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    2 takeaways from the Investing Club’s ‘Morning Meeting’ on Thursday

    Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a “Morning Meeting” livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here’s a recap of Thursday’s key moments. We made two trades: AMD, CVX Quick mentions: AAPL, QCOM, HUM 1. Two trades: AMD, CVX Stocks turned mixed Thursday after originally dropping during Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s morning comments at the Cato Institute. He indicated that central bankers will continue their aggressive monetary policy tightening in their fight against inflation. Despite Wednesday’s bounce, the S & P 500 Short Range Oscillator shows a market that’s still in oversold territory. So, early Thursday, we bought some shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), whose stock has taken a hit since Club name Nvidia (NVDA) revealed last week that the U.S. government is restricting certain chip sales to China. Because AMD – unlike NVDA – said that this restriction would not have a material impact to their business, we see this recently downward trajectory in AMD as temporary and still like the stock. It bolsters our case that Stifel initiated coverage on AMD with a buy rating and $122 price target that reflects 50% upside. The stock rose more than 2% on Thursday. In the afternoon Wednesday, we sold the last of our position in Chevron (CVX). This wasn’t because of anything we dislike about the company, but because we have been looking to reduce our energy exposure as oil continues to struggle. In addition, we felt that our portfolio’s total of 34 stocks was too high, and wanted to take that number down. 2. Quick mentions: AAPL, QCOM, HUM Apple (AAPL) is still an “own it, don’t trade it,” after its big product event on Wednesday. One storyline to keep in mind from Apple’s upcoming launches is the analyst prediction in June that the company could use Qualcomm (QCOM)’s modems in its new iPhones. While this is merely speculation, it’s significant because QCOM stock could see a boost in its earnings from the increased business, even if it’s temporary as Apple looks to develop its own internal modems.’ We still like Humana (HUM) long-term since it’s a great defensive name, but we’re looking for a bigger pullback before we consider adding to our position. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long AAPL, AMD, HUM, NVDA, QCOM. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. More

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    HIV-positive people who have monkeypox are hospitalized more often, CDC study says

    The CDC found that 38% of nearly 2,000 people diagnosed with monkeypox between May and July were living with HIV.
    Among 1,300 monkeypox patients with more detailed clinical data, 8% of HIV positive individuals were hospitalized compared to 3% of people without HIV infection.
    The CDC said monkeypox might be spreading more among people who have HIV.

    Health workers sit at a check-in table at a pop-up monkeypox vaccination clinic which opened today by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at the West Hollywood Library on August 3, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. 
    Mario Tama | Getty Images

    People living with HIV who have monkeypox are hospitalized more than twice as often as other patients diagnosed with the rapidly spreading virus, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    In a report published Thursday, the CDC found that 38% of nearly 2,000 people diagnosed with monkeypox between May and July were living with HIV. Among 1,300 monkeypox patients with more detailed clinical data, 8% of HIV-positive individuals were hospitalized compared with 3% of people without HIV infection.

    The CDC found that HIV-positive individuals in particular with low T-cell counts, which indicates a weaker immune system, and in whom the virus is not suppressed are hospitalized more frequently with monkeypox.
    But data on the reason for hospitalization is incomplete so it’s unknown whether HIV-positive people hospitalized with monkeypox are suffering from more severe disease, according to the CDC. People living with HIV in previous monkeypox outbreaks in Nigeria did have poor outcomes.
    Monkeypox is primarily spreading during sex among gay and bisexual men, though anyone can catch the virus through close physical contact with someone who is infected or contaminated materials such as towels and bedsheets.
    Men who have sex with men have HIV infections more often than the general population, according to the CDC. But the 38% of monkeypox patients who also have HIV is far higher than than the rate observed among the broader population of gay and bisexual men, the study found.
    The percentage of monkeypox patients who have HIV has also increased over time, which suggests monkeypox may be spreading more in networks of people who have HIV, according to the agency.

    The CDC found a major racial disparity among people who have HIV and monkeypox. Black and Hispanic patients had monkeypox and HIV at a far higher rate – 63%, and 41% – respectively, than white patients at 28%.
    Monkeypox is disproportionately impacting Black and Hispanic populations. Nearly 38% of monkeypox patients are Black, 29% are Hispanic and 27% are white, according to CDC data. The overall U.S. population is 12% Black, 19% Hispanic and 61% White, according to data from the 2020 Census.
    People with HIV who also have monkeypox are reporting some symptoms more often such as rectal pain and proctitis. Monkeypox causes a rash, which resembles pimples or blisters, that often develops on sensitive areas such as the anus or genitals.
    The CDC officials who authored the study said vaccination against monkeypox should be prioritized for people who are HIV-positive and who have other sexually transmitted infections.
    People evaluated for monkeypox should also undergo HIV and STI screening, the authors said. Some 41% of monkeypox patients were diagnosed with one or more STIs over the past year, according to the CDC study. Health-care providers should also offer patients medication such as PrEP, which helps lower the risk of getting HIV through sex.
    The CDC has estimated that 1.6 million gay and bisexual men who are HIV-positive or who are taking medication to reduce their risk of HIV face the highest threat from monkeypox. More than 460,000 monkeypox vaccine doses have been administered so far. Department of Health and Human Services officials have said the U.S. is approaching the point where there are enough doses available to fully vaccinate the highest-risk population.
    The U.S. is battling the largest monkeypox outbreak in the world, with more than 21,000 cases reported across all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, according to CDC data. White House health officials said Wednesday that the outbreak appears to be slowing as vaccinations ramp up, though the racial disparity in people diagnosed with monkeypox is growing.

