TWTR - Twitter, Inc.
37.72 +0.06 (0.16%)
After hours: 7:43PM EDT
| Previous Close | 37.70 |
| Open | 37.39 |
| Bid | 37.75 x 3100 |
| Ask | 37.80 x 3200 |
| Day's Range | 37.00 - 37.79 |
| 52 Week Range | 26.19 - 44.39 |
| Volume | 10,818,211 |
| Avg. Volume | 14,394,990 |
| Market Cap | 28.947B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.11 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 21.82 |
| EPS (TTM) | 1.73 |
| Earnings Date | Jul 26, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | N/A (N/A) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | N/A |
| 1y Target Est | 39.87 |
- MarketWatch•6 hours ago
Read this before using FaceApp — you give up more personal data than you realize on this Russian-made app
FaceApp has gone viral again with a feature that makes users look elderly, but experts say it may pose security concerns.
- MarketWatch•10 hours ago
Where the 2020 candidates stand on student debt and college affordability
When Barack Obama ran for president for the last time in 2012, sweeping reform of our college financing system wasn’t even on his agenda, let alone that of his Republican opponent Mitt Romney. This cycle’s contest will likely reanimate some of the 2016 debate between Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, and their supporters and critics over whether debt-free or tuition-free college is the best way to help more students afford higher education, said Mark Huelsman, associate director of policy and research at Demos, a left-leaning think tank.
- Investor's Business Daily•14 hours ago
PepsiCo Paid No Tax? Neither Did These Other 33 Profitable S&P 500 Companies
Here's an earnings boost some might overlook. Some stocks, like PepsiCo and Twitter, are just a few U.S. companies that paid corporate tax rates of zero.
- Financial Times•14 hours ago
US navy shoots down Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump said the US shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after it threatened an American warship, adding to tensions in the critical oil shipping lane. Mr Trump said the USS Boxer took defensive action after the drone came within 1,000 yards of the amphibious assault vessel and ignored “multiple” calls to stand down. near the Strait of Hormuz and detained the crew of the “small tanker” for allegedly smuggling fuel.
- Motley Fool•2 days ago
Facebook Hires Vine’s Former Leader to Counter TikTok's Growth
The tech giant’s new idea incubator wants to cook up a rival for the popular short video app.
- InvestorPlace•2 days ago
Even If Q2 Numbers Are Solid, Square Stock Looks Tapped Out
Since early June, Square (NYSE:SQ) stock has been in the bull mode. Square stock shot from $60 to $82. But hey, so has the rest of the market. Just some of the catalysts include the expectation of lower interest rates and a truce with the U.S.-China trade war.Source: Shutterstock And yes, some Wall Street analysts are warming up to Square stock. Consider Raymond James' John Davis, who raised his rating on the shares from underperform to market perform. The main reason for this is he believes that Square's debit card is likely to see increased momentum, adding as much as $100 million to the top-line next year.No doubt, this would be a big deal.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsBut of course, much of the focus for SQ stock will be on the near-term. In fact, we'll get the second-quarter results on Aug. 1.So what is on tap? Well, in terms of revenues, the consensus forecast is calling for $557 million, up about 45% on a year-over-year basis. As for the bottom line, the estimate is 16 cents a share, compared to 13 cents during the same period last year. All in all, there remains quite a bit of optimism on Wall Street. * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip The Square Stock Price and Other NewsDuring the quarter, there has been much activity, especially with partnerships. Here's a look at some of the notable events: * Square teamed up with the Ogden Raptors - a minor league baseball team that's part of the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system - to provide payment services. The deal involves both online sources, such as with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Pay and offline ones. * Called Square for Restaurants, this is a set of order management integrations for Postmates, DoorDash and Chowly. All these services are not part of the core POS system, which means eliminating the use of various other tablets and manual entry of orders. * Square has entered a deal to be the payments and POS provider for the Indianapolis 500. The event includes more than 300,000 customers and about 500 concession stands. It's actually the largest sports venue in the world. * A resident of southern California has sued Square because he alleges the company's invoice system mistakenly sent his personal medical history to a friend. His attorneys are looking to put together a class-action suit. Interestingly enough, the Wall Street Journal recently wrote a piece on how Square's system has misfired on various occasions. * Now when it comes to SQ stock, one of the most important growth drivers is its Cash App. According to Instinet analysts Dan Dolev and Conan Leon, the app has 56.1 million users, which is more than PayPal's (NASDAQ:PYPL) fast-growing Venmo. They currently have a $100 price target on SQ stock, which was recently increased from $90. Bottom Line on Square StockSquare CEO Jack Dorsey has certainly done a great job with the company. What started as a simple app has quickly transformed into a strong platform with a robust ecosystem. It's also amazing that he has been able to do this while still the CEO of Twitter (NYSE:TWTR).Yet there are definitely issues with SQ stock. Even though the company deserves a premium valuation, it is still quite steep, with the forward price-to-earnings multiple of 73X.Sell-side analysts are generally cautious as well, with three sell ratings and 17 holds. And the average price target assumes zero upside from current levels.For the most part, Square stock is pricing in much of the good news. So this could make the upcoming earnings report a bit dicey since the growth rate has already been trending down during the past few quarters.Tom Taulli is the author of the upcoming book, Artificial Intelligence Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip * 7 Services Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019 * 6 Stocks to Buy and 1 to Sell Based on Insider Trading The post Even If Q2 Numbers Are Solid, Square Stock Looks Tapped Out appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Bloomberg•2 days ago
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Gives Talk at Apple Headquarters
(Bloomberg) -- Twitter and Square Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey addressed Apple Inc. employees at the iPhone maker’s headquarters Tuesday, a signal of the strong ties between the Silicon Valley giants.Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter Inc. and Square Inc., is one of several speakers talking to select Apple employees as part of an ongoing series, people familiar with the matter said. The billionaire spoke with staff from the marketing department, they said, asking not to be identified discussing internal matters.While the address itself didn’t point to a new partnership between Dorsey’s companies and Apple, it was indicative of their bond and existing collaboration. Apple promoted Twitter as an iOS app coming to the Mac this fall, and the social media service is deeply integrated into both the iPhone and iPad. Apple was also among the first retailers to sell Square’s now-common credit-card reader. Apple and Twitter representatives declined to comment.To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Gurman in San Francisco at mgurman1@bloomberg.net;Kurt Wagner in San Francisco at kwagner71@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Colum MurphyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Zacks•3 days ago
Twitter (TWTR) Dips More Than Broader Markets: What You Should Know
Twitter (TWTR) closed at $38.01 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.73% move from the prior day.
