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Posted on May 20, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Coinbase under investigation – Hit with ransom attack
Coinbase’s wild week got much wilder when the New York Times reported that the SEC has been looking into whether the crypto exchange misstated the size of its user base in securities filings. Per the New York Times, the investigation started under President Biden and has continued under President Trump.
The subject of the investigation appears to be Coinbase’s claim in past disclosures and marketing materials that it has 100 million “verified users.” A company spokesperson said it no longer reports that metric and the investigation should not continue.
The report came days after Coinbase joined the S&P 500, and just hours after it said it could lose $400 million following a recent hack by “rogue overseas” agents looking to steal customer data.
Posted on May 26, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
A tough week just ended with the Dow Jones just barely in the green, though the index snapped its 5-week winning streak thanks in large part to its worst day of trading this year on Thursday. The NASDAQ hit a new all-time high on the back of Nvidia’s strong earnings, while the S&P 500 rose but ended the week flat.
Bond yields rose this week as investors came to terms with the idea that the Federal Reserve may not cut rates more than once in 2024, fleeing to the safety of Treasuries. Gold ended the week down overall.
The market turned on copper selling off for a third straight day. And oil finally snapped its losing streak, rising on the hopes of a travel-heavy Memorial Day weekend, though crude still ended the week lower than where it started.
The big winner was ethereum thanks to the approval of a spot ethereum ETF by the SEC.
The U.S. Markets were closed on Monday, May 27th, 2024. Please be aware that, transactions made after 4 p.m. EST on Friday, May 24th, 2024, will receive the closing price as of Tuesday, May 28th, 2024.
Posted on May 23, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
The S&P 500 index lost 14.40 points (0.3%) to 5,307.01; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) declined 201.95 points (0.5%) to 39,671.04; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) slipped 31.08 points (0.2%) to 16,801.54.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose more than 1 basis point to 4.426%.
The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) increased 0.43 to 12.29.
Retailer shares were among the market’s weakest performers after Target’s (TGT) quarterly results, released before Wednesday’s open, fell short of expectations. Target shares tumbled 8% after the company reported revenue fell 3% in the first quarter from the year-earlier period. During the company’s earnings call, Target CEO Brian Cornell noted “continued soft trends in discretionary categories” contributed to the revenue decline.
Energy companies were also under pressure after WTI Crude Oil (/CL) futures closed at a three-month low just above $77 per barrel.
Following a series of high-profile—and costly—cyberattacks against the healthcare industry, the federal government is stepping in with a $50+ million initiative intended to boost hospital cybersecurity, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on May 20th.
Uber Health will begin rolling out a new solution designed for caregivers this summer, allowing individuals to add a caregiver to their Uber profile. That caregiver can then see and spend that person’s health benefits on eligible services, request rides to doctors’ appointments or order groceries. In the coming months, Uber Health will be working with Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial plans to offer the solution.
U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Bill Cassidy, M.D., want to reform how primary care providers get paid through Medicare, and they also want to hear from the healthcare industry about the best way to do it. Together, they introduced a bipartisan bill, the Pay PCPs Act (S. 4338), last week to better support and improve pay for high-quality primary care providers.
And… digital maternal health company Babyscripts announced a partnership with Lyft Healthcare to offer sponsored rides for people who are pregnant or postpartum and face barriers to transportation. The Lyft partnership will identify transportation-insecure patients and offer free rides to in-person appointments in traditional care settings and community-based healthcare services and programs.
Posted on May 22, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
Hims & Hers stock soared as much as 38% on the news that it’ll provide GLP-1 injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic or Wegovy for just $199/month—an 85% discount compared to Wegovy’s ~$1,350 monthly price tag (without insurance).
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FDIC Chair Martin Gruenbergwill resign after an investigation found widespread sexual harassment at the agency. But he won’t step down until a successor is named.
The FDA granted Elon Musk’s neurotech company Neuralink,approval to place its brain chip into a second human test subject using a new method designed to correct issues that arose after its inaugural insertion in January, per the Wall Street Journal.
And, Optum Rx is shaking up its pharmacy model. The business says it will make drug costs more predictable and transparent for clients.
All three indexes ended the day higher after Fed Governor Christopher Wallerstopped by CNBC and mentioned he doesn’t think raising interest rates is in the cards, even if the Fed is waiting for more data before making cuts. The NASDAQ continued to hit new all-time highs today as investors place their bets before Nvidia’s earnings announcement tomorrow afternoon, and the S&P 500 hit yet another record.
Copper continued to rise as the market comes to terms with the metal’s importance, while oil fell on the news that the Biden administration will release 1 million barrels of gasoline this summer from the Northeast reserve. Meanwhile, ethereum continued to climb on the news that a new ETF may be joining the fray.
Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:
The S&P 500 index rose 13.28 points (0.3%) to 5,321.41; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) gained 66.22 points (0.2%) to 39,872.99; the NASDAQ Composite advanced 37.75 points (0.2%) to 16,832.62.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) lost more than 2 basis points to 4.414%.
The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) fell 0.29 to 11.86.
Banking and consumer staples were among the market’s strongest performers Tuesday, while utility shares extended a sharp upswing over the past month. The Dow Jones Utility Average® ($DJU) added 0.5% and closed at a 12-month high. Transportation companies were among the weakest performers.
In other markets, Gold (/GC) futures slipped from Monday’s record high above $2,454 per ounce, while Silver (/SI) futures ended near a 12-year high around $32.21. Gold futures are still up 17% this year due to several factors, including reports of China’s central bank buying actual gold as well as escalating conflict in the Middle East. Gold is viewed by some as a safe-haven asset during periods of heightened geopolitical tension.
Posted on May 19, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
Young adults are delaying life insurance purchases due to financial constraints and a preference for spending on immediate experiences. The insurance industry is responding with digital-first strategies and more flexible products.
The DJIA closed above 40,000 for the first time after briefly crossing the milestone the day before and clinching its fifth winning week. Reddit shot up after announcing a partnership with OpenAI that lets the AI train on your posts and gives Reddit advertising dollars and the ability to use the tech to make new tools.
But, GameStop stock plunged after the recently reinvigorated meme stock filed to sell 45 million new shares and revealed that sales were down last quarter.
Posted on May 17, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
America’s oldest popular stock index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, hit a brief record high yesterday morning when it traded above 40,000, reflecting renewed hope for the market’s health after Wednesday’s promising inflation report.
The S&P 500® index (SPX) fell 11.05 points (0.2%) to 5,297.10; the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 38.62 points (0.1%) to 39,869.38; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) shed 44.07 points (0.3%) to 16,698.32.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose more than 2 basis points to 4.381%.
The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) dropped 0.03 to 12.42.
Walmart’s strength fueled a strong day for consumer staples shares. The S&P 500 Consumer Staples ($SP500#30), which includes Walmart as well as companies like Coca-Cola (KO) and Procter & Gamble (PG), surged 1.5% to its highest level in over two years.
Among other companies, Applied Materials (AMAT) fell 1.6% ahead of the semiconductor industry supplier’s quarterly earnings report, which is expected after Thursday’s close.
And, Core CPI, which tracks the price of goods and services excluding volatile food and energy prices and is closely watched as an inflation indicator, rose 3.6% from the same period last year. That’s the smallest annual increase since April 2021. On a monthly basis, core CPI rose 0.3%, marking the first time in six months that its growth slowed from the prior month. Other good signs include:
Grocery prices dropped 0.2% from March, the first decrease in a year.
Health insurance and car insurance increased more slowly in April than in March.
A separate report released yesterday showed consumer spending stayed steady last month.
Finally, Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and a group of Republican senators are moving to overturn a retirement investment planning rule that was finalized by the Labor Department last month. The Labor Department unveiled the new rule last month that would update the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Manchin and 15 Republican senators joined in co-sponsoring a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn this new rule.
Posted on May 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
More people are interested in determining their “heart age” using new tests and tech tools, but some skeptics say it’s not a healthy data point to focus on. (the Wall Street Journal)
The Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest just made some significant trades. The most prominent among them were the increased stakes in Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) and the reduced holdings in Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN).
Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:
The S&P 500 index rose 61.47 points (1.2%) to 5,308.15; the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 349.89 points (0.9%) to 39,908.00; the NASDAQ Composite rallied 231.21 points (1.4%) to 16,742.39.
The 10-year Treasury note yield fell almost 10 basis points to 4.348%.
The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) dropped 0.97 to 12.45.
Chipmaker shares led the way higher Wednesday, lifting the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) almost 3% to a 10-week high. Interest-rate-sensitive sectors like real estate and utilities were also strong. The small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) advanced 1.1% to a seven-week high. The U.S. Dollar Index ($DXY) slumped to its weakest level in five weeks, reflecting expectations for lower interest rates that may reduce the appeal of U.S. fixed income assets.
Among companies, Cisco Systems (CSC) surged 1.5% ahead of its quarterly results expected after Wednesday’s close. Dow member Walmart (WMT) is expected to release results Thursday morning as the unofficial retail earnings season accelerates.
