News
For the titans of finance, the US economy rules
The financial titans attending this year’s Milken Institute conference in Beverly Hills don’t appear to be the type to respond consumer confidence surveys or financial well-being surveys: They are very optimistic about the US economy.
A recurring theme at this year’s annual gathering of financiers, CEOs and economic influencers is America’s resilience in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. “There are reasons to be happy with the US performance,” Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), told a packed ballroom at the May 6 conference. “The US has an extraordinarily strong job market. It has a wide supply of labor. It has the enormous advantage of being an energy exporter. It has the privilege of the dollar.”
Financial gurus with investments around the world report that the United States continues to attract far more smart money than anywhere else. Georgieva noted that before COVID, about 18% of global financial flows went to the United States. Now it is almost double, 33%.
Some foreign investors may be exaggerating. But they don’t seem to care. Harvey Schwartz, CEO of Carlyle, said: “The vast majority of investors, when I ask about the U.S., say, ‘I’m over-allocated to the U.S. But I’m going to allocate more to the U.S.’ It’s not an exotic response to the U.S. phenomenon. There is incredibly strong profit growth, interest rates are high and the economic activity that underpins all of this is quite deep.”
A big part of America’s appeal is its rapid recovery from the two-month COVID recession. “The United States has recovered very, very quickly relative to most other countries,” Ron O’Hanley, CEO of State Street Bank, said at the conference. “Part of what we’re seeing is a continued bet on the resilience of the U.S. economy.”
Some of America’s advantages are long-standing. “We have to remember that this represents more than 50% of the world’s financial strength and firepower,” Citi CEO Jane Fraser told Milken’s audience. “The United States is here with a depth and breadth of capital markets that is unique.”
But some things are new. The Milken conference is like an annual indicator of what’s right and wrong in the global economy – and the United States is sometimes the bogeyman. In 2009, for example, the biggest story in the global economy was a financial crisis in the United States driven by fraud, greed and ruinous political choices that spread across much of the world. The fallout from the Great Recession lasted for years.
For several years, booming China was the darling of global investors and the hottest topic at Milken, while investment in the US seemed dull and monotonous. Every Western company or financial management company wanted to profit from China’s epic growth rates not found in any other major economy.
The story continues
Now, the miracle of Chinese growth has disappeared amid a massive housing crisis and a militaristic shift by hardline President Xi Jinping. India could be the next China, but many reforms remain necessary. Europe has limped out of the COVID crisis far behind the United States, with many eurozone countries flirting with recession. In the United States, by contrast, Congress approved record amounts of fiscal and monetary stimulus that triggered a robust recovery that still has legs.
US President Joe Biden removes his protective mask to deliver remarks about his American Jobs Plan near the Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles, Louisiana, US, May 6, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (REUTERS/Reuters )
Leave a note for Rick Newman, follow him on Twitteror sign up for your newsletter.
Ordinary Americans might wonder what kind of cosmic drug these Milken dilettantes must be smoking. Americans are notably pessimistic about their nation. Just 23% of Americans are satisfied with the direction of the country. Consumer confidence is close to recessive levels. President Biden the approval rate is only 40%surprisingly low given a growing economy with an extremely low employment rate.
Even at Milken’s conference, there is a dose of skepticism about America’s high-flying trajectory. Harvard economist Raj Chetty gave a presentation on May 6 showing that the share of Americans who end up better off than their parents is near historic lows. And there’s a lot of talk about America’s Titanic Debt Load and a battle against inflation that is improving but not yet won.
Can both perspectives be valid? Can the United States be the world’s leading economy and at the same time disappoint millions of its own citizens? Of course you can.
One of the United States’ strongest assets is a remarkably efficient and (generally) stable financial system, anchored by the world’s most powerful financial institution, the Federal Reserve. This gives an intrinsic advantage to investments in North American assets. As Mike Gitlin, CEO of Capital Group, pointed out in Milken, a simple investment in the S&P 500 basket of stocks has returned 15% per year over the past 15 years, about twice the return of global stocks.
Other parts of the US economy don’t work as well. O “Shock in China” that began a quarter-century ago, displaced millions of well-paying manufacturing jobs overseas and emptied entire U.S. cities, particularly in the Midwest. High earners have gained an increasing share of wealth during recent decades, with less wealth accruing to lower earners. The recent surge in inflation has caused daily difficulties for some workers who struggle to pay their rent and food bills.
