Weekly Jobless Claims Drop to Lowest Level Since September 2022
Video Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories - Duration: 01:31s - Published
Weekly Jobless Claims Drop to Lowest Level Since September 2022
Weekly Jobless Claims , Drop to Lowest Level Since , September 2022.
CNBC reports that the labor market has started
2024 with surprising resiliency, posting an
unexpected drop in initial jobless claims.
For the week ending January 13, initial filings
for unemployment insurance totaled 187,000,
the lowest amount since September of 2022.
According to the latest Labor Department data,
the total marked a 16,000 decline from the week
before and came in under Dow Jones estimates.
The labor market has remained resilient despite
the Federal Reserve's attempts to slow the
economy with an interest rate-hiking campaign.
Not only did weekly claims drop, but continuing
claims also saw a surprising decrease of
26,000, bringing the total down to 1.806 million.
.
Employers may be adding fewer
workers monthly, but they are
holding onto the ones they have
and paying higher wages given
the competitive labor market, Robert Frick, corporate economist
at Navy Federal Credit Union, via CNBC.
Another report, released on January 18, showed
the housing market improving with building
permits increasing by 1.9% to a total of 1.495 million.
CNBC reports that the news comes one day
after the Fed released its periodic summary
of economic conditions, which detailed mostly
stagnant activity since late November.
The central bank's 'Beige Book' report
noted signs of a "cooling labor market"
with lower wage pressures.
.
The central bank's 'Beige Book' report
noted signs of a "cooling labor market"
with lower wage pressures.
.
The report also highlighted the impact of higher rates on
the housing market, which could improve in the future
if the Fed decides to ease its efforts to tame inflation.
March Retail Sales , Exceeded Expectations.
New Commerce Department data surprised
some analysts on April 15, 'The Hill' reports. .
The agency's latest estimates indicate
that March retail sales increased by 0.7%.
They were only expected
to rise 0.3% last month.
While sales exceeded estimates for March, the jump
was still below the 0.9% increase in February.
Compared to the same time last year, total sales
for the first three months of 2024 were up 2.1%.
On April 10, the Labor Department released data showing that inflation rose last month. .
The consumer price index (CPI)
increased 0.4% in March and 3.5% annually.
In February, consumer prices
increased 3.2% year-over-year. .
Still, the newest Commerce Department data suggests that Americans continue to spend despite prolonged inflation, 'The Hill' reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Microsoft Announces , New Surface PCs With AI Chips.
On May 20, Microsoft announced that it will be releasing a Surface Laptop and Surface Pro tablet with Qualcomm AI chips, CNBC reports. .
On May 20, Microsoft announced that it will be releasing a Surface Laptop and Surface Pro tablet with Qualcomm AI chips, CNBC reports. .
Qualcomm's Arm-based chips
deliver longer battery life.
Other computer makers such as Dell, HP, Acer and more are also debuting AI-ready PCs that will offer Microsoft's Copilot AI chatbot.
PCs equipped with AMD and Intel chips that adopt the Copilot+ standard will be released at a later date, Microsoft said. .
PCs equipped with AMD and Intel chips that adopt the Copilot+ standard will be released at a later date, Microsoft said. .
Copilot+ computers will begin at $999.
Pre-orders are currently being accepted. .
The devices will be available in June.
The new offering comes almost four
months after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on an earnings call that "in 2024,
AI will become a first-class part of every PC." .
The new offering comes almost four
months after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on an earnings call that "in 2024,
AI will become a first-class part of every PC." .
On May 20, Microsoft shares
closed at $425.34, up 1.2%.
Qualcomm increased 2%
to $197.76, a record close
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Hims and Hers , to Offer Weight Loss Injections.
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have become increasingly popular.
However, the market has faced some supply constraints recently because of that popularity.
On May 20, Hims & Hers Health announced that it will be providing access to compounded GLP-1 weight loss injections, CNBC reports. .
Company shares jumped over 30%
following the announcement.
Compounded versions of medications are created
by certain manufacturers who meet FDA requirements when there are medication shortages.
However, the products are not tested
for safety and efficacy by the FDA.
The new offering of compounded GLP-1 medications can be accessed by getting a prescription from a health care provider on the Hims & Hers site.
Branded GLP-1 injections will be made available
once the supply becomes more consistent.
The price for compounded injections will
start at $199 per month, CNBC reports. .
Prior to announcing its GLP-1 offerings,
Hims & Hers revealed in an earnings report...
... that it anticipates its weight loss
program to garner over $100 million
worth of revenue by December 2025.
Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum said that he is "confident" that a steady supply of the compounded injections will be available for customers.
