over time could also help smooth out some of the boom-and-bust cycles that have come to define the housing market. "If we do not address this intrinsic cyclicality, the housing market will continue to experience boom-bust cycles, leaving destruction in their wake," the paper said.

REUTERS/Richard Carson/File PhotoLONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - You can sometimes buck the market - for a time at least. Even mention government or central bank intervention in financial markets to many professionals and you elicit a tirade on such futility against forces beyond control. Against that, this year was marked by three very different examples of direct financial market intervention that appear to have succeeded in their narrow and targetted goals at least - despite many doubts whether they would or even could work. And it was at least in some part due to the SPR intervention, even if that was aided by central bank tightening and slowing world demand. All three examples of market intervention had their own dynamics and drivers.

☆ Rising interest rates can't stop the surging market for ultra-lux real estate. These 13 PR power players are competing for the attention of billionaire buyers.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Michael Kaminer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The market for ultraluxury real estate is frothy and exclusive. But swanky parties and over-the-top stunts no longer grab the attention of well-heeled buyers. Sign up for our newsletter to get the news, trends and strategies that advertising and media pros want to know — delivered weekly to your inbox. Uncertainty in Europe and Latin America is funneling even more wealth into US real estate in cities like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. Insider has identified 13 of the most sought-after PR executives in luxury real estate based on research and conversations with industry insiders.

☆ FTX's collapse could be crypto's dot-com crash moment – with the industry struggling to ever regain investors' trust
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The collapse of FTX could weigh on cryptocurrencies for years, experts told Insider. And the dot-com crash shows that there could be further pain ahead. "In a very crude way, this isn't that different to the dot-com crash," Morningstar Investment Management CIO Dan Kemp told Insider. Just 48% of internet companies even survived the dot-com crash, and it took Amazon a decade to regain its peak share price of $113. Whether cryptocurrencies can bounce back as some tech stocks did 20 years ago remains to be seen.

☆ Chinese investors burnt by bond slump urged to have 'serene heart'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We deeply understand your anxiety in a volatile market," HZBank Wealth Management, a unit of Bank of Hangzhou (600926.SS), told investors in a letter on Wednesday. The Bank of China's (601988.SS) asset management unit also asked investors not to worry. Investors need faith and a serene heart," BOC Wealth Management said in a public letter to investors, suggesting clients view volatility "from a rational and long-term perspective." A slew of other asset managers that sell banks' wealth management products to risk-averse investors, including Nanyin Wealth Management and CIB Wealth Management, wrote similar letters of good cheer. Xu forecasts the end of Chinese bonds' bull market, with the 10-year yield rising to a one-year high around 3%.

☆ Op-ed: Opportunities await investors in the tech sector. Here is a corner that’s ripe for growth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Robert F. Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

However, on close examination, investing specifically in enterprise software will continue to be one of the best uses of capital anywhere in the financial and technology markets. As we have seen, enterprise software is a disruptive force with the potential to unlock unprecedented productivity and innovation. The pandemic accelerated reliance on enterprise software, as companies turned to technology to connect employees and customers, conduct meetings and facilitate payments. Conversely, as more businesses face commodity and wage inflation, they recognize the value that enterprise software can deliver to help manage the cost of day-to-day workflows while increasing efficiency. Selecting the right investmentsThat said, even in the private markets, generating favorable outcomes in turbulent times requires investors to execute against two factors.

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Solana, a poster coin of the crypto future, is in trouble. "In the current crypto shakeout, the most unfortunate innocent victim is the Solana ecosystem," said Stefan Rust, CEO of blockchain wallet company Laguna Labs. Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko tweeted that development company Solana Labs didn't hold any assets on FTX and had enough financial runway for around 30 months. Ether's market cap has fallen 21% to $150.7 billion, while bitcoin's has fallen 18% to $319 billion. The collapse of the company has seen more than $190 billion wiped from the value of the overall crypto market.

☆ Tech stocks have been crushed. What’s next for the FAANGs?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —The great bull run for tech stocks may finally be over. The tech sector has been a market leader for years, but there are growing concerns about the future. Todd Sohn, director and technical strategist at Strategas, noted in a report late last week that when tech stocks imploded in 2000 as the dot-com bubble burst, it wasn’t until after the 2008 financial crisis before tech resumed a role as a market leader. But cybersecurity stocks such as Palo Alto Networks (PANW), as well as semiconductors, are more reasonable. In other words, tech investors should be looking tor more boring parts of the sector, not assets like crypto that are more about hype than substance.

Yet the situation is not dire: tech job postings rose over 3% from September to October, data shows. In the tech industry, as of October, the unemployment rate stood at 2.2%, whereas the national unemployment rate was 3.7%. Andrew Flowers, the lead labor economist at Appcast, a software company that helps companies with their recruiting, said his "sense is that these factors hurt tech companies but not tech workers." "The outlook for tech occupations is much stronger than the outlook for the tech industry," he said. Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cloud-computing skills are the top in-demand skills in the tech industry, according to a September analysis by Indeed.

