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On his way out the door and just before the holidays, President Joe Biden has presented some 42,000 federal workers with a generous gift: a five-year contract that protects their right to work from home for at least part of the week. This is the endgame to a saga that has been playing out for most of Biden’s tenure: the tension between the administration’s goal of improving public services and its habit of catering to public-service unions. It would be an exaggeration to say that public dissatisfaction with government services played a major role in President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. But the incoming administration’s fixation with government efficiency, however misguided, will certainly play a role going forward. No controversy surrounded federal workers going remote in 2020, during the pandemic, and as Biden was inaugurated in January 2021. But over the next few months, vaccines became widely available, and Americans returned to tourism, business travel and office work. By March 1, 2022, when Biden delivered the State of the Union, the clear desire was to return to normal. “It’s time for America to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again with people,” Biden said. “The vast majority of federal workers will once again work in person.” Yet it never happened. The White House issued various directives, and every political appointee I know was routinely in the office (and routinely complaining about the absence of so many civil servants making their jobs harder). But despite this widespread discontent among his own appointees, Biden never got the workers back. One reason is that civil servants overwhelmingly view the return-to-office push as a bad-faith political stunt designed to assuage critics in Congress or provide economic benefits to cities. The belief that regular presence in an office is beneficial, expressed by many managers in the private sector, doesn’t have much traction. The larger issue is that return-to-work policies need to be bargained collectively with the unions representing federal workers. The job of union leaders is to win concessions for their members, so they argue that requiring an in-office presence is burdensome and pointless. That lets them maximize financial concessions or whatever else in exchange for going to in-person work. Biden officials generally treated this collective bargaining situation as an external constraint on their ability to manage the federal workforce. But the president’s own appointees controlled the National Labor Relations Board. It’s of course appropriate that a dramatic shift in working conditions should be subject to collective bargaining. But we all lived through the pandemic and saw what happened: Employers made a dramatic shift to remote work as a result of a public health emergency. The idea that this should have also created a new bargaining chit for public-sector unions doesn’t make sense. If the White House really couldn’t persuade the NLRB to treat this more sensibly, it could have tried to work with Congress to make a statutory change to require common-sense policies. But the Biden administration didn’t do that, either. The president told the public he was going to bring federal workers back and then didn’t, because of deference to labor unions. Under Trump, America is going to get the polar-opposite approach to remote work. Instead of policies that balance the collaborative benefits of time in office with the recruiting and retention benefits of flexibility, the new regime doesn’t really care about public-sector performance and wants to purge the “deep state” of professionalism and perceived political enemies. To that end, being as strict as possible — in the hope that career civil servants will quit — will serve Trump’s ends. That’s unfortunate. The option of working remotely at least some of the time has real value to both workers and employers. Pretending that Zoom doesn’t exist would be absurd. Prudent members of Congress should push back against efforts, already apparent among the president-elect’s allies, to use return-to-work as a hammer to destroy state capacity. For Democrats, there will always be some friction between serving the public’s interest in efficient government services and its own interest in accommodating its supporters in public unions. These interests are not often aligned. Successful Democratic presidents, such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, were especially attentive to the ways in which teachers unions could be impediments to improving public education, and made a point of standing up to them. Biden — and Biden-era Democrats — generally prioritized coalition management over such concerns. That’s why they made COVID-era work policies permanent as a giveaway to civil-service unions. It’s a decision Democrats will come to regret, as Trump now wields the very real shortcomings of the status quo as a pretext for dismantling systems that Americans very much need. Yglesias writes for Bloomberg Opinion. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Indo-US nuclear deal high point of PM Manmohan Singh's tenure

PLAINS, Georgia (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. The untimely death of his father, a farmer who went by “Mr. Earl,” brought the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn , back to a rural life they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant would never be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. And, years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The life of James Earl Carter Jr. ended Sunday at 100 where it began. Plains fueled the rise of the 39th U.S. president, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service as a global humanitarian. With an optimism rooted in Baptist faith and an engineer's stubborn confidence, Carter showed a missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told The Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Many Americans judged his presidency ineffective for failing to end an energy crisis, turn around the economy or quickly bring American hostages home from Tehran. He won widespread admiration instead for The Carter Center — which has advocated for public health , human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the many years he and Rosalynn swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity . Carter's allies relished that he and Rosalynn, who died Nov. 19, 2023, lived to see historians reassess his presidency . “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a repeat visitor during his own White House bid. Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative." Republicans cast him as a left-wing cartoon. He could be classified a centrist, Buttigieg told the AP, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Carter's vow to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate with a transparent, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who cast government as the problem. His efficiency mandate could put him at odds with Democrats. Still, he scored wins on the environment, education and mental health care ; expanded federally protected lands; began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking; emphasized human rights in foreign policy ; and unlike later presidents, added a relative pittance to the national debt. Carter had charmed voters in 1976 , grinning enthusiastically and promising he would “never lie” to them. Once in Washington, he could seem like a joyless engineer, insisting that political rewards would follow facts and logic. Such tenacity worked well at Camp David as Carter brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, but it failed him as the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to get past a “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone, saying “there you go again” in response to a wonky debate answer. “The Great Communicator” won all but six states. Carter later acknowledged an incompatibility with Washington insiders who looked down on his team as “country come to town.” His closest adviser was Rosalynn Carter, who joined his Cabinet meetings. When she urged him to postpone relinquishing the Panama Canal, Carter said he was “going to do what's right” even if meant he wouldn't get re-elected, recalled her aide, Kathy Cade. “She’d remind him you have to win to govern,” Cade said. Carter won by navigating divides on race, class and ideology. He offered himself as an outsider to Atlanta and Washington, a peanut farmer with a nickname who carried his own luggage. Born on Oct. 1, 1924 in a home without running water or electricity, he was raised by a progressive mother and racist father. He and Rosalynn privately supported integration in the 1950s, but he didn't push to desegregate schools, and there's no record of him supporting the 1965 Voting Rights Act as a state senator. Carter ran to the right of his rival to win the 1970 governor's race, then landed on the cover of Time magazine by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” He didn't befriend civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s family until he ran for president. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southernness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor who wrote a book on Carter’s campaign. Carter was the last Democratic nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, as he did in Georgia, he used his power as president to appoint more nonwhites than all his predecessors had, combined. Many years later, Carter called it “inconceivable” that he didn't consult Rosalynn before moving their family back to Plains or launching his state Senate bid. He called the mother of their four children “a full partner" in government and at The Carter Center as well as at home. “I just loved it,” she said of campaigning, despite the bitterness of defeat. True or not, the label of a failed presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance for many years. Carter remained relevant as a freelance diplomat, writing more than 30 books and weighing in on societal challenges. Carter declared after Donald Trump's presidential victory that America was no longer a fully functioning democracy. But he also warned Democrats against moving too far left, lest they help re-elect him, and said many failed to understand Trump’s populist appeal. Pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again for would-be presidents in recent years, and well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church , where he taught Sunday School and where his last funeral will be held. In his farewell presidential address, Carter urged citizens who had embraced or rejected him to do their part as Americans. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” to where he had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.”Some tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. Related Articles National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. Not participating this week: Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, economist Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com . Follow me on Threads: @phillip020

Kingsview Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Yum China Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:YUMC – Free Report ) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 5,731 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $258,000. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in YUMC. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Yum China by 43.9% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 846 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 1.2% during the second quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 25,639 shares of the company’s stock worth $791,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Yum China by 2.6% in the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 12,659 shares of the company’s stock worth $570,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares in the last quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Yum China by 12.1% in the second quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 3,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 360 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC raised its stake in Yum China by 53.7% during the second quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Yum China news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 6,377 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.47, for a total transaction of $302,716.19. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 16,641 shares in the company, valued at approximately $789,948.27. The trade was a 27.70 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Check Out Our Latest Research Report on YUMC Yum China Stock Performance Shares of YUMC opened at $46.55 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.29. Yum China Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $28.50 and a 1 year high of $52.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $46.08 and a 200-day moving average of $37.80. The company has a market cap of $17.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.36. Yum China ( NYSE:YUMC – Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $3.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.97% and a return on equity of 13.39%. Yum China’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.59 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Yum China Holdings, Inc. will post 2.33 earnings per share for the current year. Yum China Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 26th. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 28.32%. About Yum China ( Free Report ) Yum China Holdings, Inc owns, operates, and franchises restaurants in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through KFC, Pizza Hut, and All Other segments. It operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Lavazza, Little Sheep, and Huang Ji Huang concepts. The company also operates V-Gold Mall, a mobile e-commerce platform to sell products; and offers online food deliver services. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding YUMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Yum China Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:YUMC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Yum China Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yum China and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

