People concerned about how the next election might impact their financial well-being or the state of global affairs may want to attend the 2024 Crossroads Summit… because chaos can often lead to opportunity. Former President Barack Obama is quoted as saying that elections have consequences. Perhaps this is why voters can often be consumed with confusion and anxiety leading up to them. Today's political climate appears more divisive than most can remember, and the two candidates couldn't be more different, both from a personality and policy perspective. Each one's stated policies come with potential risks and rewards The Republican candidate Donald Trump vows to reduce the rate big companies pay in income taxes. He says he will lower the corporate tax rate from its current 21% to 15%. His Democratic opponent Kamala Harris pledges to raise it to 28% The potential increase in corporate profits created by a lower tax bill might well benefit shareholders of public companies. But are they likely to increase the federal budget deficit? The reality is that nobody can truly know with absolute certainty. According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM), both candidates' policy proposals will increase the federal budget deficit. More problematic is that the PWBM "analyses only include proposals that are detailed enough to score." In other words, they really don't have enough to go on to arrive at a solid conclusion

NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd. NRSN, a late-clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel treatments for severe neurodegenerative diseases – such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease – recently announced its plans to file for early commercialization approval for PrimeC, the firm's leading drug candidate designed to synergistically target several biological mechanisms of ALS, under Health Canada's Notice of Compliance with Conditions (NOC/c) policy. This submission is backed by promising results from the company's phase 2b ALS PARADIGM clinical trial and supplementary clinical and preclinical data. ALS is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The disease causes loss of muscle control, and gradually worsens over time. Often called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it, the exact cause of the disease is still not known ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in the arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech. Eventually, ALS affects the control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease. Every year, more than 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS in the U.S. alone, with an annual disease burden of $1 billion. The number of people living with ALS is expected to grow by 24% by 2040 in the U.S. and European Union PrimeC, NeuroSense’s lead drug candidate, is a novel extended-release oral formulation with a unique fixed-dose combination of two FDA-approved drugs: ciprofloxacin and celecoxib. PrimeC is designed to synergistically target several biological mechanisms of ALS that contribute to motor neuron degeneration, inflammation, iron accumulation and impaired ribonucleic acid (RNA) regulation. The goal is to inhibit the progression of ALS The trial included 68 participants living with ALS in Canada, Italy and Israel. 96% of the trial participants who completed the 6-month double-blind portion of the trial chose to receive treatment with PrimeC through a 12-month open-label extension. As of June 2024, all participants who completed the 18-month trial treatment duration requested to continue PrimeC, which is provided to them in an Investigator Initiated Trial, not limited to time

Electric vehicle giant Tesla Inc TSLA reported third-quarter financial results Wednesday after the market close. Here are the key highlights What Happened: Tesla reported third-quarter revenue of $25.18 billion, up 8% year-over-year. The total missed a Street consensus estimate of $25.37 billion, according to data from Benzinga Pr The company reported automotive revenue of $20 billion, up 2% year-over-year, in the third quarter The automaker reported third-quarter earnings per share of 72 cents, beating a Street consensus estimate of 58 cents per share

With the launch of the Amplify Small-Mid Cap Equity ETF SMAP, investors have a fresh opportunity to tap into the often-overlooked sweet spot of the stock market: small- and mid-cap companies. SMAP's timing couldn't be better, as small- and mid-caps have quietly outperformed their larger peers this year, and investors are starting to take notice Small-cap stocks, represented by the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF IJR, are up 6.97% year-to-date and 29.72% over the past year, while mid-caps, tracked by the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF IJH, have gained a solid 13.39% YTD and 32.56% over the past year Amplify's new ETF sits right in the middle of these two segments, offering investors a hybrid approach to capitalize on both growth and value opportunities Why now? Small- and mid-caps often thrive when interest rates fall, as lower borrowing costs boost their ability to fund expansion and grow earnings

With Tesla Inc's TSLA third-quarter earnings slated to be out post-market on Wednesday, investors are bracing for a pivotal moment. Analysts expect earnings per share of 58 cents on revenue of $25.37 billion, but the real question for traders is whether Tesla's stock — currently down 12.26% year to date — can shake off its bearish spell Tesla stock is currently $217.97 as technical indicators flash red Chart created using Benzinga Pro

McDonald’s Corp experienced a 6.15% drop in pre-market trading on Wednesday. This decline follows a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linking an E. coli outbreak to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers. What Happened: The CDC is actively investigating the outbreak, with 49 individuals affected, 10 hospitalized, and one fatality reported. The outbreak spans 10 states in the West and Midwest. This development comes just before McDonald’s is set to release its third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, October 29 At the time of writing, McDonald’s was trading at $295.51 while it closed at $314.69 on Tuesday, as per Benzinga Pr In response, McDonald’s has removed certain ingredients used in Quarter Pounder burgers, leading to some products being unavailable in specific states. The CDC is working to identify the ingredient responsible for the outbreak Adding to the situation, former President Donald Trump was seen last weekend serving customers at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Pennsylvania

