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https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/28/thursdays-top-analyst-calls-verizon-meta-shopify-qualcomm-amc.html

VZ

Verizon

Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls of the day: Verizon, Meta, Shopify, Qualcomm, AMC & more

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Piper Sandler downgrades Shopify to neutral from overweight Piper downgraded the e-commerce company after its earnings report, saying it sees too many "execution risks." "Ultimately, we see the balancing act of growth investments & efficiency targets as posing new execution risks — on top of navigating a normalization in e-com growth rates that we do not yet have visibility into stabilizing. Thus, we are lowering our rating on SHOP to Neutral with a $32 PT." Read more about this call here. Bernstein names Hess a top idea Bernstein named the oil company a top idea for the third quarter and said it's the "premier E & P growth story." " Hess is the premier E & P growth story and, at our numbers, has the 4th to best cash flow per share growth outlook in the S & P 500." MKM initiates Tractor Supply as buy MKM said it sees multiple catalysts in the months ahead for the home and garden store. "In our view, Tractor Supply is now at the rare intersection of growth and productivity whereby the company is set to unlock significant sales and operating profit potential in the years to come." Stifel upgrades Kraft Heinz to buy from hold Stifel said it sees solid upside from current levels after the company's earnings report. "We are upgrading the shares of Kraft Heinz to Buy and maintaining our $43 target price, which suggests strong upside for the shares from this level. We are taking advantage of some near-term dislocation in the stock and a discount valuation (15% discount to its peers), against the backdrop of a solid and improving operating environment for the business." JPMorgan reiterates Caterpillar as overweight JPMorgan said it's cautiously optimistic heading into the company's earnings report next week. The firm also said it sees a margin recovery for shares in the second half. "We believe CAT's earning power and FCF conversion continue to merit our Overweight rating. Jefferies downgrades Best Buy to hold from buy Jefferies downgraded the stock after its pre-announcement Wednesday, noting it has concerns about a softening macro environment. "Following yesterday's pre-announcement, we revisited the BBY bull case and believe initiatives to drive market share & profits likely to be overshadowed by a softer macro. ... With downside to 2H fundamentals and capped multiple expansion, we're downgrading to Hold from Buy." Goldman Sachs downgrades Teladoc to neutral from buy Goldman downgraded the telehealth company due to disappointing guidance. "While TDOC posted solid results that were ahead of expectations for 2Q22, their guidance for the 3Q22 in terms of adjusted EBITDA was considerably below our expectations by 38%." Morgan Stanley downgrades LegalZoom to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said in its downgrade of the legal help website that it sees a less favorable risk/reward outlook. "Reduction of Covid tail winds against rising recession headwinds results in an unfavorable environment for new business starts, LZ's main catalyst to acquire customers. Slowing demand & lower visibility in transaction-based revenue presents risk to ests & less favorable risk/reward." Edward Jones upgrades Qualcomm to buy from hold Edward Jones said the stock doesn't fully reflect the firm's growth outlook. " Qualcomm's high-profit-margin licensing business generates strong and stable cash flow and increases the financial flexibility of the company." JPMorgan reiterates Beyond Meat as underweight JPMorgan said its checks show that Beyond Meat's McPlant Burger is not on the menu at many McDonald's locations that the firm surveyed. The analyst went on to say that it's a negative catalyst for Beyond Meat. "We believe that McDonald's has broadly discontinued its U.S. test of the McPlant burger made with Beyond Meat. We recently spoke with MCD employees at 25 locations that previously carried the product; each said that the item is no longer on the menu." Bank of America downgrades Verizon to neutral from buy Bank of America said Verizon's near-term outlook is too cloudy. " Verizon gambled again in the last several years that 5G would give birth to a similar degree of novel consumer and/or business demand. It has not. Verizon's understandable fixation, therefore, on 'what is next' led it down a path where, unfortunately, it now falls short on 'what is now.'" Read more about this call here. Credit Suisse upgrades Enphase Energy to outperform from neutral Credit Suisse said it likes the solar product maker's strong execution. " ENPH beat higher end of Q2 guidance/estimates and guided Q3 above expectations, driven by pricing power for IQ8 microinverter products in the U.S. and stronger demand in the U.S. and Europe." MKM reiterates AMC as sell MKM said ahead of the movie theater company's earnings report next week that the stock's valuation is still too "irrational." "As a result of a 400% increase in AMC's shares outstanding since the start of the pandemic along with a sizable $5.5bn debt load, it will likely take a number of years for the company to grow into its capital structure." Goldman Sachs reiterates Meta as buy Goldman said in a follow-up note after Meta's earnings report that the stock remains a "show me story." "Going forward, META's commentary reflects an inverse of its Q2 results — macroeconomic volatility is expected to put pressure on the forward revenue trajectory (despite easier YoY comps in 2H '22) while a reexamination of costs (especially hiring) could lead to better margin/EPS outcomes in the quarters ahead. As a result, we see META remaining a 'show me story.'" Read more about this call here.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/19/a-troubling-trend-is-brewing-this-earnings-season-here-is-jim-cramers-remedy-.html

VZ

Verizon

A troubling trend is brewing this earnings season. Here is Jim Cramer's remedy

Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. (We're no longer recording the audio, so we can get this new written feature to members as quickly as possible.) Markets drop: There was another attempt to lift the market at the beginning of Friday's session, but it failed once again, putting the S & P 500 on track for a six-day losing streak. We keep pointing out that the rallies are happening too early in the session, leading the initial buyers to get caught by scalpers looking to make a quick trade. Volatile markets like this are when patience matters. We're still waiting for that truly ugly open before stepping up our buys. Until we see that crescendo, the oversold market means stay opportunistic but be gradual. That's been our approach this week, with our most-recent trade being a small buy of Estee Lauder on Thursday morning. Bad week for tech : Tech is getting hit hard again Friday, capping off a week in which the Nasdaq 100 fell by more than 5%. The biggest drag in the sector, by far, is Super Micro Computer . Shares of the artificial intelligence server maker were down as much as 20% Friday for a reason you don't see too often: The company hasn't preannounced earnings yet. Super Micro's stock has been one of the biggest winners in the market over the past couple of years due to the rapid construction of data centers around the world. Heavy investments in AI accelerated this trend. As demand for its rack-scale solutions and liquid-cooled systems surged, Super Micro's quarters kept getting better and better, resulting in earnings preannouncements in seven of the past eight quarters, including in January. Last month, the stock was added to the S & P 500. Entering this week, Super Micro was up more than 200% year to date. With earnings getting close on April 30, the fact Super Micro has yet to give a positive preannouncement is being viewed as negative, according to analysts at Wells Fargo. That doesn't mean Super Micro's quarter won't be good — we can't possibly know. But the recent fall in SMCI on no actual announcement is a reminder of a lesson that we shared earlier this year when markets were steadily making new highs: Always be fearful of parabolic moves and make sure you are taking gains on the way up because those kinds of moves are unstainable. Pockets of green: It's not all negative Friday. There's some pretty good strength in energy stocks, financials, consumer staples, health care, and real estate — a sign of money rotating out of hot momentum names and into other areas in the market. Shares of Club holding Coterra Energy rose nearly 2% on Friday, among the best performers in the portfolio. Do the work: Wells Fargo made a new 52-week high Friday, extending its weekly gains to more than 7%. Wells Fargo's strength follows a negative reaction to its first-quarter earnings report last week , even though the results were quite good. That's a theme we've noticed so far this earnings season. There's so much information coming out that sometimes the market gets sloppy and focuses on the wrong things, leading to misread results and ridiculous stock reactions. Fellow Club holdings Constellation Brands and Abbott Laboratories belong in this group, too. The lesson? Don't let the tape be the judge of a quarter. Instead, read the earnings materials and conference calls yourself because doing the work will help you spot opportunities. "It's important to have confidence in investing. But confidence comes from doing the homework," Jim Cramer said Friday. Next week: Rest up over the weekend for an earnings barrage. Roughly 30% of the S & P 500 and 11 Dow components report earnings next week. Among the headliners are a trio of portfolio stocks — Alphabet , Microsoft and Meta Platforms — and beaten-up Tesla . But there are plenty of other big reports to sink our teeth into. Club holdings Danaher , Ford Motor , and Honeywell International are scheduled to report along with Verizon , Cadence Design , Nucor , UPS , GE Aerospace , PepsiCo, RTX , Halliburton , Thermo Fisher Scientific , ServiceNow and Chipotle , among others. Check your email inboxes and texts Saturday morning for a breakdown on what we're expecting from the six Club stocks set to report this coming week. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) 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. 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. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. (We're no longer recording the audio, so we can get this new written feature to members as quickly as possible.)

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/24/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-premarket-bed-bath-beyond-verizon-lululemon-and-more.html

VZ

Verizon

Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Bed Bath & Beyond, Verizon, Lululemon and more

A pedestrian walks by a Bed Bath and Beyond store in San Francisco, California. Check out the companies making headlines before the bell. Verizon — Verizon shares slipped 1.51% after the company posted mixed results for the 2022 fourth quarter. While earnings met analyst predictions, forward earnings fell short of a Refinitiv consensus estimate. . Bed Bath & Beyond — The meme stock gained 5.78%, building on its dramatic start to the year, even as the retailer warns of a potential bankruptcy. Year to date, Bed Bath & Beyond shares are up 17.1%. Lyft — The ride-sharing stock gained 3.4% following an upgrade from KeyBanc, which Lyft should feel positive impacts from cost-saving measures including layoffs and a stabilization in demand. Johnson & Johnson — Shares of the drug maker ticked higher by less than 1% premarket after the company reported mixed quarterly financial results. Johnson & Johnson beat profit estimates by 10 cents per share, excluding items, according to Refinitiv. It also missed revenue estimates. Its full-year outlook for earnings was slightly higher than estimates while its revenue forecast was about in line with estimates. Blackstone — Shares rose 1.3% after JPMorgan upgraded Blackstone to overweight from neutral, saying the investment management firm is a "best in class" business that's set for a soft landing. Lululemon — The athleisure retailer fell 2.07% after Bernstein downgraded the stock, warning that a reset is coming for the apparel stock and noting the company is facing an inflection point in its growth. Lockheed Martin — Lockheed Martin shares gained 1.52% after the company posted latest quarterly results. The defense company's revenue came in at $18.99 billion, topping a Refinitiv forecast of $18.27 billion. Lockheed's earnings per share also topped expectations. AMD — The chip stock fell more than 2% in premarket after Bernstein downgraded the chipmaker to market perform from outperform. The Wall Street firm said the downgrade is due to the sliding computer and new parts demand in the inflationary environment. — CNBC's Alex Harring, Yun Li, Tanaya Macheel and Sarah Min contributed reporting

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/19/investors-are-hoping-big-tech-earnings-next-week-could-revive-a-flagging-bull-market.html

VZ

Verizon

Investors are hoping Big Tech earnings next week could revive a flagging bull market

The Big Tech earnings next week could revive a flagging market, or at least give investors direction into where stocks are going from here. Next week will spotlight the bulk of the Magnificent Seven names, which had a strong start to the year, but have been in a slump as of late. Tesla reports Tuesday, Meta Platforms is out Wednesday. Thursday serves a double whammy with Google-parent Alphabet and Microsoft . But those results are coming at a time when investors are on edge, uncertain where markets are heading after a pushback in rate cut expectations, a recent rise in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, as well as a spike in Treasury yields. On Friday, the S & P 500 was more than 5% off its 52-week high; it also dipped below 5,000, a level the broader index had only reached for the first time ever in February. Wall Street is hoping next week's megacap tech results will give investors insight into where the artificial intelligence trade is going from here, as a bounce in tech could lift the indexes. They're also hoping a slew consumer commentary will give investors insight into the state of the economy. "Every week of earnings is the most pivotal one, but I really think this one is the most pivotal one," said Kim Forrest, founder at Bokeh Capital, adding, "I think everybody is like me looking to next week thinking, 'This will be the time where we can figure out the direction of the market.'" On Friday, the S & P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite registered losing weeks. Further gains, or buying opportunity? As a whole, the bar is high for the Magnificent Seven, even as there are increasing divergences between the names. Tesla, for example, will be in the spotlight next week. Investors are hoping for some positive news out of electric vehicle maker, which is the second-worst performer in the S & P 500 this year as it contends with slowing sales and rising competition from China. This week, Deutsche Bank downgraded the stock to hold from buy following a Reuters report of the possible scrapping of a low-cost car. In response, CEO Elon Musk said Reuters was "lying." Shares were down 14% this week. Investors a sense of how artificial intelligence will be monetized, seeking insight into growing Google's cloud business , as well as Microsoft's Copilot chatbot. "These will give us some of the best indications of AI demand," said Emily Leveille, portfolio manager at Thornburg Investment Management, adding, "We expect earnings, I think, to be pretty good for at least for Microsoft and for Meta, just considering sort of recent momentum in earnings growth." Horizon Investments' Scott Ladner urged caution ahead of the reports given the high expectations swirling around the megacaps. However, he said any pullback in the tech names could give investors an opening to start "nibbling away" at additional exposure. While the investment chief anticipates further volatility over the next several weeks, he said he anticipates stocks can again rise over the intermediate term, and gain another 10% from here. "Especially with the AI trade, those expectations have been ramped up. And so, we would probably be a little bit cautious in terms of getting exposure to those names ahead of earnings releases because that bar is quite high," Ladner said. "But if we do get a sell-off associated with those releases that don't hit up on those raised expectations, it probably is, we think, a better buying opportunity than a selling opportunity at that point," Ladner added. He also advised investors to start adding exposure to other interesting assets such as in Europe, or in small caps, which could jump after the central bank cuts rates later this year. Consumer focus Wall Street is also anticipating commentary from consumer-facing companies next week that could give insight into the state of the economy. Investors are hoping that consumer spending, which has thus far held up the economy in the face of higher prices, remains robust. Earnings results from Visa, for example, will be on deck. "From a sentiment standpoint, consumers don't feel very good, but they haven't acted like that for the better part of years," Horizon's Ladner said. "So, the bigger thing that we've been looking for and look for this quarter, is, are the consumers still acting like they're in good shape? Even if they feel a little bit down in the dumps because they don't like the price that they're paying for things, are they are they still paying those prices? Are they still borrowing? Are they still consuming?" "So long as that is continues to be the case, which we expect it to be, we think this consumer-facing company is probably going to have a pretty good rebound in the second half of the year," Ladner added. On the economic front, next week will also bring the first-quarter gross domestic product number. Economists polled by FactSet are anticipating the U.S. economy will have expanded by 3.1%, in line with the prior reading. Week ahead calendar All times ET. Monday, April 22 8:30 a.m. Chicago Fed National Activity Index (March) Earnings: Verizon Communications, Ameriprise Financial , Truist Financial Tuesday, April 23 8 a.m. Building Permits final (March) 9:45 a.m. PMI Composite preliminary (April) 9:45 a.m. Markit PMI Manufacturing preliminary (April) 9:45 a.m. Markit PMI Services preliminary (April) 10 a.m. New Home Sales (March) 10 a.m. Richmond Fed Index (April) Earnings: Baker Hughes , Visa , Enphase Energy , Tesla , NextEra Energy , Freeport-McMoRan , Philip Morris International , Halliburton , United Parcel Service , PepsiCo , Lockheed Martin , Raytheon Technologies , GE Aerospace Wednesday, April 24 8:30 a.m. Durable Orders preliminary (March) Earnings: Chipotle Mexican Grill , International Business Machines , Lam Research , Ford Motor , Align Technology , Waste Management , Universal Health Services , Raymond James Financial , Meta Platforms , Boeing , Hilton Worldwide Holdings , AT & T Thursday, April 25 8:30 a.m. Continuing Jobless Claims (04/13) 8:30 a.m. GDP (Q1) 8:30 a.m. Initial Claims (04/20) 8:30 a.m. Wholesale Inventories preliminary (March) 10 a.m. Pending Home Sales (March) 11 a.m. Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Index (April) Earnings: T-Mobile US , Capital One Financial Corp, Intel , Western Digital , Microsoft, Alphabet , Comcast , American Airlines Group , Southwest Airlines , Valero Energy , Caterpillar , Tractor Supply , Royal Caribbean Group , PG & E, GE Vernova Friday, April 26 8:30 a.m. PCE Deflator 8:30 a.m. Personal Consumption Expenditure 8:30 a.m. Personal Income 10 a.m. Michigan Sentiment NSA final Earnings: T. Rowe Price Group , Colgate-Palmolive , Exxon Mobil , Chevron , AbbVie , Phillips 66

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/20/jim-cramers-mad-money-recap-stock-picks-feb-20-2020.html

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Everything Jim Cramer said about the stock market on 'Mad Money,' including coronavirus sell-off, Domino's Pizza CEO, Vertex

watch now CNBC's Jim Cramer broke down Thursday's sell-off and explained why he thinks the coronavirus outbreak will continue to be a thorn in the market. The "Mad Money" host checked in with Domino's Pizza CEO Ritch Allison after the chain reported a domineering fourth-quarter amid a tight delivery market. Later in the show Cramer broke down why investors may want to buy the dip in Vertex Pharmaceuticals. More sell-offs to come Healthcare workers are working in protective gear at the National Medical Center on February 20, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. Jong-Hyun Kim | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Domino's Pizza dominates in fourth quarter An employee moves a pizza to an oven at a Domino's Pizza Inc. restaurant in Chantilly, Virginia. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images Carryout has become a bright spot for Domino's Pizza as the restaurant chain battles in a tough, low-margin food delivery environment, CEO Ritch Allison told Cramer. Shares of the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based pizza franchise popped almost 26% during the trading day on a strong fourth-quarter report that smashed Wall Street estimates. "While most of the industry is running headlong into delivery, which is inherently a more profitable channel to serve, we're working hard to hold serve on that delivery side of the business while really growing that carryout channel," Allison said in a "Mad Money" interview. Carryout "is going to be an important part of the profit equation going forward." Buy the biotech dip Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, poses for a portrait at the Vertex Pharmaceuticals headquarters in Boston on Nov. 28, 2017. Dina Rudick | The Boston Globe | Getty Images The market gave investors an opportunity to buy position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals as drug stocks traded lower the day after the Nevada Democratic debate, Cramer said. "Vertex Pharma got dinged today, and I think this is a very buyable dip in what's widely considered to be the hottest biotech story of the year," the host said, adding the company "accomplished something that was unthinkable not too long ago, a near-triumph over the scourge that is cystic fibrosis." Cramer's lightning round

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/18/vertex-pharmas-3-drug-combo-aids-breathing-in-cystic-fibrosis-patients.html

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex Pharma’s three-drug combinations improve breathing in some cystic fibrosis patients

Vertex Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that its three-drug cocktails improved a measure of lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis by 9.6 percentage points or more, surpassing Wall Street's expectations and setting the company up to advance a medicine to treat thousands more patients with the disease. In after-hours trading, Vertex shares surged more than 26 percent. The Boston-based biotech company is testing multiple combination regimens to find the best cocktail for a majority of patients with cystic fibrosis. Vertex has brought to market medicines for genetic forms of the disease affecting about 30,000 of the 75,000 people with CF worldwide; the majority of patients, though, still have no approved treatment options that target the disease's underlying cause. Cystic fibrosis is a rare, genetic disease that causes mucus to build up in the lungs and other organs, leading to infections, damage and respiratory failure. It's driven by mutations in a gene known as CFTR, and because different mutations manifest in slightly different ways, multiple drugs have been needed to effectively treat the disease. The results released Tuesday are from studies aiming to expand treatment options to 90 percent of people with cystic fibrosis, those with one copy of a mutation known as F508del, and one minimal function mutation. They were from two phase 2, or midstage, clinical trials, and one phase 1 study evaluating three different triple-combination regimens. The studies tested three different experimental drugs, each on top of a regimen of two other drugs, called tezacaftor and ivacaftor. The primary goal of the study was improvement in a measure of lung function known as FEV1, for forced expiratory volume: it's the measure of how much air someone can expel in one second. In the two phase 2 studies, one drug, called VX-152, showed a 9.7 percentage point average improvement in that measure, on top of the two-drug cocktail. Another, called VX-440, showed a 12 percentage point average improvement. A third, VX-659, in a phase 1 study, improved FEV1 by an average of 9.6 percentage points. Anything more than 2.5 percentage points would have been considered a success by Wall Street, according to Michael Yee, an analyst at Jefferies. He wrote in a July 10 research note that results of that magnitude could drive Vertex's shares above $150 (from $130 at that time; they closed Tuesday at $132.16). Vertex also said the regimens were generally well-tolerated across all three studies. The company provided the results early to CNBC on condition they not be shared with anyone until they were released publicly Tuesday. "These safety and efficacy data are clear and compelling, indicating significant potential benefit for people with CF from each of these three different triple combination regimens," Vertex's chief medical officer, Dr. Jeffrey Chodakewitz, said in a statement. The next step is for Vertex to decide which regimen, or regimens, to move into a late-stage clinical trial, expected to begin in the first half of 2018. The results are an important step for the company and for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Vertex was the first to develop a medicine targeting the root genetic cause of the disease; called Kalydeco, the treatment was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 and targets mutations accounting for about 4,500 cases of CF worldwide, according to Vertex. The company received approval for its second CF treatment, Orkambi, in 2015. A combination of Kalydeco (whose chemical name is ivacaftor, part of the regimens reported on Tuesday) and another drug, lumacaftor, was cleared for people with two copies of the F508del mutation, about 25,000 patients worldwide. Still, that leaves more than 40,000 patients with no treatments targeting the underlying cause of the disease. The regimens reported on Tuesday could expand treatment options to another 40 percent of CF patients, Vertex said. Despite the small patient numbers, it's been big business for the company: Orkambi and Kalydeco together drew $1.7 billion in 2016 revenue. Jefferies' Yee estimates a successful triple-combination regimen could bring in an additional $1 billion a year. Vertex doesn't sound like it intends to stop there. "Our ultimate goal is effectively one pill, taken once a day, that actually gets to carrier level-like activity of chloride flux," Vertex Chief Financial Officer Ian Smith told JPMorgan analyst Cory Kasimov on a June conference call, according to a transcript. Translation: that would mean "that CF is now an asymptomatic disease if you're taking a Vertex medicine," Smith said. "And so we're going to keep going."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/31/vertex-chooses-two-drugs-to-advance-in-cystic-fibrosis-triple-combinations.html

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex chooses two drugs to advance in cystic fibrosis triple combinations

Vertex Pharmaceuticals said it's chosen which two medicines to move into the final stage of testing in combination with two other drugs for cystic fibrosis, a key step to extending potential treatment options to 90 percent of patients with the devastating genetic disease. The Boston-based biotechnology company plans to start phase 3 clinical trials of compounds called VX-659 and VX-445 as part of two different triple combination regimens this year, Vertex said Wednesday. The move is an important step in Vertex's multi-year goal of expanding treatment options for patients with CF, a rare condition that causes build-up of mucus in the lungs and other organs, causing infections, trouble breathing, and extensive damage. The company already has two medicines for CF on the market that can treat about 30,000 of the 75,000 people with the disease worldwide based on their genetic mutations, and in July saw its stock soar on initial data on three-drug combos that could treat more patients. The decision to move two of those programs forward is based on data from ongoing trials showing they helped improve a measure of lung function, called percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second, by up to 13.3 and 13.8 percentage points after four weeks of treatment. "This data appeared even better than data already disclosed over last six months," Jefferies analyst Michael Yee wrote in a note to investors. "This continues to 'raise the bar' on efficacy for CF patients on efficacy and safety/tolerability." Vertex said it's still in discussions with regulators about the design of the phase 3 programs, the final stage of testing generally required before filing for approval. Vertex shares rose about 4 percent in after-hours trading following the announcement.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/14/vertex-shares-fall-after-company-reports-lag-in-refills-of-cystic-fibrosis-drug.html

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Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex shares fall after company reports lag in refills of cystic fibrosis drug

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals declined more than 5 percent on Wednesday after the company said that refills for its cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi have been slow in recent months. Greater lag time between refills indicates that patients are using less of the drug, the company said on Wednesday. Vertex emphasized that although patients took longer than expected to refill their prescriptions, they are not dropping their prescriptions. While the stock declined on the report, Jefferies said it continues "to believe in the long-term value of the [cystic fibrosis] franchise" in a research note on Wednesday. The firm has a "buy" rating and a $107 price target on the stock.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/19/biotech-companys-lung-disorder-drug-crushes-wall-st-expectations.html

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex Pharma shares surge 21% after cystic fibrosis study results leaves Wall Street 'speechless'

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals surged more than 21 percent during midday trading Wednesday, as the drugmaker crushed Wall Street's expectations when it reported an improved response in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. The biotech company told CNBC on Tuesday that its three-drug cocktails boosted a measure of lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis by 9.6 percentage points or more. The response was better than what Wall Street expected for the drug combination, and prepares Vertex to advance a medicine which could treat thousands more people suffering from the disease. The "initial triple combo data does leave us speechless," JPMorgan analyst Cory Kasimov wrote in a note. "This series [of updates] is highly impressive across the board." Anything more than 2.5 percentage points would have been considered a success by Wall Street, according to Michael Yee, an analyst at Jefferies. He wrote in a July 10 research note that results of that magnitude could drive Vertex's shares above $150 (from $130 at that time; they closed Tuesday at $132.16). The new results are from studies aiming to expand treatment options to 90 percent of cystic fibrosis patients, as the majority of patients today do not have approved treatment options to target the cause of the disease.

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/06/24/vertex-cystic-fibrosis-combo-meets-study-goals.html

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Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex cystic fibrosis combo meets study goals

watch now Vertex Pharmaceuticals ' stock soared Tuesday after studies showed that a new combination of drugs from the company met the goals of two late-stage clinical trials in cystic fibrosis, setting the stage for Vertex to apply for regulatory approval in the fourth quarter. At one point, the stock was trading at its highest level since October 2000. (Click here for the latest price.) The medicines, Kalydeco and lumacaftor, improved lung function by an average of 2.6 to 4 percentage points from patients' baseline levels versus placebo, Vertex said in a statement Tuesday. The studies, dubbed Traffic and Transport, were from the third and final phase generally required for approval. Read MoreCNBC Explains: Vertex's cystic fibrosis drug combo Vertex Pharmaceuticals' headquarters in South Boston. Dina Rudick | The Boston Globe | Getty Images The results were among the most anticipated events in the biotechnology industry this year, analysts said. They projected Vertex's stock, which closed at $66.61 Monday, could rise above $100 on positive results, or sink to the $40s on negative results. They also said the data could have broader industry implications. Read MoreThe next UK pharma takeover target may be… "Given that Vertex is one of the largest companies in the space, the results of Traffic/Transport will have a significant effect on sentiment for biotech," Ravi Mehrotra, an analyst with Credit Suisse , wrote in a research note before the data were released. In 2012, Vertex received approval for Kalydeco—the first medicine to address the genetic cause of cystic fibrosis, a rare, inherited disease that causes buildup of sticky mucus in the airways and other areas, and is often fatal by age 40. Cystic fibrosis affects about 70,000 people worldwide, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which contributed to the development of Vertex's cystic fibrosis drugs. Read MoreInvestors eyeAchillion for next big pharma deal While Kalydeco was a breakthrough for cystic fibrosis patients, it only addresses mutations possessed by a fraction of the population. Vertex is testing it in combination with lumacaftor, still an experimental medicine, to address more patients; study results published Tuesday were in a patient population that accounts for about 40 percent of the total population, Mehrotra said. Kalydeco drew $371 million in 2013 revenue. In total, Vertex's cystic fibrosis medicines may draw more than $5 billion in annual revenue by 2018,according to estimates earlier this year from Phil Nadeau, an analyst with Cowen & Co. watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/02/fda-approves-vertexs-cystic-fibrosis-drug.html

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Vertex Pharmaceuticals

FDA approves Vertex's cystic fibrosis drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it had approved the use of Vertex Pharmaceuticals ' Orkambi, a drug aimed to treat patients with cystic fibrosis, on patients who are at least 12 years old. The company's shares were temporarily halted, up 3.73 percent at $130.90, during late-morning trading for pending news ahead of the announcement at 11:47 a.m. ET. Trading started again around 3 p.m. ET, and Vertex closed the day slightly higher than its halt price. "...The approval of ORKAMBI represents a fundamental change in the treatment of the most common form of CF, marking significant progress for us and for the entire CF community," Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, Vertex's chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement. With the approval, Orkambi will be available to about 8,500 patients in the United States, according to Reuters. Cystic fibrosis is caused by a defective gene that disrupts the function of the lungs and digestive system, producing a build-up of thick, sticky mucus leading to inflammation and recurrent bacterial infections.. Click here for the latest on the markets. —Reuters contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100077275

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Vertex posts loss as hepatitis drug sales plunge

(Corrects net loss and profit figures in paragraph 2) * 3rd quarter net loss 27 cents a share * Incivek sales fall 40 pct to $254.3 million * Still sees 2012 Incivek sales $1.1 bln to $1.25 bln * Shares fall 5 percent after-hours (Adds sales details, company background, CEO comments, share price) Nov 1 (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc reported a net loss for the third quarter on Thursday with results hurt by fast-declining sales of its Incivek hepatitis C drug, as the company turned its attention to developing a next generation of treatments for the serious liver disease. Vertex posted a net loss of $57.5 million, or 27 cents per share, compared with a profit of $221.1 million, or $1.02 per share, a year ago. Analysts on average expected a profit of 20 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Incivek sales fell nearly 23 percent from the previous quarter and 40 percent from a year ago to $254.3 million. The company maintained its full-year forecast for Incivek sales of $1.1 billion to $1.25 billion. Results were also affected by a $57.6 million charge related to expected future payments under Vertex's collaboration with Alios BioPharma. Earlier on Thursday, Vertex announced separate collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Johnson & Johnson to test various combinations of its own next-generation hepatitis C medicines with those being developed by GSK and J&J. Investors cheered the move, sending Vertex shares up 4.6 percent to close at $50.48 on Thursday. After Vertex released quarterly results after the market close, the company's shares fell 5 percent to $48 in extended trading. The Massachusetts-based biotechnology company reported $49 million in sales of its new cystic fibrosis drug Kalydeco and $20 million in royalty revenue from overseas sales of Incivek, known as Incivo in Europe. Kalydeco currently helps only a small percentage of cystic fibrosis patients with a specific gene mutation. The company is testing other drugs and combinations with the hope of eventually reaching a larger portion of the CF population. ``We are advancing rapidly with our plans to evaluate multiple all-oral regimens of VX-135, both with medicines in our own pipeline and, as we announced earlier today, in collaboration with other companies,'' Chief Executive Jeffrey Leiden said in a statement. ``We are also advancing toward our goal to help more people with cystic fibrosis.'' Total revenue of $336 million for the quarter was shy of Wall Street estimates of $377.1 million. Incivek, which was approved in May 2011 to great fanfare as it doubled cure rates and shortened treatment durations compared with older drugs, reached $1 billion in sales faster than any drug in pharmaceutical history. But it must still be taken with the older injected drug interferon that causes flu-like symptoms. As excitement builds for interferon-free, all-oral regimens being pursued by several companies, including Vertex, more patients appear to be delaying treatment, hurting Incivek sales. In addition, hundreds of other potential Incivek patients have been recruited to take part of clinical trials of next-generation treatments. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York; editing by Gary Hill and Matthew Lewis)

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/06/23/cnbc-explains-vertexs-cystic-fibrosis-drug-combo.html

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

CNBC Explains: Vertex's cystic fibrosis drug combo

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is expected to report data any day now on a combination of drugs to treat cystic fibrosis, a rare, inherited disease that causes the buildup of sticky mucus in the lungs and other areas and is often fatal by age 40. Vertex's Kalydeco, approved in 2012, was the first medicine to address the underlying genetic cause of the disease, and is hailed as a huge breakthrough for patients. But it addresses mutations affecting just a fraction of CF patients worldwide. The new drug combination, which combines Kalydeco with Lumacaftor, would expand that population dramatically. For that reason, analysts have called the data release one of the most important events for biotech investors of the year—not just for Vertex, but for sentiment across the sector. Kalydeco alone drew $371 million in 2013 revenue. Altogether, analysts expect Vertex's cystic fibrosis medicines—if successful—could draw more than $5 billion in revenue by 2018. For more about the upcoming data, see the above video. —By CNBC's Meg Tirrell

