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US stocks extend losses, Dow drops over 250 pts

Shares on the major stock market indexes in the United States sank deeper into the negative territory on Tuesday, after having started the week’s second trading bout mostly below the flatline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average sliding more than 250 points.

The sentiment was impacted by vaccine uncertainties that seemed to persist worldwide, while upbeat corporate earnings failed to help the traders shrug off the worries caused by the pandemic.

The Dow Jones tumbled 0.73% or 256 points at 11:09 am ET, with the Nasdaq 100 losing 0.60% a minute later. At the same time, the S&P 500 was down by 0.68%. The euro increased by 0.08% versus the dollar, selling for 1.20480 at 11:11 am ET.

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Market Rallies on Earnings BOOM!

Abbott Q1 revenue surges 35.3% to $10.46 billion

Abbott Laboratories released its first-quarter earnings results on Tuesday, revealing that the company’s revenue annually surged 35.3% to reach $10.46 billion. Abbott’s diluted earnings per share skyrocketed 233.3% to $1.00 during the same period, while projected full-year figures were confirmed. “We’re off to a very strong start to the year, with all four of our major businesses achieving strong growth. We’re particularly pleased with the growing momentum of several recently launched products and continue to forecast more than 35% EPS growth for the year,” CEO Robert Ford noted. Abbott’s stocks lost 3.65% ahead of today’s session following the announcement to trade at $119.98 per share.

P&G: Q3 net sales at $18.1 billion, up 5% YoY

he Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) revealed on Tuesday that its net sales rose by 5% year-on-year to $18.1 billion in the third fiscal quarter of 2021. In the three-month period ending with March 31, 2021, gross profit hit $9.2 billion, up 8% compared to the corresponding time span in 2020, while operating income increased 10% on a yearly basis to $3.8 billion. Net earnings were also 10% higher annually, standing at $3.2 billion in the third trimester. Diluted net earnings per share stood at $1.26, growing 13% year-over-year. “We remain focused on executing our strategies of superiority, productivity, constructive disruption and improving P&G’s organization and culture. These strategies enabled us to build strong business momentum before the COVID crisis and accelerate our progress during the crisis, and they remain the right strategies to deliver balanced growth and value creation over the long term,” Chairman, President and CEO David Taylor commented in the press release. The company’s shares were 0.07% higher premarket after the results were released.

J&J Q1 revenue tops estimates at $22.32 billion

Johnson & Johnson published its first-quarter earnings results on Tuesday, saying that its revenue climbed 7.9% on a yearly basis and reached better-than-expected $22.32 billion. The company’s adjusted earnings per share also outperformed by annually surging 12.6% to $2.59 in the trimester ending March. The report brought increased full-year guidance, as well as increased dividend by 5% to $4.24 per share. “Johnson & Johnson delivered a strong first-quarter performance led by the above-market growth of our Pharmaceutical business and continued recovery in Medical Devices,” commented CEO Alex Gorsky. Despite the optimistic results, the company’s stocks lost 0.42% ahead of Tuesday’s session to trade for $162 a share, majorly due to the negative sentiment surrounding the temporary suspension of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the United States.

 

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China to require financial institutions to move towards green finance – central bank governor

BOAO, China (Reuters) – There are still some problems in China’s green finance development and the central bank will require financial institutions to make transitions towards green finance, central bank governor Yi Gang told the Boao Forum on Tuesday. Nick Note: Hear me… this greenie shit investing is going to become a great big money losing lefty liberal fuck fuck fest

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Fed’s Waller says U.S. economy is ‘ready to rip’

 (Reuters) – The U.S. economy is set to take off as more Americans are vaccinated, the virus gets under control and consumers become more comfortable engaging in economic activity, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Friday. “I think the economy is ready to rip,” Waller said during an interview with CNBC. Waller said he expects the U.S. economy to grow by 6.5% this year, for inflation to rise by about 2.5% and for the unemployment rate to drop to about 5% by year end. The U.S. central bank slashed interest rates to near zero last year to bolster the economy as it was being hammered by the pandemic. Officials also say they will purchase $120 billion a month in bonds until there is “substantial further progress” toward the Fed’s goals for maximum employment and inflation. Waller said that despite the brighter outlook, the U.S. economy still has a long way to go before those targets are achieved. Unemployment rates for minority workers are still elevated, he said. And any price increases seen in the near term are likely to be short lived as bottlenecks caused by the pandemic are resolved and the bump in demand from stimulus checks fades.

