Latest Post

CNBC's Jim Cramer takes a look at the week ahead in stock market news as Wall Street prepares for a short week of trading with Thanksgiving on Thursday. The "Mad Money" host sits down for interviews with Clorox CEO Benno Dorer and SoFi CEO Anthony Noto. Noto says he expects to see consolidation in the financial services industry as emerging fintech companies offer commission-free trading and other services.

Investing into the Thanksgiving holiday

Wall Street is counting on a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade negotiations, but CNBC's Jim Cramer isn't banking on it.

President Donald Trump, again, on Friday teased that the U.S. was nearing a trade agreement with China, while Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled that Beijing also wants to land a deal but would "fight back" if necessary.

"I don't think it's the end of the world if there's no breakthrough in the trade talks, but I recognize that people are getting a little too confident we're going to get a deal," the "Mad Money" host said. "Of course, a deal is always possible, but the longer the stock market stays up, the less likely it is that we'll get one. A strong market means President Trump has more leverage to hold out for better terms."

The major averages all broke multi-day losing streaks in Friday's session — posting gains of as much as 0.39% — and snapped multi-weekly win streaks amid trade uncertainty. With a holiday around the corner, Wall Street will have a shortened week of trading. The stock market will be closed on Thanksgiving Day Thursday and will close at 1 p.m. on Friday.

There will, however, be a full slate of earnings reports coming out in the days prior. Cramer gave viewers an overview of what he has circled on his calendar.

"After Wednesday we eat turkey and on Friday we eat leftovers knowing there's an unwritten rule that nothing important is supposed to occur on Wall Street," the host said. "Will the president slaughter a turkey this year, or slaughter the market? I bet he goes for the former."

A good environment makes for good business

Benno Dorer, CEO of Clorox.

Mary Catherine Wellons | CNBC

Clorox has "bold" plans for the next decade to reduce its negative environmental impact, CEO Benno Dorer told CNBC.

"We think doing something good for the planet is also good for business," Dorer said in a "Mad Money" interview. "With our new strategy, which leads us through 2025, we're going to make a double-down effort on sustainability."

So far, one manifestation of Clorox's environmental commitment is its compostable cleaning wipes, which launched in the late second quarter, Dorer said.

Early signs of stock trading, financial industry disruption

Anthony Noto

Abigail Stevenson | CNBC

Big changes in the stock brokerage industry were expected as financial technology firms introduce new ways for people to handle their money, SoFi CEO Anthony Noto told Cramer.

The comment comes in the wake of multiple broker companies making moves to ditch commission trading and after news of a probable merger between Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade.

"We assumed there's going to be a fair amount of consolidation" in the industry, Noto said in a "Mad Money" interview. "The financial services industry really hasn't had the type of innovation that you've seen in e-commerce, as you've seen in online travel, and just in this year we launched products that have never been brought to the market before."

Cramer's lightning round

In Cramer's lightning round, the "Mad Money" host zips through his thoughts about viewers' favorite stock picks of the day.

: "I think if you really do want to buy it — I'm not going to necessarily recommend buying it — you wait it out about another maybe 10, 15 points down, and then maybe take a look."

Dunkin' Brands Group: "Actually, I prefer Starbucks to Dunkin' Donuts. Starbucks is way down from its high and I think it's got more momentum and has gotten too cheap, so that's why I prefer it."

Lam Research: "Oh, it's been crazy, but you know what we're up about 80 points for the charitable trust. We did trim back a lot because we didn't want to be pigs. Bulls make money, bears make money and pigs they get slaughtered. I would wait a little bit before I would buy more."

Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Lam Research.

Disclaimer

Questions for Cramer?
Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC

Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up!
Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram

Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com


Reaed More

An image of London's skyline, taken during the evening.

Prisma by Dukas | Universal Images Group | Getty Images

European tech start-ups have seen a huge surge in the amount of capital coming from investors in the U.S. and Asia this year, but it's not because funds in these regions are simply "hedging" their bets amid the US-China trade war.

So far this year, over 20% of European start-up funding rounds have included a U.S. or Asian investor, up from 10% in 2015, venture capital firm Atomico claimed in its annual State of European Tech report this week.

The U.S.-China trade war makes Europe look like a relatively safe middle-ground, but that's not why North American and Asian investors are choosing to back European start-ups, according to Tom Wehmeier, partner and head of research at Atomico.

"They wouldn't deploy capital if they didn't believe the investments could deliver returns on par and in excess to what they can generate at home," he told CNBC.

