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The pace of new construction slowed in August amid high mortgage rates and weakening demand, the federal government reported on Tuesday. Housing starts fell 11.3% in August to an annual rate of 1.28 million, the lowest since the summer of 2020. Builders typically pull permits in anticipation of demand, but housing starts occur when lots are ready to be cleared following deposits on future purchases. “The combination of high interest rates, high pricing, and limited inventory has continued to plague the housing market. “And on the supply-side front, builders continue to grapple with shortages of construction workers, buildable lots and distribution transformers, which is further adding to housing affordability woes.

Persons: ”, Kelly Mangold, Alicia Huey, Ksenia Potapov Organizations: Housing, Real Estate Consulting, National Association of Home Builders, First American Financial Corp, “ Locations: Birmingham , Alabama

☆ What Happens When Wall Street Buys Most of the Homes on Your Block?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Ronda Kaysen | Ella Koeze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

Alvin and Patricia Maisonet bought their house in Bradfield Farms almost a decade ago. Bradfield Farms fit the bill: It is in an area that, in 2020, was 35 percent Black and 11 percent Latino, according to census data. Tarchia Barber chose to rent in Bradfield Farms because of the neighborhood’s rural feel. The RentersTarchia Barber liked the rural feel of Bradfield Farms, with cul-de-sacs and shady streets surrounded by farmland and woods. A school bus drops off students in Bradfield Farms, a quiet neighborhood where parents say their children often roam freely.

Persons: Ronda Kaysen, Ella Koeze, Logan Cyrus Sept, “, Alvin Maisonet, Maisonet, Patricia Maisonet, Joggers, ”, Alvin, Kelli Enos, Cash, can’t, Laurie Goodman, “ Covid, David Howard, Keith R, Madeline Bankson, They’re, Jessica Moreno, Tarchia Barber, Barber, He’d, Nikki Sloup, Sloup, Becky Johnson, didn’t, Johnson, Jesus ”, Greg McBride, Hall, Brandon Little, Keller Williams, Bradfield, “ We’ve, Jade Rahmani, Keefe, “ It’s, ” Mr, Rahmani, Enos, ” Dana Hartness, James M, Hasty, Ms, Lisa Damas, Kasey, Jim Sylvester, Sylvester, Hartness, —, — she’s, Dana Hartness, She’s Organizations: →, HomeRiver, Investor, Vegas, Kansas City, Antonio, Houston, Investors, New York Times, Homeowners, “, Bradfield Farms, Charlotte Airport, NORTH, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH, CAROLINA SOUTH, Bradfield, Housing Finance, Center, Urban Institute, National Rental Home, Rentals, Florida State University, Equity, Bankrate.com, Sheree, Nationwide, Facebook, Mecklenburg Police Locations: Ronda, Charlotte, N.C, Bradfield Farms, Bradfield, Paterson , N.J, United States, ATTOM, Atlanta, Phoenix, Memphis, Birmingham, Ala, Orlando, Fla, Jacksonville, Tampa, Kansas, Mo, NORTH CAROLINA, CAROLINA SOUTH CAROLINA, “, American, North Carolina, New Jersey, Peru

☆ The Fed is expected to hold rates steady next week, but its guidance will be key for investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Federal Reserve is widely anticipated to hold rates steady in the week ahead, but key for investors will be the central bank's guidance on where it's headed from here. Investors are assessing a mixed batch of economic reports ahead of the Fed's September policy meeting. Meanwhile, August retail sales came in better than expected, jumping 0.6% against a 0.1% increase expected by economists. Housing data released in the week ahead could show whether housing demand remains solid. Week ahead calendar All times ET.

