TheWallStreetJournal - 04-23-2024 Freemagazines Top
TheWallStreetJournal - 04-23-2024 Freemagazines Top
Consulting is dead.
* * * * * * TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2024 ~ VOL. CCLXXXIII NO. 95 WSJ.com HHHH $5.00
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Trump orchestrated a
criminal conspiracy to influ-
confrontations over the Israel-
Hamas war, as the schools
braced for a graduation sea-
INSIDE Detroit Is Reversing
ence the 2016 election, then son marked by protests and
sought to cover up a hush-
money payment to a porn
escalating security concerns.
By Douglas
Property Doom Loop
ANGUS MORDANT/BLOOMBERG NEWS
over again, a prosecutor al- Erin Ailworth BY KONRAD PUTZIER of home lender Rocket Mort-
leged as the former presi- and Jon Kamp gage, is leading the city’s revi-
dent’s first trial began. A1 Barely a decade after Detroit talization. His new skyscraper,
Lawyers for Trump In New York City, Columbia declared bankruptcy, the city is still under construction, re-
agreed to put tighter restric- University President Minouche emerging as the U.S.’s most un- cently topped out at 681 feet,
tions on the $175 million Shafik said the school would likely real-estate boomtown. making it the city’s second-
bond he was required to move classes online for the A development frenzy has tallest tower. It sits across the
post in a civil-fraud case. A4 day in an effort to “de-escalate gripped Detroit’s central busi- street from downtown De-
Israel’s military spy chief
the rancor and give us all a U.S. NEWS PERSONAL JOURNAL ness district. Big companies, troit’s first Gucci store.
chance to consider next steps.” Supreme Court Airline baggage including Ford and developer The city’s residential mar-
resigned, becoming the first
The shift at Columbia fol- Related Cos., are spending bil- ket is also taking off. Home
senior official to step down
lowed the latest wave of pro-
appears sympathetic to fees get more lions of dollars on office build- prices in the area are up 40%
over intelligence failures cities seeking to evict expensive—and more
Palestinian protests there. The ings and other properties. since 2020, and last fall had
that enabled the Hamas-led
attacks on Oct. 7 that
protests, which began Thurs- homeless camps. A3 complicated. A11 Dan Gilbert, a Detroit native the steepest rise among ma-
day, called for the school to and the billionaire co-founder Please turn to page A7
sparked the war in Gaza. A8
divest from financial interests
Several prominent univer-
in corporations with ties to Is-
sities took steps to stem fur-
ther fallout from on-campus
rael. Police arrested more than
100 protesters on Thursday.
The Masochist’s Guide to Disney:
confrontations over the Israel-
Hamas war, as the schools
On Monday evening, offi-
cials at New York University
Fly There and Back in a Day
braced for more protests and
asked the New York City Po- i i i
escalating security concerns. A1
lice Department to remove
Biden administration offi- protesters from campus, ac- Die-hard fans try to conquer the parks
cording to NYPD representa-
Turn to
cials have been discussing a
plan to clarify the residency tives. The representatives said in one go. ‘Everybody thinks I’m crazy.’
rights of immigrants living in arrests were in progress, and
the country illegally who are that the NYPD had sent in BY SURYATAPA BHATTACHARYA which passengers straddle
married to U.S. citizens. A2 special teams meant to handle seats like on a motorcycle.
A new rule from the Bi-
den administration will
strengthen privacy protec-
protests.
Pro-Palestinian protesters
gathered earlier in the day in
Molly Staffordsmith’s day
in the Most Magical Place on
Earth kicked off at 6 a.m. in a
Then they hustled half-a-
mile across the park, grabbed
a breakfast burrito to share,
page A18
Gould Plaza, on NYU’s campus. distinctly less enchanting lo- and lined up for the Pirates of
tions for people who obtain
legal abortions. A3
Germany detained three
people suspected of spying
Monday afternoon, NYU posted
a message on X from its head
of global campus safety, fol-
lowing what the school de-
cale: the Philadelphia Interna-
tional Airport.
Staffordsmith, a 22-year-
old from New Jersey who
the Caribbean, where they
waited an hour to board a
weathered barge that floats
by Dead Man’s Cove
to pay your
on sensitive military tech-
nology for China. A9
All Rights Reserved Iran crisis wanes .............. A8 land to board Tron, a ride in Please turn to page A12
A2 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 * ***** THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
U.S. NEWS
Legal Status Weighed for Citizens’ Spouses
BY MICHELLE HACKMAN Security Department have use of administrative tools to
been studying proposals to offer more immigrants a
Twenty years ago, Allyson provide work permits or de- quasi-legal status.
Batista consulted her priest portation relief for millions of “The Biden administration
with a dilemma. She had fallen undocumented immigrants keeps putting illegal aliens
in love with a man living in who have lived and worked in ahead of American citizens,
the country illegally, who had the U.S. for a long time. They and this decision would be just
no hope of fixing his status. have zeroed in on the popula- another flagrant violation of
“I think if you love some- tion of mixed-status families, immigration law,” said Rep.
body, you marry them, and where typically the children Jim Jordan (R., Ohio), chair-
you figure it out from there,” and one parent are U.S. citi- man of the House Judiciary
she recalls the priest telling zens, because they believe that Committee, which oversees
her. demographic is the most com- immigration policy issues.
So she did. Two decades pelling, according to adminis- In December, mixed-status
Clockwise from left, pro-Israel protesters outside the Columbia University campus, which was closed to the public on Monday; students and pro-Palestinian supporters in front of Woolsey
Hall at Yale University, where police arrested more than 47 protesters on Monday; and police arrested protesters at New York University on Monday evening.
U.S. NEWS
Court Appears
To Back Curbs
On Homeless
BY JESS BRAVIN Justice Amy Coney Barrett
said it isn’t so easy to distin-
WASHINGTON—The Su- guish between the condition
36M
homeless person facing en- court said then. of abuse imagery, identify ing missing chil- asking for com- forced a reappraisal of its rela-
forcement. Likewise, the appeals court predators and aid victims, it dren. In 1998, panies to pro- tionship with the company—
reasoned, homelessness is an must contend with a limited when the Cyber- vide more data and the place of Antigone Da-
involuntary condition if no budget and a legal mandate Tipline was cre- might be con- vis, its global head of safety, on
Municipal alliances shelter is available, and fining that hasn’t been updated since ated, the center Number of reports of sidered a viola- the center’s board.
The case has made allies of or jailing people for the un- the days of AOL chat rooms. handled 4,450 tion of the “We basically decided to go
rural towns and big cities that avoidable act of sleeping with The Wall Street Journal reports dealing
online child sexual Fourth Amend- separate ways,” Shehan said.
want more leeway. According a blanket on public property spoke with executives at the with allegations exploitation handled ment. The long-awaited reporting
to the federal government, was similarly unconstitu- nonprofit and identified numer- of online child by NCMEC in 2023 The center legislation would allow the
there are more than 650,000 tional. ous challenges. On Monday, the sexual exploita- began drowning center to store and process
unhoused people across Amer- But some justices suggested Stanford Internet Observatory tion. Within a in tips by the data via commercial cloud-
ica on a given night—the high- that a physical condition such Cyber Policy Center released a decade, it was latter half of the computing services and create
est number since federal offi- as addiction wasn’t wholly report that independently iden- handling more than 100,000 re- past decade, at which point it a legal safe harbor for minors
cials began surveying the comparable to an economic tified many of the problems, in- ports annually. In 2023, the recognized severe shortcom- or their parents to report illicit
unhoused population in 2007. situation such as homeless- cluding a lack of information, number hit 36 million. ings in its technological capa- images of children online,
Kelsi Corkran, representing ness, which can change rap- staff and technology to process The center has only around bilities. among other things.
homeless people who filed idly or be compounded by and catalog the tens of millions $17 million to triage reports of “There was a way to down- But making even basic up-
suit against Grants Pass, said medical or psychological prob- of reports of exploitation it re- child exploitation online, and load the tips, but no way to grades is daunting, Stamos
that cities were exaggerating lems or personal reasons. ceives every year. $12 million more to help law sort, filter or do anything with said. He noted that there are
the impact of court orders “You can remove the home- At a time when the volume enforcement investigate. them,” Shehan said. likely 50 to 100 times as many
limiting vagrancy-type laws. less status in an instant if you of reports is exploding, Stan- The center is the only entity To help break the logjam, tech-industry workers generat-
While sleeping or simply ex- move to a shelter,” Roberts ford says, the center’s CyberTi- outside of law enforcement au- Amazon, Google, Palantir, Mi- ing reports as there are people
isting outside couldn’t be said. “It can be moved the pline is in a poor position to thorized to work with child-ex- crosoft and Meta have donated at the center to process them.
punished when no shelter was other way as well if you’re triage them, even as improve- ploitation content. It isn’t a millions of dollars in services, “The system does not work
available, she said that au- kicked out of the shelter.” ments in artificial intelligence law-enforcement agency, but including cloud-computing and very well in terms of taking the
thorities remained free to en- A decision in the case, could make it easier. isn’t a simple nonprofit, ei- data-sorting capabilities. Meta, information that currently ex-
force other laws to protect Grants Pass v. Johnson, is ex- “Right now NCMEC uses AI ther—federal courts have held which owns Instagram and ists and then turning it into a
public health and safety. pected before July. for effectively nothing,” said that it can be considered an Facebook, also funded and prosecution,” he said.
U.S. NEWS
U.S.WATCH
Why Trump Didn’t Sink Ukraine Bill ARIZONA
Mistrial Declared
BY VIVIAN SALAMA and a small but politically sig- years criticized Ukraine as a assistance. Graham pointed to In Migrant Death
nificant change to the package “corrupt” country, and he no- Trump’s past comments about An Arizona judge declared
WASHINGTON—For helped convince Trump of the toriously was impeached by Iraq, when he said the U.S. a mistrial Monday in the case
months, it seemed the road to case for the Ukraine measure, the House for leaning on should “take the oil,” saying of a rancher accused of fa-
unlocking the Ukraine security according to people familiar Ukraine’s President Volodymyr that was never intended liter- tally shooting a Mexican man
funding gridlock in Congress with the former president’s Zelensky to announce an in- ally, but rather, as a form of on his property near the U.S.-
ran through Mar-a-Lago, with thinking. That cleared the way vestigation into the Biden fam- collateral. Mexico border.
Big businesses.
Local economies.
Automation.
Transportation.
Corporate responsibility.
The future of mobility.
Ground travel.
Air travel.
Aerospace.
Outer space.
Office space.
The cloud.
Meteorology.
And sustainability.
Decarbonization.
Reforestation.
Machines that make our lives longer.
Tech that makes our planet greener.
A roadmap to net-zero.
Smart crops.
The seed market.
Chocolate factories.
The corporate grind.
Time saving.
Cost cutting.
Forward-thinking.
Circling back.
Circularity.
Musicality.
Concert halls.
The world’s stage.
Sports arenas.
Streaming platforms.
Retail therapy.
Filmmaking.
Binge watching.
Justice systems.
Frontline care.
Turndown service.
Global markets.
Capital investments.
The Fortune 500®.
Biometrics.
Biodiversity.
Unconscious-bias training.
City planning.
Media buying.
Advertising.
Micro trends.
And product drops.
Industry leaders.
Media juggernauts.
Tech giants.
NGOs.
Start ups.
Legacy brands.
U.S. NEWS
CFOTO/DDP/ZUMA PRESS
ing the trend by embracing the chances back home because it that negotiations had been go-
nation. takes her away from prospec- ing on for a year in the back-
San Francisco Mayor Lon- tive voters. ground.
don Breed recently wrapped up Breed said she wasn’t con- The signing of the deal is
a nine-day, five-city trip cerned about being perceived set to be followed by an agree-
through the country. She met as too close to Beijing. Given ment on technical details, with
with senior Chinese officials, A giant panda at the Beijing Zoo. A deal was signed in Beijing to bring a pair of giant pandas San Francisco’s large ethnic the goal of seeing the pandas
talking up trade ties and hail- to San Francisco Zoo next year. Mayor Breed called it a ‘big, big deal’ for the city. Chinese population, which ac- arrive at San Francisco Zoo
ing the deep cultural connec- counts for more than one-fifth next year, for a stay of 10
tions between her city and the six months after California cians’ open pursuit of closer pling of tariffs on imports of of its 800,000 residents, it was years. While officials were still
nation. It was the sort of offi- Gov. Gavin Newsom returned ties is striking at a time when steel and aluminum from important that the city serves calculating the economic bene-
cial visit that was de rigueur in from a similarly chummy American leaders from both China. to build bridges between the fits, Breed said, it would be a
the earlier days of bilateral weeklong visit. During his trip, political parties, including In California, by contrast, two countries, she said. “big, big deal” for the city and
rapprochement. the first by a U.S. governor in President Biden, are adopting officials have looked to China, San Francisco was the site the country.
On Friday, Breed signed a more than four years, Newsom an increasingly acerbic tone on the world’s largest carbon of protests against Xi in No- Breed said she is also lobby-
deal in Beijing to bring a pair met with Chinese leader Xi China. emitter and a leader in green- vember, when he and Biden ing for more direct flights be-
of giant pandas, China’s most Jinping and emphasized the Biden recently lashed out at energy equipment, as a partner met for a closely scrutinized tween San Francisco and Chi-
potent soft-power envoys, to importance of improving U.S.- the country as “xenophobic” in in addressing climate change, a summit in the Bay Area on the nese cities, noting that her city
San Francisco Zoo next year. China ties. a campaign speech in Pennsyl- priority in a state dominated sidelines of a gathering of accounts for one-third of all
Breed’s visit comes less than The two California politi- vania, where he called for a tri- by the Democratic Party. Asia-Pacific leaders. Many of U.S. flights from the country.
Detroit’s
Downtown
Rebounds
WORLD NEWS
Israel’s Military Spy Chief Steps Down
Haliva is first senior military support to its ally.
The U.S. has said it would
official to quit over defend Israel’s security and
intelligence failures helped to fend off a massive
missile-and-drone attack by
that fueled attacks Iran this month. The Biden ad-
ministration is considering
TEL AVIV—Israel’s military more than $1 billion in new
ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES/ASSOCIATED PRESS
spy chief resigned, becoming weapons deals for its ally. The
the first senior official to step House over the weekend sepa-
down over intelligence failures rately passed a $26 billion
MENAHEM KAHANA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
that enabled the Hamas-led funding bill for Israel.
But the U.S. also has be-
By Rory Jones, come more critical of how Ne-
Jared Malsin tanyahu is managing the war
and Carrie Keller-Lynn and how much aid Israel is al-
lowing into Gaza to alleviate a
attacks on Oct. 7 that sparked humanitarian crisis in the Pal-
the war in Gaza. Aharon Haliva said he felt it estinian enclave.
Monday’s resignation of was the right time to retire. Netzah Yehuda is a unit
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, head within the Israeli military, cre-
of the military’s intelligence families of the hostages and ated in 1999 to entice more ul-
directorate and a 38-year vet- survivors of the attack, have tra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis to
eran of the military, illustrates called for more senior Israeli serve. Its soldiers have been
the growing sense among leaders to take responsibility convicted of using electrocution
many Israelis that the coun- for the intelligence failure. The Jewish ultra-Orthodox battalion ‘Netzah Yehuda’ faces potential U.S. sanctions. to torture Palestinian detainees
try’s leaders must be held ac- Within Israel, Haliva is and disciplined for allowing an
countable for the security and broadly considered one of the Hamas’s attack, Haliva said. tack, has promised to look into rights violations, and planned elderly Palestinian-American
intelligence failures that led to top Israeli officials shoulder- Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7 the matter after the war ends. to announce results soon. man to die in their custody. The
the war and the chaotic after- ing blame for the intelligence killed about 1,200 people, Israeli Opposition leader Yair In phone calls over the military in 2022 moved the unit
math of the war in Gaza. Is- and operational failure that officials said. Israel’s subsequent Lapid praised Haliva’s decision weekend, Israeli officials out of the West Bank amid alle-
rael has battered Hamas’s resulted in Hamas’s ability to air-and-ground campaign has as “justified and honorable,” pressed Blinken to advocate gations of abuses.
forces, and much of the en- attack with impunity. Israeli killed 34,000 Palestinians, most and said Netanyahu should against applying the military- Since the war began, how-
clave is in rubble. Many of the security analysts and media of them women and children, lo- have stepped down as well. aid restrictions on Netzah Ye- ever, Netzah Yehuda has oper-
group’s leaders, however, have have alleged that Haliva’s mili- cal health officials said. The The spy chief’s resignation huda, an ultraorthodox Israeli ated in the West Bank, against
held on to power and dozens tary-intelligence directorate numbers don’t distinguish be- came as Israeli officials military unit accused of of- Hezbollah on Israel’s northern
of hostages taken on Oct. 7 re- shifted resources away from tween combatants and civilians. worked over the weekend to fenses against West Bank Pal- border and against Hamas in
main in captivity. Hamas before the attack and Although Israel’s military head off potential U.S. sanc- estinians before the war began. Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister
Israeli observers expected dismissed warning signs of has begun some internal as- tions against an Israeli mili- The intention to potentially Yoav Gallant said Monday.
senior military officials would the impending assault. sessments related to the attack, tary unit accused of human- impose sanctions on an Israeli
remain in their posts while Is- Haliva said he felt it was the country largely has deferred rights abuses. Secretary of military unit was widely con-
rael fought the war, and that a the right time to retire, as in- investigating its top leaders and State Antony Blinken last demned in Israel over the Watch a Video
reckoning would come after- vestigations into the security public institutions. Prime Min- week said the U.S. was delib- weekend, but reflects growing Scan here to
ward. Thousands of protest- breach pick up pace. “The In- ister Benjamin Netanyahu, who erating whether to apply to Is- American pressure on Israel see a video
ers, however, have called on telligence Directorate under hasn’t taken personal responsi- rael a law that prohibits U.S. about how it is prosecuting the about Maj. Gen.
the government to resign. my command did not stand up bility for the intelligence and aid to foreign security forces war in Gaza, while the Biden Aharon Haliva’s
Some Israelis, including to its mission” regarding security failures around the at- that have committed human- administration offers broad resignation.
WORLD NEWS
arrests
Beijing. MSS agent, and
it was paid by
the Chinese
a member of the China Re-
search Group, founded by Con-
servative lawmakers wary of
To Counter Moscow
valuable information and dual- comes days af- state, the prose- Beijing’s growing influence.
use hardware on behalf of the ter German Chancellor Olaf cutors said. Shortly before be- Neither of the men could be BY THOMAS GROVE Border crossings between
Ministry of State Security, the Scholz, flanked by a large busi- ing detained, the three suspects reached for comment. Lawyers Finland and Russia
Chinese intelligence agency, ness delegation, returned from were negotiating a new re- who have previously repre- ONTTOLA, Finland—Armed
Barents Sea
since at least June 2022 and a tour of China aimed at re-en- search project that could have sented Cash didn’t comment. Finnish border guards on
transferred it to China. gaging with Chinese leader Xi been of use to China’s navy In a statement released by cross-country skis patrol the
Raja-Jooseppi
The suspected cell was led Jinping and bolstering trade buildup, the prosecutors said. his lawyer in September, Cash country’s eastern flank,
by a man identified as Thomas between the two countries. In addition, the suspects are denied he was a spy and said NATO’s newest and longest
Salla
R., who was in direct contact Prosecutors said Ina F. and alleged to have acquired a spe- he was “completely innocent.” border with its main adver-
SWEDEN
WED Whi
sary, Russia. Helicopters and Kuusamo
te S
ea
drones buzz overhead along
new fences being con- Vartius
structed—13 feet high in Inari
FINLAND (temporary)
a
places—with barbed wire on
hni
Bot
top and 24-hour electronic RUSSIA
Parikkala
Gulf of
surveillance. (temporary) Niirala
The new measures are Nuijamaa
Imatra
meant to protect Finland from Vaalimaa Vainikkala
increasingly aggressive Rus- Helsinki
St. Petersburg
sian operations. Those have ESS T
EST
ESTONIA
TONIA
ONI
ON
O NIA
included waves of migrants, Source: Finnish Border Guard
which Helsinki says have been
sent by Moscow to overwhelm has also prevented Moscow
the country’s remote borders from getting too close.
in recent months. But with its accession to
Finland believes the influx NATO, Finland has radically
of migrants, which has contin- revised its Russia policy, re-
ued even after it closed its framing Moscow as its main
border to Russia late last year, adversary.
is part of the hybrid warfare Since Russia’s invasion of
Moscow is deploying to intim- Ukraine in early 2022, Finland
idate and test Finland’s secu- has ramped up its military
rity services after the Nordic spending, boosting its defense
country’s decision to join the budget to above 2% and snap-
North Atlantic Treaty Organi- ping up U.S. rocket sys-
zation last April. tems, as well as Israeli anti-
Since then, Russia has tank and air-defense systems.
promised to re-establish So- The country is preparing to
DAN KITWOOD/GETTY IMAGES
WORLD WATCH
AUSTRALIA GREECE PAKISTAN
X Ordered to Block Police Clamp Down Iran’s Leader Visits
Stabbing Video On Fan Violence To Mend Relations
Social-media platform X Police raided dozens of Iran’s President Ebrahim
must block every user in the homes and arrested 60 peo- Raisi and Pakistani Prime
world from accessing video of ple in a crackdown in Athens Minister Shehbaz Sharif met
a bishop being stabbed in a on soccer violence Sunday on Monday and agreed to
Sydney church on April 15, an and Monday. strengthen economic and se-
Australian judge ruled Mon- Greek police chief Dimitris curity cooperation. Ties were
day. The material was already Mallios said a four-month in- strained in January when the
blocked from Australia but vestigation confirmed links neighbors carried out strikes
remained available elsewhere. between sports violence and in each other’s territory, tar-
Told by Australia’s eSafety organized crime. Violent soc- geting militants accused of
Strategy 250 %
Nike
80%
had become somewhat risk-
averse during the pandemic,
when working remotely stifled
U-Turn
60 creativity. Martin Lotti, chief de-
200
sign officer, said the company
SNKRS 40 Feb. 29 had spent too much time look-
-3.23% ing to its past.
