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☆ Investors need to embrace these stocks that we love
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I’ve typically done this stock picking feature in early to mid February as a Stocks We Love type of story, pegging it to Valentine’s Day. The restaurant stocks in particular could do well. Inflation is obviously still a concern for big consumer brands. Consumer prices rose 6.5% over the past 12 months through December, down from a 7.1% pace in November. Up nextMonday: Earnings from TreeHouse Foods (THS), Avis Budget (CAR), FirstEnergy (FE), IAC (IAC) and PalantirTuesday: US CPI; Japan GDP; UK employment report; earnings from Coca-Cola, Asahi Group, Marriott (MAR).

A trading book includes loans banks have earmarked for sale and are thus marked-to-market, while a banking book is where a lender holds loans and other assets not intended for disposal. This implies a heavy discount of 15 pence on the pound if banks sell the loans at that level. Banks make money also by charging the borrower a fee to provide loans, then sell the loans to third party investors. Reuters could not ascertain the exact size of the hit on the loans sold. On the flipside, loans sold by banks can generate attractive gains for buyers.

☆ IBM to Cut 3,900 Jobs Amid Broader Tech Slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Denny Jacob | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

IBM said its fourth-quarter revenue was $16.69 billion compared with $16.70 billion a year earlier. International Business Machines Corp. on Wednesday joined the wave of companies making layoffs, saying it would cut about 3,900 jobs. The cuts will stem from Kyndryl Holdings Inc., the IT services business that IBM spun off last year, and its healthcare divestiture, from which the company will incur about a $300 million charge, a spokesman confirmed.

☆ Goldman's surging 'Most Short' portfolio reveals what's driving market rally — here's what's in it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Signs have emerged that short covering has been at work during the latest stock market rally, raising questions about the sustainability of the leg up. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs' so-called "Most Short" basket, consisting of 50 U.S. stocks with the biggest short interest, has gained more than 20% in 2023. "The equity market rally since the lows in October has for the major part been driven by short covering," Barclays strategists said in a note Wednesday. On Monday when the Nasdaq jumped 2%, technology stocks saw the largest one-day notional amount of short covering since June, according to Goldman's prime brokerage data. Goldman said the short covering activity was led by semiconductor stocks, tech hardware and IT services stocks.

☆ Tech drags European stocks lower on earnings jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Ankika Biswas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) fell 0.3%, heading lower for a second day with technology (.SX8P) and telecom (.SX8P) declining the most. "The weak outlook painted by Microsoft is weighing on the wider tech sector," said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets in London. European stocks came under pressure on Tuesday, as an improvement in economic activity spurred speculation that the European Central Bank (ECB) might have more room to raise interest rates to tackle inflation. Boosting UK stocks, EasyJet PLC (EZJ.L) jumped 10.6% after projecting it would beat current market expectations for 2023 and deliver a full-year profit. Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Netflix, Meta, Apple, Tesla, Charles Schwab, Roblox, Amazon & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America downgrades Charles Schwab to underperform from buy Bank of America said in its double downgrade of Schwab that the Fed will stop hiking this summer, "removing a powerful near-term profit driver." Wells Fargo names Meta, Amazon and Alphabet top 2023 picks Wells says Meta, Amazon and Alphabet have "solid fundamentals" and should outperform in 2023. Deutsche Bank reiterates Tesla as buy Deutsche said the automaker could be a top performer in 2023. JPMorgan names Meta a top pick into earnings JPMorgan said Meta is well positioned into earnings next week. Bank of America reiterates Disney as buy Bank of America said the return of Bob Iger has been a boost to investor sentiment and that selling ESPN is not a slam dunk.

☆ Global IT Spending Decreased in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Angus Loten | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Companies worldwide made deep cuts in enterprise technology spending last year, with tighter information-technology budgets likely to stretch well into the year ahead. Global IT spending contracted 0.2% in 2022, dropping to $4.38 trillion—a rare instance of corporations spending less on digital business tools than in the previous year, according to IT consulting and research firm Gartner Inc.Gartner had initially estimated that IT spending had increased 0.8% last year. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CIO Journal The Morning Download delivers daily insights and news on business technology from the CIO Journal team. Spending on business software and IT services is expected to remain steady year-over-year, together accounting for more than $2.16 trillion in projected spending in 2023, Gartner said. Within IT services, spending on consulting services alone is projected to reach $264 billion, up 6.7% from 2022, Gartner said.

☆ Most Chinese provinces set growth targets of above 5% in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Most Chinese provinces aim for economic growth of above 5% this year, pledging to focus on boosting consumption following a lifting of stringent COVID curbs, according to local government work reports. Zhejiang province, which is a "demonstration zone" for China's common prosperity campaign, has set a more than 5% growth target this year, after missing its "around 6%" goal by half in 2022. Growth is expected to rebound to 4.9% in 2023, according to a Reuters poll. China is likely to aim for economic growth of at least 5% in 2023 to keep a lid on unemployment, policy insiders said. The tropical southern province of Hainan set an ambitious target of around 9.5% for 2023 growth, after the island's main tourist hub, Sanya, locked in tens of thousands of tourists last August.

