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☆ Here are the biggest Dow winners and losers since Fed rate hikes began — And where they go from here
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Goldman Sachs , JPMorgan , Visa and American Express have all registered gains since the Fed started hiking rates. Industrial giants Boeing , Caterpillar and Honeywell also emerged as some of the biggest winners during the tightening period. Intel has been the biggest laggard during the tightening period with a 42% loss. However, Wall Street analysts expect the tech sector to lead the market comeback as the Fed slows down its rate-hiking campaign. Disney has fallen 25% since the Fed began tightening, but Wall Street analysts believe the theme park giant could rebound 25% in the next 12 months.

☆ UK grocery price inflation hits record 17.1%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Grocery inflation in Feb at highest level ever recordedMilk, eggs, margarine show fastest price risesShoppers face 811 pounds rise in annual grocery billLONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - British grocery inflation hit 17.1% in the four weeks to Feb. 19, another record high, dealing the latest blow to consumers struggling with a cost-of-living crisis, industry data showed on Tuesday. "This February marks a full year since monthly grocery inflation climbed above 4%. He said its research found that rising grocery prices are the second most important financial issue for the public behind energy costs. Kantar said UK grocery sales increased 8.1% over the 12 weeks to Feb. 19, masking a drop in volumes when accounting for inflation. UK grocers' market share and sales growth (%)Source: Kantar($1 = 0.8295 pounds)Reporting by James Davey; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The UK's lagging economy shows some signs of recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JP Morgan last week raised its projection for gross domestic output growth in 2023 to 0.4% from a previous estimate of 0.1%. Britain is the only Group of Seven (G7) economy still smaller than before the coronavirus pandemic. Below is a summary of recent gauges of the economy and how investors have increased their bets on future BoE rate hikes. Reuters GraphicsUK AS G7 LAGGARDDespite the improvement signs, Britain lags its peers in terms of its recovery from the pandemic. Data to the end of 2022 shows Britain is the only G7 economy yet to recover its level of the end of 2019.

Lawrence Elbaum, co-head of law firm Vinson & Elkins' shareholder activism practice, said investors were looking for value-boosting strategies that do not require much funding in a difficult market. Deka Investment, which has around 367 billion euros ($392 billion) in assets under management and holds stakes in most major German corporations, has repeatedly called out German companies for structural weaknesses. Germany's blue-chip DAX 30 index (.GDAXI) put in the worst performance of any major European stock market in the past year, rising just 2%. Joe Kaeser, supervisory board chairman of Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE), said the United States was much more advanced, and also more successful, in the field of shareholder activism. As CEO of conglomerate Siemens AG from 2013 until 2021, he engineered one of Germany's most successful corporate break-ups, separately listing Siemens Energy and Siemens Healthineers (SHLG.DE) and merging Siemens's wind unit with Spain's Gamesa.

☆ Monday's rally raises the stakes ahead of inflation data release — listen to the 'Homestretch'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

I WOULD SAY IT DOES RAISE THESTAKES A LITTLE BIT SO TO SPEAKAHEAD OF CPI TOMORROW JUST INTERMS OF WE HAVE TO GET A GOODINFLATION NUMBER IN ORDER TOKEEP THE RALLY GOING. IF IT COMES IN A LITTLE BIT HOTOR MAYBE EVEN IF IT COMES IN ASEXPECTED, PERHAPS WE SEE SOMESELLING AND PROFIT TAKING THERE. YEAH, JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT ISWORKING TODAY, A LOT OF IT WILLBE TECH. SOME OF IT IS LED BY SOME OF OURNAMES, TOO, WHETHER IT ISMICROSOFT OR A LOT OF SEMISLEADING, NVIDIA, AMD. IT HAS LOST A LITTLE BIT OF ITSJUICE SINCE EARNINGS.