150
Continued from Page One 20 Current and former Nike ex-
world’s best-known brands. QUARTERLY ecutives believe the future of
Donahoe had told The Wall 100 0 the company is in its app eco-
Street Journal in 2020 that his 2020 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 system, like the Nike Training
No. 1 priority when taking over and Running Club or its SNKRS
50
the company was “don’t screw app, and the data it can harness
it up.” Four years later, the com- from them to help design and
pany is unwinding key elements 0 sell products. Inside the com-
of the CEO’s strategy that have pany, leaders have long tried to
backfired as a growing number draw comparisons to Apple
before the pandemic, at a deli- worked better as limited-edition It’s about your players. And are
cate time. Though he inherited a marketing tools and sneaker releases led you doing everything you can to
market leader and one of the that cutting off so Nike to neglect its allow your players to make the
world’s best-known brands, many retailers so running category, adjustments to win? And when
Nike was seeking a refresh after fast would backfire, long considered the you have a win it’s about the
it dealt with complaints about the people said. Do- core product of the players and when you have a
its workplace culture that led to nahoe and his allies company, former loss you say it’s on me, right?,”
a management shake-up. prevailed. employees said. he said. “And that’s what I’ve al-
The Evanston, Ill., native had Nike teams were This month in ways tried to embody, including
been CEO of eBay, where he tasked to come up Paris, Nike unveiled during this period of time.”
doubled the e-commerce plat- with a new supply- its new product line This week, Donahoe is facing
form’s revenue during a seven- chain process. Sell- for the Olympics, in- another test: Nike is notifying
year stint that ended in 2015. ing directly to con- cluding running several hundred more workers
Donahoe later ran cloud-com- sumers increased shoes with a new whose jobs are being cut.
puting company ServiceNow. the company’s liabil- cushioning system —Nick Kostov
When he took the helm of ities, including by A customer looked at shoes by Hoka, one of the rivals nipping at Nike’s heels. that uses the com- contributed to this article.
PERSONAL JOURNAL.
© 2024 Dow Jones & Company. All Rights Reserved. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | A11
Normalizing no phones
Mark Daniel, superintendent of
Fort Wayne Community Schools in
Indiana, told parents earlier this
year that the district would test a
cellphone ban, to run through the
end of the school year.
The district began locking up
students’ phones at two middle
schools and two high schools in
mid-March. The exercise would
help determine whether discipline
and classroom engagement im-
proved in the absence of phones.
A
trying to do what’s best for stu- morning. throughout the day,
dents. Experts often blame smart- unlocking the bag
rural school district in phones for fueling the youth men- when they leave.
Colorado tried to ban tal-health crisis, mainly through phones are expected Some students have
smartphones. Parents social media. Teachers say they to be put away dur- tried to rip into the
stood in the way. spend too much time policing ing class. “They of- pouches, but most
Phones were at the phone use. And even school sys- ten sound very sup- have been compliant,
center of more than tems that are so far reluctant to portive of cellphone Daniel says. “We’re
half the schools’ disciplinary is- ban phones know the fights are policies and they now seeing students
sues by 2022—not just kids watch- just beginning. want their kids to having conversations
ing TikTok and YouTube in class, learn, but they also in the hallways and
but cyberbullying, spying in bath- Parental disconnect want access to them at lunch.”
rooms and recording fights. About a quarter of notifications at all times.” The Fort Wayne
Teachers and administrators hitting teens’ phones daily come Dozens of parents told me they such as during lunch and recess. school district is also among the
say gadget bans are the only way during school hours, according to a support school cellphone bans. “Parents want a direct line to nearly 200 districts across the
to regain student focus and tamp recent Common Sense Media re- But in a recent poll from the their kids during the school day,” country suing social-media compa-
down misbehavior. Parents com- port. Teens use smartphones for a nonprofit National Parents Union, says Ariel Taylor Smith, senior di- nies, including Meta Platforms,
FROM TOP: JON KRAUSE; DAMON CASAREZ FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL; YONDR
plain they need to be able to reach median of 43 minutes during the most parents who supported ban- rector of policy and action for the Snap and TikTok. The districts al-
their kids at all times, both for school day, said the report, the pri- ning phones in class said they National Parents Union. lege the apps are harmful to kids.
emergencies and routine schedul- mary time-suck being social-media should be allowed at other times, She, too, likes being able to “If we win that suit, we’ll fund
ing issues. Parents are turning out and messaging apps. reach her 8-year-old son by phone these pouches with it,” Daniel says.
to be unexpected but forceful op- Parents are often the during the school day. “We should His district, Indiana’s largest,
ponents of schools’ attempts to ones texting their kids, be teaching students how to use currently uses voter-approved
keep kids off their smartphones. teachers say. cellphones responsibly, not ban- funds to pay for the pouch test. If
In Brush, Colo., teachers and “There seems to be a ning them,” says Taylor Smith, a it proves that stowing phones for
administrators settled on a com- disconnect with parents,” former high-school teacher. the day curbs behavioral problems
promise for the 2022-23 school says Liz Shulman, an School shootings have raised and classroom distractions, the to-
year. Students could keep their English teacher at Evan- parents’ anxiety. As a mother of tal upfront bill for Yondr pouches
phones, provided they were out of ston Township High three, I’m certainly as worried as in Fort Wayne’s five high schools
sight. To reach their parents, they School in Illinois, where any other parent about school vio- and 11 middle schools would be
needed a teacher’s permission and lence. School-safety experts say about $400,000.
had to use the phone in the office. that using phones during an emer- Daniel says his goal is to nor-
If a student was busted, the phone Many school districts gency can endanger kids. Ringing malize a phone-free school day: “If
was confiscated and a parent are using Yondr pouches, or buzzing phones can give away we create a habit that starts in
needed to pick it up. which lock up students’ the location of a child who is try- sixth grade, maybe in five years
The policy, which is still in ef- phones during the day. ing to hide from an intruder. Par- we won’t even need the pouches.”
T
for bags as early as possible. Fliers eligible for at least one
ravelers should take the same on American, United and JetBlue will free bag. At American
care in planning how they will pay more if they wait too long. and other airlines, carry-
bring their bag as they do in Passengers can also save by read- ing a co-branded credit
booking their flight. ing the fine print. Airline credit cards card can often get you
Baggage fees are changing and and having status often waive bag- out of baggage fees.
rising across the industry. Today, gage fees for the first checked bag. “We have so many dif-
checking one bag on United Airlines, ferent ways that you can
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines Why do airlines love be exempted from bag
and Alaska Air will cost you at least charging for bags? fees,” Chandler said ear-
$35. A second bag is another $45, at Checked bags used to be included lier this year.
minimum. Some budget airlines also in the cost of tickets. Budget carri- Southwest Airlines
charge for carry-ons. ers such as Spirit and Allegiant led offers two free checked
Spirit Airlines and Frontier have the way in charging for checked bags. The carrier has said
long used dynamic pricing for their bags. Spirit introduced a fee for that gives it an edge over
checked-bag fees, where the cost them in 2007, and major carriers Spirit is among the airlines that three to five years,” said Jay So- rivals, and executives have repeated
can vary widely depending on the couldn’t resist following suit. apply dynamic pricing to their rensen, president of IdeaWorks- over the years that they have no
route and when you book. JetBlue Bag fees are lucrative: They gen- checked-bag fees. Company, a consulting firm. plans to change the policy.
Airways recently moved in this di- erated almost $7 billion in revenue
rection, too. Airline analysts and for U.S. airlines in 2022, the most re- the third time this year, trying out a What does your bag fee The carry-on crunch
consultants say more airlines are cent year of federal data. Last year’s strategy that budget rivals have get you? One side effect of bag fees has
likely to join them. figure was on track to outpace that. embraced: surge pricing. Airlines have in many cases added been a heightened love affair with
The rising complexity and cost Some airlines attributed the Now, JetBlue fliers will pay a tracking capabilities allowing pas- carry-ons.
come as more airlines unbundle most recent increases to their own higher price during high-demand pe- sengers to follow their bag’s prog- Some budget airlines, however,
their prices for different elements rising costs. Carriers are having to riods such as spring break, summer ress for peace of mind. charge as much or more to bring a
of the flight. Meals are long gone. shell out for costlier fuel and higher and winter holidays. During those And most airlines are less likely bag aboard the plane than they do
You might have to pay extra for salaries. And it is tough for airlines busy times, checking a bag at the to lose or mishandle your bag than to check it. There was blowback
your seat of choice. Airlines say it to raise fares without a rival swoop- airport for a domestic flight will they used to be. Out of every 1,000 when Spirit first announced that
allows travelers to pick what they ing in to undercut them, said Engel. cost as much as $50, which is $5 bags checked last year about 5.8 policy in 2010. Ben Baldanza, who
want to spend on. But it also There is also some tax advan- more than the off-peak price. Pay- were mishandled by major U.S. car- was Spirit’s chief executive at the
BRANDON BELL/GETTY IMAGES
means travelers who hyperfocus on tage to the bag fees. Unlike fares, ing in advance saves $10. riers, according to Transportation time, defended the policy and said it
airfare can lose out by not consider- those fees aren’t subject to a 7.5% So far, other big airlines haven’t Department data. That is compared worked to speed up the process of
ing the total cost. federal ticket tax. followed, but some analysts predict with 6.4 bags per 1,000 in 2022. getting on and off the plane.
“We hunt for the lowest airfare, JetBlue is tinkering with luggage dynamic pricing will become the American, United and others are
and then we take a $50 taxi to the fees as part of its efforts to be- norm for bags fees. The fee dodge now supersizing overhead bins to fit
airport,” said Samuel Engel, senior come profitable again. Last month, “It will be standard practice for Less than half of American Airlines more carry-ons, though more spa-
vice president at consulting firm ICF. it changed its baggage pricing for the vast majority of airlines within passengers check bags, and less cious storage isn’t yet universal.
A12 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
PERSONAL JOURNAL.
BY VERONICA DAGHER
had trouble making it up said. He will also miss They recently locked a 6.75% 60 days, and the house sold last
and down the 12 steps to their 3.25% mortgage mortgage on their new home that month for around $647,000.
the basement. They rate. But the family they are buying for about They weren’t thrilled about
hoped he would improve, couldn’t wait any longer $252,000. They hope to refinance parting ways with their 3.75%
but last September they to make a move. in two to three years if interest mortgage. The couple bought a
put the three-bedroom They accepted an offer rates come down, Luke said. 4,700-square-foot home about two
ranch on the market for for $189,000 in late blocks away for about $935,000
about $1.05 million. March. It was the first The Graces and a 7.5% mortgage rate.
“Downsizing was the they received after two Lubbock, Texas “I’m anxious about the higher
toughest decision of my weeks and seven individ- Original Listing Price: $650,000 rate and hoping we can refinance
life,” Carol said. “You ual showings. The buyers Number of Offers: 1 soon,” she said.
never think you’re going agreed to let the Boltons Jill Grace, 60, and her husband, Their new home is also bigger
to get to that point.” rent back the unit for a John, 61, wanted to move to a than they initially wanted. Still,
few weeks so the boys home that would allow them to the Graces say their house is bet-
could finish their school age in place. ter for the coming decades. The
Carol and Girish year in Minnesota. They listed their four-bedroom, living space is all on one level.
Bhargava are downsizing The Boltons are ex- 3,750-square-foot West Texas “God willing, this will be our
reluctantly. pecting to soon close on a home in December for $650,000. last house,” Jill said.
“The 24-hour thing can be chal- friendly choice for her second anni- $189 per park, depending on the ring to go with the flow.
Fans Fly to lenging but it’s totally doable,” says
Magda Santiago, a 52-year-old fit-
versary with her boyfriend.
“Well, it’s cheaper than a hotel,”
time of the year and the park. Park-
hopping and line-skipping perks
She started taking one-day
trips as a way to decompress, get
ness-retreat planner from New the recent college graduate remem- cost extra. Then there’s food (a some alone time, and reconnect
Disney World Jersey, who has conquered all four
Walt Disney World theme parks
bers thinking. Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce:
$7.79), merch and transport to and
with her inner child.
“Everybody thinks I’m crazy. My
Airlines out of New Jersey’s Tren- Airlines flights to $11 each. Flights spots, All-Star Sports Resort, the
ton-Mercer Airport at 5 a.m., and from Chicago’s O’Hare International median price for a standard room ‘Save your feet’
Continued from Page One getting home between 9 p.m. and 11 Airport on a Tuesday, weekday Dis- over the past five years was $210 a Veronica Diaz, a 41-year-old pho-
taking their love for the parks to an- p.m. that day. She carries a small ney passes, homemade sandwiches night, according to Len Testa, presi- tographer from Houston, rose at 2
other level: Partaking of the whole backpack with a sweater and a and minimal extras kept the total to dent of Touring Plans, which helps a.m. to do her hair and makeup be-
Disney travel and park experience in change of clothes. around $240 per person. visitors navigate the parks. The fore her 5:30 a.m. Disney-bound
a single day. Her pro-tips: Avoid Magic King- “I would totally do it again,” says Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa hits Southwest flight. She maps rides in
Whether to save money, accom- dom on Mondays (Wednesday Tremaine. “It is a huge money saver, nearly $1,000 a night. advance, hitting only those on the
modate tight schedules, or simply rocks). Start with Animal King- especially if you’re on a budget.” With her $1,450 annual pass and same side of the park.
test one’s limits, the endeavor re- dom’s less-crowded rides, then Tremaine’s boyfriend, Jakob airline points, Santiago, the fitness- “You want to save your feet and
quires meticulous planning, com- hit Hollywood Studios. Cap off at Coker, 22, advises—book a later retreat planner, keeps trips under that is where experience comes into
fortable footwear, and an encyclope- Epcot, margarita in hand. flight. Their 8:30 p.m. departure $150. She skips line-jumping extras, play,” says Diaz.
dic knowledge of Disney’s sprawling For Audrey Tremaine, 22, Dis- meant rushing out by 6:20 p.m. even for her beloved Guardians of Jennifer Abbey, a 32-year-old
park system. ney-in-a-day was the budget- Disney Tickets? Typically $109- the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, prefer- marketing executive, tackled Disney
with her sister in 12 hours. Using
airline miles, they booked a pre-
Audrey Tremaine’s Disney-in-a-Day Itinerary Thanksgiving trip for minimal
crowds.
l 3:15 A.M. Cheshire Cat Tail and Cherry Queen She left her Brooklyn apartment
Tremaine and her boyfriend Jakob Coker of Hearts Slushy: $12.55 including tax at 4:45 a.m. for a 6 a.m. JFK flight.
take a Lyft ride to Chicago O’Hare Loaded Chicken Strips: $12.02 including tax The sisters used the airline’s free
International Airport: $40.11 Wi-Fi to book the rides they
l 6:20 P.M. wanted.
l 6:00 A.M. Uber from Magic Kingdom Prioritizing favorites and short
Spirit Airlines flight to Orlando, Fla.: to Orlando airport: $22.40 lines, they hit Magic Kingdom, Hol-
$11 round trip, booked with miles and points lywood Studios and Epcot before
l8:30 P.M. their 8 p.m. flight. Total cost? About
l10:00 A.M. Return flight from Orlando to Chicago
Uber from Orlando airport to $225 each.
Magic Kingdom: $23.77 l10:45 - 11:00 P.M. Abbey says the trip was mostly
about the adrenaline rush.
AUDREY TREMAINE
ARTS IN REVIEW
BY WILLIAM MEYERS ART REVIEW announcements for this exhibition.
Catalogue” (c. 1916) we are in the “The Unfamiliar Thing” O’Clock Coffee. This last is from tion comprehensible.
commercial realm, five gleaming with “Osram Light Bulbs” “The Ideal User,” a section that
white straw hats with black bands (c. 1930), an ascending shows consumer products being The Real Thing: Unpackaging
floating in an inky black void in- swirl of points of light used by attractive people in at- Product Photography
viting prospective customers to created by shooting up into a spi- The latter are represented by tractive settings, the situations The Met Fifth Avenue, through
choose among them. ral staircase. “Dents” (c. 1934) and “Komol” into which advertisers want pro- Aug. 4
Hampson, like most of the On the other hand, Paul Outer- (1931), ads for a glovemaker and spective customers to fantasize
photographers here, is pretty bridge Jr. and the team of ringl + hair dye, respectively, that are themselves. Mr. Meyers writes on photography
much unknown, but a few are fa- pit (Grete Stern and Ellen Auer- composed of montage materials Murray Duitz’s “A.S. Beck ‘Ex- for the Journal. See his photo-
mous. Photojournalist Margaret bach) are photographers famous assembled with their characteris- ecutive’ Shoe” (1957) serves as the graphs at www.williammeyerspho-
Bourke-White is in a section ti- just for their commercial work. tic wit. From Outerbridge there is logo in the Met’s online and print tography.com.
A C
C E N T S G E M C O O
a chronically ill child in this Music that won five Tonys. Our as a pickle jar 52 Forebear 9 In the past D A
H L I A P A R E D O W N
play by Amy Herzog, which Justice, “Hyperdrama” critic called it “a musical that few days E V
E S B A G R U N G
is directed by Anne (April 26) is as full-hearted as any to 29 “Kapow!” 56 Provide with P E
R E N O E L T H E R I O
Kauffman. The French electronic duo be seen in recent years.” a new staff 10 ___the good T A
R O D D R O A S T E D
30 Silent movie (beneficial) T
Y C H O A E O N S
returns with its first studio comedian 60 Some hand- P A I R O F G L A S S E S
“Illinoise” LP in more than seven For additional Arts Calendar Harold woven rugs 11 Pool tool R A I N N A R A B H A V E
(St. James Theatre, New years, a record that incorpo- listings visit wsj.com. Write A S C O T H O L A O V E N
York, April 24-Aug. 10) rates disco and funk and to brian.kelly@wsj.com. ▶ Solve this puzzle online and discuss it at WSJ.com/Puzzles. WA K E S U S E R P E N D
A14 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
SPORTS
The Golfer Who Can’t Stop Winning
BY ANDREW BEATON
S
cottie Scheffler is on an epic
tear through the golf world.
He just won the Masters and
then won his very next tourna-
Nelly Korda won her fifth consecutive LPGA event after claiming the Chevron Championship
ment, giving him four wins in his
last five events. In the only one he
didn’t win, he finished second.
Nobody on the PGA Tour has
been hotter since prime Tiger
Woods. But somehow, Scheffler
isn’t the most unstoppable golfer
on the planet these days.
That would be Nelly Korda.
On Sunday, Korda won the
Chevron Championship, the first
major of the LPGA Tour season
and the second of her career, giv-
ing the 25-year-old American wins
in five consecutive starts and put-
ting her in rarefied company. The
run matches the LPGA record held
by all-time great Annika Soren-
stam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez,
who became a national sensation
when she first accomplished the
feat as a rookie in 1978.
Now it’s Korda’s time, and this
isn’t just any hot streak. Finally
healthy again after injury, Korda is
capitalizing on her potential to
completely dominate the sport.
After her round on Sunday, the
only way for Korda to cool down
was with the tournament’s tradi-
tional celebration: jumping into a
pond.
“It’s just been a crazy, crazy,
crazy couple of weeks,” she said.
“I can finally breathe.”
Korda, whose swing is so
smooth and technically
sound that it makes Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship. It is the
players in both the 25-year-old’s second major title and fifth consecutive LPGA Tour win.
men’s and women’s
games swoon, was
born into athletic roy- blood clot required surgery. And in par-3 17th. And she added one fi-
alty. She’s the daugh- 2023, she didn’t post a single vic- nal birdie on the par-5 18th to
ter of former Czech tory while hampered by a back in- cushion her lead.
tennis players Regina jury. The victory, which came with a
Rajchrtová and one- “In 2022 and 2023, golf really $1.2 million payday that nearly
time Australian Open humbled me,” Korda said. doubled her earnings for the sea-
winner Petr Korda— Once the calendar flipped to son, also fuels the surging mo-
and the pair clearly 2024, though, her form came roar- mentum for women’s sports across
knew a thing or two ing back. She finished tied for 16th the country. Basketball star Caitlin
about passing on ath- at her first tournament. And she Clark generated unprecedented
letic gifts. Nelly’s older hasn’t lost since. television ratings for the NCAA
sister Jessica also Throughout Korda’s winning tournament and a flood of atten-
off the plate than the last. carried the day in MLB’s promo-
Umpire Auditor, a social-media tion decisions.” Last August, a fed-
account that tracks umpire perfor- eral appeals court upheld the
mance, posted that the final ball judge’s decision.
was outside by 6.8 inches, the big- Before long, MLB could have a
gest miss on a called strike three solution for Hernández and its
since the account started in 2014. After missing most of the 2023 season, Ángel Hernández has returned to being MLB’s most controversial ump. other umpiring problems. In some
Langford later described Hernán- minor leagues, baseball is testing
dez’s ruling as “comical.” an automated system to call balls
Hernández’s recent showing— worked the plate in at least 85 Though Hernández might not “needs to find another job.” A year and strike—technology known as
not to mention his extensive his- games over that span, seven have be objectively the worst umpire in later, New York Yankees pitcher the “robo-ump”—to determine
tory of dubious calls—has renewed fared worse than Hernández in baseball, there’s little doubt he’s CC Sabathia blasted MLB for giv- whether the concept is ready for
questions about potential disci- that department. His 92.3% accu- the most controversial—and, fairly ing Hernández a playoff assign- prime time.
pline for MLB’s most notorious racy since the start of last season or not, the most scrutinized. Ac- ment, describing him as “abso- Some days, this involves having
umpire and why the league hasn’t is second-worst among umpires cording to data from Close Call lutely terrible.” In Game 3 of that the computer call every pitch. On
taken action against him. with at least 10 games. His accu- Sports, Hernández performs series between the Yankees and others, MLB uses a challenge sys-
The simplest answer involves racy rate of 83.9% in a matchup around league average when it Boston Red Sox, Hernández had tem, where teams can dispute a
the strong protections afforded to last September between the Pitts- comes to having calls overturned three of his calls at first base preset number of pitches, similar
umpires in their union’s labor con- burgh Pirates and Washington Na- by replay. His ejection totals also overturned by replay. to the system once used in tennis.
tract, making it difficult to remove tionals is the lowest on record for rank below league average. Those Just last September, Philadel- In this format, challenges can only
them without significant cause. a single game since 2019. ejections “just tend to be higher- phia Phillies superstar Bryce come from the pitcher, catcher or
When umpires do face conse- Meanwhile, on MLB’s internal profile,” said Lindsay Imber, the Harper lashed out, exploding at hitter and must be asked for in-
quences, it’s usually for unprofes- ranking system, Hernández isn’t founder of Close Call Sports. Hernández after he was called out stantaneously, offering an element
sional conduct rather than simple rock bottom, either. MLB’s evalua- A search of Hernández’s name on an iffy check swing. of strategy. Last season, 47% of
mistakes on the field. tions consider many more factors on YouTube yields an unending “Ángel in the middle of some- challenges were successful.
