When it comes to creating custom apparel, most people focus on the design, the colors, or the printing method. But one crucial factor often gets overlooked—the fabric. The material you choose is more than just the canvas for your art. It’s the foundation that determines how your print looks, feels, and lasts. Whether you’re designing […]
The post Why Material Choice Matters: Fabric Blends, Texture, and Print Durability appeared first on IFB.
Rachel G
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If you are getting started with melt and pour soap (or are searching out the best supplies for soap-making projects), you have come to the right place! This comprehensive guide covers the melt and pour soap supplies you will need to make fantastic soap projects.
Melt and pour soap is a great way to get started in the soap world, ideal for those who are intimidated by lye and making cold process soap.
I’ve made many soap recipes, both melt and pour and cold process soap. Both are wonderful options for making beautiful, artisan-inspired soap bars that you can use for yourself or to gift.
Let me show you everything you need to get started!
Jump ahead to…
If you don’t yet have a copy of Good Clean Fun, what are you waiting for?! It’s a whole lot of inspiration and ideas for making perfect looking melt and pour soap projects with ease. Read more about Good Clean Fun here and grab your copy today!
This resource guide lists all of the melt and pour soap supplies that were used in the book, along with some other fun materials that would make even more lovely projects.
There is a wide variety of soap bases, some scented, some unscented, some clear, some white, but they can all be split into two main categories: opaque and clear.
Opaque soap bases will give you solid-coloured soaps that are not translucent. The base will be white or off-white. Here are some good opaque bases:
Clear soap bases are translucent. Clear soap bases are best to use for projects that add decorative imbeds that you want to be able to see through the soap. To get a truly clear soap, there are not many options without chemicals. There is an option for SLES & SLS free soap, which can be used in the recipes calling for clear soap base. Here are some clear bases:
Here is a list of natural pigments to try:
And here are some soap dyes
The best way to get started with essential oils is to purchase a starter pack and start using them. You will quickly learn which scents you love and which you don’t.
Essential Oil Sets:
Individual Essential Oils:
Isopropyl alcohol is very handy to have when making melt and pour soap. Keep some in a small spray-top bottle while making soap projects as it will be noted in some of the recipes.
You can choose botanicals from your garden or pick up some online.
To start making melt and pour soap projects, you will need a few pieces of equipment. Many of these are commonly available in your kitchen. The other, more specialized equipment can be easy to find in craft stores and online.
You can use any silicone or hard mold you like for melt and pour soap. Here are some that are used in the book and a few others I love:
Metal molds such as cupcake and cake pans as well as hard plastic soap and candy molds can also be used but they can be difficult to remove the soap from. Tip: Shrink soap by placing it in the freezer and it will release from the mold more easily.
There is a DIY Soap Cutting Guide Box in the Projects chapters of Good Clean Fun. If you would like to purchase one instead, you can look at these:
Soap stamps and rubber embossing plates can add a lot of personality to the projects. I love these ones:
That’s it! Whew! With all of these supplies, you are sure to have some Good Clean Fun in your future. Have fun out there.
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Stephanie Rose
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How many times have you heard your child say, “I’m bored”? OK, not you saying it in your head… your child whining it while they pick at a thread on their shirt. This said kid is also probably surrounded with toys, books, games and more (ahhh, to be bored like a kid!). So, here are 5 responses to your child saying “I’m bored”.
“Figure it out.” I mean, seriously – when did we become responsible for entertaining our kids 24/7?! Truth is, when your kids are bored, it’s pretty amazing how creative they will get to find their own ways of keeping busy. Just keep an eye on them – the mischievous ones might get into trouble.
“Go outside.” I really don’t think kids spend as much time outdoors as we did as kids (I remember practically living outside from sun up to sun down). We’ve all got the gear for winter or summer play, so send them out for some fresh air.
“Make something.” In our house we call it a “craft challenge” where we rummage through the recycling bin, or pull out random craft supplies, and we challenge each other to create something. It’s quite cool to see what your kids come up with.
“Read something.” We have a very accessible well-stocked bookshelf that the bean keeps very organized to make book-finding easy. We also subscribe to a number of magazines, and I have other “books” around like word searches and hidden pictures.
“Do something for someone else.” Whether it’s helping mom and dad with a household to-do, writing a letter to a long-distance family member, shoveling the neighbour’s walkway, there’s always a way to help someone else (and keep your child occupied too).
How many times have you heard your child say, “I’m bored”? OK, not you saying it in your head… your child whining it while they pick at a thread on their shirt. This said kid is also probably surrounded with toys, books, games and more (ahhh, to be bored like a kid!). So, here are 5 responses to your child saying “I’m bored”.
“Figure it out.” I mean, seriously – when did we become responsible for entertaining our kids 24/7?! Truth is, when your kids are bored, it’s pretty amazing how creative they will get to find their own ways of keeping busy. Just keep an eye on them – the mischievous ones might get into trouble.
“Go outside.” I really don’t think kids spend as much time outdoors as we did as kids (I remember practically living outside from sun up to sun down). We’ve all got the gear for winter or summer play, so send them out for some fresh air.