"Some of the investors now committing to Europe have been the best in the world at generating returns from tech. They know what makes for a winning formula."

Investment into European tech start-ups for 2019 surged to over $34 billion, up 40% from the previous year. While overall investment into U.S. and Asian start-ups still surpasses that of Europe, the gap is getting smaller. Atomico's report revealed that the U.S. and Asia saw a dip in the overall amount of investment flowing into their own start-ups.

American investors have backed European start-ups with almost $10 billion this year, up from $5.8 billion in 2018, while Asian investors have pledged $4 billion, up from $1.7 billion. The money isn't necessarily being distributed evenly, however, as 92% of the money invested into European start-ups went to companies with all-male founding teams.

In June, mobile banking app Monzo announced that it had raised a $145 million funding round that was led by Y Combinator, a California-based start-up backer that's also invested in Airbnb and Dropbox.

One month prior, food delivery service Deliveroo was backed by Amazon in a $575 million funding round. Other U.S. investors such as Greenoaks, Fidelity Investments, and T. Rowe Price also contributed to the round.

Japan's SoftBank, which has the world's largest tech investment fund, made two bets on European fintech start-ups this year. In February, it led a $440 million round into London-based OakNorth, and a $1 billion round into Munich's WireCard in April.

"European tech has quietly increased its number of external believers," the report says. "We see this everywhere, from the increased time top U.S. investors are spending on the ground here to the fact that a fifth of European rounds this year had at least one U.S. or Asian investor participating — a proportion which grows as the deal size increases."

The report continues: "(European) VCs are reporting increasing interest from global LPs (limited partners), while previously unconvinced European Institutional Investors are now fully engaged. We're also seeing valuations and pre-emptive term sheets on the increase in Europe — always a sign that competition to invest in the best tech companies is accelerating, as well as a reflection on the quality of the opportunity."


Reaed More

Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduces the Cybertruck at Tesla's design studio Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Hawthorne, Calif.

Ringo H.W. Chiu | AP

DETROIT — Tesla's Cybertruck pickup made its global debut Thursday night to roaring cheers, some criticism and sighs of relief from Detroit automakers.

The futuristic-looking pickup, resembling a large metallic trapezoid, was far from what many were anticipating. The vehicle has a polarizing design unlike anything ever produced outside of sci-fi movies, and its production process, as detailed during the unveiling by CEO Elon Musk, is expected to be more similar to that of a traditional car than a truck.

"Trucks have been the same for a very long time," Musk said during the unveiling at the company's design center outside Los Angeles. "Like a hundred years, trucks have been basically the same. We want to try something different."

Ahead of the truck driving onto the stage, Musk poked fun at the lack of design changes of pickups over the last century — specifically singling out pickups from Chevrolet, Ford and Ram brands, which account for the vast majority of pickup sales.

As Tesla's stock dropping 6% Friday indicates, major questions remain about the truck ahead of its expected production in late 2021, according to Wall Street and industry analysts. Here are some of them:

'Fashion and function'?

A hologram of a woman at the beginning of the unveiling called the truck "the greatest evolution in vehicular fashion and function," however, some are questioning both those assertions.

"Polarizing" has been the most common term for the vehicle's design, which was inspired by the movie "Blade Runner."

"Elon Musk has been enthusiastic about his Blade Runner inspired design for months, but we were still surprised how futuristic he went with this one and believe it may shatter his dreams," wrote Cowen analyst Jeffrey Osborne in a note to investors on Friday.

Tesla, according to Osborne, appears to have "rushed its launch of the Cybertruck," as many features such as side mirrors and windshield wipers were missing. The lack of those features and build quality of the vehicle have led some to believe the vehicle is a concept and not an actual production model.

As expected, the performance specifications of the truck are impressive, including a 0-to-60 mph time of as low as 2.9 seconds, towing capacity of more than 14,000 pounds and a top speed of 130 miles per hour. Cybertruck's EV range, depending on the model, is expected to vary from about 250 miles to 500 miles, according to Tesla.

A promotional shot of Tesla's Cybertruck.

handout

"While the Cybertruck seems plenty capable, we don't believe that Tesla is going after the heart of the market and the work/utility crowd here," wrote RBC Capital Markets analyst Joseph Spak in a note to investors on Friday.

Musk showed the Cybertruck beating the industry-leading Ford F-150 in a "tug of war" and outracing a Porsche 911.

Who's the buyer?