The other reason, despite his beyond balls and strikes, such as stream of montages of his most thing again. Every year it’s the It’s unclear when—or even if—
dismal reputation, is that Hernán- game management, overall tem- puzzling decisions. Umpire Audi- same story, same thing,” Harper the robo-ump will come to MLB,
dez isn’t definitively the worst perament and knowledge of the tor has an entire TikTok playlist said. “I’m going to get fined for though it seems likely the first
umpire working, at least according rules. devoted to Hernández’s follies, being right again. It’s the same foray would use challenges rather
to the available data. Hernández Through his attorney, Kevin highlighting the general percep- thing over and over and over and than turning the entire job over to
has accurately called 93% of Murphy, Hernández declined to tion about his abilities. over again.” (Harper was, in fact, a computer.
pitches since 2020, according to comment. Players have long voiced their fined.) At the very least, it would give
Umpire Scorecard, a website dedi- “Ángel is a very good umpire, displeasure about Hernández too. MLB isn’t blind to Hernández’s players some recourse the next
cated to measuring the accuracy and in spite of what the media In 2017, MLB fined Detroit Tigers shortcomings, either. He hasn’t time they fall victim to Ángel
and consistency of MLB umpires. says, baseball has recognized it as infielder Ian Kinsler $10,000 for been tapped for the World Series Hernández and his sometimes baf-
Of the 64 umpires who have well,” Murphy said. telling reporters that Hernández since 2005. Nineteen umpires have fling version of reality.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | A15
OPINION
Four Historic Votes for Action BOOKSHELF | By James Grant
Last week-
end’s House
votes on aid
foreign-policy consensus.
Many Biden allies see the
world struggle in ideological
more $60 billion Ukraine bills
this or any future Congress
will pass. And as far as one
tionist measures across the
board that hurt our allies and
neutral powers? Will pressur-
Governed
for Ukraine,
Israel
Taiwan and a
set of hawk-
and
and partisan terms. They rec-
ognize that dictators bent on
lawlessness threaten the lib-
eral international order and
can tell, Team Biden’s goal re-
mains to escape responsibility
for a Ukrainian defeat the ad-
ministration has no strategy
ing our allies over human
rights weaken our fragile co-
alition at a critical moment, or
is it vital to remain committed
By Banks
GLOBAL
VIEW ish foreign-
policy mea-
imagine that Donald Trump
has formed an unholy alliance
or will to prevent.
Similarly, the aid will help
to our core values no matter
the cost? What’s the right
Balance of Power
By Walter
sures were with Vladimir Putin to de- Israel deal with Hamas, but level of defense spending, and By Éric Monnet, translated by Steven Rendall
Russell Mead
dramatic and stroy democracy at home and the real threat to Israel’s se- how do we reconcile that with Chicago, 264 pages, $25
B
decisive. They peace abroad. curity lies elsewhere. Unless other national priorities at a
may even prove historic. In a Other Americans see the time when the bond markets ring back the gold standard? Not on your life,
time of bitter polarization, the danger in less ideological look restless? economists reply with nearly one voice. Nor is the
two parties managed to get terms. For them, Russia Congress sends a President Biden must an- Paris-based Éric Monnet a dissenter from the
four consequential foreign- seems less worrying than ei- swer these questions, and not academic consensus. His “Balance of Power: Central Banks
policy bills over the finish line ther China or Iran. Who signal that America only because the House- and the Fate of Democracies” is a resounding defense of the
in a closely divided chamber. makes the fentanyl and other needs to be stronger passed Ukraine bill mandates Ph.D. standard of monetary organization.
Friends and foes who thought synthetic opioids that flood a written statement on The Ph.D. standard, successor to the gold standard and
America was paralyzed by in- over the border, killing more and do better. Ukraine strategy within 45 its variants, is the rule of doctors of economics over
ternal dissension are taking Americans each year than the days. The do-something con- interest rates and paper money. It’s today’s Federal Reserve
another look. total number of U.S. military sensus is real, but it is vulner- in action.
The politics of American deaths in the Vietnam War? the United States gets serious able. Another round of expen- While the original gold standard, 1880-1914, was
foreign policy today reflect a Whose abuse of the interna- about helping Israel and its sive foreign-policy failures essentially self-regulating, the Ph.D. standard, 1971 to date,
race between failure and fear. tional trading system “stole” Arab neighbors address Iran’s could put the stay-home lobby is the opposite. More than 400 doctors of economics toil at
On the one hand, the serial millions of American jobs and drive for regional supremacy, in the driver’s seat. the Washington home office,
failures and strategic incoher- threatens more jobs today? the security situation in the Paradoxically, Mr. Biden’s according to the Fed’s
ence of the conventional for- Whose military buildup im- Middle East will continue to foreign-policy failures are re- website, not counting scores
eign-policy establishment lead perils America’s access to the worsen. The billions appropri- sponsible for the fear that of others at the dozen
many voters to oppose expen- vital semiconductors pro- ated for the Indo-Pacific are now hands him political victo- regional Reserve banks.
sive foreign-policy initiatives duced in Taiwan? also insufficient to reverse ries in Congress. The horrify- “Follow the science,” entreat
they suspect will do little As for Iran, many American the growing insecurity affect- ing consequences of his ad- the physicians. “Follow the
good. On the other hand, the voters are far more concerned ing the most vital theater in ministration’s failures to social science,” or words to
visibly worsening state of the about Tehran’s nuclear pro- world politics. deter Russia in Ukraine and that effect, enjoin the
world and the growing power gram and the terrorism it Should Americans prioritize Iran in the Middle East, and economists.
of countries that don’t dis- supports than about Russia’s Russia, China, the Middle East, fears of what a similar failure The difference between
guise their hostile intentions designs on Moldova. Taiwan or the border in our of deterrence could mean in science and social science boils
are driving Americans to look And fear leads Americans quest for security? Does sup- the Indo-Pacific, have created down to prediction. On Sept.
to our defenses and allies. to focus, quite properly, on porting Ukraine send a mes- bipartisan majorities for a 26, 2022, a NASA rocket hit the
What the four House votes the shambolic state of our sage to Xi Jinping about more activist, better-armed target at which it was aiming, a
show is that fear is winning border security. American will, or does it di- American presence on the 560-foot diameter asteroid some
the race against skepticism in Fear is a good motivator vert badly needed resources world scene. 6.8 million miles from Earth. In
America these days. The do- but a bad strategist. The from the Indo-Pacific to the America needs to be stron- the same month, the Fed missed its target for the
something coalition is out- emerging do-something con- secondary European theater of ger and do better. That is the consumer-price index; inflation registered 8.2%, some six
pacing the stay-home lobby, sensus lacks direction. The the emerging global conflict? message Congress is sending percentage points higher than the 2% reading at which the
but Americans’ growing aid to Ukraine will, one hopes, Should we respond to China’s the White House by passing central bank was taking aim. Behold physics—and behold
sense of unease hasn’t yet stave off defeat and buy time, abuse of the world trading these bills. One can only hope economics.
brought us into an effective but one wonders how many system by imposing protec- Team Biden is listening. No intelligent economist would claim for macroeconomic
forecasting the accuracy of which it is inherently incapable,
and Mr. Monnet, named France’s best young economist by
An ‘Iron Dome’ Against U.S. Antisemitism Le Monde in 2022, chooses not to dwell on the monetary
bureaucrats’ blindness to the onrushing financial crisis of
2007-09 or to their belated comprehension of today’s non-
Passover FBI data. That’s why we are gets the intelligence out and of the Tree of Life synagogue transitory inflation problem.
marks the de- here.” coordinates with local law en- in Pittsburgh, where a Neither does he harp on the central bank’s dozen-year
liverance of Though other faith groups forcement as needed. The shooter took 11 innocent lives experiment, 2010-22, in interest-rate suppression and so-
the Jewish have suffered attacks, the ag- name of the game is preven- in 2018, all but one of those called quantitative easing. It has left its mark in, among
people from gression against Jews stands tion, because it’s often too late at the service who’d attended other things, the immense run-up in public debt and the
slavery. On out. On April 16, the Anti- when you call the cops. security training (by another wholesale misdirection of private capital. When money
M o n d a y Defamation League released “The lesson is that you organization) were able to es- grows on trees, people will pick it.
MAIN
American its report on antisemitic inci- build the ark before it rains,” cape. The exception was The author’s principal theme is the “insufficient
STREET
Jews began dents in the U.S. for 2023. Mr. Masters says. It pays off. Jerry Rabinowitz, a doctor democratic accountability of central banks,” and he is of
By William
holiday cele- The ADL puts the total at Before an armed intruder who made it out but went two minds about it. Yes, he allows, the overbearing central-
McGurn
brations in 8,873, more than double the took a rabbi and three men back in to help the wounded, bank money managers “seem to have become omnipotent.”
arguably the previous year’s number and hostage at the Congregation then was himself gunned Something must be done; they must bend to the will of the
freest and most welcoming the highest number on record Beth Israel synagogue in down. people’s elected officials. But—simultaneously—they must
society for Jews ever. Yet few since the group began keep- Texas in 2022, SCN had held Mr. Masters says SCN has relinquish none of their frequently abused powers.
Americans have any idea of ing track in 1979. a training session there. At always monitored Islamist On the contrary, Mr. Monnet calls on the central banks of
the effort it takes to ensure Worse, the majority of groups for threats, and after Europe and the U.S. to continue in their buttinsky ways: to
Jews can practice their faith these incidents—5,204—were Tehran’s missile and drone guard their respective sovereign bond markets against
even in a place where it is reported in the three months Your synagogue may strike on Israel this month, confidence-sapping price depreciation, to lend a hand with
their constitutional right. following the Hamas savage- Iran and its proxies are a the management of climate change, and to keep the welfare
That’s where Michael Mas- ries of Oct. 7. In fact, there be protected by the heightened concern. In 1994 state in funds.
ters comes in. A Harvard were more incidents from Oct. efforts of the Secure Iran and Hezbollah, its proxy To dial back the omnipotence, Mr. Monnet proposes the
Law School graduate who 7 through the end of 2023 in Lebanon, killed 85 people creation of a new bureaucracy. Experts on money and
has served in the U.S. Ma- than for any full calendar year Community Network. when they bombed a Buenos interest rates would complement the fiscal-affairs
rines and as a Chicago police before. These occur as the in- Aires Jewish center. That authorities at the Congressional Budget Office. Together
official, Mr. Masters is na- ternet and social media have was in retaliation for Argen- they would promote “a greater balance of opinion when the
tional director and chief ex- created more opportunities the session, someone asked tina’s backtracking on a nu- Fed’s representatives testify before Congress.” He
ecutive of the nonprofit Se- for young people to be radi- how to defend yourself if you clear cooperation deal with approvingly quotes a suggestion to start a National
cure Community Network. calized. This Passover, Ameri- have nothing but a chair. Tehran. Investment Authority to “mobilize private and public funds
SCN is the official homeland cans are watching the ugliness “Throw the chair,” the SCN Not every college campus to make long-term loans at below-market rates while
security and safety initiative at Columbia on their smart- trainer said. is Columbia, and not every accounting for the priorities determined by the legislators.”
of the organized Jewish com- phones, with Jewish students That’s exactly what Rabbi synagogue in America is feel- Yet what is this but more omnipotence?
munity in North America. Its and faculty begging the uni- Charlie Cytron-Walker did, ing vulnerable. But once
mandate is simple: keep versity to protect them. distracting the gunman so upon a time, American syna-
Jews safe whether at a syna- What all this means, says the hostages could all run to gogues hired cops to direct Should central banks lend a hand with the
gogue, a Jewish community Mr. Masters, is that security safety outside. As one con- traffic. Now they need a management of climate change and aim to
center or any other Jewish today has to be much more gregant said when it was all whole security and intelli-
institution. than posting a guard. SCN’s over (and the gunman had gence apparatus to live keep the welfare state fully financed?
“Just as Israel has the Iron 100-plus employees cover all been killed by the FBI), he freely as Jews.
Dome,” Mr. Masters says, “we 50 states and are deployed to and his fellow hostages “Passover is the story of
want to build a proactive 33 communities. Most are ex- weren’t rescued. They es- exodus, and that’s our story Money often pits man against the state, and Mr. Monnet
protective security shield FBI agents or policemen. caped—thanks in part to SCN whether it’s from ancient makes no bones about where his loyalties lie. He welcomes
over the entirety of the Jew- The beating heart of SCN is training. Egypt or medieval Spain or the idea of a central-bank-issued digital currency, a kind of
ish community in North a state-of-the-art 24/7 situa- “You can’t imagine the im- the Russian empire,” Mr. fun-free bitcoin. Such a token, he says, could “provide new
America.” tion room. The Jewish Secu- pact—to be able to sit across Masters says. tools for monetary policy, since the state would have direct
The SCN website sums up rity Operations Command the table from someone who “But there will be no exo- control over the money held by individuals—a tool that
the challenge this way: “Just Center in Chicago features says, ‘I am alive today be- dus from the American exper- could be used to steer and monitor the economy.”
2% of the U.S. population, what is effectively a digital cause of your work,’ ” Mr. iment. We will make it safe to As for privately issued crypto, the author sees no point.
Jews are the targets of more map outlining every Jewish fa- Masters says. live proud and public Jewish It is for our own good that the government must quash the
than 60% of religiously moti- cility in America. When some- There are similar stories lives.” $2.6 trillion market in crypto currencies, Mr. Monnet
vated hate crimes according to thing happens nearby SCN elsewhere. Amid the horror Write to mcgurn@wsj.com. contends. “For the state, accepting the emergence of a
private currency is tantamount to abandoning its role as
protector of the value of the money held by citizens—that
Gid and Man on My iPhone is, letting citizens suffer potentially significant losses when
the value of private currencies fluctuates or crashes.”
It is at this point in the book that the buyers of eggs at
By Jim Towey what Microsoft did when it ruler of hell in Dante’s “In- Islamic misbaha or Buddhist $3 a dozen may begin to roll their eyes. The “role as
I
gilded its list with God. ferno”? I typed “Lucifar” and mala. protector of the value of the money held by citizens” is one
was finishing a text This experience piqued my my phone instantly corrected My Jewish friends looking that the Federal Reserve has objectively botched. In 1913,
message when I acciden- interest. When I mistyped the spelling, no questions for emoji love don’t fare any the central bank’s founding year, the dollar was convertible
tally typed “Gid bless another deity, “Talor Swift,” asked. Can’t blame Apple for better. “Rabbi” and “yar- into gold at the citizen’s request at the statutory rate of
you.” Rather than fix the my phone offered the correct not wanting to play with fire. mulke” are ignored. Credit $20.67 an ounce. Today the same ounce costs you $2,300 in
typo by inserting “God,” my spelling of her proper name. I then did what anyone Apple for its chutzpah. the open market.
iPhone underlined the errant Yet when I spelled it cor- proficient in 21st-century Search “hijab,” however, and Where would we be without central banks? Mr. Monnet
word in red and offered me rectly and recast her 2019 hit tech would do in time of you get a woman wearing invites us to imagine “what the economy would be today
three corrections: “Giddy,” trouble: I checked out the one. Enter “turban” and you had the central banks not assumed the role they did.” What
“Did,” and “Kid.” You know, emojis. If you search for get three options. if, he asks, they had responded in 2008 as they did to the
“Giddy bless you!” Or: “How From auto-correct to “God,” you get only a palette All this may make one Great Depression of the 1930s? It’s a good question, though
in Did’s name did that hap- emojis, it isn’t keen of paint. If you search for wonder whether Big Tech one might also ask: What if the U.S. government had not
pen?” Or: “Kid bless Amer- “devil,” you get four choices: has an agenda. Google is do- chosen to treat some banks as too big to fail or if the Fed
ica.” Apple can’t be expected on Christianity. two purple and two red. Curi- ing penance for the blatant had not rushed in to tidy up after successive stock- and
to wade into the minutiae of ously, “angel” gets you only bias in its Gemini artificial- bond-market stumbles? What if the world’s monetary
every message—but how three—and an angelfish. intelligence model that pre- authorities had chosen not to drive interest rates to 5,000-
could it exclude the obvious as “False Gid,” the device I’m Catholic, so I wanted sented historically inaccu- year lows, including not a few rates pitched below zero?
option from the list of fixes? asked whether I meant to to consult the choices for rate but racially diverse “Show me the incentives,” the late Charlie Munger,
Microsoft Outlook ap- write “Gods.” “priest,” “nun” and “pope.” images. Is Apple trying to Warren Buffett’s partner, would say, “and I’ll show you the
proaches the “Gid” problem That’s a step up from That evidently stumped the diminish Judeo-Christian be- outcome.” Ultra-low interest rates provide the incentive to
more inclusively. It proposed Giddy, even if a bit pantheis- design team, which must liefs? overinvest in the boom and underinvest in the bust.
remedies of “Gad,” “God,” tic. For the record, I wish have been too busy creating Perhaps. But better to give Arsonist and fireman, the Fed is forever dousing the
“Gide,” “Gild” and “Gird.” I’m Ms. Swift had named her a mermaid, merman, witch, the engineers the benefit of flames that its own monetary matches have lighted.
not sure how Gide made the song “False Giddy”—a more warlock and three vampires. the doubt. God is their judge. “Confidence in the state currency” is the sine qua non of
list, since it isn’t a word. But apt description of her behav- Same if you searched for “Je- Gid, not so much. economic exchange and of the health of the state itself,
I do understand why “gild” ior in the Kansas City Chiefs sus Christ” and “Virgin Mr. Monnet concludes. Not the least of the virtues of gold
did. Its secondary definition, suite whenever her beau, Mary,” two figures artists Mr. Towey is founder of is that it happens to be stateless.
according to Merriam-Web- Travis Kelce, scored a touch- have depicted for centuries. the nonprofit Aging with Dig-
ster, is “to give an attractive down. But I digress. When you ask for a “rosary,” nity and author of “To Love Mr. Grant, founder and editor of Grant’s Interest Rate
but often deceptive appear- If Apple couldn’t recognize you get only a string of red and Be Loved: A Personal Observer, is the author, most recently, of “Bagehot: The Life
ance” to something, which is God, what about Lucifer, prayer beads, representing an Portrait of Mother Teresa.” and Times of the Greatest Victorian.”
A16 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
OPINION
REVIEW & OUTLOOK LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Donald Trump Tests His Gag Order Readers View Biden’s Case for Aiding Ukraine
L
awyers and political advisers to Donald Judge Merchan told the press to be more cir- I agree with President Biden’s op- commander in chief for three years.
Trump have spent years trying and fail- cumspect in describing jurors, including by ed “Ukraine and Israel: Moment of Mr. Biden has never delivered a strong
Truth” (April 18) on the importance of address to this country that stated the
ing to convince Mr. Trump to hold his withholding their physical appearances and the
American funds, weaponry, ammuni- urgent reasons for supporting either
tongue for his own good. Will names of their employers. De- tion and satellite imagery going to country. His op-ed is another example
New York Judge Juan Mer- There’s a reason to spite those precautions, the Ukraine and Israel. The other side of of “too little, too late.”
chan have any better luck, as protect the jury, but why identities of the final Trump the coin, however, is his abandonment R.J. KELLY
he seeks to preserve some ju- jury will get out. But some cit- of sanctions on Iranian oil production Flushing, Mich.
dicial decorum at Mr. Trump’s shield Michael Cohen? izens must always be asked to ($40 billion in revenue per annum)
hush-money trial? And if not, bear the duties of liberty to and $10 billion sanctions waiver. This Mr. Biden argues military aid to Is-
is he really going to throw Mr. ensure that the criminally ac- obeisance to try to get a nuclear deal rael and Ukraine would boost the U.S.
Trump in jail? cused receive the right to a jury trial, as the paid for the weapons used to attack economy by “buying American prod-
Judge Merchan issued a relatively narrow Constitution guarantees. Israel, as well as provide China with ucts made by American workers.” But
gag order last month, citing an “obligation to That said, what’s the point of using a judicial discounted oil and Russia with drones. using up resources won’t make us
Will we have any allies left after such richer—especially when they’re spent
prevent outside influences, including extrajudi- gag order to shield the likes of Michael Cohen?
political chicanery? on means of destruction.
cial speech, from disturbing the integrity of a Mr. Trump’s former fixer is expected to be a key BILL KLEIN Economists call this the Broken
trial.” He told Mr. Trump to refrain from lam- witness in the hush-money trial, but lately he Springfield, Ill.Window Fallacy. Physical destruction
basting probable witnesses; court and prosecu- has been busy playing pundit. appears economically creative, since
tion staff, as well as their families; and jurors “Every time Donald opens his mouth, you Mr. Biden high-tailed it out of Af- mobilizing the resources to repair the
or prospective jurors. Mr. Trump can still exco- know that something nontruthful is coming ghanistan, a deep national embarrass- damage creates jobs and employment.
riate District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the out,” Mr. Cohen said recently on MSNBC. He ment. For two years he has refused This ignores opportunity cost: but for
judge, and appropriately so, since they hold went on to opine that his old boss is facing “a certain weapons and timidly delayed the destruction, there would be a dif-
public office. case that’s indefensible.” Mr. Trump recently them for Ukraine. After three of our ferent but no less valuable flow of
The prosecution says Mr. Trump has already returned the disfavor by calling Mr. Cohen a service members were killed in Jor- economic activity.
dan, he said, “We shall respond.” The fallacy is even more forceful in
violated the order and should be held in con- “disgraced attorney” and a “sleaze bag,” as an
What did we do? Six months, after his the case of military spending. Now
tempt. In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, Mr. official contempt motion recounts. tough talk in support of Israel, he’s we’re consuming resources with the
Trump quoted a TV commentator claiming that So the witness can go on national TV and call balancing support for Israel with giv- goal of destroying even more re-
“undercover Liberal Activists” are “lying to the the defendant a liar, but the defendant can’t re- ing Hamas what it wants. Now he tells sources. If you’ve ever heard that
Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury.” In the ply that the witness is a liar? The asymmetry us we should show leadership and World War II got us out of the Great
courtroom Thursday, his legal team argued that doesn’t bolster the trial’s integrity or its sense courage. He hasn’t the notion. Depression, you’ve encountered the
it doesn’t break the gag order for Mr. Trump to of fairness. Mr. Cohen is a famous figure with DON HALSEY fallacy in its most dangerous form.
repost a line from somebody else. Retweets are cable-TV bookers on speed dial. He isn’t a ran- Los Altos, Calif. Supporting Israel and Ukraine may
not endorsements, as they say. dom oncology nurse asked to do justice a favor be in the national interest. If so, it
This argument isn’t exactly airtight. If some by diving into this vortex. With two words, Mr. Biden under- won’t be because of economics. The
random social-media account suggests retalia- Judge Merchan has deferred discussion on mined his support for funding Israel president’s proposals could make us
and Ukraine. On Iran’s destruction of freer. But they definitely won’t make
tion against the jurors, could Mr. Trump inno- the gag order to a hearing Tuesday, but it’s hard
Israel, he says, “We can make that us wealthier.
cently quote it under the terms of the judge’s to see why he shouldn’t lift protection from Mr. outcome less likely.” Less likely? Why PROF. ALEXANDER WILLIAM SALTER
order? Well, no, and the idea that nonpolitical Cohen. The other thing to keep in mind is that not impossible? Less likely is what the Texas Tech, Rawls College of Business
New Yorkers might be worried about serving Mr. Trump might secretly hope for sanctions, American people have heard from its Lubbock, Texas
on this particular jury, even if protected by a if he can goad the judge into going nuclear in
gag order, is not a hypothetical. response to microaggressions. Yes, Mr. Trump
On Thursday one of the women previously mentioned the jury. Yet he posted a line that
selected had second thoughts and was excused. was already uttered on television to a social
The jury is anonymous, but Juror No. 2 was de- network that almost nobody reads.