The favorable outlook at the top of the US income chain, however, means that US companies are hiring more and workers are earning more than if the economy were stagnant. Biden signed legislation aimed at boosting employment in manufacturing and other downtrodden parts of the economy. Americans will vote this year to decide whether they think Biden is effectively solving the right problems or whether they want someone else to try.
Milken’s 1% does not represent all of America. But they recognize the advantages that America has and embody what we could gain if more people benefited from them.
Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @rickjnewman.
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
News
Modiv Industrial to release Q2 2024 financial results on August 6
RENO, Nev., August 1, 2024–(BUSINESS THREAD)–Modiv Industrial, Inc. (“Modiv” or the “Company”) (NYSE:MDV), the only public REIT focused exclusively on the acquisition of industrial real estate properties, today announced that it will release second quarter 2024 financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 before the market opens on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Management will host a conference call the same day at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time (10:30 a.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the results.
Live conference call: 1-877-407-0789 or 1-201-689-8562 at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time Tuesday, August 6.
Internet broadcast: To listen to the webcast, live or archived, use this link https://callme.viavid.com/viavid/?callme=true&passcode=13740174&h=true&info=company&r=true&B=6 or visit the investor relations page of the Modiv website at www.modiv.com.
About Modiv Industrial
Modiv Industrial, Inc. is an internally managed REIT focused on single-tenant net-leased industrial manufacturing real estate. The company actively acquires critical industrial manufacturing properties with long-term leases to tenants that fuel the national economy and strengthen the nation’s supply chains. For more information, visit: www.modiv.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240731628803/en/
Contacts
Investor Inquiries:
management@modiv.com
News
Volta Finance Limited – Director/PDMR Shareholding
Volta Finance Limited
Volta Finance Limited (VTA/VTAS)
Notification of transactions by directors, persons exercising managerial functions
responsibilities and people closely associated with them
NOT FOR DISCLOSURE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN THE UNITED STATES
*****
Guernsey, 1 August 2024
Pursuant to announcements made on 5 April 2019 and 26 June 2020 relating to changes to the payment of directors’ fees, Volta Finance Limited (the “Company” or “Volta”) purchased 3,380 no par value ordinary shares of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”) at an average price of €5.2 per share.
Each director receives 30% of his or her director’s fee for any year in the form of shares, which he or she is required to hold for a period of not less than one year from the respective date of issue.
The shares will be issued to the Directors, who for the purposes of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on Market Abuse (“March“) are “people who exercise managerial responsibilities” (a “PDMR“).
-
Dagmar Kershaw, Chairman and MDMR for purposes of MAR, has acquired an additional 1,040 Common Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Ms. Kershaw will have an interest in 12,838 Common Shares, representing 0.03% of the Company’s issued shares;
-
Stephen Le Page, a Director and a PDMR for MAR purposes, has acquired an additional 728 Ordinary Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Mr. Le Page will have an interest in 50,562 Ordinary Shares, representing 0.14% of the issued shares of the Company;
-
Yedau Ogoundele, Director and a PDMR for the purposes of MAR has acquired an additional 728 Ordinary Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Ms. Ogoundele will have an interest in 6,862 Ordinary Shares, representing 0.02% of the issued shares of the Company; and
-
Joanne Peacegood, Director and PDMR for MAR purposes has acquired an additional 884 Ordinary Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Ms. Peacegood will have an interest in 3,505 Ordinary Shares, representing 0.01% of the issued shares of the Company;
The notifications below, made in accordance with the requirements of the MAR, provide further details in relation to the above transactions:
a) Dagmar Kershaw |
b) Stephen LePage |
c) Yedau Ogoundele |
e) Joanne Pazgood |
|||
a. Position/status |
Director |
|||||
b. Initial Notification/Amendment |
Initial notification |
|||||
|
||||||
a name |
Volta Finance Limited |
|||||
b. LAW |
2138004N6QDNAZ2V3W80 |
|||||
a. Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument |
Ordinary actions |
|||||
b. Identification code |
GG00B1GHHH78 |
|||||
c. Nature of the transaction |
Acquisition and Allocation of Common Shares in Relation to Partial Payment of Directors’ Fees for the Quarter Ended July 31, 2024 |
|||||
d. Price(s) |
€5.2 per share |
|||||
e. Volume(s) |
Total: 3380 |
|||||
f. Transaction date |
August 1, 2024 |
|||||
g. Location of transaction |
At the Market – London |
|||||
The) |
B) |
w) |
It is) |
|||
Aggregate Volume: Price: |
Aggregate Volume: Price: |
Aggregate Volume: Price: |
Aggregate Volume: Price: |
CONTACTS
For the investment manager
AXA Investment Managers Paris
Francois Touati
francois.touati@axa-im.com
+33 (0) 1 44 45 80 22
Olivier Pons
Olivier.pons@axa-im.com
+33 (0) 1 44 45 87 30
Company Secretary and Administrator
BNP Paribas SA, Guernsey branch
guernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com
+44 (0) 1481 750 853
Corporate Broker
Cavendish Securities plc
Andre Worn Out
Daniel Balabanoff
+44 (0) 20 7397 8900
*****
ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED
Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange for listed securities. Volta’s home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to the regulation and supervision of the AFM, which is the regulator of the financial markets in the Netherlands.
