The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II Frontier Asset U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (ARCA: FLCE)

Latest news for The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II Frontier Asset U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (ARCA:FLCE)

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded Fund (ETF). Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of large-capitalization U.S. companies. This investment policy may be changed by the Fund upon 60 days prior written notice to shareholders.

Frontier Asset US Large Cap Equity ETF

The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II Frontier Asset U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

Argo Blockchain plc (LSE:ARB)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARBK#NASDAQ">ARBK</a>) is pleased to provide the following operational update for December 2024.
During the month of December, the Company mined 39 Bitcoin ("BTC"), or 1.3 BTC per day, consistent with November's production.
Mining revenue in December 2024 amounted to $3.9 million, an increase from $3.4 million in November 2024 due to the higher hashprice and BTC price realized in December as compared to November. As at 31 December 2024, the Company held two BTC equivalent.
As previously announced, the Company's hosting agreement with Galaxy ended on December 28, 2024. The 23,619 S19J Pros at the Galaxy site will be refurbished so they can be used in an air cooled facility. The Company is currently evaluating alternative sites to rehost the machines.

Earnings

News

ARBK

Argo Blockchain Reported Mining Revenue Of $3.9M In December Vs $3.4M In November

United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UMC#NYSE">UMC</a>, TWSE: 2303))) ("UMC"), today reported unaudited net sales for the month of December 2024.
<figure class="table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" rowspan="1">Revenues for December 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Period</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">2024</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">2023</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Y/Y Change</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Y/Y (%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">December</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">18,965,818</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">16,979,226</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">1,986,592</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">11.70%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Jan.-Dec.</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">232,302,584</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">222,533,000</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">9,769,584</td>
<td colspan="1" rowspan="1">4.39%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" rowspan="1">(&#x2A;) All figures in thousands of New Taiwan Dollars (NT$), except for percentages.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>

United Microelectronics Reported December Revenue Growth Of 11.7% YoY

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against Vanderbilt Mortgage &amp; Finance on Monday, alleging the Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) subsidiary systematically approved unaffordable manufactured home loans that set borrowers up for failure.
What Happened: According to the CFPB complaint, Vanderbilt, a unit of Clayton Homes, allegedly manipulated lending standards and used artificially low living expense estimates to approve loans for borrowers who clearly couldn&#8217;t afford them. 
In one case, the regulator cited a family of five was left with only $57.78 in monthly disposable income after mortgage payments.
&#8220;Vanderbilt knowingly traps people in risky loans in order to close the deal on selling a manufactured home,&#8221; CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims Vanderbilt violated the Truth in Lending Act by disregarding evidence of insufficient income and approving loans for already struggling borrowers. 
The CFPB cited an example where Vanderbilt approved a mortgage for a family with 33 debts in collection, who defaulted within eight months.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/42836119/gary-blacks-fund-moves-tesla-to-3rd-largest-holding-behind-nvidia-and-alphabet-despite-delivery-miss">Gary Black&#8217;s The Future Fund Lists Tesla As 3rd-Largest Holding, Behind Nvidia And Alphabet, Despite Delivery Miss</a>
Why It Matters: Manufactured homes serve as crucial affordable housing, particularly for low-income and rural Americans. However, CFPB research shows these loans typically carry higher interest rates and limited refinancing options compared to traditional mortgages.
The regulator is seeking to halt Vanderbilt&#8217;s alleged illegal practices and secure relief for affected homeowners. Vanderbilt operates nationwide from its Maryville, Tennessee headquarters as part of Clayton Homes, the largest U.S. manufactured home builder and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
The case highlights ongoing scrutiny of lending practices in the manufactured housing sector following Congress&#8217;s 2010 mandate requiring lenders to verify borrowers&#8217; ability to repay loans &#8211; a response to the 2008 foreclosure crisis that saw over six million families lose their homes.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/01/42836461/nvidias-ces-2025-vision-sparks-mixed-reactions-ross-gerber-hails-incredible-things-to-come-while-analysts-debate-ai-and-autonomous-driving-ambitions">Jensen Huang&#8217;s CES 2025 Vision Sparks Mixed Reactions: Ross Gerber Says Nvidia Has &#8216;Changed The World,&#8217; While Analysts Debate AI And Autonomous Driving Ambitions</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock 
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Equities

Markets

Real Estate

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Subsidiary Sued Over Unaffordable Loans, 2008-Style Predatory Loan Approval Tactics

QXO expects to begin trading on the NYSE on January 17, 2025, when Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brad Jacobs will ring the Opening Bell. The company's stock will continue to trade on Nasdaq until the transfer is complete.

