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The CDC, in a report, said monkeypox could spread indefinitely at a low level in the U.S.
Monkeypox is unlikely to be eliminated from the U.S. in the near future, according to the CDC.
The outbreak is slowing as the availability of vaccines have increased and people have become more aware of how to avoid infection.

Medical Reserve Corps volunteers administer monkeypox vaccinations at a new walk-up monkeypox vaccination site at Barnsdall Art Park on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022 in Hollywood, CA. 
Brian Van Der Brug | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

The monkeypox virus is unlikely to be eliminated from the U.S. in the near future, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week.
The CDC, in a technical brief, said the outbreak is slowing as the availability of vaccines has increased, people have become more aware of how to avoid infection, and immunity has likely increased among gay and bisexual men, the group most impacted by the virus.

But low-level transmission of the virus could continue indefinitely among men who have sex with other men, according to the report. The CDC said it does not have a projection of how many total people might get infected by the virus.
The Biden administration declared a public health emergency in August in an effort to ramp up vaccines, testing, treatment and community outreach in an effort to eradicate the virus from the U.S.
The U.S. is trying to contain the largest monkeypox outbreak in the world, with nearly 26,000 cases reported across all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, according to CDC data. At least two people have died from the disease in the U.S., according to the data.
The global monkeypox outbreak, the largest in history, is highly unusual because the virus is circulating widely in countries where it is not normally found. Historically, monkeypox has circulated in remote parts of West and Central Africa. In that context, people normally caught the virus from animals. There was little spread between people.
Monkeypox is now spreading widely between people, mostly through close contact during sex among gay and bisexual men. The disease is rarely fatal, but patients develop lesions resembling blisters in sensitive areas that are extremely painful. In some cases, the pain is so great people require hospitalization and in rare instances people with weak immune systems have died.

The CDC, in its report, said the virus is still spreading primarily among men who have sex with men. But anyone can catch the virus through close contact with someone who is infected or with contaminated materials. Health authorities have confirmed 29 cases of children catching the virus to date, and 78 total pediatric cases are under investigation as of late September.
Though 96% of patients are men, 408 women have caught the virus to date in the U.S. Four pregnant women and one who was breastfeeding have caught monkeypox.
The CDC said the percentage of patients who identify as gay or bisexual men has declined over time, with 75% of people who provided recent sexual history reporting male-to-male contact.
But a large number of cases are missing data on sexual history and more than 90% of infections are among males, according to CDC. The decline in the percentage of cases reporting male-to-male sexual contact is likely due to missing data rather than a change in how the virus is spreading, according to the public health agency.
The CDC said the outbreak will likely remain concentrated among men who have sex with men over the long term, with infections continuing to decline over the coming weeks and dropping significantly over the next several months.
More than 684,000 people have received the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine so far. Earlier this week, the CDC reported preliminary data indicating that the vaccine is providing at least some protection against infection. The vaccination campaign is primarily focused on gay and bisexual men.
The outbreak could start accelerating again if the virus starts spreading widely among the U.S. population through heterosexual networks or contact that doesn’t involve sex, according to CDC. But there is no country in the current global outbreak that has found clear evidence of sustained spread of the virus outside sexual networks of gay and bisexual men, according to the CDC.
The public health agency also warned that the virus could start spreading faster again among people if it becomes established in an animal population in the U.S. The CDC said it is unknown which animals in North America are most susceptible to infection.
In Africa, the virus mostly spread from animals to people. If monkeypox becomes established in animals in the U.S., it would be very difficult to eradicate.

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Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Dodge Brand, Stellantis, introduces the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept all-electric muscle car at its world reveal during Dodge’s Speed Week at M1 Concourse on August 17, 2022 in Pontiac, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images

Since the Dodge Charger was reintroduced in 2006, Dodge has been building a reputation for making muscle cars with big engines and bold and bright paint jobs.
But it plans to discontinue the gas-powered Challenger and Charger and the V-8 hemi engines that power some of the most popular versions.

Dodge’s recently debuted fully electric Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept is its attempt to retain the muscle car identity in an era when it’s becoming ever more challenging to sell a gas-guzzling sports car.
In fact, it’s becoming more challenging to sell a car at all. SUVs and trucks are taking over the American vehicle market. RBC Capital estimates that Dodge’s sister brands Jeep and Ram account for 50% of parent company Stellantis’ profits.
Meanwhile the many fans of Dodge’s powerful but fuel-thirsty muscle cars are making peace with the apparent end of an era.
Watch the video to learn more.