    CNBC Health & Science

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    Starbucks and the perils of corporate succession

    The transfer of corporate power from battle-hardened builder to professional manager is always tough. Howard Schultz, who turned Starbucks from a handful of Seattle coffeeshops to a global behemoth, has pulled it off twice. At the turn of the millennium he passed on the chief executive’s mantle to an heir, only to return to shepherd the firm through the global financial crisis of 2007-09. He then abdicated once more in 2017. After stepping in as boss for a third time in April, he is now preparing to hand over the keys to the caffeinated kingdom yet again. Listen to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on More

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    Some European power companies are on the brink

    Robert habeck, the telegenic economy minister of Germany’s newish coalition government, has become a darling of the German media. He has been called a “rock star” and mooted as the next chancellor. Now the media has turned on him over his plan to bail out some utilities with a natural-gas surcharge that could cost an average four-person household an extra €480 ($480) per year (plus value-added tax). The measure is just one part of a complex set of government interventions.Listen to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on More

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    Why the fuss over quiet quitting?

    It’s not the crime but the cover-up. And it’s not the video but the reverberations. In the past few weeks the term “quiet quitting” has entered conversations about the workplace. A 17-second clip on TikTok, a social-media platform, in which an American called Zaid Khan embraces the notion of not going above and beyond at work, has caused an awful lot of noise. Listen to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on More

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    The ugly truth about young beauty brands’ business model

    People like to feel pretty. Over the past ten years Americans have spent more than $500bn on beauty products. By 2024 the Chinese are expected to splurge more than $100bn a year. In the past most of that would have gone to cosmetics conglomerates, such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, or to consumer-products giants like Unilever, selling every imaginable tincture to make everything from toenails to tresses more fetching. But in recent years fresh-faced newcomers, often more specialised and more digital, have entered the fray. Listen to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on More

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    GM is betting on its electric Equinox, starting at $30,000, to kick-start 'massive adoption' of EVs

    The all-electric Chevrolet Equinox EV is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. next fall, starting at around $30,000.
    GM expects the new electric crossover to become a high-volume seller for the Detroit automaker, as it transitions to exclusively offer electric cars and trucks by 2035.
    The Equinox EV is expected to join electric versions of the Silverado pickup, Blazer SUV, and the less expensive and smaller Bolt EV and EUV models for Chevrolet.

    2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT

    DETROIT – General Motors’ second chance at establishing itself as a mass-market leader in all-electric vehicles is expected to begin next year with the arrival of the Chevrolet Equinox EV.
    The all-electric crossover is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. next fall, starting at around $30,000 – a price level many automakers haven’t been able to achieve as the cost to build electric vehicles and the batteries needed to power them continues to rise.

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    GM executives expect the 2024 Equinox EV, officially unveiled Thursday, to become a high-volume seller for the Detroit automaker, as it transitions to exclusively offer electric cars and trucks by 2035.
    “We think this is our big opportunity here to really start to get a massive adoption, and we have that expectation with the price; the volume that we expect to do,” Scott Bell, global vice president of Chevrolet, said during a media briefing. “This is a game changer for us and for the industry.”

    Bell said Equinox EV production at GM’s Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico will ramp up gradually in the coming years. The Equinox EV is expected to join electric versions of the Silverado pickup, Blazer SUV, and the less expensive and smaller Bolt EV and EUV models for Chevrolet.
    GM CEO Mary Barra last year said the Detroit automaker can “absolutely” catch industry leader Tesla in U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 2025. Those plans include more than 1 million units of EV production capacity in China and North America, each, by that time.

    Priced to sell?

    The expected starting price of the Equinox EV at roughly $30,000 is less than half the $66,000-plus average transaction price of electric vehicles currently on sale, according to Cox Automotive. The price also brings the Equinox in line with gas-powered compact crossovers/SUVs at an average price of $35,300, according to the auto forecasting and research company.

    “An electric Equinox is important to GM because it is a high-volume model in the most popular segment in the industry,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox. “We know from our studies that price of EVs is the No. 1 obstacle to EV adoption with range and charging infrastructure falling.
    “Affordable EVs are critical to proliferating EVs.”