Reported Earlier, QXO To Transfer Stock Listing To New York Stock Exchange, Retains Ticker Symbol

DRIVE Hyperion&#x2122; is the industry's first and only end-to-end autonomous driving platform. It includes the DRIVE AGX&#x2122; system-on-a-chip (SoC) and reference board design, the NVIDIA DriveOS automotive operating system, a sensor suite, and an active safety and level 2+ driving stack.&nbsp;
Automotive safety pioneers such as Mercedes-Benz, JLR and Volvo Cars are adopting the platform, which is designed to be modular, so customers can easily use what they need. It is also scalable and built to be upgradeable and compatible across future DRIVE SoC generations.
Available in the first half of this year, the latest iteration of DRIVE Hyperion — designed for both passenger and commercial vehicles — will feature the high-performance DRIVE AGX Thor SoC built on the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture.&nbsp;

NVDA

Reported Earlier, NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion Receives TÜV Safety Nod, Poised To Accelerate Autonomous Vehicle

Long-term manufacturing deal will power thousands of driverless trucks with NVIDIA DRIVE Thor

Reported Earlier, Aurora Partners With Continental And NVIDIA To Launch Next-Generation Driverless Trucks By 2027

As a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/01/42769181/natural-gas-prices-surge-as-arctic-blast-freezes-us-3-stocks-on-the-move">winter storm</a> hit the central U.S. on Sunday afternoon, let&#8217;s look at the top five winter-proof stocks expected to shield investors amid extreme winter uncertainties.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Winter Storm Hits Kansas City</h3>
A blizzard warning was issued to remain in effect till midnight on Sunday, Jan. 5, however, the National Weather Service of Kansas City expired the blizzard warning at 10 p.m. ET with a prediction of light to occasional moderate snow in a few pockets around the area.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">10 pm: We are expiring the blizzard warning across the KC metro. That being said, quite a few pockets of light to occasionally moderate snow are hanging around. Some areas could pick up another inch or so before all is said and done. <a href="https://t.co/TGEwr45EAO">pic.twitter.com/TGEwr45EAO</a>
&mdash; NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSKansasCity/status/1876117176656310528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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As the U.S. is in the thick of the winter season, natural gas demand is expected to increase to meet the heating needs, and winter tiremakers apparel makers will also be in focus. Here is a list of the top 5 winter-proof stocks that can shield investors as temperature drops.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/01/42769181/natural-gas-prices-surge-as-arctic-blast-freezes-us-3-stocks-on-the-move">Natural Gas Prices Surge As Arctic Blast Freezes US: 3 Stocks On The Move</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top Five Winter Stocks</h3>
Following are the stock&#8217;s quarterly performance along with the positive and negative earnings surprises for the December quarter of the previous fiscal.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stocks</td>
<td>December 2023 Quarter EPS Surprise</td>
<td>December 2023 Quarter Revenue Surprise</td>
<td>Q4 2023 Stock Performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Range Resources</td>
<td>31.30%</td>
<td>2.25%</td>
<td>0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Goodyear</td>
<td>30.60%</td>
<td>-5.08%</td>
<td>29.27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Antero Resources</td>
<td>4.55%</td>
<td>2.93%</td>
<td>-6.24%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VF Corp</td>
<td>-28.70%</td>
<td>-9.20%</td>
<td>13.32%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Comstock Resources</td>
<td>-23.10%</td>
<td>3.04%</td>
<td>-16.43%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/06042212/Stock-Performance-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-719143" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/06042212/Stock-Performance-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/06042212/Stock-Performance-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/06042212/Stock-Performance-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/06042212/Stock-Performance-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/06042212/Stock-Performance.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Range Resources
<ul>
<li>Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RRC#NYSE">RRC</a>) is one of the top natural gas producers in the U.S. The company&#8217;s shares have risen by 16.44% over the last year.</li>
<li>It has several drilling locations with a significant presence in the Appalachian basin.</li>
<li>According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/RRC/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>, 20 analysts tracking the company have a price target of $36.33 per share with a consensus &#8216;hold&#8217; rating.</li>
