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☆ Home prices are falling fastest in these 28 cities as affordability gradually improves following a peak in mortgage rates, according to the National Association of Realtors
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Slight moderations in mortgage rates have also improved home affordability. Still, homebuyers across the country can celebrate the apparent peak in mortgage rates, which have an outsized influence on home affordability. Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates swung between 6.1% and 6.7% in the first quarter, according to the NAR. Mortgage rates topped out in late 2022 but remain elevated. Below are the 28 metro areas where home prices decreased by over 5% on a year-over-year basis in the first quarter of 2023, according to the NAR.

☆ Inflation rose 4.9% in April from a year ago, less than expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Excluding volatile food and energy categories, core CPI rose 0.4% monthly and 5.5% from a year ago both in line with expectations. A widely followed measure of inflation rose in April, though the pace of the increase provided some hope that the cost of living will head lower later this year. Food prices, though, were flat while the energy index rose 0.6%, boosted by a 3% gain in gasoline. Of the six grocery store indexes the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses to compute food prices, four showed declines. For workers, real average hourly earnings, adjusted for inflation, rose 0.1% for the month but were still down 0.5% from a year ago, the BLS said in a separate report.

May 8 (Reuters) - PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) shares pared early gains on Monday, dragging down other U.S. regional banking stocks, as the Los Angeles-based lender's decision to slash its quarterly dividend failed to stem worries about its financial stability. Other U.S. regional banks also retreated. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo 1 2The KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) fell 2.82% after gaining nearly 4.7%. But hedge funds, which often engage in short selling, pushed back on Monday, saying in a letter to Gensler that a ban would be counterproductive. Yellen said it is in the SEC's purview to regulate short selling although there is a high bar for any controls if evidence of market manipulation was found.

May 8 (Reuters) - PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) shares pared early gains on Monday, dragging down other U.S. regional banking stocks, as the Los Angeles-based lender's decision to slash its quarterly dividend failed to stem worries about its financial stability. "The dividend cut is not a good sign," said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. Other U.S. regional banks also retreated. The KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) fell 1.5% after gaining nearly 4.7%. "I have a general fear that smaller banks are going to disappear, and we're going to end up with just a few large banks."

☆ Saudi bourse jumps on earnings; Egypt extends losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 7 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market ended higher on Sunday boosted by a slew of strong earnings, although the Egyptian bourse extended losses. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 1.2%, buoyed by a 6% jump in Saudi British Bank (1060.SE), its biggest intraday gain since Dec. 2021, following a steep rise in first-quarter earnings. The lender reported a quarterly net profit of 1.77 billion riyals ($471.99 million) up from 1 billion riyals year ago. In Qatar, the index (.QSI) added 0.3%, with Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA) climbing 2.7%. However, the index's gains were limited by a 1.1% fall in petrochemical maker Industries Qatar (IQCD.QA) ahead of its earnings announcement.

This week marked halfway point of the earnings season, with 50% of S & P 500 companies having now posted their quarterly results. The S & P 500 is up about 0.7% week to date through Friday afternoon trading. Here are of the stocks that saw the largest gains this week, and where analysts see them going forward. Almost 70% of analysts covering Hasbro are bullish on shares, according to FactSet dating. Meta shares rose 11.5% this week after the company reported its first sales increase in four quarters, as well as higher-than-expected quarterly earnings.

☆ European shares edge lower as banking jitters resurface
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 27 (Reuters) - European shares edged lower on Thursday, despite a raft of positive corporate earnings, as troubles at U.S. lender First Republic Bank continued to rattle investors over the global banking sector. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) was down 0.1% by 0720 GMT. The index was dragged lower by media shares (.SXMP), which dropped 1.6%, while Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) fell 4% after it posted a slump in its first-quarter core profit. Worries over the banking sector unnerved investors as shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N) sank almost 30% on Wednesday, hitting a record low for the second consecutive day. Still, banking shares (.SX7P) rose 0.4%, led by Barclays Plc (BARC.L) that climbed 2.4% on an estimate-beating quarterly profit, as a resilient performance from its consumer bank offset pressure on key other business lines.

Indeed, the annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report appears to show the pandemic was a trend-hastening event rather than a trend disrupter. A larger share of jobs reshuffled across occupations from 2016 to 2019 than was the case between 2019 and 2022, as the economy emerged from the pandemic. The highest rates of increased wages occurred in the lowest-paying jobs after the pandemic struck. The smallest median pay increases in that span came for management occupations, where the median wage rose by just 2.6% versus 8.6% in the three years before the pandemic. Some of the big occupation gainers reflect changes driven by the pandemic and other issues, such as the growth of the non-fossil fuel energy sector.