The Cybertruck is not expected to appeal to millions of traditional truck buyers, who last year accounted for nearly one in five vehicles sold in the U.S.

Cybertruck, according to analysts, is essentially in a segment of its own that may appeal to current Tesla customers and "the influencer crowd (celebrities and pop culture)," however, it will not be a mass-market vehicle.

"It will be a niche product at best and poses no threat in the pickup market as we know it today," said Matt DeLorenzo, senior executive editor at Kelley Blue Book.

RBC's Spak called the Cybertruck a "Hummer for the green millennial generation, really the ultimate virtue and vice signaling machine."

Tesla unveiled three models: A single-motor rear-wheel drive for $39,900, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive for $49,900 and a tri-motor all-wheel-drive for $69,900.

Tesla started taking reservations for Cybertruck on its website following the vehicle's unveiling. A $100 deposit is required.

Earth- or glass-shattering?

Trucks are supposed to be tough, but Tesla appears to be taking it to another level.

During the unveiling last night, the truck's "ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel" body held up to what Musk described as a sledgehammer, and he said it can withstand a 9 mm bullet from a handgun. But things got a little awkward when it came time to show off the durability of the company's new "armored glass."

To demonstrate the toughness of the glass, Tesla Chief Designer Franz Von Holzhausen threw a metal ball at two windows. They shattered, to Musk's surprise, but the metal ball did not go through the glass.

"Oh my f------ God!" Musk said. "Well, maybe that was a little too hard."

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk stands in front of the shattered windows of the newly unveiled all-electric battery-powered Tesla's Cybertruck at Tesla Design Center in Hawthorne, California on November 21, 2019.

FREDERIC J. BROWN | AFP | Getty Images

Cowen's Osborne said in "a night to be remembered for the Armored Glass fail, Tesla's Cybertruck reveal will likely disappoint current pickup truck owners and we see the vehicle remaining a niche and not a mainstream product."

Musk also said the truck features an exoskeleton design that will use a production process more similar to a traditional "unibody" car than to a production process known as "body-on-frame" that's traditionally used for trucks.

Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities said the exoskeleton, which is made of a stainless steel alloy that Musk is using with Space X on its Starship rocket, is "the most impressive and eye popping part of the design."

Production?

It's unclear where Tesla plans to produce the truck. The company announced production is slated to begin in late 2021 but has not offered any details about where it will be produced.

Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment on production and other plans for the vehicle.

Automakers typically have dedicated truck plants, and the company's sole U.S. plant in Fremont, California, is not expected to have any additional capacity without an expansion to the facility.

The Tesla factory in Fremont, California.

Getty Images

Given Tesla's history of missed deadlines, the complexity of trucks and the fact that the company has never produced such a vehicle, production will be important.

"We remind investors Tesla does have a habit of being late on expected timelines," RBC's Spak wrote, citing a number of announced products that have yet to begin production for Tesla. "So while we don't doubt that Tesla will try to get the product to market, a large part of this event appears to be hype."

Competition?

While Cybertruck is not expected to appeal to traditional pickup buyers, several all-electric pickups are expected to make their way into the U.S. market to compete against Tesla's product.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra on Thursday confirmed the automaker plans to release an all-electric pickup in late 2021. That's around the same time Ford Motor is expected to release an all-electric version of its F-150 pickup.

Rivian's R1T pickup

Rivian

Start-up automakers such as Rivian and Lordstown Motors, which recently purchased a large assembly plant from GM, also are expected to release EV pickups in the coming years.

Rivian, which is backed by Amazon and Ford, plans to launch EV pickup and SUV models beginning in late 2020, followed by four additional products through 2025. The vehicles are expected to offer up to 400 miles of range and an "unmatched combination of off-road utility and high performance," according to the company.

Lordstown Motors on Thursday said it has started accepting preorders for its Endurance pickup, which is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of next year starting at $52,500.

— CNBC's Lora Kolodny contributed to this report.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of RBC Capital Markets analyst Joseph Spak.


Reaed More

South Korean boy band BTS backstage during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

John Shearer | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Hit South Korean boyband BTS will not be given exemption from mandatory military service, the defense ministry has said, reaffirming its policy of no exceptions for pop stars.

The decision is likely to fuel debate in South Korea, which remains technically at war with North Korea, about whether entertainers and athletes should have to do their full military service, of about 18 months, when they might be at the peak of their careers.