Persons: Bank's Rob Haworth, Jerome Powell, Powell, Hogan, Instacart, Arm's, Mills, Lisa Cook, —, Jeff Cox, Michael Bloom Organizations: Federal Reserve, Dow Jones, Dow, Nasdaq, Investors, PPI, Federal, Riley, FedEx, Housing, Philadelphia Fed, Darden, FactSet, Systems, National Bureau of Economic Research, Artificial Intelligence, PMI, SA, PMI Manufacturing SA, PMI Services SA Locations: NAHB, Toronto, Canada

☆ Fed to leave rates unchanged on Sept. 20; cut unlikely before Q2 2024: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Prerana Bhat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"While there has been meaningful progress to date on inflation ... the Fed will not be able to take this for granted." Around 70% of those respondents, 62 of 87, had at least one rate cut by the end of next June. Still, all but five of 28 respondents to an extra question said the bigger risk was that the first Fed cut would come later than they currently forecast. A serious economic downturn could justify an earlier rate cut, but that is looking less likely. The economy was expected to expand by 2.0% this year and 0.9% in 2024, according to the poll.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Jerome Powell, Jackson, Brett Ryan, Andrew Hollenhorst, Citi's Hollenhorst, Prerana Bhat, Pranoy Krishna, Rahul Trivedi, Shaloo, Ross Finley, Paul Simao Organizations: Eccles Federal Reserve, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, Market, Fed, Reuters, Deutsche Bank, Consumer, Index, Citi, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S

☆ Higher gasoline prices seen boosting US inflation in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"It's going to be a mixed picture, with headline inflation picking due to higher gasoline prices and core inflation remaining contained," said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. "The Fed would be encouraged by the continued moderation trend in core inflation, but it's still too high." While that would mark the second straight month of a pick up in annual inflation, year-on-year consumer prices have come down from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022. In the 12 months through August, the core CPI is forecast to have increased by 4.3%. "Under our new forecast for CPI health insurance, we continue to expect core CPI and especially core services ex.

Persons: Sam Bullard, it's, Ronnie Walker, Goldman Sachs, James Knightley, Lucia Mutikani, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Federal Reserve, Labor Department, U.S . Energy Information Administration, CPI, Financial, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, United Auto Workers, General Motors, Ford Motor, ING, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Wells, Charlotte , North Carolina, U.S, I'm, New York

☆ Insider Today: Apple's new iPhone is here
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter. But the show's real stars were the new versions of Apple's iPhone and Apple Watch. But if you were hoping a new iPhone will send Apple's stock soaring, think again. Prior to Tuesday's event, Apple's shares fell an average of 0.2% on days a new iPhone was announced, according to Barron's. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: Bond, Elon Musk's, Justin Sullivan, Octavia Spencer, Tim Cook, Max, Insider's Sarah Jackson, Jordan Hart, Lakshmi, iPhones, Gary Coronado, Jamie Dimon, — Warren Buffett —, Bill Gross, DoubleLine's Jeffrey Gundlach, Pimco, DoubleLine's, Gross, Anna Moneymaker, Thomas Trutschel, isn't, Sundar Pichai, Elon, Walter Isaacson, Read, Kent Walker, Chelsea Jia Feng, Patreon, Naomi Osaka, Shaquille O'Neal, Allegra, Dayquil, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Yelp, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Jets, Apple, Apple Watch, Getty, Bloomberg, JPMorgan, Wall, Google, Software, Amazon, FDA, North American, Detroit Auto, GMC, Bourbon Locations: Wall, Silicon, Milwaukee, Lakshmi Varanasi, ., China, that's, Latvia, Estonia, Chelsea, Colorado, Arizona, Morocco, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

Inflation increased 0.6% in August, as gasoline prices rose, pushing the annual pace to 3.7%, the Labor Department reported on Wednesday. “While goods inflation is expected to deflate, though at a slower pace compared to the last few months, we expect services inflation to remain firm,” said Andrew Patterson, senior economist at Vanguard. Inflation has receded the most in the goods sector of the economy but has proved stickier in services. Housing, in particular, has seen prices remain high while energy costs have been volatile. And wages are still growing at around a 4% annual clip, above the level the Fed would like to see to keep inflation at bay.