Precious metals barometer SPDR Gold Trust GLD — an exchange-traded fund that tracks the price of physical gold — recently raised eyebrows as one of the highlights in Benzinga's unusual options activity screener. However, the sentiment clocked in as "bearish," running counter to the current trade. Specifically, the trade in question was for 125 contracts of the $193 call option expiring Jan. 15, 2027. At the time of writing, the premium (ask price) for this derivative landed at $73.60. By logical deduction, call purchasers would need the GLD ETF to hit $266.60 (the strike price plus the premium) just to break even Based on the data provided by the options screener, the sentiment reading implies that institutional or professional traders are selling calls: they're effectively underwriting the risk that the gold fund will not rise to profitability. This action potentially clashes with prevailing wisdom On a year-to-date basis, the SPDR Gold Trust gained almost 32% of market value. In the past five sessions, it moved up almost 3%, demonstrating sustained resilience. Moreover, experts such as renowned economist Mohamed El-Erian noted that western nations cannot afford to ignore the precious meta The Direxion ETFs: Of course, a possibility always exists that investors could be reading market signals incorrectly. The potential for unexpected movements in the precious metals space could breathe life into Direxion's leveraged gold funds. In particular, trading activity on the metal itself could impact sentiment for the underlying mining industry

Boeing Co BA machinists rejected a new labor deal with 64% voting against the proposal, their union announced Wednesday, extending a strike that has halted most of the company’s Seattle-area production for over five weeks. What Happened: The deal offered 35% wage increases over four years, increased 401(k) contributions, and a $7,000 bonus. However, workers were dissatisfied with the absence of a pension plan and sought higher pay to offset rising living costs, reported CNBC The strike is Boeing’s first since 2008 and adds to the company's challenges, including a $6 billion quarterly loss and continued cash burn. CEO Kelly Ortberg emphasized resolving the labor dispute as a priority Price Action: Boeing stock closed at $157.06 on Wednesday, down 1.76% for the day. In after-hours trading, the stock saw a modest recovery, rising 0.55%. Year to date, Boeing’s stock has declined 37.62%, according to data from Benzinga Pr Image Via Shutterstock

Leading cryptocurrencies joined stocks in a broader sell-off on Wednesday as the market lost momentum seen at the beginning of the week. What Happened: Bitcoin plummeted as low as $65,188 during trading hours before recouping losses overnight Ethereum sank below $2,500 for the first time in nearly 10 days, hitting an intraday low of $2,463. Over the last week, Bitcoin's dominance has steadily increased at the cost of Ethereum and other altcoins Total cryptocurrency liquidations topped $277 million in the last 24 hours, the highest in a week. Upside bets to the tune of $203 million were wiped out That said, the number of traders longing Bitcoin significantly exceeded those betting against the cryptocurrency, as per the Long/Shorts Ratio

Investors looking for an edge in the market may want to pay extra close attention to Robinhood, as they have unveiled the latest addition to its iconic trading platform. Named Robinhood Legend, this desktop-focused interface is designed from the ground up to accommodate active traders. While mobile-app trading certainly offers significant benefits, the smaller screens can represent a challenge in deciphering multiple datapoints. With a desktop setup, traders can analyze multiple charts and technical indicators simultaneously, facilitating information management and effective decision-making Even better, Legend is available at no extra charge for all Robinhood account holders. Plus, the core attributes offered to a customer – no equity options contract fees (though certain charges may apply), low margin rates and commission-free stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading – remain the same Robinhood reports that Legend isn't just another run-of-the-mill trading platform with some extra bells and whistles attached. Indeed, there are many generic products in the retail investing ecosystem. Instead, Legend represents a carefully tailored toolset for traders who require speed, precision and customization. Consider the following features: Thanks to the underlying no extra cost framework for anybody with a Robinhood account, Legend's product offering seems purely accretive. Many advanced traders will likely be willing to pay big bucks for access to the analytics alone, which can help identify profitable setups and opportunities

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging a halt to hostilities in Gaza and Lebanon, stressing the need for diplomatic solutions as Israel continues its military offensive. In a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Blinken emphasized the urgency of ending the war and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Both leaders also delved into the importance of seizing the current moment to push for a broader peace initiative, not only in Gaza but also in Lebanon, where the conflict is intensifying On Wednesday, Israel made airstrikes the historic port city of Tyre in Lebanon, an ancient city with over 5,000 years of history and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, further escalating tensions in the region Israeli airstrikes across Gaza have claimed 42 lives in the past 24 hours, as reported to Reuters, with Israeli forces intensifying a siege of northern Gaza. Hospitals and refugee shelters have been surrounded, and residents are being urged to evacuate southward U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raised serious concerns about the long-term consequences of Israel's military operations in Gaza, cautioning that a lack of precision in strikes and insufficient protection of civilians could have far-reaching effects