☆ Another way to play the early 2023 market comeback: Volatile stocks that trade at a discount
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For investors seeking ways to play this year's stock market comeback, looking at cheap, volatile names might lead to big gains. These stocks are all members of the iShares Russell Value ETF (IWD), and have a 3-year beta greater than 1.5. Alaska Air Group was identified as a high beta value stock, according to the screen. The carrier has a 3-year beta of 1.7, and 87% of analysts covering it rate it a buy. The semiconductor company has a 3-year beta of 2.1, and is recommended by 82% of analysts covering it.

One of the really interesting questions here – this will be fascinating – the core of linear TV is sports rights. When you look at the size and scope of the linear TV business, it's huge. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesByron Allen, Entertainment Studios founder and CEO: I think linear TV will exist for a very, very long time. Simmons: I believe Apple, out of nowhere, will start making their own awesome televisions that have Apple TV embedded in them. We are witnessing early stages of this dynamic with deals like "NFL Sunday Ticket" on YouTube and the MLS deal with Apple TV.

☆ Chinese savers stashed away $2.6 trillion last year but property crash will cool ‘revenge spending’
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Burberry (BBRYF) said last month that it’s seeing “very promising” signs in China, according to Reuters. Since real estate accounts for 70% of household wealth in China, “revenge spending” will be limited, analysts said. They expect household consumption growth to rebound to 9.5% in 2023 from about 3% in 2022, fueling annual GDP growth of more than 5%. Morgan Stanley analysts expect to see some “revenge spending” mostly from household with stable incomes. They’re expecting household consumption growth to rebound to 8.5% in 2023, contributing to full-year economic growth of 5.7%.

[1/2] A man is reflected in an electronic board showing Britain's FTSE 100 outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Toru HanaiLONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index hit a record high on Friday, in what could mark a potential turning point for UK assets, which have been dogged by a floundering economy. The FTSE 100 rose to 7,906.58 at 1545 GMT, surpassing a previous record high of 7,903.50 hit on May 22 2018. "Is it realistic that the FTSE being at an all-time high when we consider the state of the UK economy? The FTSE 100 closed Friday up 1.04% higher and has rallied 4.9% so far this year.

☆ China fell in EIU's democracy index partly because of its Covid restrictions, analyst says
▼ + 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 EmailChina fell in EIU's democracy index partly because of its Covid restrictions, analyst saysFei Xue of the Economist Intelligence Unit says the country has been a laggard in terms of lifting Covid restrictions on social and economic life.

☆ UK grocery price inflation rises to record 16.7% -Kantar
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - British grocery inflation hit a record 16.7% in the four weeks to Jan. 22, dealing another blow to consumers battling an escalating cost-of-living crisis, industry data showed on Tuesday. Market researcher Kantar said grocery inflation was at its highest since it started tracking the figure in 2008, with prices rising fastest in markets such as milk, eggs and dog food. Kantar said sales of supermarkets' own-label lines grew 9.3% in January, while sales of branded products, which are generally more expensive, were up by just 1.0%. It said that over the 12 weeks to Jan. 22, UK grocery sales rose 7.6% year-on-year, masking a drop in volumes when accounting for inflation. UK grocers' market share and sales growth (%)Source: Kantar($1 = 0.8093 pounds)Reporting by James Davey Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nearly a year on from the supposed Russian exodus, most major companies have yet to withdraw
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

PATRIK STOLLARZ | AFP | Getty ImagesAfter Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, companies across the G-7 major economies and the European Union announced plans to cease business operations in Russia. The report published earlier this month documented a total of 2,405 subsidiaries owned by 1,404 EU and G-7 companies that were active in Russia at the time of the first military incursion into Ukraine. Of the EU and G-7 companies remaining in Russia, the research found that 19.5% were German, 12.4% were American owned, and 7% were Japanese multinationals. Various companies told Barclays that there were a host of challenges to fully divest. "There have also been suggestions that the assets (including intellectual property) of companies that leave Russia will be nationalised."