“Make something.” In our house we call it a “craft challenge” where we rummage through the recycling bin, or pull out random craft supplies, and we challenge each other to create something. It’s quite cool to see what your kids come up with.
“Read something.” We have a very accessible well-stocked bookshelf that the bean keeps very organized to make book-finding easy. We also subscribe to a number of magazines, and I have other “books” around like word searches and hidden pictures.
“Do something for someone else.” Whether it’s helping mom and dad with a household to-do, writing a letter to a long-distance family member, shoveling the neighbour’s walkway, there’s always a way to help someone else (and keep your child occupied too).
General Electric Co. has saved its best year for its last.
At the beginning of the second quarter, GE’s power and renewable-energy business will be spun off as GE Vernova, while its remaining business will be relaunched as GE Aerospace. That follows the conglomerate’s separation of GE HealthCare Technologies Inc.
GEHC,
in December 2022.
But rather than mourn the final breakup of the 150-year old company, which was co-founded by Thomas Edison, Wall Street cheered like it never had before.
GE’s stock
GE,
has rocketed 95.1% in 2023 as of afternoon trading Friday. That would be by far the stock’s best year on record, based on available data going back to 1972, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The next best year was 1982, when it gained 65.4%. In comparison, the S&P 500 index
SPX
has rallied 24.2% this year.
Read: GE stock sees biggest rally in more than 2 years after a big earnings beat, raised outlook.
As good as the stock’s performance has been leading up to the breakup, most analysts feel like investors still have more to gain. Keep in mind that in many cases, a company’s parts are worth more individually than they are valued as part of a whole.
Wells Fargo’s Matthew Akers has a pre-breakup target of $144 on GE’s stock, which implies about 13% upside from current levels.
“GE combines an attractive business with high aftermarket mix, solid management team with a clean balance sheet, L-T margin upside and built-in catalyst with the Vernova spin in early Q2,” Akers wrote.
J.P. Morgan’s Seth Seifman said he believes the combined equity values of GE Vernova and GE Aerospace, when including the company’s equity stake in GE HealthCare, is about $149 billion. That compares with GE’s current market capitalization of about $139 billion.
Of the 18 analysts surveyed by FactSet who cover GE, 12 are bullish and six are neutral, while there are no bears. And the average price target is $139.23, or about 9% above current levels.
GE’s 2023 marks the culmination of a five-year turnaround for the stock engineered by current Chief Executive Larry Culp, who will remain as CEO of GE Aerospace.
General Electric Co.
The stock had suffered its worst year ever in 2018, plunging 56.6%, just after it had its fourth-worst year in 2017, when it suffered a 44.8% decline.
Things got so bad for GE that it got booted from the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA
in June 2018, ending a record 111-year run in the blue-chip barometer.
Culp was named CEO in October 2018. During his tenure, GE’s stock has had only two down years. It fell 3.2% in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the aerospace business, and slumped 11.3% in 2022 as spiking inflation and interest rates fueled fears that a recession was on the horizon.
But since the end of 2018, GE’s stock has climbed 181%, while the S&P 500 has rallied 90% and the Dow has gained 61%.
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Are you ready to
manifest all that you’ve dreamed of in your life?
If so, you might want to
consider creating your own vision board.
As a powerful visualization tool, a vision board formally sets your intention and, using the Law of Attraction, gives you results.
It is like drawing up a
contract between you and the Universe. As a result, all your senses open up and
become receptive to the opportunities around you, which can help make your
dreams come true.
Vision boarding is not hype. Consider the celebrities and influential personalities who use it in their own lives. They’ve experienced for themselves how vision boards truly work in helping them realize their dreams and meet their goals. Some people even host vision board parties so they can share their goals with others.
If a vision board can work for Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Steve Harvey, it can also work for you.
So, gather all the necessary supplies and get ready to make your dreams come true with a help of a vision board. (If you prefer an online version of a vision board, this is our #1 recommended tool for creating stylish, motivating vision boards.)
In case you’re new to vision boards and the concept of the Law of Attraction, today’s post gives you a list of the necessary supplies and materials for creating your first vision board.
If you are making a
physical vision board, the first thing you need is a display board. They
usually come in different materials, sizes, and colors.
Determine what kind of display board you need in order to get the right kind of mounting materials and/or adhesives. For example, the Umbra Bulletboard above needs pushpins or magnets in order for cutouts to adhere to the surface.
Other board suggestions
include:
When starting out with vision boarding, you’ll find that a decent pair of scissors is the main tool you’ll need. Choose a pair that allows you to grip the handles firmly, such as these Amazon Basics Multipurpose Office Scissors.
A craft knife will also
be handy when it comes to decorating your board. Furthermore, decorative
scissors can add interesting designs to your dream board.
Whether you’re working on short- or long-term goals on your vision board, you will need some form of adhesive when you’re assembling your cutouts. The most commonly used material is white glue, such as this Elmer’s Glue-All Multipurpose Liquid Glue.
Pushpins in different shapes, sizes, and colors also add interesting detail to your vision board.
Other forms of fasteners
include magnets, colored adhesive strips, and putty.
Not sure how to form
your goals? Check out these posts for concrete examples of short-term and long-term goals.
