NoneNordstrom, Inc. JWN shares are trading lower on Wednesday . For the third quarter, the company’s net sales increased 4.6% compared to the same period in fiscal 2023, total company comparable sales increased 4.0%, and gross merchandise value increased 5.3%. JP Morgan analyst Matthew R. Boss reiterated the Underweight rating on the stock, raising the price forecast to $21 from $20. The analyst notes that despite favorable conditions for Nordstorm’s core customer base, including high personal savings rates, low debt service ratios, and significant household wealth creation, as well as favorable pricing and promotional factors, the company’s absolute and relative performance remains disappointing, with 2023 revenue levels and EBIT margins falling below 2019 levels. JWN opened 12 Rack stores during the quarter, reflecting a 2.2% growth, and has a total of 23 Rack store openings year-to-date, in line with its 2024 guidance of 20-25 openings, with 15 expected in 2025, Boss added. Also Read: Black Friday Discounts Too Good To Be True? Survey Shows Only 42% Of Sales Are Authentic Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey reiterated Market Perform rating on Nordstrom, raising the price forecast to $26 from $24. The analyst notes that Nordstrom exceeded earnings expectations in the third quarter, driven by stronger sales, gross margins, and operating expense leverage. Full-line segment growth was positive for the third consecutive quarter, and momentum at Rack continued. However, despite this growth, management highlighted a slowdown in sales in late October and November. As a result, Nordstrom cautiously raised its FY24 revenue growth outlook by 100 basis points, while keeping EBIT margin and EPS guidance unchanged. The company also noted elevated inventory due to slower-moving cold weather categories. Given these factors, the analyst maintained a Market Perform rating. The analyst raised estimates to $2.00 in FY24, up from $1.95 previously. For FY25, the estimate goes to $2.06, up modestly from the prior estimate of $2.02. Price Action: JWN shares are trading lower by 9.34% to $22.32 at last check Wednesday. Read More: Starbucks' Employee Systems Down After Software Provider Suffers Ransomware Attack Photo via Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Starlink vs. fiber optic internet: Which is the best connection option?Is he a hero? A killer? Both? About the same time the #FreeLuigi memes featuring the mustachioed plumber from “Super Mario Brothers” mushroomed online, commenters shared memes showing Tony Soprano pronouncing Luigi Mangione , the man charged with murdering the UnitedHealthcare CEO in Manhattan , a hero. There were posts lionizing Mangione’s physique and appearance, the ones speculating about who could play him on “Saturday Night Live,” and the ones denouncing and even threatening people at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s for spotting him and calling police. It was all too much for Pennsylvania's governor, a rising Democrat who was nearly the vice presidential nominee this year. Josh Shapiro — dealing with a case somewhere else that happened to land in his lap — decried what he saw as growing support for “vigilante justice.” People are also reading... The curious case of Brian Thompson and Luigi Mangione captivated and polarized a media-saturated nation. It also offers a glimpse into how, in a connected world, so many different aspects of modern American life can be surreally linked — from public violence to politics, from health care to humor (or attempts at it) . It summons a question, too: How can so many people consider someone a hero when the rules that govern American society — the laws — are treating him as the complete opposite? Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, on Monday at the police station in Altoona, Pa. Writings found in Mangione's possession hinted at a vague hatred of corporate greed and an expression of anger toward “parasitic” health insurance companies. Bullets recovered from the crime scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” reflecting words used by insurance industry critics, written on them. A number of online posts combine an apparent disdain for health insurers — with no mention of the loss of life. “He took action against private health insurance corporations is what he did. he was a brave italian martyr. in this house, luigi mangione is a hero, end of story!” one anonymous person said in a post on X that has nearly 2 million views. On Monday, Shapiro took issue with comments like those. It was an extraordinary moment that he tumbled into simply because Mangione was apprehended in Pennsylvania. Shapiro's comments — pointed, impassioned and, inevitably, political — yanked the conversation unfolding on so many people's phone screens into real life. “We do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,” the governor said. “In a civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice.” But to hear some of his fellow citizens tell it, that's not the case at all. Like Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, D.B. Cooper and other notorious names from the American past, Mangione is being cast as someone to admire. Luigi Nicholas Mangione is escorted into Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Regina Bateson, an assistant political science professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has studied vigilantism, the term to which Shapiro alluded. She doesn’t see this case as a good fit for the word, she says, because the victim wasn’t linked to any specific crime or offense. As she sees it, it's more akin to domestic terrorism. But Bateson views the threats against election workers , prosecutors and judges ticking up — plus the assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump this past summer — as possible signs that personal grievances or political agendas could erupt. “Americans are voicing more support for — or at least understanding of — political violence,” she said. Shapiro praised the police and the people of Blair County, who abided by a 9/11-era dictum of seeing something and saying something. The commenters have Mangione wrong, the governor said: “Hear me on this: He is no hero. The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning." A person demonstrates Monday near the McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where police earlier in the day arrested Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, in the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO in Manhattan. Even shy of supporting violence, there are many instances of people who vent over how health insurers deny claims. Tim Anderson's wife, Mary, dealt with UnitedHealthcare coverage denials before she died from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2022. “The business model for insurance is don’t pay,” Anderson, 67, of Centerville, Ohio, told The Associated Press . The discourse around the killing and Mangione is more than just memes. Conversations about the interconnectedness of various parts of American life are unfolding online as well. One Reddit user said he was banned for three days for supporting Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted after testifying he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot two people in 2020 during protests. “Do you think people are getting banned for supporting Luigi?” the poster wondered. The comments cover a lot of ground. They include people saying the UnitedHealthcare slaying isn't a “right or left issue" and wondering what it would take to get knocked off the platform. “You probably just have to cross the line over into promoting violence,” one commenter wrote. “Not just laughing about how you don’t care about this guy.” Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Memes and online posts in support of the 26-year-old man, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. 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The Federal Government has emphasised the need for the regulation and professionalisation of the private security sector in Nigeria. The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who stated this, said “the private security sector is an emerging sector, not just in Nigeria but across the globe.” He noted that with a country of over 200 million people, there is a need for private security to complement the efforts of the government. Dr. Tunji-Ojo made the remarks while hosting a delegation from DCAF Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, Switzerland, led by Head, Business and Security Division, Jean-Michel Rousseau, in Abuja, a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ozoya Imohimi, on Friday in Abuja said. He said the motivation for opening up the space for private security is not about the proliferation of companies but about the quality of services provided. He emphasised the need for private security companies to be promoted by people of value and competence. The Minister also highlighted the importance of technology in the private security sector, citing the use of CCTVs and other equipment. He talked about the need for regulators to understand that it is not about the number of companies licensed but about the quality of those companies. Dr. Tunji-Ojo assured that the Ministry is committed to working with stakeholders to build a robust system for the private security sector. He noted that the Ministry is already collaborating with international organisations to support governance reform processes in the security sector. The Minister’s call for regulation and professionalisation of the private security sector is a significant step towards enhancing national security and providing quality employment opportunities for Nigerians. Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Jean-Michel Rousseau, said the DCAF Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance and the African Law Foundation (AFRILAW ) recently co-organised a workshop for legislators from the ECOWAS region. He said the workshop focused on issues of private security regulation from the parliamentary side. According to him , the event was part of DCAF’s efforts to support governance reform processes in the security sector. As a Swiss foundation, DCAF provides advisory services and legal expertise to partner countries, including Nigeria. He said the workshop highlighted the growing role of the private sector in security and the need for effective regulation. Mr. Rousseau further said that with the presence of private security companies, there is a need to ensure they operate under a legal framework that gives priority to national security and public safety. READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Thursday, November 28
NEW YORK (AP) — Same iconic statue, very different race. With two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren't your typical Heisman Trophy contenders. Sure, veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are finalists for college football's most prestigious award as well, but the 90th annual ceremony coming up Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City offers a fresh flavor this year. To start with, none of the four are from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners — two each from Alabama and LSU. Jeanty, who played his home games for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho more than 2,100 miles from Manhattan, is the first running back even invited to the Heisman party since 2017. After leading the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, he joined quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State players to be named a finalist. “The running back position has been overlooked for a while now," said Jeanty, who plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft. "There's been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. ... I feel as if I'm representing the whole position.” With the votes already in, all four finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and sightseeing in the Big Apple. They were given custom, commemorative watches to mark their achievement. “I'm not a watch guy, but I like it,” said Hunter, flashing a smile. The players also took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and later posed with the famous Heisman Trophy, handed out since 1935 to the nation's most outstanding performer. Hunter, the heavy favorite, made sure not to touch it yet. A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely comes off the field, the wide receiver/cornerback is a throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades. On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to help the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl bid in four years. On defense, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Call him college football’s answer to baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani. “I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways,” Hunter said. “It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you'll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery.” Hunter is Colorado's first Heisman finalist in 30 years. The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed flashy coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering combination of accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year. Hunter also won the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver. “It just goes to show that I did what I had to do,” Hunter said. Next, he'd like to polish off his impressive hardware collection by becoming the second Heisman Trophy recipient in Buffaloes history, after late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. “I worked so hard for this moment, so securing the Heisman definitely would set my legacy in college football,” Hunter said. “Being here now is like a dream come true.” Jeanty carried No. 8 Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship that landed the Broncos the third seed in this year's College Football Playoff. They have a first-round bye before facing the SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on New Year’s Eve. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida, won the Maxwell Award as college football’s top player and the Doak Walker Award for best running back. Jeanty has five touchdown runs of at least 70 yards and has rushed for the fourth-most yards in a season in FBS history — topping the total of 115 teams this year. He needs 132 yards to break the FBS record set by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. In a pass-happy era, however, Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry for Alabama nine years ago. In fact, quarterbacks have snagged the prize all but four times this century. Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon (13-0) to a Big Ten title in its first season in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The steady senior from Hawaii passed for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate ranks second in the nation, and he's attempting to join quarterback Marcus Mariota (2014) as Ducks players to win the Heisman Trophy. “I think all the memories start to roll back in your mind,” Gabriel said. Ward threw for 4,123 yards and led the nation with a school-record 36 touchdown passes for the high-scoring Hurricanes (10-2) after transferring from Washington State. The senior from West Columbia, Texas, won the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Year award and is looking to join QBs Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) as Miami players to go home with the Heisman. “I just think there's a recklessness that you have to play with at the quarterback position,” Ward said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballRussia batters Ukraine power grid amid rising concern Putin could order ballistic missile attack this weekendMonty Rakusen/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction Ecovyst ( NYSE: ECVT ) reported what I thought was a fine quarter in Q3 with some end-market results largely stabilizing, which is good to see and mostly confirms the temporal weakness from earlier this year. But Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ECVT either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
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