<li>The most recent ratings from Wells Fargo, Mizuho, and UBS, imply a 13.25% upside for Range Resources.</li>
<li>During the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal, Range&#8217;s earnings per share were 31.3% above expectations at $0.63 and its revenue was 2.25% above Benzinga&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/RRC/earnings">estimates</a> of $699.60 million at $715.31 million.</li>
</ul>
Goodyear
<ul>
<li>Goodyear Tire And Rubber Co (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GT#NASDAQ">GT</a>) is an American tire manufacturer headquartered in Akron, Ohio. However, the stock has fallen by 36.11% over the last year.</li>
<li>WinterCommand Ultra is a winter tire made to be used in ice and snow conditions. Available in studded and non-studded versions, it is adaptable to various winter driving conditions.</li>
<li>According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GT/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>, the most recent ratings from Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, and HSBC, imply a 50.62% upside for Goodyear.</li>
<li>Seasonally, during the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal, Goodyear reported earnings per share of $0.47, beating Benzinga&#8217;s consensus <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GT/earnings">estimate </a>of $.036, implying a 30.6% surprise on the upside. </li>
<li>On the other hand, its actual revenue missed the estimated revenue by 5.08% at $5.12 billion.</li>
</ul>
Antero Resources
<ul>
<li>Antero Resources Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AR#NYSE">AR</a>) mainly engaged in hydrocarbon exploration is also a natural gas producer.</li>
<li>The company has an investment-grade credit rating, indicating strong debt repayment positioning and liquidity. The shares have risen by 51.85% over the last year.</li>
<li>About 22 analysts tracked by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AR/analyst-ratings">Benzinga </a>have a &#8216;hold&#8217; rating with a price target of $35.86 apiece.</li>
<li>The most recent ratings from Wells Fargo, Mizuho, and UBS, imply a 2.64% upside for Antero Resources.</li>
<li>During the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal, Antero&#8217;s earnings per share was 4.55% above expectations at $0.23 and its revenue was 2.93% above Benzinga&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AR/earnings">estimates </a>of $1.16 billion at $1.19 billion.</li>
</ul>
VF Corp
<ul>
<li>Winter clothing brand, the North Face owner VF Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VFC#NYSE">VFC</a>) is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.</li>
<li>The company also owns brands like Vans, Timberland, Supreme, Dickies, JanSport, Nautica, etc. The shares have returned 22.10% over the last year.</li>
<li>According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/VFC/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>, 23 analysts tracking the company have a price target of $19.45 per share with a consensus &#8216;hold&#8217; rating.</li>
<li>The most recent ratings from Argus Research, Guggenheim, and Truist Securities, imply a 13.48% upside for VF Cor.</li>
<li>Despite seasonality, in the third quarter of the previous fiscal, which includes the winter months, VFC&#8217;s earnings per share were 28.7% below expectations at $0.57 and its revenue was 9.20% below Benzinga&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/VFC/earnings">estimates </a>of $3.26 billion at $2.96 billion.</li>
</ul>
Comstock Resources
<ul>
<li>Comstock Resources Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRK#NYSE">CRK</a>) is yet another producer of natural gas with its operations spread across Haynesville Shale in North Louisiana and East Texas.</li>
<li>Comstock Oil and Gas, Pinnacle Gas Services, and Convey Park Management are a few of its subsidiaries. The company&#8217;s shares have risen by 98.43% over the last year.</li>
<li>About 15 analysts tracked by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CRK/analyst-ratings">Benzinga </a>have a &#8216;hold&#8217; rating with a price target of $13.21 apiece.</li>
<li>According to Benzinga, the most recent ratings from Mizuho, Citigroup, and BofA Securities, imply a 9.16% downside for Comstock.</li>
<li>Seasonally, during the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal, Comstock reported earnings per share of $0.10, missing Benzinga&#8217;s consensus <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CRK/earnings">estimate </a>of $0.13, implying a 23.1% surprise on the downside. </li>
<li>On the other hand, its actual revenue was best the estimated revenue by 3.04% at $410.58 million.</li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42757901/elon-musk-fireworks-or-explosive-device-caused-fatal-cybertruck-incident-at-las-vegas-trump-hotel-vehicle-was-rented" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk: Fireworks Or Explosive Device Caused Fatal Cybertruck Incident At Las Vegas Trump Hotel</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Trading Ideas