Tape is one of the best vision board supplies to stock up on when creating your own dream board. It comes in various forms, such as this versatile Scotch Brand Magic Tape, or washi tape, which comes in a vast array of designs.
Even though it is not considered part of the basic goal board supplies, washi tape can be incorporated into your board decorations. Washi tapes provide a more personalized feel to any project.
Markers should be part of your supplies for dream boarding. You can use them for writing quotes, making a border, and adding hand-drawn designs to your board.
These Sharpie Chisel Tip Permanent Colored Markers are easily available and affordable, and come in different colors.
Another way to add a personal touch to your vision board is by putting stickers on it. Stickers come in a wide array of designs, catering to every taste and purpose.
If you feel that you are not artistically gifted when it comes to making handwritten quotes or hand-drawn art, these Me & My Big Ideas Pocket Pages Stickers can serve as a substitute and add a touch of creativity to your board.
Most vision boards contain at least a couple of motivational quotes to encourage you to reach for your dreams. These Canopy Street Motivational Quote Cards can be cut out from magazines, or they can be printed out on glossy paper and cut to size according to the creator’s needs.
Some sticker designs also feature motivational quotes. For others, a stack of pre-cut motivational quote cards, such as the example above, are perfect for their vision boards. (Here are more printable quotes for your vision board.)
via Sea Of Shoes
When you’re creating a
physical vision board, the best source of images is usually what you already
have on hand. For most people, that means stacks of old magazines.
When you’ve written down your vision (more on this in the next section), you can leaf through those magazine pages, select the images that resonate with you, and cut them out. Here’s where to find free magazines for your vision board.
If you really want to get fancy and add some visual appeal, use vision board printables to make them look more interesting.
To make it easier for you, we’ve created a vision board supplies check list you can download for free.
In order to maximize the
benefits you can get from your vision board, you must take your time with each step of the creation process.
Step 1: Determine your
goals. What do you want to achieve? Your answer to this question will define
your goals. Write down your answers to serve as a future reference when you
start assembling your vision board.
Step 2: Gather your
visuals. Browse through visual sharing sites like Pinterest or magazines to find
inspiring images that represent the goals you want to manifest in your life.
Print or cut them out.
Step 3: Choose your
affirmations. You can get these from stickers, magazine cutouts, printable
quotes, etc. The essential thing to remember is that the affirmations should
resonate with you.
Step 4: Assemble your board. Gather your tools and supplies for this step. It is a sacred moment, and a personal one, so make sure that you allocate ample time when you won’t be interrupted.
Some people prefer doing this step alone, while others do it with family members or friends, such as in a vision board party.
Step 5: Display.When you finish creating your board,
it’s time to put it in a prominent place where you can see it every day.
Step 6: Visualize. At
an appointed time each day, gaze upon your vision board and visualize your
goals as if they were manifested. You must do this regularly for the
visualization to work.
Now that you know what
vision board supplies to get in order to make your first board, get ready to
commit to what you want to achieve.
Always remember to spend
time viewing your board. Be inspired by your dreams.
Envision that you’re
already receiving all the things you’ve laid out on your goal board.
If you prefer a digital version of a vision board that you can easily bring wherever you go, this post helps you make an informed decision when choosing the best vision board apps and websites that will help you create stunning boards to manifest the life you want.
If you need inspiration for your vision board, be sure to check out these articles for some examples:
Finally, if you don’t know how to get started with this strategy, then check out this FREE printable worksheet and a six-step process that will help you create the PERFECT vision board.
Michal Feyoh
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SmileDirectClub Inc. said late Friday it was winding down operations, effective immediately, seeming to cast its millions of customers adrift — except when it comes to their bills.
SmileDirectClub
SDCCQ,
said in a statement that its aligner treatment is not available to new customers. For existing customers, the company said, “we apologize for the inconvenience, but customer care support is no longer available” through its telehealth program, including periodic check-ins.
The company did not immediately return a request for comment.
People on the company’s SmilePay plan will need to make all payments until paid in full, the company said. SmileDirect also ended its lifetime guarantee.
For those seeking refunds, the company said that “there will be more information to come once the bankruptcy process determines next steps and additional measures customers can take.”
The company in late September filed for bankruptcy protection, saying it was seeking to find investors for a “comprehensive recapitalization.” In January, it laid off workers and ended a few international operations in a bid to become profitable.
The company has long attracted criticism for its teledentistry model, which it has said aims to disrupt the orthodontics industry. There were allegations a few years ago that it had harmed customers by breaking teeth and causing nerve damage, which the company denied.
Setbacks also include a scathing report from a short seller; regulatory action in California, Alabama and Georgia; and opposition to the company’s business practices from medical organizations including the American Dental Association and the American Association of Orthodontists.
The stock market always overreacts, and this year it seems as if investors believe dividend stocks have become toxic. But a look at yields on quality dividend stocks relative to the market underlines what may be an excellent opportunity for long-term investors to pursue growth with an income stream that builds up over the years.
The current environment, in which you can get a yield of more than 5% yield on your cash at a bank or lock in a yield of 4.57% on a10-year U.S. Treasury note
BX:TMUBMUSD10Y
or close to 5% on a 20-year Treasury bond
BX:TMUBMUSD20Y
seems to have made some investors forget two things: A stock’s dividend payout can rise over the long term, and so can it is price.
