Environment

CNBC Daily Open: Wall Street’s ‘dress rehearsal’

Published

8 months ago

August 19, 2024

admin

Traders work the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on August 16, 2024.

Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images

This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.

What you need to know today

Best week
Wall Street had its best week of 2024, recovering from a rout earlier this month. For the week, the S&P 500 surged nearly 3.9%, bringing it within striking distance of its July record high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite saw an even more impressive 5.2% gain, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced a solid 2.9%. Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell as data eased concerns of an imminent recession.

Oil sinks
U.S. oil prices dropped 2% following reports that Qatar told Iran not to attack Israel amid ongoing Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks. Qatar’s prime minister warned Iranian leaders of the potential consequences of striking Israel when progress is being made, the Washington Post reported, citing diplomats. Talks are expected to resume this week after negotiations were paused on Friday. Hamas did not take part in talks but was briefed by mediators. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday, as efforts intensify to end the 10-month-old war between Israel and Hamas.

Blocked
A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked the launch of Venu, a sports streaming service from Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox. Fubo TV, a competitor, filed an antitrust lawsuit, alleging Venu would harm competition. “Today’s ruling is a victory not only for Fubo but also for consumers. This decision will help ensure that consumers have access to a more competitive marketplace with multiple sports streaming options,” Fubo CEO David Gandler said after the injunction. Fubo’s stock surged 16% after the ruling.

Mpox approval
Shares of Bavarian Nordic surged 14.8% after the Danish biotech firm submitted data to the European Union’s drug regulator to extend its mpox vaccine approval for 12 to 17-year-olds. CEO Paul Chaplin said the move is key in combating the new clade 1b strain, which primarily affects younger people. “More than 70% of the cases in Africa currently are in people younger than 18, so it’s going to be critical that our vaccine can be used in this younger age group,” Chaplin told CNBC. The submission comes after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak in Africa as a public health emergency.

Asia markets mixed
After a broad rally last week, markets in the Asia-Pacific region were mixed as investors awaited economic data and central bank interest rate decisions. Japan’s Nikkei 225 snapped a five-day winning streak, sliding 1.7% after core machinery orders fell surprisingly short of expectations. South Korea’s Kospi dipped 0.85%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 nudged up 0.12%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.93% as JD.com soared 4.4% after posting stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings. Mainland China’s CSI 300 climbed 0.4%.

[PRO] Bond market rally
China’s central bank aims to curb its bond market rally, sparking concerns about financial stability. Analysts predict a slight increase in 10-year bond yields. Here’s how markets are betting it will turn out.

The bottom line

For anyone waking up in a cold sweat, rest assured — it wasn’t just a bad dream. Global markets did experience a sharp sell-off, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 plunging 12.4% and unwinding of the yen carry trade dragging Wall Street down with it. However, markets have since rebounded, reassured by signals that Japan’s central bank will not raise rates in such a volatile environment and that the U.S. economy isn’t on the verge of a recession.

But JPMorgan sees the recent turmoil as more than just a market anomaly. “Many market participants are dismissing the recent blowup of various crowded trades as a fluke or flash cash, but we see it as more of a dress rehearsal for what’s to come,” JPMorgan strategists said in a note.

The financial giant believes that while the risks associated with the carry trade could resurface, the heavy losses investors suffered may temper its future impact, potentially preventing a full-blown market meltdown. Nevertheless, JPMorgan cautions that concerns about economic growth remain a significant threat.

“Looking ahead, until the Sharpe ratios on the carry trades get high, we would not think these would be the catalyst for the next major correction,” the firm said. “Instead, we see the reemergence growth risk as the likely trigger.”

Last week’s U.S. inflation, retail sales and jobs data may have provided some short-term reassurance, but investors are now turning their attention to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Wall Street is eagerly awaiting Powell’s outlook on inflation and the broader economy, as it could signal the direction of interest rate policy — particularly ahead of a possible September rate cut.

Market expectations for a large rate cut in September have diminished. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, investors are still pricing in at least four rate cuts by the end of the year.

However, Goldman Sachs argues that this level of pessimism may be overblown. “The market is still pricing more cuts than our base case for 2024,” which includes a 25-basis-point cut at each of the next three meetings and beyond, Goldman noted. “Another weak jobs report would put a 50-basis-point cut in September on the table, but we think the markets has been over-weighting that probability.”

CNBC’s Jeff Cox examines how this past week’s economic data could influence the Federal Reserve’s next move.

— CNBC’s Yun Li, Jesse Pound, Spencer Kimball, Brian Evans, Alex Harring, Jeff Cox, Lillian Rizzo, Karen Gilchrist, Sean Conlon, Lim Hui Jie and Weizhen Tan contributed to this report.