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100076640

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

UPDATE 1-Vertex posts loss as hepatitis drug sales plunge

* 3rd quarter net loss 27 cents a share * Incivek sales fall 40 pct to $254.3 million * Still sees 2012 Incivek sales $1.1 bln to $1.25 bln * Shares fall 5 percent after-hours (Adds sales details, company background, CEO comments, share price) Nov 1 (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc reported a net loss for the third quarter on Thursday with results hurt by fast-declining sales of its Incivek hepatitis C drug, as the company turned its attention to developing a next generation of treatments for the serious liver disease. Vertex posted a net loss of $26.5 million, or 27 cents per share, compared with a profit of $228.5 million, or $1.02 per share, a year ago. Analysts on average expected a profit of 20 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Incivek sales fell nearly 23 percent from the previous quarter and 40 percent from a year ago to $254.3 million. The company maintained its full-year forecast for Incivek sales of $1.1 billion to $1.25 billion. Results were also affected by a $57.6 million charge related to expected future payments under Vertex's collaboration with Alios BioPharma. Earlier on Thursday, Vertex announced separate collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Johnson & Johnson to test various combinations of its own next-generation hepatitis C medicines with those being developed by GSK and J&J. Investors cheered the move, sending Vertex shares up 4.6 percent to close at $50.48 on Thursday. After Vertex released quarterly results after the market close, the company's shares fell 5 percent to $48 in extended trading. The Massachusetts-based biotechnology company reported $49 million in sales of its new cystic fibrosis drug Kalydeco and $20 million in royalty revenue from overseas sales of Incivek, known as Incivo in Europe. Kalydeco currently helps only a small percentage of cystic fibrosis patients with a specific gene mutation. The company is testing other drugs and combinations with the hope of eventually reaching a larger portion of the CF population. ``We are advancing rapidly with our plans to evaluate multiple all-oral regimens of VX-135, both with medicines in our own pipeline and, as we announced earlier today, in collaboration with other companies,'' Chief Executive Jeffrey Leiden said in a statement. ``We are also advancing toward our goal to help more people with cystic fibrosis.'' Total revenue of $336 million for the quarter was shy of Wall Street estimates of $377.1 million. Incivek, which was approved in May 2011 to great fanfare as it doubled cure rates and shortened treatment durations compared with older drugs, reached $1 billion in sales faster than any drug in pharmaceutical history. But it must still be taken with the older injected drug interferon that causes flu-like symptoms. As excitement builds for interferon-free, all-oral regimens being pursued by several companies, including Vertex, more patients appear to be delaying treatment, hurting Incivek sales. In addition, hundreds of other potential Incivek patients have been recruited to take part of clinical trials of next-generation treatments. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York; editing by Gary Hill and Matthew Lewis)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/13/cramers-lightning-round-i-would-sell-out-of-nio-soon-.html

VTRS

Viatris

Cramer's lightning round: I would sell out of Nio soon

Loading chart... Nio : "I don't like Nio. I think it's too risky, so the answer is I would get out and get out soon." Loading chart... Starwood Property Trust : "The stock would go down a couple of bucks [if the Fed raises interest rates by 50 basis points early next year]. It would probably go down immediately a couple of bucks. If that's what your concern, then you should know that because people will sell that kind of stock. It's what they do regardless of the company, which is quite a good one." Loading chart... TJX Companies : "I think TJX is unique among a lot of the retail stocks. It's holding up here. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to continue to hold up because the retail stocks have been completely blasted. But they had a great quarter, and I think that if I wanted to, I would buy some now and buy some a little bit lower because, like I said, retail stocks are being obliterated." Loading chart... Brookfield Renewable Partners : "BEP is a good company because I believe in the ESG story, but remember, it's a yielder. It yields only 3.6%. This is a market that's punishing every stock in this particular field. Whether they should or not, I don't know, but that's what they're doing." Loading chart... Viatris : "It's just such an inexpensive stock. I don't have a catalyst, though, sir. I have no catalyst. It's just inexpensive." Sign up now for the CNBC Investing Club to follow Jim Cramer's every move in the market.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/17/these-were-the-top-stocks-while-the-sp-500-doubled-from-its-covid-low.html

VTRS

Viatris

Moderna leads the top-performing stocks as the S&P 500 doubles from its pandemic low

At a closing price of 4,479.71 on Monday, the S & P 500 officially doubled from its March 2020 pandemic-era low. All but seven stocks saw gains over that period, with the biggest winners split across a group of health-care and consumer discretionary names. No equity notched stronger returns than drugmaker Moderna , a CNBC analysis of market data shows. It is up more than 1,300% since closing at $26.57 on March 23, 2020. The stock was added to the S & P 500 on July 21, 2021, amid the rollout of its Covid vaccine, and has risen 16% since then despite experiencing a volatile August with five days of share-price moves greater than 5% in either direction. Hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller added new positions in Moderna in the second quarter, according to regulatory filings released Monday. Four consumer plays follow Moderna in the list of top stocks, each of which are up at least 590%: Caesars Entertainment , Bath & Body Works , Tesla , and Penn National Gaming . The S & P 500 hit its Covid trough of 2,237.40 on March 23, 2020, during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, the index's fastest 30% drop in history . It has rallied 100% since then amid unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus along with strong corporate earnings growth, marking the fastest bull-market doubling off a bottom since World War II , according to a CNBC analysis of data from S & P 500 Global. The materials sector led the rebound with a 123% return, and that group's top stocks since March 2020 include Freeport-McMoRan, Albemarle Corp., and Nucor Corp., each up more than 330%. The technology sector led the early stage of the historic market rebound with a 120% return from its pandemic bottom. The small group of negative stocks is led by Citrix Systems at a loss of 16%, followed by Las Vegas Sands Corp., Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Viatris, Perrigo, Gilead Sciences and Clorox , which was a big winner for months at the start of the pandemic but has since faded. —CNBC's Yun Li contributed reporting. At a closing price of 4,479.71 on Monday, the S&P 500 officially doubled from its March 2020 pandemic-era low. All but seven stocks saw gains over that period, with the biggest winners split across a group of health-care and consumer discretionary names.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/06/inflation-will-be-the-sizzling-topic-for-markets-in-the-week-ahead-.html

VTRS

Viatris

Inflation will be the sizzling topic for markets in the week ahead

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), July 21, 2021. Brendan McDermid | Reuters With fresh evidence the labor market is on the mend, investors' focus shifts to inflation in the coming week and whether it will continue to heat up or show signs of abating. There is a series of inflation data expected: the consumer price index and the producer price index, released Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Jobs and inflation are two key factors that influence the Federal Reserve in making its decisions on policy. Markets are hanging on anything that will help determine when the central bank will start to step away from the measures it took to support the economy during the pandemic, including its $120 billion per month purchases of Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities. Friday's July jobs report showed a healthy 943,000 increase in payrolls. That gain is enough to spur Fed watchers into thinking the central bank could announce in the next couple of months that it will dial back its support measures. That's important since ending the bond-buying program is a first step toward raising interest rates. It's the Fed's near-zero rate policy that has helped drive the liquidity feeding the stock market's gains and keeping rates low. "I think the keys for the next week are going to be both CPI and PPI. We get some inflation data for consumers and for businesses. Those will be closely watched. Jobless claims as well," State Street Global Advisors chief investment strategist Michael Arone said. "The Fed has made it clear that the labor market is key to what they do next," he added. "Jobless claims will continue to be an item that gets looked at every week. Then finally we're going to get consumer sentiment. Those are four things that could be market movers." The Fed has said elevated inflation, running over 5% at the consumer level recently, is just temporary. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect another hot reading for the consumer price index, with core inflation rising 0.4% or 4.3% year over year. The CPI is released Wednesday. Headline inflation was at 5.4% in June, and core, excluding food and energy, was at 4.5%. "That 0.4% follows a 0.9% rise in June," Bleakley Advisory Group chief investment officer Peter Boockvar said. "Then you get PPI Thursday and import prices Friday. Import prices have been running hot and import prices are expected to be up 10.5% year-over-year. That follows over 11% the month before." Economists said if there is another strong employment report for August, then that would support the Fed moving to start tapering its bond-buying program. But one wild card for the economy is the course of the latest Covid outbreak and whether it will crimp economic activity and hiring. In making a case that inflation is fleeting, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has pointed to what seems to be a temporary sharp jump in used car prices, and also the decline in lumber prices after a sharp run-up. The Fed's target for inflation is 2%, but policymakers said they will tolerate an average range around 2% before acting, as long as inflation does not stay too high for too long. watch now "Used car prices are beginning to show signs of moderation. I'll argue that 'you show me used car prices, and I'll show you rent [rising],'" Boockvar said. "'You show me a drop in lumber prices. I'll show you a 10-year high in aluminum prices.' Look at natural gas. It's at a six-year high. It's broad based." A protracted period of inflation would harm the economy and negatively affect stocks. Corporations so far have been passing along rising costs to their customers in the form of higher prices, but if they can no longer do that at some point, profit margins will shrink. Fed speakers There are a few Federal Reserve officials speaking in the week ahead. Market pros are looking to them to help clarify the central bank's intentions on tapering. The expectation is that the Fed will announce in September or later in the fall that it will taper back its $120 billion a month bond program, starting at the end of the year or early next year. The tapering is expected to be gradual and continue for 10 months or more. The Fed's own forecasts show its first rate hikes happening in 2023. More information could come from the Fed when officials gather for their annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the end of the month. But action is not expected to be taken until the September meeting or later. "We have two voters Monday who are speaking and that's important. Both lean toward tapering," Boockvar said. "You could add a few more voices to this," he said. "It could be a showdown between [Fed Governor] Lael Brainard and [Chicago Fed President] Charles Evans on one side and [Fed Governor Christopher] Waller and some of these Fed presidents on the other." The bond market has responded to the idea that the Fed could wind down its bond buying policy. The 10-year Treasury yield crept up to 1.29% Friday afternoon, after hitting a low of 1.13% during the week. Yields, which move opposite price, had been moving lower on a number of factors, including concerns about Covid disrupting the economy. NatWest's John Briggs said the 10-year yield may now be moving to a new higher range, following the jobs report. "Maybe you're now instead of a 1.10% to 1.30% range you're in a 1.20% to 1.40%. Maybe you're shifting the range a little higher," he said. Briggs said the bond market will be impacted if the inflation number is hotter than expected. "I think it will matter. I've always thought the inflation story is the real story anyway. We have rents picking up in the back half of the year. That's going to keep inflation above 3%. That's going to be a challenge to the Fed," he said. As for stocks, State Street's Arone expects the market to continue to "grind higher." The Dow and S&P 500 closed at new records Friday. The Dow gained 0.8% for the week, finishing at 35,208, while the S&P 500 edged up 0.9% to 4,436. The Nasdaq rose 1.1% for the week to 14,835. Earnings continue to roll out in the coming week, but the volume of the releases drops off dramatically. Reports are expected from Walt Disney , eBay, Wendy's and others. "Earnings season, we'll be putting behind us. It was stellar. Then we have sort of a vacuum between earnings and Jackson Hole," Arone said. "The market has seemed to take the variant news in stride, but investors are cautious," he said. "The jobs number does help alleviate some of those growth scare concerns, concerns about the slowdown in growth. Numbers like this certainly help investors with their anxiety about that." Week ahead calendar

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/15/pfizer-subsidiaries-agree-to-pay-345-million-in-epipen-settlement.html

VTRS

Viatris

Pfizer, subsidiaries agree to pay $345 million in EpiPen settlement

Pfizer and two of its subsidiaries have agreed to pay $345 million under a proposed settlement to resolve lawsuits over EpiPen price hikes. In documents filed Thursday in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, the New York-based Pfizer and its subsidiaries — Maryland-based Meridian Medical Technologies and Tennessee-based King Pharmaceuticals — asked the court to grant preliminary approval to the settlement, Kansas City's NPR station KCUR-FM reported. The litigation dates to 2016, when numerous class-action lawsuits were filed around the country alleging that the companies engaged in anticompetitive conduct related to EpiPen. The cases were transferred to the Kansas court because of its centralized location. Mylan, a Pennsylvania-based company that is also a defendant in the litigation, owns the rights to the EpiPen brand, but the devices are manufactured by Pfizer. EpiPens, which are auto-injectable devices that deliver the drug epinephrine, are used for emergency treatment of a life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. When Mylan acquired the right to market and distribute the devices in 2007, an EpiPen package cost about $100. Today, it costs more than $650 without pharmacy coupons or manufacturer discounts. The proposed settlement comes three weeks after U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree dismissed most of the claims against Mylan. But he allowed other antitrust claims against the company to proceed to trial, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 7. A Pfizer spokesperson denied any wrongdoing in an email to KCUR, saying the resolution reflects a desire by the company to avoid "the distraction of continued litigation and focus on breakthroughs that change patients' lives." Rex Sharp, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said his clients were pleased that Pfizer had agreed to the settlement, noting it would still need the court's approval. He said they look forward to going to trial on the remaining claims against Mylan. When Crabtree dismissed most of the claims against Mylan, he also granted a summary judgment to Mylan's former CEO, Heather Bresch, the daughter of Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Most of the price hikes occurred during her tenure. She stepped down in 2020 following Mylan's merger with Pfizer's Upjohn unit to form Pennsylvania-based Viatris.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-premarket-marriott-coty-biontech-tyson-foods-more.html

VTRS

Viatris

Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Marriott, Coty, BioNTech, Tyson Foods & more

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Marriott (MAR) – Marriott earned an adjusted 10 cents per share for the first quarter, beating the 3 cent consensus estimate, with the hotel operator's revenue very slightly below forecasts. Marriott said it was seeing a rebound in demand as more people receive Covid-19 vaccinations. Shares fell 1.2% in premarket trading. Coty (COTY) – Coty reported a breakeven fiscal third quarter, matching analysts' estimates, with revenue in line with estimates as well. Sales were 3.3% below year-ago levels as European lockdowns muted demand for Coty's cosmetics. Energizer Holdings (ENR) – Energizer shares rose 1.7% in premarket action, after the company reported adjusted quarterly earnings of 77 cents per share compared with the 60 cent consensus estimate. Revenue also beat projections, and the maker of batteries and other household products raised its full-year forecast. US Foods (USFD) – The food distributor's stock was up 1% in the premarket, after it beat estimates by 7 cents with adjusted quarterly earnings of 12 cents per share. Revenue also topped estimates despite pandemic-related pressure on sales volume. The bottom line was helped by lower expenses. BioNTech (BNTX) – The drug maker beat estimates on both the top and bottom lines for the first quarter, helping its stock surge by 8.7% in premarket action. BioNTech also said there's no current evidence that points to the need to adapt its Covid-19 vaccine to emerging variants of the virus, although it is prepared to do so if necessary. Tyson Foods (TSN) – The beef and poultry producer earned an adjusted $1.34 per share for its fiscal second quarter, beating the $1.12 consensus estimate, with revenue also above forecasts. Tyson said it expects its chicken segment to continue to experience some pressure due to a challenging labor environment and severe winter weather. Viatris (VTRS) – Viatris shares added 2.6% premarket trading despite slightly lower-than-expected profit. Sales beat estimates and the healthcare company declared its first quarterly dividend of 11 cents per share. Viatris was created last year by a merger of Pfizer's Upjohn unit and generic drug maker Mylan. Freeport McMoran (FCX), Hecla Mining (HL), Southern Copper (SCCO) – These and other copper mining companies are getting a boost as copper prices hit record highs on tight supply and expectations of high demand. Freeport-McMoran rose 3.3% in the premarket, while Hecla jumped 3.6% and Southern Copper jumped 3.4%. Simon Property (SPG) – The mall operator and Authentic Brands are buying apparel retailer Eddie Bauer from private equity firm Golden Gate Capital for an undisclosed amount. Eddie Bauer will join several other well-known brand names owned by the two companies, including Aeropostale, Forever 21 and Brooks Brothers. AstraZeneca (AZN) — AstraZeneca may skip applying to the FDA for emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. It would instead focus on the more lengthy full-approval process. Box Inc. (BOX) – Activist investor Starboard Value is putting up a minority directors slate for the board of software company Box, according to a Bloomberg report. Starboard owns an 8% stake in Box, but does not feel that performance has improved sufficiently since it invested in 2019. Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) – Live Nation was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Jefferies, which said a 13% pullback has provided an attractive entry point for the concert and live event promoter. Jefferies calls Live Nation a "pure-play recovery" and long-term growth story, and the company's shares added 1.3% in premarket trading. Intel (INTC) – UK competition regulators have begun a formal inquiry into the proposed acquisition of Intel's flash memory and solid state hard drive businesses by South Korea's SK Hynix. Intel agreed to sell the units to Hynix in October for about $9 billion. Regulators want to determine if the transaction would lead to a substantial lessening of competition.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/dow-futures-higher-as-index-looks-to-set-another-record-ether-tops-4000.html

VTRS

Viatris

What to watch today: Dow futures higher as index looks to set another record, ether tops $4,000

In this article NA-CA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT BY THE NUMBERS IN THE NEWS TODAY STOCKS TO WATCH

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/29/cramer-lightning-round-southwest-air-is-a-buy.html

VTRS

Viatris

Cramer's lightning round: Southwest Air is a buy

Northern Genesis Acquisition : "I happen to be very partial right now to Tesla ." JetBlue Airways : "You don't want to buy JetBlue. You're buying Southwest Air , symbol LUV. [CEO] Gary Kelly, best operator." Genworth Financial : "It's a risky stock. I have a life insurance policy with them. That's about as close as I want to get to them." Viatris : "Nothing to see. Keep moving on. ... That's a cats-and-dogs stock, and I'd rather see you in Petco." General Electric : "Once people start flying again, which they're starting to do, this is going to be one. You know I like Honeywell very much. I think they're both great stocks." J2 Global : "You own the one that Vivek Shah is staying with. He's one of the greatest business people I have ever met, honest as the day is long and terrific." Avient Corp : "I have not looked at that specific plastic company. I do like all the plastic companies. I like Dow as my favorite."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/11/cramer-lightning-round-hold-onto-nvidia.html

VTRS

Viatris

Cramer's lightning round: Hold onto Nvidia

Tortoise Energy : "That group has been horrendous. They all started bottoming at the same time that oil bottomed and they're coming back. I would just hold onto it, but I don't know exactly what's in it because … it's kind of a holding company." Nano Dimension : "If I want 3D print I'd be going to HPQ . … it's a crowded field." United Airlines : "I think United is a coiled spring, but you're going to have to deal with a couple real bad quarters. So I say put it on hold, you don't have to chase it." Nvidia : "I say hold onto Nvidia." Fastly : "I think Fastly – it had a decent quarter, not a great quarter." JD.com : "JD had a great quarter … I'm starting to warm up to JD." Viatris : "I think you should be in Bristol-Myers ."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/28/budget-of-millennial-millionaire-who-saves-80percent-of-his-income.html

VICI

Vici Properties

The budget breakdown of a 27-year-old millionaire who brings in $615,000 and owns 6 properties

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people around the world and details how they earn, spend and save their money. Todd Baldwin has always wanted to make a lot of money. "I was raised by a single mom, and I watched her struggle working four jobs to try to feed three kids," the 27-year-old self-made millionaire tells CNBC Make It. "She was worried all the time about money. I saw it. I could feel it." Baldwin didn't want to experience the same financial stress when he grew up, so at 12, he started working. His first job was shoveling manure for $3 an hour: "I came home one day, and I counted up six dollars worth of quarters. At the time, it was more money than I had ever seen. Since that moment I was like, I've got to make millions of dollars." He achieved that goal at 25 when his net worth crossed $1 million, thanks to smart real estate investing with his wife, Angela. Today, he brings in $615,000 annually thanks to a mix of income from rental properties, his day job working in commercial insurance sales and the extra cash he makes as a secret shopper. After real estate expenses, his take-home pay is closer to $305,000. Angela brings in another six figures from her 9-to-5, a paycheck they almost entirely save. The Baldwins live "very comfortably," he says. But he still has lofty money goals: By 35, he wants his net worth to hit $10 million. Todd Baldwin brings in $615,000 a year. CNBC Make It That's one of the reasons he and Angela live well below their means. "Although our net worth is seven figures, we don't do a lot of the typical things that most people envision millionaires doing," says Baldwin, who wears a $12 rubber wedding band. "We are super frugal." They have roommates, drive a 2009 Ford Focus and their monthly food bill rarely exceeds $25, thanks to all the free meals they get as "secret shoppers." Because Baldwin keeps his expenses so low, he's able to save more than 80% of his take-home pay, he tells CNBC Make It: "Out of the $615,000 I bring in, I invest almost all of that back into more real estate, so I don't actually see a lot of it." Here's a closer look at how he earns, spends and saves his money. What he earns Here's a breakdown of Baldwin's typical monthly income as of December 2019. His day job After dropping out of Western Washington University in 2014, Baldwin landed a sales job in the commercial insurance industry. His starting salary was $50,000, but after several high-performing months, he doubled it to $100,000 in less than a year. Today, his salary from his day job is $150,000. Real estate income The bulk of Baldwin's revenue, though, comes from real estate. He and his wife own six rental properties worth over $4 million and bring in about $460,000 per year in rent, or $38,300 per month. After expenses, including mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and utilities, they keep about $150,000 of that per year, or $12,500 a month. Baldwin and his wife bought their first property when they were 23. They were looking to rent but the prices in Seattle were too high. Instead, they decided to buy their own place and rent out the extra bedrooms to offset the cost. Their first place cost $506,000 when they bought it in December 2015. They had enough in savings to put $19,000 down, about 3.5%. Nine months later, they bought their second property, "and it just kept snowballing," says Baldwin. "Now, we have a total of six houses." Today, their real estate portfolio is valued at $4.4 million. They owe about $3.1 million in mortgages, and those costs are being covered by their many tenants. Rather than renting out each house to a single tenant, they rent out each bedroom. This takes a lot of upfront work, Baldwin says, from showing the rooms to potential tenants and making sure roommate personalities match up to ensuring all the rent gets paid on time each month: "When I first started out, I was working 16-hour days. It's a lot less than that now, but we had to sacrifice a lot to get to where we are today." His long-term goal is to own 6,000 apartment units by the time he's 60. "At an average of $1,500 apiece, that would be $9 million a month," he calculates. Todd and Angela converted their garage into a studio apartment and rent it out on Airbnb. Source: Todd Baldwin Secret shopping Baldwin earns another $5,000 a year from secret shopping. "There are a lot of businesses out there that want to know how their employees are doing and how the market is responding to their products," Baldwin explains. "So those companies will hire mystery shopping firms to find independent contractors like me to go pose at their establishment as a regular customer, buy the product or service and then report on it." He started mystery shopping in college, when he was first dating his wife. "I wanted to take her out, but I didn't have any money," he recalls. "So I started researching ways to get free food and free entertainment, and I found this thing called secret shopping." At first, "I thought it was a total scam," he admits. After all, besides getting reimbursed for dining out, going grocery shopping, seeing a movie, even visiting hotels and casinos, you get paid for your time. He tried it out anyways and got a check in the mail two weeks later. Ever since, he and Angela have been getting paid to go on dates. "To date, I've made just over $30,000 from secret shopping," he says. "And the best part is, it's all things that my wife and I would normally do anyway. We're going to go out to dinner, we're going to go out to the movies. Now, we're just getting paid to do it." How he budgets Of the $615,000 Baldwin brings in, a chunk of that goes toward business expenses, including mortgage payments, taxes and insurance. Another big slice goes directly to savings — and a sliver goes toward personal expenses for him and his wife. Here's a breakdown of his and his Angela's shared personal expenses, which they pay for with his income. As for Angela's six-figure income, they save most of that in a bank account. It acts as their "travel fund" if they ever want to plan a trip. The numbers reflect their spending activity as of December 2019. Baldwin and his wife live in a duplex in Burien, Washington, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Seattle, that they bought for $900,000 in August 2019. Their mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, is $4,700 per month, but the costs are entirely covered by income they earn from renting out rooms in the house. They make $3,000 per month in rent from the second half of the duplex and another $1,500 per month from the garage, which they converted into a studio apartment. The garage attached to Baldwin's duplex, before it was converted into a studio. Source: Todd Baldwin Plus, they rent out two of the bedrooms in their half of the duplex, one for $1,200 and the other for $800. That's $6,500 in rental income, which means they net roughly $1,800 a month. Gym memberships: $130 Baldwin, who boxed in high school, pays $100 to train at a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym. Plus, he's a member of LA Fitness, which costs $30 a month. "It's well worth it because your health is your wealth," he says. "It doesn't make sense to be the richest man in the graveyard." The couple shares one car, a 2009 Ford Focus, which they paid off four years ago. Baldwin spends about $80 a month filling up the tank, and then gets oil changes and other basic maintenance procedures reimbursed through secret shopping programs. He even gets free gas sometimes. Baldwin and his wife share a 2009 Ford Focus. CNBC Make It He plans to upgrade his car in a few years. "I'm not a showy or flashy guy, but I do want the Tesla Roadster," says Baldwin. "I want it because it's the fastest car in the world. I've got a lot of places to be and zero time to waste." While he says he could afford the $200,000 car today, he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't buy a luxury car in his 20s. But the day he turns 30, he says, he'll make the splurge. Thanks to secret shopping, the couple spend just about $25 a month on food: "90 to 95% of our restaurant budget is covered by mystery shopping," he says, adding: "Every once in a while, we'll want to go somewhere a little bit more exotic that doesn't have a mystery shopping program." He even gets paid to stock his fridge and pantry, once earning "$350 to get $70 worth of groceries from Trader Joe's," he says. This particular meal was completely free. They even got paid to eat it, through a secret shopping program. CNBC Make It Anyone can become a secret shopper, but you have to put in the time before landing the best-value gigs. One of Baldwin's first experiences was at fast-food chain Five Guys, he recalls: "I got a free meal, plus about $4 worth of profit, so it wasn't that big. That's where you're going to start, with places like Five Guys or Panda Express. But eventually, as you get a good reputation and your ranking increases, you can get really high-end restaurants." Credit card annual fees: $6 Baldwin has 13 credit cards. "I don't carry balances on any of them," he says. "I use a strategy called credit card churning, which is when you open up a new credit card, take advantage of that new account bonus, pay it off completely and then rinse-and-repeat with the next card." He doesn't spend money he wouldn't normally spend just to cash in on the rewards, he notes: "For example, when we were converting our garage apartment into an Airbnb, I knew that there were going to be expenses with that, so I opened up a new credit card where if you spend a $1,000 in the first three months, you get $200 cash back. "I'm not telling anyone to go out of their way to spend $1,000 to make $200 — that's an $800 loss — but for us, we would have spent that $1,000 anyway, so we might as well take advantage of the $200 we can get in cash back." Among his 13 cards, one has an annual fee, a travel rewards card, which he pays about $6 a month for. Todd and Angela Baldwin Todd Baldwin Insurance: $550 (car, health, life) Utilities and Wi-Fi: $300 Phone: $67 Subscriptions: $30 (Netflix, Hulu) How he saves Baldwin sets aside about 80% of his take-home pay in various accounts. Every month, he puts $8,000 in a high-yield savings account for future real estate purchases; another $5,000 goes into a separate high-yield savings account for retirement; plus, he maxes out two IRAs and two 401(k)s — his and his wife's — and a health savings account (HSA). In 2019, he put $6,000 in both his and his wife's IRAs, $19,500 in both of their 401(k) plans and $7,100 in his HSA. Any extra money they have left at the end of each month goes toward savings or a vacation. It helps that he brings in a lot of revenue from his real estate holdings, but in order to save so much, "we've put a lot of fun on hold," says Baldwin. "In our early 20s, we were sacrificing a lot of time, a lot of vacations and all the fun things that most people do in their 20s. Now that we're at a point where we can kind of take a step back and enjoy it. We definitely want to travel the world, I want to buy my Tesla Roadster when I'm 30 and we want to have a lot more fun." The couple, whose net worth is closer to $1.5 million today, "could probably retire now," says Baldwin, but an early retirement doesn't interest him just yet. "Our goals are so much loftier than that — I want my 6,000 apartments by the age of 60." Plus, "I don't know if I'm ever the type of person to truly retire in the traditional sense," he adds. Todd and Angela met in college and got married in 2018. Source: Todd Baldwin He'd be fine taking a step back from work though when he and his wife start a family, which they want to do in the next couple of years. "It's nice knowing that we can pay for their college, and we can go on family vacations, but the biggest thing is being able to be a present father," says Baldwin. "There's no need for me to go spend eight hours a day in an office if I don't want to, because we built systems, we built businesses and we have enough passive income so if I want to be home with the kids and be there for every ballet recital or little league game, I can. That was a huge motivation. That's why I sacrificed so much of my time in my early 20s." What the expert says CNBC Make It spoke to Ashley M. Fox, founder of Empify and a personal finance coach with experience managing the assets of high net worth individuals, to get her thoughts on what Baldwin is doing right with his money and where he could improve. Ashley M. Fox, personal finance coach and founder of Empify. Source: Lishwitthecamera Photography He can create more specific savings goals Baldwin is smart to use a high-yield savings account, where your money can grow much more than in a standard savings account that offers negligent returns, says Fox. To take his finances to the next level, though, he should open multiple accounts for specific savings goals. For example, since he and his wife want to start a family one day, they should start an account specifically for the costs associated with having a kid. When it comes to figuring out how much to save for a your first kid, work backwards, says Fox: "Start to picture and create that life with a child. Start planning the nursery. Think about what kind of house you want to live in. Start to paint the picture of what you want, without money being an issue, and then reverse engineer it to figure out how much it's going to cost to give your child this life." Next, begin setting aside a certain amount of money each month, or every time your paycheck lands, in order to reach that amount by the time you need it. Todd and Angela plan to start a family in the next few years. Source: Todd Baldwin You can use a similar strategy for other goals. If you're saving up for a car or home, think about what your life will look like with it and what new expenses will come into play. For a car, you'll need to factor in gas and maintenance. For a home, think about the cost of insurance, taxes and renovations. Once you have a dollar amount in mind, start saving. Ideally, you'll have a separate account for every goal, adds Fox. He should consider opening a brokerage account Baldwin is doing a great job of maxing out his retirement accounts, says Fox. And while it's OK to keep some of his money across high-yield savings accounts, it shouldn't be the only place he stashes his cash. Fox recommends he open a brokerage account so he can invest in the stock market, where the returns will likely be much greater than those from a high-interest savings account. "If he's happy with where his money is invested in his IRA and his 401(k), he can duplicate that same strategy — he can take those same investments and put them in a brokerage account," she explains. "For example, if he has Vanguard's S&P 500 fund in his IRA, he can take that same investment, and he can also invest it in his brokerage account." Unlike an IRA or 401(k), there's no cap on how much money you can put in a brokerage account. Plus, the money is more accessible, notes Fox: "You have access to your brokerage account tomorrow if you want." The money in his retirement accounts, on the other hand, is tied up — he can't touch it before age 59 ½ without owing a penalty. Fox also cautions him about having the majority of his money invested in properties. "If times get rough," says Fox, "you can't sell a property tomorrow, but you can sell a stock today." He's ambitious, but he can think bigger Baldwin is a "dreamer," says Fox, and that's a good thing. "He's very ambitious. He doesn't want to stay where he is." That said, he shouldn't be focused so much on the age at which he wants to accomplish his financial goals. Rather than setting the goal of having 6,000 apartment units by age 60, for example, he should start with a dollar amount, Fox says: "Ask: What do I want to have coming in on a consistent basis for me to feel comfortable and to accommodate my lifestyle?" Once he answers that question, he can work backwards to figure out what it will take to generate that amount of income — and he might be able to get there a lot sooner than age 60. "I think he's selling himself short by making his goal by 60," she adds. "What if you can get to that point in life in the next 10 years?" Baldwin, 27, became a millionaire at age 25 CNBC Make It

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/22/property-brothers-advice-for-the-68-percent-of-millennials-who-would-buy-a-fixer-upper.html

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68% of millennials would buy a fixer-upper—here's how the Property Brothers say you can avoid regret