- Engadget•3 days ago
Twitter didn't flag Trump's racist tweets
Twitter said that it would label tweets from political figures that violateits rules, but it's not clear if the social network is applying that policyyet
- Bloomberg•3 days ago
Trump Says He Wants DOJ Chief Barr to Examine Google Claim
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he wants Attorney General William Barr to look into businessman Peter Thiel’s allegations that Google’s work with China is “seemingly treasonous.”Trump made the comments in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday after earlier saying in a tweet that Thiel is “a great and brilliant guy who knows this subject better than anyone!”“I think we’ll all look at that,” Trump said at the meeting. “We’ll see if there’s any truth” to the claim.Thiel, one of Trump’s top Silicon Valley supporters and donors, took aim at Google and the tech industry over the companies’ focus on global markets while brushing aside U.S. interests in a speech Sunday in Washington.Thiel, a Facebook Inc. board member, singled out Google for agreeing to work closely with China, trying to get its search engine back into the country, while deciding to let lapse a U.S. Defense Department contract that gave the military access to its artificial intelligence tools.A spokesman for Google said the company doesn’t work with the Chinese military but declined to comment further.Thiel argued that the kind of AI developed by DeepMind, which like Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., should be thought of as a potential “military weapon.” He then suggested Google’s actions were “seemingly treasonous,” asking whether DeepMind or Google senior management had been “infiltrated” by foreign intelligence agencies.(Updates with shares in the third paragraph.)\--With assistance from Max Chafkin.To contact the reporter on this story: Terrence Dopp in Washington at tdopp@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at mshepard7@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Kasia KlimasinskaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- InvestorPlace•3 days ago
Analysts Are Turning Bullish on Snap Stock at Its Top
Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) stock has done very well in 2019. SNAP stock price has rallied 178%. Among stocks with a market capitalization over $10 billion, Snap Inc stock has been the fourth-best performer in 2019. Only Array BioPharma (NASDAQ:ARRY), Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), and Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) have been better.Source: Shutterstock To be honest, I've misread SNAP stock. I thought in April that the gains had gone too far, and doubled down on that theory last month. That said, I've understood why optimism toward SNAP has risen. Its user growth is starting to show signs of life after flat-lining in 2018. Its disastrous Android app redesign has been fixed. And Snap, as I've argued for some time, has a path to significantly improve the monetization of its users, particularly overseas. * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip Of late, Wall Street analysts have picked up on that bull case. At least four firms have upgraded SNAP stock , and one of those upgrades sparked a big jump in SNAP stock price. But it's hard not to wonder if the Street is late to the party and if its sudden interest in Snapchat stock might signal a top. If long-bearish analysts have turned bullish, too, who can still turn bullish on Snap stock?InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Snap Gets UpgradedAt least three analysts have changed their tune on SNAP stock in just the last month. In mid-June, Aegis Capital raised its target price on SNAP stock to $17 and upgraded SNAP to a "buy." The firm increased its revenue estimates, citing higher ad sales and increased use of the Android app. The firm had argued only a few months earlier that CEO Evan Spiegel should sell the company, but said in its recent note that it had decided to "walk back" that argument.The same day, well-respected tech analyst Rich Greenfield of BTIG Research upgraded SNAP stock as well, setting a price target of $20. That target became the highest among analysts covering the stock, though it's "only" about 39% above the current levels of SNAP stock. Greenfield, like Aegis, increased his top-line outlook for the company, also citing the improved monetization of its users and the growth of the Android app, in an interview with Yahoo! Finance.The two upgrades sparked a nearly 10% jump in SNAP stock price, propelling it to a 14-month high. Two weeks later, a third firm, MoffettNathanson, highlighted what it called the potential "Cinderella story" of Snap Inc, and projected a blowout Q2 earnings report in early August, driven by faster-than-expected user growth.Moffett analyst Michael Nathanson didn't upgrade SNAP stock, citing valuation. But as recently as October, the same firm had a $6.50 price target on Snapchat stock and was questioning if it would need to raise capital. The firm's change in sentiment is significant, even if kept a 'neutral' rating on the shares.Finally, Goldman Sachs jumped on the bandwagon last week, moving SNAP stock to a 'buy' with a price target of $18. That firm cited the same improving user numbers as many of its peers. Has SNAP Stock Price Reached a Top?MoffettNathanson's reversal highlights the risk to SNAP stock now. Analysts turned bearish on SNAP near its bottom: indeed, the stock hit an all-time low less than three months after MoffettNathanson's October note.Are the same analysts turning bullish at the top of SNAP stock price? It wouldn't be surprising, and there's evidence that it might be the case. SNAP stock actually has weakened modestly since Aegis and BTIG upgraded it in mid-June.The story analysts are telling isn't really surprising the bull case for SNAP even at the time of its IPO was based on user growth combined with gains in its revenue per user. The fact that Snap Inc is making progress isn't a secret, either: the company posted strong Q1 earnings.Meanwhile, Snap's better outlook is priced into Snapchat stock, at least to some extent. Again, the SNAP stock price has risen 180%+ in about six months. It's added over $13 billion in market value over that period. Snapchat's performance may have improved, but its valuation now is a question mark.Indeed, that's the case I made at $10 and then at $12. With SNAP stock above $15, the reasons for concern seem stronger. SNAP trades at more than eight times analysts' average 2020 revenue estimate, and it's not expected to report profits for at least another two years. Competition for advertising will remain fierce: Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG,NASDAQ:GOOGL) aren't going anywhere.The story analysts are telling may be right, as Snap Inc is improving. But SNAP stock price has tripled from its December lows, so a lot of improvement already is priced into Snapchat stock.As of this writing, Vince Martin has no positions in any securities mentioned. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip * 7 Services Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019 * 6 Stocks to Buy and 1 to Sell Based on Insider Trading The post Analysts Are Turning Bullish on Snap Stock at Its Top appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Yahoo Finance Video•3 days ago
Blockchain exec: Facebook's Libra could become 'the equivalent of AOL in the 1990s'
Despite growing controversy over the crypto world’s latest big idea, some think Facebook's Libra might be a game-changer for the greater blockchain community.