    2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT

    The Chevy Bolt, which went on sale in December 2016, was expected to be GM’s first affordable, mainstream EV but its annual sales have yet to top 25,000 – a far cry from mainstream sales such as the gas-powered Equinox at hundreds of thousands of units per year.
    “The Bolt has seen mild success but was never really intended as a high-volume EV model,” said Paul Waatti, manager of industry analysis at AutoPacific. “The funky design and market positioning require a bit of a unique buyer.”
    The Equinox EV will enter a much larger market than the smaller Bolt models. The new crossover is powered by GM’s next-generation Ultium electric vehicle platform that’s expected to enable more technologies and capabilities compared with the outgoing battery technology of the Bolt models.

    2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 1LT

    Equinox EV

    The Equinox EV is expected to offer between 250 miles and 300 miles of range, depending on the model and battery. A standard front-wheel-drive Equinox is projected to offer 210 horsepower and 242 foot-pounds of torque, with all-wheel-drive models achieving 290-horsepower and 346 foot-pounds of torque.
    Despite the name, the Equinox EV shares little to nothing with the traditional gas-powered model. It has more in common with the recently unveiled Chevrolet Blazer, which also utilizes GM’s Ultium platform and batteries.

    2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 1LT

    The Equinox EV will feature better performance than its gas-powered namesake but falls shy of the performance of the Blazer EV, which starts at $45,000 and offers up to 557 horsepower and 648 pounds-foot of torque.
    The interiors of the electric vehicles also are similar, including a 17.7-inch-diagonal infotainment touch screen that’s standard on the Blazer and optional on the Equinox.

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    Jeep announces an all-electric Wrangler-inspired SUV as one of four new EVs by 2025

    Jeep plans to launch four new all-electric SUVs in North America by 2025, including a luxury Grand Wagoneer and a Wrangler-inspired off-road vehicle called the Recon.
    Jeep executives said the new EV models will be additions to the brand’s lineup, not replacements for current models such as its flagship Wrangler off-road SUV.
    The announcements make for Jeep’s most detailed and aggressive electrification plans to date.

    Electric Jeep Recon SUV

    DETROIT – Jeep plans to launch four new all-electric SUVs in North America by 2025, including a luxury Grand Wagoneer and a Wrangler-inspired off-road vehicle called the Recon.
    The quintessential American SUV brand announced the new vehicles Thursday along with plans for half of its U.S. sales, and all of its European sales, to be all-electric vehicles by 2030. The sales targets are in line with prior ones announced by Jeep’s parent company, Stellantis.

    Jeep executives said the new EV models will be additions to the brand’s lineup, not replacements for current models such as its flagship Wrangler off-road SUV.
    The announcements make for Jeep’s most detailed and aggressive electrification plans to date. Previously, the brand was largely focusing on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that offer all-electric driving in addition to a traditional internal combustion engine.

    Electric Jeep Recon SUV

    “Our goal is very clear: Become the global leader in SUV electrification,” Jeep CEO Christian Meunier said during a media briefing. The company plans to achieve that goal by 2025.
    The Recon – a “brother” to the Wrangler – and the electric Grand Wagoneer, called the “S,” are expected to go into production in 2024, Jeep said.
    The automaker is targeting a range of 400 miles on a single charge, 600 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds for the electric Grand Wagoneer S. The brand did not announce performance expectations for the Recon beyond saying it will offer Wrangler-like off-road capability.

    Jeep CEO Christian Meunier with the brand’s new all-electric Grand Wagoneer S (left) and Recon SUVs

    Jeep also plans to offer four new EVs in Europe by 2025, including a small SUV called the Avenger that will not be sold in the U.S. Meunier declined to say how many of the vehicles would be sold in both North America and Europe.
    The Avenger, which is smaller than the brand’s entry-level Jeep Renegade, will arrive in European showrooms in early 2023, according to the company.
    Jeep plans for every vehicle in its lineup to offer some form of “electrification” by 2025. That could include hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric or all-electric models. The company declined to forecast what part of its sales will be powered by traditional gasoline-powered engine by 2025 or 2030.

    Electric Jeep Avenger

    Jeep currently offers plug-in hybrid electric versions of its Wrangler and Grand Cherokee in the U.S. The vehicles can travel in all-electric mode before an internal combustion engine kicks on to power the vehicles. The 4×4 electrified models are badged “4xe,” a play on the brand’s off-road reputation combined with electrification.
    “This is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter,” said Jim Morrison, head of the Jeep brand in North America. “4xe is the new 4×4.”
    Jeep-parent Stellantis’ overall electrification strategy includes investing 30 billion euros, now worth $30.1 billion, in electric vehicles and supporting technologies through 2025. The company expects to have 55 electrified vehicles in the U.S. and Europe by 2025 — 40 all-electric models and 15 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

    Electric Jeep Grand Wagoneer S

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