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After enjoying popularity during the pandemic for their convenience and ease, premixed canned cocktails containing premium liquor look like they’re here to stay. 
Several beer companies, such as Heineken and Molson Coors, are entering the canned cocktail market, hoping to offer consumers more variety as hard seltzer fades.

Boxes of Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai canned cocktails in a retail store in Pleasant Hill, California, February 11, 2022.
Gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images

Hard seltzer has lost its fizz. Now canned cocktails are all the buzz.
Also known as ready-to-drink, or RTD, cocktails, the canned drinks were the fastest-growing spirits category last year, with $1.6 billion in revenue. That’s a 42% percent increase from the year before, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. To compare, sales of hard seltzer declined 5.5% in the past year, according to data from NielsenIQ, a market research firm.

More beer companies are getting in on the canned-cocktail craze, too, churning out premixed versions of margaritas, pina coladas and daiquiris.
On Thursday, Molson Coors — the brewer of Coors Light, Miller Lite and Blue Moon — announced it’s developing Topo Chico Spirited, a new line of canned cocktails made with spirits like tequila and vodka. The company hasn’t revealed what three flavors will be hitting shelves next year in markets across the U.S., but said the beverages will be modeled after “familiar cocktails” already found in “bar and restaurant menus.”
In a recent report, DISCUS shed light on why so many companies, especially legacy beer manufacturers, are entering the space. The report found 94% of consumers choose RTDs because they offer their preferred flavor choice, and 92% said it was because they were convenient. Eighty-two percent said, simply, it’s because they taste better than beer.
“American consumers are increasingly prioritizing convenience, taste, variety and quality in their choice of beverages,” said Robert Blizzard, a partner at the research firm Public Opinion Strategies, which collaborated with DISCUS on the report.
Though the market for canned cocktails still accounts for a relatively small percentage of total liquor sales in the U.S.— just 4.6% in 2021, the report found — the category’s expected to see more growth as beer companies continue to enter the space and offer consumers even more variety in full-flavor cocktails they can drink at home or on-the-go, without mixing and measuring. (Beer sales haven’t declined, according to DISCUS, but the drink is losing market share.)

Over the summer, Heineken along with tequila maker Dos Equis, debuted a classic-style margarita canned cocktail made with Blanco Tequila and lime juice.
“Bringing a big brand into a fast-growing category where not all the brands are immediately recognizable is a big opportunity,” said Heineken Chief Marketing Officer Jonnie Cahill.
Cahill said the cocktail is a hit.
“The rate of sale per store is beating our expectations. It’s almost double what we expected,” Cahill said, adding that the company hopes to expand to more states and introduce more flavors following this “promising start.”
The world’s largest brewer, Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch Inbev, is also enjoying success with its foray into the space. The beer maker — also known for its Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra brands — announced in March it would be expanding its “beyond beer” portfolio through its acquisition of Cutwater Spirits. Its three new cocktails include ranch water, rum-based mojito and vodka soda.
Fabricio Zonzini, the president of Anheuser-Busch’s beyond beer unit, said that while the company hasn’t given up on hard seltzer “fast-growing RTD spirits continue to become a bigger focus area for us, with Cutwater being our top priority.” 

Hard times for hard seltzer

Beer companies have their sights set on spirits as sales for hard seltzers, which typically contain malt-based alcohol, taper off.
This is why traditional beer companies have begun investing in spirits, especially canned cocktails, said Chris Swonger, DISCUS CEO. He added, consumers can expect “more innovation, more taste, and more creativity” from beer companies looking to experiment with increasingly popular spirits such as vodka, tequila and whiskey.
The DISCUS report found that for the 12th consecutive year, these spirits and others gained market share over beer and wine, rising 1.7 points to 41.3% of the total beverage alcohol market.
Boston Beer Chair Jim Koch said in an interview on CNBC’s “Closing Bell” last year that the boom for hard seltzer “wasn’t going to grow forever.”

At the time, Boston Beer, which is known for Sam Adams, was forced to throw away millions of cases of excess supply of its Truly hard seltzer, the biggest competitor of Mark Anthony Group’s White Claw, citing slowing sales across the industry. The company, which also makes Angry Orchard, said it “overbought” materials for its Truly hard seltzer.
“Hard seltzer’s lost its novelty as consumers have been distracted by many new beyond-beer products entering a hyper crowded marketplace,” Boston Beer CEO Dave Burwick said in a July conference call with investors.
Still, some companies think there’s hope for hard seltzer. While Molson Coors is ramping up its efforts in the canned cocktails space, there’s room for both its Topo Chico hard seltzers and its Topo Chico Spirited line, according to executive David Coors.
“I think [hard seltzer’s] proven to have staying power. I think it’s proven that it’s a large, sizable and stable category,” he said.

