Most Asian automakers report U.S. sales surge in November

Most Asian automakers report U.S. sales surge in November

U.S. revenue surged by double-digit percentages for Toyota Motor Corp., Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Mazda and Volvo previous month from a 12 months earlier, with the Hyundai and Kia models both setting November documents. But Ford Motor Co. and Honda described drops for the month.

Deliveries jumped 43 percent at Hyundai and 25 percent at Kia.

“This was a fantastic November for sales and specifically our lineup of eco-helpful autos,” Hyundai Motor The united states CEO Randy Parker stated in a statement Thursday. “Despite financial headwinds, we ended up still capable to report an all-time retail and whole product sales file in November.”

Ford income, in distinction, have been down 7.9 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in November,  the company’s 3rd consecutive month with a 12 months-over-12 months decline. Ford claimed customer orders have remained powerful, but it delivered 15 percent much less utility motor vehicles and 8.7 percent much less F-Collection pickups.

Nonetheless, for all of 2022, Ford’s income are down only 2.7 per cent, as opposed to, 3.5 percent for Hyundai-Kia and 35 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} for American Honda, which posted a 6.1 percent decline in November.

Income fell 5.2 percent final month for the Honda manufacturer and 14 per cent for Acura. Honda’s four prime-marketing nameplates — the CR-V, HR-V, Accord and Civic — all noticed declines in November.

The final results come amid rising generation and inventory across the market following the microchip scarcity and other source chain snags constrained automakers from staying ready to meet demand for new automobiles for significantly of the past two decades.

Hyundai stated its stock has far more than doubled from a year back, to 39,898 automobiles at the finish of November. That is up from 31,529 a thirty day period previously and 17,096 in November 2021.

At Toyota, manufacturer sales rose 12 p.c, whilst Lexus fell 4.3 percent. Toyota motor vehicle revenue surged 42 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, like an 80 percent acquire for the Corolla, but the manufacturer bought 3.7 p.c much less SUVs.

Mazda Motor Corp. claimed November revenue surged 31 p.c to 26,906 motor vehicles.

Subaru deliveries rose 52 per cent. Product sales of the Subaru Crosstrek, Forester and Legacy far more than doubled from a year in the past.

But American Honda posted a 6.1 per cent decline from November 2021. Profits fell 5.2 per cent for the Honda model and 14 per cent for Acura.

Volvo posted a 20 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} obtain.

The rest of the business only studies U.S. sales on a quarterly foundation.

U.S. light-car or truck deliveries had been anticipated to increase from November 2021 as inventory shortages ongoing to ease. Increased curiosity prices are growing customers’ month to month payments, but dealerships are now promoting fewer automobiles higher than sticker cost — 41 percent in November vs. 50 p.c in July, in accordance to J.D. Power and LMC Automotive.

“November benefits reveal that motor vehicle generation is continuing to increase, with obtainable retail inventory exceeding 1 million units for a next consecutive thirty day period and a much larger share of manufacturers’ production currently being allocated to fleet consumers,” said Thomas King, president of the details and analytics division at J.D. Electric power.

“On the retail facet, demand carries on to exceed offer, as evidenced by continued toughness in transaction charges, retailer earnings, inventory turn prices and small manufacturer discounting. Having said that, as inventories and fascination rates increase, these metrics will present signals of both moderation or drop.”

TrueCar mentioned November retail income ended up on tempo to be about even with a calendar year before but that fleet sales were rebounding noticeably from the very low degrees prompted by creation disruptions in 2020 and 2021. It projected a 68 per cent jump in fleet sales from November 2021.

“Inventories are on tempo for a fourth consecutive thirty day period of double-digit will increase. Buyers, nevertheless, keep on to confront affordability problems and significant month to month payments, keeping quite a few on the sidelines,” claimed Zack Krelle, field analyst at TrueCar. “To keep gross sales momentum, brands appear to be shifting some of the new offer to non-retail revenue.”

Latest Stock Market News Today: Holiday shopping surge, Warren Buffett’s $750 million donation, Musk makes more Twitter changes, stock market closing early| November 25, 2022

Latest Stock Market News Today: Holiday shopping surge, Warren Buffett’s $750 million donation, Musk makes more Twitter changes, stock market closing early| November 25, 2022

Philip Morris announces new regional structure to support smoke-free growth

Philip Morris International Inc.

$

98.25

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
PM $98.25 0.14 0.14

Philip Morris is reorganizing its regional structure to support growth of its smoke-free business.

The owner of cigarette brands including Marlboro, L&M and Chesterfield is reducing its operating regions to four from six.

The new regional structure better aligns with the company’s business strategy in the approximately 180 markets where PMI’s products are sold.

It is designed to accelerate smoke-free product growth in markets where IQOS already holds double-digit market shares, while also driving the transition from cigarettes to smoke-free products in untapped markets—including as of April 2024, the U.S., the world’s largest smoke-free market

BMW raises investment in Hungary EV factory to over 2B euros

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
BMWYY $29.24 0.13 0.43

BMW raised its planned investment in an electric vehicle (EV) factory under construction in Hungary to over two billion euros ($2.08 billion) on Friday and said it will build a 500-million-euro high-voltage battery assembly plant on site.

The carmaker had previously said it would spend over one billion euros on the Debrecen factory, due to open in 2025 and ramp up to producing 150,000 cars a year.

Hungary’s government will provide 13.5 billion forints ($33.92 million) of non-refundable subsidy for the additional investment, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said at a press conference.

Five hundred additional jobs will be created to staff the battery assembly plant.

Hungary will also be the site of Europe’s largest battery plant, under construction by CATL.

