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☆ Can Chinese stocks rally further? One investment bank thinks so — and names its top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The recovery in Chinese stocks gained steam on Monday, as China's benchmark index came within striking distance of a bull market. Chinese stocks have been buoyed by Beijing's easing of Covid-19 restrictions and a waning regulatory crackdown. "We started the year with an overweight call on China, and while that is a consensus view, there are now concerns on China rally being too sharp/too quick. The extreme inflows in the past 3 months, indeed, pose a threat to the continuity of market rally for next 3 months," Bernstein analyst Rupal Agarwal wrote in a note on Jan. 27. Bernstein's screen for undervalued stocks that have underperformed the market rally tuned up a raft of names.

☆ Cathie Wood's Innovation ETF notches best month ever as beaten-down tech stocks roar back
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cathie Wood notched her best month ever as her beaten-down innovation darlings staged a big comeback in the new year. Wood's flagship Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) jumped 3.7% on Tuesday, bringing its January return to 27.8%. The innovation investor has said that the macroeconomic trends should start to work in her favor. The muted flows marked a stark difference from the same month last year when it enjoyed $238 million in inflows. The widely followed fund manager has been buying the beaten-down Tesla for a few months during the sell-off.

☆ Morgan Stanley has a ‘simple’ tech playbook, names TSMC and others as stocks to buy right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Despite the recent rally, few believe the downturn in tech has bottomed — but Morgan Stanley believes investors should not sit on the sidelines. Stay invested even if a recession strikes Morgan Stanley believes investors should continue to selectively own Asia tech names even if a widely anticipated recession materializes, given the sector's historical resilience. Stock picks Morgan Stanley recommends investing in commodity and consumer cyclical companies "that will likely be first to come out of the downturn." Morgan Stanley also likes Samsung Electronics on the back of its market share gains, dividend support and potential for growth through M & A. Morgan Stanley has a price target of 700 Taiwan dollars ($23.10) on TSMC, which implies an upside of around 40%.

ET (1505 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) was up 38.76 points, or 0.19%, at 20,398.86 - a six-week high. Investors will focus on December inflation data due on Tuesday, with economists polled by Reuters forecasting a 6.4% rise on an annual basis. "We're going to have the CPI report, so that'll be crucial, giving us an indication how the fight against inflation is going," said Allan Small, senior investment advisor at Allan Small Financial Group. The energy sector (.SPTTEN), financial (.SPTTFS) and technology stocks (.SPTTTK) gained between 0.2% and 0.4%. Investment management company Colliers International Group (CIGI.TO) gained 3.3% after Scotiabank upgraded the stock to "outperform".

☆ Cramer sees bullish signs starting to emerge in the stock market, just not in the same places as before
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Case in point: Mike Wilson, the genius of 2022, the strategist who was the most negative — and, therefore, the most right. Seven days ago, he predicted the bank earnings, the kick-off, would jolt the market by coming in sharply below expectations. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Investing in last year's top 10 stocks is 'a recipe for disaster,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Each of the 10 top-performing stocks in the S&P 500 index belonged to the same sector: energy. In a year in which every other sector in the S&P 500 lost money, energy stocks delivered an average return of 59%, with top performer Occidental Petroleum returning 119%. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you should go out and add any of these stocks to your portfolio now, investing experts say. "Doing a complete repositioning of your portfolio is a recipe for disaster." Here's why investing experts say to tread carefully before adding last year's winners to your portfolio.

☆ The bold bullish case to be made for U.S. stocks — one that not many are voicing just yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

There's a bullish case on stocks that's not gained much traction yet. With another 4%-5% upside in the S & P 500 , the thesis would demand serious attention. A Fed pause? But this time, the S & P 500 had fallen 20% by the time the 10-to-2-year Treasury curve inverted, whereas in past cycles stocks were near a high. The S & P 500 probably needs to reach 4300 — up another 7.5% — to make a solid case for the bear market being over, says John Kolovos of Macro Risk Advisors.

☆ Trader Talk: Earnings are mostly about hopes for the second half
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Earnings: It's all about the second half of 2023. Wall Street analysts agree, but they are expecting a much rosier outcome in the second half of the year. "The big question is, are the worst of the earnings estimate cuts for 2023 behind us?," Nick Raich from Earnings Scout told me. Big cap tech earnings: laggards (Q4 year over year earnings ests.) Analysts embrace 'tough first half, better second half' scenario All the hopes for earnings growth are now pinned on the back half of the year, when the Fed is expected to have halted its rate hike frenzy.

☆ Investors sit on a plastic waste ticking bomb
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In the United States 73% of plastic waste ends up in landfills, where it takes up to 500 years to decompose. Using recycled plastic, while less energy-intensive than creating virgin plastic, can cost more overall. In March, 175 governments agreed to work out binding laws to end plastic pollution by end-2024. Reuters GraphicsFollow @LJucca on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSRepresentatives of 175 countries endorsed in March a landmark resolution to develop international legally binding instruments to end plastic pollution. In 2008 the Netherlands introduced a packaging waste management levy.