"Exempting pop culture artists from military service even though they have made a contribution to the country's reputation is not in line with the government's stance to uphold justice and fairness," the ministry said in announcing its decision on Thursday.

The seven-strong BTS has spearheaded a wave of Korean pop, crowning their success with three No. 1 albums on the Billboard chart in less than a year, a 2019 Grammy nomination and concerts from New York to Saudi Arabia.

None of the band members, who range in age from 22 to 26, was available for comment on Friday.

Korean men who turn 18 become eligible for a physical examination by the Military Manpower Administration, which can then lead to service. Women do not have to do military service.

Authorities occasionally grants exemptions, for instance to athletes, but only if they have won gold medals at the Asian Games, or any medal at the Olympics.

Also, classical musicians who have received awards at recognized international competition can skip their military service.

Last year, Son Heung-min, who plays for the English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, was given an exemption but only after he helped the South Korean national team win gold at the Asian Games.

The defense ministry said fewer than 45 people are exempt from service every year.

South Korea has nearly 600,000 soldiers, most of them conscripted.


Reaed More

Dorchester Collection

With its tropical gardens, retro-style pool, and old-school Hollywood glamour The Beverly Hills Hotel has been a celebrity hotspot since opening in 1912. Located just off Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Beverly Hills, from Angelenos looking to staycation to travelers seeking a perfect base to indulge in a spot of festive retail therapy on nearby Rodeo Drive, it's the most wonderful time of year to get a stay on the books.

Beverly Ma/Dorchester Collection

Celebrate the Season

Pulling out all the stops for guests this Christmas – including a toy soldier welcome along the famous red-carpet entrance, holiday carolers and visits from Santa – the legendary property makes the perfect setting to gather with family or friends during the holidays. The hotel's Festive Seasonal package, available to book through December 20, includes a discounted nightly rate paired with breakfast and hotel credits (treat yourself or someone special to a signature palm print item from the gift shop) plus welcome drinks. 

Beverly Ma/Dorchester Collection

Spirited Cocktails & Desserts

In the lead up to Christmas, dining gets sprinkled with a little festive stardust, too, with the aptly titled 12 Days of Soufflés when executive pastry chef Brooke Martin will create a dozen iterations (think gingerbread and eggnog) of the Polo Lounge’s signature dinner dessert. While the Polo Lounge Bar and Bar Nineteen12 will serve classic and seasonal tipples like spiced mulled wine, spiked eggnog, and a Fig Sidecar cocktail.

Culinary highlights also include executive Chef Michal Santoro’s prix-fixe dinner menus at the storied Polo Lounge restaurant with a four-course meal on Christmas Eve and a three-course option on Christmas Day. Guests staying over New Year can ring in 2020 with chef Santoro’s elegant four-course affair complete with a Champagne toast at midnight and live music. 

Beverly Ma/Dorchester Collection

Rooms & Suites

To choose from are 210 guestrooms and suites – named after the hotel's architect, Paul Williams Suite has a cool mid-century modern vibe with its grand piano and bespoke curved bar – plus 23 private bungalows, including five that take inspiration from famous former guests. Recently restored by New York-based designer and interiors guru Alexandra Champalimaud, No. 22 is modeled after Frank Sinatra's Palm Springs home; the fabulous Bungalow 5 is where Elizabeth Taylor spent six of her eight honeymoons. 

Dorchester Collection

The Festive Season offer includes a discounted nightly rate on luxury accommodation and welcome drinks for two guests paired with a $100 daily breakfast credit, and $100 hotel credit. Rates start at $685 for guestrooms and $985 for suites between November 21, 2019, and January 7, 2020. Visit Dorchester Collection's The Beverly Hills Hotel for more details. 

Dorchester Collection


Reaed More

Liberty Media Chairman John Malone took issue with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son's investment approach in light of the botched WeWork IPO.

"He flings these numbers around awful easy. He's got a balance sheet no one can understand," Malone told CNBC's David Faber in an exclusive interview Thursday.

WeWork pulled its IPO filing in September after investors balked at its mounting losses and unusual corporate governance structure. The scrutiny forced WeWork founder Adam Neumann to step down as CEO. The office-sharing start-up is laying off 2,400 employees as it tries to cut costs and right-size the business.

Son initially valued WeWork at $47 billion, a number public market investors viewed as nearly four times too high.

"I look at each one of these deep-loss businesses ... you've got to have to have an argument that the scale will improve the marginal economics," Malone said.