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Monday – Friday, 6:00 – 7:00 PM ET

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Friday warned investors that the stock market is unlikely to recover anytime soon.
“The charts, as interpreted by Mark Sebastian … suggest that this market’s got more downside and it’s way too early to go really bullish,” he said. 

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Friday warned investors that the stock market is unlikely to recover anytime soon.
“The charts, as interpreted by Mark Sebastian … suggest that this market’s got more downside, and it’s way too early to go really bullish,” he said. 

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“Unlike him, I also believe we could get a sharp spike up, but, for our Charitable Trust, if that happens we’re going to have to do some selling,” he added.
The S&P 500 closed out its worst month since March 2020 on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 8.8% for the month, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 10.5%.
Before getting into Sebastian’s analysis, Cramer first explained that when the S&P 500 goes lower, the CBOE Volatility Index, also known as the VIX or fear gauge, typically moves higher. And when the S&P moves higher, the VIX typically goes lower. 
He then examined a pair of charts showing the daily action in the S&P and the VIX:

Arrows pointing outwards

While the S&P and VIX moved at the same pace in June, things took a turn in August. Sebastian notes that when the S&P started falling in late August, the VIX had a “slow-rolling rally” instead of roaring like it typically would, according to Cramer.

This mismatch in movement between the S&P and VIX’s movements continued through early September but only really exploded this week, Cramer said, adding that the market still is a long way from recovering.
“Sebastian’s waiting for the S&P to go down while the VIX also goes down — that’s a classic tell that a sell-off’s coming to an end,” he said. “That is not happening right now.”
For more analysis, watch Cramer’s full explanation below.

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Monday – Friday, 6:00 – 7:00 PM ET

It’s that time again! “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer rings the lightning round bell, which means he’s giving his answers to callers’ stock questions at rapid speed.

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UiPath Inc: “It’s losing money, and I don’t recommend companies that are losing money.”

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New Mountain Finance Corp: “We don’t know what they’re invested in, and as far as I’m concerned, therefore it’s too dangerous.”

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Disney has reached a deal with activist investor Dan Loeb’s Third Point.
The agreement includes adding former Meta executive Carolyn Everson to its board of directors.
The deal comes weeks after Third Point took a new stake in Disney valued at about $1 billion, or 0.4% of the company, and urged the media company to spin out its sports property, ESPN.

The Disney+ website on a laptop computer in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Monday, July 18, 2022.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Disney has reached a deal with activist investor Dan Loeb’s Third Point, which includes adding former Meta executive Carolyn Everson to its board of directors, the companies said on Friday.
The deal comes weeks after Third Point took a new stake in Disney representing about 0.4% of the company and urged the media company to spin out its sports property, ESPN. Third Point’s 6.35 million shares of Disney are worth about $600 million as of Friday’s closing.

On Friday, Disney said in a public filing that, with Third Point’s support, it would add Everson to its board ahead of its board meeting in November.
“We are pleased with our productive and ongoing dialogue with Bob and Disney’s management team,” Loeb said in the release on Friday.

As part of the deal, Third Point agreed to customary standstill and other provisions, including that it wouldn’t take a stake in Disney that’s larger than 2% and that it wouldn’t solicit proxies or present proposals. Third Point, which also won’t get involved in board nominations, has agreed to the stipulations through Disney’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting, according to the filing.
Disney shares were slightly up in after-hours trading.
“We have a productive and collegial relationship with Third Point, with whom we share a deep commitment to continue building on Disney’s many successes and increasing shareholder value,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said in the release.