Volta’s investment objectives are to preserve its capital throughout the credit cycle and to provide a stable income stream to its shareholders through dividends that it expects to distribute quarterly. The company currently seeks to achieve its investment objectives by seeking exposure predominantly to CLOs and similar asset classes. A more diversified investment strategy in structured finance assets may be pursued opportunistically. The company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris, an investment management firm with a division specializing in structured credit, to manage the investment portfolio of all of its assets.
*****
ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS
AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-specialist asset management firm within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with 2,700 professionals and €844 billion in assets under management at the end of December 2023.
*****
This press release is issued by AXA Investment Managers Paris (“AXA IM”) in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the “AIFM Directive”) of Volta Finance Limited (“Volta Finance”), the portfolio of which is managed by AXA IM.
This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to purchase shares of Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in violation of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer to sell the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are “U.S. persons” for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or otherwise in circumstances where such an offering would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any part of the offering of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States.
*****
This communication is being distributed to, and is directed only at, (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) high net worth companies and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The securities referred to herein are available only to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be made only to, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act on or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance should not be relied upon as a guide to future performance.
*****
This press release contains statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “is/are expected”, “may”, “will” or “should”. They include statements about the level of the dividend, the current market environment and its impact on the long-term return on Volta Finance’s investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results, portfolio composition and performance of Volta Finance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements.
Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events that may not materialize. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, targets are not intended to be and should not be considered to be profits or earnings or any other type of forecast. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. Furthermore, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved.
Figures provided which relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be considered as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of Volta Finance’s investment methodologies and philosophies as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IM’s belief in the future success of any such trade or strategy is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results.
The valuation of financial assets may vary significantly from the prices that AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on Volta Finance’s behalf due to market conditions and the general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be relied upon as such.
Publisher: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, with registered office at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide – 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by Autorité des Marchés Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive.
*****
News
Apple to report third-quarter earnings as Wall Street eyes China sales
Litter (AAPL) is set to report its fiscal third-quarter earnings after the market closes on Thursday, and unlike the rest of its tech peers, the main story won’t be about the rise of AI.
Instead, analysts and investors will be keeping a close eye on iPhone sales in China and whether Apple has managed to stem the tide of users switching to domestic rivals including Huawei.
For the quarter, analysts expect Apple to report earnings per share (EPS) of $1.35 on revenue of $84.4 billion, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Apple saw EPS of $1.26 on revenue of $81.7 billion in the same period last year.
Apple shares are up about 18.6% year to date despite a rocky start to the year, thanks in part to the impact of the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in May, where showed off its Apple Intelligence software.
But the big question on investors’ minds is whether iPhone sales have risen or fallen in China. Apple has struggled with slowing phone sales in the region, with the company noting an 8% decline in sales in the second quarter as local rivals including Huawei and Xiaomi gain market share.
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks at the start of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
And while some analysts, such as JPMorgan’s Samik Chatterjee, believe sales in Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, rose in the third quarter, others, including David Vogt of UBS Global Research, say sales likely fell about 6%.
Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg say Apple will report revenue of $15.2 billion in Greater China, down 3.1% from the same quarter last year, when Apple reported revenue of $15.7 billion in China. Overall iPhone sales are expected to reach $38.9 billion, down 1.8% year over year from the $39.6 billion Apple saw in the third quarter of 2023.