“Whatever temporary surge in inflation we see right now is not going to last,” Waller said.

A new U.S. Fed index of inflation expectations hit 2.01% for the first quarter of 2021, the first time the quarterly measure has hit the Fed’s 2% target since mid-2018, according to an update released on Friday. Fed policymakers would be fine with having inflation run above the central bank’s 2% target for some time to make up for periods of undershooting the goal, he said. But officials would act if inflation stayed much higher than that. “We want it to be on average around 2%,” Waller said. “I don’t think anybody would be very comfortable if it got to three or three plus and stayed there for a while.”  Nick Note: Boom time economy and boom time stock market…… Enjoy it while it lasts….. Every boom ends in a bust… Once the masses blow their happy check wad… it will be over. this will not last…….

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Russian military build-up near Ukraine numbers more than 150,000 troops, EU’s Borrell says

https://youtu.be/sNhk9eRbuf8

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Russia has concentrated more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s border and in annexed Crimea, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday after EU foreign ministers were briefed by Ukraine’s foreign minister. “It is more than 150,000 Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea. The risk of further escalation is evident,” Borrell said, declining to give a source for the figure. He said no new economic sanctions or expulsions of Russian diplomats were planned for the time being, despite saying that the military build-up on Ukraine’s borders was the largest ever. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after addressing EU foreign ministers, called on the EU to impose new sanctions on Russia. Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have been rising amid the military build-up and clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists.

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Radio Free Europe reports shelling in Ukraine’s east

https://youtu.be/ZYQ_3wUu1Tw

U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Sunday (April 18) published a report of shelling in Ukraine’s east. The clip, filmed by one of its reporters, showed night shots of soldiers in a trench and sound of gunfire heard in the distance. Reuters were unable to independently verify the reports made by RFE/RL. Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have been rising amid a build-up of Russian troops along the border and clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday (April 16)  pressed for peace talks with Moscow Kyiv and Moscow have traded blame for rising clashes in the eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops have battled Russian-backed forces in a conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people since 2014. The standoff has fueled tensions between Moscow and U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, which imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia this week that prompted Moscow to retaliate with its own measures on Friday.

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Stimulus Check Update: More Payments Blasted Out

https://youtu.be/FkMj1VDojWY

Ever since the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan was signed into law in mid-March, the IRS has been working furiously to get stimulus payments out to the public — especially given the number of people who have been struggling financially during the ongoing pandemic. So far, more than $376 billion in funds has gone out in the form of physical checks, debit cards, and deposits made directly into recipients’ bank accounts. But some people who are eligible for a stimulus have still not received their money. Here’s where things stand. The IRS is sending out stimulus payments in large batches, and recently, it made its fifth blast. To date, an estimated 159 million recipients have received stimulus funds. The latest batch includes about 2 million checks that went out to Veterans Affairs beneficiaries who do not normally file a tax return and did not register for a stimulus payment with the IRS’s non-filer tool last year. Those beneficiaries received a total of about $450 million. Seniors on Social Security were also included in the recent batch payment. About 72,000 checks went out to beneficiaries who did not file a tax return for the past two years and who also didn’t use the IRS’s non-filer tool to register for a stimulus last year. Additionally, almost 850,000 payments worth about $1.6 billion went out to non-filers — people who didn’t submit a tax return over the past two years. Many lower income households generally aren’t required to file taxes, but in the absence of a return or registration on its non-filer site, the IRS has a harder time knowing how to track people down who are entitled to stimulus funds. Finally, the latest blast included plus-up payments for recipients who were due a larger stimulus than they initially got in light of the information contained on their 2020 tax returns. Though the IRS has now sent out multiple batches of stimulus checks and has managed to target a distinct number of groups, some people are still waiting on that money. The IRS is limited in the number of physical checks and debit cards it can issue at once, so some people who aren’t eligible for direct deposit may still be waiting on their stimulus to trickle in. If you haven’t gotten a stimulus check yet, you can use the IRS’s Get My Payment tool to see where it stands. But also, it could pay for you to get moving on your 2020 tax return if you haven’t filed it already. If your income was lower in 2020 than it was in 2019, that could render you eligible for a stimulus check — but until the IRS sees that, it won’t know that you’re entitled to a payment. Tax returns aren’t due until May 17 — the IRS postponed the filing deadline after the American Rescue Plan was signed into law. But if you want your stimulus sooner, then you may want to expedite your return. Nick Note: the happy checks keep coming and coming and they will spend the shit out of this money. Biggest stimulus program to the masses ever………. PARTY TIME!