☆ A U.S. recession would affect all industries, including IT, says Indian IT services firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA U.S. recession would affect all industries, including IT, says Indian IT services firmJatin Dalal of the IT services firm says technology spending is still "holding up."

The Indian IT services industry, which enjoyed a pandemic-led boom, is now contending with slower spending or at least delays in decision-making due to growing fears of a global recession. Earlier this week, both Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) and HCLTech (HCLT.NS) said European clients were tightening spending. Bengaluru-based Wipro said its fourth-quarter IT services revenue, which accounts for about 98% of overall revenue, could range between a 0.6% sequential drop and a 1% sequential rise, in constant currency terms. Wipro's IT services revenue rose 0.6% sequentially, to $2.80 billion in constant currency terms, in the third quarter, and had jumped 3.1% sequentially in the fourth quarter last year. Still, the company's total order bookings rose 26% year-over-year to $4.3 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31.

☆ 8 best meal delivery services of 2023, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Mili Godio | Mili Godio Is An Associate Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +26 min

SKIP AHEAD The best meal kit delivery services | How to shop for a meal kit delivery serviceTo determine the best meal delivery service for you, we spoke to chefs, nutritionists and recipe developers about what to look for in a meal delivery service and highlighted their recommendations for the best ones to try this year. 8 best meal delivery services in 2023We talked to our experts about important features to consider when shopping for meal kit delivery services, including available options for certain dietary restrictions, how customizable the plans are and the quality of the ingredients. We separated them into two categories: meal kit services that send out individual ingredients and pre-made meal delivery services. Best meal kit delivery servicesThese expert-recommended meal delivery services all feature an option to send separate ingredients and allow shoppers to cook themselves. For those who don’t have as much time during the week, ready-to-eat meal delivery services are typically the best option.

☆ After World Cup, Qatar sets sight on reviving its stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Qatar, the world's top LNG exporter and recent host of the FIFA World Cup 2022, is turning its attention to diversifying its economy away from gas. That strategy includes building its equities market by opening it up to a wider investor base and introducing more listings. "Now that the World Cup has been successfully hosted, we can see the focus is shifting to other diversification areas," said Osama Ali, HSBC's head of global banking in Qatar. With a market capitalisation of about $158.2 billion, Doha's exchange is dwarfed in size by Abu Dhabi's $718.8 billion and Riyadh's $2.72 trillion. ($1 = 3.6580 Qatar riyals)Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tata Consultancy Services says it has hired about 100,000 'freshers' in the last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTata Consultancy Services says it has hired about 100,000 'freshers' in the last yearN. Ganapathy Subramaniam of the IT services firm says they've been "integrated into the organization."

☆ India's TCS slips 2.7% on profit miss, weak outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of India's largest IT services provider fell as much as 2.7% to 3,230.1 rupees, dragging the broader market down 0.7%. "While TCS is better placed in a recessionary environment, its rich valuations will likely weigh on stock performance." The Mumbai-based company's order book fell to $7.8 billion from $8.1 billion in the September quarter. (nL4N33U1V6)Profit rose to 108.46 billion rupees ($1.32 billion) from 97.69 billion rupees a year earlier, but missed analysts' estimates of 110.46 billion rupees. The stock fell 12.9% in 2022, after five straight years of gains.

☆ Indian shares set to open higher to track Asia; Q3 results eyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At home, IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) was set to report third quarter results after market close. Analysts expect weak Q3 revenue growth for IT services firms, on the back of deteriorating macroeconomic conditions and furloughs in the quarter. Domestic investors bought 10.83 billion rupees worth of shares, as per provisional NSE data. ** Titan Company (TITN.NS): Co reported 12% YoY growth in combined sales in third quarter, driven by festive season. ** Tata Steel (TISC.NS): Company's India crude steel production stood at 5 million tonnes in third quarter, up 4% YoY.

☆ Saudi, Qatar ends higher as China scraps COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Shamsuddin Mohd | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Saudi and Qatari stock markets finished higher on Sunday after China scrapped COVID curbs, bolstering expectations of a demand recovery in the world's second-largest economy, while Egypt and UAE markets were closed. Meanwhile world's top crude exporter, Saudi Arabia, lowered prices for the Arab light crude it sells to Asia to its lowest since November 2021 amid the global pressures hitting oil. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) edged up 0.1% led by a 2.6% jump in state-owned mining company Saudi Arabian Mining Co(Ma'aden) (1211.SE). The benchmark stock index in Qatar (.QSI) gained 1.4%, supported by its Industrial and financial stocks as petrochemical maker Industries Qatar (IQCD.QA) jumped 3.1% while lender Masraf Al Rayan (MARK.QA) was up 2.5%. ($1 = 3.6580 Qatar riyals)($1 = 3.7580 riyals)Reporting by Shamsuddin Mohd in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IT services firm to be Qatar's first to use book building for IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Qatari IT services firm MEEZA will be the first company in the country to use book building to carry out an initial public offering, it said in a statement on Sunday, as Qatar aligns itself with international practices. The IPO process, which begins this month, will allow the company to offer a price range to test investors’ appetite and determine the IPO price. The offering's price range is between 2.61 riyals ($0.7135) to 2.81 riyals per share, which could raise between 846 million and 911 million riyals. Qatar introduced the regulations for book building in February 2021 to help entice foreign investors and elevate its status towards a developed market. Until now, the standard practice in Qatar has been for a company to set a price based on feedback from two independent valuation reports.

