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☆ S.Korea's Yoon calls strategy meeting to boost chip, battery sectors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 10 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered on Monday a national strategy meeting to boost the competitiveness of the country's rechargeable battery and semiconductor sectors, a presidential spokesperson said. South Korea's economy, heavily dependent on trade and chip exports, has been decelerating in the face of a weakening global economy and still-sluggish demand from neighbouring China. Local consumers are also holding back on spending after interest rate rises. South Korean battery and chip shares rallied in early trade on Monday. Reporting by Choonsik Yoo and Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Tom Hogue and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Quality over quantity: As population shrinks, these companies will benefit from a 'trade-up' effect
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A big shift in consumer demand is coming as global population growth slows, and that means companies need to respond with more active approaches to generate outperformance, according to Evercore ISI. Historically, booming population growth, globalization and industrialization have supported economic growth, Julian Emanuel, the firm's senior managing director, wrote in an April 5 note. "Companies with higher value-added services and better quality will likely better capture market share than those relying solely on volume growth." "Consumer companies that focus on 'trade-up' categories and premiumization could benefit as middle-income discretionary spend continues to rise," Emanuel said. Meanwhile, McDonald's top six markets — including the U.S., U.K. and France — are all experiencing slowing population growth.

The Federal Reserve slows inflation by raising the federal funds rate, which can indirectly impact mortgages. The Fed and mortgage rates frequently asked questionsDo mortgage rates go up when the Fed raises rates? Mortgage rates may decrease when the Fed cuts the federal funds rate, but again, this depends on other economic trends. No, mortgage rates aren't tied to the Federal Reserve's federal funds rate. If you have a fixed-rate mortgage, your mortgage rate will stay the same until you sell your home, refinance your mortgage, or pay off the loan in full.

☆ Evercore ISI upgrades says it's time to buy this retail giant on improving traffic trends
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Evercore ISI thinks it's time for investors to consider scooping up shares of Walmart . Analyst Greg Melich upgraded the retail stock to outperform from in-line, citing normalizing inventory and improving traffic trends. "The traffic turn appears to be building, and with consumers across the demographic spectrum making wallet allocation choices after several years of record nominal retail spending, Walmart is poised to regain share." "We might be early, as the April analyst day could pose a risk if management tries to bludgeon the Street to their guidance range," Melich wrote. "That said, with traffic momentum and margin expansion likely amidst a decelerating Retail world we like Walmart's scale, balance sheet and stability."

☆ US consumer confidence rises; house price inflation slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 104.2 this month from a reading of 103.4 in February. Housing affordability, which deteriorated as mortgage rates surged in response to the Fed's fight against inflation, is starting to gradually improve as house price gains continue to moderate. Annual house price growth remained strong in the Southeast, with double-digit gains in Miami and Tampa. The region had experienced rapid house price increases in prior years. Goods trade balanceThe Commerce Department also reported that wholesale inventories rose 0.2% in February after falling 0.5% in January.

☆ Nvidia, Tesla and Meta are helping power a growth-stock surge that has challenged BlackRock and Goldman Sachs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Growth stocks are beating value peers by the most in 3 years, despite interest-rate increases and banking-sector turmoil. Sizzling rallies in Nvidia, Meta and Tesla shares have helped power the surge in growth stocks. BlackRock strategists projected a similar view, saying in a late February report that they expect value stocks to outperform. Nvidia, Tesla, MetaStunning rallies in the shares of tech giants such as Nvidia and Meta as well as electric-vehicle maker Tesla have helped growth stocks beat their value peers by such an impressive margin. "Lower rates feed into lower discount rates, making future cash flows of growth companies more attractive," Dutta said.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, First Republic, Coinbase, Boeing, Pinterest & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said Tesla could eventually be a solution to vehicle affordability. Truist upgrades BellRing Brands to buy from hold Truist said the time is right to buy shares of the food products company. Citi moves First Republic to an under review rating Citi moved to an under review rating on First Republic due to too much uncertainty. Piper Sandler reiterates Meta and Pinterest as top picks Piper said it's standing by shares of Meta and Pinterest. Oppenheimer downgrades Coinbase to perform from outperform Oppenheimer said it sees an "unhealthy regulatory climate" for Coinbase.