Persons: “, ”, Andrew Patterson Organizations: Labor Department, Federal Reserve, Vanguard, Housing Locations: Russia

☆ Fed to leave rates unchanged on Sept. 20; cut unlikely before Q2 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Prerana Bhat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"While there has been meaningful progress to date on inflation ... the Fed will not be able to take this for granted." Only one said the Fed would cut rates this year. Around 70% of those respondents, 62 of 87, had at least one rate cut by the end of next June. Still, all but five of 28 respondents to an extra question said the bigger risk was that the first Fed cut would come later than they currently forecast. A serious economic downturn could justify an earlier rate cut, but that is looking less likely.

☆ A Colorado City Has Been Battling for Decades to Use Its Own Water
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

The City Council bought about 17,000 acres of farmland 60 miles to the north, near Fort Collins, along with the associated water rights. Today, almost 40 years later, the water Mr. Ethredge secured for his city remains out of reach. The city purchased 17,000 acres of farmland 60 miles north, near Fort Collins, decades ago. The Thornton water treatment plant. ; Thornton Water Project By Leanne AbrahamBack when Mr. Ethredge secured the water rights up north, Thornton planners figured they would need that water by 2000.

Persons: Jack Ethredge, Ethredge, Thornton, Ethredge’s, Mr, “, ”, Jeni Arndt, Thornton’s, Brett Henry, “ We’ve, we’ve, Denver Thornton, Colorado Adams Thornton, Leanne Abraham Back, Fort Collins, Barry Feldman, Feldman, Gary Wockner, “ We’re, we’re, Henry, Barbara Cohen, Ted Leighty, “ Thornton, Maiker, Peter LiFari, Christina Ra, Roger Uthmann, Wockner, Uthmann, ” Thornton, ” Mr Organizations: City Council, Housing, San, Loveland Greeley, Weld County Colorado Larimer Boulder Longmont, Boulder Adams, Denver Thornton Colorado, Greeley Weld, Boulder, Denver, Colorado Adams, Colorado Adams Thornton Denver, Colorado Supreme, Thornton, Home Builders Association of Metro Denver, Maiker Housing Partners, “ Locations: Thornton, Colo, Denver, Fort Collins, “, Rocky, Thornton’s, Colorado, San Luis Valley, Douglas County, In Texas, San Antonio, Collins, Loveland, Loveland Greeley Rocky, Weld County, Denver Thornton Colorado Denver, Greeley, Greeley Weld Larimer, Larimer County, Larimer, Thorton, Laporte

☆ Short U.S. housing correction likely over; tight supply to keep prices high: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Prerana Bhat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After falling nearly 7% from a cycle high in June 2022 - well short of predictions made late last year for a 12% peak-to-trough fall - average house prices started rising again in February and are now only around 1% below their peak. "While we expect house prices to lose some of their recent momentum, the worst of the correction appears to have passed and we don't expect further sustained declines," said Andrew Burrell, chief property economist at Capital Economics. Average house prices were forecast to stagnate in 2024 despite predictions for a rate cut by the middle of the year. They were forecast to average 4.17 million units in the second half of this year, lower than 4.27 million in the previous poll. Despite a near 45% pandemic-era rise in house prices and the market starting to climb again, respondents were equally split on what would happen to purchasing affordability for first-time homebuyers over the coming year.

Persons: Octavio Jones, Andrew Burrell, Brad Hunter, Hunter, Prerana Bhat, Indradip Ghosh, Pranoy Krishna, Ross Finley, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Federal Reserve, Capital Economics, Hunter Housing Economics, Thomson Locations: Tampa , Florida, U.S

☆ US home prices show signs of stabilizing, reports show
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Octavio Jones Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. housing prices showed further signs of stabilizing in June, according to two reports out Tuesday that signaled the lengthy run of softening sales prices may be bottoming out. Both reports showed prices rose modestly month-over-month. House prices rose 3.0% between the second quarters of 2022 and 2023, FHFA said. FHFA's data showed June’s year-over-year gains were strongest in the East North Central and New England regions, up by 5.4% and 6.8%, respectively. On a city basis, the Case-Shiller data showed Chicago and Cleveland experiencing the greatest price accelerations.