Shoppers hunt for Black Friday bargains

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
BBY $81.87 -0.52 -0.63
COST $534.41 -0.08 -0.01
M $23.70 0.28 1.22
TGT $163.76 0.35 0.22
WMT $152.66 0.24 0.16

Shoppers are hunting for deals this Black Friday in contrast to last year when when consumers were buying early out of fear of not getting what they needed amid supply-network clogs.

This year, shoppers are holding out for the best bargains, said Rob Garf, vice president and general manager of retail at Salesforce, which tracks online sales.

Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette said traffic was “significantly larger” compared to the previous two years because shoppers feel more comfortable in crowds.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Elon Musk says Twitter’s verified service with colors to start next week

Twitter Inc is planning to roll out its verified service next Friday with different colored checks for individuals, companies and governments, after a botched initial launch led to a surge in users impersonating celebrities and brands on the platform.

Chief Executive Elon Musk on Friday allotted colors for the categories – gold for companies, grey for governments and a blue check for individuals including celebrities.

“Painful, but necessary,” he said, adding that verified accounts will be manually authenticated before a check is activated.

The revamped $8-per-month service will allow individuals to have a smaller, secondary logo of their organizations if verified by them, he said in another tweet on Friday. “Longer explanation next week.”

Adidas launches probe into misconduct allegations against Kanye West

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
ADDYY $64.13 -0.56 -0.87

Adidas AG on Thursday said it has launched an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior by Kanye West, after the German sporting goods maker last month ended its partnership with the rapper and fashion designer.

Adidas said it initiated the probe after receiving an anonymous letter making several allegations against the musician, who now goes by Ye.

“It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true,” an Adidas spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

“However, we take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations.

“Ye could not be immediately be reached for comment. News of the probe was first reported by the Financial Times on Thursday.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals de-prioritizes poziotinib following FDA letter

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc.

$

0.42

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
SPPI $0.44 0.01 1.70

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals is de-prioritizing development of poziotinib, its lung cancer treatment.

The decision comes after the biopharmaceutical company received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the Food and Drug Administration says the poziotinib application cannot be approved in its present form.

“Based on the CRL, the Company would have to generate additional data including a randomized controlled study prior to approval,” the company said.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals will de-prioritize poziotinib program activities, effective immediately, and is in the process of reducing its R&D workforce by approximately 75{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Based on the anticipated cost savings from the restructuring, Spectrum believes it will be able to generate the working capital required to support its strategic refocusing through 2024.

Foxconn’s woes to take bigger toll on giant China iPhone plant as more workers leave — source

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
AAPL $148.26 -2.81 -1.86

Foxconn’s flagship iPhone plant in China is set to see its November shipments further reduced by the latest bout of worker unrest this week, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday, as thousands of employees left the site.

The company could now see more than 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the site’s November production affected, up from an internal estimate of up to 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} when the factory’s worker troubles started in late October, the source said.

The site, which is the only factory where Foxconn makes premium iPhone models, including the iPhone 14 Pro, is unlikely to resume full production by the end of this month, the source added.

The world’s largest Apple iPhone factory has been grappling with strict COVID-19 restrictions that have fueled discontent among workers and disrupted production ahead of Christmas and January’s Lunar New Year holiday, as many workers were either put into isolation or fled the plant.

It has fueled concerns over Apple’s ability to deliver products for the busy holiday period.

Binance.US confirms plans to bid on bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital

Binance has confirmed plans to make a fresh bid for bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital, CoinDesk reported, citing an interview by Bloomberg with Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao.

Sam Bankman Fried’s crypto exchange FTX was set to acquire Voyager’s assets after signing a deal in September, but then filed for bankruptcy itself following a liquidity crunch.

FTX scooped up Voyager’s assets in a $1.42-billion bid at a bankruptcy auction in September. Binance was also a major bidder, the Wall Street Journal had reported previously.

Voyager filed for bankruptcy in July, months after the crash of major crypto tokens TerraUSD and Luna that sent shockwaves across the digital asset industry and led to the collapse of hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, to which Voyager was exposed.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Developing Story

More Twitter changes

Twitter CEO Elon Musk is planning more changes as he continues to shake-up the social media giant.

Amazon workers demonstrate at some German, French sites on Black Friday

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
AMZN $94.13 0.93 1.00

Some workers at Amazon sites in Germany and France downed tools on Black Friday, as part of a move across the world to target the online retailer on one of the busiest shopping days of the year with calls for better pay.

The Make Amazon Pay initiative, which made the call for strikes, said industrial action was planned in more than 30 countries, including the United States.

In Germany, there were demonstrations at nine out of Amazon’s 20 warehouses in the country, although on Friday morning, the company said the vast majority of its employees in Germany were working as normal.

France’s SUD and CGT unions called for strike action in the country’s eight warehouses.

Amazon France said there had been no sign of disruption to operations so far. Two French union officials said they were not expecting a big turnout because the rising cost-of-living was driving employees to seek overtime.

Breaking News

Stocks mixed in the shortened holiday session

U.S. stocks opened mixed in the abbreviated trading session with the stock market closing at 1pm ET. For the week, all three of the major averages are looking at gains. In commodities, oil was firmer at the $78 level.  

Black Friday shopping underway; payment transactions up 0.7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in Britain

Investors will be watching for signs of how consumers are spending this Black Friday.

The National Retail Federation estimates almost eight million more people plan to shop in the U.S. this year Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday than last year.

“While there is much speculation about inflation’s impact on consumer behavior, our data tells us that this Thanksgiving holiday weekend will see robust store traffic with a record number of shoppers taking advantage of value pricing,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said last week.

However, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell cautioned:

“Black Friday deals are now in full swing, and retailers will be hoping they can shift some of their excess stock. While this should clear some space in their warehouses, it won’t necessarily be good for their profit margins as consumers are under significant financial pressure and the only way to get them to keep spending is to slash prices to the bone.”

The volume of Black Friday payment transactions in Britain as of 1300 GMT was up 0.7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} versus 2021, data from Barclaycard Payments showed on Friday.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Gasoline price continues slide

The nationwide price for a gallon of gasoline slipped Friday to $3.578, according to AAA.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline on Thursday was $3.586.  

One week ago, a gallon of gasoline cost $3.707. A month ago, that same gallon of gasoline cost $3.778.

Gas hit an all-time high of $5.016 on June 14.

Diesel declined to $5.248.

Ford recalls SUVs in US over possible fuel leak, fire risk

The Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 500,000 sport utility vehicles across the United States over fire risks resulting from a possibly cracked fuel injector. 

Ford, the second-largest car manufacturer in the U.S., said that while the likelihood of fires was rare, it was compelled to offer the recall after being informed of at least 20 such incidents. The recall covers the company’s Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs manufactured between the 2020 and 2023 model years. 

Continue reading

Oil’s losing week

Oil gained on Friday, cutting some of the week’s losses which have been driven by worries about Chinese demand and expectations a high price cap planned by the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Russian oil.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures traded around $79.00 a barrel. 

Brent crude futures traded around $86.00 a barrel.

Both contracts were headed for their third consecutive weekly decline, on track to fall about 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} with worries about tight supply easing.

G7 and European Union diplomats have been discussing a price cap on Russian oil of between $65 and $70 a barrel, with the aim of limiting revenue to fund Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine without disrupting global oil markets, according to Reuters.

Cryptocurrency prices for Bitcoin, Ethereum rise and Dogecoin slides on Friday

Bitcoin was trading around $16,000, after a three-day winning streak.

For the week, Bitcoin has lost less than 1{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

For the month, the cryptocurrency is down more than 18{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and down more than 64{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} year-to-date.

Ethereum was trading around $1,100, after trading little changed for the week.

Dogecoin was trading at 8 cents, after losing nearly 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in the past week.

Microsoft’s bid to acquire the video game publisher could face a major roadblock

Microsoft’s bid to acquire the video game publisher Activision Blizzard reportedly could face a major roadblock as early as next month.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block the $69 billion takeover, according to Politico, citing people familiar with the matter.

A lawsuit challenging the deal is not guaranteed, and the FTC’s four commissioners have yet to vote out a complaint or meet with lawyers for the companies.

The FTC staff reviewing the deal are skeptical of the companies’ arguments, those people said.

At the center of the FTC’s concerns is whether acquiring Activision would give Microsoft an unfair boost in the video game market. 

Microsoft’s Xbox is number three to the industry-leading Sony Interactive Entertainment and its PlayStation console. 

Sony is concerned that if Microsoft made hit games like Call of Duty exclusive to its platforms Sony would be significantly disadvantaged.

For more on the story, click here: Microsoft bid for Activision likely to be blocked by FTC lawsuit: report

Latest Stock Market News Today: Stocks surge as inflation eases, 10-year Treasury below 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX in freefall. | November 10, 2022

Latest Stock Market News Today: Stocks surge as inflation eases, 10-year Treasury below 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX in freefall. | November 10, 2022
Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
I:DJI $33,715.37 1,201.43 3.70
CRM $155.87 13.80 9.72
HD $312.04 25.29 8.82
NKE $99.57 7.47 8.11
AMGN $291.19 1.54 0.53
MCD $276.06 -1.73 -0.62

The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared over a 1,201 points after October’s inflation data
eased slightly, a sign that could suggest rising prices are peaking. In response, the 10-year Treasury yield fell below 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in the sharpest reversal since March 2009.

Salesforce.com, Home Depot and Nike topped the leader board, while Amgen and Nike lagged.

Nasdaq Composite Index.

$

11114.146834

The Nasdaq Composite surged over 7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} the best performance ever following the CPI data.

LegalZoom.com beats Wall Street expectations

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
LZ $9.46 1.26 15.37

LegalZoom.com is higher in after-hours trading. The online platform for legal and compliance solutions topped Wall Street revenue and profit expectations.

Third quarter revenue rose 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} to $154.4 million, higher than the estimate of $149.9 million. Subscription revenue was $91.4 million, compared to $73.3 million in 2021, an increase of 25{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} year-over-year.

The net loss for the three months ended September 30 was $10.1 million for the quarter, or 7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of revenue, compared to $39.7 million or 27{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of revenue in 2021.

The basic and diluted non-GAAP net income per share was 5 cents for the quarter in 2022, better than the estimate of 4 cents.

Musk tells Twitter staff: Bankruptcy isn’t out of the question — report

Twitter owner Elon Musk told employees on Thursday that he is not sure how much run rate the company has and that bankruptcy is not out of the question, the Managing Editor of tech newsletter Platformer tweeted.

Musk is participating in an all-hands meeting with Twitter employees, a source told Reuters.

Twitter did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment from Reuters.

TWITTER TURMOIL CONTINUES UNDER MUSK, TRIGGERING FTC WARNING

Homebuilder Beazer Homes tops Wall Street estimates

Beazer Homes Usa Inc.

$

12.51

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
BZH $12.53 1.54 14.01

Beazer Homes is higher in extended trading. The homebuilder beat Wall Street revenue and profit estimates.

