Latest news with #DavidHernandez
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fed Leaves Rates Steady, Expects Weaker Growth, Sticky Inflation
As it was near-universally expected, the U.S. Federal Reserve left benchmark interest rates steady at 4.25%-4.50% on Wednesday at the June meeting. "Although swings in net exports have affected the data, recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace," the press release said. "The unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated." The Fed's quarterly economic projections—which include the "dot plot" that indicates where the central bank expects the Fed funds rate over time — showed that policymakers see rates at 3.9% by year-end 2025, translating to 50 basis point cuts this year, the same as they expected in March. However, Fed members see rates decline to 3.6% next year and 3.4% in 2027, indicating fewer rate cuts than their previous projection. Policymakers also cut their economic growth projections, with the GDP increase this year now seen at 1.4% versus 1.7% at the March forecast. They also projected higher inflation for this year, with Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) and core PCE inflation landing at 3% and 3.1%, versus 2.7% and 2.8% in March. Fed members also see the unemployment rate rising to 4.5% this year and during 2026, up from 4.4% and 4.3% March projections. Bitcoin (BTC), hovering around $104,000 earlier during the session, was little changed at $104,200 minutes following the Fed decision. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq indexes were up. "The Fed's dot plot reveals a clear trend toward stagflationary pressures, a scenario where economic growth slows while inflation and unemployment remain uncomfortably high," said David Hernandez, crypto investment specialist at digital asset manager 21Shares. That combination historically eroded the value of traditional investments and fiat currencies, but it could be beneficial for bitcoin due to its scarcity, borderless nature, and lack of dependence on U.S. economic output. "New capital will inevitably search for assets that offer a store of value and potential for growth, a search that leads many directly to BTC," Hernandez (June 18, 19:31 UTC): Adds analyst comment.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reins announces strategic partnership with CertainPath, providing alternative equity solutions to contractors nationwide
The leading provider of innovative employee incentives has teamed with the trades-focused coaching and business development organization LAS VEGAS, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reins, a pioneering technology firm dedicated to empowering privately owned businesses through alternative equity solutions, announces a new relationship with CertainPath, a coaching organization that focuses on home service contractors. Under the terms of the new collaboration, Reins will be a preferred partner within the CertainPath network, which means they will be a recommended equity solution for the HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and roofing contractors who entrust CertainPath with their business development needs. "Our innovative approach to equity, including phantom stock solutions, provides unique and effective ways for contractors to attract and retain top talent, and in today's competitive labor market, that's a huge advantage," said Chris Buttenham, co-founder of Reins. "Partnering with CertainPath provides us with new avenues to serve contractors who are thinking strategically about business growth, delivering software solutions that can help them build strong teams and distinguish themselves from the competition." CertainPath has served home contracting businesses for more than 25 years, providing coaching solutions designed to address common anxieties among skilled trade entrepreneurs, such as hiring, training, marketing and ensuring profitability. The organization empowers home service contractors to achieve sustained, strategic growth through professional coaching, a robust training platform, innovative software solutions, marketing services and exclusive material purchasing programs. "Every contractor needs to have the right tools in their toolbox," said David Hernandez, chief operating officer for CertainPath. "Reins provides some of the best tools we've come across for rewarding employee performance and incentivizing employee tenure, providing business owners with smart ways to maintain their top talents. We're happy to welcome Reins as a preferred partner." For more information about Reins, visit About ReinsReins is an innovative platform that empowers privately-owned businesses to retain key employees effectively by offering owner-like benefits that incentivize employees to contribute to the business's long-term success. Founded in 2023, Reins' mission is to help independent businesses remain productive and grow. Reins' proprietary solution, the Modern Agreement for Rewards and Equity (MARE) program, was built by attorneys and is customizable to meet each business owner's needs. Every plan is legally binding and stored safely in the Reins software for compliance. Using the MARE program, business owners can create and execute a tailored program within minutes. For more information about Reins and the MARE program, please visit About CertainPathFor over 25 years, we've helped thousands of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors scale and increase profitability. As transformation experts, we provide coaching, training, marketing, and buying power to streamline operations, improve efficiency and retain top talent—building significant value for ownership. Our proven systems are designed to help contractors at every stage of growth, from small family-run businesses to multi-location market leaders. Members benefit from personalized business coaching, over 100 annual training opportunities, cutting-edge lead generation tools and access to our exclusive Partner Network, which delivers millions in rebates each year. For more information visit MEDIA CONTACT: Heather RipleyRipley PR(865) 977-1973hripley@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Reins Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin's Price Stability at Risk From Potential 'Basis Trade Blowup' That Catalyzed the COVID Crash