Why Would Boomers Move from Their Homes?
scribed in the press as an oncology nurse at Me- Let’s not pretend this has poisoned the Man- Your article on why many baby money for investments and “rent”
morial Sloan Kettering, who lives on the Upper hattan jury pool that has been saturated for boomers aren’t moving from their my home from the bank for what is
primary residences certainly reso- essentially a pittance. We’re happy
East Side with her fiancé and likes taking her eight years with anti-Trump coverage. If the
nated with me (“Boomers Aren’t where we are and made all the right
dog to the park. She said family, friends and col- judge overreacts, Mr. Trump will go straight to Budging from Big Homes,” Economy, decisions.
leagues identified her from such details and be- the voters with another argument that he isn’t April 15). My wife and I are in our STEVEN MORRIS
gan blowing up her phone. getting impartial justice. 70s, and about 10 years ago we Mount Pleasant, S.C.
bought a home, which we subse-
quently refinanced twice. We now I think your article misses the big-
Gone With the New York Wind have a 30-year mortgage with a
fixed rate of 2.875% (for which we
gest factor for staying put: how
much work it is to move. I’ve been
I
s offshore wind a perennial infant indus- the domestic manufacturing of components, paid zero points). Our monthly nut is living in my four-bedroom house for
try? Despite receiving countless billions of which New York’s wind developers and their about $1,760, which includes interest 39 years. Do you have any idea how
dollars in subsidies over the last few de- suppliers planned to exploit by making parts at and principal payments, plus taxes much stuff we have? Books, china,
and insurance. pictures, tools, not to mention a
cades, these energy projects new plants in the state. We’d have to be out of our minds houseful of cats. It would take at
are still failing to launch. On Three more offshore But the industry has also to give up such a situation, even least a year to declutter and pack.
Friday three New York off- windmill projects hit the faced significant economic though our home has appreciated We decided to stay, took a reverse
shore wind projects hit the headwinds. More than a nicely. It makes no economic sense mortgage for some extra cash and
rocks owing to rising costs rocks, despite subsidies. dozen projects in the U.S. and to give up a large, comfortable home recently put in a stairlift. Our estate
and technical snafus. Europe have been canceled or with favorable carrying costs, and executors can deal with cleaning out
The New York State Energy delayed in the last year owing move somewhere else. I don’t be- the place.
Research and Development Authority called off to rising labor and material costs and higher lieve in paying off mortgages, even ALAN BLUM
contract negotiations with three wind develop- interest rates. The cost of building an offshore small ones. I prefer to use that Mount Vernon, N.Y.
ers after turbine manufacturer GE Vernova said wind project rose by about 60% between 2021
it couldn’t deliver 18-megawatt turbines for the and 2024.
projects. As a result, the projects would have to New York regulators recently struck agree- The Crime Problem Has to Change in Chicago
be redesigned with more and smaller turbines ments with offshore developers at prices of Joseph Epstein was spot-on with wounded others. The police said it
that would make them noneconomic. around $150 per megawatt hour, more than a his commentary on the failure of was gang-related. Between July and
GE’s renewable business had planned to pro- third higher than those in 2019. For compari- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s November 2023, Chicago suffered al-
duce the 18-megawatt turbines but last year de- son, the wholesale price for natural gas power holistic and progressive approach to most 4,900 robberies, a more than
cided to limit turbines to a maximum of 16.5 is around $30 a megawatt hour. fighting crime (“Brandon Johnson Is 55% increase, the sharpest rise in
megawatts, according to Bloomberg News. Big- New Yorkers will get stuck paying excessive No Father Flanagan,” op-ed, April robberies in at least 20 years.
ger and more powerful turbines have recently prices for offshore wind for 25 years to meet 18.) During his campaign for mayor, Last year, according to a Harris
been toppling over, requiring expensive repairs. their political class’s climate goals. So even if Mr. Johnson told the public that de- Poll survey, public safety was over-
This is one reason GE’s renewable business lost offshore wind costs drop, the state will be funding the police was a “political whelmingly Chicago residents’ No. 1
goal.” concern. The mayor’s approach to
$1.44 billion last year, which was an improve- locked into exorbitant long-term contracts.
Not long after Mr. Johnson became confronting crime in Chicago clearly
ment on its $2.24 billion loss in 2022. Meantime, the state’s grid operator has warned mayor, teenagers descended en masse isn’t working. Nevertheless, under
The offshore wind industry received a strong that New York City could face power shortages on downtown Chicago, some of them Mr. Johnson, the Chicago Police De-
tailwind from the Inflation Reduction Act, as soon as next summer owing to the shutdown breaking car windows, setting vehi- partment remains woefully unde-
which included tax credits that cover 30% or of gas and nuclear power plants. Another cli- cles ablaze and firing off shots. Yet staffed and underfunded. Most Chica-
more of a project’s cost. The law also subsidized mate-policy fiasco. Mr. Johnson told the public that it goans agree that something has to
wasn’t constructive to “demonize” change.
youths. TERRY TAKASH
The NLRB Gets Supreme Court Review In a recent city budget, Mayor
Johnson set aside $100 million for
Western Springs, Ill.
T
he National Labor Relations Board has fact and law, which Starbucks contested in an ad- more community violence interven-
nearly carte blanche authority to punish ministrative proceeding.
tion and other social programs. His American Resolve Is Slipping
plan is to flood crime-plagued
businesses, and beware those that get on Under the Sixth Circuit standard, lower-court In “Reagan Just Saved Israel”
neighborhoods with public and pri-
Big Labor’s wrong side. On judges must defer to the board’s (Wonder Land, April 18), Daniel
vate resources.
Tuesday the High Court will Starbucks wants the allegations even if they are later Earlier this month, at a party on
Henninger compares Joe Biden’s and
consider in Starbucks v. contradicted by findings in the Donald Trump’s support for credible
Justices to rein in labor the South Side of the city, a hail of
defense systems. This ignores, how-
McKinney whether the board’s administrative proceedings. In- bullets killed a nine-year-old girl and
ever, the similarity both exhibit in
diktats deserve special judicial board injunctions. junctions can interfere with an their aversions to supporting credi-
deference. employer’s day-to-day opera- ble offensive measures. Neither pos-
Six Starbucks employees in tions, force them to rehire Clark University in My Day sesses the resolve to confront Iran
2022 announced plans to unionize a store in workers at unaffordable wages, and bar them Wasn’t as Illiberal as Today or Russia.
Memphis, Tenn. When the store was closed, off- from closing or relocating facilities. The 1930s are calling, and Amer-
Regarding Mary Jane Rein’s op-ed
duty employees unlocked the door and let a Injunctions remain in effect until the NLRB “Why I’m Leaving Clark University”
ica is responding with feckless di-
news crew in without management's authoriza- fully adjudicates charges, which can take years. plomacy and isolationists chanting,
(April 15): As a graduate of Clark Uni-
tion to interview workers. Their break-in vio- This gives the board more leverage to force busi- “Make America Great Again.”
versity in the mid-1980s, I was well
lated company policy, and Starbucks fired the nesses to agree to union demands. The board ALAN D. LEWIS
aware of its left-leaning tendencies.
Jupiter, Fla.
employees. boasts in its manual that injunctions are a Clark was where the 1960s radical Ab-
The Workers United union complained to the “strong catalyst for settlement.” Nearly half of bie Hoffman began to gain traction.
NLRB that firing the workers was an unfair labor cases in which the board has sought injunctions I felt isolated as one of the few con-
practice. An NLRB regional director issued an since 2010 have resulted in settlements. servatives on campus, but I could ex- Pepper ...
administrative complaint and petitioned a fed- Employers have few legal tools to defend press my ideas without being tarred
and feathered or shut down. Now,
And Salt
eral judge for an injunction ordering Starbucks against injunctions, so they often agree to settle.
Clark, like countless other campuses, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
to reinstate the employees and expunge one of NLRB general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo claimed
has been overrun by progressives who
their unrelated disciplinary citations, among Starbucks’s attempts at legal discovery consti- must have their way.
other things. tuted an unfair labor practice. She has also I have two children at New York
Under the Supreme Court’s four-part test, the sought nationwide injunctions to force whole- University, both of whom have been
party seeking a preliminary injunction must sale changes in employment practices not subject to extreme antisemitism. This
demonstrate “that he is likely to succeed on the needed to address particular grievances. is not a shock but a disappointment in
merits, that he is likely to suffer irreparable The Sixth Circuit’s deferential standard has em- the intellectual integrity of faculty, ad-
harm in the absence of preliminary relief, that boldened the NLRB and its union allies to demand ministration and students. I wish Ms.
the balance of equities tips in his favor, and that burdensome remedies based on dubious charges. Rein luck at Assumption University.
an injunction is in the public interest.” As a matter of law, it tramples employer due pro- JONATHAN BLINKEN
Englewood, N.J.
Yet the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has set cess and the constitutional separation of powers.
a more lenient standard for the NLRB, which Judges must bless the NLRB’s punishment as long
Letters intended for publication should
must merely show there is “reasonable cause to as its allegations aren’t “frivolous.” be emailed to wsj.ltrs@wsj.com. Please
believe that unfair labor practices have oc- Dozens of other federal agencies must follow include your city, state and telephone
curred” and “injunctive relief is just and proper.” the traditional injunctive relief standard. There’s number. All letters are subject to “Can it be? A can of kitty chow
Following Sixth Circuit precedent, the district no legal reason the NLRB shouldn’t have to do editing, and unpublished letters cannot plopped in a dish. Oh truly,
be acknowledged.
court judge deferred to the NLRB on issues of the same. my cup runneth over.”
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | A17
OPINION
P
played at protests in the U.S., side Palestine, they really feel
rotests against Israel ex- Canada and the U.K. that they are being backed as a
panded on college cam- Major terror organizations resistance and they’re being
puses last week, sometimes have expressed support for supported.” On March 30 on
turning violent. At Colum- these protests and disruptive Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV, Mr.
bia University, demonstra- actions, which have long been Barakat said “the vast major-
tors chanted support for terrorist or- a key part of Hamas’s plan to ity” of young Americans and
ganizations, burning the American win hearts and minds in the Canadians now “support armed
flag and waving Hezbollah’s. They West. As early as a decade ago, resistance” because of “the in-
called for Hamas’s Al-Qassam Bri- during the July-August 2014 troduction of colonialism, rac-
gades to attack again, and taunted Israel-Gaza war, Hamas’s Inte- ism, and slavery studies into
Jewish students: “Never forget the rior Ministry issued guidelines history curricula.”
7th of October,” and “That will hap- to social-media activists on At a Jan. 21 New York event
pen . . . 10,000 more times!” framing events for a Western held by the Marxist-Leninist
It isn’t only on campuses. Three audience. Workers World Party, an offi-
men interrupted the Easter vigil at It is no coincidence that of- cial Hamas statement was read
W
will have an outsize negative effect so. No one should turn away from ments, or, if you prefer, slightly less their complacency. We shall see if
ith his courageous and prin- on our adversaries’ ability to harm the rot that is eating away at our in- than three months’ worth of Apple they make good on their promises,
cipled efforts to secure sup- America’s interests, listen to their stitutions, our national unity, our sales, we are significantly bolstering but so far they seem to be slowly
port for a vital legislative panicked responses: Ukraine’s ability to keep Russia’s coming to understand that the de-
package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and “Washington’s deeper and deeper military at bay, enabling Israel to fense of their Continent is primarily
Taiwan, House Speaker Mike John- immersion in the hybrid war against No country on Earth has keep crushing (if the president will their responsibility.
son not only has strengthened U.S. Russia will turn into a loud and hu- only let it) Iran’s terrorist proxies, Conservatives are right to be
allies and sent a powerful warning to miliating fiasco for the United States anywhere near the ability and supplying valuable reinforce- alarmed about what is happening at
our adversaries. He is making Amer- such as Vietnam and Afghanistan,” to project power around ments for Taiwan’s defenses against home; the hate and extremism on
ica great again. said Maria Zakharova, press spokes- communist China. our campuses, the near-dissolution
The curious taste some Republi- woman at the Foreign Affairs Minis- the world at so little cost. Of course this isn’t enough. It’s of our border, the accelerating rot of
cans have demonstrated in the last try in Moscow. our advantage to have that kind of our media, the politicization of our
few years for undermining the de- “This threatens . . . the most dev- unique power in the world, but we law enforcement, the undermining of
fense of nations on the front line of astating consequences including very identity. Last week I castigated are in danger of letting it atrophy. our values and our identity.
a global struggle against states that asymmetric responses, anywhere the Biden administration for its pu- There is a strange ambivalence in But addressing those pathologies
are sworn to undo America’s power and at any time,” Sergey Mironov, sillanimity in the face of the chal- President Biden’s strategic ambitions doesn’t require us to disown our
will be one for historians—and per- leader of A Just Russia—for Truth lenges we face. as he builds up our allies’ military leading global role. It needn’t force
haps psychologists—to ponder. For party, an ally of President Vladimir But we shouldn’t omit either to capabilities while running down us to abandon our willingness to use
now, we can be grateful that, with an Putin. take a global perspective, to remem- ours. It is time our leaders recog- our unrivaled resources to defend
appropriation of taxpayer funds that “I cannot with all sincerity not ber how the rest of the world sees nized that the short post-Cold War ourselves from the rising threats to
represents 0.3% of gross domestic wish for the United States to plunge America and its power, and to re- peace dividend has run out and that our global security. In fact the two
product, America has sent an unmis- into a new civil war as quickly as mind ourselves what they well our defense spending needs to grow are complementary.
takable reminder to those revisionist possible,” Dimitry Medvedev, a for- know—how awesome that power is. in real terms. And politicians on all The next Republican president
powers: We are bigger than you. We mer president and now deputy chair- No country on Earth has any- sides need to get serious about the should grasp this opportunity. The
are richer than you. And we will do man of Russia’s security council, was where near the resources, the capa- dramatic fiscal erosion that will un- other thing Speaker Johnson and his
what we need to do to stop you. reported as saying. bility and now we can say, at least dermine our efforts to stay strong in GOP allies have done this week is
We can all be grateful that enough Dark, empty threats. Terrors for for a while, the self-confidence, to the longer term. point the way to a conservatism that
Republicans still seem to understand children. The weak always make loud project power—hard, soft and every Nor should the continuing scale can truly make America great—at
the concept of peace through noises in the hope of frightening the other sort—around the world at so of U.S. power let allies off the hook home and abroad.
‘W
where to draw the line on primping. that he played at Santa Clara Univer- political reputation was put to the missing?
here have you gone, Joe When he hired a portrait photogra- sity. But he was never on the roster, test on the March ballot, where he Mr. Newsom was never as formi-
DiMaggio?” If Simon & pher to accompany him to China and among other misperceptions of his pushed forward a $6 billion bond dable as his fan base thought. Susan
Garfunkel were political take pictures of him at the Great accomplishments. Newsom hasn’t measure for more homeless spend- Shelley, an editorial writer for the
pundits they might ask: Where have Wall, even the left-leaning Politico corrected his record.” ing. The measure passed by a margin Southern California News Group,
you gone, Gavin Newsom? When Joe magazine couldn’t refrain from lam- Embellishments like that, along of less than 0.5% of the vote. shrewdly analyzed Mr. Newsom’s
Biden’s stumbling, mumbling for- pooning his portrait, as he attempted with more serious ones such as trav- The governor, a San Francisco lopsided victory against a recall at-
tunes seemed to slip away, the left to look presidential at a faux Asian eling to Florida to claim that the elitist groomed by Willie Brown and tempt in 2021 by pointing out that
crowned Mr. Newsom as the obvious summit. Golden State is a low-tax paradise, Nancy Pelosi for stardom, is flat-lin- recall targets are exempt from cam-
heir to the throne. It was near im- The staged visit exposed the gov- are the type of political fumbles that ing. Despite Mr. Biden’s baggage of paign contribution limits. This al-
possible to click on a link or touch ernor’s most fatal political flaw—his have upended Mr. Newsom’s hopes high inflation, open borders and lowed Mr. Newsom to raise more
the remote without seeing him romp lack of authenticity. That phony fac- for higher office. But those misadven- tongue twisting, the president has a than $70 million against under-
across America, preaching Califor- tor is one he can’t escape and was tures are peanuts compared with the funded opponents at a time when he
nia’s acceptance of abortion or fly- summarized in a recent exposé by the damage from his governing policies, still had emergency powers to close
ing off to China to shake hands with nonprofit news organization CalMat- which fracture the finances and sta- He was a rising star a much of the economy.
Xi Jinping. ters: “Governor Newsom has long bility of California. In his regularly scheduled 2022
The fanciful bullet train project he few months ago, but bad re-election, Mr. Newsom fared worse
inherited from his predecessors is governance and the phony against an obscure state senator—
now an anchor around Mr. Newsom’s whom he outspent by a margin of
PUBLISHED SINCE 1889 BY DOW JONES & COMPANY neck, as it has grown from its initially factor caught up to him. nearly 10 to 1—than he had four
Lachlan Murdoch budgeted $33 billion in 2008 to up- years earlier against a well-financed
Executive Chairman, News Corp ward of $100 billion, just for the opponent. A well-funded opponent
Rupert Murdoch Robert Thomson
Chairman Emeritus, News Corp Chief Executive Officer, News Corp starter line, because of overspending second wind as his opponent is stuck with name recognition could have
Emma Tucker Almar Latour and mismanagement. Mr. Newsom’s in an unfavorable courtroom while beaten Mr. Newsom.
Editor in Chief Chief Executive Officer and Publisher current statewide budget shortfall the president is free to campaign, ap- Politicians come in flavors that
Liz Harris, Managing Editor DOW JONES MANAGEMENT: ranges from his wishful-thinking $38 pearing statesmanlike amid interna- fade. Beto O’Rourke and Stacey
Charles Forelle, Deputy Editor in Chief Daniel Bernard, Chief Experience Officer; billion to a more realistic $73 billion, tional hostilities. Hence, liberal me- Abrams were the Democratic Party’s
Elena Cherney, Senior Editor; David Crow, Mae M. Cheng, EVP, General Manager, Leadership;
Executive Editor; Chip Cummins, Newswires; David Cho, Barron’s Editor in Chief; Jason P. Conti, and the state auditor reports that dia and congressional loyalists are flavors during the past decade. You
Andrew Dowell, Asia; Taneth Evans, Associate General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer; California didn’t sufficiently track embracing Mr. Biden as the come- will be forgiven for not recalling
Dianne DeSevo, Chief People Officer; Jared DiPalma,
Editor; Brent Jones, Culture, Training & Outreach;
Chief Financial Officer; Frank Filippo, Chief
outcomes of nearly $24 billion spent back kid. New York Times columnist their names. Mr. Newsom is the
Alex Martin, Print & Writing; Michael W. Miller,
Transformation Officer; Artem Fishman, Chief on homelessness in the last five fiscal Maureen Dowd recently asked Demo- Democratic Party’s most recent fla-
Features & Weekend; Prabha Natarajan,
Professional Products; Bruce Orwall, Enterprise;
Technology Officer; David Martin, Chief Revenue years. cratic political consultant James Car- vor. His taste is rapidly fading.
Officer, Business Intelligence; Dan Shar, EVP,
Philana Patterson, Audio; Amanda Wills, Video General Manager, Wealth & Investing; Ashok Sinha, Statewide polls by the Institute of ville to name the party’s promising
SVP, Head of Communications; Josh Stinchcomb, Intergovernmental Studies at the new talents. Among governors, Mr. Mr. Khachigian was chief speech-
Paul A. Gigot EVP & Chief Revenue Officer, WSJ | Barron’s
Editor of the Editorial Page University of California, Berkeley Carville listed North Carolina’s Roy writer to Ronald Reagan and is au-
Group; Sherry Weiss, Chief Marketing Officer
Gerard Baker, Editor at Large
EDITORIAL AND CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS:
show the governor’s approval ratings Cooper, Michigan’s Gretchen Whit- thor of the forthcoming memoir “Be-
1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10036 are south of 50%, and nearly 6 out of mer, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, hind Closed Doors: In the Room With
Telephone 1-800-DOWJONES 10 Californians believe the state is Maryland’s Wes Moore and Pennsyl- Reagan and Nixon.”
A18 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
Consulting
is dead.
Long live
consulting.
Rejoice! A new era of consulting is We’ve discovered that happiness
here. And it’s about time. isn’t at odds with good business.
Because we’re sad to report that It’s the key to it.
consultants are mostly miserable. Happy builds great companies.
Indeed, the industry is inundated Happy makes for long, successful
with unhappy people. People who careers. Happy makes you money,
are supposed to be making their sure. But, more importantly, happy
clients money. And things have been makes you… well, happy.
the same for over a hundred years. Happy is the way forward and
It’s time for something different. we’re not looking back. And we’re
So, RIP to the old way of doing things. delighted to say that we’re kinda
We’re Embark. We’re turning an fanatical about it.
old industry on its head. We’re an Not just because it feels good
anomaly because we’re happy. for us and our very happy clients.
Happy to be ushering out the old But because, as it turns out, happy
style of consulting and pioneering a actually works.
new way of working. And that’s the bottom line.
embarkwithus.com/happy #RIPconsulting
©2024 Embark
S&P 5010.60 À 0.87%
BUSINESS & FINANCE
© 2024 Dow Jones & Company. All Rights Reserved.
