Raphael Stevens

More stories

  • 113 Shares99 Views

    in Business

    BP deal sends Nasdaq-listed EV charging stock Tritium surging

    Sustainable Energy

    Sustainable Energy
    TV Shows

    Tritium specializes in the development and production of direct current fast chargers for EVs.
    Toward the end of March, BP said it would invest £1 billion in U.K.-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
    The U.K. wants to stop the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars and vans by 2030.

    The need for new charging infrastructure in the U.K. is likely to become increasingly pressing in the years ahead, not least because authorities want to stop the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars and vans by 2030.
    Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    Tritium and BP have entered into a multi-year contract related to the supply of electric vehicle chargers, in the latest example of how energy majors are looking to cement their position in the burgeoning EV market.
    According to a statement issued by Tritium on Monday, the agreement will initially center around an order of “just under 1,000 chargers” for the U.K. and Australian and New Zealand markets.

    Australian firm Tritium, which was established in 2001, specializes in the development and production of direct current fast chargers for EVs. Shares of the Nasdaq-listed company rose by over 12% Monday, and opened flat on Tuesday. The stock is still down around 4% so far this year.
    Toward the end of March, BP — which is better known for its oil and gas production — said it would invest £1 billion (roughly $1.3 billion) in U.K.-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure across a 10-year period.
    BP said the money would “enable the deployment of more rapid and ultra-fast chargers in key locations.” The company also said its charging business, known as BP Pulse, would “approximately triple its number of charging points by 2030.”

    Read more about electric vehicles from CNBC Pro

    BP’s announcement came on the same day the U.K. government published its electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, which said it expected the country would be home to roughly 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030 “as a minimum.”
    BP is not alone in its attempt to lay down a marker in the electric vehicle charging market. Back in January, Shell announced the opening of an “EV charging hub” in London. Shell said it had replaced gasoline and diesel pumps at the site with what it called “ultra-rapid chargepoints.”

    The fossil fuel powerhouse is targeting the installation of 50,000 on-street chargers by the middle of the decade via its subsidiary, Ubitricity.
    The need for new charging infrastructure in the U.K. is likely to become increasingly pressing in the years ahead, not least because authorities want to stop the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars and vans by 2030. From 2035, the U.K. will require all new cars and vans to have zero-tailpipe emissions.
    According to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders published at the beginning of April, new battery electric car registrations in the U.K. hit 39,315 in March, a 78.7% increase year-on-year.
    “This is the highest volume of BEV registrations ever recorded in a single month, and means that more were registered in March 2022 than during the entirety of 2019,” the SMMT said.

    More from CNBC Climate: More

  • 163 Shares189 Views

    in Business

    J&J lowers 2022 revenue and earnings expectations, stops giving Covid vaccine sales guidance

    J&J is now forecasting 2022 sales of $94.8 billion to $95.8 billion, about $1 billion lower than the guidance provided in January.
    The company lowered its full-year adjusted earnings per share by 25 cents to between $10.15 and $10.35, from a previous forecast of $10.40 to $10.60.
    CFO Joe Wolk, when asked about halting Covid vaccine sales guidance, said the shots are not for profit and do not impact the company’s bottom line.

    Syringes and a box of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
    Paul Hennessy | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images

    Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday lowered its full-year sales and earnings outlook, and stopped providing Covid-19 vaccine revenue guidance due to a global supply surplus and demand uncertainty.
    J&J is now forecasting 2022 sales of $94.8 billion to $95.8 billion, about $1 billion lower than the guidance provided in January. The company lowered its full-year adjusted earnings per share by 25 cents to between $10.15 and $10.35, from a previous forecast of $10.40 to $10.60.

    J&J reported first-quarter sales of $23.4 billion, slightly missing Wall Street expectations but growing 5% over the same quarter last year. The company posted earnings of $2.67 cents per share, beating expectations and increasing 3.1% over the same period of 2021. J&J reported net income of $5.15 billion, a nearly 17% decrease over the first quarter of 2021.
    Here’s how J&J performed compared with what Wall Street expected, based on analysts’ average estimates compiled by Refinitiv:

    Adjusted EPS: $2.67 per share, vs. $2.58 expected
    Revenue: $23.4 billion, vs. $23.6 billion expected

