‘Grandstanding’ Josh Hawley’s Super Bowl Tweet Spectacularly Backfires

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is being blamed for jinxing his team after he tweeted in support of the Kansas City Chiefs, who then lost on Sunday in Super Bowl LV to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-9. 

Hawley led the effort by some Republicans in the Senate to try to cancel out the votes of millions of Americans in states lost by ex-President Donald Trump, who spread lies and conspiracy theories about the election results. Just after 5 p.m., the junior senator from Missouri tweeted: 

Hawley’s critics were quick to fire back, with many wondering if he’d contest the results of the Super Bowl as vigorously as he did the election: 

Nokia wins optical network gear order from Detsche Telekom

(Reuters) – Finnish telecom gearmaker Nokia said on Monday Deutsche Telekom has picked it as a long-term strategic partner to upgrade its optical network.

No financial details were dicslosed.

Veolia's CEO still hopes to meet rival Suez head

PARIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) – French water and waste management firm Veolia’s chief executive Antoine Frerot said on Monday he was still hoping to meet this week smaller rival Suez’ CEO Bertrand Camus.

“This proposal is still valid”, Frerot told reporters.

Veolia said on Sunday it was launching an offer for all of Suez, valuing the group at 11.3 billion euros ($13.61 billion), after dropping efforts to win the backing of the Suez board.

Brent Nears $60/bbl On US Stimulus Hopes

Oil prices rose on Monday, with Brent futures nearing $60 a barrel on the back of tightened global oil supplies and renewed hopes over the passing of the U.S. stimulus package.

Brent crude for April settlement rose 0.7 percent to $59.99 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up over 1 percent at $57.43 a barrel, marking the highest level since January last year.

As global supplies tighten and the demand outlook improves with the rollout of vaccines, analysts expect to see further upside in oil prices.

Adding to the upbeat mood is data showing a fall in new infections rates and signs of progress in U.S. stimulus talks. A weak U.S. jobs report released on Friday also boosted hopes of further stimulus measures.

“The U.S. does have fiscal space to take additional relief and support measures,” IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday as Democrats moved forward with a $1.9 trillion relief plan by approving a budget outline for the proposal.

President Joe Biden says he could deliver the aid package in the coming weeks without Republican support.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen predicted the relief plan could generate enough growth to restore full employment by next year.

Gold Subdued On Higher Treasury Yields

Gold prices were flat to slightly lower on Monday as the dollar steadied and U.S. Treasury yields moved higher amid the prospect of new fiscal stimulus.

Spot gold slid 0.1 percent to $1,812.84 per ounce while U.S. gold futures were little changed at $1,812.10.

Yields on the longest-dated U.S. benchmark bond have topped 2 percent for the first time in close to a year amid rising expectations for inflation.

“The U.S. does have fiscal space to take additional relief and support measures,” IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday as Democrats moved forward with a $1.9 trillion relief plan by approving a budget outline for the proposal.

President Joe Biden says he could deliver the aid package in the coming weeks without Republican support.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen predicted the relief plan could generate enough growth to restore full employment by next year.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believes the final Covid-19 relief legislation could pass Congress before March 15, when special unemployment benefits that were added during the pandemic expire.

Concerns over a recovery in the U.S. economy after a weaker-than-expected jobs report limited bullion’s losses.

“There’s simply nothing more important than getting the resources we need to vaccinate people as soon and as quickly as possible,” Biden said shortly after the jobs report was released.

Man charged with trying to abduct two-year-old girl from her pushchair

A man aged 51 has been charged with attempted child abduction after allegedly trying to take a toddler in a pushchair.

Mohamed Jarboui, of Basingstoke, is due to appear in court this morning.

The alleged abduction attempt happened in Eastrop Park, Basingstoke, on February 4.

More follows.

Loews Corp. Profit Advances In Q4

Loews Corp. (L) announced a profit for its fourth quarter that climbed from last year.

The company’s earnings totaled $397 million, or $1.45 per share. This compares with $217 million, or $0.73 per share, in last year’s fourth quarter.

The company’s revenue for the quarter fell 4.4% to $3.71 billion from $3.88 billion last year.

Loews Corp. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q4): $397 Mln. vs. $217 Mln. last year.
-EPS (Q4): $1.45 vs. $0.73 last year.
-Revenue (Q4): $3.71 Bln vs. $3.88 Bln last year.

Energizer Holdings Inc. Q1 adjusted earnings Beat Estimates

Energizer Holdings Inc. (ENR) released a profit for its first quarter that increased from last year.

The company’s earnings totaled $63.1 million, or $0.91 per share. This compares with $42.1 million, or $0.60 per share, in last year’s first quarter.

Excluding items, Energizer Holdings Inc. reported adjusted earnings of $82.2 million or $1.17 per share for the period.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.89 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

The company’s revenue for the quarter rose 15.2% to $848.6 million from $736.8 million last year.

Energizer Holdings Inc. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q1): $82.2 Mln. vs. $59.7 Mln. last year.
-EPS (Q1): $1.17 vs. $0.85 last year.
-Analysts Estimate: $0.89
-Revenue (Q1): $848.6 Mln vs. $736.8 Mln last year.

-Guidance:
Full year EPS guidance: $3.10 – $3.40