DJ TRANS À 0.93%
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
WSJ $ IDX À 0.01% 2–YR. TREAS. yield 4.969%
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | B1
NIKKEI (Midday) 37538.06 À 0.27% See more at WSJ.com/Markets
A
Albertsons....................................B3
Alphabet...............................B1,B12
Julius Baer Gruppe..............B5
Kroger...............................................B3
L
Rubrik...............................................B4
S
New Anti-Laundering Rules Ruffle
Real-Estate Agents, Investment Pros
Salesforce......................................B5
Amazon.com..............A3,B1,B12 Li Auto.............................................B1 Skydance Media...................B12
Andreessen Horowitz..........B1 Lightspeed Venture Snap................................................B12
Apollo Global Management Partners......................................B4 Sony.................................................B12
.............................................................B12 Lombard Odier.........................B5 St. Galler Kantonalbank...B5
Apple...............................................B12 M T
Ares Management................B3
Arm....................................................B5 Meta Platforms......A3,B1,B12 Tapestry..........................................B5 BY DYLAN TOKAR were used to launder illicit vestment vehicles. These firms sionals who provide settlement
Microsoft..............A3,B1,B4,B12 Temu...............................................B12 funds have garnered attention have an advisory relationship services, followed by those who
B N Tesla...................................................B1
Bancaire Privee........................B5 Investment advisers and in recent years, but many in- with the funds they manage and underwrite the new owner’s ti-
Nike.....................................................A1 U
Bank J. Safra Sarasin........B5 Nippon Steel............................B12
real-estate industry profession- dustry participants feel the not with the investors them- tle insurance policy.
UBS.....................................................B5
C Nvidia.............................B1,B11,B12 UnitedHealth............................B12 als are all for stamping out problem isn’t a systemic one. In selves. In such cases, the advis- In no circumstance should
Capri...................................................B5 O Universal Health Services money laundering, just as long letters to FinCEN, industry pro- ers should be allowed to shift real-estate agents or brokers be
CVC Capital Partners..........B3 Octopus Energy.......................B5 .............................................................B12 as it is someone else doing the ponents questioned whether the the anti-money-laundering re- shouldered with the responsibil-
E Oklo....................................................B4 U.S. Steel.....................................B12 stamping. threat warranted costly new porting obligations to the fund ity, the National Association of
EFG International...................B5 Oracle.............................................B12 V The Treasury Department processes and paperwork. administrator, the group said. Realtors argued in a letter to
Elevance Health....................B12 P-R Verizon Communications earlier this year proposed rules Andreessen Horowitz, one of The MFA’s remarks echoed FinCEN this week. Having to
Embracer.......................................B4 Palantir Technologies.........A3 ......................................................B4,B11
F Paramount Global...............B12 Vontobel.........................................B5 that would bring both indus- the largest ven- comments from obtain the required information
Ford Motor...................................A1 Penn Entertainment.............B1 VulnCheck.....................................B4 tries under regulations de- ture-capital players in the from their clients about the
H-K
Photowatt.....................................B2 W signed to prevent the flow of il- firms in the U.S., real-estate in- source of their funds would put
Pictet.................................................B5 Walt Disney.................................B1 licit money through the U.S. has asked Fin- Many would like dustry, where a agents and brokers in a precari-
HCA Healthcare....................B12 Reddit...............................................B3
Helion...............................................B4 Redfin.............................................A12 Z economy. While supportive of CEN to exclude to see the rules large number of ous and dangerous situation,
Hipgnosis Songs Fund......B3 Rocket...............................................A1 Zuercher Kantonalbank....B5 the Treasury’s goals, many in- venture-capital professionals the group said.
dustry members would like to firms from its written as are often in- But the American Land Title
see the rules written as nar- rule, arguing volved in the Association, which represents
narrowly as
INDEX TO PEOPLE rowly as possible and, in some
cases, have the responsibility
that there is lit-
tle evidence that possible.
purchase or
transfer of prop-
the title and settlement indus-
try, in a letter to FinCEN said
for screening for money laun- the firms are a erty. FinCEN’s the proposed rule would be
A H P dering shifted to others in their target for proposal would overly burdensome and costly
Abraham, Jack..........................B4 Haas, Rene...................................B5 Parvizian, Hannan..................B1 industry. money launder- require at least to its members. More than 90%
Altman, Sam.......................B1,B5 Hankey, Don...............................A4 Pradelli, Giorgio........................B5
Prawda, Daniel........................B11
The proposed rules are de- ers. one party in a residential real of title companies are small-
B Hatfield, Jay.................................B1
signed to plug what some ex- The Managed Funds Associa- estate sale to file a report when business owners, the group
Baldanza, Ben..........................A11
Hiljanen, Jussi..........................B11 Q
Hoke, John.................................A10 Qu, Ke...............................................B2
perts view as gaping holes in tion, an industry group, said it the purchase is made with cash added, citing data from the
Barkoff, Stuart........................B11
Baumann, Urs...........................B5 J R the U.S.’s anti-money-launder- supported the goal of combat- or is financed by a lender that Small Business Administration.
Black, Benjamin.....................B12 Jackson, Greg............................B5 Rice, A.J........................................B12
ing protections. The current ing money laundering but it isn’t already subject to anti- It has recommended FinCEN
Brechbuhl, Emilie....................B2 Janke, Mike.................................B4 S protections require banks, said it was concerned how Fin- money-laundering laws, and make changes that shift the
Brown, Michael.......................B11 K Sankaran, Vivek.......................B3
money transmitters and other CEN had designed the rule and when the recipient is a legal en- onus of the reporting rules to
C Keirstead, Karl........................B12 Shmulik, Mark........................B12 cogs in the financial system to urged the bureau to issue a tity or trust. escrow agents or attorneys.
Chandler, Scott........................A11 Kelleher, Colm............................B5 Smigiel, Jim...............................B11 vet customers and report suspi- completely new proposal for FinCEN has proposed a “cas- Independence Title, a title
Crevoiserat, Joanne..............B5 L Sorensen, Jay...........................A11 cious activity to Treasury’s Fi- further comment. In particular, cade” method to determine who insurance company in Texas
D LaBerge, Aaron.........................B1
Stamos, Alex..............................A3
nancial Crimes Enforcement the group said clarification was would be shouldered with the that operates branches in four
Dillon, Mary..............................A10 Lawson, Chris.............................B1 T
Network, known as FinCEN. needed around how the rule new regulations, depending on cities, said the rule as proposed
Donahoe, John...........................A1 Lejuez, Paul.................................B5 Taylor, Gary...............................B12
Thill, Brent.................................B12 Instances where private would apply to investment ad- the types of people involved. At would pose an extraordinary
E Leek, Jay........................................B4
funds and real-estate purchases visers that manage pooled in- the top of the list are profes- cost.
Elefant, Ken................................B4
Lorenzen, Megan....................B5 V
Engel, Samuel..........................A11 M Venditti, Andreas...................B5
Ermotti, Sergio.........................B5 McMullen, Rodney................B3 Vestberg, Hans.........................B4
W
F
Fakhry, Nael.................................B1
Friend, Matt.............................A10
G
Morenzoni, Naomi.................B5
Musk, Elon....................................B1
N
Naylor, Robert...........................B3
Wallje-Lund, Kicki..................B4
Y
Ying, Joel.......................................B2
China Exports Threaten Green Firm
Gilbert, Dan..................................A1 O Z
Glendinning, Stewart..........B3 O’Neill, Heidi............................A10 Zuckerberg, Mark.................B12 BY MATTHEW DALTON Exports of solar panels Exports of solar panels Electric-vehicle exports from
and cells from Malaysia, and cells from China China to the European Union
PARIS—French solar-panel Vietnam, Thailand and to the European Union
company Photowatt once
Tesla Stock choices and Musk’s foray into
politics. For those reasons, he
is considering selling shares for
powered Europe’s ambition to
become a renewables manu-
Cambodia to the U.S.
50 gigawatts 5 million metric tons 500,000
and sell them with the hope of hanging by a thread, a potent 20 2 200,000
Continued from page B1 profiting by buying the stock symbol of the West’s struggles
also has delayed deliveries of back at a lower price later. The to fend off fierce competition
its much-awaited Cybertruck rapid increase in the shares from China. 10 1 100,000
and is recalling 3,878 of them during the pandemic was exac- A wave of cheap Chinese
to repair or replace faulty ac- erbated in part by the many exports threatens millions of
celerator pedals. It also re- short sellers who were forced jobs and is stirring fresh fric- 0 0 0
cently unveiled plans to slash to buy back shares to close tion between Beijing and lead- 2018 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 2012 ’15 ’20 ’23 2017 ’20 ’23
more than 10% of its global their losing positions. ers in the U.S. and Europe. Sources: U.S. International Trade Commission (exports to U.S.); Eurostat (exports to European Union)
workforce. This year, they are sitting on Photowatt’s fate, and the deci-
Individual investors, for the collective gains of $8.33 billion, mation of Europe’s solar- vast manufacturing sector. less efficient. doesn’t want to make solar
most part, have been unde- after losing $12.25 billion in panel industry, is a warning to That threatens a repeat of the The bet didn’t work out: panels and is trying to find an
terred. According to estimates 2023, according to data from the U.S., which is now consid- so-called China shock two de- Developers want panels with “industrial partner” for Photo-
from Vanda Research, they S3 Partners. Roughly 4.2% of ering how to protect American cades ago when Chinese ex- the maximum output at the watt. Macron’s government
have poured a net $5.9 billion the stock’s free float is cur- industries from renewed pres- ports flooded global markets lowest cost. this month announced finan-
into Tesla shares this year, rently sold short, up from an sure from China. and destroyed many Western As Photowatt continued to cial incentives for solar-panel
more than any of the other big average of 3.3% at this point Photowatt’s orders have competitors. incur annual losses of tens of production in France. Two
tech stocks in the Magnificent last year, but down from an av- plunged, its customers lured In particular, fears are surg- millions of euros, EDF slashed large factories are in the
Seven. Individual investors also erage of 10% in 2020. away by solar panels imported ing across the West that China purchases of its panels and works but neither has broken
account for a higher share of In the options market, trad- from China at rock-bottom will crush its green industries, sought to shut the company. ground yet.
Tesla’s total trading volume ers are also positioning for fur- prices. Cash infusions from the forcing the U.S. and Europe to But the government of Presi- “We have managed to free
than any of the other big tech ther declines in Tesla shares. French government keep it rely on a geopolitical rival in dent Emmanuel Macron nixed ourselves from dependence on
stocks, according to Nasdaq Some of the most actively alive. Even Photowatt’s state- China for the goods that are that idea. Russian gas and oil. Do we
Data Link. traded Tesla contracts in re- controlled owner, power com- expected to power the low- “EDF wanted to close Pho- want to move to a dependence
Richard Virgilio, a 50-year- cent sessions have been puts pany EDF, has largely stopped carbon economy of the future. towatt,” Jean Castex said in on Chinese photovoltaic pan-
old marketing executive in As- tied to the shares’ slipping to buying its panels in favor of Photowatt makes silicon 2021 when he was the French els?” said French Finance Min-
bury Park, N.J., bought a Tesla $145 or $148, Cboe Global Mar- those made by Chinese compa- wafers that are then assem- prime minister. “We stopped ister Bruno Le Maire. “We
Model Y in early 2020 and later kets data show. Puts give trad- nies. bled into solar cells and pan- them!” must therefore produce solar
plopped $50,000 into Tesla ers the right to sell shares at a “There are fewer and fewer els, one of the few companies These days, EDF says it panels on our territory.”
shares. Although that invest- specific price, by a stated date. of us. We lose skills, work- outside China in that part of
ment is down 50% on paper, They are often used to hedge shops close—it’s hopeless the supply chain. Photowatt
the stock still makes up about positions or bet on a steeper even,” said Emilie Brechbuhl, invested in a wafer technology
two-thirds of his total equity decline. an engineer and union dele- that was supposed to allow it
portfolio. Steven Medeiros, a 20-year- gate at Photowatt. “We aren’t to compete against the Chi-
Tesla’s recent stumble has
made its valuation look more
old student living in Wayne,
N.J., considers himself among
competitors of the Chinese.
We are nonexistent.”
nese. The production process
was less energy-intensive than
Reliability:
attractive, though it remains the Tesla faithful. Beijing is seeking to stimu- the Chinese technology—and
well above the multiples of the
other popular tech stocks.
He started investing in Tesla
in early 2023 with the money
late a flagging economy by
channeling investment into its
thus more environmentally
friendly—but the wafers were
A Standard Our
Tesla trades at about 50 times he received from an injury law-
expected earnings over the suit and later sold about half of Customers Expect.
next 12 months, below its
three-year average of about 70.
The S&P 500’s multiple is 20.
his $100,000 position to pay off
his Tesla Model 3 Long Range.
“It does kind of stink watch-
Tesla and major models in February.
“This is the first time in the
history of the auto market that
“Every time I go onto my Fi-
delity account and look and see
it’s lower and lower, it’s really
ing it fall down, but I’m rela-
tively comfortable still holding
it,” Medeiros said. “I practically
Li Auto Cut such a large-scale price reduc-
tion has occurred,” he said.
Nomura analyst Joel Ying
a killer,” he said.
Virgilio says he hasn’t sold
because many of the things
paid for my entire Tesla with
just the gains that I made with
the Tesla shares. I always think
EV Prices said that the power of price
setting in China has completely
transferred to EV makers, add-
that first attracted him to the about it as if I got a free car ing that other automakers
“laptop on wheels” still hold out of it.” Continued from page B1 “will have to seek changes to
true. Among the features he He plans to sell more if more than 30% so far this year, find their position in a market
likes are Tesla’s dog-mode cli- shares go back above $200 and were down nearly 6% Monday. that’s constantly changing.”
mate controls, self-driving ap- buy if shares dip below $120. The price cuts came as new Li Auto’s price cuts followed
plication and mileage. His car is staying put. “Never data showed that for the first lower-than-expected sales for
But he says he has been would I sell my car,” he said. time, China sold more electric MEGA, its first fully electric
frustrated by the stock de- —Gunjan Banerji and hybrid cars than internal- model, in the first quarter. Li
clines, the company’s design contributed to this article. combustion vehicles. Retail Auto launched the new L6
sales of new-energy cars, model last week and will at-
which include EVs and plug-in tend the Beijing Auto Show
hybrids, made up 50.4% of all starting Thursday.
passenger-vehicle sales in the Tesla earlier this month re-
first two weeks of April, ac- ported its first year-over-year
cording to data the China Pas- decline in quarterly deliveries
senger Car Association re- since 2020, stoking concern
leased over the weekend. about the company’s prospects
Analysts said the price wars this year. The EV maker deliv-
are likely to continue. ered around 387,000 vehicles
CCB International equity an- globally in the first three
alyst Ke Qu forecast growing months of 2024, down 8.5%
and intensified competition in from a year earlier. It was the
the second quarter that will company’s lowest quarterly See how we’ve earned
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
likely continue into the third. performance since the third the trust of our customers
He noted that more than 40 quarter of 2022.
automakers in China have cut The slowdown represents a for more than 170 years.
prices or offered discounts this sharp change of fortunes for
month alone after BYD, the Tesla, whose success opened
world’s top seller of EVs, re- the floodgates for investment
Tesla shares have fallen about 40% so far this year. duced prices by 10% to 15% for in battery-powered vehicles.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | B3
BUSINESS NEWS
The retailer said it received and stores. least 280 stores, he said. billion euros, or $15.99 billion,
a nonbinding letter of intent “Given the expenses associ- Express said it is still serv- confirming a Wall Street Jour-
from a group led by brand- ated with a substantial bricks- ing customers in its stores nal report on April 14.
management firm WHP Global and-mortar presence, and the and online, adding stores CVC, which first announced
for the potential sale of most issues affecting the retail in- slated for closure will launch its IPO plan on April 15, has set
of its remaining stores and dustry as a whole, a signifi- closing sales this week. The a range of €13 to €15 a share. It
operations, subject to a formal cant number” of Express company has about 9,300 em- plans to raise €250 million and
sale process supervised by the stores are underperforming, Express said it plans to close about 95 of its namesake retail ployees, with a full-time staff float on Euronext Amsterdam,
U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wil- the company said. stores, along with roughly 10 of its UpWest stores. of about 2,800. with trading expected to start
mington, Del. The WHP-led Over the past year, Express The company estimates it on Friday.
group includes mall owners reduced its store footprint by winds facing the retail indus- early last year. WHP and Ex- has $97.6 million in outstand- In addition to the new
Simon Property Group and roughly 100 stores, leaving it try, Express is unable to con- press later in the year bought ing gift cards and customer money being raised, certain ex-
Brookfield Properties, both of with 584 stores as it enters tinue operating with its menswear brand Bonobos merchandise credits. It is isting shareholders will be sell-
which teamed up in 2020 to bankruptcy, according to a current store footprint,” Chief from big-box retailer Walmart. seeking court permission to ing 96 million of their shares,
rescue J.C. Penney out of court filing. Express said it is Executive Stewart Glendinning Express has roughly 60 Bono- honor those obligations, but raising up to €1.44 billion.
bankruptcy. possible to shutter more loca- said. The company faces pres- bos locations, called guide said it would no longer accept On April 14, The Wall Street
The Wall Street Journal in tions including those of mens- sures from vendors as well as shops, in which shoppers can gift cards online. Journal reported that CVC was
February reported that Ex- wear seller Bonobos. lenders, he said. get professionally measured. The New York Stock Ex- planning to launch the initial
press was preparing for a debt “Even with the liquidity-en- WHP Global, which is Express plans “to reduce change last month delisted public offering—its second at-
restructuring that could in- hancing solutions the com- backed by private-equity firm the number of guide shops to shares of Express. They are tempt to go public in less than
clude a bankruptcy filing. As pany pursued over the past Ares Management and owns position the Bonobos brand trading at around 90 cents in six months—with a valuation of
of early March, it had roughly several years in response to brands including Toys “R” Us, for a better post-emergence over-the-counter trading on around €13 billion to €15 billion,
$1.3 billion in assets and the distress brought about by Anne Klein, Babies “R” Us and footprint,” Glendinning said in Monday. Shareholders are gen- citing people familiar with the
roughly $1.2 billion in debt, the pandemic and the head- Lotto, took a stake in Express a sworn declaration. erally wiped out in bankruptcy. matter.
The firm pulled a previous
IPO attempt in November, after
Kroger, Albertsons to Sell More Stores in Revised Deal the outbreak of war in the Mid-
dle East weighed on an already
jittery market. Conditions have
since improved, with rallying
stock markets helping fuel a re-
BY BEN GLICKMAN port C&S, the companies said. bound in new listings in Europe
The agreement also gives C&S and the U.S., from companies
Kroger and Albertsons more corporate and office in- such as social-media firm Red-
have agreed to sell more than frastructure. dit and Swiss skin-care special-
160 additional stores in a di- C&S will get a slate of pri- ist Galderma.
vestiture package, a bid to ap- vate-label brands and multiple CVC oversees about €186 bil-
pease competition regulators other supermarket banner lion in investments, spanning
and close their long-pending names. private equity, credit and infra-
merger. Albertsons on Monday re- structure. The company gener-
The companies said on ported that its revenue was ated revenue of €1.09 billion in
ASA FEATHERSTONE, IV FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Monday that they would now roughly flat in the 12 weeks 2023 and adjusted earnings be-
sell 579 stores under a revised ended Feb. 24 at $18.3 billion. fore interest, taxes, deprecia-
deal with C&S Wholesale Gro- Identical sales, which com- tion and amortization of €650
cers, which the companies pares results at the same re- million. It had 1,154 employees
said was an increase of 166 tail locations from day to day, as of Dec. 31.
from the previous deal. Kroger were up 1%, compared with
also agreed to sell its Wash- the 0.9% forecast by analysts NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS AND
ington-based Haggen banner surveyed by FactSet. CREDITORS OF
to C&S. The company’s profit in the NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN
Albertsons and Kroger pre- fiscal fourth quarter fell to On or about February 1, 2024, National
viously said in September they $250.5 million, or 43 cents a Bank of Pakistan commenced the
would sell stores and other as- share, from $311.1 million, or voluntary liquidation of its New York
sets to C&S as they look to as- 54 cents a share, a year ear- branch located at 100 Wall Street,
21st Floor, New York, New York
suage regulatory concerns Kroger’s updated plan would ensure no stores close because of the merger and that all lier. Analysts had expected 41 10005, under the provisions of Section
about their combination, front-line employees are retained, the grocer’s CEO said. An employee at a Kroger store. cents a share in profit. 605.11(c) of the New York Banking
which would be the largest su- Albertsons CEO Vivek San- Law. Upon completion thereof, unless
permarket deal in history. bargaining power. Regulators and Colorado. In those states, merger and that all front-line karan said drags on the com- other arrangements have been made,
The new agreement comes said in the suit that the dives- Kroger will re-banner its re- employees are retained and pany’s results, such as lapping all business related thereto shall
be conducted from National Bank of
after the Federal Trade Com- titure plan didn’t do enough. tained stores after the merger collective-bargaining agree- prior-year food inflation, in- Pakistan’s offices abroad. All inquiries
mission sued to block Kroger’s Under the modified agree- closes. ments preserved. vesting in wages and benefits with respect to the winding-down
$25 billion acquisition of ment, C&S will license the Kroger Chief Executive The new deal also includes and lower government assis- of National Bank of Pakistan’s New
Albertsons, arguing the com- Albertsons banner in Califor- Rodney McMullen said the up- increased distribution capac- tance for customers, would York office should be directed to:
bination would lead to raised nia and Wyoming and the dated plan would ensure no ity and expanded transition become more intense in the Mahmood K. at (646) 893-1199 on or
food prices and hurt workers’ Safeway banner in Arizona stores close because of the services agreements to sup- first half of fiscal 2024. before May 28, 2024.
B4 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
TECHNOLOGY WSJ.com/Tech
Other efforts like geothermal about the industry’s energy Coffee Stain & Friends, and
are also years away from oper- challenges. Amazon recently Middle-earth Enterprises &
ating cheaply at large scales. said it is buying a data center Friends, would be listed in
Exowatt is prioritizing using adjacent to a nuclear power Stockholm. Asmodee Group
components made in the U.S. to plant for $650 million. will focus on tabletop games.
limit its dependence on China Altman is a big investor in The Coffee Stain & Friends
and to qualify for rich subsidies a nuclear-fusion upstart called business will center on free-
in the 2022 climate law. It Helion and a nuclear-fission to-play and premium titles,
could potentially stack tax company called Oklo. Oklo is while Middle-earth Enter- Embracer embarked on an acquisition spree in recent years to build its portfolio,
credits for solar generation and trying to go public by combin- prises & Friends will be re-
energy storage, making the ing with a special-purpose ac- sponsible for developing AAA Net sales of the three new Embracer Group share price isting and new shareholders,”
product ultracheap for custom- quisition company, or SPAC, titles. In the gaming industry, companies in 2023* over the past year said Kicki Wallje-Lund, chair
ers. It is aiming to deploy its also backed by Altman. Some the AAA category represents of Embracer’s board of direc-
Middle-earth Asmodee 60 Swedish kronor
first units for data-center cus- of his bold plans, including big-budget games that are Enterprises & Group
tors.
tomers later this year. raising trillions of dollars to likely to prove hugely popular. Friends Embracer plans to distrib-
14.8B
The company hopes to even- reshape the global semicon- Embracer, which owns in- 14.1B 50 ute shares of Asmodee Group
tually offer electricity as cheap ductor industry, are viewed as tellectual-property rights to and Coffee Stain & Friends as
as 1 cent per kilowatt-hour long shots. games such as “Tomb Raider” a dividend to its current
without subsidies, well below Miami-based Exowatt can and “The Lord of the Rings,” 40 shareholders, while Embracer
the cheapest power available succeed because its module is embarked on an acquisition will be renamed as Middle-
Embracer
today in energy-rich states like much cheaper to deploy due to spree in recent years to build Group
earth Enterprises & Friends.