    The company sold $457 million of its Covid vaccine globally. CFO Joe Wolk said developing nations have limited capacity in terms of refrigeration and getting shots in arms, which has created a backlog of the vaccines. When asked about no longer providing a sales outlook for the shots, Wolk said it was unusual to provide guidance for a specific product to begin with.
    “We did it last year because we understood the Street had an expectation or at least an excitement around understanding how vaccine sales might play out but it was never material,” Wolk told CNBC’s Meg Tirrell on “Squawk Box,” noting the vaccine is not for profit and doesn’t impact the company’s bottom line. He said Covid vaccine sales met J&J’s internal expectations.
    J&J reported $12.87 billion in pharmaceutical sales, an increase of 6.3% over the same quarter last year. The company’s medical devices business grew by 5.9% to $6.97 billion in sales compared with the first quarter of 2021. Sales at J&J’s consumer health business, which it is spinning off into a separate publicly traded company, declined 1.5% to $3.59 billion.

    In pharmaceuticals, Wolk said new prescriptions slowed in early January when the Covid omicron variant was sweeping the U.S., but picked up in February and March. He said J&J’s medical devices business led the company’s growth with an uptick in general and advanced surgery as well as orthopedics. The company’s medical devices segment has previously struggled during Covid surges, when elective procedures are delayed because hospitals are overwhelmed with patients who are sick with the virus.
    Wolk said consumer health was hit by supply constraints for some product ingredients and packaging materials, particularly in skin health and beauty. However, he said demand is strong for consumer health products, notably over-the-counter medicines such as Tylenol and Motrin, and J&J expects skin health and beauty to rebound later in the year.
    J&J’s board has approved a 6.6% quarterly dividend increase to $1.13 per share due to the company’s strong 2021 performance, the company announced.

    CNBC Health & Science

    Read CNBC’s latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:

    WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP More

  • 163 Shares189 Views

    in Finance

    Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Netgear, Zendesk, WeWork and more

    Take a look at some of the biggest movers in the premarket:
    Netgear (NTGR) – Netgear tumbled 10.6% in premarket trading after the networking equipment maker reported weaker-than-expected preliminary results for the quarter that ended April 3. Netgear also cut its current-quarter revenue forecast, pointing to a weaker U.S. market for WiFi equipment.

    Zendesk (ZEN) – Zendesk jumped 6.1% in premarket trading following a Bloomberg report that the customer service software developer is exploring a possible sale. Zendesk is said to have hired adviser Qatalyst Partners to assist in the process.
    WeWork (WE) – WeWork rallied 5.4% in the premarket after the office-sharing company’s stock was rated “overweight” in new coverage at Piper Sandler. The firm points to confidence in WeWork’s path to profitability and how well the flexible office model fits a post-Covid world.
    Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD) – Acadia Pharmaceuticals slid 7.7% in premarket action after the drugmaker said its experimental drug to treat post-operative pain did not meet its primary goal in a Phase 2 study.
    Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) – Johnson & Johnson beat estimates by 11 cents a share, with quarterly earnings of $2.67 per share. Revenue came in slightly below forecasts. J&J also suspended sales guidance for its Covid-19 vaccine due to a global supply surplus, and announced a 6.6% dividend hike. Shares initially fell more than 3% in the premarket but subsequently erased those losses.
    Travelers (TRV) – Travelers’ shares were volatile in premarket trading, moving between gains and losses after the insurance company beat estimates on the top and bottom lines for its latest quarter. Travelers earned $4.22 per share compared to the $3.57 a share consensus forecast, helped by lower catastrophe losses. Travelers also announced a 5.7% dividend increase.

    Plug Power (PLUG) – The hydrogen fuel cell company’s stock jumped 6.6% in premarket action after it announced an agreement to supply liquid green hydrogen to Walmart (WMT).
    Halliburton (HAL) – Halliburton fell 2.7% in premarket trading despite beating estimates for its latest quarter. Halliburton earned 35 cents per share, a penny a share above estimates as demand for oilfield services equipment remained high. Halliburton shares had closed at a 3 1/2 year high Monday.
    American Campus Communities (ACC) – The student housing real estate investment trust agreed to be bought by Blackstone (BX) in a deal worth $12.8 billion, including debt. American Campus Communities leaped 12.9% in the premarket.
    Twitter (TWTR) – Apollo Global Management (APO) may be willing to provide financing for a Twitter buyout, according to sources who spoke to CNBC. The private-equity firm isn’t interested in joining other firms in a buyout bid, however.
    JB Hunt Transport (JBHT) – JB Hunt reported quarterly profit of $2.29 per share, beating the $1.94 a share consensus estimate. Revenue also topped Street forecasts. The transportation company said it faced labor challenges due to Covid-19, but added that it overcame that obstacle and that business improved as the quarter progressed. JB Hunt added 1.5% in premarket trading.

    WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP More

  • 163 Shares139 Views

    in Business

    Audi's new concept car is a self-driving 'lounge on wheels' for city travelers

    Audi is adding a “lounge on wheels” to its recent portfolio of electric concept vehicles that are designed to portray the German automaker’s vision for the future of transportation in automobiles.
    The new “Urbansphere” concept was designed for travelers in highly dense traffic areas such as China as a third living space and mobile office, the company says.

    Audi electric Urbansphere concept car

    Audi is adding a “lounge on wheels” to its recent portfolio of electric concept vehicles that are designed to portray the German automaker’s vision for the future of transportation in automobiles.
    The new “Urbansphere” concept was designed for travelers in highly dense traffic areas such as China as a third living space and mobile office, according to the company.

    Like Audi’s previous “sphere” concepts, which the company started unveiling last year, the vehicle is designed to be capable of driving itself in most situations.

    Audi electric Urbansphere concept car

    The newest vehicle is taller than the other concepts, blurring the line of a large crossover and minivan, or “multipurpose vehicle,” which create more space and are popular in China.
    “Designers and engineers initially created the Audi Urbansphere for use in traffic-dense Chinese megacities, although the concept is also suitable for any other metropolitan center in the world,” Audi said in a release. “In these urban areas, where personal space is in particularly short supply, the concept car offers the largest interior space of any Audi to date.”

    Audi electric Urbansphere concept car

    The Urbansphere’s interior continues trends from Audi’s other concepts. It features a modern design with wood and technologically advanced features such as a stowaway steering wheel and large video display across the front instrument panel of the vehicle’s interior.
    The term “sphere” is meant to symbolize the interior space of the vehicles for drivers and passengers, according to Audi.
    Automakers routinely use concept vehicles to gauge customer interest or show the future direction of a vehicle or brand. The vehicles are not meant to be sold to consumers.

    Audi electric Urbansphere concept car

    WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP More

  • 138 Shares149 Views

    in Business

    Mercedes-Benz unveils its new electric EQS SUV built in the U.S.

    Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday took the wraps off its new EQS SUV, its first fully electric SUV built domestically for the U.S. market.
    The vehicle is the sibling of the EQS sedan, released last year, but with seating for up to seven people and a taller, bubblier stance.
    The SUV is expected to go into production at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in the coming months and arrive in U.S. showrooms in late 2022, the company said.

    Mercedes-Benz electric EQS SUV
    Mercedes-Benz

    Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday took the wraps off its new EQS SUV, its first fully electric SUV built domestically for the U.S. market.
    The vehicle is the sibling of the EQS sedan, released last year, but with seating for up to seven people and a taller, bubblier stance. It is expected to rival the Tesla Model X and BMW iX, according to Mercedes-Benz.

    Like the sedan, the EQS SUV features a tech-savvy interior that includes three screens covering nearly the entire instrument panel. A single 56-inch curved glass surface covers the screens, one of which is a passenger screen that is not visible to the driver.

    Mercedes-Benz electric EQS SUV
    Mercedes-Benz

    “With the luxury EQS sedan and the sporty executive EQE sedan, Mercedes-Benz has entered a new, all-electric era in the upper market segments,” the company said in a release.
    The SUV is expected to go into production at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in the coming months and arrive in U.S. showrooms in late 2022, the company said. The U.S. production is part of the German automaker’s plans to produce eight new all-electric vehicles at seven sites on three continents.
    Mercedes-Benz did not release pricing for the EQS SUV, but it’s likely to top $100,000. The EQS sedan models start at roughly $102,000 and $126,000.

    Mercedes-Benz electric EQS SUV
    Mercedes-Benz

    The EQS SUV, like the sedan, will initially be offered in two models, including a “580 4MATIC” version that features two electric motors capable of 536 horsepower and 633 pound-foot of torque.

    Mercedes-Benz did not release the expected electric range of the EQS SUV for the U.S., but the sedan version can reach up to 350 miles on a single charge, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    The EQS SUV is equipped with several safety and convenience features, including Mercedes-Benz’s latest driver-assist system that can control parts of the vehicle such as acceleration and braking when enabled.
    Like the sedan, the EQS SUV has its own optional air-freshener fragrance, called “No. 6 Mood Mimosa.” Mercedes-Benz says it is “an earthy fragrance with a touch of sensuality” that was specially designed for the vehicles.