WeWork continues to bleed cash, reporting $1.25 billion in losses in the third quarter, up more than 150% from the same period last year. The company was poised to run out of money in a matter of weeks, but secured an 11th-hour bailout deal from SoftBank.

"[Masa's] had some home-runs no question. He took some big rides and some of them are not performing for him at the moment, but those are cycles," Malone said.

Malone is also not a fan of Uber's business model.

"I never quite understood Uber and I never quite understood why Dara took the job," Malone said of Dara Khosrowshahi, who succeeded CEO Travis Kalanick in 2017 following a series of scandals. "Right now in a world where you have three or four competitors in a metro area and drivers are working for all of them, I don't see where scale changes the economics."

Uber shares have fallen about 35% since its IPO in May.


Reaed More

Most adolescents aren't getting enough exercise as screen time increasingly replaces physical activity in homes across the world, putting their current and future health at risk, the World Health Organization warned in a new study Thursday.

The study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal, found that 85% of girls and 78% of boys are not meeting the current recommendation of at least one hour of physical activity per day. The authors of the study used data reported by 1.6 million students ages 11-17.

"Urgent policy action to increase physical activity is needed now, particularly to promote and retain girls' participation in physical activity," study author Dr. Regina Guthold of WHO said in a release.

This trend of physical inactivity is emerging because there has been "a real change in the way children use their time" over the past 10 to 20 years, Dr. Juana Willumsen, a WHO expert on physical activity, told CNBC.

"I think none of us can deny the digital revolution and that screens, tablets and phones have become a part of everyday life," Willumsen said.

The leisure activities that children and adolescents are engaging in now tend to be more sedentary and screen-based rather than being outdoor exercise, sport or play, she added.

A widening gender gap was also discovered across the 146 countries studied between 2001 and 2016. Not only were girls less active than boys in all 146 countries except four — Tonga, Samoa, Afghanistan and Zambia — but 73% of the countries examined saw this gap grow between 2001 and 2016.

The difference between the number of boys and girls getting adequate exercise is greatest in the United States and Ireland.

"The trend of girls being less active than boys is concerning," study co-author Leanne Riley of WHO said in a release. "More opportunities to meet the needs and interests of girls are needed to attract and sustain their participation in physical activity through adolescence and into adulthood."

This trend of insufficient physical activity showed improvement for boys over the 15-year study period, but there was no change over time for girls.

The lowest levels of proper physical activity for girls were seen in Bangladesh and India and can potentially be explained by societal factors such as increased chores in the home, the study said.

This trend is concerning because proper amounts of physical activity in kids can improve muscular fitness and bone health and have positive effects on weight, as well as social and cognitive benefits. WHO recommends that adolescents get an hour of moderate or rigorous physical activity each day in order to achieve these benefits.

The data used for this study came from school-based surveys that asked questions about time spent doing physically demanding activities such as recreation and sports, active chores, walking or cycling, active play and physical education.

In order to get adolescents more active, the study says, there should be more effective policies and programs as well as national and local leadership. It also suggests that there should be more opportunities for kids to get active involving education, urban planning and road safety.

"Things like active transport, walking and cycling — even the opportunities to be active outdoors in public, open spaces — have been significantly eroded over the last few years," Willumsen said.

Willumsen said urban planning can boost physical activity by placing schools within a walkable distance of the vast majority of the population or having shops close to peoples' homes so they don't feel the need to get into a car.

"Policies should increase all forms of physical activity, including through physical education that develops physical literacy, more sports, active play and recreation opportunities," as well as "providing safe environments so young people can walk and cycle independently," co-author Dr. Fiona Bull of WHO said in the release.

The study was funded by WHO and was conducted by researchers from WHO, Imperial College London and the University of Western Australia. Editors of the study noted that there were some limitations, including that the data collected included information only from adolescents who attended school.

Willumsen said she wasn't sure how the results would change if children outside of school were surveyed, noting there are countries where a significant number of children do not attend secondary school.

"I think in low[-income] and potentially the low middle-income countries, children who might not be enrolled in school could potentially be working instead, and there they might be physically active because of their work," she said.

Other children who are not enrolled in school may not be engaged in employment of any kind and therefore would be more likely to be physically inactive.

"Particularly if you think of high-income countries, children who are not engaged in school are likely just to be sitting at home and watching TV or engaged in some kind of screen-based recreation," Willumsen said.


Reaed More

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Powered by Blogger.
Javascript DisablePlease Enable Javascript To See All Widget