Texas. It has analyzed data its simplicity, Parvizian said. its portfolio, as engagement 39.7B 30 The group said it had en-
from homebound players shot Swedish kronor tered into a new financing
Watch a Video: Inside the Strategies up during the pandemic. agreement of €900 million,
However, the group 20 equivalent to $959.2 million,
That Made China a Shipbuilding Powerhouse
amassed debt and last year a as part of the Asmodee sepa-
$2 billion strategic partner- ration process to repay debt
ship deal fell through at the 10 and reduce leverage. The As-
last minute. It delayed several Coffee Stain & Friends 10.9B May 2023 ’24 modee listing is expected to
game releases and announced take place within 12 months,
*Excludes divestments and adjusted for acquisitions during 2023; may not sum because of rounding
a comprehensive restructuring Note: 1 Swedish krona = 9.16 cents with Coffee Stain & Friends
to improve cash flow and trim Sources: FactSet (share price); the company (net sales) due to be listed next year.
its debt pile. Barclays analysts wrote in a
The company had initially had also pledged to cut over- its setbacks. Now, the com- research note that while split-
targeted net debt of under 10 head costs by at least 10%. pany hopes to rebuild investor ting Embracer into three
billion Swedish kronor, equiv- Embracer shares surged as support. won’t change the assets, the
alent to $915.5 million, by the much as 18% in early trade in “With this new structure, move would ease short-term
end of the fiscal year ended Stockholm after announcing the three entities will be able debt pressure “by wiping out
ANNIE ZHAO
March 31, 2024, a target it the three-way split plan. The to focus on executing their short-term amortization pay-
subsequently reduced to 8 bil- stock, which closed up 7%, core strategies and leveraging ments. And it does seem likely
lion kronor. Earlier this year, traded at roughly 47 kronor a their own strengths, providing that execution can be more fo-
it said it was unlikely to even year ago, a sign of how the more differentiated and dis- cused and successful over
In 2023, more than half of the world’s reach that target. The group market punished the group for tinct equity stories to both ex- time in this structure.”
commercial shipbuilding came from China.
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Holding to poach advisers and The lender employed 112,842 banks is expected to become listed Swiss wealth managers had 427 billion Swiss francs, or
the assets they managed. people at the end of 2023, visible this year, analyst Ven- suggest the market anticipates $469 billion, in assets under
As a result, competition in around 10,000 fewer employees ditti said. new money inflows to acceler- management at the end of last
the Swiss wealth-management than UBS’s and Credit Suisse’s Quantifying the impact of ate, even if costs go up due to year. The growth UBS expects
market looks set to intensify combined head count a year the Credit Suisse demise on the hiring activity. in wealth management over the
this year, with UBS trying to earlier. Swiss banks remains challeng- For Julius Baer, analysts ex- next five years is the equiva-
win back clients and Swiss pri- “The collapse of Credit ing, as they are reluctant to pect a 50% year-over-year jump lent of adding two wealth man-
vate banks looking to reap the Suisse unleashed an extraordi- disclose the origins of their in net new money for 2024 to agers of Julius Baer’s size.
benefits of their extensive hir- nary race for clients, talent and Sergio Ermotti, chief executive money flows. A total of 211 bil- 18 billion Swiss francs after Since UBS and its smaller
ing. Analysts say there could be market share in the Swiss officer of UBS Group. lion Swiss francs, equivalent to worries about its exposure to Swiss rivals have different pri-
room for both UBS and its banking market,” Ermotti and $231.77 billion, flowed out of Austrian property group orities, the situation could
smaller rivals to grow. UBS Chair Colm Kelleher said annual report. Credit Suisse from October Signa—which filed for insol- work out for both, analyst Ven-
“We have seen client advis- in a letter to shareholders EFG recruited 141 client ad- 2022 to June 2023. vency late in 2023—calmed ditti said. Whereas UBS’s prior-
ers departing from Credit ahead of the bank’s annual gen- visers last year, of which 30% Before Credit Suisse col- down, according to consensus ity is to reduce costs to im-
Suisse; but we have not seen eral meeting. came from Credit Suisse, Chief lapsed, wealthy clients with- estimates provided by Vara Re- prove profitability and
yet the impact they have on the Among the listed Swiss pri- Executive Giorgio Pradelli said drew their money and parked it search. optimize its existing business
banks they joined,” Vontobel vate-wealth managers, Julius at the time of its 2023 results. at Swiss cantonal banks that Likewise, EFG’s net new first, its Swiss rivals will be un-
senior analyst Andreas Venditti Baer hired around 190 former Vontobel said it hired almost are majority-owned by the re- money flows are estimated to der pressure from their share-
said. Credit Suisse relationship man- 60 wealth-management experts gional governments and seen rise to 7.9 billion Swiss francs holders to show the benefits of
The stakes are high as Swiss agers last year, according to its in 2023, but not where they as safe due to an explicit state compared with 6.2 billion Swiss their hiring activity, he said.
B6 | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 * ** THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
MARKETS DIGEST
EQUITIES
Dow Jones Industrial Average S&P 500 Index Nasdaq Composite Index
Last Year ago Last Year ago Last Year ago
38239.98 s 253.58, or 0.67% Trailing P/E ratio 26.58 22.70 5010.60 s 43.37, or 0.87% Trailing P/E ratio * 24.36 18.62 15451.31 s 169.30, or 1.11% Trailing P/E ratio *† 29.72 26.75
High, low, open and close for each P/E estimate * 18.22 17.97 High, low, open and close for each P/E estimate * 20.65 18.92 High, low, open and close for each P/E estimate *† 26.22 26.12
trading day of the past three months. Dividend yield 2.23 2.09 trading day of the past three months. Dividend yield * 1.40 1.67 trading day of the past three months. Dividend yield *† 0.89 0.86
All-time high 39807.37, 03/28/24 All-time high 5254.35, 03/28/24 All-time high: 16442.20, 04/11/24
COMMODITIES wsj.com/market-data/commodities
Metal & Petroleum Futures Aug 256.000 259.500 255.675 258.475 4.975 20,854 June .05788 .05821 .05747 .05781 .00002 265,961 Sept 3013.60 2915.80 2878.00 2902.50 27.20 2
Cattle-Live (CME)-40,000 lbs.; cents per lb. Euro (CME)-€125,000; $ per € Mini Nasdaq 100 (CME)-$20 x index
Contract Open
April 181.900 184.000 181.900 183.825 2.350 4,802 May 1.0667 1.0680 1.0633 1.0668 .0008 2,960 June 17228.25 17448.00 17148.50 17350.00 169.25 264,890
Open High hi lo Low Settle Chg interest
June 176.700 178.800 176.675 178.050 2.375 113,025 June 1.0678 1.0695 1.0649 1.0684 .0008 661,202 Sept 17420.25 17667.25 17367.50 17569.00 170.75 3,042
Copper-High (CMX)-25,000 lbs.; $ per lb. Hogs-Lean (CME)-40,000 lbs.; cents per lb. Mini Russell 2000 (CME)-$50 x index
April 4.4785 4.4995 4.4720 4.5005 –0.0015 605 May 96.100 97.000 96.000 96.700 .475 6,034 Index Futures June 1966.40 1993.20 1958.70 1982.60 21.40 484,368
July 4.5145 4.5750 s 4.4890 4.5060 –0.0200 135,498 June 104.850 105.925 104.400 105.500 .675 101,551
Mini DJ Industrial Average (CBT)-$5 x index Sept 1988.00 2013.10 1980.10 2003.50 22.30 849
Gold (CMX)-100 troy oz.; $ per troy oz. Lumber (CME)-27,500 bd. ft., $ per 1,000 bd. ft.
April 2383.30 2383.30 2326.90 2332.20 –66.20 171 June 38271 38682 38208 38468 260 95,089 Mini Russell 1000 (CME)-$50 x index
May 511.50 t 502.50
519.50 514.50 7.50 5,241 June 2754.50 2780.30 2741.10 2763.90 22.90 6,073
May 2391.50 2391.50 2327.30 2334.60 –66.80 2,120 Sept 38684 39052 38580 38848 269 330
July 525.00 t 512.00
531.00 527.50 5.50 3,438 U.S. Dollar Index (ICE-US)-$1,000 x index
June 2403.70 2404.30 2338.20 2346.40 –67.40 416,254 Milk (CME)-200,000 lbs., cents per lb. Mini S&P 500 (CME)-$50 x index
June 5014.25 5076.75 5006.00 5047.50 43.75 2,080,120 June 105.89 106.24 105.83 105.91 –.07 45,233
Aug 2425.40 2428.90 2359.90 2368.10 –68.00 59,707 April 15.57 15.58 15.55 15.58 .01 5,106
Sept 5073.00 5133.25 5062.50 5104.00 44.25 17,781 Sept 105.46 105.76 105.45 105.53 –.08 506
Oct 2448.50 2448.50 2382.40 2389.70 –68.60 12,743 May 17.86 18.39 s 17.75 18.38 .58 5,199
Dec 2466.00 2474.40 2403.70 2411.60 –69.30 21,703 Cocoa (ICE-US)-10 metric tons; $ per ton. Mini S&P Midcap 400 (CME)-$100 x index
Palladium (NYM) - 50 troy oz.; $ per troy oz. May 11,967 12,136 10,929 11,166 –712 4,789 June 2865.30 2899.40 2852.00 2883.10 27.20 35,430 Source: FactSet
April 995.00 999.00 990.00 1014.70 –10.80 3 July 11,500 11,657 10,889 11,064 –397 54,380
June 1034.00 1035.50 1006.00 1015.60 –10.80 19,820 Coffee (ICE-US)-37,500 lbs.; cents per lb.
Platinum (NYM)-50 troy oz.; $ per troy oz.
922.20 –11.90
May 240.95 240.95 229.80 231.65 –9.75 2,333 Bonds | wsj.com/market-data/bonds/benchmarks
April 944.10 944.10 943.30 3 July 231.50 234.50 223.50 227.65 –4.20 123,250
July 944.00 946.90 925.60 931.30 –12.50 72,095 Sugar-World (ICE-US)-112,000 lbs.; cents per lb.
Silver (CMX)-5,000 troy oz.; $ per troy oz. May 19.88 20.15 19.71 19.80 .07 87,727 Tracking Bond Benchmarks
April 28.505 28.510 28.215 27.213 –1.595 12 July 19.68 19.92 19.53 19.61 .11 323,877
July 29.060 29.070 27.430 27.521 –1.607 89,624 Sugar-Domestic (ICE-US)-112,000 lbs.; cents per lb. Return on investment and spreads over Treasurys and/or yields paid to investors compared with 52-week
Crude Oil, Light Sweet (NYM)-1,000 bbls.; $ per bbl. July 38.95 38.95 38.95 38.95 … 1,558 highs and lows for different types of bonds
May 83.05 83.49 81.85 82.85 –0.29 23,454 Sept 38.50 38.50 38.50 38.49 –.46 2,130 Total Total
June 81.84 82.29 80.70 81.90 –0.32 401,736 Cotton (ICE-US)-50,000 lbs.; cents per lb. return YTD total Yield (%) return YTD total Yield (%)
July 81.00 81.57 80.09 81.21 –0.37 214,121 May 78.80 80.36 78.78 80.04 1.35 3,197 close return (%) Index Latest Low High close return (%) Index Latest Low High
Aug 80.49 80.80 79.42 80.49 –0.39 108,284 July 81.12 82.58 81.06 82.42 1.40 99,907
Broad Market Bloomberg Fixed Income Indices Mortgage-Backed Bloomberg Fixed Income Indices
Sept 79.65 79.98 78.68 79.73 –0.40 125,552 Orange Juice (ICE-US)-15,000 lbs.; cents per lb.
Dec 77.55 77.75 76.59 77.58 –0.38 185,985 May 359.65 367.70 359.05 367.75 10.00 2,281 1958.36 -3.7 Mortgage-Backed 5.500 4.350 6.050
July 363.75 370.00 362.25 369.70 8.30 5,469
1995.86 -3.1 U.S. Aggregate 5.250 4.240 5.740
NY Harbor ULSD (NYM)-42,000 gal.; $ per gal.
May 2.5369 2.5705 2.5034 2.5604 .0191 35,704 U.S. Corporate Indexes Bloomberg Fixed Income Indices 1938.93 -3.5 Ginnie Mae (GNMA) 5.480 4.390 6.020
June 2.5498 2.5770 2.5123 2.5679 .0173 87,412 Interest Rate Futures -3.8 Fannie mae (FNMA) 5.500 4.340 6.050
3029.74 -2.8 U.S. Corporate 5.700 5.020 6.430 1149.83
Gasoline-NY RBOB (NYM)-42,000 gal.; $ per gal. Ultra Treasury Bonds (CBT) - $100,000; pts 32nds of 100%
May 2.7089 2.7150 2.6649 2.6854 –.0249 64,854 June 120-270 121-040 120-060 120-280 –5.0 1,616,583 2958.41 -1.1 Intermediate 5.620 4.920 6.350 1787.66 -2.9 Freddie Mac (FHLMC) 5.440 4.320 6.190
June 2.6828 2.6877 2.6407 2.6630 –.0204 118,625 Sept 120-280 121-100 120-190 120-260 –16.0 43
Natural Gas (NYM)-10,000 MMBtu.; $ per MMBtu. 3950.46 -6.2 Long term 5.860 5.160 6.600 579.81 -1.4 Muni Master 3.556 3.038 4.311
Treasury Bonds (CBT)-$100,000; pts 32nds of 100%
May 1.765 1.800 1.721 1.791 .039 66,032 June 114-120 114-220 113-310 114-170 –3.0 1,551,228 -3.8 412.02 -1.6 7-12 year 3.217 2.709 4.097
574.51 Double-A-rated 5.270 4.380 5.760
June 1.988 2.072 1.961 2.065 .077 268,328 Sept 114-180 114-220 114-010 114-190 –3.0 1,026
July 2.309 2.388 2.290 2.378 .063 258,519 Treasury Notes (CBT)-$100,000; pts 32nds of 100% 816.49 -2.5 Triple-B-rated 5.900 5.250 6.700 468.28 -1.6 12-22 year 3.823 3.388 4.742
Sept 2.427 2.488 2.401 2.480 .054 143,711 June 107-220 107-310 107-175 107-275 –1.5 4,467,915
Sept 107-310 108-065 107-265 108-035 –1.5 2,471 High Yield Bonds ICE BofA 441.86 -1.6 22-plus year 4.398 4.070 5.274
Oct 2.532 2.588 2.508 2.581 .050 105,462
Jan'25 3.735 3.793 3.728 3.788 .037 84,831 5 Yr. Treasury Notes (CBT)-$100,000; pts 32nds of 100% 526.16 0.1 High Yield Constrained 8.210 7.620 9.560 Global Government J.P. Morgan†
June 104-290 105-040 104-270 105-015 –.5 5,942,650
Sept 105-080 105-137 105-062 105-117 –.7 8,855 511.57 0.9 Triple-C-rated 13.472 12.616 15.455 530.83 -2.4 Global Government 3.520 2.790 3.810
Agriculture Futures 2 Yr. Treasury Notes (CBT)-$200,000; pts 32nds of 100%
Corn (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. June 101-150 101-179 101-141 101-167 … 4,011,527 3537.38 -0.1 High Yield 100 7.733 7.030 9.101 781.44 -2.6 Canada 3.770 2.940 4.260
May 432.25 441.00 431.00 439.60 6.25 259,237 Sept 101-250 101-265 101-239 101-261 … 519
30 Day Federal Funds (CBT)-$5,000,000; 100 - daily avg. 460.26 0.9 Global High Yield Constrained 8.021 7.552 9.440 350.90 -1.5 EMU§ 3.162 2.669 3.790
July 441.50 451.25 439.75 449.60 6.75 601,214
Oats (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. April 94.6700 94.6725 t 94.6700 94.6700 490,566 -2.3 France 3.120 2.540 3.630
351.39 1.5 Europe High Yield Constrained 6.617 6.207 8.022 645.03
May 357.00 365.25 353.50 362.40 3.75 1,321 May 94.6800 94.6800 94.6750 94.6750 –.0050 463,307
July 348.75 355.00 346.50 352.60 3.75 2,283
Three-Month SOFR (CME)-$1,000,000; 100 - daily avg. U.S Agency Bloomberg Fixed Income Indices 456.30 -2.4 Germany 2.580 2.020 3.030
Feb 94.6575 94.6575 94.6575 94.6525 –.0050 4,952
Soybeans (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. Dec 95.0450 95.0800 95.0200 95.0650 1,218,447 1764.75 -0.9 U.S Agency 5.140 4.150 5.390 273.97 -1.8 Japan 1.270 0.710 1.300
May 1147.75 1167.00 1144.50 1161.00 10.50 164,514
July 1162.50 1182.25 1159.75 1176.40 10.75 366,200 1565.24 -0.5 10-20 years 5.130 4.130 5.370 496.04 -2.6 Netherlands 2.790 2.260 3.320
Soybean Meal (CBT)-100 tons; $ per ton. Currency Futures
May 342.50 346.70 338.90 344.30 .60 83,922 Japanese Yen (CME)-¥12,500,000; $ per 100¥ 3263.79 -5.3 20-plus years 5.200 4.390 5.740 782.36 -3.7 U.K. 4.440 3.790 4.880
July 341.90 346.70 338.30 344.80 1.60 232,585 May .6489 t .6493
.6479 .6480 –.0011 3,163 2668.73 -2.0 Yankee 5.540 4.720 6.110 844.61 -0.5 Emerging Markets ** 7.567 7.205 8.842
Soybean Oil (CBT)-60,000 lbs.; cents per lb. June .6527 t .6529
.6514 .6516 –.0011 329,687
May 44.47 45.50 44.36 45.04 .66 88,243 Canadian Dollar (CME)-CAD 100,000; $ per CAD *Constrained indexes limit individual issuer concentrations to 2%; the High Yield 100 are the 100 largest bonds † In local currency § Euro-zone bonds
July 45.00 46.12 44.91 45.66 .72 250,154 May .7276 .7308 .7274 .7305 .0031 348 ** EMBI Global Index Sources: ICE Data Services; Bloomberg Fixed Income Indices; J.P.Morgan
Rough Rice (CBT)-2,000 cwt.; $ per cwt. June .7282 .7313 .7278 .7309 .0031 224,613
May 18.89 19.21 18.50 18.97 –.04 1,400 British Pound (CME)-£62,500; $ per £
July 19.04 19.40 18.69 19.20 .06 4,148
May
June
1.2369
1.2375
1.2392
1.2396
t 1.2301
t 1.2303
1.2360
1.2363
–.0009 736
–.0009 232,888
Global Government Bonds: Mapping Yields
Wheat (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. Swiss Franc (CME)-CHF 125,000; $ per CHF
May 549.00 579.50 548.75 570.20 20.00 52,795 Yields and spreads over or under U.S. Treasurys on benchmark two-year and 10-year government bonds in
June 1.1059 1.1061 1.1030 1.1048 –.0013 92,837
July 565.75 595.75 565.50 587.50 20.75 212,355
Sept 1.1219 1.1177 1.1148 1.1164 –.0013 399 selected other countries; arrows indicate whether the yield rose(s) or fell (t) in the latest session
Wheat (KC)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. Australian Dollar (CME)-AUD 100,000; $ per AUD
May 580.75 606.75 580.25 597.50 16.00 27,858 May .6428 .6459 .6419 .6456 .0035 1,066 Country/ Yield (%) Spread Under/Over U.S. Treasurys, in basis points
July 583.00 609.25 581.75 602.50 19.50 140,133 June .6430 .6467 .6425 .6463 .0035 238,743 Coupon (%) Maturity, in years Latest(l) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Previous Month ago Year ago Latest Prev Year ago
Cattle-Feeder (CME)-50,000 lbs.; cents per lb. Mexican Peso (CME)-MXN 500,000; $ per MXN 4.500 U.S. 2 4.969 l 4.969 4.598 4.188
April 242.000 242.975 241.725 242.900 1.575 2,072 May .05819 .05854 .05784 .05814 .00002 10 4.000 10 4.622 s l 4.613 4.217 3.570
4.250 Australia 2 3.943 s l 3.886 3.828 3.163 -103.7 -111.3 -101.3
3.750 10 4.330 s l 4.267 4.047 3.469 -29.5 -35.9 -10.8
Cash Prices | wsj.com/market-data/commodities Monday, April 22, 2024 2.500 France 2 2.982 t l 3.036 2.804 3.055 -199.9 -196.3 -112.0
These prices reflect buying and selling of a variety of actual or “physical” commodities in the marketplace—separate 3.500 10 2.991 t l 3.018 2.795 3.050 -163.5 -160.8 -52.7
from the futures price on an exchange, which reflects what the commodity might be worth in future months. 2.500 Germany 2 2.969 t l 3.013 2.821 2.927 -201.1 -198.6 -124.8
Monday Monday Monday 2.200 10 2.489 t l 2.506 2.325 2.484 -213.6 -212.0 -109.3
Copper,Comex spot 4.5005 Wheat,No.2 soft red,St.Louis-u 5.6275
Energy Iron Ore, 62% Fe CFR China-s *117.5 Wheat - Hard - KC (USDA) $ per bu-u 6.3650
3.600 Italy 2 3.494 t l 3.567 3.387 3.494 -148.6 -143.2 -68.2
Coal,C.Aplc.,12500Btu,1.2SO2-r,w 72.500 Steel, HRC USA, FOB Midwest Mill-s *830.0 Wheat,No.1soft white,Portld,OR-u 5.8000 4.200 10 3.820 t l 3.897 3.635 4.364 -80.5 -72.9 78.7
Coal,PwdrRvrBsn,8800Btu,0.8SO2-r,w 13.750 Battery/EV metals Food
BMI Lithium Carbonate, EXW China, =99.2%-v,w 15250 0.200 Japan 2 0.286 s l 0.263 0.206 -0.039 -469.4 -473.6 -421.4
Metals BMI Lithium Hydroxide, EXW China, =56.5% -v,w 13650 Beef,carcass equiv. index 0.800 10 0.886 s l 0.837 0.744 0.462 -378.9 -311.4
-373.9
Gold, per troy oz BMI Cobalt sulphate, EXW China, >20.5% -v,m 4485 choice 1-3,600-900 lbs.-u 280.39
BMI Nickel Sulphate, EXW China, >22%-v,m 4192 select 1-3,600-900 lbs.-u 274.14 2.800 Spain 2 3.139 t l 3.203 2.989 3.174 -184.1 -179.6 -100.1
Engelhard industrial 2340.00
Handy & Harman base 2334.95 BMIFlakeGraphite,FOBChina,-100Mesh,94-95%-v,m 485 Broilers, National comp wtd. avg.-u,w 1.3208 3.250 10 3.267 t l 3.319 3.159 3.524 -135.8 -130.7 -5.2
2591.80 Butter,AA Chicago-d 3.0000
Handy & Harman fabricated Fibers and Textiles Cheddar cheese,bbl,Chicago-d 177.00 0.125 U.K. 2 4.336 t l 4.367 4.144 3.747 -64.4 -63.2 -42.9
LBMA Gold Price AM *2381.80
*2379.70 Burlap,10-oz,40-inch NY yd-n,w 0.8000 Cheddar cheese,blk,Chicago-d 176.00 4.250 10 4.204 t l 4.230 4.037 3.759 -39.6 18.2
LBMA Gold Price PM
Milk,Nonfat dry,Chicago lb.-d 112.00
-42.1
Krugerrand,wholesale-e 2441.81 Cotton,1 1/16 std lw-mdMphs-u 0.7817
Cotlook 'A' Index-t *86.55 Coffee,Brazilian,Comp-y 2.3086 Source: Tullett Prebon, Tradeweb ICE U.S. Treasury Close
Maple Leaf-e 2465.28
Hides,hvy native steers piece fob-u n.a. Coffee,Colombian, NY-y 2.5542
American Eagle-e 2465.28
Wool,64s,staple,Terr del-u,w n.a. Eggs,large white,Chicago-u 2.4150
2838.85
Mexican peso-e
Austria crown-e 2304.40 Grains and Feeds
Flour,hard winter KC-p 17.30 Corporate Debt
Hams,17-20 lbs,Mid-US fob-u n.a.