General

Baby, It's Cold Outside: These 5 Winter-Ready Stocks Have What It Takes To Make You Feel Warm And Cozy

The lead product for Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) subsidiary Google&#8217;s AI Studio has voiced concerns over the U.S. government&#8217;s approach to artificial intelligence.
What Happened: Taking to X, formerly Twitter, over the weekend, Logan Kilpatrick said that despite the national security rhetoric, many people are fine with adopting Chinese AI models.
"Everyone: America America America, we must win AI, national security, etc etc," he posted, adding that the moment decent models from China come, people start supporting the model on their platforms.&nbsp;
"It's so great! So cheap, so fast, such good rate limits," he concluded the post sarcastically noting the appeal of Chinese models.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42775636/ces-2025-preview-nvidia-amd-in-spotlight-other-trends-and-stocks-to-watch?itm_source=parsely-api">CES 2025 Preview: Nvidia And AMD Grab Spotlight, Other Trends And Stocks To Watch</a>
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<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Everyone: America America America, we must win AI, national security, etc etc &#x2A;Decent models come out from China&#x2A; Everyone: We now support XYZ model on our platform (from China), come use it right now, it's so great! So cheap, so fast, such good rate limits!
&mdash; Logan Kilpatrick (@OfficialLoganK) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialLoganK/status/1875662813559128242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It Matters: The concerns raised by the Google executive come amid China&#8217;s rapid advancements in AI technology.
A survey conducted in July 2024 revealed that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39702149/china-dominates-global-generative-ai-adoption-as-local-startups-face-fierce-competition-from-the-lik">83% of Chinese companies</a> are using generative AI, far surpassing the global average. China has also established a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/11/42144915/china-unveils-global-ai-governance-committee-with-alibaba-cloud-founder-at-the-helm">Global AI Governance Committee</a> to influence AI&#8217;s global development.
Subscribe to the <a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a> to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
In July 2024, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/one-of-americas-hottest-entertainment-apps-is-chinese-owned-04257355?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a> that Talkie, an English-language app tied to a Singapore-based company, is a subsidiary of Shanghai-based MiniMax, one of China's prominent tech unicorns. Talkie was among America&#8217;s more popular entertainment apps.
Rather than using MiniMax&#8217;s proprietary engine, it relied on ChatGPT-maker OpenAI&#8217;s foundation model. However, it generates tangible revenue for MiniMax.
Despite U.S. restrictions on advanced chip sales, Open-source AI models developed in China, like DeepSeek and Alibaba Group Holdings&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) Qwen, have seen remarkable global adoption, including among developers in the U.S.
Last year, Alibaba&#8217;s Qwen emerged as the most downloaded open-source AI model, with its platform hosting more than 75,000 derivative models, <a href="https://www.thewirechina.com/2024/12/08/chinese-ai-companies-are-catching-up-despite-u-s-restrictions-chinas-ai-models/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a> The Wire China.
At the close of 2024, Alibaba Cloud made its third generative AI price cut of the year, reducing costs by an astonishing 85%. Alibaba Cloud's new multimodal AI is 83.6% more affordable than OpenAI's GPT-4o, priced at $2.50 per million input tokens while delivering comparable performance.
Moreover, Chinese large language models rank among the most widely used on Hugging Face, a leading platform for AI models.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/01/42781607/microsofts-copilot-plus-set-to-expand-to-mini-pcs-at-ces-as-windows-maker-looks-to-take-on-apples-mac-mini?itm_source=parsely-api">Microsoft&#8217;s Copilot Plus Set To Expand To Mini PCs At CES As Windows-Maker Looks To Take On Apple&#8217;s Mac Mini</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Tech

BABA

GOOG

GOOGL

Google AI Studio Lead Criticizes America's AI Strategy For Embracing Chinese Models Amid Security Concerns: 'It's So Great! So Cheap, So Fast, Such Good Rate Limits'

Logitech G's Streamlabs (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOGI#NASDAQ">LOGI</a>) a leading innovator of gaming software, technologies and gear, today announced it is collaborating with NVIDIA and Inworld AI to unveil an artificial intelligent streaming assistant. This AI agent simplifies and enhances the live streaming experience by providing streamers with their very own 3D sidekick, producer, and technical assistant.