Persons: Octavio Jones, FHFA, ”, Anju Vajja, ” Craig Lazzara, DJI, Amina Niasse, Safiyah Riddle, Andrea Ricci, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve, FHFA’s Division of Research, Statistics, East North, Thomson Locations: Tampa , Florida, U.S, “ U.S, East North Central, New England, Chicago, Cleveland

☆ Better.com CEO Vishal Garg on going public: We're disrupting the U.S. housing market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | 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 EmailBetter.com CEO Vishal Garg on going public: We're disrupting the U.S. housing marketVishal Garg, Better.com founder & CEO, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the company going public on the Nasdaq via a SPAC merger with Aurora Acquisition Corp., the mortgage lender's rough road to debut amidst layoffs, losses and SEC probe, the mortgage business at large, and more.

Persons: Vishal Garg Organizations: Nasdaq, Aurora Acquisition Corp, SEC

☆ US existing home sales drop, but prices up from a year earlier
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sales fell in the Northeast, Midwest and South, but rose in the West. Home resales, which account for a big chunk of U.S. housing sales, fell 16.6% on a year-on-year basis in July. At July's sales pace, it would take 3.3 months to exhaust the current inventory of existing homes, up from 3.2 months a year ago. The median existing house price rose 1.9% from a year earlier to $406,700 in July, the fourth time it has topped $400,000. "Two factors are driving current sales activity - inventory availability and mortgage rates," said Lawrence Yun, the NAR's chief economist.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Safiyah Riddle, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, National Association of Realtors, Reuters, Federal, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Northeast, Midwest

☆ Surging bond yields add to pressure for Powell's big speech Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

All eyes will be trained on the central bank leader when he makes his annual address Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. "Powell will need to choose whether to accept or push back against the 'higher-for-longer' narrative at Jackson Hole on Friday." Bond yields are a helpful guide to inflation as they represent a measure of where markets think growth, policy and prices are heading. That has come with one quarter-point Fed rate increase along with rising expectations that the economy may be able to avoid a much-predicted recession. This year's Jackson Hole symposium topic is "Structural Shifts in the Global Economy."

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Andrew Hollenhorst, Jackson, Hollenhorst, Steven Blitz Organizations: Federal, Kansas City, Citigroup, Fed, TS Lombard Locations: Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Kansas

☆ As China Falls Into Deflation, the Mood Turns Dark
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Li Yuan | More About Li Yuan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Consumer prices in China fell last month for the first time in more than two years. Chinese banks extended $47.5 billion of new renminbi loans, tumbling 89 percent from June — and half the amount of a year earlier. China slipped into deflation after the government’s draconian “zero Covid” policy drastically suppressed consumption and business activity last year. With anxiety running high, people are already saving more and spending less. He bought apartments in two complexes in 2019 and the developers of both stopped building after running out of money.

Persons: —, Chenggang Xu, ”, “, Liu Organizations: Stanford University, Toyota Corolla Locations: China

☆ Goldman Sachs: 20 Cities With Highest and Lowest Home-Price Growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs says determined home buyers aren't being deterred by higher interest rates. Strategists at Goldman Sachs no longer expect home prices to drop for the full year 2023. Homeowners who are locked into lower rates aren't likely to give that up in exchange for new property. Housing affordability has returned to its historic 2007 lows, according to Goldman Sachs' Housing Affordability Index. This means smaller, more affordable homes are increasing demand, leading to higher price growth in that part of the housing market.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Roger Ashworth, Goldman Locations: Charlotte, Atlanta

☆ A tiny homes village, where rent is under $300 per month, is being developed to help people experiencing mental illness
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A tiny-home village in North Carolina is being built for people recovering from mental illness. The village will offer those that move into these homes — all of whom struggle with severe mental illnesses — with access to affordable housing, mental health services, and counseling. Mental health and housing go hand-in-hand, according to various studies. A blueprint for future affordable housing developmentsUltimately, Money-Garman hopes the program goes to show that building affordable housing for those in the most need is possible. "Affordable housing is not going to happen unless we all step in and be ready to donate our time or talent or treasure, or all three," she said.