- InvestorPlace•3 days ago
Tuesday’s Vital Data: Citigroup, Twitter and Tesla
U.S. stock futures are flirting with unchanged this morning.Source: Shutterstock Heading into the open, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are up 0.05%, and S&P 500 futures are higher by 0.03%. Nasdaq-100 futures have added 0.01%.In the options pits, overall volume levels sank like a stone Monday. As you would expect for such a lackluster session, calls led the way with about 15.8 million contracts traded versus only 12 million puts.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe see-saw action continued in the CBOE single-session equity put/call volume ratio with a rally to 0.59. With the reading in the center of its one-month range, there aren't any signals flashing right now. The 10-day moving average held steady at 0.60.Options trading was hopping in Citigroup (NYSE:C), Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA).Let's take a closer look: Citigroup (C)Bank earnings are taking center stage this week. Citigroup led the charge Monday morning with a solid showing. For the second quarter, the company scored $1.95 of earnings-per-share on revenue of $4.79 billion. Both measures reflected modest growth versus the year-ago quarter, where C earned $1.63 on $4.71 billion of revenue.Importantly, the profits came in passed the Street's expectations of $1.81. As has been usual with bank earnings announcements of late, the reaction did little to change the technical posture of the stock. * 10 Monthly Dividend Stocks to Buy to Pay the Bills Citigroup remains in a slow-moving uptrend above all major moving averages. There is quite a bit of old resistance in the $72 to $75 zone making this a tough spot to build out new positions. Nonetheless, the path of least resistance remains higher.On the options trading front, calls ruled the day. Total activity ramped to 276% of the average daily volume, with 155,557 contracts traded; 70% of the trading came from call options alone.With the snoozer of a reaction, implied volatility slipped on the session to lowly 23%. That lands it at the 16th percentile of its one-year range. Volatility sellers were the winners of this quarter's earnings battle. A volatility crush and little change in the stock price is just what the doctor ordered for traders employing short volatility strategies like condors and strangles into the event. Twitter (TWTR)The recent recovery in Twitter shares accelerated with a 2.2% run yesterday. The jump carried TWTR close to a new 2-month high and signals the stock has reclaimed much of the gains scored after last quarter's earnings release.Consider $41 the next upside target. Traders don't have to wait long for the next catalyst. Its earnings announcement looms on July 26 before market open. If history is any indication, TWTR should see a big move after the event.We saw bullish activity on the options trading front as well, with traders heavily favoring calls on the session. By day's end, 189% of the average daily volume racked up, with 128,780 total contracts traded. Calls claimed 75% of the tally.The pre-earnings ramp in implied volatility continued on Monday, pushing the metric to 53% or the 41st percentile of its one-year range. Premiums are pricing in daily moves of $1.30 or 3.4%. Tesla (TSLA)The theme of accelerating momentum continued with Tesla shares. Monday's 3% jump saw heavy volume and is placing an exclamation point on the company's ongoing recovery. Since bottoming at $176.99 on June third, TSLA stock has rallied 43%. Not bad for six weeks of work.In the process, the downtrend was shattered, and both the 20-day and 50-day moving averages reversed higher. There's no doubt buyers hold the upper hand heading into the July 24 earnings announcement. Traders seeking an upside target should keep an eye on $280.That said, the stock is down just shy 2% of premarket, so the five-day rally may finally be ready for a rest. * 7 Stocks Being Inflated by Low Rates On the options trading front, puts outpaced calls on the day despite the rally. Total activity climbed to 144% of the average daily volume, with 399,042 contracts traded. Puts accounted for 59% of the trading.The ongoing recovery in its share price has really taken the wind out of implied volatility's sails. It has descended into the basement at 62%, which places it at the 21st percentile of its one-year range. Premiums are pricing in daily moves of $9.84 or 3.9%.As of this writing, Tyler Craig didn't hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Check out his recently released Bear Market Survival Guide to learn how to defend your portfolio against market volatility. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip * 7 Services Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019 * 6 Stocks to Buy and 1 to Sell Based on Insider Trading The post Tuesday's Vital Data: Citigroup, Twitter and Tesla appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Bloomberg•3 days ago
No, Mr. Trump, the ‘Squad' Doesn't Bother Israel
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- In part of his latest Twitter barrage, President Donald Trump has been accusing four first-term congresswomen of infecting the Democratic Party with anti-Israel bias. His rant has left Israelis scratching their heads.Referring to Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, four women of color collectively known as “the Squad,” Trump accuses the Democrats of using “foul language & racist hatred” in an effort to delegitimize the Jewish State. “I can tell you that they have made Israel feel abandoned by the U.S.,” he tweets.Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel has never felt less abandoned by the U.S. and Trump knows it. He is, after all, the president whose policies have turned America’s historic bi-partisan embrace into a big bear hug. Like most Israelis, I appreciate Trump’s willingness to stand up for Israel in international forums, his decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty in the Golan and the long overdue relocation the American embassy to Jerusalem. I approve of his disinclination to fall for the Palestinian narrative of the conflict at face value.But it seems the president would like to foment a civil war among Democrats, using Israel as a wedge. Donald Trump knows full well that the Democratic Party is not about to turn into a hotbed of leftist anti-Semitism and Israel bashing like Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. Yes, they tend to be more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than do Republicans. But, according to the latest Gallup Poll, Americans in general prefer Israel to the Palestinians by a 3-to-1 margin. This simple arithmetic explains why Congressional party leaders are solidly pro-Israel. You can’t win a national election in the U.S. by running against Jerusalem. And if Democrats are not great fans of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, you can hardly blame them. Bibi is a Republican in all but party registration. But if opposing Netanyahu and his right-wing brand of politics is a hate crime, nearly half of Israeli voters – and two-thirds of American rabbis – would be guilty. In truth, criticism of Israel by Democrats is usually undertaken in a tone of a wise friend advising a misguided mate to steer clear of temptation. This was the tone used by former President Barack Obama when he advised Israel to accept the U.S.