☆ ASOS revenue down 3% in key Christmas period
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Britain is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis but rival retailers with physical shops such as Next outperformed ASOS in the period as consumers prioritised festive spending and chose to visit stores rather than worry about delivery issues. ASOS said UK sales were down 8% in the period which it blamed on weak consumer sentiment, earlier cut-off dates for Christmas deliveries due to the delivery problems and a tough comparison against last year when the pandemic favoured online. Britain's delivery network was hamstrung during the final months of 2022 by more than a dozen days of postal walk-outs. European sales grew 6% in the period. Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Value investor Bill Nygren says he sold some energy for new buys, including Adobe and an auto name
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Last year's losing market created a new host of buying opportunities for long-term value investors across different sectors, Oakmark Funds' Bill Nygren said Thursday. In the energy sector, Oakmark opted to keep positions in APA , Conocophilips and Dominion Energy , which have more non-earning assets, Nygren said. The portfolio manager then used the cash to buy Canadian auto parts manufacturer Magna International . It is a single-digit price-to-earnings stock that fell to around $60 from $100 at its high, Nygren said. MGA 1Y mountain Magna International "We think they're under earning today because of supply chain problems," Nygren said.

☆ European Stocks Are Outshining U.S. Peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Caitlin Mccabe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Weakness last year in the euro made European stocks cheaper and more attractive to some investors. European stocks have roared back to life, boosted by signs of slowing inflation, falling energy prices and optimism surrounding China’s reopening. Often considered laggards on the global markets stage, stock indexes across the European region in recent months have outperformed. Germany’s DAX index and France’s CAC 40 have each risen 18% or more in the last three months through Monday, more than double the 6.9% gain for the S&P 500. The U.K.’s benchmark FTSE 100 has also surged, putting it just roughly 2% away from reaching a record high.

☆ TSX hits 4-week high as investors eye 'beaten-down' sectors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended up 42.56 points, or 0.2%, at 19,857.07, its highest closing level since Dec. 14. "Market moves on a day-to-day basis are very much being dictated by the inflation picture and central bank actions. That has not changed (from 2022)," said Elvis Picardo, portfolio manager at Luft Financial, iA Private Wealth. It was up nearly 1% on Monday, while energy gained 0.6% as oil settled 1.2% higher at $74.63 a barrel. Oil rose after China reopened its borders, boosting the outlook for fuel demand.

☆ Inflation drives Britain's record Christmas grocery sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kantar said grocery price inflation was 14.4% in December, down from 14.6% in November, with prices rising fastest in markets such as milk, dog food and frozen potato products. “This is the second month in a row that grocery price inflation has fallen, raising hopes that the worst has now passed," McKevitt said. Online grocery sales rose 4%, though its share of the market fell 0.6 percentage points to 11.6%. Overall UK inflation is running at 10.7% and consumers face the prospect of a tighter squeeze in 2023, with higher taxes and mortgage rates and scaled-back government support on household energy bills. UK grocers' market share and sales growth (%)Source: Kantar($1 = 0.8345 pounds)Reporting by James Davey Editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The S&P 500's best and worst stocks of 2022, and where they will go from here
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The S & P 500 may be headed for its worst yearly performance since 2008, but some stocks still outperformed this year. The strategist has a 12-month target of 4,575 on the S & P 500, implying about a 19% gain from Thursday's close. Here are the best and worst stocks in the S & P 500. First Solar shares are also in the top 10 best-performing stocks in the S & P 500. Other worst performers in the S & P 500 include Match Group , Align Technology and SVB Financial Group .

☆ Indian banks may need to lift deposit rates as credit demand surges - RBI report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Siddhi Nayak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While banks have swiftly transmitted the hikes to their lending rates, deposit rates have been laggards for most. To fund this credit growth, banks are mobilising deposits at a faster pace amid tight banking system liquidity in recent weeks. The transmission repo rate increase during May-October to deposit rates is likely to provide a "fillip" to deposit growth rates, the report said. The RBI said it was imperative that banks ensure due diligence and robust credit appraisal to limit credit risk. "The uncertainties characterising fast-changing macroeconomic scenario amidst formidable global headwinds during 2022-23 can pose new challenges to the banking sector," the RBI said.

☆ Dutch pension giant ABP set to sell laggards as sharpens climate focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The new policy could halve the number of companies in ABP's portfolio, investment director Dominique Dijkhuis told Dutch financial daily FD in an interview published on Friday. Dijkhuis did not specify which companies would no longer be eligible for ABP, nor how long the overhaul would take. ABP said last year it would divest 15 billion euros of fossil fuel investments, which marked a major turnaround as only months before, it had said exiting fossil fuel investments would "not be the solution" to global warming. Dijkhuis said ABP would demand that companies commit to being climate neutral by 2050, and would also set progressively strict interim goals. The financial sector will not be excluded from this policy, as it will have to target loans into sustainable investments, Dijkhuis added.