Buying fixer-uppers are definitely "a way to stretch a budget," Drew Scott, co-host of HGTV's "Property Brothers," tells CNBC Make It: "You're not going to pay that maximum price for all the work someone else did, you'll put that sweat equity in yourself." That said, first-time buyers especially should be cautious before jumping into a major home overhaul. Don't assume a fixer-upper will end up being the cheapest route. The Scotts say they've seen lots of owners buy fixer-uppers and end up with regrets, usually because they weren't properly prepared for the work and costs that go into renovations, not to mention the aggravation. Data backs them up. As many as one in three people say they regret their home remodeling projects, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Scyon Walls. The same survey found that one in four renovation projects go over budget, while about 20 percent take longer than expected. "Almost everything stems from a lack of education — whether it's the education of what financial products are best for you, or education on what products to put in your home for renovation, or how to do the renovation," Drew tells CNBC Make It. So if you are going to undertake renovating a fixer-upper, Drew and Jonathan have a few tips on how to do it right and avoid regrets. Drew and Jonathan Scott of HGTV's "Property Brothers." Courtesy HGTV | Property Brothers 1. Budget appropriately Regardless of the size and scope of the renovation your new home needs, you should be aware of what you're getting into before making an offer. That means making sure you've budgeted for renovation costs from the outset. Overall, about four in 10 millennial home-buyers felt they made poor financial choices when it came to purchasing their home and ended up spending too much, according to a 2018 survey of property owners aged 21-34 by Bank of the West. And one in five said they were frustrated by damages they found after moving in. The average homeowner typically spends just under $43,000 to remodel multiple rooms in their home, according to Home Advisor. Areas like the kitchen and bathroom can be the biggest projects. The cost of an average kitchen renovation is about $20,500, while a bathroom usually runs between $6,000 and $14,000. Setbacks and extra, unanticipated costs can cause grief for home-buyers who haven't budgeted for them. That's why design site FreshHome recommends adding 15-20 percent on top of any estimate. 2. Spend wisely No matter the project, it's important to spend your money wisely. To that end, the Scotts say it's important to keep the function and flow of a room in mind when renovating. "Don't just think of the aesthetics," Drew says. A lot of first-time home-buyers prioritize the details of a room like a beautiful light fixture, or the counter-tops, or the furniture. Instead, spend on ways that will maximize the use of the space, he says. Owners frequently run into this problem when they try to remodel a kitchen. "People say, 'I want to add value to my house, I want to have a beautiful kitchen,' and they have some closed-in, dated layout," Drew says. But if you tear out old cabinets and put in new ones in the same bad layout, "then all you have is a new crappy kitchen," he says.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/11/manhattan-real-estate-is-the-most-expensive-in-the-us-per-square-foo.html

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Manhattan real estate is the most expensive in the US per square foot with some properties topping $10,000: Study

Move over San Francisco — the Big Apple tops Silicon Valley as most expensive place to live in the United States, a new study shows. Per square foot, real estate in Manhattan is the most expensive in the United States, with the average property in the borough eclipsing all other locals. Based on that metric, some city properties even top $10,000, according to a report published Thursday by real estate and data analytics firm NeighborhoodX. A doorman walks under an awning of a residential building on Park Avenue in New York. Scott Eells | Bloomberg | Getty Images That beats San Francisco — widely viewed as one of the frothiest housing markets in the country — by a mile, the data revealed. In fact, real estate in New York City's central borough is more than twice as expensive as any other city in the US when measured on a per square foot basis, the report shows. Manhattan real estate is an average of $1,773 per square foot, according to NeighborhoodX. The next most expensive area on a per square foot basis is San Francisco, which averages $902 per square foot. That's followed by Boston at $586 per square foot, Washington D.C. at $515 and Miami Beach at $504. Of particular note, the most expensive property in Manhattan is $10,054 per square foot, with just a handful of ritzy units commanding that astronomical sum, the report said. Chart courtesy NeighborhoodX While Manhattan has the most expensive property per square foot, it also has a wide range in prices: In the more northern parts of Manhattan, real estate prices drop significantly. In the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, for example, prices average a much more reasonable $447 per square foot. A city like Portland, Oregon, by contrast, does not have nearly the same range in square foot prices, where prices can swing from $98 per square foot on the low end, to $1,053 at the upper level. That's a range of less than $1,000 per square foot, compared to the more than $9,500 price range per square foot in Manhattan. For the report, NeighborhoodX used data from asking prices of market-rate properties currently listed for sale, but does not include outliers such as foreclosures, short-sales and income and age restricted housing. See also: Self-made real estate millionaire: How to get into real estate on a $40,000 salary How this self-made millionaire went from janitor to real estate mogul, outselling the pros 100-to-1 Home prices make the biggest jump in four years watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/13/property-brothers-dont-make-3-renovation-mistakes-homeowners-regret.html

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Property Brothers: Don't make these 3 renovation mistakes that homeowners regret

Nearly nine out of 10 millennial homebuyers bought a property that was previously owned last year, as opposed to something newly constructed, according to the National Association of Realtors. About the same percentage are planning some kind of renovation, according to the 2018 Chase housing sentiment survey, and almost 70 percent estimate they will spend at least $20,000 on these projects. Drew and Jonathan Scott, hosts of HGTV's "Property Brothers," are property and home renovation experts. Having supervised hundreds of projects, they've seen owners make their fair share of mistakes and end up with regrets. "It's not a good feeling when you realize that, in hindsight, you put a bunch of your hard-earned money into the wrong place," Jonathan tells CNBC Make It. Getting a home that needs work and then taking on the improvement is definitely one way to stretch a budget. "You're not going to pay that maximum price for all the work someone else did, you'll put that sweat equity in yourself," Drew says. But before you pick up the hammer or schedule an appointment with a contractor, the Scott Brothers suggest you make a plan to avoid these extremely common home renovation mistakes. Going over budget About four in 10 millennials are homeowners, according to a survey of over 600 millennials (age 21-34) by Bank of the West. Yet 68 percent of those feel buyer's remorse — almost double the share of Baby Boomers who say the same. Many of those regrets stem from buyers' financial choices. "A lot of millennials have this dream idea of what they want — they're not just looking to get the starter home that's builder basic, they want everything," Drew says. "They jump in and spend more on what they can't quite afford. Then, month to month, they can't afford that house anymore." One way to keep to your budget, whether you're buying or renovating, is to take the emotion out of it, Jonathan says: "People shouldn't look at a home as an emotional thing, they should look at it as a business investment." What can you change about your home that will actually solve a problem and address your needs? Focus on that. Make sure you secure a loan that works for you, too. "Being smart in real estate is not just about renovating the home so it's worth more money so you have equity in your pocket, it's about being smart on the financing," Jonathan says. Skimping on materials "Sometimes people think that they're going to save money, so they go with cheap materials," Jonathan says. A good example of this is flooring, he says. But cheap flooring doesn't last and costs you in the long run: "It will wear out fast and you'll have to replace it again — you actually end up spending more money." That doesn't mean you have to spring for hardwood floors, though. Some single-board laminate floors are indistinguishable from real wood, and laminate is much more likely to last. "There are products you can use that are not crazy expensive and they'll have the durability," Jonathan says. Since every room is a little different, in general, the brothers recommend spending on an anchor piece of furniture so you get the right piece. Then you can accent that and fill out the design in a less expensive way. The bedroom is the simplest place to make over because you don't have expensive fixtures or plumbing. You just need a good bed. The rest of the room you can design using affordable solutions. Missing the forest for the trees

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/01/study-neighborhoods-with-these-names-have-the-highest-property-values.html

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Study: Neighborhoods with these words have the highest property values

Health and Wellness If you answer yes to these 15 questions, you are happier than most people, says longevity expert

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/14/european-hostel-chain-generator-opening-first-us-property-in-miami.html

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Europe's biggest luxe hostel chain is opening its first US property in Miami for $20 a night

Want a cheap Miami vacation? Generator, a lifestyle and design-driven hostel chain based in Europe, is opening August 15 in Miami Beach with rooms as low as $20 for a bed in a shared room or $95 for a private room with private bathroom — and it has all the bells and whistles of a luxury boutique hotel. Right on Miami's famous Collins Avenue and one block from the beach, Generator Miami transformed a classic 1940s condo into a hip hostel bathed in neon lights, surrounded by palm trees and furnished with bespoke furniture. The main mural on the facade facing the swimming pool has been designed and painted by South African artist Chris Aurett, famed for his Mandela paintings and murals, street art and work at Afrika Burn, the Burning Man regional event in Africa. Conde Nast Traveler calls Generator "Europe's hostel for grown-ups." Guests can expect 300 beds in 105 rooms where 65 percent of the rooms are private/non-shared. In comparison, 20 percent of rooms are private at the similar luxe hostel the Freehand in South Beach, according to Conde Nast Traveler. There is also a restaurant and bar scene at Generator, with star Miami mixologist Gui Jaroschy curating the cocktail menu and chef Daniel Roy, who worked at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Matador Room at Edition Miami, helming Generator's kitchen. There will be three food and beverage venues, including a lobby restaurant serving South Florida cuisine with fresh ingredients. The outdoor pool, the first pool for a Generator property, will feature 24/7 programming, from poolside yoga classes to mixology demonstrations.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/24/hamptons-bespoke-selling-8-figure-properties-to-the-wealthy.html

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Hamptons' Bespoke: Selling 8-figure properties to the wealthy

The Hamptons is a playground for the wealthy. In the pricey Long Island enclave, where the average home price is above $1 million, two millennial brothers have managed to make a name for themselves — racking up more than $500 million worth of property sales in less than two years. Since launching Bespoke Real Estate in 2014, Zachary and Cody Vichinsky have become major players in the luxury real estate market, honing in on properties valued at $10 million or more. Before going off on their own, the brothers — who hail from a family of developers and were exposed to the industry at a very young age — worked in the Hamptons at the Corcoran Group's Bridgehampton real estate firm. They were the top-producing agents when they saw a need for a more tailored, sophisticated approach to buying and selling high-end real estate. Zachary and Cody Vichinsky, Bespoke Real Estate Source: Bespoke When the duo started their own agency, selling property to the same kind of clientele, they added a concierge feel, with perks such as personalized iPads loaded with information about prospective homes and chartered helicopter services from Manhattan to the Hamptons. Fast forward nearly two years, and Bespoke is at the heart of at least 40 percent of the waterfront property sales above $10 million from Southampton to East Hampton, according to The Real Estate Report. "Bespoke really was a consequence of us saying, 'How can we really take this system and perfect it?'" said Zachary, 31. "The same type of service you get with a $200,000 house is what's being given — or what was being given — with a $200 million or a $10 million property." He said his firm aimed to "make it much better, make it much more organized, and much more conducive with the level of expectations that a buyer or seller has if they're purchasing a very expensive asset." Some of those assets are more expensive than others. Bespoke's listings include a $72 million waterfront mansion with 11 bedrooms and a heated pool, and an 8-acre, $29 million oceanfront estate with 10 bedrooms. Prices in the Hamptons have remained steady in the face of headwinds from the global economy, which have hit other rich markets like Miami. However, Bespoke insists not all luxury markets are the same, and the Hamptons is a world all its own.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/06/personal-finance-books-that-helped-one-millennial-earn-six-figures.html

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25-year-old who owns 5 properties shares the 2 personal finance books that helped him earn $230,000 last year

Chicago-based millennial Alex Sanchez earned more than $230,000 last year. The bulk of his income came from his day job: He works about 60 hours a week as an overhead lineman for an electrical utilities company. Between his $120,000 base salary, $10,000 annual bonus and overtime pay, he makes more than $200,000. The 25-year-old also brings in extra money from the lawn-care and snow-removal company he started, plus the five rental properties he owns and rents out. Sanchez, who has aspirations to be a millionaire by 30, says that two personal finance books have helped him get to where he is today. Growing up in what he describes as a lower-middle class household, he didn't know much about money until he was around 20. That's when he started reading personal finance books and watching videos on YouTube. Anyone can benefit from his two favorite money books, says Sanchez, who recently gifted them to his five tenants. He was planning on giving out the copies earlier this year but didn't get around to it until now — the pandemic motivated him, he tells CNBC Make It: "Now my eyes are opened up a little bit more and I'm like, I need to get these out there."

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/19/how-sidney-torres-finds-great-real-estate-deals.html

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Real estate mogul shares a surprisingly simple strategy to find the best property deals

After successfully flipping his first home while making just $40,000 a year, Sidney Torres got hooked on real estate. He used his profit to buy a property next door and, since then, the real estate mogul and self-made millionaire hasn't looked back. And, when it comes to picking the right properties, Torres has a surprisingly simple method. "A way to find really good deals in real estate is writing letters to the homeowner," he says in a new mini-series, "60 Seconds with Sidney." "I'd write 30 letters a week and I'd send it to these individuals saying: 'Your property fits the criteria properties that I like to rehab. If you're interested, call me.'" The strategy has worked for Torres: Since his first flip, he's developed more than $250 million in commercial and residential real estate.

https://www.cnbc.com/select/cant-make-mortgage-payment-what-to-do-assistance-programs/

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Can't make your mortgage? Here are some options

Contact your mortgage servicer Reach out to your mortgage servicer and discuss what options are available. They'll likely want to know what your finances look like and whether the issue is temporary or long-term, according to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), so have documentation handy. You might also want to connect with a housing counselor approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. They'll be able to offer no-cost advice and may suggest options your servicer doesn't. Review your budget Take a hard look at your finances to see if there's any spending you can direct toward your mortgage payments. If you can't make cuts, you might consider renting a part of your home or even taking out a personal loan. Budgeting apps are a great way to get a clear view of your expenses: PocketGuard analyzes your spending, lets you set savings goals and notifies you if you're about to go over budget. It also has a bill payment tracker and bill negotiation feature. PocketGuard Learn More Information about PocketGuard has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by PocketGuard prior to publication. Cost Upgrade to a Pocketguard Plus monthly subscription, for $12.99 per month, or a yearly subscription for $74.99 per year, which broken down equals $6.25 per month giving members an over all 50% savings. Standout features Taking into account your estimated income, upcoming expenses and savings goals, "In My Pocket" feature uses an algorithm to show how much you have available for everyday spending Categorizes your expenses Yes, but users can modify Links to accounts Yes, bank and credit cards Availability Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android) Security features Major bank-level encryption, PIN codes and biometrics like Touch ID and Face ID Terms apply. The You Need A Budget (YNAB) app lets users assign a category to every dollar that comes in. YNAB says new customers save an average of $600 in the first two months and $6,000 in the first year. You Need a Budget (YNAB) Learn More Cost 34-day free trial then $99 per year or $14.99 per month (college students who provide proof of enrollment get 12 months free) Standout features Instead of using traditional budgeting buckets, users allocate every dollar they earn to something (known as the "zero-based budgeting system" where no dollar is unaccounted for). Every dollar is assigned a "job," whether it's to go toward bills, savings, investments, etc. Categorizes your expenses No Links to accounts Yes, bank and credit cards Availability Offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android) Security features Encrypted data, accredited data centers, third-party audits and more Terms apply. Mortgage assistance There are private, state and federal programs to help homeowners with their mortgage payments. The Treasury Department's $9.96 billion Homeowner Assistance Fund was launched during the pandemic, but it's not limited to households impacted by COVID-19. There are income requirements, however, and the program is scheduled to sunset in 2026. You'll have to check if your state is still accepting applications. Most states have additional assistance programs, as do federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Keep an eye out for mortgage relief scammers, who may promise to change the terms of your loan or guarantee that you'll keep your house. According to the Federal Trade Commission, asking for payment upfront, a retainer fee or for the deed to your house to be transferred are all red flags. Mortgage forbearance Your servicer may agree to temporarily pause or reduce payments while you get your finances in order. A mortgage forbearance agreement lays out the terms of this arrangement, including how much time you'll have to bring your payments current. As part of the agreement, a lender agrees to hold off foreclosure proceedings. Forbearance periods can last up to 18 months, according to the CFPB, which can help with a short-term setback like a job loss or medical emergency. It's not a permanent solution, though, and your credit score may still take a hit. Loan modification While forbearance offers a temporary respite, modification can change the terms of your loan, the interest rate you pay or both. Borrowers typically request loan modification after a forbearance period, according to the CFPB, so you'll have to prove you're not at risk of defaulting again. You'll also need to provide pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns and other financial documents, as well as a hardship letter explaining your circumstances. According to Fannie Mae, borrowers may also request a modification if they've repeatedly been denied refinancing. If your loan is at least 115% of the value of your home, you may qualify for the Principal Reduction Alternative program, which can lower your monthly payment and interest rate. Like forbearance, loan modifications are reported to credit agencies and may affect your credit score. Repayment plan If your forbearance period is ending, your mortgage servicer might allow you to break up the missed payments into smaller amounts and repay them over months, rather than all at once. Unlike a loan modification, the terms and interest rate wouldn't change. This type of mortgage relief is available to borrowers after they've missed a payment or more, according to Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae's mortgage repayment calculator shows you what your repayment plan could look like. Mortgage refinance If you can refinance your home loan to a lower interest rate, it may lower your monthly payments. The largest mortgage lender in the U.S., Rocket Mortgage considers applicants with credit scores as low as 580 and offers no-closing-cost refinances. In 2023, J.D. Power ranked Rocket number one for client satisfaction for the ninth year in a row. Rocket Mortgage Refinance Learn More Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Apply online for personalized rates Types of loans Conventional loans, FHA loans, VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) and jumbo loans Fixed-rate Terms 8 – 29 years Adjustable-rate Terms Not disclosed Credit needed 580 if opting for FHA loan refinance or VA IRRRL; 620 for a conventional loan refinance Already have a mortgage through Rocket Mortgage or looking to start one? Check out the Rocket Visa Signature Card to learn how you can earn rewards While Rocket is entirely online, PNC Bank has branches in 23 states. In addition to cash-out refinancing, PNC offers conventional, government-backed and jumbo loans and borrowers can refinance their second home or investment properties. PNC Bank Learn More Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Apply online for personalized rates; fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages included Types of loans Conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, USDA loans, jumbo loans, HELOCs, Community Loan and Medical Professional Loan Terms 10 – 30 years Credit needed 620 Minimum down payment 0% if moving forward with a USDA loan Terms apply. Sell your home If other options aren't available, you may need to sell your home and either downsize or rent to keep your financial woes from compounding. In a short sale, you would sell the house for less than what remains on the mortgage. If your lender agrees, they would forgive the remainder of the loan. A short sale can significantly impact your credit score, but it might be the best choice if you can't wait for a good offer or if your mortgage is underwater. Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure Although you'd have to give up your house, a deed in lieu agreement enables you to avoid foreclosure, which can knock your credit score down by more than 100 points and make it difficult to buy another home. In exchange for surrendering the property, your lender would forgive the remainder of your mortgage, according to the CFPB. Some borrowers request a deed-in-lieu agreement when their mortgage is underwater. You'll lose any existing equity on the property and may have to pay tax on the forgiven loan balance. Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter! Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here. Find the right personal loan for you Bottom line If you're worried you won't be able to make your mortgage payments — or you are already behind — reach out to your mortgage servicer to discuss your options. Some may require you to surrender your home, but you would still avoid the stress and financial damage of a foreclosure. Why trust CNBC Select? At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every mortgage article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of mortgage products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date. Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/09/visa-mastercard-pause-work-on-new-payments-code-for-firearms-sellers.html

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Visa Inc.

Visa, Mastercard pause work on new payments code for firearms sellers

Top payment networks Visa and Mastercard said on Thursday they have paused work on implementing a new sales code for gun merchants, citing Republican pushback in various U.S. states on concerns about improper tracking of consumer behavior. The Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization approved the new merchant category code (MCC) in September to help detect suspicious firearms and ammunition sales to combat gun violence. Bills in several Republican-led states would bar or limit the use of the voluntary code. A Mastercard representative said on Thursday via email that such bills would cause "inconsistency" in how the code could be applied by merchants, banks and payment networks. "It's for that reason that we have decided to pause work on the implementation of the firearms-specific MCC," said the Mastercard representative, Seth Eisen. Visa also cited state bills as driving its decision. "There is now significant confusion and legal uncertainty in the payments ecosystem, and the state actions disrupt the intent of global standards. Accordingly, Visa is pausing implementation of the MCC," Visa said in a statement sent by a spokesperson. Discover Financial said in an emailed statement that it was removing the new MCC from its next network update planned for April in order "to continue alignment and interoperability with the industry." A representative for American Express , the third-largest payment network, did not immediately comment. The moves mark a setback for gun-control activists, though the payment networks stopped short of saying they would reject the code outright. All the top payment networks had said they would adopt the new code but only the smallest, Discover, had given a public timetable for doing so, in April, and said it was only following the lead of others. Bloomberg News earlier reported the implementation pauses by Visa and Mastercard, citing people familiar with the matter. Mastercard's Eisen noted the code would not allow banks to track specific items purchased by consumers. "We are committed to working with policymakers and elected officials to contribute to constructive solutions that address the gun violence issue, while respecting important constitutional rights and protections for lawful activities," he said. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, among the Republican critics of the new code, said in a statement on Thursday that "Visa and Mastercard came to the correct conclusion." "However, they shouldn't just 'pause' their implementation of this plan - they should end it definitively. Discover and American Express should do the same," he added.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/09/keybanc-upgrades-visa-and-mastercard-says-credit-card-stocks-will-continue-outperformance-in-2023.html

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Visa Inc.

KeyBanc upgrades Visa and Mastercard, says credit card stocks will continue outperformance in 2023

Visa and Mastercard will do well once again in 2023 after outperforming last year, according to KeyBanc. Analyst Josh Beck raised his rating to overweight from sector weight on each stock, saying both credit card companies will benefit as fintech grows to an embedded model used by merchants, businesses, consumers and issuers. "V/MA: upgrade to OW as our prior travel-related dislocation concerns have faded and new flows (e.g., P2P, B2B, etc.) beyond consumer card are improving the diversification and growth durability," Beck wrote in a Sunday note. Both payments companies outperformed in 2022, with shares of Visa down more than 3% for the year, and Mastercard over 2% lower. The analyst expects the growth runway will continue to unfold for both, as they see new payment flows in 2023. New flows revenue could represent more than 50% of growth through 2026 for Visa, according to the note. It can also rise to more than 40% of the business, up from roughly one-third last year. "Key drivers include VAS (issuer processing, gateway, fraud, analytics, tokens), B2B (commercial/virtual cards, X-border, AP/AR), Visa Direct (e.g., disbursements with customers including Stripe, Adyen, etc.) and other (e.g., government), which in our view enhances the diversity of growth beyond core carded B2C use cases," read the note. "VAS" refers to value-added services. Meanwhile, new flows revenue could account for more than 50% of growth for Mastercard through 2024, the analyst said. It could account for more than 50% of the business, up from more than 45% in 2021, the note read. "Key drivers include VAS (fraud, analytics, processing, consulting), B2B (commercial/virtual cards, RTP, AP/AR), Mastercard Send (e.g., disbursements with customers including Citi, PayPal, etc.) and other (e.g., Bill Pay), which in our view enhances the diversity of growth beyond core B2C use cases," the note read. Shares of Visa are implied to have roughly 3% downside to the analyst's price target of $210, raised from $187. Meanwhile, shares of Mastercard are expected to advance more than 15% to the analyst's $425 price target, which was increased from $305. Both stocks rose more than 1% in Monday premarket trading. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/31/brazils-jair-bolsonaro-applies-for-6-month-us-visitor-visa.html

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Visa Inc.

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro applies for 6-month U.S. visitor visa

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has filed a request for a six-month visitor visa to stay in the U.S., indicating he may have no immediate intention of returning home, where legal issues await. The application was first reported by The Financial Times, citing Bolsonaro's immigration lawyer, Felipe Alexandre. Contacted by The Associated Press, the lawyer's firm, AG Immigration, confirmed the report. Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida on Dec. 30, two days before the inauguration of his leftist rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The ceremony proceeded without incident, but a week later thousands of Bolsonaro's die-hard supporters stormed the capital and trashed the top government buildings demanding that Lula's election be overturned. Bolsonaro is being investigated for whether he had any role in inciting that uprising. It is just one of several probes targeting the former president and that pose a legal headache upon his eventual homecoming, and which could strip him of his eligibility in future races — or worse. For the first time in his more than three-decade political career as a lawmaker then as president, he no longer enjoys the special legal protection that requires any trial be held at the Supreme Court. It has been widely assumed — though not confirmed — that Bolsonaro entered the U.S. on an A-1 visa reserved for sitting heads of state. If so, he would have 30 days from the end of his presidential term to either leave the U.S. or adjust his status with the Department of Homeland Security. Meantime, the shape of his political future and his potential return to Brazil has been a matter of rumor and speculation. Bolsonaro's calculus appears to be to distance himself from the radicals whose destruction in the capital could implicate him in the short term, with the aim of some day returning to lead the opposition, said Mario Sérgio Lima, a political analyst at Medley Advisors. "He is giving it some time, staying away a bit from the country at a moment when he can begin to suffer legal consequences for his supporters' attitudes," said Lima. "I don't think the fact of him staying away is enough. The processes will continue, but maybe he thinks he can at least avoid some sort of revenge punishment."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/21/these-companies-set-to-report-earnings-next-week-have-a-record-of-beating-expectations-including-visa.html

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Visa Inc.

These companies set to report earnings next week have a record of beating expectations, including Visa

As earnings season continues in high swing next week, certain stocks may outperform after they announce their results. Technology earnings will be closely watched next week, as Wall Street continues to debate for how long the megacap tech rally can last. Google-parent Alphabet, Microsoft and Intel are among the names scheduled to release their earnings. Social media giant Meta is also set to report, along with chip maker NXP Semiconductor. Investors will also keep an eye on how consumer names such as Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble issue their forward outlook for insights on the state of the consumer. Companies whose quarterly results top analysts' estimates may see their shares rise in the resulting enthusiasm. Meanwhile, any names that miss expectations for the quarter could be at risk of a selloff. CNBC Pro screened for companies scheduled to report earnings next week and found the ones that have a history of outperforming analyst expectations. The following stocks have beat analyst expectations for earnings at least 70% of the time, and on average rise at least 1% following their earnings report, according to data from Bespoke Investment Group. Take a look at the names that made the list: Evercore Investment banking firm Evercore is set to announce earnings Wednesday before the bell. The company has topped estimates 78% and 80% of the time for earnings and revenue, respectively. The stock has risen an average of 1.3% within a day following its earnings announcements. This would further propel the stock from its 25.6% year-to-date jump. Shares have rallied more than 45% over the past 12 months. Visa Global payments company Visa , which is set to report Tuesday, has beaten earnings and revenue forecasts 95% and 89% of the time, respectively. The company's shares rise an average of 1% following its earnings. Oppenheimer recently reiterated its top pick designation on Visa despite some expected downsides from the resumption of student loan repayments later this year. Shares are up more than 15% in 2023. F5 Cloud services and security company F5 is one of the most consistent earnings outperformers on the list, with a record of beating expectations 85% of the time . Shares have added approximately 2% in the day following an earnings announcement. Shares are up almost 5% year to date but are down 4% over the past 12 months. The company will report results Monday after the main trading session. Logitech Computer peripherals manufacturer Logitech also made the list. The company has a 75% record of beating Wall Street's expectations during its quarterly earnings reports. Despite the tech share boom, the company has underperformed the broad market index in 2023, with shares gaining just 1.6% year to date. The company releases its quarterly results Monday after the bell. — CNBC's Michael Bloom and Fred Imbert contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/02/tech-layoffs-leave-visa-holders-scrambling-for-jobs-to-remain-in-us.html

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Visa Inc.

Tech layoffs send visa holders on frantic search for employment to avoid deportation

People take selfies in front of the logo of Facebook parent company Meta on November 9, 2022 in Menlo Park, California. Meta will lay off more than 11,000 staff, the company said on Wednesday. After years of seemingly boundless expansion, the U.S. tech industry has hit a wall. Companies are in cash preservation mode, leading to thousands of job cuts a month and a surge of layoffs in November. While the sudden loss of a paycheck can be devastating for anyone, especially during the holiday season, the recent wave of reductions is having an outsized impact on skilled workers who are living in the U.S. on temporary visas and are at risk of being sent home if they can't secure a new job in short order. Tech companies are among the employers with the most approvals for H-1B visas, which are granted to people in specialty occupations that often require a college degree and extra training. Silicon Valley has for years leaned on temporary visas issued by the government to employ thousands of foreign workers in technical fields such as engineering, biotech and computer science. That's a big reason tech companies have been outspoken in their defense of immigrants' rights. Workers on temporary visas often have 60 to 90 days to find a new gig so they can avoid being deported. "It's this amazing talent pool that the U.S. is fortunate to attract, and they're always living on the edge," said Sophie Alcorn, an immigration lawyer based in Mountain View, California, who specializes in securing visas for tech workers. "Many of them up are up against this 60-day grace period deadline. They have a chance to find a new job to sponsor them, and if they can't do that, they have to leave the U.S. So it's a stressful time for everybody." The already grim situation worsened in November, when Meta , Amazon , Twitter, Lyft , Salesforce , HP and DoorDash announced significant cuts to their workforces. More than 50,000 tech workers were let go from their jobs in November, according to data collected by the website Layoffs.fyi. Amazon gave staffers who were laid off 60 days to search for a new role inside the company, after which they'd be offered severance, according to a former Amazon Web Services employee who lost his job. The person spoke to CNBC on the condition of anonymity. In fiscal 2021, Amazon had the most approved petitions for H-1B visas, with 6,182, according to a National Foundation for American Policy review of U.S. immigration data. Google , IBM and Microsoft also ranked near the top of the list. The former AWS employee has been in the country for two years on student and employment visas. He said he was unexpectedly laid off at the beginning of November, just months after joining the company as an engineer. Despite Amazon informing him that he had 60 days to find another position internally, the person said his manager advised him to apply for jobs elsewhere due the company's pullback in hiring. Amazon said in November it's pausing hiring for its corporate workforce. An Amazon spokesperson didn't provide a comment beyond what CEO Andy Jassy said last month, when he told those affected by the layoffs that the company would help them find new roles. Companies generally aren't specifying what percentage of the people being laid off are on visas. A search for "layoffs H1B" on LinkedIn surfaces a stream of posts from workers who recently lost their jobs and are expressing concern about the 60-day unemployment window. Visa holders have been sharing resources on Discord servers, the anonymous professional network Blind and in WhatsApp groups, the former AWS employee said. It had already been a frenetic few years for foreign workers in the U.S. well before surging inflation and concerns of a recession sparked the latest round of job cuts. The Trump administration's hostile posture toward immigration put the H-1B program at risk. As president in 2020, Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending work visas, including those with H-1B status, claiming they hurt employment prospects for Americans. The move drew a strong rebuke from tech executives, who said the program serves as a pipeline for talented individuals and strengthens American companies. President Joe Biden allowed the Trump-era ban to expire last year. Whatever relief the Biden presidency provided is of limited value to those who are now jobless. An engineer who was recently laid off by gene-sequencing technology company Illumina said he hoped his employer would sponsor his transfer to an H-1B visa. He's here on a different visa, known as Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation. The former Illumina employee, who spoke on condition that he not be named, not only has to find a new job within 90 days from the layoff date, but his OPT visa expires in August. Any company that hires him must be willing to sponsor his visa transfer and pay the related fees. He's considering going back to school in order to extend his stay in the U.S., but he's anxious about taking on student loans. Illumina said in November it was cutting about 5% of its global workforce. A company spokesperson told CNBC that less than 10% of impacted employees were here on H-1B or related visas. "We are engaging with each employee individually so that they understand the impact to their employment eligibility and options to remain in the U.S.," the spokesperson said by email. "We are working to review each and every situation to ensure great care for those impacted, and to ensure compliance with immigration law." The ex-employee said he had dreams of working for Illumina, planting roots in the U.S. and buying a house. Now, he said, he's just trying to find a way to stay in the country without going deep into debt. In just a matter of months, it's "like a night and day difference," he said. WATCH: Tech layoffs double from October to November

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/17/visa-says-ryan-mcinerney-will-replace-al-kelly-as-its-next-ceo-.html

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Visa Inc.

Visa says Ryan McInerney will replace Al Kelly as its next CEO

Visa named Ryan McInerney as its next chief executive on Thursday, replacing Alfred Kelly who will step down from the role, effective Feb. 1, 2023. McInerney has been president at Visa since 2013, overseeing the firm's financial institutions, acquirers, merchants and partners. The 47-year-old previously worked as CEO for consumer banking at JPMorgan Chase and held operations and risk chief roles at Chase's consumer and home lending businesses. He also led the introduction of its mobile banking service. "Ryan has boundless energy and passion for this business and in his role as President, and as my close partner for the past six years, he has become intimately familiar with how Visa operates and the exciting opportunities this industry presents," Kelly said in a statement. Kelly, who is 64, will become Visa's executive chairman. He has served as the company's CEO since 2016 and was elected chairman of the board in 2019. He previously spent 23 years at American Express , where he served as president. Before that, he was president and CEO at the technology and digital media company Intersection, and he was the head of information systems at the White House under President Ronald Reagan. In addition to Visa, he serves on the board of Catalyst.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/02/bill-ackman-blasts-visa-saying-it-has-the-power-to-pressure-pornhub-to-remove-child-pornography.html

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Visa Inc.