And … The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it has established a new task force to take on healthcare monopolies and collusion. The task force, made up of prosecutors, economists, healthcare industry experts and others, will guide the division’s enforcement strategy and policy approach in healthcare, including by facilitating policy advocacy, investigations and, where warranted, civil and criminal enforcement in healthcare markets.
Posted on May 15, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 25.26 points (0.5%) to 5,246.68, the highest since a record close March 28; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) gained 126.60 points (0.3%) to 39,558.11; the NASDAQ Composite climbed 122.94 points (0.8%) to 16,511.18.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell more than 3 basis points to 4.449%.
The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) decreased 0.18 to 13.42.
Among companies, Home Depot’s (HD) quarterly results reported earlier Tuesday kicked off the unofficial start of the retail earnings season. The home improvement retailer’s earnings topped expectations, but revenue missed forecasts, initially sending the company’s shares down sharply.
Home Depot also reaffirmed its full-year guidance for a 1% decline in comparable-store sales and a 1% increase in total sales. The company’s shares bounced back to end with a 0.1% loss.
And, the Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest just made some significant trades. The most prominent among them were the increased stakes in Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE PLTR) and the reduced holdings in Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN).
Moreover, the website-building platform Squarespace is to go private, which it announced it’ll be doing in an all-cash deal with Permira, a private equity firm. Squarespace, which was public for nearly three years, joins a group of other smaller tech companies like Qualtrics that have recently pulled themselves off the public market. (CNBC)
Employers and private insurers are paying hospitals more for inpatient and outpatient services than in previous years, a study from RAND Corporation finds. The American Hospital Association dismissed the report saying it offers a “skewed and incomplete picture.”
And finally … Kaiser Permanente began its 2024 earnings season with more than $2.7 billion in net income and $935 million in operating income, just months after sharing plans to lay off workers.
Posted on May 13, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
While Buy Now-Pay Later (BNPL) reduces friction when purchasing, it’s giving some economy watchers unease. As Americans’ budgets buckle under the weight of inflation and higher interest payments, some worry BNPL is more of an invisible burden than a boon, Bloomberg reports. Beware the “phantom debt,” a Wells Fargo economist recently warned, referring to the BNPL industry’s short-term loans, which go largely unaccounted for by those tracking Americans’ debt load. That’s because, unlike credit cards and auto loan providers, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and other BNPL providers don’t usually report transactions to credit scoring agencies.
The Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest just made some significant trades. The most prominent among them were the increased stakes in Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE: PLTR) and her reduced holdings in Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN).
Dell has recently seen a decline in its revenue. In its most recent earnings report, it revealed that its net revenue shrunk by 11% year-over-year during its fiscal 2024 fourth quarter. For full year 2023, the company’s revenue was down by 14% to $88.4 billion. Partly that was due to a weak personal-computer market and the costs associated with more than 6,000 layoffs. But investors are excited by Dell’s growth potential for its server and computer businesses because of artificial intelligence, the Motley Fool reported.
Posted on May 6, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST–TODAY’SNEWSLETTERBRIEFING
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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants
“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“
A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.
A cooling labor market raises hopes for a rate cut in the summer. The latest Labor Department data shows the US added 175,000 jobs in April, but much less than the 300,000 added in March and also less than economists expected. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9% from 3.8% in March, and wages rose less than anticipated. All that bad news for us was music to the ears of investors who are holding out hope that the Federal Reserve might still cut interest rates this summer despite most recent economic data showing that inflation is sticking around.
Rate cuts appear to be back on the 2024 menu following Friday’s softer-than-expected jobs report, fueling gains for all three major stock indexes last week. With the report calming worries that inflation is ticking back up, investors now project a 50% likelihood that the Federal Reserve will reduce rates in September.
Coinbase is benefiting from the hype around new bitcoin ETFs. The crypto exchange reported a $1.2 billion quarterly profit last week, and net revenue rose by 115%.
Posted on February 17, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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The CDC may update Covid-19 isolation guidelines from five days to 24 hours if an individual is fever-free without medication—standardizing the protocol for the disease with the same rule for the flu and RSV. (the New York Times)
Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:
Stocks slumped into the long weekend yesterday, snapping a five-week weekly winning streak when they fell in the wake of wholesale price data that shows inflation is probably not as tamed as the Fed would like it to be. But Coinbase gave the latest indication that the crypto winter has thawed. The crypto exchange’s stock rose after it reported its first quarterly profit in two years.
The S&P 500 index fell 24.16 points (0.5%) to 5,005.57, down 0.4% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® (DJI) lost 145.13 points (0.4%) to 38,627.99, down 0.1% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) declined 130.52 points (0.8%) to 15,775.65, down 1.3% for the week.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose over 4 basis points to 4.285%.
The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) rose 0.23 to 14.24.
Communications services and transportation shares were among the market’s weakest performers Friday, while energy companies firmed behind strength in crude oil futures. The small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) fell 1.4% Friday but still ended the week with a gain of 1.1%, its second straight weekly advance.
Posted on February 12, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Wall Street eyes earnings, inflation report: It’s another big earnings week with Shopify, Coca-Cola, Airbnb, Coinbase, and Crocs among the companies scheduled to report. Investors will also be locked into tomorrow’s consumer price index report, which is expected to show more good news about inflation and raise hopes of a Fed rate cut.
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Cathie Wood and her team have purchased over $160 million worth of Tesla stock since the start of the year. Wood’s flagship fund, the ARK Innovation ETF (NYSEMKT: ARKK), now owns about $640 million of Tesla stock, making the company the fund’s second-largest holding behind Coinbase.
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Palantir reported 20% revenue growth to $608.4 million, ahead of the consensus at $602.4 million. Once again, the company delivered strong profitability with its fifth straight quarter of profitability according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), coming in at $93 million, or a 15% profit margin.
The company experienced particularly strong growth in its U.S. commercial segment, where revenue was up 70% to $131 million, making up nearly a quarter of total sales. U.S. commercial total contract value jumped 107% to $343 million, and for 2024, it forecast 40% growth in U.S. commercial revenue to at least $640 million, showing that companies are starting to adopt an Automated Investment Plan.
On the bottom line, adjusted earnings per share doubled to $0.08, beating analyst estimates, as the company nearly held operating expenses flat once again, and guidance was solid as well.
Posted on June 6, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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The Securities and Exchange Commission sued cryptocurrency platform Coinbase today, charging the company with operating an unregistered securities platform and brokerage service. The lawsuit comes a day after the SEC filed charges against Binance, below.
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Cryptocurrencies and shares in crypto and blockchain-related companies tumbled yesterday after the U.S. securities regulator sued crypto exchange Binance, another blow to the industry. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao for secretly controlling Binance.US as part of a “web of deception” to evade U.S. laws, among other charges. Reuters earlier reported that Binance controlled its US affiliate’s bank accounts, despite claiming it was independent.
The SEC also said Binance artificially inflated trading volumes on the platform, diverted customer funds and failed to restrict U.S. customers from its platform and misled investors about market surveillance controls.
Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency was down 5.45% after falling to its lowest level since mid-March following the news. Binance’s cryptocurrency fell 9.72%.
Posted on March 23, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Cathie Wood just revealed that her flagship fund ARK Invest lost over $2 billion last year. Her struggles sum up how rising interest rates are affecting markets, according to the CEO of JPMorgan Asset Management. “When the Federal Reserve hits the brakes, something goes through the windshield,” George Gatch said.
Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest also sold $13.5 million worth of Coinbase stock. The famed money manager now holds a 7% stake in the crypto exchange worth $837 million. Shares of Coinbase are up nearly 30% in the past five trading sessions as crypto prices rallied.
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Moderna – which received about $10 billion in taxpayer money to produce its COVID-19 vaccine and has since earned billions more in profits selling it – was sued in early 2022 by Genevant Sciences and Arbutus Biopharma Corp., which accused Moderna of using technology they have patented in its vaccine. The two companies have asked a federal court in Delaware to award them damages for the infringement.
Alex Coffey, senior trading strategist at TD Ameritrade, said recent turmoil in the banking industry has effectively tightened credit conditions, possibly making further rate increases by the Fed unnecessary. Still, the Fed had to send a message that it’s not making an abrupt shift in its efforts to bring inflation down. The Fed has been in “cruise control” raising rates, “staying in the fast lane,” Alex says. “Now, it has turned off cruise and maybe changed lanes, but isn’t doing a quick move toward the off ramp. Today’s increase was not a ‘dovish’ hike, but also not the hawkish stance that was feared.”
“We’re near the end of the tightening cycle,” he adds. “But they have to do this slowly.”
The Fed commentary appeared to briefly soothe the market, causing the S&P 500® Index to rise as much as 1% soon after the central bank’s announcement, but the benchmark changed direction in the last hour of trading. The reversal may have in part been in response to the ambiguity of Powell’s words, as well as continuing concern about a potential recession.
And so, the following is a round-up of today’s domestic market activity:
The S&P 500 Index was down 65.90 (1.7%) at 3936.97; the Dow Jones industrial average was down 530.49 (1.6%%) at 32,030.11; the NASDAQ Composite was down 190.15 (1.6%) at 11,669.96.
The 10-year Treasury yield was down about 17 basis points at 3.44%.