Third quarter revenue rose to $827.67 million, up from $590.94 million a year ago.

Net income for the three months ended September 30 was $86.82 million, up from $48.36 million.

Diluted income per share came in at $2.82, topping the estimate of $2.06.

Chair and CEO Allan Merrill said the company is responding to a challenging homebuilding environment by increasing incentives and reduced base prices in most of communities.

“In the quarters ahead we will continue to adjust the included features, size, and pricing of our homes to compete for sales. At the same time, we expect to benefit from lower construction costs and shorter cycle times, as lower new home construction activity relieves some of the commodity, building product and labor constraints that have contributed to a significant increase in the cost of new homes,” Merrill said.

Vaping company Juul cuts 400 jobs amid growing setbacks

Embattled vaping company Juul Labs announced hundreds of layoffs Thursday as the company weathers lawsuits, government bans and increasing competition for its electronic cigarettes.

Juul said it has obtained new financing to stay in business and continue operations, which includes challenging plans by the Food and Drug Administration to ban its products.

The layoffs include 400 staffers and are part of a cost-saving plan to immediately cut Juul’s operating budget by 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} to 40{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, according to a person familiar with the plan who requested anonymity to discuss its details. The new cash infusion came from two early Juul investors: Nicholas Pritzker, head of Hyatt Hotels, and Riaz Valani, a private equity specialist based in San Francisco, according to the same person.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news Thursday morning.

White House: ‘Cryptocurrencies risk harming everyday Americans’

The White House says it’s closely monitoring the chaos in cryptocurrencies.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said cryptocurrencies are something the Biden Administration sees as an important issue.

“The most recent news further underscores these concerns and highlights why prudent regulation of cryptocurrencies is indeed needed,” Jean-Pierre said.

“The administration has consistently maintained that without proper oversight, cryptocurrencies risk harming everyday Americans.”

Cryptocurrencies fell into turmoil after crypto exchange Binance backed out of a deal to buy rival FTX.

FTX is looking to raise $9.4 billion, Reuters reported.

DC AG sues Washington Commanders, Dan Snyder, NFL over ‘toxic workplace culture’

Washington, D.C. attorney general Karl Racine announced a new lawsuit
against the Washington Commanders, team owner Dan Snyder, the National Football League, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The complaint accuses the parties of colluding to deceive District residents—Commanders’ core fans—about an investigation into toxic workplace culture and allegations of sexual assault to maintain a strong fanbase and increase profits.

The complaint seeks financial penalties and a court order forcing the NFL to release the findings from a 10-month independent investigation into the Commanders’ workplace culture, to give the fans and the public the truth and information they expected.

Keurig Dr Pepper CEO out over alleged code of conduct violations

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
KDP $37.92 0.35 0.94

The CEO of Keurig Dr Pepper has resigned due to violations of the company’s code of conduct. The alleged transgressions were unrelated to strategy, operations or financial reporting, the company said.

Ozan Dokmecioglu was replaced by Bob Gamgort, the Keurig Dr Pepper’s current executive chair and former CEO.

Gamgort will continue his role as chair.Dokmecioglu was promoted to CEO from CFO, effective July 29.

AstraZeneca no longer pursuing US approval for COVID vaccine

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
AZN $64.25 3.21 5.25

AstraZeneca is no longer pursuing U.S. approval of its COVID-19 vaccine, Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said in a media call on Thursday.

Demand for vaccines in the country is declining and the market is well served by the mRNA shots, he said.

Facebook dials back the freebies

Facebook parent Meta is curbing a slew of company perks after CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced 11,000 employees would lose their jobs.

Meta Platforms Inc.

$

109.17

Nike’s Phil Knight says Kyrie relationship likely finished

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
NKE $98.62 6.52 7.08

Kyrie Irving’s comments may have cost the Brooklyn Net’s all-star has partnership with Nike.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight told CNBC: “I would doubt that we go back. But I don’t know for sure.”

Irving signed with Nike in 2011 and has had a signature line with the athletic apparel maker since 2014. His annual endorsement deal is said to be worth around $11 million.

Department store chain Dillard’s tops Wall Street expectations

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
DDS $326.11 12.81 4.09

Dillard’s is higher in Thursday trading. The department store operator topped Wall Street revenue and profit estimates.

Third quarter revenue rose 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} to $1.57 billion from a year ago; analysts expected $1.48 billion. Comparable store sales increased 8{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Net income for the three months ended October 29 was $187.9 million, down from $197.3 million.

Quarterly adjusted earnings of $10.96​​ per share for the quarter ended in October. The mean expectation of four analysts for the quarter was for earnings of $5.86 per share.

Dillard’s Chief Executive Officer William T. Dillard, II stated, “Inventory control remains a priority as we have seen its powerful effects on our business. To date this year, our net income is up 11{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} over last year’s strong performance and earnings per share is up 32{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

Developing Story

FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried in crisis mode

Billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried is fighting for survival as his FTX cryptocurrency exchange spirals.

Airlines make changes as Tropical Storm Nicole disrupts air travel

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
AAL $14.83 0.85 6.08
DAL $35.69 2.23 6.66
JBLU $7.94 0.62 8.51
LUV $39.02 1.82 4.89
UAL $44.30 1.93 4.56

Airlines are scrambling to reroute passengers as Tropical Storm Nicole disrupts flights and closes airports.

More than 1,200 flights in, out of and across the United States were canceled as of 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday as the storm brought strong winds and heavy rain, according to data from flight-tracking website FlightAware. 

Over 1,000 flights have been delayed.