It is never fun to see your portfolio underperform during a broad market swing. And people have a tendency to prefer jumping on a trend hoping to keep riding it, rather than taking advantage of opportunities brought about by price declines. We may be at such a moment for quality dividend stocks, based on their yields relative to that of the benchmark S&P 500
SPX.
Drew Justman of Madison Funds explained during an interview with MarketWatch how he and John Brown, who co-manage the Madison Dividend Income Fund, BHBFX MDMIX and the new Madison Dividend Value ETF
DIVL,
use relative dividend yields as part of their screening process for stocks. He said he has never seen such yields, when compared with that of the broad market, during 20 years of work as a securities analyst and portfolio manager.
Before diving in, we can illustrate the market’s current loathing of dividend stocks by comparing the performance of the Schwab U.S. Equity ETF
SCHD,
which tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, with that of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
SPY.
Let’s look at a total return chart (with dividends reinvested) starting at the end of 2021, since the Federal Reserve started its cycle of interest rate increases in March 2022:
The Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index is made up of “high-dividend-yielding stocks in the U.S. with a record of consistently paying dividends, selected for fundamental strength relative to their peers, based on financial ratios,” according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
The end results for the two ETFs from the end of 2021 through Tuesday are similar. But you can see how the performance pattern has been different, with the dividend stocks holding up well during the stock market’s reaction to the Fed’s move last year, but trailing the market’s recovery as yields on CDs and bonds have become so much more attractive this year. Let’s break down the performance since the end of 2021, this time bringing in the Madison Dividend Income Fund’s Class Y and Class I shares:
| Fund | 2023 return | 2022 return | Return since the end of 2021 |
| SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 14.9% | -18.2% | -6.0% |
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | -3.8% | -3.2% | -6.9% |
| Madison Dividend Income Fund – Class Y | -4.7% | -5.4% | -9.9% |
| Madison Dividend Income Fund – Class I | -4.7% | -5.3% | -9.7% |
| Source: FactSet | |||
Dividend stocks held up well during 2022, as the S&P 500 fell more than 18%. But they have been left behind during this year’s rally.
The Madison Dividend Income Fund was established in 1986. The Class Y shares have annual expenses of 0.91% of assets under management and are rated three stars (out of five) within Morningstar’s “Large Value” fund category. The Class I shares have only been available since 2020. They have a lower expense ratio of 0.81% and are distributed through investment advisers or through platforms such as Schwab, which charges a $50 fee to buy Class I shares.
The Madison Dividend Income Fund holds 40 stocks. Justman explained that when he and Brown select stocks for the fund their investible universe begins with the components of the Russell 1000 Index
RUT,
which is made up of the largest 1,000 companies by market capitalization listed on U.S. exchanges. Their first cut narrows the list to about 225 stocks with dividend yields of at least 1.1 times that of the index.
The Madison team calculates a stock’s relative dividend yield by dividing its yield by that of the S&P 500. Let’s do that for the Schwab U.S. Equity ETF
SCHD
(because it tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index) to illustrate the opportunity that Justman highlighted:
| Index or ETF | Dividend yield | 5-year Avg. yield | 10-year Avg. yield | 15-year Avg. yield | Relative yield | 5-year Avg. relative yield | 10-year Avg. relative yield | 15-year Avg. relative yield |
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 3.99% | 3.41% | 3.20% | 3.16% | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 |
| S&P 500 | 1.55% | 1.62% | 1.79% | 1.92% | ||||
| Source: FactSet | ||||||||
The Schwab U.S. Equity ETF’s relative yield is 2.6 — that is, its dividend yield is 2.6 times that of the S&P 500, which is much higher than the long-term averages going back 15 years. If we went back 20 years, the average relative yield would be 1.7.
After narrowing down the Russell 1000 to about 225 stocks with relative dividend yields of at least 1.1, Justman and Brown cut further to about 80 companies with a long history of raising dividends and with strong balance sheets, before moving further through a deeper analysis to arrive at a portfolio of about 40 stocks.
When asked about oil companies and others that pay fixed quarterly dividends plus variable dividends, he said, “We try to reach out to the company and get an estimate of special dividends and try to factor that in.” Two examples of companies held by the fund that pay variable dividends are ConocoPhillips
COP,
and EOG Resources Inc.
EOG,
Since the balance-sheet requirement is subjective “almost all fund holdings are investment-grade rated,” Justman said. That refers to credit ratings by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service or Fitch Ratings. He went further, saying about 80% of the fund’s holdings were rated “A-minus or better.” BBB- is the lowest investment-grade rating from S&P. Fidelity breaks down the credit agencies’ ratings hierarchy.