Bitcoin's (BTC) recent stability amid Nasdaq turmoil driven by tariffs has generated excitement among market participants regarding the cryptocurrency's potential as a haven asset. Still, the bulls might want to keep an eye on the bond market, where dynamics that characterized the COVID crash of March 2020 may be emerging. Nasdaq, Wall Street's tech-heavy index known to be positively correlated to bitcoin, has dropped 11% since President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced reciprocal tariffs on 180 nations, escalating trade tensions and drawing retaliatory levies from China. Other U.S. indices and global markets have also taken a beating alongside sharp losses in the risk currencies like the Australian dollar and a pullback in gold. BTC has largely remained stable, continuing to trade above $80,000, and its resilience is being viewed as a sign of its evolution into a macro hedge. "The S&P 500 is down roughly 5% this week as investors brace for trade-driven earnings headwinds. Bitcoin, meanwhile, has shown impressive resilience," David Hernandez, crypto investment specialist at 21Shares, told CoinDesk in an email. "After briefly dipping below $82,000, it rebounded quickly, reinforcing its status as a macro hedge in times of macroeconomic stress. Its relative strength could continue to attract institutional inflows if broad market volatility persists." The perception of stability could quickly transform into a self-fulfilling prophecy, solidifying BTC's position as a haven asset for years to come, as MacroScope noted on X. However, sharp downside volatility in the short term cannot be ruled out, especially as the "Treasury market basis trade" faces risks due to heightened turbulence in bond prices. The basis trade involves highly leveraged hedge funds, reportedly operating at leverage ratios of 50-to-1, exploiting minor price discrepancies between Treasury futures and securities. This trade blew up in mid-March 2020 as coronavirus threatened to derail the global economy, leading to a "dash for cash" that saw investors sell almost every asset for dollar liquidity. On March 12, 2020, BTC fell by nearly 40%. "When market volatility spikes - as it is now - it unearths highly leveraged carry trades vulnerable to big market moves. The blowup in the US Treasury market in March 2020, which disrupted basis carry trades, is a recent example. Risk of leveraged carry trade blowups is high...," Robin Brooks, managing director and chief economist at the International Institute of Finance," wrote to CoinDesk in an email. The risk is real because, the size of the basis trade as of March end was $1 trillion, double the tally in March 2020. The positioning is such that a one basis point move in Treasury yields (which move opposite to prices) would lead to a $600 million shift in the value of their bets, according to ZeroHedge. So, increased volatility in the Treasury yields could cause a COVID-like blowup, leading to a widespread selling of all assets, including bitcoin, to obtain cash. On Friday, the MOVE index, which represents the options-based implied or expected 30-day volatility in the U.S. Treasury market, jumped 12% to 125.70, the highest since Nov. 4, according to data source TradingView. The gravity of the situation is underscored by a recent Brookings Institution paper, which advises the Federal Reserve to consider targeted interventions in the U.S. Treasury market, specifically supporting hedge funds engaged in basis trading during times of severe market stress. Let's see how things unfold in the week ahead. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Begins to Decouple From Nasdaq as U.S. Stocks Crumble
After a frustrating few weeks in which bitcoin (BTC) prices seemed to move tick for tick with the Nasdaq, the world's largest crypto is showing some signs of going its own way as stock prices go from struggling to plunging. With the Nasdaq following up its 6% tumble on Thursday with another 5% decline halfway through the day on Friday, the price of bitcoin is holding at around $83,000. That's about 1% higher over the past 24 hours and lower by just 3.5% since President Trump announced his tariff package on Wednesday evening. Bitcoin is also greatly outperforming crypto-related stock like Coinbase (COIN), MicroStrategy (MSTR), Semler Scientific (SMLR) and the miners, all of which are down double-digit percentages over the past two sessions. The broader crypto market is also flashing strength, with the CoinDesk 20 Index climbing higher, led by 4%-5% gains of XRP, Solana's SOL and Cardano's ADA. "Bitcoin has shown impressive resilience," said David Hernandez, crypto investment specialist at digital asset manager 21Shares. "After briefly dipping below $82,000, it rebounded quickly, reinforcing its status as a macro hedge in times of macroeconomic stress." The decoupling — if it persists — could bode well for BTC's appeal among institutional investors seeking refuge from shaky stock markets, Hernandez added. Geoff Kendrick, digital asset research head of Standard Chartered Bank, argued last week that bitcoin trades like a tech stock most of the time but could feature as a hedge at market panic, such as the March 2023 U.S. regional banking crisis. "Over the last 36 hours I think we can also add 'U.S. isolation' hedge to the list of bitcoin uses," he said in a Friday note. However, the newfound strength could be due to companies with BTC investment programs like Michael Saylor's Strategy or GameStop bidding, said Sean Farrell, head of digital assets at Fundstrat. "Still in the camp that this is due to the multibillion-dollar corporate treasury twap happening," Farrell posted on X on Friday. "But if we maintain this strength through the weekend, we're gonna have to revisit those priors." Sign in to access your portfolio