Bill Ackman blasts Visa, saying it has the power to pressure Pornhub to remove child pornography

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman is taking a vocal stance against Visa , saying the credit card giant has the power to pressure Pornhub to remove child pornography from its site. "My interest comes from the fact that I have four daughters," Ackman said Tuesday on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "When you think about the worst harm — economic, physical, mental harm you can impact upon a human being — it's having a child trafficked ... video of the rape appear. I find it hard to talk about it." A federal judge in California on Friday denied Visa's motion to dismiss a lawsuit by a woman who accuses the payment processor of knowingly facilitating the distribution of child pornography on Pornhub and other sites operated by parent company MindGeek. The woman is suing Visa and MindGeek over a sexually explicit video her boyfriend filmed of her when she was 13. U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney in California denied parts of Visa's motion to be dismissed from her claims. "It is simple," Carney said in his ruling. "Visa made the decision to continue to recognize MindGeek as a merchant, despite its alleged knowledge that MindGeek monetized child porn. MindGeek made the decision to continue monetizing child porn, and there are enough facts pled to suggest that the latter decision depended on the former." The Pershing Square CEO had called on Visa and Mastercard in late 2020 to temporarily withhold payments to Pornhub after a New York Times column by Nicholas Kristof brought the issue to light. "Remarkably, the company, despite being entirely aware that there's child pornography on these sites, they continue to provide payment services, until the Kristoff article, and then they shut down the sites overnight which would have bankrupted them," Ackman said Tuesday. "Within a matter of weeks they re-authorized the merchants and started accepting payments again and the crime continues." Ackman said he has no economic stake in Visa, Mastercard or any payments company. He said he offered to help finance lawsuits philanthropically against Visa. The hedge fund manager said he believes that this is one of the most egregious corporate governance failures he has witnessed and the company and its board could be faced with huge liabilities. "It's an extreme measure when Visa or Mastercard shuts down a merchant, but a merchant's business is fundamentally illegal," Ackman said. "There's traditional breach of fiduciary duty when a company has a product or service that can cause harm." A Visa spokesperson told CNBC that the payments giant condemns sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse materials. "This pre-trial ruling is disappointing and mischaracterizes Visa's role and its policies and practices. Visa will not tolerate the use of our network for illegal activity," the spokesperson said. "We continue to believe that Visa is an improper defendant in this case."

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/10/work-from-a-european-beach-with-portugals-new-digital-nomad-visa.html

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Visa Inc.

Portugal’s new digital nomad visa just made working remotely from a European beach easier

Applications to Portugal's new digital nomad visa are set to open later this month. When you think "digital nomad," you might immediately think about tropical destinations. But the trend has also been growing in Europe, and Portugal just announced a new digital nomad scheme that will open for applications this month. The government confirmed last week that from Oct. 30, workers from any countries that aren't part of the European Union or European Economic Area can apply for the remote work and residency visa. Proof of tax residency, employment details, such as a contract, and evidence of workers' income will be required. Applicants will also need to be earning at least four times as much as the Portuguese national wage. That is currently 822 euros ($798), so the minimum monthly income for digital nomads would be around 3,288 euros.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/rich-americans-get-second-passports-citing-risk-of-instability.html

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Visa Inc.

The rich are getting second passports, citing risk of instability

Recent high-profile examples of second citizenships include billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel, who added a citizenship in New Zealand, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who applied for citizenship in Cyprus. "The U.S. is still a great country, it's still an amazing passport," said Dominic Volek, group head of private clients at Henley & Partners. "But if I'm wealthy, I would like to hedge against levels of volatility and uncertainty. The idea of diversification is well understood by wealthy individuals around what they invest. It makes no sense to have one country of citizenship and residence when I have the ability to actually diversify that aspect of my life as well." The wealthy are building these "passport portfolios" — collections of second, and even third or fourth, citizenships — in case they need to flee their home country. Henley & Partners, a law firm that specializes in high-net-worth citizenships, said Americans now outnumber every other nationality when it comes to securing alternative residences or added citizenships. Wealthy U.S. families are increasingly applying for second citizenships and national residences as a way to hedge their financial risk, according to a leading law firm. A version of this article first appeared in CNBC's Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high-net-worth investor and consumer. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox. Of course, the wealthy aren't packing up en masse and ditching their American citizenship. While a relatively small number of Americans do renounce their citizenship every year to declare a new home country, mainly due to tax-filing requirements, the so-called "exit tax" required to renounce citizenship makes it financially prohibitive for most except the ultra-wealthy to simply renounce and declare a new citizenship. Instead, many wealthy Americans are shopping around for an added visa or citizenship program to supplement their U.S. passport. According to Henley, the top destinations for supplemental passports among Americans are Portugal, Malta, Greece and Italy. Portugal's "Golden Visa" program is especially popular since it provides a path to residency and citizenship — with visa-free travel in Europe — in exchange for an investment of 500,000 euros (roughly $541,000) in a fund or private equity. Malta offers a Golden Visa for 300,000 euros invested in real estate, which Volek said has become "especially popular with Americans." "With Malta you become a European citizen, with complete settlement rights across Europe," he said. "So you can live in Germany, your kids can go and study in France and you have the right to live, work and study throughout Europe." There are three main reasons for the rise of American passport portfolios, or "domicile diversification." An alternative passport makes travel easier for Americans venturing to parts of the world that are less friendly to the U.S. "For American, British, and Israeli citizens suddenly unsure of their welcome abroad, supplementary passports provide vital flexibility," according to a Henley report. "With rising global instability, holding citizenship in another country, particularly one that is considered more neutral or politically benign, now provides a valuable back-up or alternative option." Another reason is business travel, which can be safer and less conspicuous with a non-U.S. passport in many countries. U.S. business leaders could be targets for "resentment, hostage-taking, or random terrorism in the chaos of collapsed states or high-risk countries they need to travel to for business purposes," according to the report, which says interested parties range from hedge-fund managers who meet with global clients to mining company executives who visit operations sites. Using a secondary passport can also help cross-border financial transfers or deals within the new country. Finally, some wealthy Americans simply want a back-up residency for possible retirement, to be closer to their families who live abroad or for lifestyle reasons in the new age of remote work. For others, U.S. politics is the driver. "We all live in uncertain times, not just in the U.S., but in all nations globally," Volek said. "Who knows what's going to happen next. It's really about having not only a Plan B but Plan C and D in place as well."

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/04/visa-suspends-card-payments-for-ad-purchases-on-pornhub-and-mindgeek-amid-controversy.html

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Visa Inc.

Visa and Mastercard suspend payments for ad purchases on Pornhub and MindGeek amid controversy

Visa and Mastercard said Thursday card payments for advertising on Pornhub and its parent company MindGeek would be suspended after a lawsuit stoked controversy over whether the payments giants could be facilitating child pornography. A federal judge in California on Friday denied Visa's motion to dismiss a lawsuit by a woman who accuses the payment processor of knowingly facilitating the distribution of child pornography on Pornhub and other sites operated by parent company MindGeek. Visa CEO and Chairman Al Kelly said in a statement Thursday that he strongly disagrees with the court and is confident in his position. "Visa condemns sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse," Kelly said. "It is illegal, and Visa does not permit the use of our network for illegal activity. Our rules explicitly and unequivocally prohibit the use of our products to pay for content that depicts nonconsensual sexual behavior or child sexual abuse. We are vigilant in our efforts to deter this, and other illegal activity on our network." Kelly said the court decision created uncertainty about the role of TrafficJunky, MindGeek's advertising arm, and accordingly, the company will suspend its Visa acceptance privileges until further notice. During this suspension, Visa cards will not be able to be used to purchase advertising on any sites, including Pornhub or other MindGeek-affiliated sites, Kelly said. "It is Visa's policy to follow the law of every country in which we do business. We do not make moral judgments on legal purchases made by consumers, and we respect the rightful role of lawmakers to make decisions about what is legal and what is not," Kelly said. "Visa can be used only at MindGeek studio sites that feature adult professional actors in legal adult entertainment." Separately, Mastercard told CNBC it's directing financial institutions to suspend acceptance of its products at TrafficJunky following the court ruling. "New facts from last week's court ruling made us aware of advertising revenue outside of our view that appears to provide Pornhub with indirect funding," a statement from Mastercard said. "This step will further enforce our December 2020 decision to terminate the use of our products on that site." At that time, Visa also suspended sites that contained user-generated content, and acceptance on those sites has not been reinstated. The woman is suing Visa and MindGeek over a sexually explicit video her boyfriend filmed of her when she was 13 years old. U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney, of the Central District of California in Santa Ana, said Visa made the decision to continue to recognize MindGeek as a merchant, despite its alleged knowledge that MindGeek monetized child porn. Hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman recently spoke out about the controversy, calling on Visa to pressure Pornhub to remove child pornography from its site. MindGeek told CNBC it has never tolerated child sexual abuse material or any other illegal material. "Recently, allegations have been made that MindGeek knowingly allowed and monetized [child sexual abuse material]. These assertions are reckless and, more importantly, absolutely false," a spokesperson at MindGeek said in a statement. "In many cases, these falsehoods have been propagated by groups whose stated agenda is to shut down the adult entertainment industry."

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/12/cashing-in-on-trumps-1-trillion-rebuilding-america-plan.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

Cashing in on Trump's $1 trillion 'rebuilding America' plan

A bridge collapse on Interstate 5 near Mt. Vernon, Washington Getty Images At a rally in Iowa last month, Donald Trump revealed a little more about his $1 trillion infrastructure plans. "My administration will follow two simple rules," he said. "Buy American and hire American." That's surely welcome news for the many U.S.-based construction, engineering and architecture firms who are salivating over the massive stimulus that may soon be coming their way. It's also good news for their investors, who could see equity gains climb higher as some of that $1 trillion in funding starts making its way into company coffers. Indeed, infrastructure stocks have climbed since the election, with the MSCI USA Infrastructure Sector Capped Index up nearly 7 percent since Nov. 11, days after Trump was elected. While some stocks have already experienced large post-election gains — gravel companies Vulcan Materials and Martin Marietta Materials are up 4 percent and 11 percent, respectively, since the election, for instance — investors are still waiting to see exactly how these dollars will get doled out and to whom. Other companies, though, will ultimately benefit, said Pete Santoro, who runs Columbia Threadneedle Investments' Global Infrastructure fund. "It's possible to get double-digit returns annually on infrastructure on almost any forecast," said Santoro, who adds that companies won't just benefit from America's plan but from massive global infrastructure needs as well. "The stars are aligned for those kinds of returns." It's still unclear how that $1 trillion will work its way through the economy and, eventually, into shareholders' hands. One option is to hand over some of that money to cities and states to fund projects, and these governments would hire the companies to do the work. Charles Lemonides, founder of ValueWorks, a New York-based investment firm, thinks we'll see a "fairly classic spend" on transportation infrastructure — spending on roads, bridges and other more traditional types of projects. That's why those gravel companies performed well after the election. Based on what's been said, though, Santoro thinks that the government might develop tax credits for private-sector companies to more easily finance projects. That would also make it easier to generate a positive return on those investments as it becomes much cheaper for companies to participate. It doesn't force Trump to raise government debt levels, either. More from Quarterly Investment Guide: How day traders are planning to beat the markets after President Trump shocker Investing legend Jim Rogers: 'Forget China, buy Russia' Dow 20,000: Its insignificance may rival its importance "If a company can get a large tax credit, then they can make more money, give people more jobs, and then those people will pay taxes and that will trickle back into the U.S. and fund that tax credit," Santoro said. "In theory, there's a belief that $1 of investment in infrastructure would generate $3 or $5 for the economy. There will be a multiplier effect." Either way, companies will benefit. Investors, though, must figure out which ones will get the biggest boost. watch now Most initial infrastructure dollars tend to go to bridges and roads, and with the American Society of Civil Engineers saying $3.3 trillion is needed to repair and replace these assets, it's these kinds of projects that will be high on the to-do list. Repairing roads also has an economic benefit beyond new construction jobs — a smoother ride gets people to work faster, said Dennis Mitchell, the Toronto-based manager of Sprott Asset Management's Global Infrastructure Fund. "There's tangible benefit to spending money here," he said. "Improving roads to get people from A to B faster and more efficiently reduces unproductive time." Beyond the more obvious infrastructure items, Trump has also commented on the need to repair the nation's airports, specifically New York's LaGuardia, which he called "Third World." The Flint water crisis has also shown how important it is to fix America's water and wastewater treatment infrastructure. "Some water pipes are still made of wood," said Santoro, who thinks water infrastructure is going to be a major theme across the globe over the next several years. Energy infrastructure projects, such as pipelines, also benefit from a Trump presidency, said Lemonides. This is more of a result of the president-elect's pro-energy policies than stimulus, but if his spending brings more economic growth, then that's good for the oil patch. "If the economy is growing because of fiscal spending, then we could see energy use, demand for energy and then energy exploration go up," he said. Choose companies wisely With demand for infrastructure rising not just in America but abroad as well, valuations on some of these companies have climbed. For instance, the S&P 500 industrials sector, which includes railroads, steel companies, energy services and other infrastructure-related businesses, was trading at about 1 times discount to the S&P 500 in early 2015. It's now trading at a 0.6 percent premium. But Santoro thinks that many are still attractively valued when looking at future earnings. He thinks companies could see better earnings expansion as the dollars start flowing. So while some operations look expensive based on current earnings, if you factor in more infrastructure spending, the valuations don't appear as high. "From that standpoint, there are plenty of opportunities to find reasonably valued companies that will benefit from this movement," he said. Still, Lemonides said to be careful of companies that have jumped in price. "You want the ones that haven't exploded on the upside," he said. Overall, though, companies across numerous sectors should eventually see some sort of earnings uplift, said Mitchell of Sprott Asset Management. Cement, steel, energy, electricity and financial firms all have a part to play in rebuilding America's crumbling assets. However, engineering consulting firms, like AECOM , and large infrastructure conglomerates, such Macquarie Infrastructure , would be the first groups to see some of that money, he said. The former is currently trading at 13 times earnings, while the latter is trading at close to 19 times. The S&P 500, by comparison, is trading at 17.4 times earnings. "There's no end to the sort of second or third derivative companies that will benefit," he said. "But first it'll be companies that can help build, renovate and get started on new infrastructure projects." In the energy infrastructure space, a business such as Williams Company, which owns and operates pipelines, will be a big beneficiary, said Lemonides, as will equipment makers, such as National-Oilwell Varco , which sells drilling tools. It's currently trading at $38 a share, or about six times 2014 earnings, which was its best earnings year. The company should beat those earnings by 2020 and could get to as high as $90 a share, he said. "These are going to go from being completely unloved investor scapegoats to getting more investor interest," he said. On the water front, which is more of a longer-term infrastructure play, investors might want to look at Xylem , said Santoro. It provides transportation, water testing, water pumps and other water infrastructure products and services. "They address the full water cycle," he said. It's currently trading at 22 times 2017 earnings. While that's higher than the 20 times it's traded at, on average, over the last three years, Santoro thinks that it has above-average earnings growth potential for this year and next compared to its peers. And compared to other companies in its sector, which have also seen valuations rise, it's undervalued. "Its relative valuation among industrials that will benefit from a better growth environment is quite attractive," he said. A long-term play

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/06/american-aluminum-giants-urge-trump-to-change-tariff-plans.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

American aluminum giants urge Trump to change tariff plans

A worker controls a crane to move an aluminum coil at the Arconic Inc. manufacturing facility in Alcoa, Tennessee. American aluminum producers told President Donald Trump in a letter that they are "deeply concerned" about the effect global tariffs would have on their industry, including jobs. They offered alternatives, including targeting China. "We fear that the proposed tariff may do more harm than good," the group said in Monday's letter, which was signed by Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association. The group represents 114 producers and other companies, including Alcoa , Vulcan and Rio Tinto Alcan , which collectively employ 713,000 workers in the United States. They urged the president to look at alternatives to his proposed 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports, including a levy targeting China's aluminum industry and an exemption for Canadian, European and other foreign producers. "Unfortunately, the tariffs proposed will do little to address the fundamental problem of massive aluminum overcapacity in China, while impacting supply chains with vital trading partners who play by the rules," the letter said. In an email to CNBC, Brock said, "We share the president's goal for a thriving U.S. aluminum industry but a global tariff lets China off [the] hook while hurting our vital trading partners that support U.S. job growth. Aluminum is a unique industry with a specific challenge tied to Chinese overcapacity and any remedy needs to tackle that issue first and foremost." After Trump announced plans for the tariff on Thursday, Alcoa put out a statement saying the company "appreciated" the attention on the industry, but "vital trading partners" such as Canada should be exempt.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/06/trump-trade-rests-as-markets-look-for-more-clarity-from-washington.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

Trump trade rests as markets look for more clarity from Washington

Stock futures pointed to a higher open and the dollar firmed after a Federal Reserve official said a March interest rate hike was still possible. Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said the Fed, in his view, could raise rates in March. Treasury yields were slightly higher and futures priced March rate hike odds at about 25 percent. On the data front Tuesday, there is international trade, expected to show a narrowing of the trade deficit to $44.8 billion from $45.2 billion when it is reported at 8:30 a.m. ET. There is also Jolts data on job openings and turnover at 10 a.m. and consumer credit at 3 p.m. The Treasury auctions three-year notes at 1 p.m. A bunch of companies report ahead of the open, and Michael Kors was sharply lower after its report. Disney and Gilead Sciences are among the companies reporting after the close. Stocks on Monday were slightly lower on light volume. The Dow was off 18 at 20,052, and the was at 2,292, down 4. The Nasdaq , at a record high Friday, lost 3 to 5,663. Treasurys Monday were bid higher, and yields, which move inversely, fell. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 2.41 percent in late trading. The 10-year yield moved just slightly after Harker's remarks to 2.42 percent, and traders will continue to look for more clues on Fed timing. Traders said the bond market Monday continued to react to the idea that the Federal Reserve may be on hold until at least the middle of the year. Last week, the bond market was expecting both a more hawkish sounding Federal Reserve on Wednesday and better data on wage growth in Friday's jobs report. Since both were disappointing, the market has been adjusting to the idea that the Fed will not consider hiking interest rates when it next meets in March, but wait until at least June. Gold was weaker Tuesday with the gains in the dollar. Gold also found buyers, as traders Monday said President Donald Trump's trade talk has made investors nervous. They also pointed to the fact that the timing of his agenda now seems more uncertain, after he said in an interview Sunday that replacing Obamacare may take until 2018. That raises questions about the timing of tax reform and stimulus spending, two agenda items that have caused stocks to rally since the election. Art Cashin, director of floor operations at UBS, said the stock market was showing signs of consolidation after Friday's big gains. "It looks like the [Trump] agenda is slowing down," said Cashin, noting the weekend comments were a negative factor. "You can't chalk today up to much. The volume was horrific. This is a rather hollow week." Cashin said stocks may not find much direction ahead of next week, when Fed Chair Janet Yellen testifies before Congress. There are earnings but little important data this week.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/30/these-stocks-look-just-like-the-new-york-mets.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

These stocks look just like the New York Mets

To be specific, Kensho found only a dozen stocks in the S&P 500 that were down from 2009 through 2014. Among them, only the five listed above have been positive in 2015 through Wednesday. Obviously, Citigroup is the most well known of the group and has been through a lot of ups and downs since the financial crisis. Even 2015 is very much one for the bubble. As of Wednesday's close, Citigroup was up this year. But after Thursday's losses, Citi is now down for the year. Maybe they can look to their stadium for inspiration: The Mets were barely positive at the All-Star break, at 47-42, before breaking out with a late summer and fall surge. Vulcan has been the best performer of the group, while Hudson City and Newmont have been just barely hanging into positive territory for the year. The question for all five of these stocks — and the Mets — is: Can these gains continue into next year? Is 2015 the start of a trend, or just an single aberration in a much broader theme? Disclosure: NBCUniversal, parent of CNBC, is a minority investor in Kensho.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/28/these-stocks-may-rally-on-castros-death-as-traders-bet-on-a-free-cuba.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

These stocks may rally on Fidel Castro's death as traders bet on an eventual free Cuba

The death of Fidel Castro could boost certain stocks poised to benefit from a free and economically relevant Cuba, according to a study of stock market trading history surrounding significant milestones in U.S.-Cuba relations. To be sure, President-elect Donald Trump signaled Monday he would rollback recent moves by President Barack Obama at opening up the communist country. Still, the death of the 90-year-old former leader will be seen by many investors as the first step in an eventual fall of the current regime, led by Castro's 85-year-old brother, Raul. Using hedge fund analytics tool Kensho, CNBC Pro identified 15 events in the last seven years that were seen as positive developments toward normalizing relations with Cuba. Below are some of the more interesting performers in the S & P 1500 one week after those milestones. Also included is the average performance of the Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund , a closed-end fund composed of companies poised to benefit from a free Cuba, one week after these events. Two of the companies, digital payments processor PayPal and discount travel site Alegiant Travel , could benefit from the opening of Cuba because of the overall nature of their business. The other two, commercial real estate lender Walker & Dunlop and concrete maker Vulcan Materials , have operations in the Southeastern United States. Disclosure: NBCUniversal, parent of CNBC, is a minority investor in Kensho. A man passes in front of a poster against the U.S. blockade to Cuba, in Havana on October 26, 2016 after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo. Adalberto Roque | AFP | Getty Images

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/22/cramer-remix-vf-corp-is-poised-for-a-breakout-once-it-ditches-denim.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

Cramer Remix: VF Corp is poised for a breakout once it ditches denim

watch now Apparel maker VF Corp.'s recent earnings report may not have been a perfect quarter, but it was by no means a "lose-10-percent-of-your-value-in-a-single-day" quarter, CNBC's Jim Cramer said on Monday. What really happened to make VF Corp.'s stock lose nearly 11 percent in a single trading day was the fact that the Vans and North Face parent reported earnings in the heart of a panic, setting off selling at any hint of weakness, he said. "VF Corp. was a victim of great expectations," the "Mad Money" host told investors. "I think the stock is a bargain here, trading at less than 19 times next year's earnings estimates. The core of the growth story, the strength of Vans and direct-to-consumer, is still very much intact." And the company's impending spin-offs of its underperforming denim brands, Wrangler and Lee, could unlock even more value for VF Corp., Cramer said. "I'd be a buyer down here, as I think the stock has become a steal at these levels, certainly, and will return to excellent growth once it sheds the jeans and goes on in the rapidly expanding businesses that we like so much," he said. Cold War 2.0? Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 9, 2017. Fred Dufour | AFP | Getty Images Cramer worries that the escalating conflict between the United States and China over trade, with officials from the two countries Monday, could have even more serious implications than many think. If trade talks abruptly end, a distinct possibility considering both countries' increasingly , "we better get used to some serious collateral damage" to the stock market, he said. He noted that referring to China's government as the "Chinese Communist Party," as top White House economic advisor did in a Sunday interview with the Financial Times, could mean that the administration is souring on reaching any kind of business deal with China. "I think the president wants the economic equivalent of regime change," Cramer said. "Yep, not an economic war, but a cold war, with the Chinese once again playing the pre-Nixon role of worldwide nemesis. Needless to say, that is not what Wall Street wants to see." Click here to read Cramer's full analysis on how another cold war could hit stocks. Hasbro CEO after earnings: Tariffs out, esports in Brian Goldner, CEO of Hasbro featured on Mad Money with Jim Cramer on May 10, 2016. Ashlee Espinal | CNBC CEO does not expect anything serious to come from the United States' trade dispute with China, he told Cramer in a Monday interview. "I, thus far, have heard, in working with the administration, that we are being a good actor and a good player and we expect that business will be fine coming out of China," Brian Goldner, also the toymaker's chairman, said on "Mad Money." "Go[ing] forward, we don't expect to see any major tariff situation." Even so, Hasbro has been moving production out of China, the CEO said. The company has moved manufacturing operations for 25 percent of its revenue-generating products, including Play-Doh, back to the United States, he said. Click here to read more about Goldner's take on tariffs and to watch his full interview. Also in focus at Hasbro are esports, particularly Fortnite, around which the company is creating some new products. Click here for more on the toymaker's push into digital gaming. Off the charts: Big Blue back in the game? Pedestrians walk in front of the IBM building in New York. Scott Mlyn | CNBC Cramer and legendary technician Larry Williams say shares of , an old-line technology giant that has transitioned its business to the cloud, could be ready to rally even after the company's . Last Tuesday, IBM missed analysts' revenue predictions in its third-quarter earnings report, with overall revenue declining 2 percent year over year and some of its faster-growing sections underperforming. IBM's stock shed as much as 5 percent in response to the report. Now, shares of the company are near levels not seen since January 2016. But according to Williams, who has traded futures, commodities and stocks for over 50 years, written 11 books, created numerous technical indicators and runs IReallyTrade.com, IBM's stock has some key technical trends working in its favor. Click here to read Williams' full breakdown. Fed Chair Powell 'like a horserace with blinkers on' Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell Al Drago | Reuters The troubling signs in the stock market — rallies in recession-era favorites like utilities and retailers and breakdowns in economically sensitive stocks tied to construction and housing — are all but lost on , Cramer argued Monday. "When I scrutinize the charts of, say, , , , , , , , , [and] dozens of others that are involved in the construction ... of housing in particular, it screams 'slowdown,'" Cramer said. "Yet I honestly believe that if Fed chief Jerome Powell looked at these stocks, it might mean nothing to him." "He's becoming like a racehorse with blinkers on," Cramer continued. Click here to find out why Cramer's so worried. Lightning round: Feeling secure with PANW?

https://www.cnbc.com/id/47323364

VMC

Vulcan Materials Company

Allscripts Poison Pill Adds to Season of M&A Discontent

It’s not a surprise that the company is feeling vulnerable. The decision to enact a poison pill by Allscripts, though, also places the company in the camp of target market properties that are deciding to gut it out rather than sell out, after recent stock routs have some C-Suites scrambling to explore just about every alternative but a deal to revive battered shares. Georgia Gulf, Vulcan Materials, and Illumina have used poison pills to defend against what they said were low-priced takeover offers, and have had continued success in fending off hostile bidders. The late April Allscripts share rout caused some to question, including shareholders of the company, whether a takeover bidder might try to swoop the company up at a discount. Last Friday, DealReporter wrote that the company could be a takeover target, causing shares to rise. The enactment of the poison pill by Allscripts will make it uneconomic for any buyer to accumulate more than 10 percent of the company’s shares. Last Friday, a $35 a share bid for Georgia Gulf was withdrawn by Westlake Chemical, while a Delaware judge put an injunction on a hotly contested offer by Martin Marietta Materials for Vulcan Materials. In Monday trading, Allscripts shares were off over 1 percent to $10.43, while Georgia Gulf shares were down nearly 10 percent to $30.80 and Vulcan Materials shares were lower by over 1.5 percent to $40.70. On April 27, Allscripts fired its chairman Phil Pead and three board directors resigned in protest, revealing a large management fracture just under two years after the company merged with Eclipsys in a deal to create a medical data powerhouse. Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman said that the departures were a result of a differing vision for the company after its August 2010 merger with Eclipsys, on a call discussing earnings with analysts. While former chairman Pead came from Eclipsys, Tullman was a holdover from Allscripts. Tullman also said that the resignations of directors Catherine Burzik, Eugene Fife, a former Eclipsys board chairman, and Edward Kangas, board chairman of Tenet Healthcare and a former Eclipsys board member, didn’t come as a result of a takeover bidder or large strategic changes. On April 30, Allscripts shareholder HealthCor Partners Managementcalled for Tullman to resign and for the company to consider all options including an outright sale, in a letter to the company. Allscripts reported a near 70 percent drop in first-quarter profits, signaling poor execution in its post-merger bid to take advantage of billions in government health-care spending and an industry shift to electronic record keeping. Allscripts forecast its 2012 earnings at 74 cents to 80 cents a share, compared with a projection of $1.06 to $1.10 in February. First-quarter net income fell to $5.8 million, or 3 cents a share, on revenue of $364.7 million, missing estimates of $387.6 million in sales, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. “A number of our clients and prospects delayed commitments as they wait for us to introduce new releases and demonstrate more robust integration,” said Tullman in the company’s earnings statement. “This dynamic, combined with the recent reorganization of our sales and service teams, were the primary factors that caused sales to be lower than our expectations.” Allscripts also said that its Chief Financial Officer Bill Davis will resign effective May to join another company, in a move the company said wasn’t related to its earnings. Seven analysts downgraded Allscripts shares on the day of its earnings and board change announcements, according to Bloomberg data. That data show that analysts give Allscripts shares a price target of $11.35, on four “buy” ratings, 18 “holds,” and two “sells.” Still to be seen is whether a poison pill will dissuade hostile bidders or activists from pushing for a sale of Allscripts. On Monday, Martin Marietta said it would challenge the Delaware court ruling against its pursuit of Vulcan Materials, signaling a continued push to complete the hostile deal. In making a $2.6 billion tender offer for CVR Energy, activist investor Carl Icahn got his first 2012 success when the refiner removed its poison pill. On Monday, Icahn’s $15 a share tender was accepted after shareholders voted in favor of his hostile bid. Additional News: Court Protects Vulcan Materials From Hostile Bid Additional Views: Cramer’s Case to Sell Allscripts _____________________________ CNBC Data Pages: ______________________________ Disclosures: TheStreet’s editorial policy prohibits staff editors, reporters, and analysts from holding positions in any individual stocks. Disclaimer

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/16/earnings-in-this-industry-are-defying-the-third-quarter-trend.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

Earnings in this industry are defying the third quarter trend

But amid the apparent weakness, three specific industries within the S&P 500 Index are expected to see their earnings rise by about 50 percent year-over-year: automobiles, airlines, and construction materials. Those figures "blend" reported results with analysts' expectations of earnings yet to be released. Meanwhile, revenues are set to decline 3.7 percent. Third-quarter earnings season has begun, and the numbers do not look great. While 71 percent of the first 58 S&P 500 companies to report have beaten analysts' estimates, overall earnings are still expected to slide 3.9 percent versus the third quarter of 2014, according to Thomson Reuters data. These S&P 500 industries are small groups, so only a few stocks are captured by this type of look at the market. However, their commonalities are striking. The construction materials group consists of just two names, Martin Marietta Materials and Vulcan Materials . Both of these names have rallied powerfully this year, thanks to a strong housing market and a decrease in input costs thank to plunging commodity prices. The four airline companies in the S&P have performed admirably over the past year thanks to similar factors: A consumer that's flying more, and lower expenses due to oil's plunge. Meanwhile, the auto companies are helped by, again, a strengthening consumer, and a lower cost to drive thanks to falling gas prices. In addition, low interest rates act as a powerful tailwind for major consumer purchases like cars and houses, as it makes financing them more reasonable. Read More Three stocks that almost always rise on earnings "Those are the sectors not tied to commodities, and they also benefit from low rates. That's the sweet spot right now," commented Eddy Elfenbein, editor of the "Crossing Wall Street" blog. And perhaps in the spirit of finding a phoenix amid the ashes, Elfenbein says that the fact that these companies are making it happen is actually good news. "All in all, this bodes well for the economy, since these are the early cyclicals," Elfenbein told CNBC in an email, adding: "Yes, six years after the recession ended, the early cyclicals are moving." The hope, of course, is that strength in these consumer-reliant sectors points to positive news ahead for the economy and stocks alike, as the "cycle" blooms. Still, with overall earnings and sales figures presenting dire news overall, investors may or may not choose to hone in on the few choice bright spots.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/11/cramer-signs-an-earnings-explosion-is-coming.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

Cramer: Signs an earnings explosion is coming

What do all of these companies have in common? They take raw commodities and refine, package and sell them. "The action is dictating my attitude, the action that has so many stocks hitting new-highs in the last week alone, something that tends not to happen right before you fall off a cliff," the " Mad Money " host said. With so much negativity surrounding earnings season, Jim Cramer refuses to feed into it. In fact, he is downright positive about what could be ahead for earnings. I think what it says is these companies are about to have an explosion in gross margins and earnings that will be far better than people believe is possible. The concentration of these consumer-package plays told Cramer four things: First, raw costs are calm and behaved. Second, all packaging must be going down in price. Third, distribution costs are at a big low, thanks to oil and gas. And finally, the dollar has peaked versus currencies of trading partners, which means these companies could do quite well in the second half. Some may think that these stocks could be indicative of a slowdown in the economy, but Cramer thinks that is an old fashioned way of looking at things. These companies have battled inflation for years and have raised prices consistently. Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer Cramer Remix: The stock to buy next week Cramer's game plan: Only stock I like next week Cramer: Best way to protect yourself in chaos "I think what it says is these companies are about to have an explosion in gross margins and earnings that will be far better than people believe is possible. That is what this concentration of consumer packaged goods stocks on the new-high list is really saying," Cramer said. The other members of the new-high list also gave Cramer reassurance. Such as Automatic Data Processing , a payroll processor, which indicated to Cramer that employment could be getting better. Home Depot , Vulcan Materials and Sherwin-Williams were also on the list. They indicated to Cramer that there is a robust housing market. Cramer also thought it was significant that both Darden , the owner of Olive Garden, and Sysco , a restaurant supplier, were on the list. That showed that the consumer is going out and spending money. The oil and transports were sadly missing from the list, as were industrials. However, Cramer suspects that when the industrials report earnings and match their prospects with a weaker dollar, many could be on a list of champions. "When everyone dislikes the market, as so many people do, you can't expect all the goods stocks you like to be on the new-high list. But when you see this kind of distribution, you know that the leadership is there. Others will follow," Cramer said. If history is an indicator, that means these kinds of stocks will continue to expand, not contract from here. And Cramer will be ready when it happens.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/01/investors-ever-profit-from-a-more-open-cuba.html

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Vulcan Materials Company

Will stock investors ever profit from a more open Cuba?