    Mercedes-Benz electric EQS SUV
    Mercedes-Benz

    WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP More

  • 200 Shares159 Views

    in Finance

    Fintechs are under pressure to stop Russian sanctions evasion. This start-up raised $94 million to help

    Seon, a London-based start-up that helps fintech firms like Revolut tackle online fraud, has raised $94 million in a funding round.
    The company will use the cash to develop new tools for fighting Russian sanctions evasion amid the Ukraine war.
    The funds will also go toward helping Seon expand in the United States, as well as Latin America and Asia.

    Fintechs have come under increased pressure to address Russian sanctions evasion, particularly amid concerns that their controls may be more lax than that of banks.
    Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images

    LONDON — Seon, a start-up that helps fintech companies like Revolut tackle online fraud, has raised $94 million to develop new tools for preventing sanctions evasion by Russia.
    The London-based company raised the fresh cash in a funding round led by IVP, the Silicon Valley investment firm that has backed the likes of Netflix and Twitter. IVP Partner Michael Miao has also joined Seon’s board.

    Existing investors Creandum, an early Spotify backer, and PortfoLion, also invested, as did numerous angel investors, including Coinbase Chief Operating Officer Emilie Choi and UiPath Chief Executive Daniel Dines.
    Seon, which counts the likes of Revolut, Afterpay and Nubank as customers, said its technology is designed to make it easier for firms of all stripes to combat fraud.
    Its software analyzes a consumer’s email address, phone number and other data to build up a “digital footprint,” and uses machine learning to determine whether they’re genuine or suspicious.

    The Seon team.

    The firm is now valued at $500 million after its latest funding round, according to two people familiar with the matter, who preferred to remain anonymous discussing private information.

    Stopping Russian sanctions evasion

    Tamas Kadar, Seon’s CEO and co-founder, said his company has seen heightened demand for tools that root out transactions from sanctioned individuals and entities and “politically exposed persons” amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Part of the cash will be used to address the possible use of fintech apps for money laundering and sanctions evasion.
    “We are working on an arm to support this need from our client base,” Kadar told CNBC.
    Fintechs have come under increased pressure to address Russian sanctions evasion, particularly amid concerns that their controls may be more lax than that of banks. In February, PayPal said it removed more than 4 million accounts after finding they were “illegitimate.”

    Seon is also working on a function that will verify businesses online and see if their shareholders are on any sanctions lists.
    Such tools could identify whether someone is “just creating shell companies to launder money,” or “as a fake identity to hide their assets,” Kadar said. Seon has “prioritized this feature to be added in the next quarter,” he added.
    Russia’s war against Ukraine means “there has arguably never been a more challenging time for international financial institutions,” according to Charles Delingpole, CEO of anti-money laundering platform ComplyAdvantage, and an early investor in Seon.
    “The pandemic saw a rapid shift to online-only activity away from branches, which saw fraudsters gain many more opportunities to perpetuate fraud,” Delingpole told CNBC.

    U.S. expansion

    The funds will also go toward helping Seon expand in the United States, as well as Latin America and Asia.
    “We’re going to be scaling up our U.S. team massively,” Bence Jendruszak, Seon’s chief operating officer, told CNBC. “Online fraud is a major issue in the U.S.”
    Last year, the company opened new offices in Austin, Texas, and Jakarta, Indonesia, and quadrupled its workforce to 200. Seon expects to roughly double its headcount in the next 12 months.
    The company says its annual recurring revenue roughly tripled in 2021, while its customer base more than doubled, to 250 from 100.
    Kadar and Jendruszak founded Seon in Budapest, Hungary, in 2017 after completing their university studies. Kadar has since moved the company’s headquarters to the U.K. Seon competes with a number of start-ups, including Israeli firm Riskified and U.S.-based Arkose Labs.

    WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP More

  • 113 Shares189 Views

    in Finance

    Investors turn cautious on Chinese stocks amid growth concerns

    While the first quarter ended with more than $20 billion in net inflows to mainland Chinese stocks, the bulk occurred in January, and the pace of buying dropped sharply as the quarter progressed, data from EPFR Global showed.
    “Anything that relates to China we can find in causality and reasoning from either Russia or [the] U.S. right now,” said Steven Shen, manager of quantitative strategies at EPFR.
    There’s been “sizeable outflows from China equities since last year, reflecting a notable de-risking on China,” according to Max Luo, director of China asset allocation at UBS Asset Management.