"Investors are okay with earnings so far because the lack of bad news is good news," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of 50 Park Investments. "The market is waiting to see if we can get some bullish earnings over the next few weeks from some of the big cap tech stocks." A slate of Fed speakers this week voiced support for another 25-basis-point rate hike by the U.S. central bank when it meets next week. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.42-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.30-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 18 new 52-week highs and three new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 27 new highs and 78 new lows.

☆ Retail traders are dumping tech stocks, but loading up on this one big bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Retail traders may be selling tech stocks en masse, but they're spying opportunity in one major financial institution — Bank of America. Beneath the hood, however, retail traders are increasingly pivoting away from big tech names in favor of financials – suggesting a rotation between the biggest gainers and laggards in markets this year. Given this, here are 10 of the biggest stocks retail traders bought into this past week: Retail traders snapped up Bank of America shares, resulting in $82 million in net inflows, according to JPMorgan. American Airlines Group saw a big surge in retail trader interest, which saw a net $68 million in inflows. On the other hand, retail traders dumped some notable tech names such as Apple , with saw net selling of $190 million this past week.

☆ European shares edge higher ahead of more Wall St earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Shubham Batra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rate-sensitive technology shares <.SX8P> fell 1.2% tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, while banking shares (.SX7P), which were the biggest gainers on Friday, fell 0.3% . Investors will closely monitor a slew of earnings reports led by Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N) due later in the week. Last week, Citigroup Inc (C.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) beat earnings expectations, benefiting from rising interest rates and easing fears of stress in the banking system. "Cautious optimism is the Monday motivation mantra, as stronger U.S. corporate news and signs of consumer resilience help to mask ongoing worries about the knock-on effect of higher interest rates," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown. Shares of Rovio (ROVIO.HE) rose 17.8% after Japan's Sega (6460.T) agreed to launch a 706 million euro offer for Angry Birds maker.

☆ Wall St slides as rate hike expectations firm, banks surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"As expected, the bigger banks were probably not harmed that much by the regional banking turmoil, and possibly even beneficiaries of it," Mayfield added. "We saw mostly strong and healthy balance sheets, and it's pretty clear (the regional banking) crisis isn't systemic." The S&P 500 banking sector (.SPXBK) jumped 3.4% and JPMorgan Chase surged 7.3%, setting itself up for its biggest one-day percentage gain since Nov. 9, 2020. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, financials (.SPSY) were the sole gainers. The S&P 500 posted nine new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 37 new highs and 182 new lows.

☆ Wall Street closes lower after Fed minutes, inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The minutes followed a cooler-than-expected inflation report which belied stickier underlying data and cemented the likelihood of another policy rate hike when the Fed convenes next month. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid"(Economic) data has been very mixed so investors are overacting to any positive or negative hint of Fed rate hike policy. Analysts now expect aggregate first-quarter S&P 500 earnings down 5.2% year-on-year, a stark reversal from the 1.4% annual growth seen at the beginning of the quarter. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, seven ended in negative territory, with consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) suffering the largest percentage loss. The S&P 500 posted 12 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 64 new highs and 187 new lows.

However, the major benchmarks shed gains quickly, briefly turning lower, as investors focused on underlying inflation pressures which rose in line with economists' estimates. US inflation, Fed rates and MarketsRichmond Fed President Thomas Barkin also poured cold water on market optimism after flagging that there was still time before inflation falls back to the Fed's 2% goal. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said there was "more work to do" on Fed rate hikes. Among the 11 major S&P sectors, consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) was the worst hit, while materials (.SPLRC) and healthcare (.SPXHC) were the top gainers. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A stock trader who made $8 million in 2 years shares how he's betting on AI stocks and the strategy he's using to trade hot themes this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The experience is similar to trading stocks related to bitcoin during 2017 and 2018's crypto bull run. The hype brings with it a lot of trading opportunities for long and short positions because AI stocks get overbought. For AI stocks, he believes C3.ai (AI) is the head. He's expecting another rally for the sector this year or next, which could send AI stocks to new higher levels. "I'll just explain it as, my mom is not texting me asking me about AI stocks.

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Nvidia's stock performance year to date. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Meta's stock performance year to date. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Devon Energy's stock performance year to date. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Johnson & Johnson's stock performance year to date. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Honeywell's year to date stock performance.

☆ TSX rises for fifth day as Filo Mining gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ET (14:11 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) was up 55.48 points, or 0.28%, at 19,893.13. Filo Mining Corp (FIL.TO) shares rose 4.8% after CIBC started the coverage of the miner with an "outperform" rating and a target price of C$38. Canadian equities are set to end the first quarter at 3% higher if gains hold. "Things are feeling a lot better than they did a few weeks ago, so people are allocating back to equities heading into quarter end," said Greg Taylor, chief investment officer at Purpose Investments. After a recent spike in investor concerns about a financial meltdown, banks (.GSPTXBA) are set to end the quarter down more than 1%.