Chapek welcomed Everson’s appointment to the board, pointing to her experience in digital advertising, which he said makes her “a great fit as we continue to position the company for long-term growth.”
Everson was at Meta, formerly Facebook, for more than 10 years, where she served as the social media platform’s ads chief. Although Everson had been considered one of the most prominent women — alongside Facebook’s former COO Sheryl Sandberg — she left the company after Marne Levine was promoted to chief business officer last summer.
Most recently, she did a brief stint as president of grocery delivery service Instacart, where she left after just three months. At the time, Instacart and Everson told CNBC the decision for her to leave was mutual.
With Everson, who will officially take her seat on November 21, Disney will have 12 board members.
Loeb initially eyed Disney’s ESPN business, saying spinning that division off would give Disney more flexibility to pursue sports betting and other business initiatives. However, shortly after, he reversed course.
“We have a better understanding of @espn’s potential as a standalone business and another vertical for $DIS to reach a global audience to generate ad and subscriber revenues,” Loeb said earlier this month in a tweet.

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Monday – Friday, 6:00 – 7:00 PM ET

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Friday said that three key events next week will determine if the nightmarish month for the stock market will continue into October.
The S&P 500 closed out its worst month since March 2020 on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite fell 8.8% and 10.5%, respectively, for the month.

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Friday said that three key events next week will determine if the nightmarish month for the stock market will continue into October.
Here are the events:

The release of the nonfarm labor report Friday. Cramer said he expects it to show inflated hiring and wages.
Two speaking engagements by Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, who Cramer believes is the primary inflation hawk on the Federal Open Market Committee. “She wants to protect us … from high inflation, even if that means raising interest rates into a recession,” he said.

The S&P 500 closed out its worst month since March 2020 on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite fell 8.8% and 10.5%, respectively, for the month.
While it’s likely that Mester and the report will both bring bad news, investors can protect themselves from the market wreckage if they stick to a solid game plan, according to Cramer. 
“Own high-quality companies with good balance sheets and high dividends that will benefit from a decline in inflation, because that’s what’s going to happen,” he said.
He also previewed next week’s slate of earnings. All earnings and revenue estimates are courtesy of FactSet.
Wednesday: Helen of Troy, Lamb Wesson

Helen of Troy

Q2 2023 earnings release before the bell; conference call at 9 a.m. ET
Projected EPS: $2.21
Projected revenue: $521 million

Lamb Weston Holdings

Q1 2023 earnings release at 8:30 a.m. ET; conference call at 10 a.m. ET
Projected EPS: 79 cents
Projected revenue: $1.21 billion

“We saw this from Nike last night — all that happens is the downside gets accentuated as the upside just treads water or goes marginally higher. That’s what I expect will happen with both when they report,” Cramer said.
Thursday: Constellation Brands, Conagra Brands, McCormick, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Constellation Brands

Q2 2023 earnings release at 7:30 a.m. ET; conference call at 10:30 a.m. ET
Projected EPS: $2.81
Projected revenue: $2.51 billion

He said he expects the company’s top line to be “extraordinarily good.”
Conagra Brands

Q1 2023 earnings release at 7:30 a.m. ET; conference call at 9:30 a.m. ET
Projected EPS: 52 cents
Projected revenue: $2.85 billion

The company needs to grow its business, according to Cramer.
McCormick

Q3 2022 earnings release at 6:30 a.m. ET; conference call at 8 a.m. ET
Projected EPS: 71 cents
Projected revenue: $1.6 billion

Cramer said that the company’s earnings call will simply reinforce its preannounced weaker-than-expected third-quarter earnings and full-year outlook cut earlier this month.
Norwegian Cruise Line

Investor meeting at 10 a.m. ET

Cramer said that he expects Norwegian to be performing better than competitor Carnival, which struggled with higher costs in its latest quarter, but it’s unclear whether that will be enough to help Norwegian’s stock.
Friday: Tilray Brands

Q1 2023 earnings release at 7 a.m. ET; conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET
Projected loss: loss of 5 cents per share
Projected revenue: $169 million

He predicted that the company will make a “bold” statement about the legalization of cannabis and said he’s pondering whether this could be a great speculative stock to own during the Biden administration.
Disclosure: Cramer’s Charitable Trust owns shares of Constellation Brands.

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Ford’s stock is up 70% since Jim Farley became CEO on Oct. 1, 2020. It hit decades-high prices of more than $25 a share to begin this year before more recent declines.
Farley has restructured operations and largely brought Wall Street back into the automaker’s corner for the first time since Alan Mulally stepped down as CEO eight years ago.
Both of Farley’s predecessors – Jim Hackett and Mark Fields – left the automaker amid lackluster stock prices and failing to create confidence in the automaker on Wall Street.