Cuba once had a stock market, the La Bolsa de Valores de la Habana, which lasted from the 1920s until 1959, when the Cuban revolution ended private ownership in the country. The Havana exchange was, in fact, one of the largest stock exchanges in Latin America. Now, as President Obama moves the U.S. closer to ending the 60-year-old trade embargo with Cuba, this former market history for the communist island begs the question: Will Cuba ever list a domestic stock again? Don't answer no too quickly. Tourists take in the sites from a tour bus in Havana, Feb. 28, 2015. Getty Images The establishment of a Cuban stock exchange could happen in the next three to five years, said Tom Herzfeld, chairman and president of Miami-based Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, a closed-end fund firm that has specialized in Caribbean stock investing since the 1990s—it runs the Caribbean Basin Fund (CUBA), which launched in 1993. That fund was designed to invest regardless of the Cuban embargo and with a focus on companies that do business in the region, including cruise ship operator Carnival , Panama-based airline company Copa Holdings , and Birmingham, Alabama-based construction materials company Vulcan Materials . Carnival and other U.S. companies targeting a more open Cuba have been the business story since President Obama met and shook hands with Cuban president Raul Castro last month at the Summit of the Americas. It's been a narrative about getting into Cuba, rather than what could develop as a Cuban domestic economic story and be exported. But if the embargo is lifted, "the entire country of Cuba will need to be rebuilt, and there will be investment opportunities across all these industries," Herzfeld said. And the resurrection of a Cuban stock market could occur faster than many people think, he said, with a big "if." "What is needed is the political decision of the Cuban government and the end of the U.S. embargo," Herzfeld said. "Everything else can be solved without major difficulties." US to start talks with Cuba to normalize full diplomatic relations: AP The Helms-Burton Act, officially called The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996, extended the territorial application of the initial embargo to apply to foreign companies trading with Cuba. Tropical medicine For the time being, the most direct way for stock investors to get a piece of the emerging Cuba story is to buy listed companies that have, or plan on forming, joint ventures within the country. One company, though no longer publicly traded, that shows the model is YM BioSciences. In 1994 the Canadian drug developer, which was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, formed a joint venture with Cuba's Centro de Inmunología Molecular (CCIMAB), called CIMYM BioSciences. The venture was 80 percent owned by YM BioSciences and 20 percent owned by the Cuban government and went on to develop the cancer drug nimotuzumab. This venture didn't lead to a blockbuster drug. In December 2012, YM sold its assets relating to that drug to InnoKeys PTE, a Singapore-based health-care company. In February 2013, YM was acquired by biotech giant Gilead Sciences , which has focused on other pipeline drugs with potential. But biotech remains one of the economic stories with the most potential within Cuba. Abivax, a biotech company that invests in the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs and is largely owned by Truffle Capital, a Paris-based venture capital firm, started negotiating with Cuba in 2010. It is currently developing, with its partner the Cuban Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CGIB), a vaccine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Abivax CEO Dr. Hartmut Ehrlich said Cuba's biotech and health-care sector has potential because of its history of having to self-fund development of modern medicines. "Now they are in the position to look into partnerships via companies like Abivax or others or by themselves to export these products into more and more countries abroad," he said. "I believe this will become an area that will be of interest for retail investors from the point of view of potential growth." Read More Herzfeld said the Cuban biotechnology industry has produced a remarkable array of products, from advanced vaccines to pharmaceuticals and diagnostic products. "The current set of drugs in development is robust," he said, adding, "Once the word gets out, a slew of interested investors will take note." They need everything. There is not an area they don't need, and now they have the ability to pay for it and want to buy it. Jonathan Blue chairman and managing director of Blue Equity watch now As sanctions against Cuba ease, there should be increased trade back and forth between Cuba, the U.S. and the rest of the world. Another area of value that Cuba has to offer the rest of the world is use of its shipping ports. Brazilian construction company Odebrecht Infrastructure-Latin America has already been hard at work modernizing the Mariel Port, located 50 kilometers from Havana. The project was funded in large part by the Brazilian Development Bank, O Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) in association with the Cuban government. Investment in the project totaled close to $1 billion, with $682 million financed by Brazil and the remainder by Cuba. The Brazil-Cuba deep-water port project is projected to be the largest in the Caribbean and will aim to become a new hub for global trade and commerce, including a 180-square-mile development zone. The Mariel Port is located in Cuba's free-trade zone, which was designed to attract international companies to Cuba by offering a low-tax, low-regulation environment. "With some sectors, such as health and bioscience, which Cuba lists as public human rights, there are restrictions on investment, but with other sectors, there is no restriction on Cuba ownership," said Oliver Hill, editor at Transactional Track Record, an online service that delivers intelligence and business opportunities in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. Odebrecht Infrastructure will also complete the expansion of the international terminal at Havana's Jose Marti Airport. Destination Cuba

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/22/watch-live-pfizer-ceo-joins-world-health-organization-at-press-conference-on-the-coronavirus-outbreak.html

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Watch live: Pfizer CEO joins World Health Organization at press conference on the coronavirus outbreak

[The stream is slated to start at 12:00 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] World Health Organization officials are holding a press conference on Friday to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 97.6 million people across the world. Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer , which manufactures one of the Covid-19 vaccines that's been authorized in the U.S. and Europe, is scheduled to join WHO officials at the virtual briefing. Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of the public-private immunization partnership Gavi, and Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, are also scheduled to join the briefing. Earlier this week, the WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the world is on the brink of a "catastrophic moral failure" if it doesn't fairly distribute the available doses of the Covid-19 vaccines across the world. He added that the discovery of several more transmissible strains of the virus in different parts of the world increases the urgency of the vaccine rollout. "It's not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries," he said Monday. "There will be enough vaccine for everybody, but right now we must work together as one global family to prioritize [those] most at risk of serious diseases and death in all countries." The WHO, in partnership with Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, established the COVAX facility last year to ensure equitable vaccine access for every country in the world. It aims deliver 2 billion doses of safe, effective vaccines by the end of 2021. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the Covid-19 outbreak.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/21/deepmind-openai-fair-ai-researchers-rank-the-top-ai-labs-worldwide.html

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Artificial intelligence researchers rank the top A.I. labs worldwide

In this article META Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Google Deepmind head Demis Hassabis speaks during a press conference ahead of the Google DeepMind Challenge Match in Seoul on March 8, 2016. Jung Yeon-Je | AFP |Getty Images | Getty Images LONDON — Artificial intelligence researchers don't like it when you ask them to name the top AI labs in the world, possibly because it's so hard to answer. There are some obvious contenders when it comes to commercial AI labs. U.S. Big Tech — Google , Facebook , Amazon , Apple and Microsoft — have all set up dedicated AI labs over the last decade. There's also DeepMind, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, and OpenAI, which counts Elon Musk as a founding investor. "Wow, I hate this question," Mark Riedl, associate professor at the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing, told CNBC when asked to pick his standouts. "Reputationally, there is a good argument to say DeepMind, OpenAI, and FAIR (Facebook AI research]) are the top three," Riedl said. AI investor Nathan Benaich, a partner at Air Street Capital, agreed. Google Brain and Microsoft could potentially be included in the top ranks, Benaich said, before adding that he believed Amazon and IBM weren't quite in the same league when it comes to AI research output and impact. Another AI expert, who asked to remain anonymous because he didn't have approval from his company to speak publicly, told CNBC that DeepMind, OpenAI and FAIR were probably the top three pure AI research labs in terms of known funding, while IBM pushes out more patents. "The unknown question is the Baidus and Tencents of the world," he said in reference to the Chinese tech giants. Alphabet gives DeepMind hundreds of millions of dollars a year to carry out its work, while Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI on top of the $1 billion that the founding investors contributed. FAIR's funding is less clear because Facebook doesn't break it down. A.I.'s potential DeepMind is best known for its AlphaGo AI, which took on and beat the best human players in the world at the ancient Chinese board game Go. There's even a Netflix documentary about AlphaGo's victory over South Korean Go legend Lee Sedol. The company is now trying to focus on using AI to solve humanity's biggest scientific problems and it had a breakthrough at the end of last year in a biological field known as protein folding. OpenAI has also developed game-playing AI software that can beat humans at games like Dota II. However, it's arguably received more press attention for its AI text generator GPT-3 and its quirky AI image generator Dall-E. FAIR, meanwhile, doesn't have an AI as famous as AlphaGo or a GPT-3. But its team has published academic papers on areas that are of interest to Facebook, including computer vision, natural language processing and conversational AI. One way to measure the impact of an AI lab is to look at how many academic papers it publishes at the two biggest AI conferences: NeurIPS and ICML. In 2020, Google had 178 papers accepted and published at NeurIPS, while Microsft had 95, DeepMind had 59, Facebook had 58 and IBM had 38. Amazon had less than 30. For the same year at ICML, Google had 114 papers accepted and published, while DeepMind had 51, Microsoft had 49, Facebook had 34, IBM had 19, and Amazon had 18. PR vs reality

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100149784

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Pakistan introduces GSK pneumonia vaccine

LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan has become the first country in South Asia to introduce a vaccine against the deadly pneumococcal disease in children, with GlaxoSmithKline's Synflorix selected for the programme. Worldwide more than 1.3 million children under the age of five are killed each year by pneumonia and in Pakistan it accounts for almost 20 percent of child deaths, according to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). The move comes at a time when healthcare experts are still struggling to get polio vaccination accepted in parts of Pakistan, one of the few countries where it is still endemic. The introduction of Synflorix in Pakistan, which began on Tuesday, is possible thanks to GAVI's advanced market commitment scheme, which provides incentives for drug companies to produce large quantities of vaccines for poor countries at low cost. "In Pakistan, with a successful roll-out we can save tens of thousands of lives," GAVI's chief executive Seth Berkley told reporters at a briefing at its Geneva headquarters. "It will make a dramatic difference in life expectancy in the country." GSK, Britain's largest drugmaker, said it would provide a minimum of 480 million doses of Synflorix to GAVI for programmes against pneumococcal disease in 73 developing countries by 2023. GAVI also has a similar global deal with Pfizer for its rival pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar. The agency chooses between the competing vaccines in each country. GAVI is a public-private partnership backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organisation, the World Bank, UNICEF, international donor governments and others. It funds bulk-buy immunisation campaigns for poorer nations that can't afford vaccines at rich-world prices. Berkley noted problems with Pakistan's polio eradication effort, which has been hampered by mistrust and rejection among local people, but said he expected the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine to be smoother, and potentially helpful to the polio campaign in the longer run. "The government of Pakistan assures us they will do everything they can to roll out this product," he said. "This is a vaccine that families understand, (along with) the importance of this disease and children dying, so it actually may help the effort." Latest United Nations estimates show that pneumonia accounts for 18 percent of child deaths globally. In Pakistan more than 352,000 children die before they reach their fifth birthday and almost one in five of those deaths are due to pneumonia. GAVI said that while pneumococcal vaccines cannot prevent every case of pneumonia they can prevent a significant proportion and have the potential to protect tens of thousands of children from preventable sickness and death. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler and Kate Kelland in London and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Greg Mahlich) ((ben.hirschler@thomsonreuters.com)(+44 20 7542 5082)(Reuters Messaging: ben.hirschler.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: PAKISTAN GLAXOSMITHKLINE/VACCINE

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/24/investing-shouldnt-be-like-gambling-heres-how-not-go-wrong.html

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Op-ed: Investing shouldn't be like gambling. Here's how not to go wrong

Getty Images Your phone's buzzing. A sleek notification is here to tell you about the "Top 5 stocks of the day *winky face*." A few more clicks through the hyper-gamified investments app, and done: you've added one — or three — of the top 5 to your portfolio, even though you don't know much about the company. Your screen makes a happy sound, off to the next. Not to be a buzzkill, but these trades, and the 25 others you plan to make this week, are unlikely to make you rich. Because as fun and trendy as some online trading tools may seem, the key to building wealth has remained incredibly consistent – almost boring – over the years: education, a detailed financial plan and a laser focus on long term goals. And whether you invest on your own or with an advisor, these still hold. On the flip side, if you are not careful, you may get caught in an endless loop of addictive, gamble-like trading behavior, costing much more than you had initially signed up for. Market pros have seen this same trend repeat again and again: economies tremble, and suddenly thousands of often newbie investors turn into day traders overnight. And today this happens with very few, if any, barriers thanks to the latest and greatest in tech. Have fun, but be safe The markets are volatile, the trades are free, and people have more time in front of a computer or their phone. But countless studies and research have shown that historically only a tiny number of these traders ended up making a profit in the long run. And, the more people trade, the more they tend to lose. Of course, all that doesn't mean you can't carve out a small allocation to do some "fun" investing on your own. In fact, in our own research, we have heard from investors, especially women, that dabbling in small, self-directed accounts provided a fun, "safe" way to get started before determining how to approach and manage larger, long-term investments. Still, smart investors who do carve off a safe portion of their assets for shorter term investing research the companies deeply, know why and when they should buy, and even more importantly, why and when they should sell, so that emotions don't lead to "trigger happy" buying and selling. These same investors also display that same smart behavior when it comes to the other aspects of building long-term wealth, including putting money aside for retirement, having an emergency fund, increasing savings, and reducing credit card or student loan debt. They are also open to talking to an expert whenever they have questions or are feeling overwhelmed. It's totally fine if that's not what you want, but it's nice to know the help is there when you need it. And like I said before, there is decades worth of stats backing the effectiveness of this consistent and strategic wealth planning behavior. A recent study from financial services research firm Dalbar traced investing back to 1984, showing that the vast majority of underperformance in an average portfolio occurred when investors withdrew their funds during periods of market instability. Even more telling: a 2011 study by a group of professors from UC Berkley, UC Davis, and Peking University found that less than 1% of day traders are able to outperform the markets consistently. One would think that if it were a fair game, they should outperform roughly 50% of the time. So with all the data imploring us to stay invested for the long haul, why is day trading still compelling to so many? Avoiding the herd

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/01/the-top-10-medical-schools-according-to-us-news-world-report.html

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The top 10 medical schools in the US, according to US News & World Report

The United States now has more cases of coronavirus than any other country in the world, surpassing China and Italy with 177,452 confirmed cases as of Tuesday. But as communities and hospitals across the country confront the pandemic, many experts predict there will be a shortage of doctors and nurses. Shreya Thatai, a second-year student med student in a joint medical program between the University of California, Berkley and University of California, San Francisco says she hopes the pandemic will motivate more students to go to medical school. "Maybe we'll get a lot more doctors out of this," she tells CNBC Make It. "I feel like for younger folks, maybe in high school or in undergrad right now, this could be a real motivating force to just enter health care: nurses and doctors and medical practitioners and everyone." For students who have been inspired to go to medical school, the next step is setting their sights on the right program for them. Every year, U.S. News & World Report releases a comprehensive ranking of the best medical programs in the United States to help students make that choice. This year, the publication surveyed 189 accredited medical programs and considered a wide range of factors, including peer assessments and medical research funding from the National Institutes of Health, to calculate its rankings. Here are the top 10 medical programs for students interested in research, according to U.S. News:

https://www.cnbc.com/id/36741611

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Earnings Roundup: April 26

Companies reporting before the bell include Caterpillar, Humana and Whirlpool. Texas Instruments posted earnings after the bell. BEFORE THE BELL Caterpillar The construction vehicle manufacturer reported earnings of 50 cents a share on revenue of $8.24 billion.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/14/nbcuniversal-peacock-release-may-be-moved-up-from-july-15.html

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NBCUniversal 'evaluating' moving up nationwide Peacock launch from July 15, says Peacock chief

Comcast 's NBCUniversal is "evaluating" moving up the nationwide launch of its subscription video service Peacock, according to Matt Strauss, Peacock's chairman. NBCUniversal planned to release Peacock's free and paid versions nationwide on July 15. While that day is still the target "for the moment," Strauss said his team was considering moving the launch date up to get Peacock's programming in front of millions of Americans trapped at home under coronavirus quarantines. "We feel even more strongly we need to bring Peacock as quickly to market as possible," Strauss said on a conference call for reporters. As planned, Comcast's Xfinity subscribers will get a preview of Peacock beginning Wednesday, April 15, when the streaming service's programming will be available at no extra charge for all pay TV and broadband customers. Comcast customers will get access to Peacock's full library of shows through their cable boxes or Flex streaming boxes including old NBC hits "Parks and Recreation," "30 Rock" and "Law & Order: SVU," the entire "Saturday Night Live" catalog, and Universal Pictures films such as "Jurassic Park," "E.T." and "Schindler's List." The Peacock mobile application and smart TV application won't be ready until the nationwide launch date, whether that's July 15 or sooner, Strauss said. Peacock originals, such as "Brave New World," based on the novel by Aldous Huxley, and a reboot of "Saved By The Bell," with original cast members including Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez, will be available later in 2020 or in 2021, Strauss said. "There will be originals that we make available in 2020," said Strauss, alluding to projects that have already been shot and produced. Hollywood operations are shut down during quarantines. Peacock will have a free version and a paid version, the latter of which will also have an ad-free tier. Peacock Free will consist of 7,500 hours of programming, including next-day access to current seasons of first-year NBC shows, complete seasons of classic series, Universal movies and curated content such as "SNL Vault" and "Family Movie Night." Peacock Premium will be $4.99 per month with ads and $7.99 per month without ads for non-Comcast and Cox subscribers, who get Peacock Premium with ads for free. Peacock Premium will include more than 15,000 hours of current and classic TV shows and exclusive early access to Jimmy Fallon's "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers." NBC said in January that "The Tonight Show" would be available for Peacock Premium users at 8 p.m. ET each day instead of its normal TV air time of 11:35 p.m. ET. "Late Night with Seth Meyers" will be available at 9 p.m. ET instead of 12:35 a.m. ET. Peacock's marketing rollout will look different from what was originally intended. NBCUniversal had planned to run a huge marketing push for Peacock alongside the 2020 Olympics, which has been postponed until 2021. Strauss said the company had developed a revised marketing plan that recoups the "vast majority" of promotional impressions it had planned for the summer. He said the company would see little to no impact on its marketing targets for 2020 as a result. An NBC Universal spokeswoman said the company would have more specifics to share on its marketing plans closer to the national launch. — CNBC's Megan Graham contributed to this report. Disclosure: Peacock is the streaming service of NBCUniversal, parent company of CNBC. Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal. WATCH: Peacock enters streaming race

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/elon-musk-backed-thud-launches-dna-friend-poking-fun-at-dna-testing.html

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Elon Musk-backed company launches a website to poke fun at DNA testing — and it's hilarious

Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during the unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y in Hawthorne, California on March 14, 2019. Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images DNA Friend is a new consumer genetics company that aims to rival 23andMe with its "fastest and freest DNA testing service." The only difference? It's a total parody. DNA Friend, which has both a website and social media presence, is a creation of Thud, a new media project run by former Onion staffers and originally backed by Elon Musk. According to the Atlantic, Tesla's CEO originally owned the business but sold it to former editors at the Onion -- Ben Berkley and Cole Bolton -- back in January. Musk once referred to the Onion "the greatest publication in the history of all conscious beings, living or dead," indicating a deep affinity for satire. The fact that Thud chose the DNA testing space as a first target is revealing, health experts suggest. watch now The space is booming, with at-home DNA testing company 23andMe alone claiming to have more than 8 million users. Ancestry, its chief rival, has more than 10 million in its database. But the market, which is expected to be worth more than $22 billion by 2024, is also under fire for a range of issues, including the lack of consumer privacy protections, recent involvements with law enforcement, and the questionable clinical utility. "Consumer genetics companies have a challenging job of building more applications of genomics to attract more customers, but also building applications responsibly to ensure scientific validity," said David Mittelman, a former chief scientific officer of Family Tree DNA, a consumer genetics company, and a geneticist. "It's a hard balancing act," he said, noting that the parody site "highlights some of the more recent failures in the space." On its website and social media channels, DNA Friend rips into DNA testing companies for charging consumers to tell them obvious things, such as an estimate of eye and hair color. "I always suspected I had brown eyes, but DNA Friend totally confirmed it," said one customer in a testimonial. DNA Friend In another fake note of user feedback, a man named Carl noted, "DNA Friend linked my DNA to a string of unsolved murders committed in LA during the '80s" That's a thinly veiled reference to the arrest of the alleged Golden State Killer, who was identified after more than 30 years when relatives uploaded their DNA to an open source website called GEDmatch. The arrest prompted debate about whether consumers are aware that their data could be used in criminal investigations. Privacy is another hot topic, as DNA testing companies sometimes earn money by forging research deals with pharma companies (to be fair, these companies typically do ask for consent, although most customers do not always read the terms and conditions). watch now "We know that you're entrusting us with every intimate detail of who you are," the website jokes. "And we will never violate that trust by allowing your DNA to fall into the hands of anyone outside our corporate partnership network." DNA Friend also gets into some weaknesses with DNA testing, including the lack of participation from non-white, non-European users. That's been an ongoing problem that several companies, including 23andMe, have openly acknowledged that they need to fix. Julie-Anne, another fake user, noted her excitement with finding out that her "saliva is mostly European." A screenshot from parody website, DNA Friend DNA friend

https://www.cnbc.com/id/24309670

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Your Roadmap To The American Dream

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/09/school-rankings-top-colleges-for-it-developers.html

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The world's top universities for IT developers — based on the skills employers want

Top university rankings rarely diverge far from the usual institutions that have for centuries produced top talent across various traditional industries. But when it comes to shaping minds for the jobs of the future, there's some new competition. Maskot | DigitalVision | Getty Images That's certainly the case for the developer industry, according to a new study, which has turned traditional analysis on its head to focus on graduates' skills rather than universities' quality of research and teaching. The report from HackerRank, a technical hiring platform, ranked universities across four important technical skills most sought by employers to determine the top universities for developers across North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, and found some interesting outliers. The four skills measured were: problem solving language proficiency data structures knowledge computer science (CS) fundamentals. The research, which is based on over 1.4 million assessments completed by students on HackerRank's platform between January 2017 and June 2019, contrasts with traditional lists, such as the Times Higher Education CS rankings, which focus on factors including teaching, research, international outlook and industry income. Here's the list of the top universities for developers — based on skills: North America University of California, Berkeley emerged as the leader in HackerRank's list of top North American universities, despite failing to make the cut in the Times' ranking. Berkeley placed within the top five across all four technical skills areas, well ahead of regular U.S. heavyweights including Stanford, MIT and Princeton. HackerRank said that was likely because of UC-Berkley's prominent developer culture and a "CS curriculum which emphasizes working on interdisciplinary real-world projects." Elsewhere, the University of Southern California was another strong performer, ranking in three of the four categories. Just one Canadian university — the University of Toronto — made it into the U.S.-dominated list. Asia Pacific India leads the way when it comes to nurturing top developer skills, according to HackerRank's study. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) — a system of 23 independent but interconnected public universities across India — dominated the list, with IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras performing especially well across the board. Just two universities from outside the IIT system made the list: Banaras Hindu University and Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). The latter scored particularly well, securing top three rankings across all four skill sections. Unlike the IIT system, VIT is a private university with what it calls a "futuristic technical education" including six specialty majors within computer science. VIT's CS program placed in the bottom sixth of the Times' CS ranking. Europe Set within a varied list, Imperial College London was the only university within Europe and the Middle East that placed across the board. The British university, which placed 11th in the Times' CS ranking, puts an emphasis on practical work and developing "transferable problem solving skills, rather than the teaching of specific technologies." More broadly, the U.K., France and Turkey emerged as the top locations for nurturing developers' skills. Imperial College London was a particularly strong performer, ranking top within three categories. Meanwhile, the lesser known Bilkent University in Turkey, which ranked in the bottom sixth of the Times' list, demonstrated particular strength in nurturing computer science fundamentals and data structure knowledge.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/05/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-premarket-viacom-centene-merck-alphabet--more.html

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Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Viacom, Centene, Merck, Alphabet & more

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Viacom – The media company earned an adjusted $1.12 per share for its latest quarter, 9 cents a share above estimates. Revenue fell short of forecasts, however, as domestic advertising sales declined. Estee Lauder – The cosmetics company beat estimates by 19 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.74 per share. Revenue also topped forecasts on stronger global sales of its skin care brands. Pitney Bowes – The shipping and mailing solutions company matched Street forecasts with adjusted earnings of 38 cents per share. Revenue was also above analysts' estimates. Pitney Bowes slashed its quarterly dividend to 5 cents per share from 18.75 cents, but also boosted its share buyback authorization by $100 million. Archer-Daniels Midland – The grain processor came in 4 cents a share shy of estimates, with adjusted quarterly profit of 88 cents per share. Revenue was shy of forecasts, as well, and ADM noted complicated and rapidly changing market conditions in presenting its results. The company also announced a dividend increase to 35 cents per share from 33-1/2 cents. Church & Dwight – The maker of Arm & Hammer baking soda and other consumer products earned 57 cents per share for its latest quarter, a penny a share shy of estimates, although revenue was above Street forecasts. Church & Dwight notes that price increases that were implemented late in the quarter had minimal impact on results, but will be more impactful this year. Church & Dwight also gave a 2019 earnings forecast that falls slightly short of Street estimates, and announced a dividend increase. Centene – Centene reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.38 per share, 6 cents a share above estimates. The health insurer's revenue beat Street forecasts and Centene made upbeat comments about its 2019 outlook, noting increased membership and contract wins. WellCare Health – The health insurer beat estimates by 7 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.63 per share. Revenue beat estimates and WellCare also raised its full-year forecast, based in part on increased membership growth in its Medicare business. Kraft Heinz – The food producer's stock was downgraded to "hold" from "buy" at Deutsche Bank, which said although Kraft Heinz is showing overall improvement, store brands are making headway in many of Kraft Heinz's largest categories. Merck – Bank of America/Merrill Lynch added the drugmaker's stock to its "US 1" list, calling it the firm's top pick in the pharmaceutical sector. Bank of America noted Merck's position in a variety of cancer-related markets as a primary driver of its view. Alphabet – Alphabet reported quarterly profit of $12.77 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $10.82 a share. The Google parent's revenue also beat forecasts, however investors appear concerns about a sharp increase in Alphabet's spending, with investments in data centers and cloud computing personnel. Gilead Sciences – Gilead came in 26 cents shy of consensus forecasts, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.44 per share. The drugmaker's revenue beat forecasts, but it saw sales of its hepatitis C treatments continue to decline. Seagate Technology – Seagate earned an adjusted $1.41 per share for its latest quarter, 14 cents a share above estimates. The disk drive maker's revenue was in line with Wall Street forecasts. Seagate said it was dealing with a challenging demand environment. Johnson & Johnson – J&J is in talks to settle most individual lawsuits involving its DePuy unit's Pinnacle hip implants, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs. Attorney Mark Lanier said the parties are close to a deal regarding suits that allege the implants were defective and caused injuries. General Electric – GE said it would complete the merger of its transportation business with rail equipment manufacturer Wabtec by February 25. T-Mobile US – T-Mobile told the Federal Communications Commission it would freeze most prices for three years if it gets approval for its proposed $26 billion buyout of wireless rival Sprint . Apple – Apple has reached a deal with France to pay an undisclosed amount of back taxes, according to the company's French division. French media are reporting the sum at approximately $571 million. BP – The energy giant's annual profit doubled in 2018 to $12.7 billion, driven by a significant increase in oil and gas output. Booking Holdings – Deutsche Bank upgraded the online travel services company to "buy" from "hold," saying it sees acceleration in hotel room night bookings for 2019 among other positive factors. Box – Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on the stock with a "buy" rating, calling it one of the best-positioned vendors in cloud content management.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/27/general-electric-upgraded-as-wall-street-lauds-spin-off-plans.html

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Wabtec

General Electric upgraded by Oppenheimer on debt reduction plan; shares rise

General Electric is set for better performance as the company's leadership works to break off segments of the business, Oppenheimer said in upgrading shares of the industrial conglomerate to perform from underperform. The announced spinoff of GE's health-care unit and the pending $11 billion merger of its transportation business with Wabtec should provide much-needed cash for executives to work with, Oppenheimer's Christopher Glynn said in a note Tuesday. GE also plans to reduce its net debt by about $25 billion by 2020 and generate $500 million or more in cost savings by the end of 2020. "We are upgrading shares to perform rating from underperform, based on potential for portfolio plan to unlock some value, and diminish liabilities," Glynn wrote to clients. "GE can reduce net leverage by $25 billion by 2020, from Healthcare liability transfer (debt and pension) allocation of $18 billion gross and meaningful planned liquidity from break-up moves." Shares rose 4.1 percent Wednesday following the upgrade from Oppenheimer. Wall Street applauded chief executive John Flannery's decision to break off the company's health-care unit and separate its stake in oil services company Baker Hughes on Tuesday, when shares rallied more than 7.7 percent, their best day since April 2015. The upward climb in the stock price is a welcome reprieve for company management. GE shares are down 21 percent in 2018 and down nearly 50 percent over the past year as the company has attempted to focus on a small number of core segments. The CEO , "We are finished" when he was asked whether GE will be making any other restructuring moves. The turnaround plan came on the same day General Electric was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average and replaced by Walgreens Boots Alliance . Clarification: This story was revised to clarify that the Oppenheimer upgrade was issued Tuesday.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/26/ge-shares-rise-after-it-announces-plan-to-spin-off-health-care-unit.html

WAB

Wabtec

GE shares pop after it reveals plan to spin off health-care unit, post best day in 3 years