Persons: Penny Lane, Thava Mahadevan, Mahadevan, Garman Organizations: Service, National Alliance, Mental, University of North, XDS, Inc, UNC's Center, Excellent, Health, Spectrum, Residents, Garman Locations: North Carolina, Wall, Silicon, Penny, Pittsboro , North Carolina, Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina, Pittsboro

☆ Top investors say these stock sectors are 'super cheap' and Warren Buffett likes them both
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

I mean they're always kind of cheap, but they're really cheap," Link said. Housing stocks have risen sharply, with the SPDR S & P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) up about 23% over the past year. Both investors agreed that energy stocks could see a similar rally to housing in the years ahead. "I believe what we are seeing with homebuilders is going to happen with energy stocks in two to three years. In addition to energy stocks being cheap, they could also see fundamentals improvement if oil prices continue to rise, Link said.

Persons: Fundstrat, Tom Lee, Stephanie Link, Lee, Warren, Link Organizations: CNBC, Hightower Advisors, Berkshire, Occidental Petroleum, Chevron, Diamondback Energy, Exxon, Devon Energy Locations: Horton, Chevron, homebuilder

☆ Morning Bid: Bonds calm down but Chinese markets smolder
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Raindrops hang on a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 26, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsA look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike DolanRestive bonds showed signs of calm on Wednesday, but China's struggling economy and markets continue to unnerve world markets. A twin jolt from resurgent western debt yields and China's deepening economic funk and property sector troubles have made for a bumpy August to date. After a slew of dour retail, industrial and property investment numbers earlier this week, China reported on Wednesday that home prices fell for the first time this year. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Mike Segar, Mike Dolan Restive, swooned, Goldman Sachs, Neel Kashkari, I'm, Fitch, JPMorgan Chase, Mike Dolan, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Wall, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Minneapolis Fed, United States, AAA, JPMorgan, Bank of America, of, Cisco, Amcor, New, New York Fed, . Federal Reserve, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Wall St, China, United, New York, Canada

☆ Why Cramer says it's not time to take profits in this standout retail stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. Stick with TJX TJX Companies (TJX) delivered a solid second quarter Wednesday, with comparable-store store sales up 6%, well ahead of analysts' estimates of 3%. Watch GE HealthCare Wells Fargo on Wednesday initiated coverage on Club name GE HealthCare Technologies (GEHC) with an overweight, or buy, rating and $90-a-share price target. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER .

Persons: Jim Cramer, TJX, Wells, Jim Cramer's, Jim Organizations: CNBC, Commerce Department, U.S, TJX, GE HealthCare Wells, GE HealthCare Technologies, GE, Siemens, GE Healthcare Locations: Stocks, U.S, GE HealthCare Wells Fargo

☆ Morning Bid: Stock markets tense as China gloom builds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the Frankfurt stock exchange after risks have climbed to multi-month highs in recent days as concerns over contagion from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and instability at European bank Credit Suisse gripped the markets, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 17, 2023. Markets currently seem all but certain of another hike from the BOE, with a more than 90% chance seen for a 25 basis point increase in September. Expectations lean towards rates having to go even higher in the future, in contrast to the BOE's peers in the EU and the United States. The euro zone also gets an economic data drop on Wednesday, with preliminary Q2 GDP figures estimated to show meager growth of 0.2% and industrial production data likely to be negative. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve minutes are sure to garner attention as markets seek more insight into the Fed's thought process.