☆ Wage growth is cooling — but workers still have bargaining power, economists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The pace of wage growth seems to be decelerating, according to the February jobs report issued Friday — but workers still have bargaining power in a cooling but strong job market, economists said. "Workers have a very strong negotiating position," Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. "The labor market is still very strong and workers are still in the driver's seat." Employers had to compete for workers in a hot market characterized by record job openings and turnover. It's also the slowest monthly gain since February 2022, according to Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Investors sold off, anxious about the monthly U.S. jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. For instance, PacWest Bancorp sank 25.45%, a 52-week low, and First Republic Bank dropped 16.51% to trade at a 3-year low. Major banks weren't spared: Bank of America and Wells Fargo both fell by more than 6%. Subscribe here to get this report sent directly to your inbox each morning before markets open.

☆ UBS says to sell Caterpillar, citing sluggish growth outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"We don't think there is enough cyclical momentum to justify the current valuation," Fisher wrote. "While we don't think the cycle is over, we don't expect substantial earnings growth (or upward estimate revisions) for 2024-25." "Backlog growth has been decelerating and appears set to roll over, and end market momentum is flattening in parts of construction and oil & gas," Fisher added. "After 27% EPS growth in 2022, we expect growth to slow to 16% in 2023E, and 4% in 2024, with 2025 roughly flat. Residential building, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the company's construction segment, has been stalling, Fisher added.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Markets sold off before the monthly U.S. jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Jim Cramer's Investing Club meeting Friday: Bank woes weigh on market, Caterpillar, Estee Lauder
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) 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. Buy Estee Lauder We see Ulta Beauty 's (ULTA) strong fiscal-fourth quarter results Thursday as a positive read-through to Club holding Estee Lauder (EL). Estee Lauder stock fell more than 2% Friday, to around $238 a share, creating a buying opportunity. 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 .

☆ Mortgage rates rise for the fifth-straight week
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates edged further toward 7%, rising for the fifth consecutive week, as the Federal Reserve suggests rate increases will continue amid stubborn inflation. “Mortgage rates continue their upward trajectory as the Federal Reserve signals a more aggressive stance on monetary policy,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. When Treasury yields go up, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow. Housing market chilledRising mortgage rates have put a damper on the spring selling season. While applications for a mortgage rose slightly last week after three weeks of declines, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, activity is muted.

☆ Jim Cramer's Investing Club meeting Wednesday: Stick with stocks, Costco, P&G
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) 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 stocks Stocks edged up Wednesday, a day after equities sold off when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told U.S. lawmakers the central bank could take interest rates higher than previously anticipated. 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 . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ Costco's quarterly results show why we're long-term investors, despite softer sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

After factoring in tonight's move lower, Costco shares have gained roughly 3.3% year-to-date, compared to a 3.7% increase in the S & P 500 . While it's a positive development to see Costco's margins expand from last year, it's also important to note that management doesn't run the business for profit margins. On the post-earnings conference call with analysts and investors, Costco management broke down all the levers of the quarterly margin performance. Costco's 2% reward program was a two-basis-point headwind on both sides due to more sales coming from Costco's executive members. February sales Alongside its fiscal second-quarter results Wednesday, Costco provided comparable sales for the four-week period ended Feb 26.

☆ Blackstone blocked investor withdrawals from $71 billion REIT in February
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Chibuike Oguh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, March 1 (Reuters) - Blackstone Inc (BX.N) said on Wednesday it had blocked investors from cashing out their investments at its $71 billion real estate income trust (BREIT), as the private equity firm continues to grapple with a flurry of redemption requests. BREIT said it fulfilled redemption requests of $1.4 billion in February, which represents only 35% of the approximately $3.9 billion in total withdrawal requests for the month, the firm said in a letter to investors. Total BREIT redemption requests had reached approximately $5.3 billion in January, which is 26% lower than the amount received in February, the firm said. Blackstone expects to continue dealing with investor redemptions because some BREIT investors are making larger withdrawal requests in anticipation of a reduction in its size, its President Jonathan Gray told an earnings call last month. Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nearly 80% of distillates are used in freight transport, manufacturing and construction, so fuel consumption is closely geared to the manufacturing and freight cycle. Growth in both manufacturing activity and distillate consumption peaked in the first half of 2021 as the economy rebounded after the first wave of the pandemic. Distillate consumption also fell below prior-year levels in six of the nine months between April and December 2022 as demand dropped. Slower consumption created some scope to stabilise depleted distillate inventories towards the end of 2022. Notwithstanding the impact of poor weather, growth seems to have been decelerating slightly since November, as oil prices and drilling rates have fallen.