Justman named nine stocks held by the fund as good examples of quality companies with high relative yields to the S&P 500:
| Company | Ticker | Dividend yield | Relative yield | 2023 return | 2022 return | Return since the end of 2021 |
| CME Group Inc. Class A |
CME, |
2.04% | 1.3 | 31% | -23% | 1% |
| Home Depot, Inc. |
HD, |
2.79% | 1.8 | -3% | -22% | -25% |
| Lowe’s Cos., Inc. |
LOW, |
2.17% | 1.4 | 3% | -21% | -19% |
| Morgan Stanley |
MS, |
4.24% | 2.7 | -3% | -10% | -13% |
| U.S. Bancorp |
USB, |
5.89% | 3.8 | -22% | -19% | -37% |
| Medtronic PLC |
MDT, |
3.62% | 2.3 | 1% | -23% | -22% |
| Texas Instruments Inc. |
TXN, |
3.30% | 2.1 | -3% | -10% | -12% |
| United Parcel Service Inc. Class B |
UPS, |
4.17% | 2.7 | -8% | -16% | -23% |
| Union Pacific Corp. |
UNP, |
2.52% | 1.6 | 2% | -16% | -15% |
| Source: FactSet | ||||||
Click on the tickers for more about each company, fund or index.
Now let’s see how these companies have grown their dividend payouts over the past five years. Leaving the companies in the same order, here are compound annual growth rates (CAGR) for dividends.
Before showing this next set of data, let’s work through one example among the nine stocks:
Home Depot hasn’t been the best dividend grower among the nine stocks named by Justman, but it is a good example of how an investor can build income over the long term, while also enjoying capital appreciation.
Here’s the dividend CAGR comparison for the nine stocks:
| Company | Ticker | Five-year dividend CAGR | Dividend yield on shares purchased five years ago | Dividend yield five years ago | Current dividend yield | Five-year price change | Five-year total return |
| CME Group Inc. Class A |
CME, |
9.46% | 2.44% | 1.55% | 2.04% | 20% | 42% |
| Home Depot Inc. |
HD, |
15.20% | 4.32% | 2.13% | 2.79% | 54% | 75% |
| Lowe’s Cos, Inc. |
LOW, |
18.04% | 4.14% | 1.81% | 2.17% | 91% | 109% |
| Morgan Stanley |
MS, |
23.16% | 7.62% | 2.69% | 4.24% | 80% | 108% |
| U.S. Bancorp |
USB, |
5.34% | 3.60% | 2.78% | 5.89% | -39% | -26% |
| Medtronic PLC |
MDT, |
6.65% | 2.90% | 2.10% | 3.62% | -20% | -9% |
| Texas Instruments Inc. |
TXN, |
11.04% | 5.24% | 3.10% | 3.30% | 59% | 82% |
| United Parcel Service Inc. Class B |
UPS, |
12.23% | 5.56% | 3.12% | 4.17% | 33% | 56% |
| Union Pacific Corp. |
UNP, |
10.20% | 3.37% | 2.07% | 2.52% | 34% | 49% |
| Source: FactSet | |||||||
This isn’t to say that Justman and Brown have held all of these stocks over the past five years. In fact, Lowe’s Cos.
LOW,
was added to the portfolio this year, as was United Parcel Service Inc.
UPS,
But for most of these companies, dividends have compounded at relatively high rates.
When asked to name an example of a stock the fund had sold, Justman said he and Brown decided to part ways with Verizon Communications Inc.
VZ,
last year, “as we became concerned about its fundamental competitive position in its industry.”
Summing up the scene for dividend stocks, Justman said, “It seems this year the market is treating dividend stocks as fixed-income instruments. We think that is a short-term issue and that this is a great opportunity.”
Don’t miss: How to tell if it is worth avoiding taxes with a municipal-bond ETF
The stock market is entering October a little battered and bruised after September’s selloff. However, that also offers opportunities and
J.P. Morgan
analysts have some ideas for where to invest at the start of t…
SmileDirectClub Inc. shares plummeted in the extended session Friday after the company said it had voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as founders seek to recapitalize the teeth-straightening business.
SmileDirectClub shares SDC, which had been halted while up 0.9% in after-hours trading pending news, promptly dropped as much as 85% when trading in the stock reopened.
The…
By Joe Hoppe
Exor and Royal Philips jointly said that they have entered a relationship agreement, with Exor picking up a 15% stake in Philips for an undisclosed sum, but worth around 2.58 billion euros ($2.82 billion).
Investment company Exor, which holds stakes in a number of companies such as car makers Ferrari and Stellantis, said Monday that its investment is fully supportive of Dutch health-technology company Philips’ leadership, strategy and value creation potential, and gives it the ability to nominate one member to Philips’ supervisory board.
As of Friday’s closing, Philips had a market cap of around EUR17.18 billion.
Exor said it was committed to being a long-term minority investor, and while it doesn’t plan to buy more shares in Philips in the short-term, over time the agreement allows for Exor to increase its participation to a maximum limit of 20% of Philips’ outstanding share capital.
“Exor’s investment in Philips, their long-term outlook and increased focus on healthcare and technology, fit well with our strategy and substantial value creation potential,” Philips Chief Executive Roy Jakobs said.
Write to Joe Hoppe at joseph.hoppe@wsj.com
Home Depot, Target, Cisco, Deere, Walmart, and More Stocks to Watch This Week
Oracle Stock Extends Rally After Earnings Top Estimates
Tucker Carlson is leaving Fox News, according to a statement from the network on Monday that sent Fox shares down 4%.