-brokered Iran nuclear treaty and a two-state agreement with the Palestinians. Mainstream Democratic critics do not customarily go beyond this warmed over version of party doctrine. This has frustrated Trump, which is why he has so eagerly jumped on the Squad. “So sad,” he tweets, “to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion.”A fair reading of the Squad’s criticisms of Israel does not come close to revealing passionate hatred. If you want to see what that looks like, read the recent statement of a Hamas leader in Gaza calling on his followers to murder Jews wherever they are found. The anti-Israel rhetoric of Tlaib and Omar is more militant than that of their progressive sisters, but none have come close to expressing open support of Palestinian terrorism or for the genocidal threats by the regime in Tehran. When they have gone beyond the boundaries of good taste or credibility (Omar intimating that American Jews are loyal to Israel, Tlaib falsely claiming that Palestinians welcomed Jewish holocaust survivors in 1948) they have pleaded ignorance or fudged their remarks. Trump wants more -- and less. In one of his tweets, he called for the progressives to apologize to Israelis. This is intended to provoke an intraparty donnybrook. Israel has no interest in that, any more than it requires an apology from the congresswomen. Nothing they say about this country will be any worse than the things you can hear in Israel’s own legislature, the Knesset, every day.To contact the author of this story: Zev Chafets at zchafets@gmail.comTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Therese Raphael at traphael4@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Financial Times•3 days ago
Pete Buttigieg scoops largest fundraising in US Democratic race
The 37-year-old mayor of the small Indiana city leaped to the top of the fundraising rankings after outpacing Mr Biden, the former vice-president and leader in the Democratic primary race polls, who came second with $22m, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator who has risen in the polls by outlining a range of policy proposals, came third with $19.2m, pushing Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator and top first quarter fundraiser, into fourth place with 18m. Kamala Harris, the California senator who propelled her campaign with a pointed attack on Mr Biden in the first Democratic debate last month, rounded off the top five fundraisers with $11.8m.
- Bloomberg•3 days ago
Kamala Harris Raises Nearly $12 Million in 2Q: Campaign Update
(Bloomberg) -- California Senator Kamala Harris raised $11.8 million in the second quarter, putting her fifth in fundraising among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates who filed campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission on Monday.Harris reported that 45 percent of her contributions came from low-dollar donors of $200 or less, and she spent $7.4 million during the quarter, leaving her $13.3 million cash on hand as of the end of June, according to her filing.South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the surprise leader with $24.9 million after beginning his campaign with little name recognition, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.The California senator’s campaign said it had raised $2 million after her appearance in the Democratic debate on June 27, when she challenged Biden over his record on school desegregation as a Delaware senator in the 1970s. Her campaign said she raised $3.2 million in the final three days of the quarter.Biden’s Fundraising Haul Trails Only Buttigieg’sFormer Vice President Joe Biden raised $22 million in his first two months in the 2020 Democratic presidential race, lagging the $24.9 million in second-quarter fundraising reported by upstart South Bend, Indiana Mayor Peter Buttigieg.Biden’s report with the Federal Election Commission showed that 38% of his contributions came from small-dollar donors of $200 or less. The frontrunner raised more money per day than any rival, his campaign said when it announced his fundraising numbers July 3. He spent about half of his contributions -- leaving him with $10.9 million cash on hand at the end of June, according to his FEC report.Biden, who kicked off his campaign on April 25, didn’t take any contributions toward the general election -- which campaigns can accept and hold in reserve, according to his campaign. He also reported contribution refunds of more than $540,000.Big Donors Help Fuel Trump Second-Quarter Fundraising SurgePresident Donald Trump’s campaign and joint fundraising committees reported raising a total of $68 million in the second quarter, and ended June with $80.2 million in the bank, as bigger donations began to supplant Trump’s small-dollar support, according to their filings with the Federal Election Commission.Grassroots donors, those contributing $200 or less, supplied 35% of Trump’s haul, down from 56% in January-March. Small-dollar donations totaled $23.7 million to the three committees, with the bulk, $19.5 million, received by Trump Make America Great Again Committee, which benefits the president’s campaign and the Republican party.The $108 million figure reported earlier Monday included money raised by the Republican National Committee, which doesn’t report its fundraising to the FEC until Saturday.Trump Victory, which focuses on big donors, raised $29.1 million, just shy of $30.2 million Trump MAGA tallied. Joseph Nakash, chief executive officer and co-founder of Jordache Enterprises, donated $250,000, the biggest political contribution he’s made and his first to Trump. Billionaire Phil Ruffin gave $255,200 while his wife, Oleksandra Nikolyenko-Ruffin, gave $244,800. Marvel Entertainment chairman Isaac Perlmutter and his wife, Laura, each gave $360,000.Longtime GOP donors supported Trump as well. Roofing supply billionaire Diane Hendricks gave $360,000 as did Marlene Ricketts, wife of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. Trump’s first pick to head the Small Business Administration, Linda McMahon, gave the same amount, as did Robert “Woody” Johnson IV, the current U.S. ambassador to the U.K.Some of that money was earmarked for the Republican National Committee. The RNC announced it raised $51.3 million.Buttigieg Money Haul in Second Quarter Tops Democratic RivalsPete Buttigieg raised $24.9 million in the second quarter, the most of any candidate who has announced fund-raising totals for the period, and had $22.7 million cash on hand as of June 30 to cement his status as a top-tier 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.The