‘Should MAGA stay home in 2026?’ Laura Loomer wages ‘racist’ war against ‘tech bros’ over Indian migrantsThe past two years have seen Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) dominate market headlines as the cornerstone of the AI stock boom. With its shares catapulting by over 800% recently, Nvidia continues to draw investor attention for its role in bolstering the S&P 500, thanks to its prowess in artificial intelligence chipmaking. This year alone, Nvidia’s stock has skyrocketed 174%, outpacing its closest Magnificent 7 competitor, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), which noted a 74% increase. However, despite such remarkable performance, questions arise about whether Nvidia can sustain this momentum, especially with new AI chip challengers and potential geopolitical trade hurdles on the horizon. Data centers offer broad growth avenues for Nvidia, while new consumer market opportunities loom. Nonetheless, increasing AI chip competition and political uncertainties could present obstacles. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) are already nipping at Nvidia’s heels, with lesser-known contenders like Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL) gaining traction by partnering with tech giants. Despite this, Nvidia’s innovation continues to fuel demand—its forthcoming Blackwell chip is anticipated to match hyperscaler data center needs. Unprecedented pre-orders suggest a promising start for Nvidia in 2024, as indicated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s plans to magnify chip production capacity. Wall Street anticipates Nvidia’s sales and profits to surge over 50% by 2025. Yet, growth forecasts predict a slowdown by 2026. While continued gains are expected, replicating past explosive growth might prove challenging. Nvidia, while still a potential investment gem, might face headwinds in maintaining its rapid ascent. With tempered expectations, it remains key for investors to monitor the evolving market landscape for AI technologies. Nvidia’s AI Chip Dominance: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead Nvidia has been a cornerstone in the AI stock boom, capturing global attention with its exceptional growth. While its shares have soared by over 800% recently, questions abound about whether the company can maintain this trajectory amid rising competition and geopolitical challenges. Pros and Cons of Nvidia’s Growing Influence Pros: – AI Leadership: Nvidia’s unmatched prowess in AI chipmaking positions it as a leader in the industry. The anticipated release of the Blackwell chip is set to meet the demands of hyperscaler data centers, suggesting continued dominance. – Market Expansion: With data centers and new consumer markets, Nvidia has multiple avenues for growth. The company’s innovation garners substantial pre-orders, pointing to a promising outlook. Cons: – Growing Competition: AMD and Broadcom are intensifying the competitive landscape, while companies like Marvell Technology are gaining traction through strategic partnerships. This rising competition could affect Nvidia’s market share. – Geopolitical Risks: Potential trade restrictions could pose significant hurdles for Nvidia, affecting global operations and sales. Market Predictions and Trends Wall Street analysts predict Nvidia’s sales and profits could surge over 50% by 2025. However, growth may slow by 2026, indicating that while gains are expected, recreating past explosive performance might be challenging. Innovations and Future Insights Nvidia’s forthcoming innovations, especially in AI chip technology, keep the market optimistic about its future. The collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing to enhance chip production capacity supports this optimistic outlook. The ongoing pre-orders highlight the market’s confidence in Nvidia’s new products. Industry Comparisons and Market Analysis When comparing Nvidia with competitors like Tesla and AMD, it’s clear that Nvidia’s focus on AI chipmaking has offered unique growth opportunities. However, with AMD and Marvell Technology expanding their foothold, remaining vigilant to industry shifts is imperative. For more business insights into artificial intelligence, visit Nvidia’s official website . Sustainability and Security Aspects As AI technology continues to evolve, sustainability and security remain crucial concerns. Nvidia is expected to prioritize eco-friendly chip design and robust security features to cater to market demands and regulatory requirements. Summary: Navigating Challenges and Capitalizing on Opportunities In conclusion, Nvidia stands out as a potential investment gem, though sustaining its rapid ascent will require navigating industry challenges and geopolitical risks adeptly. Investors should watch market trends and Nvidia’s strategic initiatives closely. With tempered expectations, Nvidia’s future remains promising in the dynamic AI landscape.
NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin, gold and other investments also drove higher. Here’s a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. 1998 Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball’s Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year’s spurt of 24.2%. 57 The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. 1,508 That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world. The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. $100,000 The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It’s been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump’s election. He’s turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he’s named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. 26.7% Gold’s rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It’s also benefited from the Fed’s cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. $91.2 billion That’s how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia’s chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia’s worth to more than $3 trillion in total. 1.6%, 3.0% and 3.1% That’s how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. 20.1% This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody’s. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. 3.73 million That’s the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024’s home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low.Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New YorkWilllow's double success a unique feat among Victoria's best young talent
Phillies have no plans to start pitching prospect Andrew Painter in spring training following injuryDaryl Bohac, former adjutant general for Nebraska, takes the podium with Gov. Jim Pillen, right, after being appointed director of the Nebraska State Historical Society. Nov. 21, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen has called upon Daryl Bohac to direct the embattled Nebraska State Historical Society, drawing Bohac back into public service after he retired 18 months ago from leading the Nebraska National Guard. Pillen said the decision to recruit and redeploy Bohac to fill a post that oversees collection, preservation and sharing of Nebraska history was based on his view of leadership. “When you spend 45 years of your life in public service, when you’re the adjutant general of the Nebraska Air and Army National Guard, you develop extraordinary leadership characteristics and qualities,” he said of the Nebraska native. Pillen said he needed someone to steer the 146-year-old historical agency he said had veered “off the tracks.” Renamed History Nebraska by the previous director, the agency has been scrutinized and restructured . It recently became part of the governor’s cabinet following the arrest two years ago of the former executive director, who faces theft charges for allegedly improperly handling a private donation to the state agency. Bohac will oversee more than 60 full-time employees, and start with a $175,000 salary. Questioned about Bohac’s qualifications for the history-centric job, Pillen cited his track record in creating a “culture of team.” During the past two years, turnover at the society was 22% and 31%, respectively, among the highest of state agencies, according to state personnel figures. More than once, Pillen mentioned Bohac’s work with the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward, which preserves state militia history and educates about the guard’s role during peace and war. Introduced in his new role at a Thursday news conference, Bohac said he had received a phone call from someone outside of the Governor’s Office inquiring about his interest in taking over the agency, which also publishes a quarterly magazine and operates a state history museum in Lincoln and six other historic sites across the state. He said he talked to his wife and others and felt it was a “good fit — perhaps a good opportunity in that I could bring some leadership values to a complex organization.” He said the past 18 months of retirement had been good for him and his family. “But it’s time to go back to work for the people of Nebraska.” Among top priorities, Bohac said, is improving financial accountability. He referred to the past executive director. Former director Trevor Jones is facing felony charges for allegedly misappropriating a private donation. He resigned in 2022, after serving six years as the top administrator, saying he planned to do some traveling . Shortly after Jones resigned, he was charged with theft by deception in connection with diverting two donations from a foundation that had been intended to over anticipated agency revenue losses due to COVID-19. He instead deposited the funds in a foundation he had set up. Jones recently asked the court to dismiss the felony charge, saying he has been denied his right to a speedy trial. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Tuesday. Pillen also pointed to the past. “It takes a lifetime of having a culture and it got tore down in a few simple years and it’s gonna take a lot of work to rebuild it to what Nebraskans expect.” The governor said he expects Bohac to lessen the society’s reliance on taxpayer dollars and to build active public and private partnerships. “It’s a $9 million a year budget but it doesn’t necessarily have to stand on the backs of taxpayers,” Pillen said. Bohac said he is excited to dive into his new mission — noting what he described as one of the first decisions presented to him in 2013 when he became the state’s adjutant general. It had to do with relocation of the military museum from the old Nebraska State Fairgrounds. He said the operations model relied on a combination of private, state and federal funding, a mix he plans to build upon at the state historical society. Other priorities in his new post, Bohac told reporters, include rebuilding core history museum exhibits to create a more alluring place for tourists and Nebraskans. He also wants to improve public access to archives. Bohac’s hire follows the passage earlier this year of Legislative Bill 1169, which made the historical society a code agency and part of the governor’s cabinet. That shift from independence status, and governance by a citizen Board of Trustees, worried many society employees who feared politics might enter into decisions about subject matter in museum displays, research projects and magazine articles. State lawmakers who supported LB 1169 said it should increase financial oversight and restore trust in the agency. Others feared potential impact. He has managed to adeptly thread the needle of keeping focused on mission and setting aside politics. – State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln put forth an amendment intended to protect the academic freedom of choosing museum displays and public outreach. Thursday, upon hearing of Bohac’s appointment, Conrad she welcomed