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Kerry: We are very sorry for the last four years

John Kerry has apologised for former President Donald Trump’s “non-leadership” on the effort to combat climate change during his four years as US leader. Speaking on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Mr Kerry, the Biden administration’s climate envoy, said the government was “very sorry for the last four years with a president who didn’t care about science”. Noting how President Joe Biden reversed his predecessor’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change, on his first day in office, Mr Kerry said it was unfortunate that “the United States became a renegade in the last four years under the non-leadership of President Trump”. “But, we are now back and present with a very aggressive series of initiatives in order to try to make up for lost time,” he said. Meanwhile, a two-day conservative conference on “Health and Freedom” appears to have closed out on Saturday night with a Covid-19 mask-burning event. The two-day conference, which was hosted by Rhema Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, saw a range of speakers from Donald Trump’s disgraced national security advisor, General Michael Flynn, to Tulsa Sheriff Vic Regalado, and Jim Caviezel, an actor who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ.  An itinerary for the conference listed the event as ending with a “Time to Burn Those Masks” ceremony. Nick Note: Climate Change is here… No not as a man caused even but as a political tool to tax and regulate the shit out of you. I have traveled to the north pole….. I bough some Wollie Mamouth tusks an associates friend found while digging in the slush. Any way when you dig around the  melting tundra you discover fern leaves frozen in the ice. So obviously the polar ice caps have melted before. I do not think the cave men fires pumped out that much green house gases. The earth cools and it warms… it not climate change as much as it is climate cycling…. But I DO NOT GIVE A SHIT. I ALREADY HAVE MY GREENIEE WINNIEEE CREDENTIALS WITH A ZERO CARBON FOOTPRINT AND CARBON CREDITS FROM MY SOLAR POWER GENERATION…  over 100KW a day. Another way to fuck them when we get carbon credit trading….

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UK warships to sail for Black Sea in May as Ukraine-Russia tensions rise

(Reuters) – British warships will sail for the Black Sea in May amid rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Sunday Times newspaper reported, citing senior naval sources. The deployment is aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine and Britain’s NATO allies, the newspaper reported https://bit.ly/32pc4BK. One Type 45 destroyer armed with anti-aircraft missiles and an anti-submarine Type 23 frigate will leave the Royal Navy’s carrier task group in the Mediterranean and head through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, according to the report. RAF F-35B Lightning stealth jets and Merlin submarine-hunting helicopters will stand ready on the task group’s flag ship, the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, to support the warships in the Black Sea, the report added. Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have been rising amid a build-up of Russian troops along the border and clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists. Officials at the UK Ministry of Defence were not immediately available for comment. A ministry spokesman told the newspaper that the UK government was working closely with Ukraine to monitor the situation and continued to call on Russia to de-escalate. “The UK and our international allies are unwavering in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, the newspaper quoted the spokesman as saying. Nick Note: its called  the winds of war! Always stirred up by stupidity… In war no lives matter