fundraising haul more than tripled the amount the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, raised in the first quarter, in which he reported $7.4 million in campaign donations, according to his finance report filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission.Buttigieg’s campaign held 70 fundraisers in the second quarter, most of which focused on high-dollar donors. But he also staged events catered to grassroots supporters and generated 44 percent of his total contributions from small-dollar donors of $200 or less, according to his reportHollywood Women Donate to Warren Who Swears Off Big DonorsElizabeth Warren is attracting a host of big names in Hollywood -- even though she swore off taking money from big donors.Entertainers Jane Fonda, Scarlett Johanssen, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisandeach gave the Massachusetts senator $2,800 -- the maximum amount a donor can give to a primary campaign. Comedian Amy Schumer gave $5,600, including an additional $2,800 for the general election, should Warren win the nomination. Prolific Democratic bundler Jeffrey Katzenberg of Dreamworks Animation and his wife Marilyn Katzenberg each gave Warren got $2,800 checks.Still, small-dollar donors, those giving $200 or less, fueled 67% of Warren’s fundraising. That was just behind Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who got 70% of his haul from grassroots donors in the second quarter.Beto O’Rourke’s Fundraising Collapses as Poll Numbers RecedeFormer Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke’s fundraising dwindled to $3.6 million in the second quarter from $9.4 million in the early days of his presidential run, his campaign said, when he seemed like a rising star.Unlike other top 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, O’Rourke waited until Monday’s filing deadline to disclose his figures -- fueling speculation that the numbers wouldn’t be good. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden reported early second-quarter fundraising totals of $24.8 million and $21.5 million, respectively.O’Rourke’s campaign said he received 119,888 donations with an average contribution of $30. He has met the 130,000 unique donor requirement for the fall primary debates set by the Democratic National Committee. However, his poll numbers dropped before and after a shaky performance in the June 26 debate and stand at less than 3% in recent surveys compiled by RealClearPolitics.Sanders’ Money Haul Slips in June, Claims He Has ‘More People’Senator Bernie Sanders had $27.3 million cash on hand at the end of June after raising $18 million for his Democratic presidential bid in the second quarter, slipping to fourth place from his perch as the biggest fund raiser among the 2020 contenders, according to totals the candidates have announced and campaign reports.The Vermont senator got almost 70 percent of his contributions from small-dollar donors of $200 or less, according to his report filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission, and almost all of the contributors gave $100 or less, his campaign said. Sanders also transferred $6 million from other accounts during the period.Sanders’s total roughly matched what he took in between January 1 and March 31, which had him leading the pack of Democratic candidates then in the race. But this time he’s trailing Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.Sanders’s campaign sought Monday to differentiate his fundraising from that of his rivals, saying in an email to supporters that he’s backed by contributors that are teachers, students and workers at Walmart, while other Democrats are being funded by pharmaceutical executives, lobbyists, hedge-fund managers and “many of the people we are fighting against.”“The truth is, those folks out-raised us by a bit this time around,” the campaign said in the email. “But there’s a limit to the number of rich folks out there who can give large donations to beat us. They may have the big checks, but we have more people.”Warren’s Second Quarter Fundraising Puts Her in Third PlaceElizabeth Warren raised $19.1 million in the second quarter, putting her in third place behind Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, according to totals the candidates have announced and campaign reports filed so far.Warren, who spent $10.5 million in the quarter, still had $19.8 million cash on hand as of June 30. Warren’s second-quarter funds came from 384,000 people, 67% of whom were small-dollar donors of $200 or less, according to her campaign and filing with the Federal Election Commission. Her fundraising surged from the $6 million the Massachusetts senator raised in the first quarter, when she spent $5.2 million.The senator’s intake compared with the surprise $24.8 million haul by Buttigieg, the South Bend, Indiana, mayor who began his campaign with little name recognition. Biden, the former vice president, raised $21.5 million since entering the race in late April.Biden Leads Close Contest in New HampshireA new survey of New Hampshire Democrats finds former Vice President Joe Biden in a close contest for the lead with Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren.Biden had 20.8%, Harris had 17.5% and Warren had 16.7% in the poll conducted by St. Anselm College. All the results were within the margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percentage points, meaning the three candidates are in a statistical tie.Behind them was South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 11.5%. Senator Bernie Sanders had 9.9% in New Hampshire, which he won in the 2016 primary.The poll suggests that the first-in-the-nation primary is wide open as Harris and Warren gain on front-runner Biden after strong debate performances.Former Representative Beto O’Rourke plummeted to 0%, according to WMUR, which reported on the survey.Gillibrand Fundraising Dipped to $2.3 MillionDemocratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand took in $2.3 million in the second quarter, down from $3 million in the first three months of the year, according to her filing with the Federal Election Commission.The New York senator, who has struggled in the polls since entering the race, ended June with $8.2 million in the bank after spending a total of $4.2 million. In addition to the money she’s raised for her presidential bid, she transferred $9.6 million from her Senate campaign in the first quarter.Gillibrand’s campaign said in an email that 65% of its online donors identified as women. The campaign said it is still on pace to hit the 130,000 donors needed to qualify for the third set of debates in September. -- Bill Allison and Mark NiquetteJulian Castro Raises $2.8M in Second QuarterFormer Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, hoping to emerge in the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential field after a strong debate performance last month, reported raising $2.8 million during the second quarter -- more than double the $1.1 million he raised in the first three months of the year.That still puts him well behind the Democrats who have announced their second-quarter totals so far: South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg at $24.8 million and former Vice President Joe Biden at $21.5 million.Castro’s filing with the Federal Election Commission showed that almost 75% of his contributions came from donors giving $200 or less. He reported $1.1 million in the bank as of June 30. Monday is the deadline for presidential candidates and committees to report their second-quarter fundraising and spending. -- Bill AllisonTrump, RNC Raise $108M in Second QuarterPresident Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee raised $108 million and have $123.7 million cash on hand, according to revised figures announced Monday. That’s more than the top five Democratic campaigns combined.