“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the company said in a terse statement. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
Carlson’s last program at the…
NEW YORK — The Delaware judge overseeing a voting machine company’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News announced late Sunday that he was delaying the start of the trial until Tuesday. He did not cite a reason.
The trial, which has drawn international interest, had been scheduled to start Monday morning with jury selection and opening statements.
The case centers on whether Fox defamed Dominion Voting Systems by spreading false claims that the company rigged the 2020 presidential election to prevent former President Donald Trump’s reelection. Records produced as part of the lawsuit show that many of the network’s hosts and executives didn’t believe the allegations but aired them, anyway.
Representatives for Dominion and for the two entities it’s suing — Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corp.
FOX,
— did not immediately return requests for comment on the delay. In his statement, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis said only that the trial, including jury selection, would be continued until Tuesday and that he would announce the delay in court on Monday.
That’s when Fox News executives and the network’s star hosts were scheduled to begin answering for their role in spreading doubt about the 2020 presidential election and creating the gaping wound that remains in America’s democracy.
Jurors hearing the $1.6 billion lawsuit filed against Fox by Dominion Voting Systems would have to answer a specific question: Did Fox defame the voting machine company by airing bogus stories alleging that the election was rigged against then-President Donald Trump, even as many at the network privately doubted the false claims being pushed by Trump and his allies?
Yet the broader context looms large. A trial would test press freedom and the reputation of conservatives’ favorite news source. It also would illuminate the flow of misinformation that helped spark the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and continues to fuel Trump’s hopes to regain power in 2024.
Fox News stars Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity and founder Rupert Murdoch are among the people who had been expected to testify.
Barring a settlement, opening statements are now scheduled for Tuesday.
“This is Christmas Eve for defamation scholars,” said RonNell Andersen Jones, a University of Utah law professor.
If the trial were a sporting event, Fox News would be taking the field on a losing streak, with key players injured and having just alienated the referee. Pretrial court rulings and embarrassing revelations about its biggest names have Fox on its heels.
Court papers released over the past two months show Fox executives, producers and personalities privately disbelieved Trump’s claims of a fraudulent election. But Dominion says Fox News was afraid of alienating its audience with the truth, particularly after many viewers were angered by the network’s decision to declare Democrat Joe Biden the winner in Arizona on election night in November 2020.
Some rulings by the judge have eased Dominion’s path. In a summary judgment, Davis said it was “CRYSTAL clear” that fraud allegations against the company were false. That means trial time won’t have to be spent disproving them at a time when millions of Republicans continue to doubt the 2020 results.
Davis said it also is clear that Dominion’s reputation was damaged, but that it would be up to a jury to decide whether Fox acted with “actual malice” — the legal standard — and, if so, what that’s worth financially.
Fox witnesses would likely testify that they thought the allegations against Dominion were newsworthy, but Davis made it clear that’s not a defense against defamation.
New York law protects news outlets from defamation for expressions of opinion. But Davis methodically went through 20 different times on Fox when allegations against Dominion were discussed, ruling that all of them were fully or partly considered statements of fact, and fair game for a potential libel finding.
“A lawsuit is a little bit like hitting a home run,” said Cary Coglianese, law professor at the University of Pennsylvania. “You have to go through all of the bases to get there.” The judge’s rulings “basically give Dominion a spot at third base, and all they have to do is come home to win it.”
Both Fox and Dominion are incorporated in Delaware, though Fox News is headquartered in New York and Dominion is based in Denver.
Fox angered Davis this past week when the judge said the network’s lawyers delayed producing evidence and were not forthcoming in revealing Murdoch’s role at Fox News. A Fox lawyer, Blake Rohrbacher, sent a letter of apology to Davis on Friday, saying it was a misunderstanding and not an intention to deceive.
It’s not clear whether that would affect a trial. But it’s generally not wise to have a judge wonder at the outset of a trial whether your side is telling the truth, particularly when truth is the central point of the case, Jones said.
The lawsuit essentially comes down to whether Dominion can prove Fox acted with actual malice by putting something on the air knowing that it was false or acting with a “reckless disregard” for whether it was true. In most libel cases, that is the most difficult hurdle for plaintiffs to get past.
Dominion can point to many examples where Fox figures didn’t believe the charges being made by Trump allies such as Sidney Powell and Rudolph Giuliani. But Fox says many of those disbelievers were not in a position to decide when to air those allegations.
“We think it’s essential for them to connect those dots,” Fox lawyer Erin Murphy said.
If the case goes to trial, the jury will determine whether a powerful figure like Murdoch — who testified in a deposition that he didn’t believe the election-fraud charges — had the influence to keep the accusations off the air.
“Credibility is always important in any trial in any case. But it’s going to be really important in this case,” said Jane Kirtley, director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and the Law at the University of Minnesota.
Kirtley is concerned that the suit may eventually advance to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could use it as a pretext to weaken the actual malice standard that was set in a 1964 decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. That, she feels, would be disastrous for journalists.
Dominion’s lawsuit is being closely watched by another voting-technology company with a separate but similar case against Fox News. Florida-based Smartmatic has looked to some rulings and evidence in the Dominion case to try to enhance its own $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit in New York. The Smartmatic case isn’t yet ready for trial but has survived Fox News’ effort to get it tossed out.