the “sound” choice. She sees Bohac as an “adept leader” and a “nonpolitical person.” “He has managed to adeptly thread the needle of keeping focused on mission and setting aside politics,” she said. Conrad, a Democrat, said she believes Bohac will be supported across the political spectrum to “stabilize the important work of this agency which has been mired in controversy for far too long.” Founded in 1878 by people who saw a need to record stories of both the state’s indigenous and immigrant populations, the historical society was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the Legislature in 1883. In July, Pillen appointed Cindy Drake to be interim executive director. She had been at odds with the policies of the former director, Jones, and was dismissed after 45 years of serving as chief librarian at the society. Drake and Pillen moved swiftly to make changes at the agency, restoring the name to the Nebraska State Historical Society, rescinding a Jones’ decision to rebrand as “History Nebraska” in 2018. Employees also were reassigned. Public visiting hours were to be added at the society’s research room. A diversity council established by Jones was disbanded. During the media event Thursday, Bohac said he was eager to jump into his new job. As adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Bohac was responsible for programs affecting more than 4,500 Army and Air National Guard personnel. He oversaw the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and served as the state’s official channel of communication with the National Guard Bureau to the Departments of the Army and Air Force. Said Pillen: “The hardcore reality is Daryl and I see a lot of things alike. One is how important leadership is, how important culture is.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Originally published on nebraskaexaminer.com , part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange . Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Sports fans who tuned into Netflix's landmark streaming Wednesday of two NFL games may have felt a bit of troubling déjà vu – at first. That's because this crucial event — signaling the entry of the industry's largest streaming service into the blockbuster business of professional football — kicked off with audio problems in the early moments of host Kay Adams' opening presentation. It was a worrying callback to problems Netflix had with its last big live event, the boxing match in November between YouTube star Jake Paul and former champ Mike Tyson when viewers struggled with blurry audio and got regularly kicked off the live stream. Fortunately, Adams' sound problems were quickly fixed, allowing Netflix to step up with a two-game programming event that felt like the streaming service's version of the Super Bowl – complete with a lushly-produced halftime show for its second game featuring pop superstar Beyoncé that could stand up to any Big Game presentation. In fact, the actual football games may have been the least impressive part of Netflix's big day, as Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs ran over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first game, 29-10 and the Baltimore Ravens dominated the Houston Texans on their home turf for the second contest, 31-2. Stacking its teams of hosts and commentators with experienced broadcasters, Netflix delivered a mostly smooth visual presentation with lots of glitzy graphics and all the information fans needed to follow the game. The connection issues that plagued the Tyson/Paul fight seemed largely absent, at least for this viewer, particularly while watching the games in slightly delayed playback. According to Netflix , more than 200 countries tuned in at some point during the Chiefs vs. Steelers contest, making it the second most popular live title on the streaming service. So, it makes sense the streamer would take advantage of the occasion to shoehorn in lots of references to other Netflix products, including a pregame interview with WWE wrestler Liv Morgan to prompt the debut of WWE Raw live events next month and realistic-looking football-shaped cakes tying into the streamer's game show Is It Cake? There were also loads of commercials, which seemed to play even for subscribers with ad-free plans, though if you watched the games via replay, you could skip past them. But the full games expired from Netflix three hours after the event; two programs offering highlights from each game's plays are available to watch on demand, and the streamer says Beyoncé's halftime show will also be offered as a standalone program to rewatch. Queen Bey, a Houston native, certainly brought the fire to her hometown for what the streamer dubbed the "Beyoncé Bowl" halftime show. Performing songs from her album Cowboy Carter for the first time – including her reboots of "Jolene" and "Blackbird" – she was a vision in white and sequins backed by a cavalcade of dancers decked out in white cowboy hats and ace collaborators like Post Malone and Shaboozey. Her daughter, Blue Ivy, even made an appearance. Beyoncé's epic live performance lasted more than 13 minutes – handily overshadowing Mariah Carey's pre-taped appearances before each game – also proving that Netflix could muster the production value and imagery to match any Super Bowl-level performer. Which was, ultimately, the most important point of the entire day – proving that the streaming service is ready to compete with the big dogs of broadcasting by offering glitch-free NFL games live to a subscriber base of more than 282 million accounts. Netflix isn't the only streamer offering live NFL games. Amazon's Prime Video has Thursday Night Football and Peacock also offers live coverage of some NFL games. But Netflix, as the largest and most profitable streaming service, has a symbolic and substantial impact when it comes to a certain kind of programming. With its plans to stream WWE Raw live events starting next month and a new deal to present the FIFA Women's World Cup, Netflix is turning toward one area of television streaming services haven't yet dominated: live sports. What that ultimately means for the future of television – and the future of sports media – we may just be starting to learn. Copyright 2024 NPR