“Yet another record-shattering fundraising haul gives us a major advantage over the crowded field of Democrats as the RNC continues investing in our world-class field program and growing our incredible grassroots army,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said.Trump’s campaign committee and two joint fundraising vehicles, Trump Victory and Trump Make America Great Again, raised a combined $56.7 million, and ended June with $80.2 million in the bank. The RNC brought in $51.3 million, preliminary numbers showed, with $43.5 million in the bank.The top five Democrats running to replace Trump -- former Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg raised a combined $95.4 million so far.Candidates must officially report second-quarter fundraising totals to the Federal Election Commission on Monday. Campaigns voluntarily announce the amounts they raised ahead of the deadline as a demonstration of the extent of support.Last week, the Trump campaign announced fundraising figures of $105 million for the second quarter and $100 million cash on hand.Trump’s campaign had over 957,000 individual donations, of which 98% were $200 or less, with an average donation of $41.48. -- Bill AllisonDemocrats Support Work Stop by Amazon WorkersDemocratic presidential candidates are supporting a work stoppage by Amazon warehouse workers in Minnesota who are protesting working conditions during the online retailing giant’s Prime Day sale.“I fully support Amazon workers’ Prime Day strike,” tweeted Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts senator who has proposed breaking up Amazon. “Their fight for safe and reliable jobs is another reminder that we must come together to hold big corporations accountable.”Julian Castro, a former Housing and Urban Development secretary from Texas, also took to Twitter to express solidarity. “A company worth $1 trillion can absolutely afford to provide reasonable conditions for its employees,” he wrote.Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has co-sponsored legislation that would tax Amazon, Walmart Inc. and other big employers to compensate for the federal benefits received by their workers, also jumped in.After the bill was introduced last year, Amazon announced that it would raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour.“A higher wage is only one component of the fight for workers’ rights,” Sanders wrote Monday. “Amazon workers deserve safe working conditions, fair scheduling, and reasonable production demands.”Workers at Amazon’s Shakopee, Minnesota, warehouse -- one of 100 sorting and fulfillment centers it operates nationally -- planned to walk off the job Monday on one the company’s busiest days. Amazon has become a frequent target of Democratic candidates, who have used it as an emblem of income inequality. -- Gregory KorteTrump Crushes Democratic Contenders on TwitterRetweets are not endorsements, and neither are Twitter followers. But if they were, President Donald Trump would be winning the Twitter primary.Nineteen percent of adult Twitter users in the U.S. follow @realDonaldTrump on Twitter, compared to 14% who follow one or more of his Democratic rivals, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center.Perhaps not surprisingly, more Republicans (31%) follow Trump than Democrats (13%). And those who follow Trump on Twitter are more likely to approve of his job performance (54% approval) than those who don’t (24%).One defining characteristic of Trump’s tweets is that he often uses the social media platform to make inflammatory or controversial statements. Over the weekend and into Monday, for example, he let loose a torrent of posts going after four Democratic lawmakers of color, at one point suggesting that the women, all but one of whom was born in the U.S., should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”The Pew analysis is based on a representative sample of U.S.-based Twitter users and doesn’t include overseas, spam or bot accounts. Trump has 61.9 million Twitter followers in all. The top candidate for the Democratic nomination, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, has 9.4 million. -- Greg KorteDemocratic Field Turns Out for Iowa AARP ForumsNineteen Democratic presidential candidates descend on Iowa this week for five days of forums hosted by the AARP and the Des Moines Register.“Older voters turn out in force in every election, so any candidate who wants to win in 2020 needs to focus on soaring prescription drug prices and other issues they care about,” John Hishta, senior vice president of campaigns for the lobbying group for older Americans, said in a statement.Monday: former Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper in Des Moines.Tuesday: Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris, and former HUD secretary Julian Castro in Davenport.Wednesday: Representatives Tim Ryan and Tulsi Gabbard, and Senator Michael Bennet in Cedar Rapids.Friday: Senator Elizabeth Warren, author Marianne Williamson, former Representative Beto O’Rourke and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang in Sioux City.Saturday: Senator Bernie Sanders, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Montana Governor Steve Bullock and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in Council Bluffs.\-- Tyler PagerO’Rourke Reveals His Family Owned SlavesDemocratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, who’s said he supports studying reparations for African Americans as a means of addressing the legacy of slavery and legal discrimination, now says the issue has become personal. His ancestors include slave owners.In a new Medium essay, O’Rourke said his great-great-great grandfather Andrew Cowan Jasper, in the 1850s owned two women named Rosa and Eliza, according to documents he was recently given. Another ancestor, Frederick Williams, “most likely” owned slaves in the 1860s, O’Rourke said, adding that his wife, Amy, is also a descendant of a slave owner.