☆ European stocks extend recovery as banking fears ebb
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The continent-wide STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) climbed 0.4%, extending its rebound after last week's market rout caused by the collapse of Credit Suisse and two mid-sized U.S. lenders. European banks (.SX7P) rose 1.2%, adding to Monday's 1.4% gain. Credit Suisse shares rose 1.7%. The European banks index was on track for its worst monthly showing since March 2020, when financial markets were roiled by pandemic fears. Embracer (EMBRACb.ST) tumbled 13.8% to the bottom of the STOXX 600 after the Swedish gaming group pushed back dates for expected completion of several deals announced last year.

☆ European stocks rebound as banking jitters ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

European banks (.SX7P) rose 0.9% after shedding 3.8% on Friday, when Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) sparked a rout in the sector. "Many investors still don't want to touch the banking sector for fears there is more distress to come," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. "Yet for every bleak situation, there is always someone who sees an opportunity to make money, hence why we're seeing a rise in the share price of many European banks today." European stocks are looking to end the first quarter of the year with gains, buoyed by signs of economic resilience and hopes that central banks are near the end of their tightening cycles. However, European banks are set to end the quarter nearly flat amid the banking sector turmoil.

☆ Qatar leads Gulf bourses higher on hopes of Fed rate pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Md Manzer Hussain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 26 (Reuters) - Qatar's stock market closed higher on Sunday, outperforming other bourses in the Gulf region, as expectations of a pause in rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve lifted investor sentiment. The Fed raised its main interest rate by a quarter point on Wednesday, but signaled it would consider a pause in light of banking system stresses. The Qatari Stock index (.QSI) climbed 1.2%, extending its rally to a third straight session. The index recorded an advance in all sectors, with the Gulf's biggest lender Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA) rising 3.1% and Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA) adding 2.7%. The index was lifted up by a 15.1% jump in Sidi Kerir (SKPC.CA) and a 7% rise in Fawry Banking (FWRY.CA).

☆ Wall Street rallies on hopes of Fed policy pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Today the market is bouncing back on what was a dovish Fed hike yesterday," said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird in Louisville, Kentucky. "Powell did a good job sticking to the party line on inflation and continued to jawbone hawkish even though the hike leaned dovish." Comments from the Bank of England that inflation will probably quickly fade also helped fuel hopes of light at the end of the central bank tightening tunnel. Among the 11 sectors of the S&P 500, communication services (.SPLRCL) and tech (.SPLRCT) led the percentage gainers. The S&P 500 posted four new 52-week highs and 14 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 45 new highs and 197 new lows.

☆ Most Asian shares reverse early losses after US Fed raises rates by a quarter point
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —Most Asia Pacific shares pared early losses on Thursday, after the US Federal Reserve reaffirmed its dedication to bring down inflation. The broader Topix index was 0.3% lower, reversing some of its early morning losses. South Korea’s Kospi was 0.2% higher, while Australia’s S&P ASX 200 advanced by half a percentage point. Asian shares had opened broadly lower, tracking losses on Wall Street. The Fed raised rates by a quarter point at the conclusion of its two-day meeting, even though its historic rate hiking campaign was a contributing factor in the banking crisis.

☆ Dollar slips as banks rescue makes room for relief rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ECB policymakers sought to reassure investors that euro zone banks were resilient and that if anything, the move to higher rates should bolster their margins. The euro's reaction to the decision was fairly muted, though it managed to eke out a 0.3% gain on Thursday. Earlier in the week, the Swissie had plunged the most against the dollar in a day since 2015. The Japanese yen remained elevated, and was last roughly 0.3% higher at 133.30 per dollar. "The turmoil in the banking sector is complicating the outlook for Fed policy, but the impact may be more nuanced than the Fed simply reversing course," said Philip Marey, senior U.S. strategist at Rabobank.

☆ This week's best performers include two chip stocks along with Microsoft
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft shares are within shouting distance of analysts' average price target for the next 12 months, with upside of about 1%. However, shares are already more than 5% higher than their average price target. Nvidia shares have also run ahead of their average price target. The firm raised its price target on shares to $304 from $255, implying 19% upside from Thursday's close. Illumina shares jumped 15.3% week to date as billionaire activist Carl Icahn prepared for a proxy fight at Illumina .

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 211,000 for the week ended March 4, the Labor Department said on Thursday. "This could be a game changer for today's market," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York. The gains pushed up the S&P 500 communication services (.SPLRCL), consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) and information technology (.SPLRCT) sectors between 0.4% and 0.6%. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.64-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.06-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded four new 52-week highs and 11 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 28 new highs and 54 new lows.

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