Many experts are surprised Fox and Dominion have not reached an out-of-court settlement, though they can at any time. There’s presumably a wide financial gulf. In court papers, Fox contends the $1.6 billion damages claim is a wild overestimate.
Dominion’s motivation may also be to inflict maximum embarrassment on Fox with the peek into the network’s internal communications following the election. Text messages from January 2021 revealed Carlson telling a friend that he passionately hated Trump and couldn’t wait to move on.
Dominion may also seek an apology.
The trial has had no apparent effect on Fox News’ viewership; it remains the top-rated cable network. Fox’s media reporter, Howard Kurtz, said earlier this year that he had been banned from covering the lawsuit, but the network has since changed direction. Kurtz discussed the case on his show Sunday, saying he would be in Wilmington for the beginning of the trial.
“The real potential danger is if Fox viewers get the sense that they’ve been lied to. There’s a real downside there,” said Charlie Sykes, founder of the Bulwark website and an MSNBC contributor.
There’s little indication that the case has changed Fox’s editorial direction. Fox has embraced Trump once again in recent weeks following the former president’s indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, and Carlson presented an alternate history of Capitol riot, based on tapes given to him by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Just because there has been limited discussion of the Dominion suit on Fox doesn’t mean its fans are unaware of it, said Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative watchdog Media Research Center.
“There’s a certain amount of tribal reaction to this,” Graham said. “When all of the other networks are thrilling to revealing text messages and emails, they see this as the latest attempt by the liberal media to undermine Fox News. There’s going to be a rally-around-Rupert effect.”
Fox Corp. and MarketWatch parent News Corp. share common ownership.
DOVER, Del. (AP) — A voting-machine company’s defamation case against Fox News over its airing of false allegations about the 2020 presidential election will go to trial after a Delaware judge on Friday ruled that a jury must decide whether the network aired the claims with actual malice, the standard for proving libel against public figures.
Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled that neither Fox nor Dominion Voting Systems had presented a convincing argument to prevail on whether Fox acted with malice without the case going to trial. But he also ruled that the statements Dominion had challenged constitute defamation “per se” under New York law. That means Dominion did not have to prove damages to establish liability by Fox.
“ ‘The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that [it] is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true.’ ”
“The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that [it] is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true,” Davis wrote in his summary judgment ruling.
The decision paves the way for a trial start in mid-April.
Dominion is suing the network for $1.6 billion, claiming Fox defamed it by repeatedly airing false allegations by then-President Donald Trump and his allies in the weeks after the 2020 election claiming the company’s machines and its accompanying software had switched votes to Democrat Joe Biden. The network aired the claims even though internal communications show that many of its executives and hosts didn’t believe them.
The company sued Fox News and its parent, Fox Corp.
FOX,
FOXA,
which shares ownership with News Corp
NWS,
NWSA,
parent company of MarketWatch publisher Dow Jones.
Fox has said it was simply covering newsworthy allegations made by a sitting president claiming his re-election had been stolen from him. In his ruling, Davis said Fox could not escape potential liability by claiming privileges for neutral reporting or opinion.
“FNN’s failure to reveal extensive contradicting evidence from the public sphere and Dominion itself indicates that its reporting was not disinterested.” the judge wrote.
In a statement issued after the ruling, Dominion said it was gratified that the court had rejected Fox’s arguments and found “as a matter of law that their statements about Dominion are false. We look forward to going to trial.”
Fox emphasized that the case is about the media’s First Amendment protections in covering the news. “Fox will continue to fiercely advocate for the rights of free speech and a free press as we move into the next phase of these proceedings,” the network said in a statement.
See: ‘A complete nut’: Fox News hosts didn’t believe 2020 election fraud claims
Also: Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity among potential witnesses at Fox News trial
The coverage fed an ecosystem of misinformation surrounding Trump’s loss in 2020 that has persisted ever since.
MarketWatch contributed.
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https://www.barrons.com/articles/stock-market-movers-5b0c54ae
What can 24 pallets of donated pet food do? It can connect a community, build a community, and keep the individuals in that community fed and safe.
In 2022, APA! became a benefiting partner of a program created by the Humane Society of the United States and Chewy that connects Chewy’s warehouse returns to shelter partners in need. This collaboration has helped build upon our expanding PASS (Positive Alternative to Shelter Surrender) program, which has seen extreme growth over the last few years.
A large delivery that we welcomed to our main location will make its way across Austin in a few stages. First, our friends at Austin Humane Society have collected eight pallets that will help stock one of their quarterly food banks. Next, several partnering organizations—multiple rescues, food pantries, and municipal partners—will come to APA! to load up supplies to support their efforts. And finally, APA! will welcome community members in need to load up supplies that may mean the difference between keeping their pet or having to rehome.
When a community member is facing hard times, they may find themselves having to make the hard and heartbreaking decision to find a new home for their beloved pet. The last three years have been an eye-opener for so many, and for APA!, we saw the gap our community, and communities beyond Austin, have in providing support for a family that includes pets. Our PASS program, which had been quietly running in the background for years, shifted to a program that we recognized needed fast growth and that we needed to bring to the foreground of operations—so we could support people and pets in our community, and keep families together.