☆ Super Bowl party people rejoice: Chicken wings and guacamole will cost much less this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Load up on wings and guacWing fans will like this: A pound of chicken wings is down 22% from January 2022 because of more supply. Last year at this time, the retail price for whole chicken wings was $3.38 per pound for the week of Super Bowl LVI, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s weekly retail price report. “Chicken wings were so expensive last year that consumers were looking for alternatives to serve at the party. “The dollar amount per person at this year’s Super Bowl party ultimately depends on what they drink and consume,” said Swanson. The 57th Super Bowl will take place on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

☆ Investors bet the Fed doom loop they've been trapped in will end in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Next week is Groundhog Day, not to mention the 30 th anniversary of the theatrical release of "Groundhog Day." The ensuing market retreat culminated in the October low at more than a 25% decline from the S & P's record high. Inflation is decidedly in retreat, fourth-quarter GDP was slow-ish but solidly positive, Fed officials did nothing to push back against market expectations for a quarter-point bump in rates next week. But none of the interim S & P 500 rallies in that period made it as far above the 200-day moving average as the index currently is. Yet even with obligatory macro scares and market switchbacks along the way, it doesn't mean investors necessarily remain stuck in the same old doom loop.

☆ U.S. GDP rose 2.9% in the fourth quarter, more than expected even as recession fears loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. economy finished 2022 in solid shape even as questions persist over whether growth will turn negative in the year ahead. The growth rate was slightly slower than the 3.2% pace in the third quarter. Stock market futures rose following the report while Treasury yields were mostly higher as well. Despite the fairly strong economic data, most economists think a recession is a strong possibility this year. Corporate profit reports from the fourth quarter also are signaling a potential earnings recession.

☆ IBM cuts 3,900 jobs after muted consulting demand hits quarterly revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Chavi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - IBM Corp (IBM.N) on Wednesday said it would lay off 3,900 people as part of some asset divestments and posted flat fourth-quarter revenue due to lackluster demand for its consulting services. The resulting layoffs will cause a $300 million charge in the January-March period, IBM said. IBM in October flagged softness in new bookings in Western Europe while peer Accenture Plc also noted weakness in its consulting business. Still, Kavanaugh said that the company is seeing its consulting business grow in terms of cloud spending. Total revenue was $16.69 billion in the period, compared with analysts' estimates of $16.40 billion, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Crime, inflation hammer support for Chile's Boric in tough first year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Natalia A. Ramos Miranda | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I wanted to give a chance to a young person, without the problems of the older politicians," she said. Recent pardons of 12 protesters convicted for crimes such as looting and robbery during 2019 riots went down badly amid rising crime statistics. The president's spokespeople did not respond to a request for comment, but Boric has repeatedly acknowledged that his administration has made mistakes. During a news conference announcing the justice minister's resignation, Boric said the government was determined to "strengthen political management." "Sometimes it seems that he is ruling just so that the right does not get angry," said 46-year-old designer and Boric voter Gaston Gomez.

On a quarterly basis, GDP stalled, coming in at 0.0% in the fourth quarter, compared with growth of 3.9% in July-September. For 2022, GDP expanded 3.0%, badly missing the official target of "around 5.5%" and braking sharply from 8.4% growth in 2021. Other indicators for December such as retail sales and factory output, also released along with GDP data, beat expectations but were still weak. At an agenda-setting meeting in December, top leaders pledged to focus on stabilising the economy in 2023 and step up policy support to ensure key targets are hit. China is likely to aim for economic growth of at least 5% in 2023 to keep a lid on unemployment, policy sources said.

☆ Ukraine has repeatedly pleaded for tanks to fight Russia — its Western allies could now be ready to provide them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesUkraine has repeatedly asked its Western allies to provide it with battle tanks to help it fight Russia but up until now, its Western allies appeared reluctant to do so, fearing the provision of offensive weapons could provoke Moscow further. Last week, the White House again declined to say whether the U.S. would specifically provide Ukraine with main battle tanks. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesThe impasse over tanks seemed to break when the U.K. announced at the weekend that it would be sending 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. Poland's President Andrzej Duda reiterated his calls for Ukraine to receive more Western tanks when he appeared on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Ukrainian armed forces' soldiers drive a T-72 tank on the outskirts of Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine on December 21, 2022.