Persons: Brigid Riley China's, BOE, Brigid Riley, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, REUTERS, Staff, Nikkei, CPI, Bank of England's, EU, European Central Bank, Federal, PPI, Cisco Systems, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Silicon, Germany, Asia, Europe, United States, West, New Zealand, China

☆ Morning Bid: U.S. retail therapy as China funk deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Raindrops hang on a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 26, 2020. China stocks fell again (.CSI300) and 10-year government bond yields fell to three-year lows. Ten-year Treasury yields hit their highest for the year at 4.23%. Elsewhere in the so-called BRICS emerging economies - the grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - the dollar was also in command. Back stateside, the retail sales report will be accompanied by an earnings update from Home Depot - the first of the big retailers to report this week.

Persons: Mike Segar, Mike Dolan, Jackson, Jack Henry *, Neel Kashkari, Susan Fenton Organizations: Wall, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Micron Technology, Bank of America's, Treasury, Agilent Technologies, Cardinal Health, NY, Minneapolis Federal, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, China, Japan, Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Ukraine, Argentina's, Canada

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway makes interesting bet on these homebuilders
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought shares of a few homebuilders in the last quarter, a new regulatory filing revealed. Horton shares, $70 million worth of NVR shares as well as $17.2 million worth of Lennar in the second quarter, the filing showed. These stakes are relatively small for Berkshire, whose equity portfolio is worth nearly $350 billion. Top holdings Berkshire shares just hit a record high last week on the back of strong second-quarter results. Also during the second quarter, Berkshire added to its relatively new stake in Capital One Financial , bringing it to nearly $1.4 billion.

Persons: Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Horton, Todd Combs, Ted Weschler, Benjamin Moore Organizations: Berkshire, Clayton Homes, Apple, American Express, Bank of America, Capital, General Motors, Chevrolet, GMC Locations: Omaha, Berkshire, McLean , Virginia

REUTERS/Adrees LatifNEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Michael Burry, the money manager made famous in the book and film "The Big Short," held bearish options against the broad S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Index at the end of the second quarter, according to securities fillings released on Monday. Put options convey the right to sell shares at a fixed price in the future and are typically bought to express a bearish or defensive view. Michael Lewis' nonfiction book "The Big Short" was released in 2010 and the movie version came out in 2015. The S&P 500 (.SPX) is up roughly 17% for the year to date while the Nasdaq 100 (.IXIC) is up nearly 39% over the same period. Burry, who frequently turns over his portfolio, drew wide attention last August when he dumped all of his long positions and bought a stake in prison company Geo Group Inc (GEO.N).

Persons: Adrees Latif, Michael Burry, Michael Lewis, David Randall, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Ira Iosebashvili, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Nasdaq, REUTERS, YORK, Scion Asset Management, U.S, Nvidia, HK, Alibaba Group Holdings, Western Alliance Bancorp, First Republic Bank, RealReal Inc, Warner Bros ., Warner Brothers, Scion, Management, Geo Group Inc, Thomson Locations: Square, Midtown New York, New York

☆ UBS to Pay $1.4 Billion to Settle Financial-Crisis Fraud Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Matthew Goldstein | More About Matthew Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Swiss-banking giant UBS agreed on Monday to pay $1.4 billion to settle U.S. claims that it misrepresented bonds backed by mortgages sold in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, a sign that the legacy of the turmoil that engulfed the global financial system continues to haunt Wall Street. The settlement with UBS is the last action brought by a Justice Department task force that was set up in 2012, during the Obama administration. It investigated the role of big banks and other financial firms in selling flawed and predatory mortgage products that contributed to the collapse of the U.S. housing market, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a news release. “The substantial civil penalty in this case serves as a warning to other players in the financial markets who seek to unlawfully profit through fraud that we will hold them accountable no matter how long it takes,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. UBS said in a statement on its website that it had reached the settlement with federal prosecutors to resolve “a legacy matter,” adding that the money had already been accounted for in previous financial statements.

Persons: Obama, ” Organizations: UBS, Justice Department, Eastern, of Locations: Swiss, Brooklyn, U.S, of New York

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