☆ The Dow's yearly performance is beating the S&P 500 by the most in decades. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The S & P 500 has shed more than 18% on the same basis, and the Nasdaq Composite is down more than 32% . It's rare that the Dow would beat out the S & P 500 on a total-return basis at all. "Over time, the Dow correlates with the S & P 500," said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst for S & P Dow Jones Indices. On the flipside, large tech names in the S & P 500 have done much worse. In addition, Wall Street analysts say it is unlikely that the Dow will again outperform the S & P 500 in 2023.

Among the most prolific rulemakers was the European Union, which began to roll out sustainability rules for asset managers as part of a series of dictates aimed at ensuring the bloc hits its climate targets and helps rein in global warming. Regulatory scrutiny also broadened to include investment ratings and the labeling of sustainable investment funds. In the United States, for example, both Goldman Sachs Asset Management and BNY Mellon Investment Adviser were fined over ESG failures. ESG rules will also fast become mandatory rather than optional in 2023 - with the EU expected to push out 200 pages of guidance in January alone to help market participants use its green taxonomy, a list of environmentally friendly activities, and other ESG rules. However, this is only likely to happen in stages from 2023 given there are no global taxonomies or rules on what constitute sustainable investments.

A combination of targeted subsidies and local demand will help. China's dependence on foreign suppliers for lithography machines, used to print patterns onto silicon wafers, light-resistant wafer coatings known as photoresists and other vital tools cannot be understated. A 2021 report found that Chinese chipmakers buy less than a fifth of their equipment by value from local suppliers and that the country has localised less than 8% of annual equipment demand. China's equipment specialists, such as little-known firms NAURA Technology Group (002371.SZ) and Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (688012.SS), are probably too small to effectively absorb massive amounts of government funding anyway. The majority of the funds will be used to subsidise the purchase of domestic semiconductor equipment by Chinese chipmakers.

☆ Compass CEO Robert Reffkin's memo on how to dump poor performers was good, but here's how it could have been better
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Shana Lebowitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Robert Reffkin, the CEO of Compass, asked his leadership team to help root out underperformers. The message is compelling but doesn't tell leaders what employees must do to succeed at the company. The memo arrived after two rounds of layoffs, in June and October, at Compass, which has been struggling financially. But the Compass memo, while giving strong examples of what workers shouldn't be doing, didn't offer as much guidance about what the company needs from employees right now. But Galinsky said the memo lacked details about what exactly employees need to do in order to succeed at Compass right now.

☆ Some banks may struggle to pay back ECB loans, says EU watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Some banks in the euro zone could struggle to pay back money borrowed from the European Central Bank as volatile markets make it harder to raise funds, the European Union's banking watchdog said on Friday. "Banks must repay substantial amounts of central bank loans until 2024. A number of banks will be able to rely on existing liquidity buffers – including central bank deposits – to pay back central bank loans," the European Banking Authority said in a report on banking risks in the 12 months to June 2022. It remains to be seen how costly replacing central bank funding will be," EBA said. Meeting separate minimum requirements for issuing debt that can be written down in a crisis could also prove a challenge for some banks, EBA said.

☆ UK's FTSE boosted higher by healthcare sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 rose 0.1%, FTSE 250 falls 0.2%GSK escapes U.S. lawsuit on Zantac allegationsMoonpig drops to bottom of FTMCDec 7 (Reuters) - UK's export-oriented FTSE 100 climbed on Wednesday as the healthcare sector was boosted by shares of GSK after the drugmaker escaped U.S. lawsuits over its heartburn drug Zantac. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) edged 0.1% higher by 0930 GMT. The pharmaceutical sector (.FTNMX201030) rose 3.3% in its biggest one-day percentage gain since late February. A nearly 10% jump in shares of GSK Plc (GSK.L) boosted the index after the drugmaker was spared thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming that Zantac caused cancer. The real estate sector (.FTUB3510) fell 0.2% and is down 34% year-to-date and is heading towards its biggest fall since 2008.

☆ S&P posts 4th straight decline as recession talk weighs on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( David French | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] The Wall Street entrance to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is seen in New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022. However, technology names generally suffered as investors applied caution toward high-growth companies whose performance would be sluggish in a challenging economy. Most of the 11 major S&P sectors declined, with energy and communications services (.SPLRCL) joining technology (.SPLRCT) as leading laggards. Future economic growth prospects were in focus on Tuesday following comments from financial titans pointing toward uncertain times ahead. The S&P 500 posted three new 52-week highs and nine new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 52 new highs and 262 new lows.

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