tyb
Apple lifts S&P 500 to new record high* ahead of Fed decision
(*barely up in single digit's but record no less, See cap 2 highlight and apple volume traces-lotsa shorts burning now)
(Reuters) - The S&P 500 index notched a fresh record high on Wednesday, as gains in Apple Inc’s shares after forecast-beating results powered a rally in technology stocks ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy announcement.
Shares of the iPhone maker jumped 5.3% after the company said sales in China were steadying and touted how rising demand for its services and accessories helped offset a record drop in iPhone revenue.
The company also announced plans for a new $75 billion share buyback and bumped up its cash dividend by 5%, putting it on course to reclaim $1 trillion in market capitalization.
Apple’s shares boosted the S&P 500 index, which clocked another record closing high on Tuesday and registered its best four-month rally in nearly nine years.
The technology sector gained about 0.7%, the most among the 11 major S&P sectors.
“Many were expecting an earnings recession and we haven’t had that and we’re still positive on growth,” said Randy Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas.
“It’s been a good earnings season overall, Apple could potentially be positive for the tech sector overall.”
Analysts are now more optimistic on first-quarter earnings growth and expect a 0.5% rise compared with a 2% fall estimated at the beginning of April, according to Refinitiv data.
Of the 305 S&P 500 companies that have reported so far, 76% have topped Wall Street estimates.
Besides a largely upbeat earnings season, recent gains in shares have also been powered by positive economic data, a dovish Federal Reserve and signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks.
Investors will also look for direction on monetary policy when the Fed concludes its two-day meeting later in the day.
The central bank is largely expected to keep borrowing costs unchanged and maintain a ‘patient’ monetary policy stance, despite President Donald Trump’s call to cut rates.
The financials sector, which tend to benefit from a rising rate environment, rose 0.24%, with S&P banks up 0.46%.
At 9:57 a.m. ET the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 49.55 points, or 0.19%, at 26,642.46, the S&P 500 was up 3.71 points, or 0.13%, at 2,949.54 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 27.01 points, or 0.33%, at 8,122.40.
CVS Health Corp jumped 4.2% after the drugstore chain operator and pharmacy benefits manager raised its full-year profit forecast after reporting a quarterly profit beat.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings gained 6.4%, the most among S&P 500 companies, after the hotel operator reported quarterly revenue above analysts expectations.
The healthcare sector fell 0.6%, as shares of Amgen Inc fell 4.2% after the world’s largest biotech reported first-quarter revenue that was unchanged from a year ago.
In economic data, ADP’s National Employment Report showed private employers added 275,000 in April, higher than consensus estimate of 180,000 additions.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks/apple-lifts-sp-500-to-new-record-high-ahead-of-fed-decision-idUSKCN1S73R3?il=0
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/AAPL?p=AAPL&.tsrc=fin-srch
yep. Nice and comfy fren
fuck off ebot
U.S. environment agency says glyphosate weed killer is not a carcinogen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Tuesday that glyphosate, a chemical in many popular weed killers, is not a carcinogen, contradicting decisions by U.S. juries that found it caused cancer in people.
The EPA’s announcement reaffirms its earlier findings about the safety of glyphosate, the key ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup. The company faces thousands of lawsuits from Roundup users who allege it caused their cancer.
“EPA continues to find that there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label and that glyphosate is not a carcinogen,” the agency said in a statement.
Farmers spray glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in U.S. agriculture, on fields of soybeans and other crops. Roundup is also used on lawns, golf courses and elsewhere.
The EPA did previously find ecological risks from the chemical and has proposed new measures to protect the environment from glyphosate use by farmers and to reduce the problem of weeds becoming resistant to it.
Bayer said it was pleased the EPA and other regulators who have assessed the science on glyphosate for more than 40 years continue to conclude it is not carcinogenic. “Bayer firmly believes that the science supports the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides,” it said in a statement. The company has repeatedly denied allegations that glyphosate and Roundup cause cancer.
But critics of the chemical disputed the EPA’s assurances.
“Unfortunately American consumers cannot trust the EPA assessment of glyphosate’s safety,” said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity.
Monsanto developed Roundup as the first glyphosate-based weed killer, but it is no longer patent-protected and many other versions are available. Bayer bought Monsanto last year for $63 billion.
The debate over glyphosate’s safety has put a spotlight on regulatory agencies around the world in recent years and, more recently, on U.S. courtrooms.
In 2015, the World Health Organization’s cancer arm classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” But the EPA in 2017 said a decades-long assessment of glyphosate risks found the chemical was not likely carcinogenic to humans.
In February, analysts at Brazilian health agency Anvisa also determined the weed killer does not cause cancer while recommending limits on exposure.
In the first U.S. Roundup trial, a California man was awarded $289 million in August 2018 after a state court jury found the weed killer caused his cancer. That award was later reduced to $78 million and is being appealed by Bayer.
A U.S. jury in March awarded $80 million to another California man who claimed his use of Roundup caused his cancer.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-epa-glyphosate-idUSKCN1S62SU
Space rock left big crater on moon during full lunar eclipse
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A space rock left a big crater on the moon during January's total lunar eclipse.
Spanish scientists reported Tuesday the meteoroid hit the moon at 38,000 mph (61,000 kph), carving out a crater nearly 50 feet (15 meters) across. It was the first impact flash observed during a lunar eclipse.
The scientists – who operate a lunar impact detection system using eight telescopes in Spain – believe the object was a comet fragment up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) across and 100 pounds (45 kilograms). The impact energy was equivalent to 1 1/2 tons of TNT.
Astrophysicist Jose Maria Madiedo of the University of Huelva says it was "really exciting" to catch the brief flash, after many tries during eclipses.
The findings are in the Royal Astronomical Society's Monthly Notices.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190501/p2g/00m/0in/065000c
https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1418819.htm
sounds like /pol
gotta sift through alot of shit though. ALOT