☆ Andreessen Horowitz just backed a startup that specializes in company director insurance. Here's the 13-slide pitch deck Anzen used to raise $10 million.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A startup focusing on insurance for company directors and officers just raised $10 million. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Anzen used to raise the new capital below. Anzen, a US insurance startup focused on executive liability, has raised $10 million in fresh funding. Anzen's funding comes from Andreessen Horowitz, alongside Japanese insurance companies MS&AD Ventures and, Tokio Marine. In addition, AmTrust Financial and Greenlight Re joined the round as insurance partners for the company along with Everest Re.

☆ Here's how to pick winning stocks that can help your portfolio survive a recession, according to the managers of a $42 billion fund that beat 92% of peers in the past decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Matt McLennan and Kimball Brooker have guided their fund to a top 8% performance in the past decade. That's in sharp contrast to Matt McLennan and Kimball Brooker, co-managers of the $42 billion First Eagle Global Fund (SGENX). "What you'll find is that the amount of whatever it is that we're collecting never becomes large enough to do too much damage to the portfolio," Brooker told Insider. Those first two points are often prioritized by managers seeking quality stocks, but fewer fund managers target those latter two attributes. Fund managers should carefully consider a stock's long-term outlook instead of simply whether or not it diversifies and lowers the volatility of a portfolio.

☆ Stocks may have rallied, but the bear market isn't over just yet. Here are the 5 stock market sectors where investors can still find profits amidst a global growth slowdown, says the CIO of a $13.5 bi
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Despite a recent rally, RBA's Dan Suzuki says the bear market is far from over. In former market bottoms, investors who waited profited more than those who bought early, he said. Suzuki shared 5 sectors to invest in to position against slowing growth while still making returns. "There's always a chance that the bear market is over, but it seems unlikely in my view," he told Insider recently over email. But investors would be better served if they considered a more holistic view, Suzuki explained on the October 24 segment of CNBC's "Closing Bell."

☆ A 27-year-old real estate investor who owns 9 properties in Alabama says you shouldn't sleep on the Birmingham market. He shares his top reasons why it's a great investment opportunity.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Real estate investor Stephen Yin says that Birmingham is an overlooked market. He admits to "kind of falling into real estate by accident," he told Insider. One of his friends from home reached out and asked if he'd ever considered investing in real estate. After doing some research, "I realized that Birmingham has one of the best real estate markets in the nation, from a returns perspective as well as from a barrier-to-entry perspective," he said. "I could still make money, but I can't make money in the way I want to make money."

☆ Mobileye pops more than 30% in market debut after spinning out of Intel
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Mobileye shares popped more than 30% in their stock market debut on Wednesday after the maker of technology for self-driving cars was spun out of Intel . In a year that's seen no significant tech IPOs in the U.S., Mobileye offers investors an opportunity to get in on area of growth. At its IPO price of $21, Mobileye was valued at just $17 billion, resulting in minimal gains for Intel thus far. Intel will retain control of Mobileye and hold over 750 million shares of Class B stock, which has 10 times the voting power of Class A stock. Intel shares were down slightly on Wednesday and have lost about 47% of their value this year, while the Nasdaq is down 29%.

☆ SoftBank creates committee to oversee Vision Fund 2 - memo
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) has created an executive committee to oversee its second Vision Fund, Latin America funds and any future funds, its founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said in a memo to employees reviewed by Reuters. Alex Clavel will oversee investing teams in the United States and Latin America, Greg Moon will manage teams in Europe and Asia and Navneet Govil, Vision Fund's chief financial officer, will oversee other functional teams, Son wrote. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe appointment of a new committee comes as Vision Fund architect Rajeev Misra has ceded his frontline role at the second fund to launch an external fund. Son has said the second fund invested at frothy prices and is slashing headcount at the Vision Fund unit. The creation of the executive committee was first reported by Bloomberg.

☆ Europe’s $9 billion digital bank N26 launches crypto trading service amid bear market
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European digital bank N26 announced Thursday it is launching a crypto trading service, starting with Austria as the first market for the product. The service, called N26 Crypto, is set to become available to N26's Austrian clients in the coming weeks and will initially include 100 tokens including bitcoin and ether. Once they complete their order, cash is deducted from their main account balance and appears alongside the token of their choice. Customers can also "drag and drop" funds from their main account into their crypto portfolio, or vice versa, N26 said. Fintech rivals PayPal and Revolut have long offered their users the ability to buy and sell digital assets, and payment leviathans Visa and Mastercard also sell their clients crypto and so-called "Web3" services.

Search resuls for: "frothy"

25 mentions found