Austria phil-e 2465.28
Hogs,Iowa-So. Minnesota-u 88.66 Prices of firms' bonds reflect factors including investors' economic, sectoral and company-specific
Silver, troy oz. Bran,wheat middlings, KC-u,w 75
Corn,No. 2 yellow,Cent IL-bp,u 4.1500 Pork bellies,12-14 lb MidUS-u n.a. expectations
Engelhard industrial 27.4000 Pork loins,13-19 lb MidUS-u 1.2714
Corn gluten feed,Midwest-u,w 89.7 Investment-grade spreads that tightened the most…
Handy & Harman base 27.2200 Corn gluten meal,Midwest-u,w 398.9 Steers,Tex.-Okla. Choice-u 182.00
Handy & Harman fabricated 34.0250 Cottonseed meal-u,w n.a. Steers,feeder,Okla. City-u,w 290.75 Spread*, in basis points
LBMA spot price *£22.7100 Hominy feed,Cent IL-u,w 115
Issuer Symbol Coupon (%) Yield (%) Maturity Current One-day change Last week
(U.S.$ equivalent) *28.2400 Fats and Oils
Meat-bonemeal,50% pro Mnpls-u,w 320 –61
Coins,wholesale $1,000 face-a 21552 n.a.
Toronto–Dominion Bank TD 4.994 5.43 April 5, ’29 78 81
Oats,No.2 milling,Mnpls-u 4.3250 Degummed corn oil, crude wtd. avg.-u,w
Other metals Rice, Long Grain Milled, No. 2 AR-u,w 36.25 Grease,choice white,Chicago-h 0.4100 Ares Capital ARCC 7.000 6.19 Jan. 15, ’27 139 –56 n.a.
LBMA Platinum Price PM *930.0 Sorghum,(Milo) No.2 Gulf-u n.a. Lard,Chicago-u n.a.
Platinum,Engelhard industrial 932.0 SoybeanMeal,Cent IL,rail,ton48%-u,w 357.70 Soybean oil,crude;Centl IL-u,w 0.4438 Morgan Stanley MS 3.950 5.55 April 23, ’27 74 –44 73
Palladium,Engelhard industrial 1025.0 Soybeans,No.1 yllw IL-bp,u 11.4000 Tallow,bleach;Chicago-h 0.4350 Toyota Motor Credit … 5.000 5.21 March 19, ’27 41 –44 46
Aluminum, LME, $ per metric ton *2645.5 Wheat,Spring14%-pro Mnpls-u 8.2575 Tallow,edible,Chicago-u n.a.
UnitedHealth UNH 3.850 5.20 June 15, ’28 53 –35 51
KEY TO CODES: A=ask; B=bid; BP=country elevator bids to producers; C=corrected; D=CME; E=Manfra,Tordella & Brookes; H=American Commodities Brokerage Co;
K=bi-weekly; M=monthly; N=nominal; n.a.=not quoted or not available; P=Sosland Publishing; R=SNL Energy; S=Platts-TSI; T=Cotlook Limited; U=USDA; V=Benchmark Royal Bank of Canada RY 5.000 5.42 May 2, ’33 80 –34 n.a.
Mineral Intelligence; W=weekly; Y=International Coffee Organization; Z=not quoted. *Data as of 4/19
Source: Dow Jones Market Data Astrazeneca AZN 4.000 5.59 Sept. 18, ’42 75 –32 n.a.
Aramark ARMK 32.25 0.38 CDW CDW 237.64 1.86 Corpay CPAY 300.90 6.61 F5 FFIV 179.55 2.22 ICICI Bank IBN 26.11 0.43 M&T Bank MTB 145.68 2.30 OntoInnovation ONTO 170.77 1.38 RyanSpecialty RYAN 51.52 0.30 Textron TXT 93.77 0.47 Xylem XYL 128.98 1.14
ArcelorMittal MT 25.81 0.42 CF Industries CF 78.80 -0.67 Corteva CTVA 55.20 0.40 FMC FMC 58.25 0.43 IdexxLab IDXX 479.57 3.22 MGM Resorts MGM 42.43 0.01 OpenText OTEX 35.45 0.40 Ryanair RYAAY 140.78 1.90 ThermoFisher TMO 548.38 3.60 YPF YPF 20.79 1.45
ArchCapital ACGL 93.85 0.92 CGI A GIB 105.89 1.88 CoStar CSGP 85.31 1.05 FTI Consulting FCN 211.73 0.48 ING Groep ING 16.41 0.21 MKS Instrum MKSI 109.72 1.55 Oracle ORCL 114.53 -0.35 SAP SAP 178.18 2.41 ThomsonReuters TRI 152.99 2.77 Yum!Brands YUM 139.06 0.56
ADM ADM 62.50 -0.10 CH Robinson CHRW 70.76 -0.46 Costco COST 715.46 5.95 FactSet FDS 438.43 4.41 IQVIA IQV 231.34 3.25 MPLX MPLX 41.19 0.51 Orange ORAN 11.78 0.27 S&P Global SPGI 416.93 4.37 3M MMM 92.62 0.35 YumChina YUMC 37.23 0.13
AresMgmt ARES 132.01 2.48 CME Group CME 215.48 2.44 CoterraEnergy CTRA 27.94 0.19 FairIsaac FICO 1150.66 20.60 ITT ITT 125.75 0.79 MSA Safety MSA 187.72 2.34 Orix IX 103.76 2.32 SBA Comm SBAC 196.80 0.74 Toast TOST 22.15 0.53 ZTO Express ZTO 20.10 0.16
argenx ARGX 368.75 8.52 CMS Energy CMS 60.00 0.45 Coty COTY 11.28 0.13 Fastenal FAST 67.45 -0.12 IcahnEnterprises IEP 16.67 -0.33 MSCI MSCI 515.17 5.10 Oshkosh OSK 119.59 1.87 SEI Investments SEIC 66.95 0.82 TollBros TOL 113.81 1.60 ZebraTech ZBRA 271.63 3.56
AristaNetworks ANET 245.47 -0.62 CNA Fin CNA 44.56 0.12 Coupang CPNG 22.46 0.45 FederalRealty FRT 101.14 1.37 Icon ICLR 297.93 9.70 MagnaIntl MGA 49.31 0.97 OtisWorldwide OTIS 96.29 1.18 SK Telecom SKM 20.49 0.37 TopBuild BLD 384.66 0.34 Zillow C Z 42.24 0.42
Arm ARM 93.11 5.92 CNH Indl CNHI 11.50 -0.81 Crane CR 130.73 1.25 FedEx FDX 270.15 3.16 IDEX IEX 229.89 2.85 ManhattanAssoc MANH 228.32 1.98 Ovintiv OVV 52.18 0.20 SS&C Tech SSNC 61.23 0.41 Toro TTC 86.28 1.17 Zillow A ZG 41.51 0.47
AscendisPharma ASND 142.10 1.93 CRH CRH 77.60 0.55 Credicorp BAP 167.24 2.22 Ferguson FERG 208.19 -0.61 IllinoisToolWks ITW 249.96 -0.50 ManulifeFinl MFC 23.46 0.39 OwensCorning OC 164.44 4.33 Saia SAIA 522.62 5.11 TorontoDomBk TD 58.56 0.47 ZimmerBiomet ZBH 120.78 1.35
AspenTech AZPN 197.08 -1.39 CSX CSX 34.62 0.28 Crocs CROX 125.38 4.84 Ferrari RACE 410.27 4.22 Illumina ILMN 120.25 2.82 Maplebear CART 36.09 0.86 PDD PDD 124.14 10.65 Salesforce CRM 273.81 3.44 TotalEnergies TTE 72.59 0.54 t Zoetis ZTS 145.54 -0.96
Assurant AIZ 174.60 0.77 CVS Health CVS 69.63 -0.12 CrowdStrike CRWD 289.15 6.51 FidNatlFinl FNF 49.44 0.67 ImperialOil IMO 70.44 1.00 MarathonOil MRO 27.65 0.15 PG&E PCG 16.95 0.10 Samsara IOT 31.35 1.20 ToyotaMotor TM 230.30 1.58 ZoomVideo ZM 59.54 0.09
AsteraLabs ALAB 65.79 1.30 CadenceDesign CDNS 285.02 4.77 CrownCastle CCI 95.08 -0.12 FidNatlInfo FIS 71.30 0.57 Incyte INCY 51.92 -0.43 MarathonPetrol MPC 198.25 1.87 PNC Finl PNC 155.93 3.63 Sanofi SNY 47.15 0.85 TractorSupply TSCO 253.38 0.59 Zscaler ZS 170.97 1.76
Closing Chg YTD iSh MSCI EM EEM 40.14 1.08 –0.2 JPM EqPrem JEPI 55.92 0.85 1.7 SPDR S&P Div SDY 127.72 0.73 2.2 VangdLC VV 229.33 0.91 5.1
Monday, April 22, 2024
ETF Symbol Price (%) (%) iShNatlMuniBd MUB 106.57 0.09 –1.7 JPM UltShIncm JPST 50.36 0.04 0.3 TechSelectSector XLK 194.25 0.89 0.9 VangdMegaGrwth MGK 270.48 0.99 4.2
Closing Chg YTD iSh1-5YIGCpBd IGSB 50.77 0.14 –1.0 PacerUSCashCows COWZ 55.37 0.38 6.5 VangdMC VO 236.89 0.81 1.8
VanEckSemicon SMH 203.02 1.91 16.1
ETF Symbol Price (%) (%) iShCoreMSCIEM IEMG 50.53 1.00 –0.1 iSh1-3YTreaBd SHY 81.21 0.05 –1.0 ProShUltPrQQQ TQQQ 50.92 2.91 0.4 VangdRealEst VNQ 79.70 0.89 –9.8
VangdSC Val VBR 180.91 0.93 0.5
CommSvsSPDR XLC 79.58 0.14 9.5 iShCoreMSCITotInt IXUS 65.80 1.08 1.3 iShRussMC IWR 79.38 0.92 2.1 SPDRBbg1-3MTB BIL 91.70 0.02 0.3 VangdRuss1000Grw VONG 82.15 0.95 5.3
VangdExtMkt VXF 163.53 1.06 –0.5
CnsmrDiscSel XLY 170.51 0.44 –4.6 iShCoreS&P500 IVV 502.12 0.92 5.1 iShRuss1000 IWB 274.74 0.93 4.8 SPDR DJIA Tr DIA 382.37 0.68 1.5 VangdS&P500ETF VOO 459.05 0.87 5.1
VangdSC Grwth VBK 240.40 1.17 –0.6
DimenUSCoreEq2 DFAC 30.37 0.93 3.9 iShCoreS&P MC IJH 57.16 1.03 3.1 iShRuss1000Grw IWF 319.30 1.00 5.3 SPDR Gold GLD 215.57 –2.47 12.8 VangdST Bond BSV 75.93 0.07 –1.4
VangdDivApp VIG 175.50 0.78 3.0
EnSelSectorSPDR XLE 95.59 0.65 14.0 iShCoreS&P SC IJR 104.11 0.86 –3.8 iShRuss1000Val IWD 171.98 0.84 4.1 SPDRPtfDevxUS SPDW 34.59 1.14 1.7 VangdSTCpBd VCSH 76.53 0.13 –1.1
VangdFTSEAWxUS VEU 56.84 1.10 1.2
FinSelSectorSPDR XLF 40.87 1.21 8.7 iShCoreS&PTotUS ITOT 109.82 0.96 4.4 iShRuss2000 IWM 195.30 1.12 –2.7 SPDRS&P500Value SPYV 48.21 0.77 3.4 VangdShortTrea VGSH 57.68 0.03 –1.1
iShCoreTotUSDBd IUSB 44.50 0.14 –3.4 VangdFTSEDevMk VEA 48.38 1.09 1.0
GrayscaleBitcoin GBTC 59.26 3.40 71.2 iShS&P500Grw IVW 80.12 1.02 6.7 SPDRPtfS&P500 SPLG 58.78 0.93 5.2 VangdSC VB 213.54 1.03 0.1
iShCoreUSAggBd AGG 95.44 0.06 –3.8 VangdFTSE EM VWO 41.24 0.86 0.3
HealthCrSelSect XLV 139.48 0.38 2.3 iShS&P500Value IVE 179.71 0.74 3.3 SPDRS&P500Growth SPYG 69.39 0.99 6.7 VangdTaxExemptBd VTEB 49.97 ... –2.1
0.76 iShEdgeMSCIMinUSA USMV 80.87 0.46 3.6 VangdFTSE Europe VGK 65.40 1.11 1.4
IndSelSectorSPDR XLI 121.38 6.5 iShSelectDiv DVY 119.67 0.82 2.1 SPDR S&P 500 SPY 499.72 0.92 5.1 VangdTotalBd BND 70.82 0.04 –3.7
InvscNasd100 QQQM 172.35 1.01 2.3 iShEdgeMSCIUSAQual QUAL 155.88 0.85 5.9 iSh7-10YTreaBd IEF 91.75 0.01 –4.8 SchwabIntEquity SCHF 37.63 1.13 1.8 VangdGrowth VUG 325.61 0.98 4.7 VangdTotIntlBd BNDX 48.65 0.12 –1.4
InvscQQQI QQQ 418.82 1.01 2.3 iShGoldTr IAU 44.04 –2.44 12.8 iShShortTreaBd SHV 110.36 0.01 0.2 SchwabUS BrdMkt SCHB 58.13 0.97 4.4 VangdHlthCr VHT 254.53 0.47 1.5 VangdTotIntlStk VXUS 58.49 1.04 0.9
InvscS&P500EW RSP 161.03 0.76 2.0 iShiBoxx$IGCpBd LQD 105.27 0.25 –4.9 iShTIPSBond TIP 105.79 0.01 –1.6 SchwabUS Div SCHD 77.24 0.77 1.5 VangdHiDiv VYM 116.95 0.87 4.8 VangdTotalStk VTI 247.64 0.98 4.4
iShBitcoin IBIT 37.93 3.44 ... iShMBS MBB 89.79 0.07 –4.6 iSh20+YTreaBd TLT 89.00 –0.17 –10.0 SchwabUS LC SCHX 59.16 0.78 4.9 VangdInfoTech VGT 486.46 1.37 0.5 VangdTotWrldStk VT 105.92 0.93 3.0
iShCoreDivGrowth DGRO 56.17 0.83 4.4 iShMSCIACWI ACWI 105.60 1.01 3.8 iShUSTreasuryBd GOVT 22.21 ... –3.6 SchwabUS LC Grw SCHG 87.87 0.95 5.9 VangdIntrCorpBd VCIT 78.41 0.22 –3.5 VangdValue VTV 157.07 0.71 5.1
iShCoreMSCIEAFE IEFA 71.57 1.12 1.7 iShMSCI EAFE EFA 77.01 1.17 2.2 iSh0-3MTreaBd SGOV 100.60 0.01 0.3 SPDR S&PMdCpTr MDY 523.50 1.01 3.2 VangdIntermTrea VGIT 57.30 0.03 –3.4 WT FRTrea USFR 50.50 0.04 0.5
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
40. Research any environmental factors and risks that that agent is representing their interests, so you may want
Get Informed - Do Your Research could affect your home, such as flooding, wildfire, heat, to participate in those calls to negotiate on your behalf.
1. Research the real estate industry and legal services to air quality, and noise. Some of these factors will affect the
understand what’s available to you, including the entire cost of ownership. For example, if the home you purchase
process and necessity for legal representation. is in a flood zone, you will need to obtain flood insurance. Facilitate Closing
2. Achieve proficiency in federal and state fair housing 41. Narrow down your top home choices for a closer look 74. Coordinate communications effectively among all
laws that protect your rights. You want to be sure that before considering making any offer. parties, including your lender, the seller’s agent, the
you’re not being denied the opportunity to make an closing attorney, and any additional third parties.
offer on a home or secure financing based on your race,
religion, national origin, sex, disability, and/or family Prepare Financing 75. Seek additional guidance for transactions involving
short sales, foreclosures, or bank-owned properties. These
status.
42. Analyze your finances to determine the total down transactions often involve additional title, ownership, and
3. Research local and national down payment assistance payment and closing costs you can afford. financing considerations, and they may be as-is
resources. These programs can help make your home —meaning, the properties may be damaged or require
purchase more affordable. 43. Gather and assess quality lender resources. costs for repairs that the buyer is accepting as a condition
Ask friends and family for recommendations. of purchase.
4. Check your eligibility for down payment assistance
programs. 44. Consider at least three mortgage lenders during 76. Estimate the gross out-of-pocket cost of completing
the pre-approval process. Mortgage rates, terms, and the transaction. This may include, but is not limited to,
5. If you’re a Veteran, research home services and loan eligibility may vary from lender to lender.
programs available to you. closing costs, a title search, financing points (to “pay
45. Familiarize yourself with the mortgage pre-approval down” the mortgage interest rate), and transfer taxes.
6. If you’re a Veteran, determine whether you qualify for process. Pre-approval means that a lender has verified
a zero-down VA home loan. Making a down payment is a 77. Acquaint yourself with flood insurance. If the home
your income, credit background, and other factors and you purchase is in a FEMA-identified flood zone, you must
significant hurdle for many home buyers. Programs like has provided a conditional commitment for an approved
these can open the door to homeownership, for those who obtain flood insurance as a condition of ownership. You
mortgage amount. With pre-approval, your offer will be may also consider adding flood insurance to your regular
know about them and qualify. considered far more seriously. home insurance policy, because most regular policies do
7. Learn about local home prices, inventory levels, and 46. Prepare and collect personal financial information not cover damage from flooding.
market demand in your desired area. If you are in a hotter like pay stubs, credit card statements, and other existing
market, high demand for homes may affect your buying 78. Learn about title insurance, and consult a qualified
loans/debt, and share that information with the lenders insurance broker. Title insurance covers any pre-existing
process and offer strategy. you’re considering. title problems that you may discover after you’ve
8. Ensure that all personal and financial information 47. Collect and compare multiple financing options. purchased the home (e.g., tax liens, unpaid/outstanding
remains confidential to mitigate risk of identity theft. Beyond traditional mortgages, look into lesser-known mortgages, previous ownership claims).
Research the steps that you can take to protect your alternative options like seller financing or rent-to-own
identity when buying a home. 79. Fully investigate your options for a home inspector,
programs. title company, appraiser, and other services. Forgoing
9. Throughout the process, know the risks of posting 48. Explore various financing options to find the best fit a home inspection is not advised as these professional
home search details on social media to avoid being for your needs. Many people use a conventional, fixed-rate inspectors will provide a comprehensive assessment
targeted for fraud. 30-year mortgage, but mortgages with other terms (e.g., of a home’s current condition and risks.
10. Do some research on what home features are 15- and 10-year fixed rate, adjustable rate, and assumable) 80. Create a list of required and optional home
currently popular to help identify your preferences might also be options. inspections, including environmental, roofing, and
and how this may affect the value of the home. 49. Coordinate with your lender to discuss discount mold. This will help you determine what inspection
points, which you can pay to lower the interest rate on contingencies to include in your purchase offer.
your loan. 81. Ensure that necessary property surveys are ordered.
Set Homeownership 50. Analyze loan estimates. Loan duration, size of your A property survey will help you understand where your
Goals and Budget down payment, fees, and other loan terms can affect your property begins and ends, and determine any potential
overall mortgage costs. issues—such as easements or encroachments—before
11. Obtain a copy of your credit report, including your you take ownership of the property.
credit score, to assess where you stand, and ensure you 51. Obtain a pre-approval letter from your lender, which is
have time to dispute errors and improve your score. more comprehensive than pre-qualification. Pre-approval 82. Discuss any concerns arising from the home
The better your credit score, the more likely you are to be is a written commitment from a lender that stipulates the inspection. Use any negative findings from your home
approved for a mortgage and receive a better rate. amount they will lend you for a home purchase. inspection report as leverage for repairs or credits.
12. Consider all your homeownership wants and non- 52. Carefully review the pre-approval letter from your 83. Track and meet all contract deadlines. Depending
negotiable needs. You may need a certain number of lender to understand its contents and ask necessary on the terms of your offer, these may include deadlines
bedrooms based on the size of your family, or a first-floor questions. for inspections, final financing/loan, down payment and
bedroom and bathroom if you plan to age in place. earnest money deposits into escrow, title searches, and
settlement date.