We have a certain degree of
exclusivity with that facility that
will guarantee our consumers
consistent volume and supply, Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum, via statement
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Key Federal Reserve Inflation Gauge , Rose 2.8% in March.
According to Commerce Department
data released on April 26.
the personal consumption expenditures
(PCE) price index, not including food or energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year in March. .
That exceeded Dow Jones
estimates of 2.7%, CNBC reports. .
When also accounting for food and energy, the all-items PCE measure rose 2.7%,
which was above the 2.6% estimate.
Inflation reports released this morning
were not as a hot as feared, , George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
... but investors should not get
overly anchored to the idea that
inflation has been completely
cured and the Fed will be cutting
interest rates in the near-term, George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
The prospects of rate cuts remain,
but they are not assured, and the
Fed will likely need weakness in
the labor market before they
have the confidence to cut, George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
Consumers continue to spend despite
higher prices, CNBC reports.
Personal spending increased 0.8% in March, while personal income rose 0.5%.
The personal saving rate dropped to 3.2% as more people are having to dip into their savings to cover the cost of living.
The Fed continues to target 2% inflation, which the core PCE has exceeded for
the last three years, CNBC reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Netflix Exceeds Earnings Estimates , As Subscribers Increase.
Netflix Exceeds Earnings Estimates , As Subscribers Increase.
Netflix released a Q1 earnings report on April 18, indicating that its number of subscribers jumped 16% year-over-year to reach 269.6 million.
Analysts only expected the streamer to have about 264.2 million subscribers, CNBC reports. .
The company also brought in $9.37 billion in revenue versus analysts' expectations of $9.28 billion. .
However, Netflix said that its membership numbers are no longer the main factor contributing to the company's growth.
As a result, the company will stop providing "quarterly membership numbers or average revenue per user" beginning in 2025, CNBC reports. .
Instead, it will divulge "major subscriber milestones as we cross them.".
Price hikes, terminating password sharing
and offering an ad-supported tier are all tactics that have boosted revenue.
Netflix is also seeking to gain traction within the video game space and recently partnered with TKO Group Holdings to offer WWE on the platform.
We’re in the very early days of
developing our live programming and
I would look at this as an expansion of
the types of content we offer, the way
we expanded to film and unscripted and
animation and most recently games, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, via earnings call.
We believe that these kind of event cultural
moments like the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson
fight are just that kind of television, and we
want to be part of winning over those
moments with our members as well, so that
for me is the excitement part of this, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, via earnings call.
As of the morning of April 18,
Netflix's stock was up 27%
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Google Fires Employees , for Protesting Israel Contract.
28 Google workers have been fired for protesting
a $1.2 billion contract that the company has with
the Israeli government and military to provide
cloud and AI services, NBC News reports. .
The firings follow an April 16 sit-in at
Google's offices in California, New York and Seattle in which nine workers were arrested.
The group that coordinated the demonstration
is known as No Tech for Apartheid. .
Google issued a statement about the recent firings.
A small number of employee
protesters entered and disrupted
a few of our locations. , Google spokesperson, via statement.
Physically impeding other employees’
work and preventing them from
accessing our facilities is a clear
violation of our policies, and
completely unacceptable behavior. , Google spokesperson, via statement.
We have so far concluded
individual investigations that
resulted in the termination of
employment for 28 employees,
and will continue to investigate
and take action as needed, Google spokesperson, via statement.
No Tech for Apartheid claims that the
workers were fired "indiscriminately.".
This excuse to avoid confronting
us and our concerns directly,
and attempt to justify its illegal,
retaliatory firings, is a lie, No Tech for Apartheid, via statement.
Meanwhile, many of Google's workers have
reportedly quit after experiencing "mental health consequences of working at a company that is using their labor to enable a genocide," No Tech for Apartheid said.
On a personal level, I am opposed
to Google taking any military
contracts — no matter which
government they’re with or what
exactly the contract is about. , Cheyne Anderson, a Google Cloud software engineer based
in Washington who was arrested during a sit-in, to CNBC
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Stock Markets Rally , Amid Investor Hopes for , Interest Rate Cuts in 2024.
On the morning of May 15, both the S&P and the
Nasdaq hit all-time highs after new data suggested
inflation may be easing in line with expectations.
Quartz reports that the Dow Jones Industrial Average
is also inching toward the record-breaking
40,000 mark, which it almost hit in March. .
According to the latest Bureau of Labor
Statistics data, April saw the Consumer Price
Index, a key gauge of inflation, rise by 3.4%.
At the same time, consumer prices
increased by 0.3%, slowing slightly
from March's 0.4% increase.