“Something that we’ve been thinking about and talking about in town hall meetings and out on the campaign -- the legacy of slavery in the United States -- now has a much more personal connection,” the former U.S. representative from El Paso, Texas, said in the post dated Sunday.The revelation follows an NBC News report citing U.S. Census records that found Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is also a descendant of slave owners. McConnell said he opposes government reparations because slavery “happened 150 years ago” and nobody living today is responsible.O’Rourke looks at the situation differently. “They were able to build wealth on the backs and off the sweat of others,” and those benefits ultimately passed to O’Rourke and his own children, he said. -- Terrence DoppSanders, Biden Intensify Fight Over Health Care (6 a.m.)Democrats are headed into a week of sparring over health care as two leading presidential contenders prepare to intensify their fight over the issue.On Monday, front-runner Joe Biden will unveil a plan that relies heavily on defending the Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010 when he was vice president. It would give Americans the choice of a Medicare-like, public option for insurance while increasing the value of tax credits, lowering the cap on the cost of insurance and offering coverage to 4.9 million Americans in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid under Obamacare. the proposal would cost an estimated $750 billion in its first decade.Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who champions a “Medicare for All” government-run insurance system, plans a Wednesday speech in Washington to “confront the Democratic opponents of Medicare for All and directly challenge the insurance and drug industry.”After months of maintaining a steady grip on second place behind Biden in polls, Sanders has slid to third or fourth in some surveys, and his advisers have encouraged him to take on Biden more directly.Biden, seeking to move past missteps in the past few weeks, has become increasingly aggressive in warning that Medicare for All – also supported by two other top rivals, Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren – would mean giving up on the hard-fought gains of Obamacare and starting from scratch.“I admire the rest of the field, from Bernie to Elizabeth to Kamala who want, you know, Medicare for All, but let me tell you, I think one of the most significant things we’ve done in our administration is pass the Affordable Care Act,” Biden said Saturday in New Hampshire. “I don’t know why we’d get rid of what in fact is working and move to something totally new.”Biden also highlighted over the weekend that Medicare for All would need to be funded with tax increases for middle-income Americans, something that Sanders openly acknowledges. But Sanders maintains that his plan would ultimately save consumers money because they’d no longer have to pay other costs.“Obviously what Biden was doing is what the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industries, Republicans, do: ignoring the fact that people will save money on their health care,” Sanders said in an interview with the New York Times published Sunday. “They will no longer have to pay premiums or out-of-pocket expenses. They will no longer have high deductibles and high co-payments.” -- Jennifer EpsteinCory Booker Unveils Health Care PlanSenator Cory Booker rolled out a plan Monday to expand Medicaid long-term care services to those with assets up to $200,000 and income as high as 300% of the federal poverty level.People above those thresholds would also be allowed to buy into the program, an initiative aimed at allowing every American to live at home while aging, according to a white paper from his presidential campaign.The proposal, which Booker is set to discuss at an AARP forum in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, would include raising Medicaid funding for direct care workers and paying them at least $15 per hour.“In one of the richest nations in the world, no person should ever go broke or have to quit their job to afford long-term care or to take care of a loved one,” Booker said.Health care is a focal point of the Democratic policy debate as candidates clash over bigger ideas like Medicare for all and offering a “public option” for insurance, both of with Booker has endorsed as ways to expand coverage. -- Sahil KapurComing Up This Week:Nineteen of the two dozen or so Democratic candidates will participate in AARP’s five forums in Iowa between Monday and Saturday.The Tuesday event in Davenport will feature Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris, and former HUD secretary Julian Castro.The Wednesday event in Cedar Rapids will feature Representatives Tim Ryan and Tulsi Gabbard, and Senator Michael Bennet.The Friday event in Sioux City will feature Senator Elizabeth Warren, author Marianne Williamson, former Representative Beto O’Rourke and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang.The Saturday event in Council Bluffs will feature Senator Bernie Sanders, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Montana Governor Steve Bullock and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.\--With assistance from Sahil Kapur, Jennifer Epstein, Terrence Dopp, Tyler Pager, Gregory Korte and Bill Allison.To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.net;Bill Allison in Washington DC at ballison14@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Sara Forden, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Yahoo Finance•4 days ago
SRAX shows how much your data is worth
The Dashboard Act would require companies with over 100 million users to disclose the value of their data and would allow users to request the deletion of the data that companies collect on them. Chris Miglino, CEO of SRAX explains that his company is doing what The Dashboard Act plans to do right now.
- Reuters•4 days ago
UPDATE 1-House Intelligence chief presses social media companies on deepfake policies
U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on Monday pressed major social media companies on how they plan to handle the threat of deepfake images and videos on their platforms ahead of the 2020 elections. The Democratic congressman wrote letters to the chief executives of Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Google, which owns YouTube, asking about the companies' formal policies on deepfakes and their research into technologies to detect the doctored content. Facebook spokesman Andy Stone confirmed the company had received the letter and said it would respond to Schiff accordingly.
- Zacks•4 days ago
Buy Twitter (TWTR) Before Q2 2019 Earnings?
Twitter (TWTR) stock gained around 2.2% through Monday. The social media company's stock continues to post positive gains leading up to its earnings report on July 26. YTD, TWTR is up over 34%.
- Investor's Business Daily•4 days ago
CyberArk Breaks Out; Twitter, Salesforce Lead Top Stocks Near Buy Points
CyberArk broke out Monday. Twitter, Salesforce.com, Match Group and Autodesk are near buys. All are above key support and in bullish groups.