LOGI

Reported Earlier, Logitech G's Streamlabs Partners With NVIDIA And Inworld To Launch Intelligent 3D Streaming Assistant

Project DIGITS features the new NVIDIA GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, offering a petaflop of AI computing performance for prototyping, fine-tuning and running large AI models.
With Project DIGITS, users can develop and run inference on models using their own desktop system, then seamlessly deploy the models on accelerated cloud or data center infrastructure.
"AI will be mainstream in every application for every industry. With Project DIGITS, the Grace Blackwell Superchip comes to millions of developers," said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. "Placing an AI supercomputer on the desks of every data scientist, AI researcher and student empowers them to engage and shape the age of AI."

Reported Earlier, NVIDIA Introduces Personal AI Supercomputing With Grace Blackwell-Powered Project DIGITS

Panasonic Energy, a key supplier for Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), is aiming to cut its reliance on China for electric vehicle battery supplies in the U.S. Allan Swan, President of Panasonic Energy of North America, emphasized that this transition is the company&#8217;s &#8220;No.1 objective.&#8221;
What Happened: The strategic move comes in response to incoming President Donald Trump&#8217;s promise to increase tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting global companies to reevaluate their manufacturing strategies. Swan stated that the primary task is to avoid a supply chain heavily reliant on China, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Panasonic Energy, a division of the Japanese electronics conglomerate Panasonic Corp. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PCRFF#OTC">PCRFF</a>), supplies batteries not only to Tesla but also to other automakers. The company currently operates a battery plant in Nevada and has plans to inaugurate another U.S. facility in Kansas within the year. This initiative aligns with the broader industry trend of diversifying supply chains amid geopolitical tensions.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/42808507/chinese-exchanges-reportedly-urge-fund-managers-to-limit-stock-sales-as-market-braces-for-trumps-return">Chinese Exchanges Reportedly Urge Fund Managers To Limit Stock Sales As Market Braces For Trump&#8217;s Return</a>
Why It Matters: The decision by Panasonic Energy to reduce its dependency on China for battery supplies is significant in the context of the ongoing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42761825/ev-price-war-heats-up-as-chinese-automakers-extend-subsidies">EV price war</a> and the competitive landscape in the electric vehicle market. Chinese automakers, including Nio Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NIO#NYSE">NIO</a>) and Li Auto Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LI#NASDAQ">LI</a>), have been extending financial incentives to attract buyers, intensifying competition. This move is part of a broader strategy by companies to mitigate risks associated with geopolitical tensions and trade policies.
Moreover, the shift comes at a time when BYD Co Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYDDY#OTC">BYDDY</a>) has overtaken Tesla as the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42780142/chinese-player-byd-overtakes-tesla-yet-again-as-worlds-biggest-ev-seller-in-q4">world&#8217;s largest battery</a> electric vehicle seller in the fourth quarter of 2024. Despite this, Tesla continues to maintain its position as the top-selling pure EV brand for the year.
Additionally, Tesla has achieved record sales in China with approximately <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42782683/tesla-hits-record-ev-sales-in-china-despite-global-dip">83,000 units sold</a> in December alone. This underscores the importance of the Chinese market for Tesla, even as Panasonic seeks to diversify its supply chain away from China.
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42637260/elon-musk-accused-of-bullying-republicans-to-scrap-us-china-investment-safeguards-to-protect-teslas-interests?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Accused Of Bullying Republicans To Scrap US-China Investment Safeguards To Protect Tesla's Interests</a></li>
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock

BYDDY

PCRFF

TSLA

Tesla-Supplier Panasonic Energy Targets Reduced Reliance On China For US Battery Supplies, Says It Is 'No.1 Objective'

<ul>
<li>Medtronic will act as the exclusive sales agent of MagnetOsTM for Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc. in mutually agreed upon sales territories for use in spine surgeries</li>
<li>Kuros will work collaboratively to sell, market and provide support services to Medtronic's sales force</li>
<li>Kuros will keep responsibility for contracts, hospital partnerships and the recognition of revenue from sales</li>
<li>Kuros will continue to sell directly in non-contracted territories as well as in markets outside of spine</li>
<li>This agreement transforms an initial trial agreement into a strategic alliance</li>
</ul>