Environment

The first giant 15 MW turbine is up at Germany’s largest offshore wind farm

Published

4 hours ago

April 28, 2025

admin

The first giant 15 MW turbine is up at Germany’s largest offshore wind farm

Germany largest offshore wind — Photo: EnBW

Germany’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, EnBW’s He Dreiht, just hit a big milestone: The first enormous turbine is now up in the North Sea.

He Dreiht – which means “it spins” in Low German – is using Vestas’s massive 15 megawatt (MW) turbines, the first project in the world to install them. Just one spin of one of the rotors can generate enough electricity to power four households for an entire day.

When it’s finished, He Dreiht will have 64 mega turbines cranking out 960 megawatts (MW) of clean power – enough to supply around 1.1 million homes. And it’s being built without any government subsidies.

EnBW, one of Germany’s major energy companies, has been working in offshore wind for more than 15 years, but He Dreiht is their biggest project yet. “It will play a key role in helping us to significantly grow our renewable energy output from 6.6 GW to over 10 GW by 2030,” said Michael Class, who heads up EnBW’s generation portfolio development.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The project is a win for Vestas, too. “With the installation of the first V236-15.0 MW, we have reached an important milestone for both the He Dreiht project and our offshore ramp-up, which helps Germany build a more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system,” said Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern & Central Europe.

He Dreiht is located about 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkum and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Helgoland. At peak times, more than 500 workers will be out at sea building the farm, using a fleet of more than 60 ships. EnBW’s offshore team in Hamburg is running the show.

The installation process is a major operation. The 64 foundations were already set in the seabed last year. Parts for the turbines are loaded onto the installation vessel Wind Orca in Esbjerg, Denmark, and shipped out in a 12-hour journey to the construction site. From there, the turbines are lifted into place. Meanwhile, crews are also working on internal wind farm cabling.

A partner consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9% of the shares in He Dreiht.

To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Tesla gives update on Tesla Semi factory, says on track for volume production in 2026

Published

6 hours ago

April 28, 2025

admin

Tesla gives update on Tesla Semi factory, says on track for volume production in 2026

Tesla has released a quick update about its Tesla Semi factory in Nevada. It says that it is on track for volume production of the electric semi truck in 2026.

The Tesla Semi was first scheduled to go into production in 2019, but it has faced numerous delays.

Now, it appears that there is finally some momentum to bring it to volume production.

For the last two years, Tesla has been working to build a new factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, where it builds the battery packs and drive units for most of its electric vehicles built in North America.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Today, Tesla released a “progress update on the factory, confirming that it finished building and it’s now working on deploying the production lines:

[embedded content]

Tesla had previously mentioned aiming for volume production by 2025, but it is now only talking about starting production toward the end of the year and ramping up next year.

The automaker reiterated its planned production capacity of 50,000 units.

We recently reported that an early Tesla Semi customer, Ryder, stated that the electric truck program is experiencing more delays and a price increase described as “dramatic.”

They now expect to take deliveries of their first trucks later in 2026 and said that the price has increased “dramatically,” leading them to scale back their pilot program from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks.

When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.

However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2022. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Vietnamese solar giant Boviet opens first US factory in North Carolina

Published

6 hours ago

April 28, 2025

admin

Vietnamese solar giant Boviet opens first US factory in North Carolina

Boviet Solar North Carolina — Photo: Boviet Solar

Vietnamese solar panel maker Boviet Solar just opened the doors to its first US factory — a huge new PV module plant in Greenville, North Carolina.

The company dropped $294 million into the state-of-the-art facility, which will pump out Boviet’s Gamma Series monofacial and Vega Series bifacial solar panels. They’re using advanced PERC and N-Type solar cell tech, which basically means these panels are built to deliver higher efficiency and better performance across residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects.

The Greenville factory’s first phase is now online with an annual PV module output capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). For Phase 2, which is scheduled to come online in the second half of 2026, Boviet will invest another $100 million to add 600,000 square feet and ramp up to another 2 GW. It will make high-efficiency solar cells.

Once both phases are complete, Boviet’s campus will cover more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and R&D space. It’s one of the biggest clean energy manufacturing projects North Carolina has ever seen.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The jobs impact is significant, too. The first phase will create 460 skilled local jobs. Phase 2 is expected to add another 908, bringing the total to over 1,300 direct jobs, plus nearly 2,000 more indirect jobs across the region. That’s good news for Pitt County’s economy, real estate market, and workforce training programs.

“This facility is not just creating jobs, but creating opportunity, innovation, and a stronger foundation for eastern North Carolina,” said Senator Kandie Smith. Governor Josh Stein added that Boviet Solar’s move shows how North Carolina is leading the way in clean energy growth.

If you’re an electric vehicle owner, charge up your car at home with rooftop solar panels. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing on solar, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –ad*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.