☆ Conagra Is Your Food Value Play for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Aaron Back | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

American food companies had a strong 2022. One relative laggard in the sector, Conagra Brands, looks positioned to break out this year. The company, which owns brands such as Birds Eye frozen vegetables, Hunt’s tomato products and Reddi Wip, reported strong results on Thursday. Organic sales, which strip out currency fluctuations and merger impacts, rose 8.6% from a year earlier in the company’s second fiscal quarter, which ended on Nov. 27. That was just ahead of analyst expectations for an 8.4% rise, according to Visible Alpha.

☆ Don’t Write Off Low-Key Payments Giant FIS
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Telis Demos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Fidelity National Information Services might not be a household name, but investors might want to get to know it this year. The company’s software and services are part of many everyday financial activities, like checking your bank-account balance or paying with a card at big merchants. Known as FIS, its shares performed relatively steadily as the pandemic began. But changes in the payments landscape in recent years have caused growth and margins to come under pressure in the company’s merchant-payments business, helping to make the stock a laggard to many peers in 2022.

☆ These stocks were our best and worst performers in the fourth quarter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

What made the fourth quarter stand out from the first three of the year? Here's a snapshot of the best and worst performers in the Investing Club's 33-stock portfolio for the fourth quarter, starting with our top 4 performers. Worst performers Turning to what didn't work in the fourth quarter, the worst performer for the club was Amazon (AMZN), which fell 27.6% in the quarter. Revenues declined year-over-year for the second quarter in a row, but that was mostly anticipated by the market. The fourth worst performer was Walt Disney (DIS), which fell 10.8% in the quarter It all unraveled for Disney after it reported a much weaker-than-expected fiscal fourth quarter in November.

☆ Stocks are headed for their worst year since 2008, but some names doubled or more in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Stocks may be careening toward their worst year since 2008, but some names are completing a remarkable run after doubling or more in 2022. In 2022, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost 8.4%, while the S & P 500 shed 19.2%. These stocks are up more than 100% this year, and include tankers for petroleum products, energy companies such as coal firms, and biotech and pharmaceutical names, according to CNBC. Ardmore Shipping and Scorpio Tankers were the top tanker stocks, both up about 316% for the year. Energy companies came out on top in 2022 following a surge in oil and gas prices — which market participants say will remain elevated given expectations of tight supply ahead.

Investors have for years considered Pemex a laggard as rivals worldwide moved to dramatically decrease emissions from energy production and consumption over climate change concerns. In its updated business plan for 2023 to 2027, Pemex said its environmental, social and governance (ESG) record risked hurting its financing. "Limitations from ESG financing" are posing a threat, as is the "acceleration in energy transition that is decreasing the market for Pemex's crude oil and products," the company said. Further weaknesses are "important gaps in reaching net-zero-emissions" and operational challenges, particularly in gas exploration and production. "Pemex has to make significant efforts if it intends to access financing," said Gonzalez.

☆ Analysis: Italy's cash payments U-turn is all gain, no pain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Italy is scrapping from the draft budget a provision on retailers who refuse card payments that limits fines to transactions worth more than 60 euros ($64). A one percentage point increase in the use of cash leads to a 0.8-1.8 percentage point rise in undeclared value added tax (VAT), Italy's central bank found. "The government's U-turn on card payments marks a victory for consumers and the country," Italian consumer group Unione Nazionale Consumatori President Massimiliano Dona said. Nearly 73% of respondents in a 2022 survey by The European House-Ambrosetti's Cashless Society wished to reduce cash payments to improve speed and security, up from 60% in 2020. To defend the plan, the government has criticised the cost of digital payments saying cafe owners can hardly accept cards for 1.1 euro a cup espressos.

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