CSBTF

Kuros Biosciences Secures Exclusive Five-Year Agreement With Medtronic For MagnetOs Bone Graft Sales

<ul>
<li>The three companies jointly showcase the warehouse of the future at CES 2025</li>
<li>Rob Smith, CEO of KION GROUP AG: "We're leveraging physical AI—making supply chains smarter, faster, and ready for the future."</li>
<li>Building physical AI-powered digital twins used to improve productivity and functional design of warehouses with NVIDIA software</li>
</ul>

Reported Earlier, KION, NVIDIA, And Accenture Transform Warehousing With AI-Powered Robots And Digital Twin Technology

Japanese automaker Toyota Motor (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TM#NYSE">TM</a>) will use Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) Drive AGX Orin supercomputer and operating system for advanced driver assistance features on its next-generation models, the chipmaker said on Monday.
What Happened: In his keynote speech at <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42835923/jensen-huang-unveils-monster-gpus-nvidias-rtx-5000-series-starting-at-549">CES 2025</a>, the annual tech conference held in Las Vegas, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that Toyota would build its next-generation vehicles on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin, running the safety-certified NVIDIA DriveOS operating system in a bid to provide advanced driving assistance capabilities.&nbsp;The company did not specify which models would be using its operating system. 
"The autonomous vehicle revolution has arrived, and automotive will be one of the largest AI and robotics industries," said Huang. "NVIDIA is bringing two decades of automotive computing, safety expertise and its CUDA AV platform to transform the multitrillion dollar auto industry."
The chipmaker now expects its automotive vertical business to grow to about $5 billion in FY2026 from $4 billion expected this year. 
Why It Matters: Other automakers that are adopting the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX for their advanced drive assistance systems include BYD, Li Auto, Lucid, Rivian, Xiaomi, Zeekr, and Zoox, among others. 
Nvidia now offers<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/42822846/nvidia-5000-series-product-updates-make-it-top-semiconductor-pick-ahead-of-jensen-huangs-ces-keynote-analyst"> three core computing systems</a> for autonomous driving. While the Nvidia DRIVE AGX is the in-vehicle computer, the Nvidia DGX trains AI models with data from the fleet. Nvidia Omniverse and Nvidia Cosmos test and validate self-driving systems in simulations.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#x1f534;WATCH LIVE: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Keynote Speech at CES 2025" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UGAT_MK0R6g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
</figure>
Price Action: Nvidia shares closed up 3.4% at $149.43 on Monday. The stock is up 9.9% year-to-date, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. 
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link.</a>
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42809131/toyota-overtakes-ford-gm-in-ev-sales-in-us-thanks-to-its-hybrid-vehicle-lineup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toyota Overtakes Ford, GM In EV Sales In US, Thanks To Its Hybrid Vehicle Lineup</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Nvidia

Nvidia Supercomputer, Operating System To Power Toyota's Next-Gen Vehicles

Joint initiative will leverage NVIDIA's new Cosmos platform and DGX Cloud to boost autonomous development

UBER

Reported Earlier, Uber Taps NVIDIA's Cosmos and DGX Cloud To Drive AI-Powered Autonomous Vehicle Innovation

Wall Street analysts and industry experts offered mixed reactions to NVIDIA Corp.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) ambitious technological roadmap <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42835923/jensen-huang-unveils-monster-gpus-nvidias-rtx-5000-series-starting-at-549">unveiled at CES 2025 on Monday</a>, particularly regarding its artificial intelligence and autonomous driving initiatives.
What Happened: During his keynote address at Las Vegas&#8217;s Mandalay Bay Arena, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sparked debate with his prediction that self-driving vehicles would become &#8220;the first multi-trillion dollar robotics industry.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#x1f534;WATCH LIVE: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Keynote Speech at CES 2025" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UGAT_MK0R6g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
</figure>
Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, praised the presentation, declaring &#8220;Nvidia has changed the world&#8221; and anticipating &#8220;incredible things to come.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Wow. Amazing. Lots to digest. Nvidia has changed the world for sure. Incredible things to come… Great night for technology, great start to CES. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24nvda&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$nvda</a>
&mdash; Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/GerberKawasaki/status/1876490157563810218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
GLJ Research analyst Gordon Johnson strongly contested this view, warning that widespread autonomous vehicles could trigger &#8220;depressions globally&#8221; by displacing transport workers.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Translation. Every transport-based worker will be out of a job b/c of self-driving cars that NO ONE asked for (the original promise was they were good for the environment). This will never happen. Would cause depressions globally. <a href="https://t.co/g4hWJtl2PS">https://t.co/g4hWJtl2PS</a>
&mdash; Gordon Johnson (@GordonJohnson19) <a href="https://twitter.com/GordonJohnson19/status/1876499807763939810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The presentation also highlighted Nvidia&#8217;s collaboration with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) on refining open-source Llama models. Daniel Newman, CEO of The Futurum Group, suggested this partnership could potentially outperform OpenAI, noting that &#8220;open source wins out here.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Next leveling open-source models&#8230; NVIDIA Llama Nemotron&#8230; Basically, taking and tuning the open-source models from Meta. And accelerating for use cases like small models, language, training models etc. Doesn&#39;t it feel like Meta + NVIDIA has a really good shot at being a… <a href="https://t.co/KcI5PP0wZc">pic.twitter.com/KcI5PP0wZc</a>
&mdash; Daniel Newman (@danielnewmanUV) <a href="https://twitter.com/danielnewmanUV/status/1876470717010883010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The chipmaker unveiled its next-generation GeForce RTX 5000 series graphics cards, headlined by the flagship RTX 5090 priced at $1,999. Nvidia claims the new GPU delivers twice the performance of its predecessor, featuring 32GB of GDDR7 memory and 21,760 CUDA cores. The company plans to release the RTX 5090 and 5080 on Jan. 30, with more affordable models following later.
Huang also introduced the Grace Blackwell NVLink 72 system, incorporating 72 Blackwell GPUs and 2,592 Grace CPU cores, designed to power advanced AI applications. TECHnalysis Research&#8216;s Bob O&#8217;Donnell highlighted the significance of Nvidia&#8217;s refined Llama models, suggesting they &#8220;could have a big impact.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Next announcement from <a href="https://twitter.com/nvidia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nvidia</a> keynote is much more obscure, but refined versions of Llama models could have a big impact. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CES2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CES2025</a> <a href="https://t.co/2aEFjjxbjx">pic.twitter.com/2aEFjjxbjx</a>
&mdash; Bob O&#39;Donnell (@bobodtech) <a href="https://twitter.com/bobodtech/status/1876470769141858796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Price Action: Nvidia&#8217;s stock ended Monday&#8217;s trading session at $149.43, up 3.43%, and added another 0.57% in after-hours trading to reach $150.28. However, it dipped 0.54% in Robinhood Markets&#8217; overnight trading service. Over the past year, Nvidia has gained an impressive 185.99%, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Nvidia&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA/analyst-ratings">consensus price target</a> is $170.56, ranging from $220 to $120. Recent ratings average $154.67, implying a 2.92% upside.
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/07004942/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-11.19.09%E2%80%AFAM-1024x373.png" alt="" class="wp-image-721008" style="width:632px;height:auto" /></figure>
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42835519/cathie-woods-monday-moves-dumps-15m-worth-of-hot-stock-palantir-loads-up-amazon-com">Cathie Wood&#8217;s Monday Moves: Dumps $15M Worth Of Hot Stock Palantir, Loads Up Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock 
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Global

Jensen Huang's CES 2025 Vision Sparks Mixed Reactions: Ross Gerber Says Nvidia Has 'Changed The World,' While Analysts Debate AI And Autonomous Driving Ambitions