GE 's turnaround strategy is becoming clear. The company announced plans on Tuesday to spin off its health-care unit and separate its stake in oil services company Baker Hughes over the next two to three years. GE will focus its operations on the aviation, power and renewable energy businesses. “Today marks an important milestone in GE’s history. We are aggressively driving forward as an aviation, power and renewable energy company — three highly complementary businesses poised for future growth. We will continue to improve our operations and balance sheet as we make GE simpler and stronger,” CEO John Flannery said in a statement. “We are confident that positioning GE Healthcare and BHGE outside of GE’s current structure is best not only for GE and its owners, but also for these businesses, which will strengthen their market-leading positions and enhance their ability to invest for the future, while carrying the spirit of GE forward.” GE said it will maintain its current quarterly dividend until it spins off its health-care unit. The company will then adjust the dividend “in line with industrial peers.” Flannery later said on an investor call the company will likely lower its "aggregate" dividend once the health-care spinoff is finished. GE shares rose 7.76 percent Tuesday, marking its best day since April 10, 2015. Its stock is down 27 percent this year through Monday and has declined by 54 percent over the past year. The company also plans to reduce its net debt by about $25 billion by 2020 and generate $500 million or more in corporate cost savings by the end of 2020. The CEO also told CNBC on Tuesday, "We are finished" when he was asked whether GE will be making any other restructuring moves. Moody's Investors Service reaffirmed its A2 rating and its negative outlook for GE's debt after the company's announcements. GE's "ratings outlook remains negative as continued weakness in earnings and cash flows are expected through 2019 and into 2020," the ratings firm said in a release. The turnaround plan comes on the same day GE will be removed from the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average, a position it has held since 1907. But GE investors may take solace in the recent history of stock price outperformance from the companies booted from the Dow. The most recent removal before General Electric soundly outperformed the S&P 500 in the year after getting booted, according to CNBC data. AT&T shares rose 15 percent in the 12 months after it was replaced by Apple in 2015 versus the S&P 500's 2 percent decline in the same time period. Here is the full press release from GE: GE Focuses Portfolio for Growth and Shareholder Value Creation June 26, 2018 Company to focus on Aviation, Power and Renewable Energy Healthcare to become standalone company; GE expects to monetize 20% and distribute remaining 80% of GE Healthcare to shareholders tax-free Plans to fully separate Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) Strengthening the balance sheet: Clear path to reduce debt by $25 billion, achieve Industrial net debt to EBITDA of less than 2.5x by 2020 and further de-risking GE Capital Businesses as center of gravity: Leaner corporate structure with $500+ million in savings Plans to maintain current quarterly dividend through completion of Healthcare separation Larry Culp to succeed Jack Brennan as lead director Company to host a call with investors at 8:30 am ET BOSTON – 26 June 2018: GE (NYSE: GE) today announced the results of its strategic review. GE will focus on Aviation, Power and Renewable Energy, creating a simpler, stronger, leading high-tech Industrial company. In addition to the pending combination of its Transportation business with Wabtec, GE plans to separate GE Healthcare into a standalone company, pursue an orderly separation from BHGE over the next two to three years, make its corporate structure leaner and substantially reduce debt. GE’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the plans announced today. John Flannery, chairman and CEO of GE, said, “Today marks an important milestone in GE’s history. We are aggressively driving forward as an aviation, power and renewable energy company—three highly complementary businesses poised for future growth. We will continue to improve our operations and balance sheet as we make GE simpler and stronger.” Flannery continued, “GE Healthcare and BHGE are excellent examples of GE at its best—anticipating customer needs, breaking barriers through innovation and delivering life-changing products and services. Today’s actions unlock both a pure-play healthcare company and a tier-one oil and gas servicing and equipment player. We are confident that positioning GE Healthcare and BHGE outside of GE’s current structure is best not only for GE and its owners, but also for these businesses, which will strengthen their market-leading positions and enhance their ability to invest for the future, while carrying the spirit of GE forward.” GE of the Future GE will be a focused high-tech industrial company that will be easier for investors to follow and measure with a significantly improved balance sheet to support its remaining businesses: GE Aviation continues to be a leader in the aviation industry. GE technology powers two out of every three commercial departures around the world and GE’s global installed base includes more than 65,000 engines. GE’s energy strategy, driven by GE Power and GE Renewable Energy, is based on offering a full range of energy solutions across the electricity value chain that bring affordable, reliable, efficient energy to businesses and consumers. GE powers more than one-third of the world’s electricity and has a valuable installed base of approximately 7,000 gas turbines, with a track record of increasing productivity. GE will continue to invest for the future and lead in innovative technologies like additive manufacturing and digital to lead the next wave of industrial productivity. GE is making fundamental changes to how it will run the company. The new GE Operating System will result in a smaller corporate headquarters focused primarily on strategy, capital allocation, talent and governance. It will result in better execution, increased speed and is expected to generate at least $500 million in corporate savings by the end of 2020. Under the new GE Operating System, most resources and services traditionally held at the headquarters level will be realigned to the businesses. GE is targeting an Industrial net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of less than 2.5 times and a long-term A credit rating. GE also plans to reduce Industrial net debt by approximately $25 billion by 2020 and maintain more than $15 billion of cash on the balance sheet. GE expects to maintain its current quarterly dividend, subject to Board approval, until GE Healthcare is established as an independent entity. At that time, the new GE Healthcare Board of Directors will determine GE Healthcare’s dividend policy, which GE expects to reflect healthcare industry practices. Also at that time, the GE Board expects to adjust the GE dividend with a target dividend policy in line with industrial peers. Creating GE Healthcare as a Standalone, Pure-Play Company Kieran Murphy, president and CEO of GE Healthcare, will continue to lead GE Healthcare as a standalone company, maintaining the GE brand. “GE Healthcare’s vision is to drive more individualized, precise and effective patient outcomes. As an independent global healthcare business, we will have greater flexibility to pursue future growth opportunities, react quickly to changes in the industry and invest in innovation. We will build on strong customer demand for integrated precision health solutions and great technology with digital and analytics capabilities as we enter our next chapter,” said Mr. Murphy. Flannery added, “GE Healthcare is an industry leader with financial strength, global scale and cutting-edge technology. Our talented Healthcare team will continue delivering precision health solutions, building on our heritage of technology innovation that delivers patient outcomes.” GE Healthcare recorded over $19 billion in revenues in 2017 and posted five percent revenue growth and nine percent segment profit growth in the same year. The business provides medical imaging (including contrast agents), monitoring, biomanufacturing and cell therapy technology, leveraging deep digital, artificial intelligence and data analytics capabilities. Its products and services are valued by customers in 140 countries around the world. GE expects to generate cash from the disposition of approximately 20% of its interest in the Healthcare business and to distribute the remaining 80% to GE shareholders through a tax-free distribution. The structure, sequence and timing of these transactions will be determined and announced at a later date, but are expected to be completed over the next 12 to 18 months. GE Healthcare will conduct business as usual throughout this process, continuing to serve its partners and customers. BHGE GE plans to fully separate its 62.5% interest in BHGE in an orderly manner over the next two to three years. BHGE’s full stream offering brings together equipment, services and digital solutions to help its customers be more productive—a unique and powerful value proposition in a changing market. The separation will provide BHGE with enhanced agility and the ability to focus on leading in the oil and gas industry. GE Capital GE continues to work to make GE Capital smaller and more focused on supporting its core industrial businesses. The company intends to materially shrink the balance sheet of GE Capital targeting sales of $25 billion in energy and industrial finance assets by 2020. The company is assuming an approximately $3 billion capital contribution to GE Capital in 2019. In addition, the company is actively exploring options to reduce its insurance exposure. Lead Director Transition GE also announced that the Board’s independent directors have completed the previously announced lead director transition, electing Larry Culp, former CEO of Danaher, to succeed Jack Brennan, who is completing his last term on the Board. The change is effective today. Mr. Culp will also chair the Board’s Management Development and Compensation Committee. He joined the GE Board as an independent director earlier this year. Flannery said, “As lead director, Jack has been an incredibly valuable partner and advisor to GE through economic cycles, changes to our business and our most recent leadership transition. I would like to thank him for his advice and stewardship through a period of significant change for GE. He has been especially helpful over the last year as we have conducted our review of the company and developed our plan to position GE for the future.” Flannery added, “Larry’s track record on strategy development and execution, capital allocation and talent make him well suited to take on this role. I appreciate his clarity, transparency and business-first philosophy, and I believe his leadership will be invaluable to GE as we enter our next chapter.” Simpler, Stronger GE Today’s announcements follow a series of changes GE has made in the past year. With the announced sales of Distributed Power, Industrial Solutions, and Value-Based Care, and pending combination of its Transportation business with Wabtec, GE’s $20 billion divestiture target is substantially complete. Flannery concluded, “GE’s mission and technology change the lives of billions of people around the world. We will now move forward with purpose to make our company simpler and stronger and accelerate growth across our businesses. I’m confident that today’s actions, in conjunction with other changes we have already made, will produce improved operating results and increased shareholder value going forward. We are focused on executing the strategy and implementing the structure we’ve laid out today to position our businesses for future growth.” Conference Call and Webcast The Company has scheduled an investor conference call to discuss today’s announcement. The call will begin today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, the content of which is not part of this press release. A slide presentation providing summary financial and statistical information that will be discussed on the call will also be posted to the Company’s website and available for real-time viewing at ge.com/investor. The conference call will be broadcast live via a webcast and can be accessed by visiting the Events and Reports page on the Company’s website at: ge.com/investor. An archived version of the webcast will be available on the website after the call.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/22/goldman-sachs-ge-should-suspend-dividend-for-the-next-18-months.html

WAB

Wabtec

Goldman Sachs: GE should suspend dividend for the next 18 months

General Electric should suspend its quarterly dividend for the next 18 months, Goldman Sachs wrote in a Thursday night note to clients. "To avoid another dividend cut and potential rating downgrade we think the most prudent action would be for GE to consider suspending its common dividend for the next 18 months," Goldman Sachs said in the note. Goldman Sachs said a dividend suspension would solve the two risks GE faces of a dividend cut and a credit rating downgrade "without sacrificing the long-term." The embattled industrial conglomerate cut its dividend in half on Nov. 13, to 12 cents per share from 24 cents per share. Some investors and analysts fear GE CEO John Flannery's turnaround plan for the embattled conglomerate will have to include another cut to the dividend. This concern sent GE shares tumbling on May 23 in their worst single day of trading since April 2009. Flannery declined to comment that day about whether the company would cut its dividend again in 2019, instead telling analysts at a conference that GE would "have to see how this plays out" before deciding. A cut to the dividend in 2019 is not in GE's plans, people familiar with the situation told CNBC's David Faber, who reported the news May 24. Flannery's remarks at the conference may have been misinterpreted, according to Faber's sources. The company's shares fell Thursday after Faber reported GE was expected to make a significant announcement about its future by the end of the second quarter. Faber said it might not be a full breakup "as some had anticipated." But it will be a "significant announcement around reorganization of the company, including potentially something being spun." GE stock rose 0.3 percent to $12.80 per share in trading Friday. Shares of GE are on track to decline 4 percent this week after GE was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Tuesday.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/20/this-is-the-future-of-ge-flannery-turns-sights-to-power-ge-capital.html

WAB

Wabtec

With restructuring done, GE’s Flannery turns sights to fixing power business, GE Capital

"This essentially completes the announcement ... of our target of $20 billion of dispositions," Flannery said. GE's second-quarter profit was 30 percent lower than last year, dragged lower by its power business and GE Capital – with the former reporting a 58 percent lower profit and and the latter posting a 20 percent greater loss. Reorganizing GE has been Flannery's push since he was appointed chief executive last August. “We’ve described 2018 as a reset year and in this quarter we’ve made significant progress on that journey," CEO John Flannery said on a conference call with investors. "This is an execution story going forward." General Electric will focus on meeting second half turnaround goals for its struggling power and GE Capital business units, the company said after its earnings report Friday. General Electric Chief Executive Officer John Flannery presents the company's new strategy and financial targets to investors at a meeting in New York, November 13, 2017. The power business is the company's number one focus for the remainder of 2018, CFO Jamie Miller told CNBC after the report, reiterating Flannery's comments on the call. “Clearly our top priority is fixing the problems in the power business," Flannery said. Power reported orders of of $7.4 billion, down 26 percent from a year ago. Revenues also declined 19 percent. Worst of all was the division's profit, down 58 percent from the same time last year. As it has before, GE said "softness" was the main culprit. “The short term cycle is severe," Flannery said, adding that GE was "already working within the assumption of a very tough market.” Still, Flannery said GE's power unit is "an asset that is worth protecting." A turnaround in power is going "to be a multiyear fix," Flannery said. He told shareholders that GE sees "a very clear plan of what we need to do" in power, again emphasizing the company's focus on the business. Investors don’t seem to want to wait around, however, as GE stock dropped more than 4 percent in trading Friday, closing at $13.12 per share. "GE is only at the outset of a multi-year effort to improve its fundamental financial performance," Moody's Investors Service vice president Rene Lipsch said in a note. CFRA Research analysts expressed similar expectations, saying GE's turnaround will "take a long time to play out." GE Capital is the company's second battle after power. With $136 billion in assets, GE Capital produced a $206 million loss in the second quarter. GE is steadily decreasing the size of the business unit, planning to trim GE Capital assets by $25 billion before the end of 2019. Flannery says he is targeting GE Capital's earnings to "breakeven for the total year," after the unit reported a loss of 2 cents per share in the latest quarter. "We continue to take out structural costs" from GE Capital and "are on track to exceed our goal of $2 billion" by the end of the year, Flannery said. The risk of heavy penalties from the Department of Justice investigation of GE Capital continues to hang over the business. Miller said there was "really no change" in the second quarter from what GE has announced previously about the investigation. In the previous quarter, GE recorded reserves of $1.5 billion for potential liabilities from the DOJ investigation in connection with alleged subprime mortgage violations for GE Capital's now defunct WMC mortgage business.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/19/general-electric-earnings-q2-2018.html

WAB

Wabtec

General Electric shares fall after profit drops 30%

General Electric said second-quarter profit fell 30 percent from last year because of weakness in its power division. GE reaffirmed its financial outlook for the year, saying it continues to expect full-year earnings of $1 to $1.07 per share. GE stock dropped more than 4 percent in trading Friday, closing at $13.12 per share, even as the decline in profit was less than Wall Street feared. Earnings in the latest period were fueled by GE's aviation and health-care businesses, while the company said its power market continues to be challenging, with orders down 26 percent from the same period last year. CEO John Flannery said in a statement that GE's review of its businesses is "now complete." "GE is moving forward to implement the strategy and structure we laid out in June," Flannery said. Shares of GE have fallen more than 47 percent in the last year and were at $13.73 as of Thursday’s close. The last quarter saw the stock stabilize somewhat. The shares have slid just 5 percent over the last three months. For the second quarter, the company posted profit of 7 cents per share, down from 10 cents a year earlier. On a continuing basis, GE's net income was 8 cents per share in the latest period, falling from 12 cents. On an adjusted basis, GE earned 19 cents per share, which was higher than the 17 cents per share that analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting. Second-quarter total revenue rose 3 percent to $30.1 billion, greater than the $29.31 billion expected by Thomson Reuters. GE's aviation, transportation and health-care divisions all saw profit growth, continuing to turn in steady results. But the conglomerate's power and oil and gas units reported profits were down 58 percent and 39 percent, respectively, from last year. The results for both of the struggling business units were better than Wall Street expected, despite the declining profits. Wall Street calls for either a suspension or a cut to GE's dividend put pressure on the stock in the second quarter. While Flannery said in May that he would "have to see how this plays" out before deciding whether to make a change to the dividend in 2019, GE said on June 26 that it would "adjust" the dividend once it completes the spinoff of its health-care business. The company revealed in May that it expects no profit growth this year in its already stagnant power business, depressing the shares further. GE was also removed as a component in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in June, after being a part of the index for more than 100 years. GE's deal in May to merge its transportation business with Wabtec was praised by investors, with the $2.9 billion in cash to GE seen as a welcome respite. The company expects the merger to close in early 2019. Correction: GE's oil and gas unit reported profit was down 39 percent. An earlier version misstated the percentage.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/06/cramer-ges-stock-is-finally-a-buy.html

WAB

Wabtec

Cramer: GE's stock is finally a buy

watch now CNBC's Jim Cramer is starting to see glimmers of hope in ailing industrial giant General Electric . "I think the end of the long decline in GE is finally here," the "Mad Money" host said Friday. "After seeing the results of the company’s lengthy strategic review last week, especially the plan to break up this unwieldy conglomerate into easier-to-understand pieces, I am a believer." Cramer didn't expect GE's stock to start rallying right away. He didn't expect the company's numbers to immediately improve or its 3.76 percent dividend to somehow become safe. But he did know one thing: "It’s time to buy the stock of General Electric." "I do believe that, at these levels, the potential upside far outweighs the possible downside," he said. "In other words, the risk-reward is very attractive." How GE got here In the last year and a half, the stock of GE has been obliterated, losing almost 60 percent of its value since its highs in 2016 and getting kicked out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average . The company's former CEO, Jeff Immelt, left the company in mid-2017 with a host of multi-billion-dollar problems stemming from the company's looming pension deficit and long-term health-care business. And before he handed the reins over to GE's current CEO, John Flannery, Immelt made some bad deals, selling NBCUniversal to Comcast "for a pittance" in the midst of the recession and making acquisitions in the oil space near the peak in oil prices, Cramer said. "Maybe some of this was bad luck and bad timing, but a lot of it was just plain mismanagement," the "Mad Money" host said. "Put it all together and GE developed a serious cash flow problem, which ultimately caused them to cut the dividend in half last November. And a lot of bears speculate that there may be more cuts necessary." What's next for GE So, why is Cramer so confident that GE has hit bottom? For that, consider the 11-month tenure of CEO John Flannery, who has been at work cutting costs, reviewing GE's strategy and selling off parts of the company to re-balance the industrial's asset base. But even with all of Flannery's changes, shares of GE have struggled to sustain their gains, culminating in the company's eviction from the Dow. Then, last Tuesday, GE released the results of its strategic review. "The plan? General Electric is going to spin off its health-care business as an independent company within the next year and a half, they’re going to sell their interest in Baker Hughes , a GE Company – the big oil service subsidiary – over the next two or three years, and we already know that the transportation business is going to Wabtec," Cramer said. The remaining company will be a tech-focused aviation, power and renewable energy play. With that, Flannery will reduce GE's hard-to-understand image to that of a clear-cut industrial that makes engines and turbines. "I have to say I like [GE's stock] here," Cramer said. "I love the aviation business — we know that aerospace is one of the hottest industries around, with a multi-decade backlog of demand — and thinking long-term, it’s definitely better to be in the renewable energy business than the fossil fuels business." Cramer also liked the fresh attitude Flannery brought to GE, a company long known for being an opaque operator that wouldn't reveal its underlying flaws. Flannery, he said, was comfortable with being honest about GE's problems. "Consider that even Steve Tusa, the bearish J.P. Morgan analyst who’s been right about GE every step of the way, has an $11 price target on this thing,” Cramer said. “The stock’s currently at $13 and change. If the biggest bear on GE thinks it’s going to $11, I say the stock’s a buy." Final thoughts The "Mad Money" host knows how many investors are watching GE's turnaround like a hawk. But that's no reason to rush into its stock at the first sign of good news, he said. "GE still has plenty of problems, but we can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel," Cramer concluded. "At this point, I think the potential upside outweighs the potential downside. Start buying here and then buy more if it goes to Tusa's target. It's going to take a while, but Flannery's got a plan and it's a good one." WATCH: Cramer calls bottom in GE watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/21/apple-exxon-chevron-and-ge-all-have-this-one-thing-in-common.html

WAB

Wabtec

Apple, Exxon, Chevron and GE all have this one thing in common

Dow stocks Apple , Exxon Mobil , Chevron and General Electric are trading well above their 50-day moving averages. They have something else in common — one technician sees more upside for each. "There's a misperception out there that because a stock is overbought that that is bad," Craig Johnson, chief market technician at Piper Jaffray, told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. Apple, the world's largest company by market cap, is trading nearly 8 percent above its 50-day moving average, but Johnson says it's set to continue its move higher. "Apple's already gone through a corrective move," he said. It "doesn't look like a stock that I want to be taking profits in. I think there's probably more upside to go in that name." Apple shares traded in the red in March and April before exploding higher on positive earnings in May. Its shares are now more than 11 percent higher for the year. Like Johnson, Michael Binger of Gradient Investments sees more room to run for Exxon Mobil and Chevron. "There's nothing like $70-$80 oil to really help these names like Exxon and Chevron," Gradient's senior portfolio manager said on Friday's "Trading Nation." "There's no way we're selling them right now. Their cash flow profiles are getting better." One stock on which Johnson and Binger disagree is General Electric. Where Johnson forecasts a "short-term bottom," Binger sees a fundamental picture that points to further hardship. "We'd prefer to stay on the sidelines of General Electric," said Binger. "This recent move is more of a dead-cat bounce. I have no idea what their business model is going to look like going forward. I have a lot of doubt about their earnings power." GE is on track to close May with its second month of gains, though it remains lower for the year. Shares of the oldest Dow component rallied 3 percent on Monday after the industrial giant said it would merge its transportation business with Wabtec in a deal worth $11 billion. Still, the stock is 47 percent below its 52-week high, placing it firmly in bear-market territory.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/21/futures-point-to-triple-digit-rally-at-the-open-after-us-china-trade-war-placed-on-hold.html

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Wabtec

Dow closes above 25,000 for the first time since March as US-China trade war is placed 'on hold'

Stocks closed higher on Monday as trade tensions between the U.S. and China dissipated for the moment, while investor sentiment was also boosted by news of dealmaking activity. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 298.20 points to 25,013.29. Boeing, Caterpillar and United Technologies, big exporters likely to benefit from easing trade tensions, were the best-performing stocks in the index . Monday also marked the first time since mid-March that the Dow closed above 25,000. The gained 0.7 percent and closed at 2,733.01 as industrials jumped 1.5 percent. The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5 percent to 7,394.04 as semiconductors pushed tech higher. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said over the weekend the prospect of a trade war was "on hold" following an agreement to suspend tariff threats. On Saturday, negotiators from the world's two largest economies said they would continue talking about measures under which Beijing would import more energy and agricultural commodities from the U.S. in an effort to bridge the $335 billion annual U.S. goods and services trade deficit with China. "This should offer investors some relief over trade concerns," said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at Baird. "However, we expect that trading jitters will continue as the U.S. still has plans to apply steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union by month-end."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/21/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-premarket-googl-ge-mbfi-tsla-foxa-more.html

WAB

Wabtec

Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: GOOGL, GE, MBFI, TSLA, FOXA & more

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Alphabet – Alphabet's Google operation was the subject of a piece in last night's episode of "60 Minutes," highlighting the company's power and airing comments from critics who say Google is stifling competition. General Electric – GE will merge its transportation business with rail industry equipment maker Wabtec , in a deal worth $10 billion net of tax benefits. MB Financial – The Chicago-based bank operator agreed to be bought by Fifth Third Bancorp in a $4.7 billion cash and stock deal, worth $54.20 per share. That represents a 24 percent premium over Friday's closing price for MB Financial. Tesla – The automaker is the subject of two recommendation from proxy adviser ISS, which said shareholders should vote against directors Antonio Gracias and James Murdoch, and vote for a proposal to separate the chairman and CEO roles. Both jobs are currently held by Elon Musk. Separately, Berenberg raised its price target on Tesla stock to $500, saying a gross margin above 25 percent for the Model 3 is "comfortably achievable." 21st Century Fox – The company won dismissal of a lawsuit by former Fox News anchor Andrea Tantaros which had accused the company of spying on her in retaliation for sexual harassment accusations. Envision Healthcare – Envision is a takeover target of a joint effort from hospital operator HCA and private equity firm KKR , according to Reuters. Envision is a provider of services to physicians. Pinnacle Foods – The food maker has hired Evercore Partners to explore strategic alternatives, according to a New York Post report. The paper notes that Pinnacle has been facing pressure from activist investor Jana Partners to merge with ConAgra Brands . Middleby – Middleby is buying Taylor Co. from United Technologies for $1 billion in cash. Middleby is best known for commercial kitchen equipment, while Taylor makes ice cream and frozen drink machines. Xerox — Japan's Fujifilm remains set on buying Xerox despite the cancellation by Xerox of their planned merger deal, according to the Nikkei news service. However, Fujifilm is reportedly refusing to negotiate with major Xerox shareholders Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason. Athenahealth – The company should hold a formal sale process, according to shareholder Janus Henderson. That firm holds an 11.9 percent stake in the provider of cloud-based medical business services and made its wishes known in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. IHS Markit – The financial analytics company is buying Ipreo from private-equity funds managed by Blackstone and Goldman Sachs for $1.855 billion. Ipreo is a provider of financial services solutions and data. Campbell Soup – The stock was downgraded to "underperform" from "neutral" at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, based on 2018 being a transition year under an interim CEO who will be initiating an extensive strategic review. Snap – Snap was upgraded to "neutral" from "sell" at MoffettNathanson, which said the risk/reward profile is now balanced with the stock having fallen by about half since the "sell" recommendation was first made more than a year ago. The firm did call Snap's life as a public company "nothing short of an unmitigated disaster."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/23/bank-of-america-thinks-these-stocks-are-prime-candidates-to-join-sp-500.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Bank of America thinks these stocks are prime candidates to join the S&P 500, and could outperform

Joining the benchmark S & P 500 is a catalyst for stock growth, according to Bank of America, and the firm is eyeing a collection of companies that it thinks are solid contenders to join the index. New additions to the S & P 500 since 1990 have returned 4.3%, or 8.7% annualized, on average, in the six months after they've joined the broad market index, according to Bank of America's investment and exchange-traded funds strategist Jared Woodard. Stocks cycle on and off the major averages, with the most recent example being Walgreens Boots Alliance 's deletion from the Dow Jones Industrial Average and its replacement by Amazon on Monday. Woodard noted that changes to the S & P 500 typically occur following a period of strong growth. The S & P 500 has gained more than 24% in the past year and has climbed more than 4% from the start of 2024. There are two main criteria for adding a stock to the S & P 500, the strategist said. First, a company's prior four quarters of earnings on generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, basis must be positive. Second, the stock's market capitalization must be in the 85th percentile of the S & P 1500. Here's a look at some of the stocks Bank of America thinks are in contention for entry to the S & P 500. Palantir Technologies is up roughly 177 % in the past year, and has gained more than 37% in 2024. The company has a market cap of $37.48 billion. Four of the 17 analysts covering the stock say it's a buy or strong buy, and average price targets suggest downside of 20%, according to FactSet. Earlier this month, Palantir posted fourth-quarter revenue that beat analysts' expectations, driven by demand for its artificial intelligence capabilities. However, the company reported a lower-than-expected forecast for first-quarter revenue. PLTR YTD mountain Palantir stock. Alternative asset manager KKR has gained 71% over the past year, and it has a market cap of $82.89 billion. Bank of America analyst Craig Siegenthaler thinks the stock could be added to the S & P 500 as soon as mid-March following the index's planned rebalance. About 94% of analysts polled by FactSet rate KKR either buy or strong buy, and the average price target suggests nearly 11% upside. KKR YTD mountain KKR stock.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/27/stocks-making-the-biggest-premarket-moves-.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Walgreens, Kellogg, Eli Lilly, Delta and more

A man walks out of a Walgreens pharmacy in New York City, March 9, 2023. Check out the companies making the biggest moves in premarket trading. Walgreens Boots Alliance — The retail pharmacy chain sank about 7% after the company lowered its full-year earnings guidance to $4 to $4.05 per share from its previous forecast of $4.45 to $4.65 per share. It also reported adjusted earnings per share for its fiscal third quarter of $1, missing a Refinitiv forecast of $1.07. Kellogg — Shares added 2.5% in premarket trading after an upgrade from Goldman Sachs to buy. The firm said Kellogg was "mispriced" compared with the potential growth opportunity offered to investors. Lordstown Motors — Lordstown Motors tumbled 61% in the premarket after the U.S. electric truck maker filed for bankruptcy protection and sued Taiwan's Foxconn for a deal that came apart. Delta Air Lines — The travel stock added about 1% in premarket trading after Delta forecast full-year adjusted earnings of $6 per share, at the high end of previous guidance. The company cited strong demand and customers trading up to more expensive share classes as reasons for the more optimistic outlook. American Equity Investment Life — The stock jumped 15% in premarket trading after Bloomberg reported Canadian investment firm Brookfield was close to making a deal to buy the insurance firm for approximately $4.3 billion. Eli Lilly — Shares gained 1.5% in the premarket. Eli Lilly released clinical results Monday that showed its experimental drug retatrutide helped patients lose up to 24% of their weight after almost a year. Host Hotels & Resorts — Shares fell nearly 2% following a downgrade by Morgan Stanley to underweight from equal weight. The Wall Street firm said it expects deteriorating trends in key markets and higher competitive supply versus its peer group. — CNBC's Sarah Min, Brian Evans, Jesse Pound and Michael Bloom contributed reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/21/wednesdays-top-stocks-to-buy.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Amazon, Target, Dell, Microsoft, HP, SolarEdge, Norfolk Southern & more

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: HSBC downgrades Home Depot to reduce from hold HSBC said it sees a lack of catalysts for shares of Home Depot. "Downgrade to Reduce (from Hold) while retaining target price of USD323 on valuation and lack of near-term catalysts." JPMorgan downgrades Wendy's to neutral from overweight JPMorgan said in its downgrade of Wendy's that the stock is likely to "remain range-bound in an industry where price promotion + capital intensity across the category is likely to increase." "Stock likely to remain range-bound as competitive price & capital intensity picks up - Moving to Neutral." Piper Sandler downgrades Palo Alto Networks to neutral from overweight Piper downgraded the stock following earnings and says it's concerned that billings can drag down growth. " PANW is the largest platform player in the segment and, in hopes to accelerate that positioning, will take an aggressive approach in offering free product with the promise of longer-term, platform contracts. This should negatively impact the business for 12-18 months - eliminating $600M from billings estimates in the back half of this year." Barclays upgrades Norfolk Southern to overweight from equal weight Barclays said it sees upside potential in the railroad company. "Potential for board and management change are likely to accelerate operational improvements at Norfolk Southern; we see significant long-term upside potential in NSC shares." JPMorgan reiterates Amazon as a top idea JPMorgan said it sees further share gains for shares of Amazon. "Expecting Slight Acceleration & Continued Online Share Gains in 2024; AMZN Best Idea." HSBC downgrades Walgreens Boots Alliance to reduce from hold HSBC said it sees too many challenges ahead for Walgreens. "It takes time, effort and financial discipline to turn around and reposition a company like Walgreens; easier comps in H2. New leadership has the experience and board support to carry out initiatives, but there are plenty of challenges ahead." Redburn Atlantic Equities reiterates Microsoft as buy Redburn said it sees Microsoft's Azure gaining market share in cloud. "Cloud adoption is moving into the next phase as organisations increasingly start adopting advanced ML/AI technologies. Azure is well positioned to capture a meaningful portion of the market upside, which is underestimated by the market." Cantor Fitzgerald initiates Sabre Corporation as buy Cantor says the travel tech company has market share potential. "We are initiating coverage of Sabre Corporation with an Overweight rating and 12-month PT of $5.00." Wells Fargo reiterates Target as overweight Wells raised its price target on the stock to $165 per share from $155. "Shrink has been a problem for TGT, but we see reason for optimism in '24. Mitigation to date should yield benefits, and recent testing of self-checkout changes holds further promise. Sales have yet to inflect, but margin upside buys time." Morgan Stanley reiterates Dell as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by shares of Dell. " DELL remains a core OW levered to a cyclical hardware recovery, ramping AI infrastructure spend, and accelerating capital returns trading at just 10x CY25 EPS." Jefferies upgrades COPT Defense Properties to buy from hold Jefferies said in its upgrade of the real estate defense contractor that Copt shares are underapprecaited. "Good Defense Leads to Offense; Shares Undervalued, Upgrade to Buy." Stifel initiates Confluent as buy Stifel said in its initiation of the software company that it can "sustain healthy 20%+ growth and drive margin expansion over the coming years." "We are initiating coverage of Confluent with a Buy rating and $40 target Benchmark initiates ChargePoint as buy Benchmark said the EV charging company is a "market leader re-invigorated." "We are initiating coverage of ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. with a Buy rating and a $4.25 Price Target. UBS upgrades US Foods to buy from neutral UBS upgraded the stock after its earnings report and says it sees sustainable growth emerging. "We're upgrading USFD following the company's 4Q'23 results." Goldman Sachs reiterates SolarEdge as sell Goldman said it's sticking with its sell rating on the stock following earnings on Tuesday. " SEDG reported a mixed quarter with revenue in line but margins below our estimates." Morgan Stanley reiterates HP as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by shares of HP. "Improving fundamentals share gains, and accelerating capital returns support multiple expansion in the NTM [next twelve months]."