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Austin, generals warned Biden against Afghanistan pullout

US intelligence warns Biden against troop pullout

The Taliban could largely retake Afghanistan within two or three years if American troops leave without the warring sides reaching a power-sharing deal, intelligence agencies have told US President Joe Biden. A rushed US exit from Afghanistan without finalized peace terms between Taliban insurgents and the Kabul government could end bitterly, American intelligence agencies have warned. The New York Times on Saturday reported that US President Joe Biden has been told that the Taliban could overrun most of the war-ravaged country within a couple of years and would potentially allow al-Qaida to regroup. The intelligence assessment was originally compiled last year for the Trump administration. Some 7,000 international troops, including 3,500 US soldiers, remain in Afghanistan — 20 years after the US-led invasion — with the Taliban warning it will resume attacks if the foreign troops do not depart by May 1. That deadline was part of a Trump-Taliban agreement signed in Doha, Qatar last year. However, talks are still dragging on between envoys of the Sunni Muslim insurgents and the Kabul government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.Last year, the Taliban vowed that if all US and international forces were withdrawn by May it would enter into such intra-Afghan peace talks and cut ties with al-Qaida.  At his first White House news conference on Thursday, Biden said it would be hard to comply with that deadline, although he “could not picture” US troops still being present next year. “We will leave. The question is when we leave,” said Biden.

Biden: ‘We are not staying a long time’

The New York Times said Biden’s officials were “jockeying” to influence the new president and his defense secretary, Lloyd Austin. Austin, visiting Kabul last weekend, said only that America wanted a “responsible end” to Afghanistan’s decadeslong warfare. And at the United Nations earlier this week, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that gains for Afghan women, girls and health care would not be sacrificed. “We will not give an inch on this point,” she told the Security Council, echoing a key point in the US intelligence report. Briefing the US Senate, General Richard Clarke, the head of US Special Operations Command, said capabilities provided to Afghan government forces were “critical to their success.” On Friday, the Taliban said a troop presence beyond May 1 would amount to a “violation” and it would be “compelled to… continue its Jihad and armed struggle against foreign forces to liberate its country.” Last Wednesday, an early election proposed by President Ghani’s Kabul government was rejected by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who said any decision on Afghanistan’s future must be reached at the ongoing talks. Going to election would be “scandalous,” said Mujahid. “We will never support it.” In recent months Taliban attacks on foreign troops in Afghanistan have largely ceased, although assaults on Afghan security forces and personnel have continued. Also targeted in recent months have been civil society members, including students, feminists and journalists, with the government and Taliban blaming each other for the violence, often involving small magnetic “sticky” bombs attached to cars. Resistance by Afghan warlords against Soviet occupation in the 1980s led to the Taliban ruling Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when al-Qaida used hijacked passenger airliners to attack the US on September 11, prompting a massive US-led invasion of Afghanistan. In Paris earlier this week, Ahmad Massoud, 31, the son of a late ethnic Tajik Afghan commander, said he was “very skeptical of the talks in Doha.” He welcomed parallel attempts, though, by regional powers to break the deadlock, with Moscow hosting Afghan factions recently and Turkey planning peace talks in April. “I welcome any sort of regional power entering the peace process of Afghanistan,” Massoud told the French news agency AFP. “One aspect is regional rivalries.” His French-educated father, Ahmad Shah Massoud, was killed by al-Qaida two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and the Pentagon. The World Bank has said two-thirds of Afghanistan’s 35 million people live on roughly $1.90 (€1.60) and unemployment is around 30%. Nick Note: Its all part of the lefty agenda. In essence to turn America into a nanny state and reduce her influence around the world. We have less then 10,000 troops in Afghanistan. Their presence is to keep a lid on the Taliban. It is the height of stupidity to withdraw. It will take a 100,000 oops trto root them again when ISIS regroups…… I frankly do not give a shit my dear. One of the most disruptive events in human history is the fall of a great empire. This is  where new fortunes are made. The fall of America as a terrible thing to waste.