Raphael Stevens

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Thursday that markets appear to be growing less worried about raging price increases in a range of commodities, from metals to lumber.”I’ve got good news for you: The stock market, which is pretty correct on these kind of matters, is saying that commodity inflation has already peaked,” the “Mad Money” host said. “Forget transitory, the market’s saying it’s pretty much over.”Cramer pointed to the widespread declines in a number of stocks tied to commodities, such as Freeport-McMoRan. Shares of the copper miner tumbled more than 5% Thursday and are down about 20% in the past month.”Sure, the market could be wrong, but if you were worried about totally out-of-control inflation, that possibility has been taken off the table,” Cramer said. “You’re looking at a sudden collapse in every stock related to commodities at the same time that long-term interest rates are crashing — that wouldn’t happen in a world with wild and crazy inflation.”The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell once again Thursday following the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting and the release of its updated interest rate forecast. In the S&P 500, four cyclical sectors — industrials, materials, financials and energy — finished in the red Thursday, while technology was the biggest gainer.”The buyers and sellers have spoken. They think [Fed Chairman] Jay Powell means business, but not any time soon, and the hyper-inflation theme … is now off the table, where it should’ve been all along,” Cramer added.Questions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBCWant to take a deep dive into Cramer’s world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter – Jim Cramer Twitter – Facebook – InstagramQuestions, comments, suggestions for the “Mad Money” website? [email protected] More

Dr. Scott Gottlieb warned Thursday about the potential for long-term brain loss associated with Covid, citing a new study from the United Kingdom. “In short, the study suggests that there could be some long-term loss of brain tissue from Covid, and that would have some long-term consequences,” the former FDA chief and CNBC contributor said.  “You could compensate for that over time, so the symptoms of that may go away, but you’re never going to regain the tissue if, in fact, it’s being destroyed as a result of the virus,” said Gottlieb, who serves on the board of Covid vaccine-maker Pfizer. The U.K. study examined brain imaging before and after a coronavirus infection and looked specifically at the potential effect on the nervous system. Gottlieb explained to CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith” that the destruction of brain tissue could explain why Covid patients lost their sense of smell. “The diminishment in the amount of cortical tissue happened to be in regions of the brain that are close to the places that are responsible for smell,” he said. “What it suggests is that, the smell, the loss of smell, is just an effect of a more primary process that’s underway, and that process is actually shrinking of cortical tissue.” Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion Inc. and biotech company Illumina. More

In this article7267.T-JP7203.T-JPBMW-DEA BMW i Hydrogen Next automobile photographed in Munich, Germany, on March 12, 2021.Andreas Gebert | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe BMW Group has started to test vehicles that use a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain, with the German automotive giant putting the technology through its paces “in everyday conditions on European roads.” In an announcement Wednesday, the firm explained prototypes of the BMW i Hydrogen Next would be tested on a range of metrics including reliability, safety and efficiency. It described hydrogen fuel cell tech as having the “long term potential to supplement internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid systems and battery-electric vehicles.”The technology could, BMW went on to add, “become an attractive alternative to battery-electric drive trains – especially for customers who do not have their own access to electric charging infrastructure or who frequently drive long distances.” It’s hoped the tests will lead to the production of a small-series model in 2022. Read more about clean energy from CNBC ProMorgan Stanley says Sunrun is ‘most compelling clean energy stock,’ sees shares doublingGoldman Sachs: These renewable energy stocks are set for ‘unprecedented growth’These stocks will benefit from the eventual rollout of the infrastructure bill, Citi saysThe vehicles’ individual cells are provided by Toyota, with BMW developing the fuel cell stack and complete drive system. The BMW i Hydrogen Next’s hydrogen tank can be filled in three to four minutes, the company says, providing drivers with “a range of several hundred kilometres in all weather conditions.”Described by the International Energy Agency as a “versatile energy carrier,” hydrogen has a variety of applications and can be deployed in sectors such as industry and transport.BMW is one of several automotive firms exploring the potential of hydrogen and is not new to the idea of using it in a vehicle.Back in November 2006 it announced production of the BMW Hydrogen 7 had started, describing the vehicle as “the world’s first hydrogen-powered luxury saloon car.” The Hydrogen 7, it added, used an internal combustion engine and was able to run on petrol (gasoline) or liquid hydrogen.More recently, on Tuesday Jaguar Land Rover said it was working on the prototype of a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, with testing of the concept slated to start later this year.The vehicle will be based on the new version of the company’s Land Rover Defender, and is part of JLR’s broader attempt to meet a target of zero tailpipe emissions by the year 2036. Testing will focus on areas such as fuel consumption and off-road capabilities.Other manufacturers that have dipped into the hydrogen fuel cell market include Toyota and Honda, while smaller firms such as Riversimple are also working on hydrogen-powered cars.This week also saw Volvo Cars announce it would partner with SSAB, a Sweden-headquartered steel manufacturer, to “jointly explore the development of fossil-free, high quality steel for use in the automotive industry.” According to Volvo Cars the collaboration will, among other things, focus on an SSAB initiative called Hybrit, which was established alongside energy business Vattenfall and LKAB, which produces iron ore.The Hybrit project’s goal, Volvo Cars says, is to “replace coking coal, traditionally needed for iron ore-based steelmaking, with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen.” More