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/05/walgreens-shares-halted-on-report-that-company-is-in-talks-to-go-private.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens explores going private in what could be largest LBO in history

KKR stayed on as an investor after Walgreens announced a two-part deal to acquire Alliance Boots in 2012. By the time Walgreens acquired all of Alliance Boots, in 2015, KKR had roughly quadrupled its cash investment, according to media reports at the time. One of the firms looking at a deal is KKR , the people said. KKR has a history with the retailer. In 2007, it bought Alliance Boots in partnership with Stefano Pessina, then the executive chairman of Alliance Boots, and other investors. International drugstore chain Walgreens Boots Alliance is exploring going private in what could mark the largest leveraged buyout in history, people familiar with the situation told CNBC. For Walgreens Boots Alliance a deal to go private would be a chance to get out of the public spotlight. Shares of Walgreens have slid about 22% over the past 12 months as both its retail and pharmacy businesses are under pressure. With Walgreens' market capitalization at roughly $55 billion, such a deal would require a big paycheck. Pessina, now Walgreens CEO, has a roughly 16% stake in the company, according to data compiled by FactSet. He could roll over that stake to help facilitate a deal. Walgreens' outstanding debt load, roughly $17 billion, according to its most recent regulatory filing, may further complicate acquisition talks. A number of deals to buy retailers led by private equity firms in recent years have resulted in bankruptcy, including Toys R Us and Payless. Those retailers found themselves hamstrung by debt and unable to make the investments necessary to compete amid a rapidly changing retail landscape. Walgreens — one of the world's largest pharmacies, with roughly 9,300 drugstores — is under its own pressure. Consumers are increasingly shopping for drugstore staples such as shampoo and vitamins online. Insurers are squeezing pharmacies, paying them less to fill prescriptions. In response, Walgreens is slashing costs. The company aims to trim more than $1.8 billion by fiscal year 2022. Walgreens earlier this year said it will close about 200 stores in the U.S., in addition to the 200 it will close in the U.K. Amid challenges facing the industry, Walgreens' peers have explored partnerships or consolidation. CVS Health and Aetna last year combined in a roughly $69 billion deal that combined CVS' pharmacy and pharmacy benefits manager platform with Aetna's insurance business. Walgreens explored a deal to buy AmerisourceBergen last year, but those early-stage explorations ended without an agreement. In 2015, Walgreens attempted to acquire Rite Aid in a $17.5 billion deal that looked to bring with it 4,600 stores. Regulators, though, whittled the deal down to a purchase of 1,932 stores for $4.37 billion. Walgreens is working with investment bank Evercore to explore whether it can put together a deal, Reuters reported earlier Tuesday. Reuters and Bloomberg earlier reported news of a potential deal, sending shares up more than 3%. Shares closed Tuesday at $61.21, up 2.6%. Walgreens declined to comment Tuesday, saying it does not comment on rumors or speculation.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/11/kroger-and-walgreens-want-to-buy-products-together-to-cut-supply-costs.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Kroger and Walgreens want to buy products together to cut supplier costs

Kroger and Walgreens have been working together since 2018 on various pilot tests. Kroger and Walgreens Boots Alliance are teaming up to cut costs by sourcing more merchandise together. With what they call the Retail Procurement Alliance, the chain retailers will look for overlaps in the products they are receiving so that they can combine their orders. Doing so would increase scale and lower costs. The two will also see if Kroger can start manufacturing items in-house for Walgreens, and vice versa, Kroger CFO Gary Millerchip told CNBC. "Kroger manufactures many of our own food products," Millerchip said. "We can do that more collectively and cheaply ... when we have the volume from Walgreens to increase in efficiencies in our model." Kroger and Walgreens hope more retailers will join their alliance. "If another organization thinks they have significant buying in these areas, they could partner with Kroger and Walgreens to save and reduce waste," Millerchip said. The alliance comes at a time when traditional retailers are under pressure as more consumers shop online and, as a result, are looking to find cost savings where they can. The joint venture builds on work that Kroger and Walgreens have already been doing together. In October 2018, the companies announced they were beginning to test selling some of Kroger's owned food brands at select Walgreens stores, in addition to allowing customers to pick up their online orders from Kroger at some Walgreens locations. This August, the companies said they were expanding this pilot test to 35 Walgreens locations, from the original 13. Walgreens also put a selection of its health and beauty merchandise in 17 Kroger stores as a trial. In addition to its namesake brand, Kroger owns a variety of other supermarket and retail brands including Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Harris Teeter and Food 4 Less. "Clearly we are seeing ... offering customers convenience with smaller shopping trips is improving the overall experience," Millerchip said about adding Kroger products to Walgreens stores. "But it's still very early in the process." Kroger and Walgreens aim to compete with e-commerce behemoth Amazon , which continues to push further into food and health. Amazon, which owns grocery chain Whole Foods, dropped the fee for two-hour grocery delivery for all of its paying Prime members. It also owns internet pharmacy company PillPack. And Amazon is expected to open what will be its first location of a new kind of grocery chain, in Los Angeles, next year. This will be separate from Whole Foods. Kroger's market cap is $22.4 billion, and its stock is roughly flat this year. Walgreens, which is valued at about $52 billion, has seen its stock fall about 15% in 2019.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/22/cowen-upgrades-walgreens-says-shares-could-rally-more-than-30percent-.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Cowen upgrades Walgreens, says stock can rally more than 30% as company grows health care business

Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance offer an attractive risk-reward to investors as the company transforms into a health-care services-focused business, according to Cowen. Analyst Charles Rhyee upgraded the stock to outperform from market perform, saying in a note to clients Tuesday that the market is largely focusing on Walgreens' struggling retail business, which he expects to fall to only 66% of operating income by 2025. Instead, he views massive growth opportunities for the company as it ramps up investments in health care services. "While execution remains a risk, particularly given the macro environment, WBA's current valuation already discounts this risk, with shares at only 8.7x CY23 EPS and 6.9x CY23 EBITDA," Rhyee wrote. "We view the risk/reward as very attractive, and believe investors should take the risk, given near-term support from 4.8% dividend yield." He expects additional upside from Walgreens' latest health care investments and offerings, including its acquisition of CareCentrix and the addition of Summit Health following its merger with VillageMD . "We see US Healthcare representing 13% of adj. op inc in FY25 up from -2% in FY23. We expect this to accelerate EPS growth from roughly 6-8% (ex-COVID) in FY23 to 12-13% in FY25," he wrote. Walgreens' current valuation also takes into account the macro risks concerning some investors and weighing on analysts' targets, he added. While Cowen trimmed adjusted earnings per share and operating income estimates for 2023 and 2024, Rhyee raised the firm's price target to $54 a share from $43. The fresh target suggests shares could bounce 33% following a 22% tumble this year. Shares are up 11% this month and rose more than 1% before the bell Tuesday. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/28/sec-charges-walgreens-and-2-former-execs-with-misleading-investors-on-earnings-goals.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens to pay $34.5 million to settle charges of misleading investors on financial targets

Walgreens Boots Alliance said Friday it has agreed to pay a $34.5 million fine to settle an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC was investigating whether the drugstore chain's former chief executive and former chief financial officer failed to provide adequate warning about the risks associated with Walgreens' planned merger with Alliance Boots. The SEC said former CEO Greg Wasson and then-CFO Wade Miquelon acted "negligently" when giving financial forecasts in June, October and December 2013 and March 2014 during earnings calls. Wasson and Miquelon were ordered to pay a $160,000 fine. In settling, Walgreens and the executives neither admitted nor denied the allegations. When Walgreens announced a two-step merger with Alliance Boots in June 2012, it projected the new company would generate $9 billion to $9.5 billion in combined adjusted operating income in the 2016 fiscal year. However, the SEC alleged that after completion of the first step of the merger, Walgreens' internal forecasts showed the company was at a "significantly" greater risk of missing those estimates. Yet the two executives publicly reaffirmed the forecasts, the SEC alleged. By November 2013, Walgreens had realized that an unanticipated increase in price of generic drugs would put further pressure on Walgreens' "already lagging" pharmacy business, the SEC said. The company lowered its fiscal 2016 forecast on Dec. 13. Since management was aware of the risk prior to December 2013, Walgreens' disclosures "failed to adequately disclose the increase in the risk," the agency said. Then in 2014, Walgreens decided its 2016 operating income goal was "no longer reasonably attainable." It withdrew those goals on its June 24 earnings call and told investors it would soon provide a new set of goals. On Aug. 6, Walgreens gave a new earnings per share estimate that translated to an adjusted operating income of $7.2 billion for fiscal year 2016, a 20 percent decline from its initial estimate. Shares fell 14.3 percent when Walgreens announced the new financial targets, according to the SEC. "Over multiple reporting periods, senior Walgreens executives misled investors about the company's public financial goal," Stephanie Avakian, co-director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement, said in a statement. "The penalty assessed against Walgreens is intended to punish and deter such conduct, which deprived investors of information necessary to make fully informed investment decisions." Walgreens in 2012 took a 45 percent stake in Alliance Boots for $6.7 billion with the option to later buy the remaining 55 percent. It closed the complete transaction at the end of 2014. Wasson started as Walgreens' CEO in 2009 and left in 2015 when the merger with Alliance Boots closed and current CEO Stefano Pessina took the helm of the combined company. Miquelon served as Walgreens' CFO from 2008 and departed in August 2014. Read the full filing here.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/23/buy-wba-as-new-health-care-platform-rolls-out-loop-capital-says.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Loop Capital says buy Walgreens, predicts growth in new health care platform can drive up shares more than 20%

It's time for investors to snatch up shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance , according to Loop Capital. Analyst Joseph France initiated coverage of the drugstore operator with a buy rating and $45 price target, saying that Walgreens' new health care platform should improve services access for its customers. "Over the past two years the company has also lowered its costs and assembled a portfolio of health care providers that we expect to strengthen WBA's core retail business and accelerate its growth and profitability by increasing its engagement with consumers," he wrote in a Wednesday note. WBA YTD mountain Shares so far this year The comments from Loop Capital come just weeks after Walgreens topped expectations for the recent quarter and boosted its full-year outlook due in part to its U.S. health-care segment's acquisition of Summit Health . According to France, most of the upside to Walgreens' earnings, growth and stock price in the near future should stem from these businesses and an investment portfolio he estimates represents more than half of its $40 billion enterprise value. "Much of our enthusiasm for WBA's new healthcare business owes to its rollout of a national primary care platform, and the acquisition of new services for institutions and managing care at home," he wrote, adding that most of this segment's growth near term should stem from its primary care clinics. These facilities should eventually offer high margins, although a quick opening clip through 2027 could contribute to sizeable losses, he added. So far this year, shares of Walgreens have dipped 3.4%. The firm's price target implies nearly 25% upside from Wednesday's close. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/29/jefferies-downgrades-walgreens-boots-alliance-because-of-amazon.html

WBA

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Jefferies downgrades Walgreens shares because of Amazon’s online pharmacy acquisition

Jefferies is less optimistic over the prospects of Walgreens Boots Alliance due to Amazon's move into the pharmacy business. Shares of drugstore companies plunged Thursday after Amazon announced it signed an agreement to acquire online pharmacy PillPack before the market open. The firm lowered its rating to hold from buy on the drugstore chain’s shares, predicting more investor uncertainty due to the threat from Amazon. “Although we value WBA's independence and their ongoing efforts to transition the retail pharmacy box into a HC services-orientated business, we believe recent fundamental softness makes it difficult to refute concerns about the risk AMZN brings, especially with their acquisition of mail order pharmacy PillPack,” analyst Brian Tanquilut said in a note to clients Friday. “We believe that the NT earnings impact to WBA from AMZN's acquisition of PillPack is likely immaterial, but the perception and concern that AMZN will successfully integrate PillPack into its consumer offering (1-2 years out) will likely weigh on WBA stock NT and potentially impact actual earnings performance LT.” Tanquilut lowered his price target to $65 from $85 for Walgreens Boots Alliance shares, representing 9 percent upside to Thursday’s close. Walgreens Boots Alliance acknowledged Amazon's move into the online pharmacy space during its earnings conference call with investors Thursday. "Yes, it's a declaration of intent from Amazon," said Walgreens CEO Stefano Pessina on the call, according to a transcript from FactSet. "[But] the pharmacy world is much more complex than the delivery of a certain [pill or] packages." Walgreens shares were down slightly more than 1 percent in Thursday's premarket session after the company reported its fiscal third-quarter earnings results and announced a $10 billion share buyback. Then the Amazon-PillPack news was released, and Walgreens shares traded sharply lower and ended the day down 9.9 percent. In similar fashion, Baird reduced its rating to neutral from outperform on Friday for Walgreens Boots Alliance, saying the Amazon-PillPack announcement will hurt investor sentiment for its shares. The firm lowered its price target for the stock to $64 from $86. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/08/thursdays-top-stocks-to-buy-including-nvidia.html

WMT

Walmart

Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Disney, Tesla, Apple, Walmart, Roblox, American Express & more

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Thursday: Jefferies reiterates Walmart as buy Jefferies sees a $20 billion AI and automation opportunity for Walmart. "We believe innovations in automated distribution, advertising, shrink reduction, and freight optimization could generate $20B+ of incremental EBIT by FY'29." Morgan Stanley downgrades Hertz to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said in its downgrade of the car rental stock that it sees many risks. "Following 4Q results, follow-up calls with management, channel checks, and further (negative) EV data points, we believe the risks to HTZ's business outlook is more in balance with the potential reward." Goldman Sachs upgrades Roblox to neutral from sell Goldman upgraded the stock following its earnings report and sees "margin momentum." "In its Q4'23 earnings report, Roblox (RBLX) mgmt. struck a set of themes and operating performance that was consistent with its recent November 2023 Investor Day." Needham upgrades Disney to buy from hold Needham upgraded the theme park operator after its earnings report, seeing "strong" earnings per share growth. "Upgrading DIS to BUY (Finally). The Magic's Back." Morgan Stanley upgrades Discover and Ally to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its upgrade of Discover and Ally that it's getting bullish on the stocks due to "prospects of a softer credit landing,." "Preferred ways to play? DFS & ALLY, upgraded to OW." Barclays initiates PNM Resources as overweight Barclays said in its initiation of the New Mexico and Texas energy company that it has capex upside. "Initiating coverage of PNM at OW with a $40 PT; Premier way to benefit from SW / Texas growth via small caps." Barclays upgrades Edgewell Personal Care to equal weight from underweight Barclays said in its upgrade of the shaving company that it sees "operational improvements" for Edgewell. "Limited downside to EPS and continued operational improvements are the key reasons for our upgrade to EW, although we will continue to watch for an improvement in North America volumes and commitment to reinvestment spending." Morgan Stanley downgrades American Express to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley downgraded the credit card stock mainly citing valuation. "Downgrading AXP to Equal-weight as good news now mostly in the price, discount revenue acceleration now a 'show me' story." Wells Fargo reiterates Disney as overweight Wells says it's standing by its overweight rating on the stock following earnings on Wednesday. " DIS is officially back on offense with the P & L [profit and loss] humming and confident guidance, incl. 20% FY24 Adj. EPS growth and a $3bn buyback. DTC [Direct to Consumer] + Sports + Experiences = long-term growth." Macquarie downgrades Alibaba to neutral from buy Macquarie said in its downgrade of the China online marketplace that it's "back to investment mode." "We downgrade BABA to Neutral as we see the company balancing defense and expansion, which potentially caps earnings upside for now." Oppenheimer initiates Cedar Fair as outperform Oppenheimer initiated the amusement park company with an outperform rating and said shares are compelling partly due to a pending merger with Six Flags. "Poised to merge with Six Flags and dissolve its MLP structure, we believe FUN is an interesting investment opportunity. DA Davidson downgrades New York Community Bancorp to neutral from buy DA said the regional bank is "no longer trading on fundamentals." " NYCB is willing to sell nonstrategic assets if it deemed it necessary to build capital, but that wouldn't solve the potential risk of deposit outflows." Guggenheim initiates Nextracker at buy Guggenheim said in its initiation of Nextracker that the solar supplier has a "significant presence." "The stock has seen strong performance already, but that performance has been matched by improvements in the underlying business, and we think that valuation continues to be attractive." UBS downgrades Air Products to neutral from buy UBS said in its downgrade of the gas supplier that it sees too many "unknowns." "We downgrade Air Products (APD) to Neutral as we need to get more visibility on the medium term earnings power and the timing/returns on longer term projects." TD Cowen upgrades Spirit AeroSystems to outperform from market perform TD said in its upgrade of Spirit AeroSystems that "cash prospects" look improved for the aerospace company. "Upgrade to outperform for enhanced cash flow prospects." Deutsche Bank downgrades AstraZeneca to sell from hold Deutsche downgraded AstraZeneca after the biopharma's "underwhelming" and "soft" earnings report. "Q4 first take: back to flat and down to Sell." Wells Fargo upgrades Criteo to overweight from equal weight Wells said in its upgrade of Criteo that it sees further market share gains for the digital ad company. "Share gain opp[ortunity] (alongside other winners TTD, RAMP) amid increasingly complex op[erating] environment." Barclays reiterates Apple as underweight Barclays said it's standing by its sell rating on shares of Apple as checks show App Store growth slowing. "January App Store growth slowed to 5% Y/Y, a roughly 500bp deceleration vs. last four months." Wedbush downgrades GoPro to neutral from outperform Wedbush said in its downgrade of the tech camera company that it sees "limited" profit margin opportunities. "We are downgrading shares of GPRO to NEUTRAL from OUTPERFORM, as prior sales growth targets appear unlikely in 2024 and possibly beyond, while margin expansion opportunities are limited." Wolfe reiterates Nvdia as outperform Wolfe says it's cautious heading into Nvidia earnings later this month. "So while NVDA remains our top pick, we've moderated our expectations into this particular quarter." Baird reiterates Tesla as a bearish fresh pick Baird said it's standing by its long term outperform rating on the EV maker but that consensus estimates remain too high. "We believe Q1 consensus is too high for deliveries, however, we continue to view TSLA as a core holding long term."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/19/affirm-stock-pops-more-than-15percent-on-expanded-walmart-partnership.html

WMT

Walmart

Affirm stock pops more than 15% on expanded Walmart partnership

Affirm stock popped more than 15% Tuesday after the company announced it is expanding its partnership with Walmart to self-checkout kiosks in more than 4,500 of the retailer's U.S. stores. Affirm shares have soared over 400% this year, one of the best performers across the U.S. stock market, after the company lost 90% of its value in 2022. With Tuesday's rally, the stock has surpassed its $49 initial public offering price from 2021 for the first time since early last year. Walmart has an existing partnership with the buy-now-pay-later company that allows customers to purchase goods online and in stores from Walmart by pre-applying for credit and then showing a barcode to a checkout sales associate. Now, customers can also scan the barcode at a self-checkout kiosk. "Recent Affirm research revealed that more than half of Americans (54%) are looking for retailers to offer a buy now, pay later option at checkout," Affirm's senior vice president of revenue Pat Suh said. "Moreover, we've found that 76% of consumers would either delay or not make a purchase without Affirm." Affirm also has partnerships with Walmart competitors such as Amazon and Shopify .

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/06/walmart-hiring-wage-pressures-have-eased-ceo-says.html

WMT

Walmart

Walmart's hiring and wage pressures have eased, CEO says

A worker stocks the shelves at a Walmart store on January 24, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Walmart announced that it is raising its minimum wage for store employees in early March, store employees will make between $14 and $19 an hour. After pandemic-fueled higher turnover and fiercer competition for workers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said it's gotten easier to hire people and get them to stick around. "It's more normalized," McMillon said in an interview with CNBC's Sara Eisen that aired Wednesday on "Squawk on the Street." "The unusual employment market that we saw the last few years has changed. We are able to staff around the country. Our turnover's down. We've got more continuity, which is helping a lot." As the nation's largest private employer and largest grocer, Walmart is closely watched as a barometer of both the health of the consumer and the strength of the country's labor market. It has about 1.6 million employees in the U.S. This spring, Walmart raised the minimum wage to $14 for store employees. Its previous minimum wage was $12 an hour. Its competitors, Target, Amazon and Best Buy , had already hiked their own minimum wages to $15 an hour. Earlier this year, Walmart signalled a potentially cooling labor market, too. It cut the starting pay for new store employees who pick and pack online orders and stock shelves by about a dollar an hour. The labor market has cooled according to government data, too. Job openings fell in October to their lowest level in two and a half years, the Labor Department reported. The ratio of job openings to available workers is nearly at pre-pandemic levels, with the ratio at 1.3 to 1. McMillon said in the interview that aired Wednesday that even when gearing up for the busier holiday season, the company did minimal hiring because it was "pretty much staffed." During the pandemic, on the other hand, Walmart's workforce faced a lot of change and complexity, he said. The company hired bartenders, waiters and other people who were out of work and new to retail. It also dealt with store workers who had to take leave when sick with Covid. He said wages are still going up, but "the percentage increase won't be as much as it was." "It's more normalized as well," he said. Yet for U.S. consumers, the road ahead isn't as clear. He said next year could bring tighter budgets at households, even as prices fall on some items. Generative artificial intelligence has started to change employees' jobs, too, McMillon said. As the company drives greater productivity with the technology, he said he expects the workforce to stay the same size, but shift to different roles. He said he expects fewer employees in store backrooms, but more on the sales floor. As Walmart adds automation to its supply chain, he said employees will supervise rather than take on physically intensive tasks. "That's what we'd really like, to have people extend their careers and be able, when work is over, to be able to go coach their kids' soccer teams instead of being tired because they lifted so much weight all day," he said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/03/walmart-wmt-stock-hits-all-time-high.html

WMT

Walmart

Walmart shares hit all-time high, as retailer's value focus attracts shoppers and investors

Walmart, known for its giant stores and low prices, has put up strong results over the past year even as U.S. consumers have pulled back on discretionary purchases like new outfits, flat-screen TVs and more. It is the largest grocer in the country and makes more than half of its annual revenue from groceries — a category that shoppers need, even when inflation or a recession stretch their budgets. The big-box retailer's stock hit a peak of $166.30 earlier in the day. That marks the highest since Walmart first began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in August 1972. Shares of Walmart touched an all-time high Friday, as investors bet that the discounter will outmatch retail rivals and draw shoppers throughout the holiday season because of its reputation for value. That business has helped Walmart draw foot traffic, even as other retailers like Macy's and Target give cautious outlooks and see weaker results. For Walmart, sticky inflation — particularly in categories like food and household essentials — has also become an opportunity to get new or less frequent shoppers to come to its website and stores. In calls with CNBC over the past few quarters, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said the company has attracted more grocery shoppers from households that make more than $100,000. As those shoppers come to its stores and website, they're seeing ways that Walmart has tried to step up the customer experience to keep up with more polished, tech-savvy rivals like Target and Amazon . The company has launched and expanded fashion-forward clothing brands. It has given its website and app a makeover. It's investing more than $9 billion over the next two years to upgrade its stores across the country and give them a modern look. And it's added more items and higher-end brands to its website through its third-party marketplace. Walmart has also defied another dynamic in the retail industry. As Covid pandemic gains fade away and most companies post online sales declines, it has put up double-digit e-commerce gains for its U.S. business in the past two quarters. In an interview with CNBC in August, Rainey said Walmart may attract customers with its prices, but wants to beat competitors and retain those shoppers by making it quick and easy to get purchases. Curbside pickup and delivery have driven the company's e-commerce growth, he said. "It really shows that the value proposition for Walmart is much more than just low prices or value. It's convenience today," Rainey said. "And so we're leaning heavily into that and really both aspects of this part of our business." As the company outperforms many of its peers, some investors have taken notice. So far this year, Walmart's shares have climbed nearly more than 16%. That outpaces the more than 13% gains of the S&P 500 and the approximately 3% gains of the retail-focused ETF, the XRT, during the same time period. Walmart is scheduled to report its fiscal third-quarter results on Nov. 16. — CNBC's Christopher Hayes contributed to this story.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/16/walmart-wmt-earnings-q3-2024-.html

WMT

Walmart

Walmart shares slide as retailer gives a cautious outlook about consumer spending

Walmart on Thursday topped Wall Street's fiscal third-quarter earnings estimates as sales rose, but the big-box retailer struck a cautious tone with its outlook after it saw consumer spending weaken at the end of the period. The company's shares slid more than about 8% on Thursday after they touched an all-time high the previous day. Walmart gave a slightly lower-than-expected forecast for the year as it enters the critical holiday shopping season. The company anticipates adjusted earnings per share of $6.40 to $6.48 for the year, lower than the $6.48 analysts expect but higher than its previous range. Walmart expects consolidated net sales will rise 5% to 5.5%, also an increase from its prior range. Inflation has also waned — and for some categories, deflation has taken hold — a trend that could help Walmart's shoppers but hurt the company's sales. Prices of some grocery items remain higher, but they have fallen for dairy, eggs, chicken and seafood, CEO Doug McMillon said on the company's earnings call. He added that relief is coming for customers as they look for holiday gifts. General merchandise prices have continued to fall, setting up the company for a turnabout. Its sales have risen in part because shoppers have had to pay higher prices for many items during a period of inflation. "In the U.S., we may be managing through a period of deflation in the months to come and while that would put more unit pressure on us, we welcome it, because it's better for our customers," he said. In a separate interview with CNBC, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said consumers are "leaning heavily" into major promotions as they watch their spending and search for deals. As customers hold out for lower prices, the company has seen a drop in purchases before and after a sales event. "Our events have been strong," he said. "We've been pleased with those. Halloween was good overall. But in the last couple of weeks of October, there were certainly some trends in the business that made us pause and kind of rethink the health of the consumer." At the start of the holiday quarter, however, he said sales of items including clothing picked up as holiday promotions gained momentum. Here's what Walmart reported for the three-month period ended Oct. 31 compared with what analysts were expecting, according to consensus estimates from LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv: Earnings per share: $1.53 adjusted vs. $1.52 expected Revenue: $160.80 billion vs. $159.72 billion expected In the fiscal third quarter, Walmart's net income rose to $453 million, or 17 cents per share, compared with a loss of $1.8 billion, or 66 cents per share, in the year ago period. Walmart posted a loss in that quarter due to a settlement of opioid-related legal charges. Revenue rose from $152.81 billion in the year-ago period. It climbed on the strength of the retailer's grocery business, which has thrived during a period of high inflation, and digital sales. Comparable sales, an industry metric also known as same-store sales, rose 4.9% for Walmart U.S. and at Sam's Club, they rose 3.8% year over year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/16/cramer-feds-efforts-to-squash-inflation-are-hurting-walmart-others.html

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Walmart

Cramer says the Fed's efforts to squash inflation are now hurting stocks like Walmart

The Federal Reserve's campaign to squash inflation is a long-term win for the U.S. economy, but investors in companies such as Walmart are paying the price now, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday. The U.S. retail behemoth, along with cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks and energy giant Chevron , all saw their stock prices decline meaningfully Thursday for reasons that can be traced back to the Fed's interest rate hikes, Cramer explained. "Saying goodbye to inflation is sweet, but there's a little momentary sorrow, too," Cramer said. "That's the sorrow of Walmart or Chevron or Palo Alto Networks and so many other companies that are victims of their own success." Walmart shares tanked 8% Thursday after the company reported quarterly earnings before the bell. While the top-and-bottom line results topped expectations, Walmart's same-store sales — a closely watched metric in the retail industry — decelerated for the third consecutive quarter. One reason for that slowdown is emerging deflation, Cramer said. When inflation was raging, he said Walmart's same-store sales were boosted by the company passing on its own higher costs to shoppers with price hikes. Additionally, Cramer said Walmart is grappling with more cautious consumers, who've seen their budgets squeezed by inflation for well over a year. Meanwhile, shares of Palo Alto Networks slid 5.4% Thursday as its earnings report from the prior evening disappointed investors. The primary issue was Palo Alto lowering its full-year billings outlook, which management chalked up to customers needing to ink shorter contracts due to higher borrowing costs. The reason for elevated borrowing costs, Cramer explained, is the Fed's rate hikes, which have made money more expensive. Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio used by the CNBC Investing Club, owns Palo Alto shares. Chevron's stock, on the other hand, fell 2.6% Thursday alongside a steep drop in oil prices. That continues a multiweek downward trend for the commodity, amid concerns about demand. While Chevron and its energy peers benefited from higher oil prices last year, Cramer said the falling oil prices are a direct consequence of a slowing economy. And that's exactly what the Fed wants to see, he said. "The good news of lower prices finally breaking the inflationary spiral is also bad news for the profits of many companies," Cramer said. "It'll take some sorting out, but never believe that that lower consumer prices are just a magic elixir for long-term stock market gains."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/14/wednesdays-top-stocks-to-buy-like-nvidia.html

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Walmart

Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Nvidia, Arm, Citi, Walmart, First Solar, Ulta, GE & more

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Wells Fargo downgrades Biogen to equal weight from overweight Wells said it sees too much uncertainty for Biogen . "Growth Could Be There but There Is Too Much Uncertainty." RBC initiates First Solar as outperform RBC initiated several solar companies and said First Solar is its top pick. "We are initiating coverage on key equipment suppliers for the solar industry, First Solar (FSLR), Enphase Energy (ENPH), Shoals Technologies (SHLS), and SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG). Our top pick is FSLR as we see strong visibility for revenue and earnings growth, and free cash flow optionality over the next few years." Stifel downgrades Pure Storage to hold from buy Stifel downgraded the data storage company on valuation. "We downgrade our rating on Pure Storage to Hold (from Buy), following a recent strong run." Redburn Atlantic Equities reiterates Arm as neutral Redburn said the stock continues to be overvalued. "We like Arm's expected 16% adj EBIT trajectory FY24E-28E and market position, but not the valuation." Loop downgrades Ulta to hold from buy Loop downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "We are downgrading Ulta Beauty to a Hold from a Buy rating while maintaining our $530 price target." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by the stock after attending a bull/bear lunch. "Despite the overall tone at the lunch, we remain OW, with TSLA offering over 80% upside from current levels, which we believe is compelling in proportion to the investment level within our US auto coverage." UBS downgrades Waste Management to neutral from buy UBS said the trash company has a "lofty" valuation. "WM continues to provide resilient and predictable earnings. However, given the recent share price performance and elevated valuation multiples, we take a more cautious view on near-term share price upside." Piper Sandler upgrades Citi to overweight from neutral Piper said it sees an attractive entry point for Citi shares. "Though the turnaround will likely have some bumps along the way, we like CEO Jane Fraser's more targeted view of the company, we believe cost flexibility should support the overall outlook and the group's recent pullback has created a more attractive entry point for the shares." Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said its standing by its buy rating heading into earnings next week. " Nvidia reports Jan-Q after the market close on 2/21. We model in-line Jan-Q sales and believe buy side data center sales expectations are higher by ~$2B or similar to prior Oct-Q earnings setup." JPMorgan upgrades Bruker to overweight from neutral JPMorgan upgraded the scientific instruments company following earnings. "Ultimately, we walked away impressed by BRKRs 2024 guide (off of a tough comp) and the confidence in the LT sustainability in growth suggested by the LRP (long range plan) pull-forward and believe BRKR seems poised to become a leading player in this shift in research focus toward proteomics." UBS upgrades HF Sinclair to buy from neutral UBS said the refiner is underappreciated. "We upgrade DINO to Buy from Neutral. DINO is a diversified refiner with 5 business segments: refining, midstream, lubes, marketing and Renewable diesel." Deutsche Bank names General Electric a top pick Deutsche said GE has "high balance sheet optionality." "We have published a series of notes this week offering a variety of reasons that we like GE, and why its our top large cap pick in A & D." D.A. Davidson downgrades Airbnb to neutral from buy D.A. downgraded the stock following the company's earnings report. "We are downgrading shares of ABNB from Buy to NEUTRAL and maintain our 12-month price target at $145. ABNB's 4Q'23 results were solid, with decent upside vs. expectations on both the topline and adj. EBITDA." Evercore ISI adds a negative tactical call on Target. Evercore said it's negative heading into earnings in early March. "We are initiating a negative Tactical Trading Call (TAP) on TGT ahead of F4Q EPS/ analyst day on 3/5." Evercore ISI adds a negative tactical call on Walmart Evercore ISI said its negative going into earnings next week. "We are initiating a negative Tactical Trading Call (TAP) on WMT ahead of F4Q earnings on 2/20." UBS upgrades Huntington Bancshares to buy from neutral UBS said it sees "strong strategic positioning" for the regional bank. "With rate-related themes on, well, pause for now, we think it's timely to upgrade HBAN." HSBC downgrades Palantir to hold from buy HSBC said the stock's valuation is full right now. " Palantir's latest guidance for 2024 implies its continued focus on operating efficiency and top-line growth, which was one of the key drivers of the company's strong financial results for 2023." HSBC upgrades HP to buy from hold HSBC said it sees a PC recovery for HP shares. "We expect HP to benefit from positive sector dynamics and expanding margins." Evercore ISI downgrades GoDaddy to in line from outperform Evercore downgraded GoDaddy mainly on valuation. "Profitability Remains Spotlight, Downgrade On Valuation." Citi downgrades GlobalFoundries to neutral from buy Citi downgraded the semi company following earnings on Tuesday. "Yesterday, GlobalFoundries reported in-line results but guided well below Consensus as the downturn catches up to them." Evercore ISI adds a positive tactical trading call on Dollar Tree Evercore said it's positive on the stock heading into March earnings. "We are initiating a positive Tactical Trading Call or TAP on DLTR ahead of their March earnings release. Bank of America upgrades SentinelOne to buy from neutral Bank of America said in its upgrade of the cybersecurity company that it sees "robust" tailwinds. "We believe SentinelOne is positioned to gain share in the endpoint security market and expand into other areas of security over time through its scalable, AI-powered next-gen platform. MoffettNathanson upgrades Lyft to neutral from sell The firm said following the company's earnings report on Tuesday that its prior rating of sell on the stock was a "mistake." "Well, it wasn't, and typos aside, we too are guilty of a mistake. Our downgrade of Lyft to Sell on October 31st was based on what we believed to be a differentiated view on gross margins, operating expenses, and below consensus Adj. EBITDA. Our numbers are now coming up to meet consensus." Bernstein initiates Wingstop as outperform Bernstein said Wingstop is a "compounder." "High growth compounders in US restaurants are far and few between, and those with a multi-decade growth runway are rare." Morgan Stanley upgrades Cadence Design Systems to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its upgrade of the software company that its strategy is "vindicated." "We expect momentum in chip design will continue into next year at least. Rivals are also following CDNS' lead into simulation space, which we think vindicates strategy.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/30/walmart-to-upgrade-1400-stores-with-9-billion-investment.html

WMT

Walmart

Walmart to upgrade 1,400 stores with $9 billion investment

U.S. retail chain Walmart on Monday said it is investing more than $9 billion over a two-year period to upgrade and modernize some U.S. stores with improved layouts, expanded product selections and new tech additions. On Friday, 117 stores in 30 states will be re-launched showcasing the enhancements, representing investments of more than $500 million, Walmart said in a statement. In total, it plans to modernize more than 1,400 of its 4,717 Walmart stores across the country. The remodels do not apply to its warehouse club chain, Sam's Club, a spokesperson said. "These construction investments allow us to create more local jobs and make it easier for our associates to get customers what they want, when they want it," John Furner, chief executive officer of Walmart's U.S. business said. Walmart's low-cost and low-margin groceries have been a big draw for Americans dealing with steep inflation in food prices, including eggs, protein and chocolate, over the past two years. In 2022, the company's sales surpassed $600 billion, a record. Now the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer wants to change its image from merely a steep discounter to a destination where customers can also purchase fashionable home goods and clothing. As part of those efforts, the company tested some remodeled concept stores called "Stores of the Future" at a few Walmart Supercenters, including Teterboro in New Jersey, earlier this year. Executives have previously said the concept was a success, with same-store sales rising by a few percentage points and in Teterboro's case, as much as 20%. Monday's investments mark the national rollout of that concept, a Walmart spokesperson said. The enhanced stores will have refreshed interiors and exteriors, with new paint, updated flooring, modernized restrooms, LED-lighting and new signage for brighter and easier navigation through the stores, the company said. Customers also will see increased check-out options, including staffed lanes and self-checkout areas, and more grab-and-go food and beverage options in its grocery areas. Stores will also host bigger pharmacies with private screening rooms for pharmacist consultations and services, and digital screens and QR codes that offer information on Walmart's services offered online, the company said in a statement.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/18/walmart-beefs-up-online-marketplace-in-amazon-challenge.html

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Walmart

Walmart beefs up its third-party marketplace as it challenges bigger online rival Amazon

In this article WMT AMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Walmart hosted its first seller summit for its third-party marketplace this summer. At the invitation-only event, CEO Doug McMillon made his pitch on why small businesses and brands should work with the retail giant. Walmart It was summer in Las Vegas — the temperature hit nearly 110 degrees that late August day — but Christmas was on everyone's minds. While Santa Claus wandered around during an invitation-only conference, businesses that sell items on Walmart's website attended how-to sessions and swapped advice. Walmart leaders gave third-party marketplace sellers an early gift, too: Waiving extra fees for storing merchandise during the peak season. Doug McMillon, who leads the world's largest retailer, took the stage and made a sales pitch to the smaller businesses and brands. "We hope you'll choose to grow with us," the CEO told the more than 1,500 attendees, invoking the memory of company founder Sam Walton, who was at one time a small-town entrepreneur. "We want you to bring great items to our marketplace. Our team is here to serve you." As Walmart heads into the retail industry's most important season, the company is trying to recruit and retain hundreds of thousands of independent sellers that fill the company's virtual shelves with items ranging from lip gloss to Rolex watches. It is also working to coax those sellers into paying Walmart to pack and ship — and even advertise — their products. It is leaning into a moment when inflation has pushed more high-income shoppers to its stores and website. This holiday season will put Walmart's e-commerce strategy to the test. Already, the company is using the third-party marketplace to try to drum up early business. More than half the items included in Walmart's sales event last week, which kicked off the season, were from its third-party marketplace. The event coincided with Amazon's Prime Big Deals Days event, but there were no comparisons available. About 70% of items included in Walmart Plus Week, which coincided with Amazon Prime Day in July, were marketplace items. Walmart wouldn't share comparisons with sales events in prior years, but said more sellers are participating in the events overall. There are signs Walmart's growing third-party marketplace could help the company defy slower spending patterns and capitalize on inflation-wary shoppers. Online sales for Walmart U.S. rose sharply the past two fiscal quarters, even as other major retailers such as Macy's and Target reported declines. As shoppers at many stores, including Walmart's own, skipped over discretionary purchases, Walmart's third-party marketplace saw sales in some discretionary categories such as home and apparel rise by double digits in the most recent fiscal quarter. Tom Ward, chief e-commerce officer for Walmart U.S., said the company's app and website have a fresh look, its fulfillment centers and stores have automation that's helping power more late-night and last-minute deliveries and its growing marketplace has helped create an "endless aisle" of electronics, toys and groceries to give customers a reason to return. "Customers want choice," he said. "They want that selection. They want that variety. And as they visit us more and more often, they expect to see it." When it comes to e-commerce, Walmart is in a rare spot: the underdog. Its online sales are just a tiny fraction of what Amazon rings up — and that carries over to the companies' third-party marketplaces, too. Customers who shop on Amazon and Walmart's website see a mix of items. Some items are sold directly by the retailers and others are sold by sellers that own the inventory, list items on other retailers' websites and share a cut of the profits with those retailers. Amazon has more than one million active sellers, and Walmart has roughly 100,000, according to Marketplace Pulse, a third-party firm that collects data on e-commerce marketplaces including Amazon, eBay and Etsy . Amazon and Walmart do not disclose how many active sellers they have. For Walmart, closing that large gap is an uphill climb, and also an opportunity, said Rick Watson, CEO of RMW Commerce Consulting, an e-commerce consulting firm with clients that cut across categories such as furniture, fashion and food and beverage categories. "Amazon has never been known as the most seller-friendly place to do business," he said. "Something I've seen recently is a lot of sellers actually cheering for Walmart because they want an alternative." Tension between Amazon and some of its sellers is at the heart of an antitrust lawsuit filed in late September by the Federal Trade Commission against Amazon. The suit accuses the e-commerce behemoth of anticompetitive practices, such as punishing sellers for offering cheaper prices on other websites and strong-arming them into using its fulfillment services. Amazon denied the allegations in a blog post, saying the company has helped, not harmed, customers, and contributed to lower prices and speedier services. Watson said sellers can struggle to get someone on the phone on Amazon. At Walmart, on the other hand, he said sellers tend to get more "red carpet treatment." But first, Walmart often has to persuade successful sellers on Amazon to take a chance on the relative newcomer, such as companies like Lucky 21. About a year and a half ago, the apparel retailer that represents national brands such as Disney, New Balance and Reebok tested sales of some items on Walmart's marketplace. Melissa LaCognata, vice president and divisional merchandise manager for Lucky 21, said the company knew Walmart was years behind Amazon. Yet, she said it heard about Walmart's investments in marketplace and knew Walmart already had a large brick-and-mortar customer base and sizable online traffic. "It's like being in the second-best mall in the world," she said. "Why not?" Last year, Lucky 21 became the largest third-party seller of children's apparel on Walmart's website. But Walmart has had to play a major game of catch-up, such as simplifying the on-boarding process to make it easier for new marketplace sellers to join and launching membership program, Walmart+, to drive more online sales. Three years ago, it launched Walmart Fulfillment Services, which allows sellers to pay the retailer to store inventory and pack and ship orders. Amazon began offering a similar picking-and-packing service in 2006. This summer, Walmart announced another wave of features to better compete with Amazon. It has begun to offer fulfillment for sellers' big and bulky items as well as merchandise that comes in multiple boxes, such as canoes or patio sets. It also debuted tools to support sellers' businesses, such as allowing them to hire Walmart to make local deliveries of cakes or other online orders or pay Walmart for software to power curbside pickup at shops. Walmart is looking to its more than 4,600 stores across the country as another way to outmatch Amazon. The stores act as mini warehouses, with more than 50% of online orders fulfilled from its stores as of the end of its most recent quarter, which ended in late July. About 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, proximity that makes it possible for Walmart to sometimes to get a package to customers' doors faster than Amazon. So far, Walmart does not carry third-party marketplace items in its stores, which means customers can't get those online orders through curbside pickup or ultra-speedy delivery to their homes. Yet, Jaré Buckley-Cox, vice president of Walmart Fulfillment Services and an Amazon veteran, said that is coming within the next five years and described it as "a high priority." Some customers have gotten a glimpse of how that might look. One of Walmart's popular marketplace items has become tires, which shoppers can ship to select stores and get installed at Walmart's auto center. Does inflation give Walmart an advantage?

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/16/deflation-holiday-walmart-ceo.html

WMT

Walmart

Deflation could be coming this holiday season, Walmart CEO says

Barbie dolls (R) are displayed for sale ahead of Black Friday at a Walmart Supercenter on November 14, 2023 in Burbank, California. Shoppers may get an early present this holiday season: falling prices in many gift-giving categories. On Thursday, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said deflation could be coming as general merchandise and key grocery items, such as eggs, chicken and seafood get cheaper. He said the retailer expects some of the stickier higher prices, such as the ones for pantry staples, to "start to deflate in the coming weeks and months," too. "In the U.S., we may be managing through a period of deflation in the months to come," he said on the company's Thursday earnings call. "And while that would put more unit pressure on us, we welcome it, because it's better for our customers." For more than a year, consumers have coped with inflation that peaked around four-decade highs and drove up the cost of nearly everything, including groceries, rent and utilities. But McMillon's comments echoed what the government and other retailers said earlier this week, offering signs of relief for inflation-weary consumers. Inflation was flat month over month, according to the latest consumer price index report from the Labor Department on Tuesday. Core CPI, a metric that excludes the categories of food and energy that tend to be volatile, hit a two-year low. Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail said "the worst of the inflationary environment is behind us" on an earnings call Tuesday. Even Thanksgiving will be lighter on Americans' wallets compared with last year. Lower turkey prices mean that the average cost of a dinner for 10 people will be $61.17, down 4.5% from last year's record of $64.05, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Stubborn inflation has been one of the biggest challenges for retailers, including Walmart, the world's largest retailer. It felt pressure from that again in the fiscal third quarter, even as it beat Wall Street's sales and earnings expectations. Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told CNBC that shoppers have waited for items to go on sale before buying them, such as holding out for a Black Friday event. There's still some time to go before inflation completely eases, however. Across most categories, Americans are still spending more on the same items, according to the latest CPI numbers. Food at home, electricity and haircuts cost more than they did a year ago. At Walmart, groceries are up by a mid-single-digit percentage compared with last year, but still elevated by the high-teens percentage compared with two years ago, Rainey said. Walmart's McMillon said some stubborn food prices continue to be a concern. "The pockets of disinflation we are seeing are helping, but we like to see more, faster," he said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/10/jim-cramer-picks-disney-as-best-of-the-major-media-stocks.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Jim Cramer picks Disney as best of the major media stocks

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday ranked major media stocks, choosing Walt Disney as the best of the bunch. "After earnings season, it's worth reassessing the independent media plays, because some of them are doing much better than expected," Cramer said. He noted that investors were concerned about this sector due fears that a slowing economy would weaken advertising revenue, coupled with the general idea there are so many other sources of entertainment competing for consumers' time. Walt Disney " this quarter, Cramer said, reporting better-than-expected earnings after years of struggling. The company also managed to raise its cost-cutting projections by $2.2 billion. Cramer said CEO Bob Iger has taken control of Disney's narrative, expressing confidence that this quarter is a turning point. To Cramer, Disney is likely to deliver on its cost-cutting promises or at least "die trying." Fox Warner Bros $43 billion in debt, and Cramer said the stock won't perform well if it doesn't make progress on that front. Paramount Disclosure: Comcast was excluded from the list to avoid a conflict of interest. Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/15/activist-investor-valueact-has-been-building-a-stake-in-disney.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Activist investor ValueAct has been building a stake in Disney

ValueAct Capital has taken a significant stake in Disney (DIS) and has been in dialogue with Disney's management, the Activist Spotlight has learned. This is a new stake not previously disclosed in filings or media reports. Business: Disney is one of the most iconic entertainment companies globally. It operates through two segments, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution; and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Disney engages in film and TV content production and distribution activities, as well as operates television broadcast networks and studios. Activist Commentary: ValueAct has been a premier corporate governance investor for over 20 years. ValueAct principals are generally on the boards of half of ValueAct's core portfolio positions and have had 56 public company board seats over 23 years. ValueAct has filed 89 13D's in their history and has had an average return of 57.57% versus 17.52% for the S&P 500 over the same period. For example, Disney's Genie app, which allows park visitors to be guided through the parks in a way that minimizes their wait time, greatly enhances the visitor experience. Moreover, Disney has recently announced that it will be investing $60 billion into theme parks, which will be money well spent. The theme parks unit has a high return on capital, allowing Disney to further monetize its intellectual property. Amongst its peers like Warner Bros, Paramount and Netflix, Disney is the only one who has this advantage. Moreover, this is a business that is not threatened by technology, but enhanced by it. ValueAct believes that Disney's theme parks and consumer products businesses and their $10 billion in EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) are alone worth low $80s per share, ValueAct's approximate cost basis in the stock. ValueAct began buying Disney this summer during the WGA and SAG strikes and it is one of the firm's largest positions. The activist investor has been in dialogue with Disney's management and are still growing their position today. ValueAct knows technology very well as seen by their active investments at Salesforce, Microsoft, and Adobe where they had board seats. They also know media well as active investors at the New York Times, Spotify and 21st Century Fox. This theme park valuation implies an almost zero valuation for the rest of Disney's business that includes ESPN, theatrical movie releases, Disney+, Hulu and its television networks. Like digital news and music, video streaming was greatly disrupted by the internet and the low cost of capital from 2016 to 2021 afforded streaming companies, almost unlimited capital to acquire customers at any cost. Then with rising interest rates and inflation, that bubble burst in 2022 and there was a massive re-rating of assets globally. Many of the high-growth companies that had easy access to capital now find themselves the most capital constrained they had been in a long time. This gives a huge advantage to companies like Disney, which has a market leading brand and an incumbent business model with strong customer relations. Now, these streaming wars are in the process of resolving and companies are focused more on profitability than acquiring customers at any cost. This means cutting costs and creating growing and sustainable revenue. ValueAct has experience in both of these areas. At Salesforce, where ValueAct CIO Mason Morfit is on the board, margins have gone from 18% to 32% while the stock has gone from $130 to $220 in 10 months. Disney has already announced an aggressive cost cutting plan, but it is the revenue opportunity that is more interesting here. At portfolio companies like Adobe, Microsoft, Salesforce, Spotify and the New York Times, ValueAct has advocated for and assisted in creating bundles, pricing tiers and advertising stacks that have led to less churn, more pricing power, higher average revenue per user and even better advertising technology. Both the New York Times and Spotify increased their bundles (NYT with Wordle, the Athletic, etc.; Spotify with podcasting and audiobooks) and both increased subscription pricing. The New York Times' stock went from $30 per share to $45 per share and Spotify went from approximately $80 per share to $175 per share. Disney has numerous opportunities for bundling, price tiers, etc. and there are many ways this can work out through its present assets, M&A, alliances and licensing, but intelligently bundling its products will lead to more stable and valuable revenue. Based on similar situations that ValueAct has been involved in, this could lead to up to $15 billion of EBIT for the media assets and a Disney stock price as high as $190 per share. ValueAct has a history of creating value through board seats, including at Salesforce and Microsoft, but has also added value as active shareholders in situations like Spotify and the New York Times. I would expect that they would want a board seat here and as someone who has a reputation of working amicably and constructively with boards, the Disney board should welcome them with open arms. Aside from their extensive experience at technology companies and media companies and their innovative and relevant history of growing sustainable revenue at similar companies, there is one other reason shareholders should welcome them to the board. Bob Iger returned to Disney in 2022 with an initial two-year contract with the explicit goal of righting the ship. The board formed a succession planning committee at that time. Iger subsequently extended his employment agreement through 2026 but longer-term succession remains one of the board's most important priorities. Having a shareholder representative on the board is very helpful in that area particularly one like ValueAct, whose CIO participated in one of the most audacious and successful CEO successions ever when Satya Nadella replaced Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft. Someone with that experience and perspective would be invaluable in navigating CEO succession at Disney. Finally, we cannot ignore the fact that Disney is presently the target of a proxy fight by Nelson Peltz and Trian Partners that is turning somewhat confrontational. This certainly gives the Disney board an alternative they were not expecting. Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/02/why-disneys-hulu-deal-is-a-win-for-the-companys-streaming-business.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Why Disney's Hulu deal is a win for the company's streaming business

Walt Disney 's (DIS) plan to buy the remaining stake of Hulu will give it full ownership of the platform, allowing it to merge its streaming operations on one app while generating fresh advertising opportunities. Disney, which already owns 67% of Hulu, announced Wednesday it had agreed to acquire the remaining stake from Comcast (CMCSA) in a deal valued at $8.61 billion. The transaction, which reflects the guaranteed minimum value of $27.5 billion for the streaming service the two sides agreed upon in 2019 , is expected to close by Dec. 1. Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. "There should be a few advantages of Disney having full ownership of Hulu and integrating its content with Disney+ to create a one-app platform," Jeff Marks, director of portfolio analysis, said in regards to Disney's primary streaming service. The deal is also "expected to create more opportunities for advertisers, which has become more and more important in Disney's pursuit of a growing advertiser tier," he added. Disney stock climbed 2.4% Thursday, to trade at roughly $83 a share. Hulu already exists as part of a streaming bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+. But the new ownership structure should allow Disney to create a more valuable streaming service as a single product under the Disney+ umbrella. That could help the company to attract new subscribers and increase its advertising revenue. DIS YTD mountain DSI stock performance year-to-date. Disney's widely expected deal to acquire the remainder of Hulu comes as the company continues to struggle to make its streaming business profitable, even if losses have been narrowing of late. But the development of a one-stop-shop for all Disney's streaming content should at least enhance the customer experience, while also improving engagement. Hulu currently has 48 million subscribers and maintains a library of more than 70,000 TV episodes and movies. That compares with Disney+'s 146.1 million worldwide subscribers. Still, Disney faces ongoing challenges around the fate of ESPN and its lagging linear television business, which could continue to weigh on the company when it next reports quarterly results on Nov. 8. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long DIS. See here for a full list of the stocks.) 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. 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. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. In this photo illustration the Disney+ logo seen displayed on a smartphone screen. SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/30/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-after-hours-dis-ulta-mrvl.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Disney, Ulta Beauty, Marvell Technology and more

Check out the companies making headlines after the bell . Walt Disney — Shares added about 1% after the entertainment giant reinstated its dividend at 30 cents a share. The move comes amid activist investor Nelson Peltz and his firm's proxy fight . The activist is calling for additional seats on Disney's board. Ulta Beauty — Ulta Beauty shares surged more than 11% on strong third-quarter results . The company earned $5.07 per share on revenue of $2.48 billion and updated the low end of its full-year guidance. Ulta also said its chief financial officer will retire in April. Marvell Technology — The chipmaker gained nearly 3% after the bell. Marvell Technology topped Wall Street's third-quarter expectations on both the top and bottom lines, posting adjusted earnings of 41 cents per share on $1.42 billion in revenue. Elastic — Shares skyrocketed nearly 15% after Elastic posted revenue for the recent quarter that topped Wall Street's expectations. Subscription revenue also blew past a StreetAccount estimate of nearly $270 million, and the company's CEO said generative artificial intelligence is "driving a resurgence of interest in search." Dell — Dell shares fell slightly after the personal computer maker reported mixed third-quarter results. The company topped adjusted earnings expectations by 41 cents a share. Revenue came up short of the roughly $23 billion expected. PagerDuty — PagerDuty shares popped more than 7% after the digital operations management company lifted its full-year outlook. The company said it expects earnings per share, excluding items, to range between 72 cents and 73 cents for the year, versus its prior guidance of 60 cents to 65 cents. Ambarella — Ambarella shares rose more than 4% in extended trading. Revenue topped expectations and management said it expects to return to revenue growth in fiscal 2025. Samsara — The Internet of Things company jumped 13% in extended trading after posting a top-and-bottom line earnings beat and sharing upbeat guidance. For the fourth quarter, Samsara said it expects EPS to range between 2 cents and 3 cents, excluding items. Revenue is also expected to come in ahead of analysts' estimates.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/03/hong-kong-disneyland-opens-worlds-first-frozen-amusement-park-area.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Here's how to see Disney's new 'Frozen' park area before it opens to the public

In this article DIS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is opening a new land inspired by Disney's blockbuster "Frozen" movie franchise. The area, called World of Frozen, is set to open on Nov. 20, 2023. World of Frozen is a recreation of Arendelle — a fictional village featured in the "Frozen" movies that is home to the Disney sisters, Elsa and Anna. Disney's Elsa and Anna at World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland. Source: MSL Singapore The new land will feature attractions like a "Frozen Ever After" boat ride and a "Wandering Oaken's Sliding Sleighs" roller coaster. "Frozen Ever After is the first attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to feature Walt Disney Imagineering's most advanced, all-electric Audio-Animatronics figures," according to a press release. These are lifelike robots that can move and talk, and which are present in attractions, such as Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents and Tokyo DisneySea's Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. Two Audio-Animatronic figures of Disney's Olaf and Sven in the "Frozen Ever After" boat ride. Source: MSL Singapore World of Frozen will be Hong Kong Disneyland's largest expansion thus far, although a representative from Hong Kong Disneyland declined to disclose the the exact measurements to CNBC Travel. Getting in early Guests who book packages through the travel company Klook can experience World of Frozen before it opens to the public. Guests meet the "cast members" at Hong Kong Disneyland's World of Frozen. Source: MSL Singapore The company is selling a "First Look at Arendelle" package, which comes with two park tickets and a one-night hotel stay, for $880. The package, which is available to overseas visitors, grants entrance to the new area from Nov. 4 — more than two weeks ahead of the official opening date. A look into World of Frozen World of Frozen recreates iconic scenes from the "Frozen" movies, including the the Ice Palace — the location where Elsa unleashes her icy powers for the first time — and Arendelle Castle, home of the movies' royal family, according to the press release. The new park area is inspired by designs from Norway, from "dragestil" architecture — complete with pointed roofs embellished with dragon heads on the ends — and exterior floral paintings, called rosemaling. Rosemaling, a floral decorative folk painting from Norway, can be seen painted on the buildings in World of Frozen. Source: MSL Singapore

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/04/disney-discounting-child-tickets-at-domestic-parks-.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Disney is discounting child tickets at U.S. parks as industry attendance lags

Visitors can avoid lines at Disney World if they buy into the system. It's about to be cheaper for families to visit Disney's domestic theme parks. The Walt Disney Company on Wednesday announced new, limited time discounts on children's tickets at Disneyland and Disney World. Starting Oct. 24, parents can purchase children's ticket (valid for kids aged three to nine) for the California-based Disneyland resort for as low as $50 each. Tickets can be used between Jan. 8 and March 10 of next year. As for the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, children's tickets and dining plans will be half-off for guests who purchase a four-day, four-night vacation package at one of its resorts. The deal starts Nov. 14 and can be used from March 3 through June 30, 2024. The price cuts come as the company's U.S.-based parks have seen a slowdown in attendance and hotel room occupancy as consumers face higher costs due to inflation. Disney is not the only company facing these issues. Universal's domestic parks, as well as region players like Six Flags and Sea World , have reported lower attendance this year. Travel agents have pointed to higher ticket prices and a rise in trips to Europe as the major factors in declining domestic theme park attendance. This is not the first time Disney has offered limited time deals or altered pricing. Earlier this year, the company updated policies at both domestic parks, including modifications to its reservation and ticketing systems for annual pass memberships. The changes came as guests complained about rising prices and longer wait times. Parks, experiences and products, the division that runs Disney's parks, has remained a bright spot for the company in recent quarters. Disney has faced ad-related revenue losses within its traditional media business and has had difficulty monetizing its streaming business, as production costs and licensing fees soar. Meanwhile, the parks division saw a 13% increase in revenue during the third quarter, reaching $8.3 billion. The company has touted that this segment has expanded at a combined annual growth rate of 6% since 2017, and generated $32.3 billion in operating income over the last 12 months. Disney is leaning further into the successful business. The company is expected to nearly double its investment in its parks division, with plans to spend around $60 billion over the next 10 years. Projects already in motion include redesigning Splash Mountain at both domestic resorts with a "Princess and the Frog" theme, as well as updates to existing hotel and resort locations. Disney also plans to nearly double the capacity of its cruise line, adding two ships in fiscal 2025 and another in 2026. The company provided "blue sky" ideas for its parks during its D23 Expo last year in Anaheim, California. These projects are still in early development and may not see the light of day. This included the possibility of revamping Dino Land at Animal Kingdom in Orlando to be themed as a "Zootopia" or "Moana" area. At Magic Kingdom, Disney is asking the question: "What is behind Big Thunder Mountain?" The company teased that an area based on "Coco" or "Encanto," or both, could be in that location. There were also talks about the possibility of bringing to life an area of the Magic Kingdom overrun by Disney villains. Price points will vary for these projects, if they do come to fruition. The recent additions of the two Star Wars: Galaxy Edge lands in Disneyland and Disney World are estimated to have cost $1 billion each. Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/21/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-in-the-premarket-walt-disney-carvana-coinbase-and-more.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Walt Disney, Carvana, Coinbase and more

Take a look at some of the biggest movers in the premarket: Walt Disney (DIS) – Walt Disney rallied 8.8% in premarket trading after the weekend announcement that former Chairman and CEO Bob Iger is returning as chief executive, replacing Bob Chapek. The executive suite change follows a slide in Disney's stock price and weaker-than-expected profits. Carvana (CVNA) – Carvana fell 3.9% in the premarket after The Wall Street Journal quoted analysts as saying the online used car retailer could run out of cash within a year. Carvana announced Friday that it was laying off about 1,500 workers. Coinbase (COIN) – Coinbase slid 6.8% in premarket trading, with the cryptocurrency exchange's shares falling in the wake of rival FTX's bankruptcy. A Bank of America analyst said Coinbase is not another FTX, but faces headwinds amid overall skepticism about the cryptocurrency market. J.M. Smucker (SJM) – The food producer's stock jumped 3.3% in the premarket after beating Wall Street's top and bottom line estimates for its latest quarter. The company behind brands like Smucker's, Folgers, Jif and Milk-bone also raised its full-year forecast. China stocks – Shares of China-based companies are under pressure after three Covid-related deaths were reported in Beijing over the weekend, the first reported since May. The overall number of Covid cases in China is on the rise as well. Alibaba (BABA) fell 3.4% in premarket trading, JD.com (JD) dropped 5.3%, Baidu (BIDU) lost 2.7% and Pinduoduo (PDD) slid 2.8%. Imago BioSciences (IMGO) – The cancer drug developer agreed to be bought by Merck (MRK) in a deal valued at $1.35 billion, or $36 per share in cash. Imago soared 105% in the premarket. Williams-Sonoma (WSM) – The housewares retailer's stock fell 1.9% in premarket trading after Barclays downgraded it to "equal weight" from "overweight," pointing to the negative impact of a weakening housing market. MongoDB (MDB) – The database platform provider's stock was downgraded to "equal-weight" from "overweight" at Morgan Stanley. The firm said it is upbeat about MongoDB's long-term prospects but predicts the company will be impacted in the near term by a cautious corporate spending environment. MongoDB fell 4.3% in the premarket.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/08/what-to-watch-for-when-disney-reports-after-the-close-on-wednesday-.html

DIS

Walt Disney

What to watch for when Disney reports after the close on Wednesday

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a Morning Meeting livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Wednesday's key moments. 1. U.S. stocks were mixed in midmorning trading Wednesday, with the S & P 500 mainly flat and the Nasdaq Composite down 0.13%. More broadly, the market has been bolstered by mega cap technology stocks of late, with Club holding Microsoft (MSFT) closing at a new all-time high on Tuesday. Meanwhile, bond yields were little changed Wednesday morning, with that of the 10-year Treasury hovering around 4.5%. And oil prices fell to their lowest levels since July, as West Texas Intermediate crude fell more than 2% to trade at $75.75 a barrel. 2. Club holding Walt Disney (DIS) reports quarterly results after the closing bell Wednesday. A disappointing quarter and lack of strategic initiatives could sway investors to favor activist investor Nelson Peltz, should he choose to pursue a proxy battle . Crucially, Disney will have to show improving profitability at its direct-to-consumer unit, which houses its streaming operations. Can the company lay out synergies now that it is fully acquiring Hulu ? And does Disney have plans to pursue strategic partnerships around its linear television offerings like ESPN? That's necessary given the weak advertising market. 3. Citi on Wednesday said it expects Club holding TJX Companies (TJX) to deliver a third-quarter beat and guidance raise when it reports on Nov. 15, citing continued momentum at its HomeGoods department store. The firm has a buy rating and price target of $103 a share on TJX stock. Expectations are certainly high since off-price retail has been a favored theme of investors – but expectations were also elevated last quarter and TJX delivered. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) 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. 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. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/09/everything-we-learned-at-d23-expos-pixar-and-walt-disney-animation-panel.html

DIS

Walt Disney

Everything we learned at D23 Expo′s Pixar and Walt Disney Animation panel

In this article DIS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT In this photo illustration a Pixar Animation Studios logo is seen on a smartphone screen. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images The Walt Disney Company revealed new information about its upcoming slate of animated movies and TV shows during its Pixar and Disney Animation Studios panel at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California Friday. Animated movies released theatrically have floundered at the box office in the wake of the pandemic. At first, parents were reticent to bring kids back to cinemas, but now it seems that lackluster titles and an increase in children's content on streaming have contributed to keeping families at home. Disney has exacerbated this issue since movie theaters reopened, as it has placed the majority of its new Pixar films on Disney+ including "Turning Red," "Soul" and "Luca." While these decisions were made at time when vaccinations were either not available to children and moviegoing foot traffic was slow, it trained consumers to expect these titles on streaming. It's part of the reason that "Lightyear" had a lackluster opening in theaters this summer. Of course, the film was also hurt by a confusing premise that deviated from what made the Toy Story franchise so special. Disney revealed ew titles from Pixar and its Walt Disney Animation Studio as well as films associated with its live-action remakes during Friday's panel. It will also share which films will head to theaters and which will arrive by way of Disney+. Pixar Pete Docter, the chief creative officer of Pixar, took the stage at the D23 Expo to announce new titles from the animation studio that will arrive in theaters and on Disney+ in the coming years. "Elemental," arriving in summer 2023, tells the story of a bustling metropolis where earth, air, fire and water elements live. But when a fire girl and a water boy develop a connection the two must navigate how to interact while being polar opposites. Director Peter Sohn noted the film also touches on themes of immigration and finding your place in the world. The company is launching its first ever long-form series on Disney+ called "Win or Lose." The show is the brain child of two storyboard artists and tells the story of the Pickles softball team in the week ahead of their championship game. Each episode takes place during the same week, but from a perspective of a different main character. "Elio" is a new project from the studio that centers on an 11-year-old named Elio who is just trying to fit in. His mother is working on a top secret military project to decode alien messages, but its Elio who accidentally makes first contact and becomes the de facto emissary for Earth. The film will debut in spring 2024. Amy Poehler joined Docter on stage to announce Pixar will be making a sequel to 2015's "Inside Out." Riley is now a teenager and there are new emotions joining the mix. The movie arrives in summer 2024. Disney Animation Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, announced several new projects from the studio. To start, Lee said "Zootopia+" will arrive in November. The show is a series of shorts following major characters from the 2016 feature film. Disney is partnering with Kugali Media to bring "Iwaju" to Disney+. The series is set in Nigeria and follows a young heiress named Tola and a poor boy named Kole. It arrives on the streaming service in 2023. The studio shared a trailer of "Strange Worlds," which arrives in theaters Thanksgiving 2022. The film centers on the Clades, a family of explorers, who must rely on each other in spite of their differences to traverse an uncharted and treacherous new land. "Wish" is Disney Animations 2023 feature film. It explores how the dreaming star, upon which so many Disney characters have wished upon, came to be. The film is set within the Kingdom of Roses and follows Asha, an optimist with a sharp wit. Asha sees a darkness in the kingdom that no one else does, so in a moment of desperation she makes a passionate plea to the stars. This calls down an actual star from the sky named Star with magical wish-granting powers. Asha is played by Ariana DeBose as Asha and Alan Tudyk as Valentino, a goat. DeBose sang an original song from the film and Tudyk ran through his repertoire of Disney characters including Duke Weaselton from "Frozen," Hei Hei from "Moana" and King Candy from "Wreck-it Ralph."