    While mainland Chinese stock fund held onto inflows, European stock funds saw billions of dollars in net outflows in the first quarter, with declines in Japanese stock funds as well, according to EPFR.
    Marc Fernandes | Nurphoto | Getty Images

    BEIJING — Investors turned increasingly cautious on Chinese stocks, especially those listed overseas, in the first quarter of the year that was rocked by geopolitical tensions and worries about growth.
    That’s according to data from research firm EPFR Global.

    While the period ended with more than $20 billion in net inflows to mainland Chinese stocks, the bulk occurred in January, and the pace of buying dropped sharply as the quarter progressed, the data showed.
    The first three months of the year saw the U.S. and Europe sanction Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, while China pursued a more neutral position. The quarter also saw growing worries about forced delisting of Chinese stocks from U.S. markets amid a flurry of announcements from both countries’ securities regulators.
    “Anything that relates to China we can find in causality and reasoning from either Russia or [the] U.S. right now,” said Steven Shen, manager of quantitative strategies at EPFR. The firm says it tracks fund flows across $52 trillion in assets worldwide.

    ESG investment flows

    Chinese stock funds focused on ESG — environmental, social and governance factors — saw inflows until mid-February, when they began seeing outflows instead, Shen said.
    In contrast, global ESG stock funds saw “very consistent” inflows over the first three months of the year, he said.

    The firm did not share specific reasons for the divergence.

    Heading into the second quarter there continues to be many uncertainties about China’s Covid response.

    David Chao
    global market strategist for APAC ex-Japan, Invesco

    ESG-related concerns drove other investment allocation changes.
    Among the headlines of the first quarter, Norges Bank Investment Management — an investment arm of Norway’s central bank which manages the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund — announced it will exclude shares of Chinese sportswear company Li Ning “due to unacceptable risk that the company contributes to serious human rights violations.”
    When contacted by CNBC in late March, the fund declined to elaborate further, but noted the Norwegian government asked the fund to freeze investments in Russia and prepare a plan for divesting from the country. The fund had a market value of more than $1.2 trillion as of Monday.
    Li Ning did not respond to a CNBC request for comment.

    Swapping U.S. shares for Hong Kong ones

    While mainland Chinese stock funds held onto inflows, European stock funds saw billions of dollars in net outflows in the first quarter, according to EPFR.
    Japanese stock funds saw declines as well, the data showed. It also showed U.S. stock funds retained strong net inflows, for a total of more than $100 billion in the first quarter.
    For Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong and the U.S., Shen noted a “consistent decrease” in funds’ exposure.
    Beginning late 2021, fund managers began to sell U.S.-listed shares of a Chinese company for those traded in Hong Kong, which has contributed to declines in those share prices, Shen said. The process for exchange-traded funds typically takes three to six months, he said.

    Many Chinese companies have offered shares in Hong Kong as political pressure in both the U.S. and China increased the risk of a New York delisting.
    “Moves by the US regulator on ADRs and the Russia-Ukraine conflicts have further complicated the situations and caused substantive market swings this year,” Max Luo, director of China asset allocation at UBS Asset Management, said in a statement. “We noted sizeable outflows from China equities since last year, reflecting a notable de-risking on China.”
    ADRs are American Depositary Receipts, which refer to shares of non-U.S. companies that are traded on U.S. exchanges.
    “We have turned more conservative toward equity overall as the Russia-Ukraine conflicts flare up amid an uncomfortably high inflation level,” Luo said. However, he said his firm has “become more constructive on Chinese equities” due to government policy support.

    Worries about growth

    Mainland Chinese stocks saw a surge of buying at a level not seen since January 2019, Shen said.
    He pointed out that it took place when index company MSCI added the mainland Chinese shares to a benchmark, which forced fund managers tracking the index to buy the mainland shares.
    But the Shanghai composite remains more than 12% lower for the year so far.
    That’s despite a mid-March lift to stocks after state media reports of comments from Vice Premier Liu He eased worries about Beijing’s crackdown on tech and real estate, and overseas IPOs.
    Many investment banks had turned positive on mainland Chinese stocks as 2022 kicked off, despite poor domestic market sentiment.
    “The macroeconomic backdrop appeared to improve at the end of last year,” David Chao, global market strategist, Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) at Invesco, told CNBC in early April.
    “But I think expectations have gotten ahead of themselves” especially since the property market hasn’t found a bottom yet, he said. “Market sentiment seems to be impacted by a property market downturn.”
    Real estate and related industries account for about 25% of China’s GDP, according to Moody’s.

