Latest news with #Conger
Business Wire
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business Wire
SabbaticalHomes Celebrates 25 Years of Housing Minds on the Move
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SabbaticalHomes celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025. With more than 2 million members in 65 countries, the international housing platform has long been the trusted resource for academics and scholars seeking temporary accommodations worldwide. As higher education faces global uncertainty and housing costs continue to climb, SabbaticalHomes is more relevant than ever. A Home for Scholars Founded in 2000 by Nadege Conger, SabbaticalHomes was inspired by personal experience. As part of an academic family, Conger witnessed how difficult it was for scholars to find suitable housing while working abroad. Seeing the potential of the internet to connect like-minded people, she coded the first version of the site herself—long before the plethora of short-term rental platforms emerged. Despite international disruptions like 9/11, economic downturns, and COVID-19, the company remains focused on its mission: supporting those who advance knowledge through research, writing, and education. About the Founder Originally from France and now based in Southern California, Conger earned her MBA from McGill University in Montreal after studying in France and Canada. Her early career included roles at Disney Paris and Deloitte & Touche, but she sought a more meaningful path. 'I'm particularly proud that SabbaticalHomes has grown organically, driven by purpose rather than venture capital,' said Conger. 'Each listing is more than a home—it's a vessel for thinkers, helping them contribute to society. We prioritize trust and respect over profits.' A Global Academic Community SabbaticalHomes connects professors, postdocs, teachers, graduate students, and university staff as well as writers, scientists, artists, journalists, filmmakers, and doctors—people who value lifelong learning and intellectual exchange. Its members include Nobel laureates, Fulbright scholars, and fellowship recipients worldwide. Many return year after year, sharing testimonials that reflect the platform's deep impact and community-first approach. How It Works Members list homes for rent or exchange with house-sitting and sharing options. They arrange details independently and directly—checking references, drafting contracts, and handling payments. This model encourages trust, flexibility, and authentic personal connections. With flat listing and match fees, SabbaticalHomes serves users at all career stages. Looking Ahead As it marks 25 years, SabbaticalHomes continues to support 'Minds on the Move.' With a strong foundation and a loyal community, the platform is well-positioned to empower scholars and thought leaders for decades to come. For more information, visit
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stocks' FOMO Takes a Break From US as Momentum Moves Overseas
(Bloomberg) -- The animal spirits that sent the US stock market flying over the past two years are going global — a trend that some market pros say may be just getting started. Trump Targets $128 Billion California High-Speed Rail Project Trump to Halt NY Congestion Pricing by Terminating Approval Trump Asserts Power Over NYC, Proclaims 'Long Live the King' Airbnb Billionaire Offers Pre-Fab Homes for LA Fire Victims Sorry, Kids: Disney's New York Headquarters Is for Grown-Ups After soaring more than 50% combined in 2023 and 2024, the S&P 500 Index has largely flatlined since US President Donald Trump's inauguration. The hot trade is now moving overseas, with investors piling into European and Asian stocks, ignoring the threats of tariffs, trade wars and violent military conflicts. Since just before Trump took office, the Stoxx Europe 600 Index is up 5.8%, while the Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index, which tracks US-listed companies that do business in China, has soared 18%. In contrast, the S&P 500 gained a mere 0.3% in the period — with the underperformance intensified by Friday's one-day 1.7% swoon. 'Because sentiment and positioning in US equities was so extreme for so long, this reversal can now go a long way,' said Brad Conger, who oversees about $20 billion as chief investment officer at Hirtle Callaghan. Conger cited an investor poll from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in late January, which found that global portfolio managers overwhelmingly believed US equities will post the best returns in 2025. This one-sided sentiment is one reason he's been going the other way: Conger's firm has been overweight European stocks since mid-2024 and Chinese equities since late last year. For traders who are doing the same, the logic is straightforward. Stocks outside the US missed much of the gains of the past two years and are now looking relatively cheap as the global economic outlook has stabilized. At the same time, uncertainties about tariffs have mainly weighed on sentiment in the US, and the dollar's strength has faded. Meanwhile, excitement around the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek has led investors to reconsider the steep prices in US equities, and made China tech stocks more appealing in the near term. Taken together, all of these forces are shaking up the 'US exceptionalism' thesis in which American markets are expected to consistently outperform their peers. 'This shift has the potential to be secular, not cyclical,' said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide Investment Management Group, that has about $75 billion of assets under management. 