As New York City prosecutors worked Thursday to bring murder charges against Luigi Mangione in the brazen killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , supporters of the suspect are donating tens of thousands of dollars for a defense fund established for him, leaving law enforcement officials worried Mangione is being turned into a martyr. Several online defense funds have been created for Mangione by anonymous people, including one on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo that as of Thursday afternoon had raised over $50,000. The GiveSendGo defense fund for the 26-year-old Mangione was established by an anonymous group calling itself "The December 4th Legal Committee," apparently in reference to the day Mangione allegedly ambushed and gunned down Thompson in Midtown Manhattan as the executive walked to his company's shareholders conference at the New York Hilton hotel. "We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right to fair legal representation," the anonymous group said in a statement. The crowdfunding campaign prompted donations from more than 1,500 anonymous donors across the country, many of them leaving messages of support for Mangione, including one person who called themselves "A frustrated citizen" and thanked Mangione for "sparking the awareness and thought across this sleeping nation." The GiveSendGo fund for Mangione appeared to be briefly taken down before it was restored on Thursday. GiveSendGo did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment. Other crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe have also taken down campaigns soliciting donations for Mangione's defense. "GoFundMe's Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of violent crimes," the crowdfunding website said in a statement. "The fundraisers have been removed from our platform and all donors have been refunded." Amazon and Etsy have removed from their websites merchandise featuring Mangione, including T-shirts and tote bags reading "Free Luigi" and the phrase "Deny, Defend, Depose," words police said were etched in the shell casings discovered at the scene of Thompson's homicide. "Celebrating this conduct is abhorrent to me. It's deeply disturbing," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told ABC News senior investigative reporter Aaron Katersky in an interview Wednesday night. "And what I would say to members of the public, people who as you described are celebrating this and maybe contemplating other action, that we will be vigilant and we will hold people accountable. We are at the ready." Prosecutors at the Manhattan district attorney's office have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work to try to secure an indictment against Mangione, sources told ABC News on Thursday. Mangione's attorney, Thomas Dickey of Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested Monday following a five-day manhunt, said his client is presumed innocent and will plead not guilty to any charges filed against him. Mangione is contesting extradition to New York. Asked about people contributing to Mangione defense funds that have popped up, Dickey said, "People are entitled to their opinion and, like I said, if you're an American and you believe in the American criminal justice system, you have to presume him to be innocent and none of us would want anything other than that if that were us in their shoes. So, I'm glad he had some support." But law enforcement officials have expressed concern that Mangione is being turned into a martyr. Someone this week pasted "wanted posters" outside the New York Stock Exchange naming other executives. A bulletin released Wednesday by the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center, a multi-agency law enforcement intelligence-sharing network based in Philadelphia, included a photo of a banner hanging from an overpass reading, "Deny, Defend, Depose." "Many social media users have outright advocated for the continued killings of CEOs with some aiming to spread fear by posting 'hit lists,'" the bulletin, obtained by ABC News, reads. Meanwhile, New York Police Department investigators continue to build a murder case against Mangione, who is being held in Pennsylvania on charges stemming from his arrest there, including illegal possession of ghost gun and fraudulent identification. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the charges in Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that the three shell casings recovered at the scene of Thompson's shooting matched the gun found in Mangione possession when he was arrested. She also confirmed that Mangione's fingerprints were recovered from a water bottle and the wrapper of a granola bar found near the crime scene.Year after year, some people plan to start buying shares – but never actually do so. Maybe they feel they do not know enough, or do not have enough spare money to invest. Meanwhile, potentially lucrative opportunities simply pass them by. In reality, it does not take a lot of money to start investing. In fact, I think beginning on a relatively small scale can offer some benefits: it may allow a quicker start that saving up large amounts first and any beginners’ mistakes will hopefully prove less costly. If someone had a spare £250 and wanted to start buying shares, here are three steps that would put them on their way. Step 1: setting up an ISA or share-dealing account When the time comes to invest that £250 there needs to be a way to do it. Setting up a or could be left until someone finds specific shares to buy. But I think setting it up in advance means that any delay between starting to open it and being able to use it does not necessarily mean lost time in the markets. There are lots of options available. On any budget, but especially a small one, I pay close attention to things like dealing costs and commissions that could eat into my money. Indeed, one reason I was its competitive cost basis. Step two: getting to grips with how to invest and what to invest in Like many things in life, investing can seem easier before you actually start doing it. So it is simply good sense to learn how the stock market works before getting actively involved in it. For example, one common mistake people make when they start buying shares is ignoring the for a company implied by its share price. Let’s use ( ) as an example. At the right price, I think Apple would be a share investors should consider. Indeed, I have owned it myself in the past and a lot of the reasons why still apply. Its market is huge and likely to stay that way or even grow. Apple has competitive advantages such as a strong brand, proprietary operating system and technology, large customer base and service ecosystem. But what about its valuation? One common valuation metric is a . It is not perfect: a company may have a cheap-looking P/E ratio but a lot of debt on its balance sheet, for example. But while Apple’s balance sheet does not bother me as an investor, its P/E ratio does. At 42, it is higher than I like. After all, risks such as growing low-cost phone competition could eat into future earnings. A high P/E ratio can mean overpaying even for a good business. A very profitable business does not necessarily equate to a profitable investment. Step three: making a move Having found shares to invest in that seem to offer an attractive price for a good business, what next? In my case, if I had spare funds, I would start buying those shares. Whether investing £250 or a larger amount, I always spread my portfolio across at least a few different shares to help reduce my risk if one disappoints me.