Investment management firm&nbsp;Calamos&nbsp;was gearing up to launch the world&#8217;s first 100% downside-protected Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) exchange-traded fund, according to a Monday&nbsp;press release.
What Happened: The ETF will employ a mix&nbsp;of Treasury securities and options on&nbsp;the CBOE Bitcoin U.S. ETF Index, an investment avenue that tracks the price returns from U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs, Calamos said.
The ETF will reset annually, providing investors with a new upside cap to protect against negative Bitcoin returns&nbsp;for the next 12 months. This effectively means that investors will have to give up some potential gains in return for protection during market downturns.
The ETF is expected to be listed on CBOE on Jan. 22 under the ticker CBOJ. CBOJ units can be held indefinitely.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> &#8216;Pharma Bro&#8217; Martin Shkreli Predicts Liquidation Doom For MicroStrategy Amid Fall Below $300, Says Bitcoin Will Hit $250K Without Michael Saylor</a>
Such ETFs are a big hit on the equity side. CBOK will be an extension of the Calamos&#8217; Structured Protection ETF series, including Calamos S&amp;P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF—January (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CPSY#NYSE">CPSY</a>) and Calamos Russell 2000 Structured Alt Protection ETF—January (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CPRY#NYSE">CPRY</a>), both of which deliver <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42829918/calamos-boosts-structured-protection-offerings-with-two-new-etfs-for-2025">100% downside protection</a>.
Why It Matters: The launch of CBOJ comes at a time when institutional investment in cryptocurrencies has reached record levels. 
Global digital asset investment products <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/42811507/bitcoin-ethereum-solana-institutional-investment-inflows-hit-record-442b-in-2024-nearly-quadrupling-previous-high">saw a record $44.2 billion in inflows in 2024</a>, nearly quadrupling the previous high of $10.5 billion set in 2021. The introduction of U.S. spot-based ETFs was a significant driver of this surge.
Moreover, the success of Bitcoin ETFs is evident from the performance of BlackRock&#8217;s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF IBIT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NASDAQ">IBIT</a>), which became the most successful ETF launch in history. The fund accumulated <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42737368/blackrocks-bitcoin-fund-breaks-records-with-historic-etf-launchwill-it-surpass-the-worlds-biggest-gold-etf-in-january">over $50 billion in assets under management</a> within its debut year.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was exchanging hands at $101,696.58, up 2.03% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.&nbsp;
Read Next:&nbsp;
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/42758291/elon-musks-return-to-original-x-avatar-causes-coin-themed-on-kekius-maximus-to-crash-90-frog-themed-pepe-slips-as-well">Elon Musk&#8217;s Return To Original X Avatar Causes Coin Themed On &#8216;Kekius Maximus&#8217; To Crash 90% — Frog-Themed PEPE Slips As Well</a></li>
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Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

ETFs

$BTC

CPRY

Calamos ETF Trust Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF January

CPSY

IBIT

Looking For Bitcoin Exposure With Downside Protection? There's Now An ETF For That

Samsung Electronics Co. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) has confirmed the release of its much-anticipated Ballie <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36678376/from-dogs-playing-piano-to-robots-in-your-shoes-and-tvs-you-can-see-through-tech-just-got-weirder-an">home robot</a>.
What Happened: Samsung confirmed to <a href="https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-home/samsungs-ballie-robot-companion-still-comes-in-yellow-but-has-more-ai-and-a-promised-2025-launch">outlets</a> like TechRadar that Ballie will be available in the first half of 2025. However, pricing details remain undisclosed.
The round yellow home robot has once again made an appearance at CES this year. Ballie has been showcased in previous CES events too, but this year marks the first time Samsung has given any update on the release.
Samsung did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga's</a> request for comments.
Subscribe to the <a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a> to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
During the event, Ballie demonstrated its capabilities by projecting information about a nearby attraction, the Sphere, onto a wall.
It also showcased its ability to play movies, such as Sony&#8217;s Uncharted, and adjust the projection size based on available space. The robot&#8217;s built-in speakers were noted for their loudness, though the image brightness was less impressive, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/24337478/samsung-ballie-robot-release-date-features-2025">according</a> to The Verge.
Ballie also displayed its visual AI capabilities by identifying wine pairings and responding to queries quickly. Communication with Ballie is primarily through voice, and it can control smart home devices.
Why It Matters: The journey of Samsung&#8217;s Ballie robot has been a long one, with its initial concept introduced back in 2020. Initially, Ballie was a small, tennis ball-sized device, envisioned as a &#8220;fitness assistant&#8221; with smart home control capabilities.
Over the years, it has evolved into a larger, bowling ball-sized robot equipped with advanced features like a built-in projector and LiDAR sensor for obstacle detection.
The robot was expected to launch in 2024, but the timeline shifted to 2025.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42780776/is-apple-ready-for-a-new-challenge-chinas-smartphone-subsidies-aim-to-boost-domestic-demand-giving-companies-like-huawei-the-upper-hand?itm_source=parsely-api">Apple Rival Huawei, Alibaba, And Others Get Boost As China Doles Out Subsidies To Smartphone Buyers</a>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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