The latest data also shows that core prices,
which don't include food and energy, saw the lowest
increase since April of 2021, rising just 3.6%. .
As a result, investors have a sense of
renewed hope that the Federal Reserve will
begin to cut interest rates at some point in 2024.
The latest inflation data was released one day
after the Producer Price Index, which
measures wholesale inflation, increased 0.5%. .
Over the past year, the
index has increased 2.2%.
Shortly after markets opened, the Dow
jumped up 147 points, hitting 39,705, while the
S&P 500 and the Nasdaq saw 0.5% increases.
Shares in GameStop were down 30% after
experiencing a boost earlier this week by
the online return of investor "Roaring Kitten."
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Fears of Potential Iranian Attack , Drive US Stocks Down , Nearly 500 Points.
CNN reports that United States stocks dropped on
April 12 amid rising tensions in the Middle East pushing
traders to seek safe havens like gold and bonds.
CNN reports that United States stocks dropped on
April 12 amid rising tensions in the Middle East pushing
traders to seek safe havens like gold and bonds.
By mid-afternoon, the Dow had fallen
1.4%, the S&P 500 went down 1.6%,
and the Nasdaq dropped 1.8%.
The dip came after the White House announced
that both the U.S. and Israel are on alert for
a potential attack by Iran or its allies.
The dip came after the White House announced
that both the U.S. and Israel are on alert for
a potential attack by Iran or its allies.
The warning comes after Iran
accused Israel of a deadly airstrike
on a consulate in Damascus, Syria. .
The news also sent oil prices up amid
fears of regional tensions escalating
as a result of the ongoing war in Gaza. .
The news also sent oil prices up amid
fears of regional tensions escalating
as a result of the ongoing war in Gaza. .
Brent crude futures jumped up to $90.42
a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate crude
futures increased to $86.65 a barrel.
Those geopolitical concerns and subsequent
rising oil prices sent investors to safe havens like
gold futures, which rose to $2,379 a troy ounce.
Those geopolitical concerns and subsequent
rising oil prices sent investors to safe havens like
gold futures, which rose to $2,379 a troy ounce.
CNN reports that Americans' opinions of
the economy have dipped in the past few
months amid persistently high inflation.
The geopolitical fears come as investors are already
contending with concerns that the Federal Reserve could
wait to bring interest rates down from a 23-year high.
Officials at the Fed have signaled that further rate
hikes could still be on the way if the central
bank's efforts to fight inflation stall.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Target Is Lowering Prices , of 5,000 Items.
On May 20, the retailer said it's
cutting prices on common goods to
help people save money, NPR reports. .
Items like "milk, meat, bread, soda, fresh fruit and vegetables, snacks, yogurt, peanut butter, coffee, diapers, paper towels, pet food and more" will see price reductions, Target said.
We know consumers are feeling
pressured to make the most of
their budget, and Target is here
to help them save more. , Executive Vice President Rick Gomez, via statement.
1,500 items have already seen price cuts,
and more cuts will be made over the summer.
Examples of lower prices in some areas include Thomas' Plain Bagels dropping from $4.19 to $3.79.
Clorox Scented Wipes dropping from $5.79 to $4.99 .
and Good & Gather Unsalted Butter
dropping from $3.99 to $3.79.
In March, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index was
up 2.7% year-over-year, NPR reports.
The Federal Reserve uses the
PCE to help measure inflation.
Typically, the agency likes the PCE to be at 2%
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Consumer Outlook , Plunges Amid Fears of , More Price Hikes Ahead.
CNN reports that sentiment about the economy among
consumers in the United States has plummeted
to the lowest level in the past six months.
According to the latest consumer survey by the
University of Michigan, consumers are also bracing
for more price increases in the year ahead. .
The consumer expectations gauge,
which is closely monitored by the White House,
dropped 13%, representing the most significant
single month decline since mid-2021.
The latest news is still better than
last May when inflation was at 4%
compared to the current 3.5% reading.
However, CNN points out that despite inflation
being lower than the same time last year, the numbers
have been moving in the wrong direction.
The trajectory has shifted
economist expectations for
the Federal Reserve to cut rates. .
The latest Fed report saw expectations
for year-ahead inflation increase
to 3.5% from the 3.2% forecast in April. .
At the same time, long-run
expectations for inflation also
increased to 3.1% from April's 3.0%. .
According to Chicago Federal Reserve
President Austan Goolsbee, the latest data , "bodes awful for progress on inflation.".
There isn’t, at this time,
much evidence in my view that
inflation is stalling out at 3%, Austan Goolsbee, Chicago Federal Reserve President, via CNN
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
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