The United States is expected to announce that it will send 1.25 billion dollars (£1 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine, US officials said on Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on January 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the Hawk air defence system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defence officials acknowledged that the US Defence Department may not be able to send all of the remaining 5.6 billion dollars (£4.5 billion) in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Mr Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many US and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he will not provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about 4.35 billion dollars (£3.46 billion). Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky decide it is time to negotiate. One senior defence official said that while the US will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until January 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about 1.2 billion dollars (£0.9 billion) remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the US will have provided more than 64 billion dollars (£50.8 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Trump risks legal clashes in plans to not spend appropriations

The Minnesota Wild’s in-game entertainment folks make sure that no matter what happens on the ice, home games are quite a spectacle of music and light. But after nearly a month, Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek had done more than enough of watching the show. On Sunday, Eriksson Ek returned to the Wild lineup after missing the previous 11 games with a lower-body injury. ADVERTISEMENT “It’s never fun being injured. So yeah, happy to be back for sure,” said Eriksson Ek, following the team’s morning skate at TRIA Rink. During a Dec. 3 home win over Vancouver, Eriksson Ek left the ice during overtime after a collision with Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk. “I think we hit each other’s knees,” Eriksson Ek said. “So yeah, just an unlucky play.” The Wild went 5-6-0 with their top-line center missing, including a season-worst, four-game losing streak. While Kirill Kaprizov missed a second consecutive game and his third of the season on Sunday, Minnesota coach John Hynes struck an optimistic note about getting two-thirds of the team’s standard top line back together to face Ottawa. “It was nice that he had a full practice yesterday and feels good, so getting him back is obviously always a benefit,” he said. “With who he is as a player, who he is as a guy and what he means to our team, it’s good.” In 22 games with the Wild this season, Eriksson Ek has five goals and eight assists for 13 points, normally playing center between Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, when all three are healthy. That has been a rarity this season, as the trio has combined to miss 29 games among the 37 that the Wild have played. ADVERTISEMENT While the Ottawa Senators were in Minnesota on Sunday, around two dozen folks from the State of Hockey are in Ottawa this week, attending the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship and planning for a year from now when the world’s best young hockey talent comes to Minnesota. The Senators’ home rink and a secondary site in Ottawa are hosting the 2025 event, while starting in December 2025 the games will be played at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis and Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Twin Cities last hosted the World Juniors — which is considered second only to the Olympics among global hockey events — in 1982, with the since-demolished Met Center used as one of the rinks. The group visiting Ottawa included officials from both local arenas, several people from Minnesota Sports and Events and Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne, who is one of the local ambassadors for the 2026 World Juniors. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .

Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in McGrath RentCorp ( NASDAQ:MGRC – Free Report ) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 7,566 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $797,000. Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Swedbank AB grew its position in McGrath RentCorp by 66.7% in the second quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 200,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $21,310,000 after buying an additional 80,000 shares during the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. raised its position in shares of McGrath RentCorp by 26.0% during the second quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 486,190 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $51,803,000 after purchasing an additional 100,210 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McGrath RentCorp during the second quarter valued at $1,064,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its position in shares of McGrath RentCorp by 138.9% in the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 9,266 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,144,000 after purchasing an additional 5,388 shares during the period. Finally, Alpine Associates Management Inc. increased its stake in McGrath RentCorp by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Alpine Associates Management Inc. now owns 710,853 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $75,741,000 after purchasing an additional 63,366 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.05% of the company’s stock. McGrath RentCorp Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of McGrath RentCorp stock opened at $121.85 on Friday. McGrath RentCorp has a 12 month low of $95.50 and a 12 month high of $130.86. The stock has a market cap of $2.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $113.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $108.80. McGrath RentCorp Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 17th were paid a $0.475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.56%. McGrath RentCorp’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.77%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have commented on MGRC shares. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of McGrath RentCorp from $124.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of McGrath RentCorp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Read Our Latest Research Report on MGRC Insider Buying and Selling at McGrath RentCorp In other McGrath RentCorp news, VP David M. Whitney sold 5,176 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total value of $605,592.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 205 shares in the company, valued at $23,985. The trade was a 96.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Also, CEO Joseph F. Hanna sold 15,840 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.88, for a total value of $1,898,899.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 155,409 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,630,430.92. This trade represents a 9.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,016 shares of company stock worth $5,493,411. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. McGrath RentCorp Profile ( Free Report ) McGrath RentCorp operates as a business to business rental company in the United States and internationally. It rents and sells relocatable modular buildings, portable storage containers, and electronic test equipment. The company operates through four segments: Mobile Modular, Portable Storage, TRS-RenTelco, and Enviroplex. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than McGrath RentCorp Bank Stocks – Best Bank Stocks to Invest In The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing Upcoming IPO Stock Lockup Period, Explained 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 Breakout Stocks: What They Are and How to Identify Them FMC, Mosaic, Nutrien: Top Agricultural Stocks With Big Potential Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MGRC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McGrath RentCorp ( NASDAQ:MGRC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for McGrath RentCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McGrath RentCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that "several" wounded North Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukrainian forces, as he accused Russia of throwing them into battle with "minimal protection". Ukraine and its western allies say North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to support Russia's army, in what is seen as a major escalation in the nearly three-year war following Moscow's 2022 invasion. "Today there were reports about several soldiers from North Korea. Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were very seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated," Zelensky said in an evening address posted on social media. South Korea's spy agency said earlier on Friday that a North Korean soldier who was captured while fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine had died of his wounds. Zelensky did not specify how many North Koreans had died after being captured by Ukrainian troops. Zelensky had earlier said that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been "killed or wounded" so far as they joined Russia's forces in combat in its western Kursk border region, where Ukraine mounted a shock incursion in August. South Korea's intelligence service had previously put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 1,000, saying the high casualty rate could be down to an unfamiliar battlefield environment and their lack of capability to counter drone attacks. The White House on Friday confirmed the South Korean estimates, saying that Pyongyang's troops were being sent to their deaths in futile attacks by generals who see them as "expendable". "We also have reports of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they're captured," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark defence pact between Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June came into force this month, with Russian President Vladimir Putin hailing it as a "breakthrough document". North Korean state media said Friday that Putin sent a New Year's message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying: "The bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated after our talks in June in Pyongyang." Seoul's military believes that North Korea was seeking to modernise its conventional warfare capabilities through combat experience gained in the Russia-Ukraine war. NATO chief Mark Rutte had also said that Moscow was providing support to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes in exchange for the troops. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that Pyongyang is reportedly "preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers" and supplying "240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery" to the Russian army. Pyongyang's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine had prompted warnings from Seoul. South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently suspended, said in November that Seoul was "not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons" to Kyiv, which would mark a major shift to a long-standing policy barring the sale of weapons to countries in active conflict. hs/bjt/mlm/gv/rlpImpacted by an increase in soap prices and unseasonal rainfall slowing down sales of the home insecticides (HI) segment, Godrej Consumer Products expects a "flattish" underlying volume growth and a mid-single-digit sales growth in the domestic market in the December quarter. Both segments jointly contribute to two-thirds of GCPL's standalone revenue -- mainly income from operations from the domestic market. However, the rest of the portfolio is demonstrating good performance and is expected to deliver double-digit underlying volume growth, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) said in an update on business conditions and quarterly performance to the exchanges. "The demand conditions in India have been subdued for the past few months which is evident in the FMCG market growth," it said. A surge in palm oil and derivatives prices to the extent of a year-on-year increase of 20-30 per cent has impacted the soaps category, representing one-third of GCPL's standalone business revenue. "To partly offset the cost increases we have taken price increases, reduced grammage of key packs and reduced various trade schemes," said the Godrej Industries Group FMCG arm. 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It anticipates normalisation happening on the volume growth side following price stabilisation after the next few months only as per the historical patterns. Moreover, delayed winters in the north and cyclones in south India have slowed down sales in the HI segment, which also contributes one-third to GCPL's standalone business. "This has impacted HI category growths in the current quarter," it said. Under the HI category, GCPL operates in the home hygiene segment with mosquito repellent brands such as Good Knight and HIT. "However, given the significant contribution of soaps and HI to the overall business mix, the standalone business is expected to report around flattish underlying volume growth and around mid-single digit sales growth in this quarter," it said. According to GCPL, these are "exceptional situations in standalone business" that the management believes are transitionary and not structural. "Hence the management remains focused on navigating these near-term challenges while maintaining strategic investments for long-term growth as these negative trends are likely to persist for a few months," it added. GCPL's international businesses continue to do well on their relevant strategic objectives, it added. Indonesia, which is the second largest market for GCPL after India, it expects to deliver a "continued superior performance with mid-single digit volume growth and high single-digit sales growth". While its GAUM (Godrej Africa, USA, and Middle East) organic business is expected to see volume decline due to a reduction in trade stocks and portfolio simplification, as per its earlier guidance. "The effects of these actions would be largely completed in Q3 FY25. However, we continue to do well on our profitability journey, and this is likely to be the fourth consecutive quarter of healthy EBITDA margins for GAUM," it said. Through these updates, GCPL provided an overall summary of the demand conditions & trends and operating performance during the ongoing quarter. "This will be followed by a detailed performance update, post the approval of the Q3 FY25 financial results by the Board of Directors," it added. In FY24, GCPL had a consolidated revenue of Rs 14,096 crore in which 59 per cent was from the Indian market and the rest 41 per cent was generated from international operations. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 15, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )