Micah Hyde returns to Bills practice squad for one more playoff run before retiring
PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. ( NYSE:PRU – Free Report ) by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 116,069 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,286 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $14,056,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Creekmur Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Prudential Financial by 78.8% during the 1st quarter. Creekmur Asset Management LLC now owns 245 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in Prudential Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Prudential Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC boosted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 1,312.4% in the 2nd quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 26,934 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 25,027 shares during the period. Finally, Bank & Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial during the second quarter worth approximately $37,000. 56.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analysts Set New Price Targets PRU has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $118.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Argus raised Prudential Financial to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Prudential Financial in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Prudential Financial from $123.00 to $122.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $112.00 to $119.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $125.69. Insider Activity at Prudential Financial In other Prudential Financial news, major shareholder Insurance Co Of Ame Prudential acquired 261,059 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $27.58 per share, with a total value of $7,200,007.22. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 4,208,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $116,071,781.42. This trade represents a 6.61 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, EVP Caroline Feeney sold 1,110 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.97, for a total value of $133,166.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,220,694.75. This represents a 9.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Prudential Financial Stock Up 1.3 % Shares of NYSE:PRU opened at $127.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.14 and a quick ratio of 0.14. The stock has a market cap of $45.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.29. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 1-year low of $94.92 and a 1-year high of $129.13. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $123.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.70. Prudential Financial ( NYSE:PRU – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $3.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.47 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $19.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.57 billion. Prudential Financial had a return on equity of 15.30% and a net margin of 6.03%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.44 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 13.33 EPS for the current year. Prudential Financial Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 19th. Prudential Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.22%. Prudential Financial Company Profile ( Free Report ) Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Prudential Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prudential Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Different investors have different opinions about the crypto market, but they all agree that the industry is defined by increased volatility. It’s a space where profit can be made, or money can be lost overnight, especially during a bull run. Bull markets are described as golden opportunities for investors looking to boost their income because if they use the proper strategies they can turn the market’s volatility to their advantage. The terms bulls are charging, and bears are prowling are widely used in the stock market, but since cryptocurrencies have started gaining ground in financial markets, they have also been used in association with digital assets. Cryptocurrencies also rally at times, and naturally, investors have adopted the terms to describe the periods when they suffer price fluctuations. And as everyone talks about how the bull market is at its beginning, and people have started looking for ways to , it’s worth discussing the actions investors should take. Now, let’s figure out what a bull run is Let’s talk about hull runs in general, it’s irrelevant if cryptocurrencies or stocks are the subject of discussion because these periods function the same. Bull markets are characterized by times when the assets are sold at high prices. For cryptocurrencies, bull markets usually last three to four years, and everyone can identify the uptrend in value. Bear markets, on the other hand, signify times when the assets’ prices fall. Let’s analyze the previous bull and bear markets. We can easily notice that Bitcoin is the harbinger of these periods because its price is the first to suffer major changes, and it impacts the values of all the other digital assets. Therefore, as the BTC prices have been surging since the start of the year, crypto experts can only predict that the market will soon boom in terms of value. Bitcoin never rallies alone, even if it has a larger market capitalization than altcoins. Ethereum, the second digital crypto by market cap, follows its direction, and all the other alternative currencies join the trend. At the moment, the entire crypto world is experiencing positive growth, which makes investors feel greedy. However, seasoned traders are cautious and wait to see if the market will remain in the bull sprint or slump. Why do finance experts use the term bull? The term bull is ideal for describing this period in the crypto industry because of the way bulls attack—if you have never seen one, it thrusts its horns upward, resembling the same movement of prices during this time. Investors tend to be more optimistic during bull markets because the period usually provides them with more profit prospects, which will cause increasing activity in the sector. In these conditions, the assets’ prices go up. Should you buy Bitcoin during this time? Bitcoin hit an all-time high (near 81.000) in November 2024, after its fourth halving, which shows that the inflation will most likely trigger an increased volatility for cryptocurrencies, which could turn lucrative for some investors, according to their end goals. Here are the main reasons why . Bitcoin’s price spiked after the previous halvings As mentioned earlier, Bitcoin went through the fourth halving event, so we can have a look at how the market reacted to the previous ones to try to predict what will happen next. Halvings are meant to reduce the rate at which Bitcoin is created, and considering that the supply gets lower with every event, the demand increases, and therefore, Bitcoin’s price spikes. However, Bitcoin sees the effect after a couple of months, but the market needs a couple of months to adapt to the new conditions. The value is expected to wobble for 3 to 6 months and then surge 12 to 18 months after the halving. However, it’s challenging to predict the exact time when Bitcoin will head on an upward trajectory, but the general consensus is that it will definitely do so in around one year after the halving. Institutional investors are interested in Bitcoin The introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs at the beginning of the year was good news for Bitcoin because they enable institutional investors to access the cryptocurrency more straightforwardly. The event is expected to attract a huge capital influx into the crypto sector because more investors will be willing to add Bitcoin to their portfolios due to its reliability. Besides the institutional investors, ordinary traders can also access Bitcoin ETFs like Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund and iShares Bitcoin Trust and add them to retirement saving accounts. As expected, the increased interest of institutional investors drives a spike in prices because the demand for Bitcoin is higher than before. Bitcoin is a scarce asset When Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, introduced it for the first time to the public, announced that there would be only 21 million Bitcoins. Therefore, Bitcoin is one of the few cryptocurrencies with a limited supply which serves as one of the factors that impact its price. Crypto experts have concluded that the supply of new coins is increasing at a slower rate than the mining of gold, with each new halving, so it’s a scarcer asset. The demand for digital gold has increased over the last few years, while the supply remained the same, so this could only turn beneficial for the asset in the long run. Bitcoin is a store of value and one of the most valuable available, so it’s worthy of being part of any investment portfolio. Is this the ideal moment to buy Bitcoin? It’s not ideal considering its high price, but because you missed the opportunity to purchase it in the bear market, now is also a good time to do it before its post-halving price goes up. What you should keep in mind is that each halving event will only build its value up, and its scarcity will remain the same. If you don’t have Bitcoin in your portfolio, consider adding some, and you’ll most likely get a return on investment in the long run.
R alph Taylor, a homegrown leader in Caribbean tourism and hospitality, declared that the three critical sectors of entrepreneurship, tourism, and youth will shape the Caribbean’s future and urgently require a collective focus. In a recent speech coinciding with the acceptance of an honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) from The University of the West Indies (The UWI) at Cave Hill Campus in his native Barbados, Taylor praised the university’s focus on teaching entrepreneurship. At the same time, he proposed placing greater emphasis on developing realistic business projects, especially for at-risk youth. Asserting that the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem ought to be leveraged as strategically as possible, Taylor highlighted the various stakeholders involved: government, the private sector, nonprofits, national youth representatives, media and, most importantly, families. He urged the university to lead the process through its entrepreneurship program and the Cave Hill School of Business and Management. Taylor stated that this approach could yield significant economic benefits for the country, local communities, and the university, including economic development, diversification, job creation, establishment of viable new businesses, successful products, and an enhancement of university income and prestige. Taylor is a pioneer in the all-inclusive resort concept in Barbados and currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arcadia Hotels & Resorts, parent company of The Soco Hotel in Barbados and The Soco House in St Lucia. Lauding the university’s success and international recognition for its tourism and hospitality program, Taylor suggested it was time for The UWI to take the next step and build a prestigious resort on the University’s Cave Hill campus overlooking the Bridgetown Port, which could be staffed by students. Cornell University in the United States, rated the world’s best tourism university, owns a hotel which is run by students. You Might Be Interested In A ‘very good’ year for tourism, says Symmonds Cruise visitors make rounds in The City South coast restaurants woo diners back Taylor suggested a similar hospitality initiative would enhance Barbados’ tourism profile while better preparing graduates for the workforce. It would also provide students the opportunity to balance academics with practical experience, making them more well-rounded and competent for the challenging but rewarding world of hospitality. Academics visiting for conferences and meetings, travelers seeking a unique experience, and students from around the world would be the key market for this initiative. This model would position the university program in a different space, ensuring that the region develops, recruits and deploys its best thinkers and the most competent leaders in tourism and hospitality management. “I think this is necessary if we are to be globally competitive and among the leaders in tourism and hospitality worldwide,” he stated. Dealing with at-risk youth across the Caribbean, he averred, was both urgent and deeply complex as rising levels of youth violence impose devastating effects on families and communities. “This violence, often rooted in economic disenfranchisement, social inequality, and a lack of opportunities, threatens our fragile tourism ecosystem and the ability to maintain our sterling global reputation.” Taylor called for policies, strategies, plans, and practical programs to reintegrate these youths into mainstream society as productive citizens, whether through employment or entrepreneurship. He challenged the region’s private sector to come forward and make meaningful contributions to assist in resolving the problem of youth crime and violence. Pointing to the research and work of the University’s Institute of Criminal Justice and Security as a step in the right direction, he urged The UWI to go deeper to better integrate with the wider society and community groups. He encouraged further community-based studies to get to the root of the growing youth deviance and violence, and to work collaboratively with social partners in finding solutions to the problem. Taylor asserted that a democratic civic university actively partners with its surrounding community to implement a curriculum aimed at improving residents’ lives. He emphasized that focusing on positive change and community betterment benefits not only the local population but also enhances the university’s academic offerings and overall success. (PR)
In line with public opinion throughout 2024 and stretching back to 2021, Americans close out the year disapproving of the jobs President Joe Biden and Congress are doing, rating the economy negatively, and feeling dissatisfied with the direction of the country. The following sections cover key findings among several national mood indicators from Gallup’s final poll of 2024, conducted Dec. 2-18. The poll ended just as political turbulence erupted in Washington, D.C., over the details of a federal spending package needed to avert a government shutdown and before a bill passed on Friday with bipartisan support. About four in 10 Americans (39%) approve of the job Biden is doing as president, similar to the 37% he received in November and his 41% rating in late October. While on the low side for the 36% to 45% range of approval ratings he’s received since January 2022, Biden’s current reading is similar to his average over that period. He hasn’t had a job approval rating of 50% or better since July 2021. Gallup will conduct its final reading of Biden’s job approval in January. For now, it appears he leaves office earning majority-level approval from a handful of U.S. subgroups, including Democrats (85%), political liberals (73%), adults with postgraduate education (55%), people of color (53%) and people with no religious affiliation (51%). Majorities of Republicans, conservatives, White adults and those without a college degree disapprove of his job performance, as do majorities of all age and income groups. Congress’ job rating remains below 20%, as it has for most of 2024, with 17% of Americans approving in December. Although approval of Congress reached 20% in September, it had dipped to 12% in February and 13% in May. Congressional job approval was higher at the start of Biden’s first year, when Democrats controlled both the House and Senate. However, it soured by the end of the year after the Democratic majority failed to pass key pieces of Biden’s legislative agenda. Congressional approval partially recovered a year later after Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, but it went south again after Republicans won back the majority in the House in the 2022 midterm election and Congress was again split. Albeit low, Democrats’ current 23% approval rating of Congress is higher than Republicans’ 10%. Nineteen percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., slightly lower than the 22% to 26% readings in recent months and the lowest since July. Reflecting Democratic losses on Election Day, Democrats’ satisfaction with the direction of the country fell 16 percentage points between October and November, from 47% to 31%. At the same time, Republicans’ satisfaction rose from 5% to 16%. This month, Republicans’ satisfaction retreated to 9%, while Democrats’ was flat. Meanwhile, across the entire pre- and post-election period — and, in fact, all year — independents’ satisfaction has been fairly steady, near 20%. As indicated in Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index, Americans have been downbeat about the U.S. economy throughout all but the very beginning of Biden’s presidency. The index is the average of Americans’ net-positive evaluation of current economic conditions and their net-positive view of the economy’s direction. The index has a theoretical range of +100 (if all Americans rate current conditions as excellent or good and say the economy is getting better) to -100 (if all Americans rate the economy as poor and say it is getting worse). After registering slightly positive scores early in 2021, the index descended to -58 by June 2022, as inflation mounted to 9.1%, a 40-year high. The index has since been slowly improving, registering -26 in Gallup’s final preelection reading in October. It then jumped to -17 in the first few weeks after the election in November and is at -14 today, the highest since August 2021. The improvement recorded in November was largely owed to a surge in Republicans’ confidence, rising to -43 from -72 in October. Economic confidence improved less markedly immediately after the election among independents, from -34 to -25. While remaining positive, confidence fell 10 points among Democrats in November to +27. This month, independents’ confidence in the economy showed further improvement to -13, while Democrats’ and Republicans’ scores were largely unchanged. There has been little change over the past month in the issues Americans cite as the most important problem facing the country: The government is mentioned by 20%, immigration by 17%, the economy in general by 15% and inflation by 11%. However, a smaller share of Americans today than in September and October name the economy in general, inflation or immigration as the top problem. Meanwhile, slightly more cite the government as most problematic. The latter category includes a substantial segment citing concerns about incoming President Donald Trump or the Republican Party generally, with another large share citing problems with the nation’s political system, such as corruption or too much partisan divisiveness. A smaller segment of Americans say the Democrats or Biden is the top problem. Mentions of the nation’s top problems are similar across gender, age and income categories but differ sharply by party. Democrats (31%) are more likely than Republicans (15%) and independents (16%) to name the government as the top problem, while Republicans (43%) are far more likely than independents (11%) and Democrats (1%) to name immigration. Republicans are also more likely to say the economy in general is the top problem, while all parties are about equally likely to cite inflation. Since at least 2010, the nation has been in a public opinion rut. Presidential job approval has rarely exceeded 50%, and congressional job approval hasn’t exceeded 36%. And, except for a brief period before the start of the pandemic in 2020, less than 40% have been satisfied with the direction of the country. Americans’ view of the economy has been more variable. The Economic Confidence Index stayed negative throughout most of Barack Obama’s presidency as it recovered from the record low recorded just before he took office. It grew strongly positive during Trump’s first term until plunging at the start of the pandemic and remaining negative when Biden took office. All of these ratings improved during Biden’s honeymoon period in the first half of 2021. Approval of Congress and satisfaction with the direction of the country both peaked at 36%, while majorities approved of the job Biden was doing and the Economic Confidence Index moved into slightly positive territory. But by the fall, congressional job approval and U.S. satisfaction had fallen below 30%, a majority disapproved of Biden’s job performance, and the Economic Confidence Index was again deeply negative. Although economic confidence has since improved, the other metrics have not, leaving Americans in a mostly glum mood as Biden exits the White House and Trump prepares to make his mark as the nation’s 47th president. by Lydia SaadLei Jun has expressed his excitement for the YU7, highlighting that this is just the beginning for Xiaomi's foray into the automotive industry. With a vision to create sustainable, environmentally friendly vehicles, Xiaomi is set to make a significant impact on the automotive world.
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