- Bloomberg•4 days ago
Facebook’s Crypto Woes Deepen as Mnuchin Joins Parade of Critics
(Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. faced its latest Washington crisis Monday, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin joining a parade of policy makers and politicians who’ve bashed its proposed cryptocurrency, demonstrating the hurdles the company must overcome to ever make the token a reality.Speaking from the White House, Mnuchin said he has serious concerns about the national security implications of Facebook’s coin and other virtual currencies. He said the potential for money laundering and other illicit activities is high, and vowed that Treasury would crack down on law breakers when it finds them.“This is indeed a national security issue,” Mnuchin said in a briefing for reporters at the White House. “We will not allow digital asset service providers to operate in the shadows.”Bitcoin pared an earlier decline after Mnuchin’s comments, and was down 9.6 percent to $10,765.78 at 2:42 p.m. in New York.Many CriticsHe is far from the first official to express skepticism. President Donald Trump took to Twitter July 11 to criticize Facebook’s effort, saying he’s not a fan of Bitcoin and that cryptocurrencies are often used to facilitate “unlawful behavior.” And some of Trump’s staunchest foes in Congress, including Representative Maxine Waters, have also faulted Facebook, going so far as to demand that the company halt all work on the coin, called Libra.Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell chimed in last week, telling lawmakers that he has “serious concerns’’ about the token and cast doubt on Facebook’s timeline for launching it by next year.The opposition from both Republicans and Democrats might put fresh pressure on Facebook -- already under fire in Washington over scandals tied to data privacy -- to assess whether its cryptocurrency is worth it. The fireworks will start again tomorrow when the company faces a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee followed by another Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee.In prepared remarks before the Senate panel, the top Facebook executive working on Libra, David Marcus, went further than the company has previously to try to assuage policy makers’ concerns that the coin could be a threat to the financial system.Read More: Facebook’s Crypto Plan Unites Trump and Democrats in DisdainMarcus said the token won’t launch until regulatory questions are fully addressed and he added that Facebook will get “appropriate approvals.” He said the coin isn’t isn’t intended to compete with countries’ sovereign currencies and won’t interfere with central banks on monetary policy.“The time between now and launch is designed to be an open process and subject to regulatory oversight and review,” Marcus wrote. “We know we need to take the time to get this right. And I want to be clear: Facebook will not offer the Libra digital currency until we have fully addressed regulatory concerns and received appropriate approvals.”In his remarks, Mnuchin said that Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network “will hold any entity that transacts in Bitcoin, Libra or any other cryptocurrency to its highest standards.” He broadly criticized cryptocurrencies, echoing Trump, who said in his series of tweets last week that they are “not money.”“Bitcoin is highly volatile and based on thin air,” Mnuchin said. “We are concerned about the speculative nature of Bitcoin and will make sure that the U.S. financial system is protected from fraud.”Crypto AnxietyMnuchin said he would address the issue with the finance ministers from other major global economies at a Group of Seven summit in France this week. He’s also discussed the issue “extensively” with the Fed’s Powell, he said.The sentiment poses risk for the broader digital coin industry. In the run-up to this week’s hearings, a number of competing digital coin companies are distancing themselves from Facebook. Some industry groups are also conducting briefings for congressional staff, pointing out that Facebook’s plan is light on details and not necessarily representative of all tokens.For Facebook, Mnuchin indicated that U.S. approvals may take a while.“They and others have a lot of work to do before they get us comfortable,” he said. But he said the company is “being very candid with the administration and where they are.”Trump said four days ago that companies issuing cryptocurrency, including Facebook, should be subject to banking regulations.Mnuchin said the president has “legitimate concerns.” He advised investors to “be careful” before purchasing Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. “There’s a lot of good things to invest in,” he said.“I have no idea why Bitcoin trades where it is,” Mnuchin said. “I’m not commenting whether it’s high or it’s low.”\--With assistance from Robert Schmidt, Austin Weinstein and Ben Bain.To contact the reporters on this story: Josh Wingrove in Washington at jwingrove4@bloomberg.net;Margaret Talev in Washington at mtalev@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Jesse Westbrook, Jillian WardFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Bloomberg•4 days ago
JPMorgan, Jefferies Foresee Limited Upside for Global Stocks
(Bloomberg) -- Stocks may not have more room to run going by the way investors are placing their bets, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. The view is shared by Jefferies, which recommends investors pause for a breather.Global equities could climb as much as 8% if bond valuations remain where they are and investors become the most overweight since September, JPMorgan strategists led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou wrote in a note July 12. That’s likely true even if the Federal Reserve cuts rates by more than what markets have factored in, as occurred in 1995 and 1998, they said.“Our position-based analysis points to limited upside for equities from here even if the 1995/1998 insurance-rate-cuts scenario plays out over the coming months,” the strategists wrote. “And any equity upside would become even more limited if bond markets fail to sustain their H1 gains.”Comparing global M2, or the cash balance of non-bank investors, with equity and bond holdings held by them, reveals a 20.8% bond allocation that’s above the post-Lehman Brothers historical mean, the strategists wrote. The exposure to stocks at 43.6% is higher than the post-Lehman collapse average of 40%.“Investors globally are rather overweight equities especially compared with the post-Lehman period,” the strategists wrote.Jefferies notes that recent flows into equity funds have been almost absent and earnings revisions haven’t bottomed out. Those factors may cause this year’s rally to pause, global equity strategist Sean Darby wrote in a note dated July 15.Equity investors have enjoyed strong gains so far in 2019, with the S&P 500 up 20% and the MSCI All-Country World Index gaining 16% through July 12, as the Fed pivoted to dovishness, and recently signaled likely rate cuts. Also, investors’ worst fears about trade tensions haven’t yet been realized and the American economy is still showing some strength. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield is down more than 50 basis points this year. It was at 2.09% as of 1:40 p.m. in New York, while the S&P 500 was little changed at 3,011.26.While a 25-basis point reduction by the Fed has been priced in, the move “will accomplish nothing aside from temporarily sating market expectations and quieting the White House Twitter account,” Darby said. “The weaker parts of the U.S. economy – fixed investment and manufacturing – are being affected by trade tensions.”Jefferies said a self-reinforcing feedback loop has emerged, where markets are leading central bankers rather than the other way round.“The bottom line is that we would issue a ‘pause’ on the risk rally,” Darby wrote.(Updates market moves in seventh paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Joanna Ossinger in New York at jossinger@bloomberg.net;Gregor Stuart Hunter in Hong Kong at ghunter21@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Anstey at canstey@bloomberg.net, Ravil ShirodkarFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Entertainment Tonight Videos•3 days ago'The Bachelorette': Hannah B. and Luke P. BATTLE It Out on Twitter
'Bachelorette' contestant Luke P. took to Twitter to defend his actions after Monday night’s argument-filled episode. 'The Bachelorette' airs Mondays on ABC.
- CBS News Videos•4 days ago
Analyzing the impact of Trump's Twitter rant on extremists online
The Anti-Defamation League says President Trump's Twitter rant telling some Democratic congresswomen of color to go back to where they came from is being praised by white supremacists and extremists online. CNET senior producer Dan Patterson joined CBSN's "Red and Blue" to discuss.
- CNET•4 days ago
Twitter desktop overhaul, new Snapdragon chip
Today's major tech stories include a new desktop version of Twitter, the debut of Qualcomm's next Snapdragon CPU and Amazon Prime Day 2019 rages on.