    Read more about China from CNBC Pro

    On Monday, China reported first quarter GDP rose 4.8% compared to the previous year, topping expectations of a 4.4% increase.
    While economic data for January and February beat expectations, those released so far for March have started to show the impact of Covid-related lockdowns in major economic centers like Shanghai.
    “Heading into the second quarter there continues to be many uncertainties about China’s Covid response,” Invesco’s Chao said. “And that will be the most significant variable for the current quarter, whether their pandemic policies evolve or not.”

    WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP More

  • 213 Shares149 Views

    in Business

    TSA will not enforce Covid mask mandate on planes, public transit after court ruling, White House says

    A federal judge in Florida on Monday ruled that the CDC had overstepped its authority when it issued a mask mandate for planes and other forms of public transportation.
    The CDC mandate is no longer in effect and the TSA will not enforce it at this time, a Biden administration official said.
    The White House is reviewing the court’s ruling and the Justice Department will decide whether it will appeal, according to press secretary Jen Psaki.
    The court’s ruling comes less than a week after the CDC extended the mandate for 15 days, amid a rise in Covid infections nationwide due to the more contagious omicron BA.2 subvariant.

    A federal judge in Florida on Monday vacated the Biden administration’s national Covid mask mandate for planes and other forms of public transportation, ruling that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had overstepped its authority.
    U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa said the CDC had failed to adequately explain its reasons for the mandate, and did not allow public comment in violation of federal procedures for issuing new rules. Mizelle was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2020.

    The Transportation Security Administration will not enforce the mask mandate on public transportation after the court’s ruling, a Biden administration official said. However, the CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks on public transit, the official said.

    Travelers make their way through the Miami International Airport before starting the Labor Day weekend on September 03, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
    Joe Raedle | Getty Images

    White House press secretary Jen Psaki, in a press conference Monday, said the administration is reviewing the court’s ruling and the Justice Department will determine whether it will appeal. The Justice Department declined to comment when asked by CNBC.
    United Airlines said in a statement that, effective immediately, masks would no longer be required on domestic flights or certain international flights.
    “While this means that our employees are no longer required to wear a mask – and no longer have to enforce a mask requirement for most of the flying public – they will be able to wear masks if they choose to do so, as the CDC continues to strongly recommend wearing a mask on public transit,” United said.
    Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines also made similar announcements.

    Amtrak, in a statement, said: “While Amtrak passengers and employees are no longer required to wear masks while on board trains or in stations, masks are welcome and remain an important preventive measure against Covid-19.  Anyone needing or choosing to wear one is encouraged to do so.”
    The Health Freedom Defense Fund, a group that opposes public health mandates, and two individuals who argued that wearing masks while flying exacerbated their anxiety and panic attacks first filed the lawsuit against the Biden administration in July 2021. The CDC mandate also applied to trains, buses, taxis and ride-shares among other forms of public transit.
    The court’s ruling comes less than a week after the CDC extended the mask mandate for 15 days, amid a rise in Covid infections nationwide due to the more contagious omicron BA.2 subvariant. The U.S. reported a seven-day average of nearly 35,000 new infections as of Friday, a 36% increase over the past two weeks, according to data from the CDC.

    CNBC Health & Science

    Read CNBC’s latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:

    While state and local authorities across the country have lifted mask mandates, the CDC decided last week to keep the federal requirements for public transportation in place through May 3. The agency said it needed time to assess whether the recent rise in Covid infections would have an impact on hospital capacity.
    Airlines have repeatedly asked the Biden administration to the drop mask mandate as well as other restrictions such as predeparture testing for all international arrivals, including citizens.
    The CDC’s decision last week to extend the mandate for public transportation stood in contrast to the agency easing its health recommendations in most other areas of daily life. Under the CDC’s current guidance, most Americans live in areas where they no longer need to wear masks in restaurants, bars, stores and other public places indoors.
    The agency recently changed the metrics that underpin its public health recommendations, placing a greater emphasis on hospitalizations rather than relying mostly on infections. Hospitalizations and infections have plummeted more than 90% since the peak of the winter omicron wave in January.
     — CNBC’s Leslie Josephs and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

    WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP More