Stock Alert: Meridian Bancorp Up 17% On Growth In Q1 Profit

Meridian Bancorp, Inc. (EBSB) shares are gaining on Friday morning trade as the company reported an increase in earnings for the first quarter.

Currently, shares are at $20.96, up 17.62 percent from the previous close of $17.82 on a volume of 1,257,980. For the 52-week period, the shares have traded in a range of $9.53-$21.13 on average volume of 138,277.

The company reported first-quarter net profit of $24.32 million, up from $18.12 million in the previous year. On a per share basis, earnings were $0.48, that increased from $0.36 a year ago.

Total interest and dividend income was $57.72 million from $62.34 million a year ago.

Kenya central bank to hold next rate-setting meeting on May 26

NAIROBI, April 23 (Reuters) – The Kenyan central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee will hold its next rate-setting meeting on May 26, the bank said on its website on Friday.

At its last meeting in March the bank held its benchmark lending rate at 7.0%, the seventh consecutive ‘hold’ decision , saying a package of measures unveiled since last year had protected the economy from substantial decline.

Opinion | Krugman Wonks Out: The China Shock and the Climate Shock

Change is inevitable, but can we cushion the impact on communities?

By Paul Krugman

Opinion Columnist

Howard Dean Drops The Hammer On GOP: Racists, Conspiracy Theorists, Whack Jobs

Former Democratic Party leader Howard Dean ripped Republicans as racists, whack jobs and conspiracy theorists who embrace autocracy in the latest episode of The Daily Beast podcast “The New Abnormal.”

Dean, the former longtime Vermont governor who chaired the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009, said the GOP mutated into something “unrecognizable” during Donald Trump’s presidency.

“I hate to call Republicans right-wing fascists because often they supported me, but this is unrecognizable,” Dean said. “They believe in autocracy, not democracy. They are racist. It’s just shocking what’s happened to the Republican Party.”

“You have a Republican Party, which emotionally, essentially are neo-fascist,” he continued. “They fundamentally do not believe that another legitimate point of view exists other than theirs.”

“These people are crazy,” Dean added. “They’re conspiracy theorists, they’re whack jobs. They’re embedding their own reality. I mean, if they ever really run the country, it’s going to be a disaster for us. … This is why autocrats don’t run good economies, because they start believing in their own B.S.”

Dean also bemoaned the decent Republicans who lacked the courage to stand up to Trump.

“You can tell I’m not running for anything again,” cracked Dean, a presidential contender in 2004, confirming he’s done seeking public office.

Listen to the full episode here.

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Watch live: CDC panel debates use of J&J Covid vaccine after rare blood clot issue

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A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel is holding an emergency meeting Friday to debate the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine and how it should be used after six women developed a rare, but potentially life-threatening, blood clotting disorder that left one dead.

A favorable recommendation from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices could pave the way for U.S. regulators to lift its recommended pause on the use of the J&J shot as early as this weekend.

The CDC panel decided to postpone a decision on the vaccine last week while officials continued to investigate cases of six women who developed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, or CVST, within about two weeks of receiving the shot.

Earlier this week, J&J said it would resume the rollout of its vaccine in Europe after regulators there backed the single-shot vaccine with the recommendation that a warning be added to the label. The European Medicines Agency researched all available evidence, it said, including the reports from the United States.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Earned $32.7 Million In 2020; NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell Pay Was $16.5 Million

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts’ total pay package came in at $32.7 million last year, down from $36.4 in 2019.

Roberts earned a base salary of $3.4 million; stock and option grants both valued at $10.6 million; and $7.7 million in non-equity incentive compensation — like a cash bonus.

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell’s total pay was $16.5 million, according to a proxy statement Friday. The reports filed with the SEC list the salaries of a company’s top five highest paid executives. Comcast CFO Michael Cavanagh and CEO of Comcast Cable both earned more at, respectively, $25 million and $20 million.

Shell had a base pay of $2.6 million, stock and option grants valued at $3.7 million apiece and non-equity incentive pay of $5.8 million. He became CEO of NBCUniversal, succeeding Steve Burke, in January of 2002.

The compensation committee of Comcast’s board, which sets executive pay, praised its named executive officers for strong performance .

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South Africa's Absa appoints insider Punki Modise as interim CFO

JOHANNESBURG, April 23 (Reuters) – Absa’s Punki Modise has been appointed as the interim financial director of the South African lender, the bank said on Tuesday, after Jason Quinn stepped into the interim chief executive position this week.

Quinn was appointed on Tuesday to replace Daniel Mminele, who stepped down just 15 months into his post after disagreements with the board about strategy and culture change, Absa said.

Modise joined Absa Group in 2008 and has held various senior management positions, including chief financial officer of retail and business banking since June 2016.