'The only other time on record that had a performance and valuation gap this wide between domestic and international markets was during the technology bubble. When the shift came then, it was dramatic and extended.' Global equities lagged the US significantly over the past two calendar years, with the Stoxx 600 rising 20% and Golden Dragon gaining just 1%, even as the S&P 500 soared 53%. Even after this year's catch-up, the average price-to-earnings multiple for the European gauge stands at 14, below the S&P 500's at 22. The China index multiple is at 17. Follow the Money Money flows suggest a long potential runway ahead for non-US stocks. An analysis from JPMorgan Chase & Co. found that excluding Chinese equities, this year's relative underperformance of US stocks still represents only a 10% to 20% reversal of the pro-US investment theme that ruled from April 2023 through the end of last year. Citigroup said positioning has flipped so 'dramatically' in favor of Europe, that investors are now more bullish on Europe than they are on the US. The upcoming US tax-paying season in March will be another headwind for the S&P 500. Equity buying from retail traders — a key force in American markets — can slow down as tax season comes closer. In fact, Goldman's Scott Rubner last week said he was on 'correction watch' for the equity benchmark as both retail and institutional buyers are running out of steam. In Europe, meanwhile, the rush into German stocks or broader European equities suggests investors are being driven by a fear of missing out, said Christopher Murphy, co-head of derivatives strategy at Susquehanna International Group. He noted that implied volatility in both Germany's DAX Index and the Euro Stoxx 50 Index has climbed sharply in recent weeks. 'It is very rare to see a macro index rallying and volatility moving higher considerably,' Murphy added. Too Fast? But there are fundamentals underpinning the move. Beyond Europe's lagging valuations, the outlook for interest rates is more benign, while corporate earnings have been resilient. Budding optimism around a potential ceasefire in Ukraine is also a plus, as are expectations for increased spending to help keep any peace, which has helped European defense companies in particular. For some, the stampede into Europe and China has been so breakneck that it may be due for a pause. Gauges of momentum for both the Euro Stoxx 50 and Hang Seng China Enterprises Index suggest they have risen too far too fast, something that may signal a reversal is on the horizon, if not imminent, said JPMorgan's global market strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou. Others still see plenty of reasons to keeping betting on the US, even with the S&P 500 still near all-time highs. 'The US has key structural advantages,' said Bank of America's equity strategists led by Savita Subramanian, noting its energy independence, fungible labor force, and the reserve currency status of the dollar. America's technology industry also continues to be on top, the strategists said, though the launch of DeepSeek has challenged the notion of US's dominance in that field. Even a little wobble in confidence about the superiority in US tech giants can go a long way, though, given their disproportionately large influence on the country's stock market. And at a time when the tide is flowing in the other direction, every factor adds up. 'The AI narrative was the justification for the extreme bullishness in US stocks,' Hirtle Callaghan's Conger said. 'It would not have been possible for non-US equities to outperform had there not been a readjustment of the AI expectations in the US.' --With assistance from Natalia Kniazhevich, Jessica Menton, Yiqin Shen, Sagarika Jaisinghani and Abhishek Vishnoi. 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Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Peoria Riverfront Museum to put on one-of-a-kind exhibit celebrating America's birthday
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Next year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States of America's independence, and the Peoria Riverfront Museum has a year-long exhibit coming up to commemorate it. The exhibit named 'America 250' will be headlined by artifacts such as the 1776 signed copy of the Declaration of Independence, the Athenaeum Portrait of George Washington that inspired the picture on the one dollar bill along with a picture of Abraham Lincoln taken by Peoria photographer Roderick Cole just a short walk from the museum. The over-arching exhibit, however, is curated by Ken Burns, acclaimed documentary filmmaker. Bill Conger, chief curator for the Peoria Riverfront Museum, said while Burns' programs will be a 12-month exhibit, there are other aspects of the exhibit that will be changed up all throughout the year. 'You really can't just come here one time and see exactly what we're up to,' Conger said. 'We're going to have so much planned that you really want to come three, four or five times within that year to experience everything we're doing.' Peoria Riverfront Museum receiving national attention follow record-breaking weekend Burns appeared in a video on the riverfront theater screen to announce his part in the exhibit. 'It is my pleasure to serve as the guest curator for the Peoria Riverfront Art Museum, helping inspire the year long exhibition and series of programs that tell original American stories through the lens of Central Illinois,' Burns said. The exhibit is to celebrate America, Illinois along with Peoria's role in the country's tenure. 'Peoria holds a very special type of history in America,' Conger said. 'We have contributed to some amazing things, particularly considering its size, and these are the stories that we're going to be focusing on.' Conger said the museum is hoping to see numbers close to what they saw for the Jim Henson exhibit. Ken Burns' exhibit will open on Jan. 30 of next year, with some exhibitions will have displays starting in November this year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