But Apple is expected to make up for those declines in other areas, including Services and iPad sales. Services revenue is expected to reach $23.9 billion in the quarter, up from $21.2 billion in the third quarter of 2023, while iPad sales are expected to reach $6.6 billion, up from the $5.7 billion the segment brought in in the same period last year. Those iPad sales projections come after Apple launched its latest iPad models this year, including a new iPad Pro lineup powered by the company’s M4 chip.
Mac revenue is also expected to grow modestly in the quarter, versus a 7.3% decline last year. Sales of wearables, which include the Apple Watch and AirPods, however, are expected to decline 5.9% year over year.
In addition to Apple’s revenue numbers, analysts and investors will be listening closely for any commentary on the company’s software launches. Apple Intelligence beta for developers earlier this week.
The story continues
The software, which is powered by Apple’s generative AI technology, is expected to arrive on iPhones, iPads and Macs later this fall, though according to Bloomberg’s Marc GurmanIt won’t arrive alongside the new iPhone in September. Instead, it’s expected to arrive on Apple devices sometime in October.
Analysts are divided on the potential impact of Apple Intelligence on iPhone sales next year, with some saying the software will kick off a new iPhone sales supercycle and others offering more pessimistic expectations about the technology’s effect on Apple’s profits.
It’s important to note that Apple Intelligence is only compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro and newer phones, ensuring that all users desperate to get their hands on the tech will have to upgrade to a newer, more powerful phone as soon as it is available.
Either way, if Apple wants to make Apple Intelligence a success, it will need to ensure it has the features that will make customers excited to take advantage of the offering.
Subscribe to the Yahoo Finance Tech Newsletter. (Yahoo Finance)
Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
News
Number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits hits highest level in a year
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits hit its highest level in a year last week, even as the job market remains surprisingly healthy in an era of high interest rates.
Jobless claims for the week ending July 27 rose 14,000 to 249,000 from 235,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. It’s the highest number since the first week of August last year and the 10th straight week that claims have been above 220,000. Before that period, claims had remained below that level in all but three weeks this year.
Weekly jobless claims are widely considered representative of layoffs, and while they have been slightly higher in recent months, they remain at historically healthy levels.
Strong consumer demand and a resilient labor market helped avert a recession that many economists predicted during the Federal Reserve’s prolonged wave of rate hikes that began in March 2022.
As inflation continues to declinethe Fed’s goal of a soft landing — reducing inflation without causing a recession and mass layoffs — appears to be within reach.
On Wednesday, the Fed left your reference rate aloneBut officials have strongly suggested a cut could come in September if the data stays on its recent trajectory. And recent labor market data suggests some weakening.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.1% in June, despite the fact that American employers added 206,000 jobs. U.S. job openings also fell slightly last month. Add that to the rise in layoffs, and the Fed could be poised to cut interest rates next month, as most analysts expect.
The four-week average of claims, which smooths out some of the weekly ups and downs, rose by 2,500 to 238,000.
The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits in the week of July 20 jumped by 33,000 to 1.88 million. The four-week average for continuing claims rose to 1,857,000, the highest since December 2021.
Continuing claims have been rising in recent months, suggesting that some Americans receiving unemployment benefits are finding it harder to get jobs.
There have been job cuts across a range of sectors this year, from agricultural manufacturing Deerefor media such as CNNIt is in another place.
-
News8 months ago
Leeds hospitals trust says finances are “critical” amid £110m deficit
-
News6 months ago
Modiv Industrial to release Q2 2024 financial results on August 6
-
News6 months ago
Volta Finance Limited – Director/PDMR Shareholding
-
News8 months ago
Inventiva reports 2024 First Quarter Financial Information¹ and provides a corporate update
-
DeFi8 months ago
🏴☠️ Pump.Fun operated by Insider Exploit
-
News6 months ago
Apple to report third-quarter earnings as Wall Street eyes China sales
-
Videos8 months ago
“We will enter the ‘banana zone’ in 2 WEEKS! Cryptocurrency prices will quadruple!” – Raoul Pal
-
News6 months ago
Number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits hits highest level in a year
-
Tech8 months ago
Bitcoin’s Correlation With Tech Stocks Is At Its Highest Since August 2023: Bloomberg ⋆ ZyCrypto
-
Tech8 months ago
Everything you need to know
-
Markets8 months ago
Whale Investments in Bitcoin Hit $100 Billion in 2024, Fueling Insane Investor Optimism ⋆ ZyCrypto
-
Videos8 months ago
History will be made tomorrow! The Cryptocurrency Market Will Absolutely Crash – Raoul Pal