Tether freezes $46M FTX wallet followiing law-enforcement request — report

Tether has reportedly frozen $46 million of USDT tokens, CoinDesk reported. The move came at the request of law enforcement.

A Tether executive told CoinDesk the stablecoin issuer was receiving requests by law enforcement to temporarily freeze assets.

Tron block explorer Tronscan said FTX owns the frozen wallet, the report said.

FTX reopened withdrawals Thursday, CoinDesk reported, citing on-chain data provided by analytics firm Nansen.

The company’s website, however, still displayed an earlier message that said it was unable to process withdrawals.

FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried has launched an urgent push to raise funds to save his firm as the crypto exchange looks to plug a reported $8 billion hole in its finances, according to tweets and a memo to employees.

A spokesperson for the company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Theme park operator Six Flags agrees to allow larger investment by H Partners

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
SIX $21.86 2.72 14.21

Six Flags Entertainment is higher in Thursday trading. The world’s largest regional theme park company agreed to permit H Partners to increase its beneficial ownership of Six Flags common stock to 19.9{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, up from a cap of 14.9{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in the original agreement, a regulatory filing said.

Separately, the largest operator of waterparks in North America reported third-quarter earnings of $115.8 million.

The Arlington, Texas-based company said it had net income of $1.39 per share.

The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.65 per share.

The amusement park operator posted revenue of $504.8 million in the period, which also missed Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $565.4 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Mortgage rates are back above 7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}

Symbol Price Change {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}Change
FMCC $0.48 0.00 0.02
RDFN $4.46 1.20 36.54
COMP $2.26 0.41 22.16

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate returned to the 20-year highs of two weeks ago when rates breached 7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} for the first time since 2002.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the key 30-year rate rose to 7.08{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} from 6.95{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} last week. A year ago the average rate was 2.98{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

The rate for a 15-year mortgage, popular with those refinancing their homes, climbed to 6.38{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} from 6.29{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} last week. It was 2.27{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} one year ago.

“As the housing market adjusts to rapidly tightening monetary policy, mortgage rates again surpassed seven percent,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “The housing market is the most interest-rate sensitive segment of the economy, and the impact rates have on homebuyers continues to evolve. Home sales have declined significantly and, as we approach year-end, they are not expected to improve.”

The latest numbers come after the Labor Department reported Thursday that the consumer inflation rose 0.4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in October from the previous month. Prices climbed 7.7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} on an annual basis.

INFLATION HOLDS GRIP ON US ECONOMY IN OCTOBER AS PRICES REMAIN STUBBORNLY HIGH

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Elon Musk to Twitter workers…

Elon Musk tells Twitter workers the work from home trend may be coming to an end, according to reports.

Breaking News

October’s CPI

Inflation for October at the consumer level eased a bit but remains near a 40-year high.

Cryptocurrencies stabilize after FTX deal turmoil

Cryptocurrency prices stabilized Thursday morning after a tumultuous couple of days sparked by news surrounding the collapse of a deal involving FTX Trading.

Crypto exchange Binance announced it was pulling out of a deal to purchase the failing rival.

The turmoil sent cryptocurrencies reeling.

The price of bitcoin plunged more than 15{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} on Wednesday to $15,840, according to CoinDesk. The cryptocurrency fell for four straight days, dropping more than 26{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} during that time.

Bitcoin was trading around $16,000 Thursday morning.

Ethereum was trading around $1,200, after dropping more than 15{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in the past week.

Dogecoin was trading around 8 cents, after losing 37{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in the past week.

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Gasoline price slips slightly

The nationwide price for a gallon of gasoline slipped Thursday to $3.803, according to AAA.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline on Wednesday was $3.805.  

One week ago, a gallon of gasoline cost $3.778. A month ago, that same gallon of gasoline cost $3.919.

Gas hit an all-time high of $5.016 on June 14.

Diesel gained to $5.362.

Oil whipsaws ahead of inflation report

Oil prices bounced around Thursday, following three days of declines as the impact of renewed COVID curbs in China weighed and traders await U.S. inflation data that may give direction on further interest rate increases.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading around $85.00 a barrel.

Brent crude futures traded around $92.00 a barrel.

WTI is down more than 7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} this week.

Brent prices have dropped more than 6{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Consumer price index (CPI) data for the United States will be released later on Thursday that is expected to show a slowdown in the inflation rate for both the monthly and yearly core numbers. 

That may have an impact on the size of futures interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Oil prices were also under pressure after a big build in U.S. crude inventories reported on Wednesday.

Surge of viruses leaves children’s hospitals scrambling to find room for patients

Surge of viruses leaves children’s hospitals scrambling to find room for patients

Every single inpatient mattress at Comer Children’s Healthcare facility in Chicago has been comprehensive for far more than 6 weeks. Unexpected emergency place volume is up extra than 150{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

The flow of individuals is like “a treadmill that under no circumstances finishes,” reported Dr. Allison Bartlett, a pediatric infectious health conditions specialist at Comer Children’s. As before long as a kid is discharged, their bed fills up with the subsequent kid in will need.

Nevertheless the hospital is at the same time fielding a barrage of requests to accept new patients from amenities that really don’t address kids or are overrun on their own.

“It’s scary. It would make me be concerned about my children acquiring in a motor vehicle incident and not having a area to go,” Bartlett said.

Numerous of the patients at Comer Children’s have RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which can cause lung infections. But health professionals are also looking at conditions of rhinovirus, enterovirus, adenovirus and quite a few coronaviruses, together with Covid.