Today, there are 54 Hispanic American banks and credit unions that are FDIC or NCUA insured around the US. We selected Hispanic American-owned credit unions from the National Credit Union Administration's list of minority depository institutions which was also updated in September 2022. In our list of Hispanic American-owned banks and credit unions, many of the institutions listed offer customer support in Spanish and English. You can open up savings accounts, checking accounts, CDs, and money market accounts in most of the institutions listed. To help you learn more about a specific Hispanic American-owned bank or credit union, we've included links to reviews of individual institutions.

[1/2] Chinese travellers wear face masks outside the border checkpoint with the neighbouring city of Zhuhai, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Macau, China, December 29, 2022. Over the three-day New Year's Day holiday, businesses and consumers caught their first glimpse of a return to post-pandemic life -- holiday-makers flocked to beaches, flight numbers ticked up, and hotels turned some guests away because they were fully booked. Flight numbers on the last working day ahead of the holiday only recovered 70% compared with pre-pandemic levels, however. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsBOON FOR RESTAURANTSMany businesses have been forced to adapt how they reach customers over the course of the pandemic. As the Lunar New Year rolls in, Chinese officials also expect a significant uptick in activity.

☆ How United, Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines paint their planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jade Tungul | Tala Hadavi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy the aircraft paint industry is worth $18 billionThe average cost to paint a commercial airliner falls between $175,000 to $200,000, according to Dean Baldwin Painting, a 57-year-old aircraft painting company based in Macon, Ga. It services some of the world's biggest airlines, such as United, Delta and JetBlue. The painting process involves over 90 gallons of paint and multiple engineers and painters. The global commercial aviation aircraft paint market was estimated at $18.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $65 billion by 2027.

☆ The technology challenges CEOs view as opportunity and threat in a post-Covid economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Bob Violino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

One challenge CEOs see is that emerging and disruptive technology is both an opportunity and a threat. CEOs said their organizations need to be quicker to shift investments to digital opportunities and divest in those areas where their organizations face digital obsolescence. Addressing employee burnoutAnother issue CEOs said their organizations need to address is pandemic-related employee burnout from accelerated digital transformation over the past two years. "I think that there is some truth to the state of fatigue brought on by the need to quickly adopt remote work-related technology," Clark said. Rather than focus on the "right technology," organizations should aim to deploy the right mix of technology, Carande said.

☆ China's cities battle first wave of COVID surge as wider spread looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China is currently in the first of an expected three waves of COVID cases this winter, according to the country's chief epidemiologist, Wu Zunyou. China reported some 2,097 new symptomatic COVID infections on Dec. 17. In Beijing, the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has already hit services from catering to parcel deliveries. A third wave of cases would run from late February to mid-March as people returned to work after the holiday, Wu said. He said those in the community that are vulnerable should be protected, while recommending booster vaccines for the general public.

☆ Tesla shares have fallen 28% since Elon Musk took over Twitter, lagging other carmakers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

CEO of Tesla Motors Elon Musk speaks at the Tesla Giga Texas manufacturing "Cyber Rodeo" grand opening party in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2022. U.S. electric truck maker Rivian has fallen by 27% over that period. Shares in electric vehicle maker Tesla have fallen 28% since October 27, when CEO Elon Musk bought Twitter and appointed himself "Chief Twit," or CEO, of the social media business. Musk sold billions of dollars' worth of his Tesla holdings to finance the Twitter takeover. Since he took over the company, Musk has been regularly posting incendiary tweets, especially aimed at people who hold center-to-left political values, and whom Musk often paints as enemies with a "woke mind virus."

☆ India's HCL Tech tumbles 6% after downbeat revenue forecast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BENGALURU, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Shares of HCL Technologies Ltd (HCLT.NS) fell as much as 6% on Friday, in their sharpest intraday drop since mid-May, after the IT services firm said it expects revenue for the full year to be at the lower end of its guidance. Speaking in New York on Thursday, HCL Chief Executive C. Vijayakumar said he expects revenue growth for the year ended March 31, 2023 to be at the lower end of its 13.5%-14.5% guidance due to furloughs and drop in spending in some sectors. Reporting by Akansha Victor in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A rare fund in the green this year succeeds by betting on stocks that work even in a recession
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As investors brace for more volatility in 2023, one fund beat the market this year by betting on stocks that work even in a recession. The fund's current portfolio managers started at the fund in June 2019. The select portfolio has a 0.680% expense ratio, and a minimum initial investment of $1,000. Contrarian flair For the portfolio managers, one of the stock picks that best exemplifies their investing style is Las Vegas Sands . Through it all, the portfolio managers advise keeping a long-term time investment horizon and patience, especially in a volatile macroeconomic backdrop.

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