Ford CEO Jim Farley poses with the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck in Dearborn, Michigan, May 19, 2021.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters

DETROIT – As incoming CEO of Ford Motor, Jim Farley promised more transparency to Wall Street as well as a clear plan for the future.
At the time, Ford was considered behind the industry when it came to all-electric and autonomous vehicles, connectivity and software. Its messaging and plans were unclear to Wall Street, causing shares to tumble.

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Two years later, Farley, 60, has largely delivered on his promises through the company’s ongoing Ford+ transformation plan, but there remains work to be done.
He has restructured operations and largely brought Wall Street back into the automaker’s corner for the first time since Alan Mulally – credited with saving the automaker from bankruptcy in 2009 – stepped down as CEO eight years ago. Ford’s stock is up about 70% since Farley took over, despite recent declines.
“What matters to us and the team is delivering on strong business results,” said Farley told CNBC in August 2020, when he was announced as incoming CEO. “As far as communicating to Wall Street … one of the most important commitments that we’re making as a team is a clear and specific plan for the company and the company’s transformation.”
Both of Farley’s predecessors – Jim Hackett and Mark Fields – left the automaker amid lackluster stock prices and failing to create confidence in the automaker on Wall Street. Under Hackett, a former CEO of furniture company Steelcase, Ford’s stock price declined by 40%.

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But, as Farley routinely says, the automaker remains in the early innings of its Ford+ transformation plan and the industry’s shift to electric vehicles – likely representing the stock’s improvement under Farley but also its recent fall amid a larger market decline. Ford’s stock achieved decades-high prices of more than $25 a share to begin the year, but it’s off about 56% from its peak in January.

There remain doubts about the outlook for the auto industry as well as Ford’s ability to execute on its plans. The company has continued to experience problems with vehicle launches, warranty costs and supply chains – all things Farley vowed to fix upon becoming CEO.
“Key risks to our view relate to Ford’s ability to profitably pivot to growth areas such as EVs and AVs, the auto cycle, market share, and margins (both margin pressure in a downturn and margin expansion longer term from company specific initiatives),” Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Delaney said in a note to investors last week.
Most recently, the company surprised Wall Street by pre-releasing part of its third-quarter earnings report, warning investors of $1 billion in unexpected supplier costs. Since then, shares of the company are down by more than 23%, including its largest daily fall in 11 years a day after the announcement.

Ford Chair Bill Ford and President and CEO Jim Farley converse in front of newly revealed Mustang Dark Horse at The Stampede in downtown Detroit on Sept. 14, 2022.

“I think the biggest thing he’s done is get the market to believe in Ford again. That belief has perhaps been put on hold now until they show they can meet full year 2022 guidance in light of the Q3 preannounce not being well received at all,” Morningstar analyst David Whiston told CNBC, echoing other analysts.
Whiston describes Farley as a “blunt communicator” who’s “not afraid to take some bold courses of action,” such as internally separating Ford’s traditional and electric vehicle businesses; increasing investments in electric vehicles to $50 billion through 2025; and cost-cutting and headcount reductions.
“He’s also a ‘car guy’ which I like because he has passion for product, which helps get vehicles like the Mach-E as opposed to a crappy (economy box battery-electric vehicle) that no one wants,” Whiston said, before adding he’d like to see fewer recalls and improvement on warranty costs. “But I think Ford is in great hands with Farley in charge.”
Ford’s stock is rated overweight with a price target of $16.12 – roughly $4 more than its current price, according to average estimates of analysts compiled by FactSet.
Here are the stock’s best and worst days during Farley’s tenure as CEO so far:

Jan. 4, 2022, +11.7%: Ford announces plans to nearly double annual production capacity of its electric F-150 pickup to 150,000 vehicles per year at a plant in Michigan.
Dec. 10, 2021, +9.6%: Farley tells CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer that the company has closed reservations for its electric F-150 Lightning after topping 200,000 units.
Oct. 28, 2021, +8.7%:  Ford nearly doubles Wall Street’s earnings expectations and slightly beats revenue projections for the third quarter, leading the automaker to increase its annual guidance for the second time last year.
Sept. 20, 2022, -12.3%:  Ford pre-releases part of its third-quarter earnings report and warns investors of $1 billion in unexpected supplier costs.
Feb. 4, 2022, -9.7%: Ford significantly misses Wall Street’s fourth-quarter earnings expectations and slightly misses on revenue.    
April 29, 2021, -9.4%: Ford impresses Wall Street with its first-quarter earnings results, but the company’s lackluster guidance for the year surprises, even confuses, investors and analyst.

– CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

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