FRANKFURT, March 1 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's top three shareholders charted different paths for interest rates on Wednesday, in a preview of the difficult debate awaiting the ECB in the coming weeks. Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel appeared to back those expectations, anticipating "further significant interest rate steps" after March, when the ECB has already pencilled an increase worth half a percentage point. "The interest rate step announced for March will not be the last," Nagel, a policy hawk who favours higher rates, said in a speech. "Further significant interest rate steps might even be necessary afterwards, too." Based on national data out already, Barclays predicted that underlying inflation could accelerate to 5.4% from 5.3%.

Here's an update on technology-related holdings in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio we use at the CNBC Investing Club. Jim ran through the 35 stocks during the Club's inaugural Annual Meeting, an in-person event Saturday in New York City. Big picture, we think AMD shares will continue to increase in value as its leadership over Intel is further cemented. But sentiment is improving, with AMD shares climbing around 21% year to date. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Toronto stocks seen up 6.2% by year-end, despite 'wall of worry'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Equity markets have exhibited remarkable resilience, climbing a wall of worry toward higher common stock prices," said Brandon Michael, senior investment analyst at ABC Funds. "The main drivers toward higher stock prices include decelerating inflation, central banks easing up on their monetary policy tightening efforts, and improving investor risk appetite." Canada's annual rate of inflation cooled to 5.9% in January after peaking at 8.1% in June, data on Tuesday showed. The energy and materials sectors combined account for about 30% of the Toronto market's weighting. (Other stories from the Reuters Q1 global stock markets poll package:)Reporting by Fergal Smith; additional polling by Aditi Verma, Milounee Purohit and Mumal Rathore; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European stocks head for lower open as markets await latest Fed minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Investors are on edge after U.S. stocks fell for three consecutive weeks, signaling the possibility of higher interest rates for longer than expected. A rise in bond yields leads to increased borrowing costs for companies, which adds downward pressure on stocks. Despite this challenging environment, Goldman Sachs remains optimistic and expects a "soft-landing" for the U.S. economy. In this scenario, inflation is controlled with a mild recession at most. To capture the upside in a soft-landing scenario, the Wall Street bank said that investors should own stocks that can benefit from a decelerating inflation environment.

☆ Ed Yardeni sees four economic outcomes, with one being the most likely
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The economy faces four potential outcomes, with the most optimistic also being the most likely, according to market veteran Ed Yardeni. Other potential outcomes and their percentages, according to Yardeni: a disinflationary no landing (20%), hard landing (20%), and inflationary no landing (20%). The disinflationary no landing scenario entails real GDP rising 2%-3% while inflation moderates. Finally, the inflationary no landing scenario would see the economy avoid recession but still be plagued by high prices, resulting in a more hardline Fed. Committee members will update their outlooks on GDP, inflation, unemployment and the future path of the funds rate.

☆ 'Insure against the worst': Goldman picks stocks for a soft — and hard — economic landing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Despite this challenging environment, Goldman Sachs remains optimistic and expects a "soft-landing" for the U.S. economy. 'Soft-landing' stock picks To capture the upside in a soft-landing scenario, the Wall Street bank said that investors should own stocks that can benefit from a decelerating inflation environment. What follows are the first four stocks named by Goldman Sachs in its "soft-landing portfolio." Goldman Sachs analysts expect an earnings-per-share growth of 5% for Tesla and 7% for Garmin over the next 12 months, compared to a 1% growth for the S & P 500. Goldman Sachs has previously predicted that the S & P 500 will finish the year at the same level it started —4,000 — representing a return of 0% for 2023.

Over the last two weeks, mortgage rates have increased, according to Freddie Mac. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.32%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.51%, an increase from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. But average 30-year fixed rates will likely remain somewhere in the 5% to 6% range throughout 2023.

☆ Top 10 things to watch in the stock market Friday: Market slide, optimism on Club stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Deere (DE) posts a big earnings beat: $6.55 per share for fiscal 2023 first quarter, beating estimates of $5.53. Roku (ROKU) double upgraded at Bank of America to buy, price target to $85 per share. 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. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER .

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