In 2022, this “little program that could” raised over $44,000 for community members who needed medical support or pet deposit support in order to keep their pet, distributed over $300,000 worth of supplies and foods to various shelters and rescue partners, fulfilled 400+ individual pet pantry orders which served over 1500 pet family members and, when rehoming a pet was the best option for all parties, intaked a little over 1000 pets, typically, directly into foster homes.
We’re honored to be a central hub partner for the HSUS and Chewy donation program as a way to continue to support our community members when they need a helping hand.
Royal Philips NV on Monday said it will cut an extra 6,000 jobs by 2025, including around 3,000 this year, as part of a plan to improve performance and drive value creation.
The Dutch health-technology company
PHIA,
PHG,
–which said in October that it was cutting 4,000 jobs, or about 5% of its 80,000-strong workforce–said Monday that the simplified operating model will make it more agile and competitive, while reducing costs. The job cuts announced Monday are in addition to those outlined in October.
Philips said that it will now focus on extracting the full value of its portfolio through a strategy of focused organic growth.
The company made the disclosure as it reported a swing to net loss for the fourth quarter of last year amid higher costs, but said that it has seen some improvement in the period and that is taking actions to address operational challenges in an uncertain environment.
The Dutch health-technology company–which sells products including MRI scanners and ultrasound machines–posted a net loss attributable to shareholders of 106 million euros ($170.6 million) compared with a profit of EUR157 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 and a company-compiled consensus loss of EUR16 million.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortization–which strips out exceptional and other one-off items–was EUR651 million compared with EUR647 million and a consensus of EUR428 million.
The company said its performance was hit by cost inflation that was partly offset by pricing and productivity measures.
Group sales in the period were EUR5.42 billion compared with EUR4.94 billion and a consensus of EUR5.03 billion.
Like-for-like sales were up 3%, compared with a company-compiled forecast for a fall of 5.2%, due to improved component supplies
Royal Philips said it now expects low-single-digit comparable sales growth and high-single-digit adjusted Ebita margin for this year.
It has also targeted mid-single-digit comparable sales growth and a low-teens adjusted Ebita margin by 2025, and for mid-single-digit comparable sales growth and mid-to-high-teens adjusted Ebita margin beyond 2025.
“Considering the slowing of consumer demand and a gradual improvement of the order book conversion during 2023, Philips anticipates a slow start to the year, with improvements throughout the year supported by the ongoing productivity, pricing and other actions,” it said.
Write to Ian Walker at ian.walker@wsj.com
The company said its performance was hit by cost inflation that was partly offset by pricing and productivity measures.
Group sales in the period were EUR5.42 billion compared with EUR4.94 billion and a consensus of EUR5.03 billion.
Like-for-like sales were up 3%, compared with a company-compiled forecast for a fall of 5.2%, due to improved component supplies
Royal Philips said it now expects low-single-digit comparable sales growth and high-single-digit adjusted Ebita margin for this year.
“Considering the slowing of consumer demand and a gradual improvement of the order book conversion during 2023, Philips anticipates a slow start to the year, with improvements throughout the year supported by the ongoing productivity, pricing and other actions,” it said.
Write to Ian Walker at ian.walker@wsj.com
Boys and girls love to read, create, and have fun, and there’s are lots of exciting gender-neutral toys out this holiday season that are up for grabs. Whether they like doing something that’s hands-on, playing a great game, or both, here are some fantastic gift ideas every child will love.
Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Cafe. Little ones can create custom coffees, teas, and other colorful make-believe drinks with this creative play food set. Fill up a cup at the filling station, then watch it spin and slide over to the pretend topping station where Play-Doh compound ripples out like pretend whipped cream. Make pretend hot beverages in the mug or use the drinks toy machine to fill the three clear cups with colourful Play-Doh frappes! There are also two lids to take the pretend drinks to go, and it comes with five different colours of Play-Doh: blue, white, pink, orange, and brown (contains wheat).
Kids Against Maturity. This family game has limitless, hilarious card combinations, poopy fart humor, and oodles of layered innuendos, and will have kids and adults alike rolling with laughter. There are 600 hilarious cards and more than 40,000 combinations, so this game is never dull or boring. It’s available through Walmart and Amazon.
The Christmas Movie Cookbook. There are more than 65 classic movie recipes in this comprehensive and nostalgic cookbook – kids will find tons of stuff to try! Whether you yearn for roast turkey while watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or wish you could taste the roast beast from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, ‘tis the season to recreate the dishes from all of your favorite holiday movies.
Connect 4 Flip. This is a fun new spin on the original: this time around, it features a spinning grid, which can throw your whole game out of control (but in a fun way, of course). Things can change in an instant, so if you know someone who loves Connect 4, then they need this new, fast-paced, updated version.
The Crayola Amazing Art Case. This kit has over 70 pieces in an all-in-one portable art studio. It contains dozens of crayons, pencils, markers, and sheets of drawing paper that can keep your budding artist creating for hours. Inside, the case has everything a kid needs to bring their imagination to life and create their own fridge-worthy masterpieces. The snap-fit case keeps supplies organized and the carry handle makes it easy to take art supplies anywhere.
– Jennifer Cox