Mainly because of this slide surge of respiratory viruses amongst young children, close to a few-quarters of pediatric hospital beds nationwide are now total, according to details from the Office of Wellness and Human Solutions.

That is forcing hospitals all around the state to vacation resort to the contingency plans reserved for these kinds of crises: They are sending ill little ones to other states to get treatment or are creating area in other wards, like specialty units or postoperative recovery regions. Some hospitals are sending ICU sufferers immediately home once their circumstances are no for a longer time acute, somewhat than to one more flooring. And many on-call nurses are performing further several hours.

NBC Information spoke with nine physicians across eight states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Washington — about the actions their hospitals have taken to take care of this convergence of viruses.

“Almost everywhere is overcrowded, overrun and understaffed, and acquiring a really challenging time dealing with each unparalleled numbers of scenarios but also an off-year timing,” stated Dr. Michael Koster, director of pediatric infectious ailments at Hasbro Children’s Clinic in Providence, Rhode Island.

Koster explained his clinic is sending patients to Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. But at the exact time, he included, “we have had phone calls for transports for respiratory viral ailment from Puerto Rico up to Maine.”

Dr. Kevin Messacar, an infectious disorder professional at Children’s Hospital Colorado, reported his hospital is accepting people from 5 close by states.

The surge has caught medical practitioners off guard, because scenarios of RSV and other respiratory viruses generally peak in wintertime. RSV instances this yr began climbing in the summer season. The weekly selection of constructive exams rose far more than fivefold from Aug. 13 to Oct. 15, according to the Centers for Ailment Command and Prevention.

Doctors explained masking and social distancing possible prevented children from getting exposed to respiratory viruses previously in the pandemic. Then young ones commenced to come upon new pathogens for the initial time, with tiny immune defense.

RSV, now the dominant virus in a lot of hospitals, typically seems like a common chilly. But in extreme scenarios it can direct to pneumonia or bronchiolitis, an infection in the airways. These patients could need supplemental oxygen or ventilators to breathe. Infants and youngsters with lung diseases or weakened immune techniques are most at risk.

Koster mentioned his medical center freed up further beds in a suite exactly where patients are generally witnessed for procedures requiring sedation.

“We drive people individuals out into basically the radiology hallway wherever ultrasounds are taking place and choose in excess of spaces like that for the crisis department,” he said.

Dr. Jason Custer, main of important care at the College of Maryland Children’s Clinic, claimed important sufferers in his state often wait around up to 36 hrs to be moved to an ICU. His hospital’s ICU has been at complete ability for the better element of the month, he mentioned.

People prepared to be transferred out of the ICU are sometimes discharged fairly than moved to other elements of the hospital, Custer included.

“As an alternative of sending them to the future stage of treatment, we just say, ‘Looks like you’re fantastic more than enough to go house and we want you to stick to up with your pediatrician tomorrow,'” he reported. (He clarified, however, that the hospital hasn’t modified its conditions for discharging clients.)

Koster, equally, mentioned he is showing dad and mom how to carry out suctioning — a system of getting rid of mucus from the nasal passages with a tube or syringe — at property to assure their baby can consume and consume. Sometimes, that trouble is the key cause youngsters keep in the healthcare facility.

“We have had to adapt to generating positive we’re meeting the demands of the most unwell and then seriously undertaking our ideal to deliver the ideal supportive care for youngsters who can go residence,” Koster stated.

But suctioning can be difficult for moms and dads, in accordance to Dr. Elizabeth Schlaudecker, an infectious condition specialist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“When my little ones received previous enough to identify what that suction bulb seemed like, they would make it as challenging as possible to suction out their noses,” she reported. “It can be exhausting for family members to have to do that all by on their own.”

Hospitals are continue to bracing for an anticipated wave of flu conditions that is just starting.

“If we get influenza on major of RSV, that is heading to put an additional significant pressure on the technique,” Messacar explained. “If we can get as a lot of people vaccinated as probable and protect as numerous little ones as doable to attempt to assist with the load as we’re having as a result of RSV period, that would be welcome news for all of us in pediatric drugs.”

New-vehicle prices surge, but there’s no shortage of buyers

New-vehicle prices surge, but there’s no shortage of buyers

James Greene, gross sales operations manager for World Subaru in Hanover, Mass., said new-automobile customers appear to fully grasp how inflation and provide chain snags have impacted the marketplace.

“Folks are made use of to seeing things that fees a lot more,” Greene said.

Levine, the Florida purchaser, explained trying to find 4-wheel push and specified basic safety technologies when shopping for a truck for his son. But when looking at Ford F-150s, the sought after features existed only on larger-tier configurations carrying at minimum $60,000 sticker costs, which he known as way too high-priced. He ran into the similar problem searching at Ram 1500s.

Climbing interest rates combined with bigger-priced cars now could set month-to-month payments over and above a typical consumer’s spending budget, Hitch said.

“That is gonna be a challenge,” she said.

Jominy agreed better charges would push shoppers from the industry. In standard, just about every supplemental 1 proportion place of level improves a month to month payment by $20 and cuts buying energy by $1,250, he explained.

Car bank loan charges will certainly increase following previous week’s price hike by the Federal Reserve. Even in advance of that transfer, new-motor vehicle interest premiums experienced increased by about .7 percentage position this calendar year, Smoke wrote on May 4. Normal utilized-automobile fascination fees experienced grown by about .75 percentage level, he claimed.

But avenues continue to exist for clients to adhere with the new-auto marketplace in spite of cost and price tension, Jominy said. Switching to more time financial loan phrases would make for decreased monthly payments. Based mostly on trends observed by J.D. Power, the regular new-car or truck financial loan should really theoretically have reached 75 months by now, he explained, but alternatively has held continual at 69 months the past couple of years.

