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Earnings Anticipation and an Iowa Showdown: Saturday US Briefing


(Bloomberg) — Nothing like a three-day weekend to help take the sting off Dry January. Unless, of course, you’re trapped in your house due to the raging weather.

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Why not use your housebound day to review your investments? Microsoft overtook Apple to become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company for the first time in more than two years. The S&P 500 Index added 1.8% this week, more than eliminating this year’s early decline. It will be interesting to see how earnings season plays out over the next few weeks. Analysts project that S&P 500 members will see fourth-quarter profits grow 1.1% on average from a year earlier, which would be the smallest positive figure since before the pandemic, data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence show.

Inflation continues to haunt consumers—and the White House. Voters consistently give the president’s “Bidenomics” agenda poor marks. They blame Democrats for high prices despite strong economic data such as unemployment under 4%, wage growth that outpaces inflation and lower oil prices. Focusing on costs will be a key part of Joe Biden’s election-year approach, according to officials. The US launched a fresh airstrike on a Houthi rebel radar installation, in what was described as a follow-up attack to an earlier barrage across Yemen intended to degrade the group’s ability to target commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Houthi rebels vowed to target US and UK commercial vessels in retaliation for the attacks.

It’s probably a forgone conclusion that Donald Trump will be the GOP candidate this November, but we still need to let the nomination process run its course. That said, if he doesn’t completely dominate in Iowa on Monday, and polls point to his victory even with the bone-chilling cold, there may still be a chance for Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. All three candidates will hold rallies today in Iowa.

Bill Ackman wants you to know this: He’s just getting started. His months of haranguing Harvard University president Claudine Gay ended in her resignation. Now the billionaire hedge-fund manager said he intends to use his money and influence wherever he chooses. Item No. 1: Higher education. Item No. 2: the media. Item No. 3: free speech. Items No. 4, 5, 6: stay tuned.

SpaceX’s success in rocketry, even with some explosions along the way, has inspired NASA to channel its inner venture capitalist. The government agency is fostering development of privately made spacecraft that can carry payloads to the moon, while accepting that a few partners will get farther than others. Some low-stakes failure is to be expected under NASA’s strategy. Case in point: A moon lander funded by NASA and built by Pittsburgh-based startup Astrobotic that launched Monday leaked propellant and won’t make it to the moon. It still wasn’t a total write-off: Astrobotic received data from nine of the payloads it was carrying on the lander, proving they can function in space.

NBCUniversal and Disney have backed projects to build affordable housing—with thousands of units set to open in 2026 as a shortage of homes in Central Florida makes it increasingly difficult for low-wage amusement park workers to find places to live. Bloomberg’s Patrick Sisson takes a close look at corporate housing’s mixed record. Check back with us tomorrow for a look ahead to the coming week.

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