13. Set your budget and be mindful of the complete cost of
homeownership. Consider the purchase cost of the home Making Your Offer 84. Order the appraisal. Confirm whether your lender will
and any ongoing living and maintenance expenses. Those accept an independent appraiser or require an appraisal
53. Review statistics to see what percentage of the list
ongoing expenses may include but are not limited to management company to conduct the appraisal.
price sellers in your area are currently receiving. This will
real estate taxes, heating, AC, water, yard and appliance help you decide whether to offer the asking price, or adjust 85. Question the appraisal report if it affects your
Or, do 1 thing.
maintenance, repairs, homeowners association fees, and your offer below or above the asking price, to make your financing. Check for errors like square footage,
commuting costs. bid more competitive. inadequate home comparisons, or incorrect descriptions
14. Assess your financial ability to purchase a home. of the home or neighborhood.
54. Consider the current, local average days on
The typical rule of thumb is that your total monthly
housing payment (mortgage, taxes, insurance, etc.)
shouldn’t be more than 30% of your gross monthly
the market to gauge property pricing and market
competitiveness. Fewer days on market indicates greater
demand, which means you may need to raise your offer
86. Order the title search. A clean property title means
the buyer and lender agree there are no claims on the
property that could become an issue after ownership
Find a buyer’s
agent.
household income, but individual situations may vary. or offer additional incentives to make your offer more is transferred.
15. Assess your desired market’s compatibility with competitive.
87. Regularly contact your lender to ensure the loan
your budget based on current income and other 55. Pay for a professional comparative market analysis process is on track to meet the closing requirements.
considerations. (CMA) before making an offer to ensure it’s competitive.
A CMA is a report that details recent home sales, local 88. Ensure any necessary funds, like earnest money or
16. Professionally advocate for yourself throughout the down payments, are received by the stated deadlines
market activity, and sales prices to help you craft a
entire process. To do that, you should promote and defend
successful offer. to avoid any risk of the seller terminating your contract. No one is better qualified
your interests while keeping emotions in check to ensure
you get your desired outcome. 56. Research independent home valuation information 89. Ensure all parties have all forms and information to represent your interests
needed to close the sale. Missing or late paperwork can
from online resources like Realtor.com to assess an offer
cause delays. when buying a home than a
price that considers the sale of similar homes in the area.
Start Your Home Search It’s important to make an offer that’s in line with local 90. Check addendums and alterations for agreed-upon professional buyer’s agent.
market conditions. You don’t want to overpay for a home, terms.
17. Establish and adhere to a schedule for house hunting, or make an offer that’s so low it won’t even be considered,
mortgage approval, and closing to meet your desired so it’s good to talk to an independent adviser who has 91. Take note of the location and details of your closing Because they work for you.
timeline. If you miss any milestone deadlines, you could be local market knowledge. meeting.
at risk of losing your down payment or losing the home for They represent your interests
purchase. 57. Consider hiring a real estate lawyer for legal 92. Confirm and communicate the closing date and time
18. Learn how local markets could affect your buying and
representation as you build your offer and for legal due to the seller’s agent, noting any changes. in negotiations with the seller’s
diligence as you review contractual documentation.
owning process. Fewer homes for sale, future development 93. Schedule and conduct a final property walk-through. agent, in probably the biggest
plans, school ratings, access to transportation, and 58. Review a sample sales contract to prepare to make Create a comprehensive checklist of your concerns
community amenities are all elements that may affect an offer. This document outlines every facet of the regarding the home, and then confirm that any agreed- financial decision of your life.
demand in a given market. transaction, but it may not include everything you want upon repairs were addressed or fixed by the seller.
in the transaction or from the seller, so don’t assume
19. Scout listings and online marketplaces for suitable everything is there.
94. Confirm the clear-to-close status, indicating all Is it any surprise that nearly
properties. documents and conditions to approve your loan have
59. Understand common contract contingencies and the been met, with your lender. 9 out of 10** home buyers say
20. Set up real-time alerts on home search marketplaces
to get notifications when matching homes hit the market,
importance of including protective clauses in your offer.
95. Review your closing statement. It explains the terms they’d use a buyer’s agent
These may include but are not limited to your ability to
of the mortgage, the projected monthly payments, and
and for open houses and price reductions. secure financing that covers the appraised home value,
how much your fees and closing costs will be.
when purchasing a home again?
21. Compare properties to your wants and needs list to inspections (home, radon, lead, etc.), closing date, date of
ensure they align with what you’re looking for. possession, and owner lease-back terms. 96. Double-check all taxes, dues, and prorations related
to your purchase.
22. Tap your personal network to uncover additional 60. Learn about any purchasing incentives that you might
properties of interest that are not yet publicly listed and be eligible for. Home sellers may offer concessions like a 97. Request the final closing figures from the closing
may become available for sale soon. pre-paid homeowner warranty, closing costs, or allowance agent. This is the total amount of money that you will have
for home improvements/repairs as indicated by a home to bring to the closing table.
23. Contact homeowners in desired areas to see if they inspection. You will need to negotiate these as your own
are considering selling. representative. 98. Review your title insurance commitment carefully
to ensure all information is accurate.
24. Gather information about any homes that might be 61. Ensure your offer will stand out as the most attractive
for sale but are not actively being marketed. in the current market. Be ready to compete—many homes 99. Be aware of wire fraud risks, and verbally verify
today are receiving multiple offers and bidding wars are all wiring instructions with the seller’s agent before
25. Virtually preview properties that you’re interested in. transferring funds. Get the detailed instructions from
common.
your closing company, and be leery of any messages you
26. Select homes for viewing that align with your specific
62. Craft an offer that is well positioned to be accepted, receive that request changes to the original instructions.
needs.
and submit it to the seller’s agent. An offer typically
includes how much you are willing to pay for the home, 100. Provide receipt of escrow deposit to the seller’s
27. Schedule multiple in-person home viewings by
how much earnest money you can provide, when you want agent/broker to verify this financial step has been
contacting each home’s listing agent. Schedule separate
to close on the home, and the deadline for the seller to completed.
appointments at times that suit the listing agent but may
not always suit you. respond. 101. Gather all required forms and documents for closing.
Typically, you’ll need a photo ID and a cashier’s or certified
28. Periodically reevaluate your needs and refocus your
check (or receipt of a wire transfer).
property search, as necessary.
Negotiations and 102. Perform any remaining closing activities to complete
29. Explore all available resources to learn more about
prospective neighborhoods. Be sure to speak to local Offer Acceptance the transaction.
experts who understand the neighborhood and will give 63. Identify and prioritize your main goals for contract 103. Review all closing documents with the closing agent
you honest feedback. negotiations. or attorney. Be prepared to sign a ton of paperwork.
30. Tour the amenities, schools, and points of interest, and 64. Familiarize yourself with negotiation best practices. 104. Distribute final documents to all involved parties for
test commute times in your chosen search area. Be mindful of how your body language and facial their records. You’ll want to keep this important paperwork
expressions can influence a successful negotiation. safe.
31. Cross-reference local crime registries for the
neighborhoods you are searching. 65. Develop a negotiating strategy to secure the best 105. Verify receipt of all keys, access codes, garage door
terms. In addition to price, consider terms such as repairs, openers, and manuals for all equipment and appliances.
32. Educate yourself on what to look for in property
disclosures of home listings while you search to make closing costs, or the timeline for closing.
informed decisions. Required property disclosures vary 66. Negotiate the best price with the seller’s agent.
by state and may include, but are not limited to rights of The seller’s agent will be negotiating on the homeowner’s Post-Closing Activities
way, upcoming special assessments, whether the home is behalf. You will be negotiating with a professional who 106. Prior to moving, consider rekeying your locks and
in a flood zone, past termite damage, and the presence of likely has extensive experience in this area, and you may changing access codes as an extra precaution to
lead paint. be at a disadvantage. safeguard your home from anyone who may have had
33. Stay current with the listing months of market 67. Be prepared for multiple-offer situations. Don’t get access prior to your ownership.
inventory. As with days on the market, this indicates how discouraged, and have your negotiation strategies ready. 107. Remember to transfer all utilities and services to your
competitive a given market is and should inform your
68. Consider using offer strategies like an escalation new residence so you do not incur costs on your former
offer.
clause, which raises the price you’re offering by a certain residence. This ensures everything is up and running in
34. Consider measures of home value beyond price amount over the price that another buyer is offering; preparation for your move-in date.
per square foot. These include neighborhood, proximity offering flexibility on move-in/possession date; or waiving 108. Turn your home inspection report into a maintenance
to work and community amenities, and community various contingencies. to-do list.
development plans. Be sure to consult with a local expert
to get the most comprehensive information. 69. Explore optional contingencies, and understand their 109. File claims with your homeowner’s warranty company
advantages and disadvantages. If you agree to waive the as needed. A home warranty is a policy that covers the
35. Research municipal services and other relevant inspection contingency, for example, you are accepting cost of major repairs or appliances.
neighborhood information. the risk of purchasing a home that may have myriad
defects or require additional funds to repair or bring up 110. Stay engaged and proactively follow up on any
36. Be informed about potential neighborhood negatives
to code. pending items or concerns post-closing. Keep a running
such as noise levels, venues, or operations that could
checklist handy to ensure you stay on top of any potential
impact your property value. 70. Be aware that all known material defects should warranties, including their expiration dates.
37. Check applicable zoning and building restrictions if always be disclosed to you. Know what questions to ask,
and ensure you receive and comprehend all required 111. Arrange for the move-in day in your new home by
you plan to rent out your home or add a unit to generate
disclosure forms by state and federal laws. These forms contacting movers. Buy yourself a bottle of champagne.
short-term or monthly rental income.
vary by state. Congratulations, you’re a new homeowner now.
38. Understand public property and tax information for
potential homes. It’s important to be informed about 71. Agree to final terms with the seller, and sign the
the possibility of future tax increases and property contract. In some states an attorney may be required.
assessments, which will affect the property taxes you owe 72. Verify the final offer is signed by all parties.
from year to year.
73. Prepare your lender for listing agent calls. The agent
39. Gather and consider important data on utility representing the home seller will contact your lender
availability and costs. For example, you’ll want to confirm to confirm pre-approval and arrange other settlement
if the home has good high-speed internet access. details. These details will likely favor the home seller, since
*Actual services or to-dos will depend on the needs of the buyer and the transaction - not all 111 things will need to be done in every transaction.
**Based on a 2023 proprietary survey among recent home buyers and sellers.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. * * * * * * Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | B11
GEF Capital
Gets $325 Million
For Energy Bets
BY LUIS GARCIA that cater to hotel chains and
office-building operators,
Sustainability specialist which are striving to reduce
GEF Capital Partners has costs to compensate for a
raised $325 million to back drop in occupancy levels fol-
midsize companies that help lowing the pandemic.
other businesses consume en- Stuart Barkoff, a GEF man-
ergy more efficiently, includ- aging partner and founder,
ing property managers striv- cited the firm’s investment in
ing to reduce electricity costs InSite, whose software and
and carbon emissions. engineering professionals help
The Arlington, Va.-based building managers and other
firm recently wrapped up its clients save electricity by opti-
second North America-focused mizing cooling and heating
fund, GEF US Climate Solu- system settings according to
STEVE MARCUS/REUTERS
Regain suggest a strong reading is in $250 million The amount to reduce their
1.75 Nasdaq Composite the cards. goal, GEF said. collected costs,” he said.
S&P 500 Bitcoin climbed to $66,602, Founded in “We have an
Footing
1.50
Dow Jones Industrial Average according to the CoinDesk Bit- 2018 as a spin- exceeded the opportunity
coin price index, following the out of invest- here with In-
1.25
token’s halving event. ment firm
initial $250 Site to help
1.00 The U.K.’s FTSE 100 rose Global Environ- million goal. them reduce
Continued from page B1 1.6% to a record for the first ment Fund, costs in a
last week’s fallout. Alphabet 0.75 time since Feb. 20, 2023. At GEF Capital stressed envi-
added 1.4%. Chip maker Nvidia midday Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei now oversees ronment.”
rose 4.4% after its biggest one- 0.50 225 was up 0.3%, Hong Kong’s assets of about $1.5 billion. Another business backed by
day decline on record. Hang Seng Index was up 1.5% Backers of the new fund in- the new fund, Mountain View,
Shares of Verizon Commu- 0.25 but the Shanghai Composite clude European asset manag- Calif.-based Polargy, provides
nications, which helped kick was down 0.6%. S&P 500 fu- ers Blue Earth Capital, HQ products such as aisle con-
off this week’s earnings, fell 0 tures were flat. Capital, Ingka Investments tainment systems, modular
4.7% after revenue missed Wall and Quilvest Capital Partners. walls and structural ceilings
Five-minute intervals
Street’s expec- –0.25 Swedish pension Första AP- used in data centers—a sector
MONDAY’S tations. AUCTION RESULTS fonden, Finnish bank Nordea in which energy efficiency has
10 a.m. 11 noon 1 p.m. 2 3 4 Here are the results of Monday's Treasury auctions.
MARKETS For the year, All bids are awarded at a single price at the market-
clearing yield. Rates are determined by the difference
and Granite Capital Manage- become crucial to offset the
the S&P 500 is Source: FactSet between that price and the face value. ment in New York also backed demand from power-hungry
hanging on to a 5% gain, after the fund, according to GEF. artificial-intelligence com-
13-Week 26-Week
falling 4.6% this month. The yield on benchmark 10- Investors on Thursday will Applications $198,789,034,400 $200,416,563,600
The firm has made six in- puter systems.
Stocks have pulled back and year Treasury note edged get a look at how the U.S. econ- Accepted bids $74,296,934,400 $74,297,231,100 vestments so far through the Rapidly expanding AI tech-
bond yields have climbed in higher to 4.622% on Monday omy fared in the first quarter, " noncomp $2,648,903,500 $2,179,621,600 new fund, accounting for nology is expected to help al-
" foreign noncomp $0 $190,000,000
April after resilient economic from 4.613% on Friday. followed by the latest reading Auction price (rate) 98.671653 97.391333 roughly half of its capital, said leviate the breakneck rise in
growth and firmer-than-ex- New data on the economy on the Fed’s preferred inflation (5.255%) (5.160%) Daniel Prawda, a GEF manag- electricity demand it spurred,
5.400% 5.372%
pected inflation data cast this week could offer more gauge on Friday. Bids at clearing yield accepted 15.40% 45.65% ing partner and founder. He which is attracting investors
doubt on the chances that the clues on whether the central A Federal Reserve Bank of 912797JT5 912797KV8 added that the firm sees par- to developers of AI-powered
Federal Reserve will cut inter- bank cuts rates in coming Atlanta model for inflation-ad- Both issues are dated April 25, 2024. The 13-week bills
mature on July 25, 2024; the 26-week bills mature on
ticular opportunities in energy energy-efficiency software, ac-
est rates this year. months. justed gross domestic product Oct. 24, 2024. efficiency-service providers cording to asset managers.
HEARD STREET ON
THE
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY
Investors are happy to let Mark its arch-rival over the three-year Meta Platforms’ annual the company delivered last year. ket shifts could affect spending
Zuckerberg have his metaverse— period ahead of its last earnings operating results Operating margins are expected to from China-based advertisers,
as long as he keeps the advertis- report in February, which kicked Projections
keep moving upward, hitting 39% which accounted for 10% of Meta’s
ing dollars rolling in. Hopefully off the stock’s latest upswing. $175 billion this year compared with 35% in revenue last year. In a report
the chief executive of the world’s Several factors drove the recent 2023, according to FactSet data. Thursday, Bernstein analyst Mark
largest social network knows gains. Meta’s ad business re- 150 Advertising revenue All are doable. Meta hasn’t Shmulik noted U.S. digital ad
where to find them. bounded from a slump in 2022, Operating profit missed the midpoint of its own spending from e-commerce up-
Meta Platforms, the parent of while a sharp reduction in costs 125 revenue guidance for the past six start Temu dropped “meaning-
Facebook and Instagram, reports dubbed by Zuckerberg as the “year quarters, and its annual total costs fully” during February and March
first-quarter earnings on Wednes- of efficiency” improved full-year 100 and expenses have come in below as the company “started to focus
day, making it the first of the tech operating margins by 10 percentage its initial guided range for three of efforts elsewhere in face of regula-
75
giants to post results for the pe- points. The company used its last the past four years. Reels in partic- tory uncertainty.”
riod. To say expectations are high report to boost share buybacks and 50
ular is showing strength; the short- Meta has to strike the right bal-
would be an understatement. Even initiate its first-ever dividend. form video service Meta uses to ance between its heavy invest-
with a sharp, sector-wide selloff Meta has been enjoying the 25 compete with TikTok averaged an ments in AI and maintaining its
on Friday, Meta’s share price is up same artificial-intelligence halo ad load of 20% during the first margins. The company projected
36% for the year to date. That is lifting most of its peers. The com- 0 quarter, compared with 16.2% in capital expenditures in the range
well ahead of its peers save for pany released the latest version of 2016 ’20 ’25 the same period last year, accord- of $30 billion to $37 billion for the
Nvidia, and the fifth-best perfor- its large-language model called ing to an analysis by Citigroup. year which, as a percentage of
mance on the S&P 500 in that Llama 3 on Thursday. But while Source: the company (actual); FactSet (projections) Reels stands to benefit if TikTok projected revenue, is the highest
time. Google has been a bit hamstrung ends up being banned in the U.S. such spend of any of the major
Meta’s market cap of a little by investors worried that genAI tools,” Brent Thill of Jefferies But the online ad business can tech companies. And AI requires
over $1.2 trillion is 13% above the chatbots will displace its core wrote earlier this month. swing unpredictably, due to global more than servers and Nvidia’s ex-
peak it saw in late 2021—and business of internet search, Meta Investors are betting on that. events like war, natural disasters pensive chips; Meta told analysts
more than five times the level that has the advantage of being able to Analysts expect Meta’s first-quar- and even tweaks by Apple to its in its last earnings report that it is
it sank to the following year. The integrate AI into its ad business ter revenue to jump 26% year over iOS platform—the latter of which planning to resume hiring in key
stock is trading around 24 times without worries that its base of year to nearly $36.2 billion, which crimped ad growth for Meta and areas, which “will further shift our
forward earnings—a 5% premium nearly 3.2 billion people checking is the high end of the company’s its social-network rivals in 2022 workforce composition toward
to Google parent Alphabet, ac- in daily will somehow disappear. own projected range. Full-year ad by making it harder for advertis- higher-cost technical roles.” The
cording to FactSet data. Meta’s “The Meta moat is likely to con- revenue is expected to rise 17%—a ers to track mobile users. year of efficiency may have an ex-
shares averaged a 13% discount to tinue growing with new Gen AI ad point better than the 16% growth Geopolitical tensions and mar- piration date. —Dan Gallagher
40%
Humana ecutives repeatedly told investors,
who promptly sent UnitedHealth’s
stock soaring and hospital shares
same as a sharp drop-off. United-
Health and Elevance earnings
may have signaled to investors
And the OK
struggled to hire staff amid a short- tanking. Then on Thursday, Ele- that their views on providers
age of nurses and doctors. Then, 30 vance offered more relief, saying were perhaps a bit too rosy, but
starting in early 2023, medical that costs were running as ex- they didn’t exactly demonstrate If TikTok gets banned in the U.S.,
20
workers flocked back to hospitals pected while raising its full-year that cost pressures have eased. expect the benefits to mostly accrue
and seniors returned for proce- earnings guidance. UnitedHealth noted that while it to those who need them the least.
10
dures such as knee replacements, Various monthly surveys are was no longer seeing the “aggres- The House passed a measure
filling up facilities while driving up 0
also showing a moderation in hos- sive acceleration” in medical utili- over the weekend that would re-
medical bills for insurers. pital volumes. TD Cowen’s survey, zation the industry experienced quire either the divestiture or ban
Investors had been betting that –10 for instance, found 305 hospitals in 2023, it hasn’t yet seen a major of the Chinese-owned social media
medical utilization would continue reported only 1% year-over-year “step down.” app within a year. The Senate is
to stay elevated in the first quar- –20 revenue growth in March, which That means that a recent pull- widely expected to approve the
ter, supported by reports of strong was far weaker than 11% growth in back for HCA shares could offer a measure and President Biden has
hospital volumes early on this –30 February. buying opportunity. After the re- committed to signing it. Hence,
year and the fact that prior autho- Analysts led by TD Cowen’s cent drop, HCA trades at 13.8 for- TikTok’s fate in the U.S. will likely
rizations were waived as a result –40 Gary Taylor suggested we could be ward earnings according to Fact- be decided in court, where the
of the cyberattack on Change Jan. 2024 Feb. March April at the start of a reversal of hospi- Set, which is above its 12.8 company vowed to press its case.
Healthcare, a major clearinghouse tals’ outperformance over man- average multiple over the past five That outcome is far from cer-
for medical claims. Source: FactSet aged-care companies. years but well below a peak of 16 tain. But the significantly in-
So when two large insurers re- Investors will find out more this reached this past year. creased possibility that the mega-
ported earnings results this past pany of the largest health insurer, week as providers including Uni- The picture for providers isn’t popular app could disappear from
week, investors in healthcare pro- and Elevance Health (formerly versal Health Services and HCA as optimistic as it seemed before U.S. smartphones has Wall Street
viders were watching closely for Anthem) poured some cold water Healthcare, two large hospital insurer earnings started coming in laying bets on who stands to bene-
clues. on that thesis. chains, report earnings. HCA last week. But providers have fit the most from such a sce-
But the messaging from United- UnitedHealth’s results beat Wall might deliver solid results, as im- plenty to be thankful for. nario—and who gets hurt.
Health Group, the parent com- Street expectations on an adjusted provements in labor cost pres- —David Wainer
Winners
The biggest consensus winners
are Instagram and Facebook,
A Sony Bid for Paramount Would Be a Win-Win owned by Meta Platforms, and
YouTube, owned by Google parent
Alphabet. Both companies operate
short-form video platforms—called
A Japanese giant is lining up to Reels and Shorts respectively—
buy an American corporate icon that are TikTok’s biggest competi-
again—and not in the steel busi- tors among the U.S. audience. In a
ness this time. Sony is in talks with note Monday, Bernstein analysts
private-equity firm Apollo to bid estimated Meta would likely draw
for Paramount Global, which owns about 55% to 60% of TikTok’s U.S.
broadcaster CBS and the Hollywood ad revenue. YouTube would draw
studio behind classics such as “The 25% or so of that revenue pie, they
Godfather.” projected.
The news sent Paramount shares That doesn’t leave much for
up 13% Friday; on Monday, they SnapChat’s parent. But a little can
edged down 0.5%. go a long way there, since Snap
CHIABELLA JAMES/PARAMOUNT PICTURES/ASSOCIATED PRESS