“Which is the one particular lever that shoppers keep,” Jominy claimed.

Leasing could finally offer a different type of value reduction for would-be new-vehicle customers.

Suitable now, every month lease payments usually are not that appealing to buyers, and leasing has collapsed to 18 percent of the market rather of its standard 30 percent, Jominy reported.

When a lot more favorable bargains return, most likely sometime in 2023, buyers could all over again transform to leasing as way to get into a new auto, he said.

“It is not all doom and gloom.”

Manley explained AutoNation could use fairness in autos getting traded in to assistance buyers manage new types.

“If you glimpse at the enhance in made use of-car or truck wholesale price ranges and the improve in new-automobile rates, the gap between them essentially narrowed around the period of last yr,” Manley mentioned. “So if you were being buying and selling in a automobile, then your place genuinely has been not materially impacted by mounting price ranges due to the fact you’ve got bought it on both of those sides. That obviously doesn’t utilize to people that are buying a automobile for the to start with time in the market.”

Moran claimed his team can still provide a new auto to 1st-time prospective buyers with no a trade-in, possibly by sending them to a Jones Junction retailer with reduced-value new cars or by leveraging pleasant creditors.

“Banking companies [have] excellent courses for 1st-time purchasers,” he explained.

Walser also mentioned he uncertainties a initial-time consumer would be priced out in the situation of a 10 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} hike transforming the value of a $40,000 new auto to $44,000.

“That difference on a five- or six-calendar year be aware I you should not consider is placing folks out of the marketplace,” Walser claimed. But a $20,000 made use of design going to $25,000 could be a larger barrier for some consumers, he explained.

It stands to purpose that eventually, customer need pent up by the pandemic and provide shortage will be sated.

Are dealers anxious that sticker prices will be too significant for people to tolerate then? Walser stated no. Ended up revenue to sluggish because of pricing, “you will see a mix of supplier discounts and OEM incentives that will proper that situation and bring it again in line,” he said.

Does the COVID-19 surge in Asia have implications for the US?

Does the COVID-19 surge in Asia have implications for the US?

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Hong Kong has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases, but is the same situation likely to occur in the United States? Image credit: Louise Delmontte/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
  • Countries and regions such as New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong have recently experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases attributed, in large part, to the Omicron BA.2 subvariant.
  • These places followed a “zero-COVID” policy until recently, but have seen cases rise dramatically over the past month. These surges are unlikely to indicate whether the United States will follow a similar pattern.
  • Previous COVID-19 waves in the U.S. have largely paralleled those occuring across Europe, so soaring BA.2 infections in the United Kingdom and Germany could suggest a forthcoming surge in the U.S.
  • Experts say a rise in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is likely, but the amplitude that a new wave of BA.2 infections might reach remains uncertain.

Countries and regions such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, which were able to keep their number of COVID-19 cases under control for most of the pandemic, are currently experiencing a surge in cases.

These countries previously adopted a COVID-19 elimination strategy or a “zero-COVID” policy, which aimed to reduce the incidence of new cases to naught. This policy involved strict rules involving border controls, contact tracing, mass testing, quarantine, and self-isolation.

Dr. Michael Baker, a professor of public health at the University of Otago, Wellington, told Medical News Today that this elimination policy pursued by many countries in the Asia-Pacific region was “generally very successful during the first 12-18 months of the pandemic when vaccines were not widely available.”

“Keeping COVID-19 cases at very low levels for much of this time has resulted in low hospitalizations and deaths, and has protected the economies in many jurisdictions in this region, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand,” he added.

However, Dr. Baker underlined that this response had been jeopardized by the emergence of the more infectious Delta and Omicron variants.

He said that the wide circulation of Omicron had forced Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand to transition from elimination to mitigation approaches.

The emergence of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, which initial reports suggest is more transmissible than BA.1, may be at least partly responsible for the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in these countries.

While mortality rates due to COVID-19 have remained relatively low in most nations that previously implemented a “zero COVID-19” policy, Hong Kong recently reported the world’s highest COVID-19 death rate over a 7-day period.

According to experts, a major reason for a large number of hospitalizations and deaths in Hong Kong is the low vaccination rate in the vulnerable older population.

Although vaccination rates among the general population are reasonably good, a significant percentage of the older population remains unvaccinated, which may partly explain why COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in February.

Complacency due to a low number of COVID-19 cases in the community before the emergence of Omicron and vaccine hesitancy led to poor vaccine uptake among these demographics earlier in the pandemic.

New Zealand, in contrast, has kept its hospitalizations and deaths low despite a surge in cases. This is likely due to immunity, experts say, as New Zealand currently has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 95{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of individuals over the age of 12 years vaccinated.

“Those countries that were able to achieve high vaccine coverage before entry and widespread circulation of the Omicron variant have been able to keep their hospitalization and death rates low. That is the case in New Zealand in particular, which still has the lowest COVID-19 mortality rate in the OECD,” Dr. Baker noted.

In contrast to other Asian countries, mainland China has persisted with the elimination policy, and there have been outbreaks due to Omicron, especially in the Jilin province and the city of Shenzhen. Yet, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 has been limited so far, and the following few weeks will determine China’s ability to persist with the policy.

Many European nations — including Germany, the U.K., France, and the Netherlands — have also been experiencing a COVID-19 surge due to the BA.2 variant. The U.K., for example, reported a 7-day average of over 89,000 cases and 127 deaths as of March 18, 2022.

Experts believe that prematurely removing protective measures against COVID-19 may have contributed to this rise in BA.2 infections. The higher contagiousness of the subvariant and waning immunity from either vaccines or previous SARS-CoV-2 infections may have also played a part.

“This [surge] may be exacerbated by the widespread loosening of restrictions including indoor mask mandates in public places and schools, and the decision by many businesses to have their employees fully return to the workplace,” said Dr. Davidson Hamer, professor of global health and medicine at Boston University.

Previous waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Europe have often played out similarly in the U.S., albeit a few weeks later. Both regions have also employed similar pandemic strategies: a mitigation policy focused on limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the community rather than complete elimination.

There have been some signs of an increase in COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

Early signs of BA.2 in wastewater

The proportion of COVID-19 cases due to the BA.2 variant increased from 12.6{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} to 22.3{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} between March 5-12, 2022. Despite a decline in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, wastewater samples collected from certain communities suggest a potential increase in COVID-19 cases in the forthcoming weeks.

Individuals with a SARS-CoV-2 infection can start shedding the virus in feces before other COVID-19 symptoms emerge. Thus, the SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater samples can predict COVID-19 cases in the community.

CDC wastewater surveillance data indicate an increase by at least 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} in SARS-CoV-2 levels at 162 out of the 469 active sites.

“Since there have been some concerning epidemiological data in recent weeks including increased viral RNA levels in wastewater and increased cases in some locations around the country, there may be an increase of COVID-19 cases this spring similar to what several countries in Europe are seeing,” said Dr. Hamer.

Although experts expect an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. due to the BA.2 subvariant, there is a lack of certainty about its extent. This uncertainty stems from the differences between the current pandemic situations in the U.S. and Europe.

For instance, some European nations, such as Spain, have had stringent COVID-19 restrictions, including outdoor masking, which were only lifted recently.

In contrast, the U.S. has had few restrictions since last summer. Such differences in public health policies may have the potential to influence patterns of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Since its emergence, the BA.2 variant has been competing with other Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.1.1 and is proving to be more transmissible.

“The data from other parts of the world suggest that BA.2 is highly contagious, but not more severe than BA.1. There have been some reports of BA.2 reinfecting individuals who were recently infected with BA.1, but this seems to be relatively rare,” Prof. Lauren Ancel Meyers, director of the University of Texas at Austin’s COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, also told MNT.

“In projecting what might happen in the coming weeks, we have to consider both the infectivity of BA.2 and recent policy and behavior relaxation in the U.S. that might fuel more rapid transmission,” she added.

Yet the Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute has pointed out that the BA.1.1 subvariant has been more prevalent in the U.S. than in the U.K.

It notes that BA.1.1 has been the dominant Omicron subvariant in the U.S. and that the increase in the prevalence of BA.2 has been more gradual. In other words, the rise of BA.2 seems to have followed a different trajectory so far in the two nations.

Sewage samples not worrying

The Pandemic Prevention Institute has also pointed out that the CDC’s wastewater surveillance data only reveal a relative increase in SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels. Thus, if the initial viral RNA levels in sewage samples were extremely low, even a 1,000{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase would only suggest a modest increase in actual cases.

“Based on what we are currently seeing, I do not expect the presence of BA.2 to drive a surge in cases in the near future. With both Delta and Omicron, there was a very clear pattern. We would detect the new variant in the wastewater from a community, and within 2-3 weeks there was a surge in SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater which coincided with an increase in patients. This pattern was very predictable,” said Dr. Marc Johnson, a virologist at the University of Missouri.

Dr. Johnson said his observations so far have not indicated a similar scenario:

“I have been seeing BA.2 in Missouri sewer sheds every week for the last 10 weeks, and it is currently in about a third of the sewer sheds. It is slowly displacing BA.1 and is the dominant lineage in several of the sites. However, we have not seen a single location where this coincides with an increase in SARS-COV-2 RNA in wastewater or in cases.”

Although COVID-19 case patterns in the U.S. have largely echoed those in the U.K., as the spread of the Alpha variant showed, that has not always been the case.

“The ‘BA.2 wave’ looks a lot more like the Alpha wave in Missouri. Exactly 1 year ago, Alpha (B.1.1.7) was slowly moving through our state and displacing all of the other lineages. However, it never caused a surge in cases like it did in Europe,” Dr. Johnson emphasized.

Although Omicron and its subvariants seem to cause less severe disease than previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, the high death rates in Hong Kong underscore the importance of immunity — both from COVID-19 vaccines and prior SARS-CoV-2 infections.

A recent Danish study suggests that the risk of BA.2 infection following a BA.1 infection is low. With a considerable portion of the U.S. population exposed to the BA.1 variant, this may also reduce the risk of BA.2 infections in the short term.

Although the protection conferred by COVID-19 vaccines against infection with Omicron tends to wane after a few months, evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing severe disease.

However, the lower vaccination rates in the U.S. compared to the U.K. have raised concerns about the potential toll of a second Omicron wave.

In the U.S., about 65{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of individuals are fully vaccinated, and only 44.6{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} have received the booster shot. In contrast, around 85.8{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of eligible individuals in the U.K. have been vaccinated, and 67.3{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} have been immunized with a booster shot.

Dr. Hamer said vaccine rollout was crucial in states with low coverage.

“The U.S. needs to continue widespread testing, figure out ways to allow people who self-test at home to have their antigen tests results make it into the broader public health surveillance systems, continue sequencing a reasonable proportion of positive samples, and carefully track the impact of rising cases on hospitalization rates — and be ready to reinstate mask mandates if the situation greatly worsens,” he advised.

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