Square services business could make up half of revenue by 2022, says analyst

Shares of Square Inc. are up 0.9% in premarket trading Thursday after Jefferies analyst Ramsey El-Assal reiterated his positive view on the stock and cheered the company’s “subscription and services” offerings. Such products, which include instant deposits, food delivery, and small-business loans, currently make up 26% of Square’s adjusted net revenues, but El-Assal thinks they could account for about half by 2022. He predicts that instant deposits and Caviar food delivery will be among the fastest growers. “Our thesis is that as S&S becomes a larger part of the overall business, SQ should carry a higher valuation multiple,” El-Assal wrote. He maintained his buy rating and $60 price target on Square shares, and he believes “the recent pullback is a compelling buying opportunity.” Square shares fell 7.2% in Wednesday’s session alone, in the midst of the tech sell-off, marking their worst single-day percentage performance since November. The stock is up 175% over the past 12 months, compared with a 10% gain for the S&P 500 in that time.

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Fed’s Harker sees 3 rate hikes this year

Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker expects Fed officials to hike interest rates three times in 2018, compared with his earlier projection for two rises, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Speaking in an interview, Harker explained his new projection by saying: “We saw some firming of inflation.” Last week, the Fed under new Chairman Jerome Powell lifted a key interest rate and stuck to its script for three interest rate hikes this year.

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North and South Korea to hold summit in April: reports

The leaders of North and South Korea will hold a summit on April 27, Seoul Unification Ministry officials said Thursday, according to media reports. Kim Jong Un will meet the South’s President Moon Jae In at the border village of Panmunjom in only the third summit between the two Koreas ever. The meeting, which came after high-level talks between Pyongyang and Seoul, will be watched for any signs of movement over North Korea’s nuclear program. After a surprise visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, Kim said he was committed to denuclearizing the Korean peninsula and is open to starting a dialogue with the U.S. The North Korean leader is expected to travel to the U.S. in May for a face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump.

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North and South Korea to hold summit in April: reports

The leaders of North and South Korea will hold a summit on April 27, Seoul Unification Ministry officials said Thursday, according to media reports. Kim Jong Un will meet the South’s President Moon Jae In at the border village of Panmunjom in only the third summit between the two Koreas ever. The meeting, which came after high-level talks between Pyongyang and Seoul, will be watched for any signs of movement over North Korea’s nuclear program. After a surprise visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, Kim said he was committed to denuclearizing the Korean peninsula and is open to starting a dialogue with the U.S. The North Korean leader is expected to travel to the U.S. in May for a face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump.

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Trump’s attorney raised possibility of pardons for Flynn, Manafort last summer: reports

President Donald Trump’s top lawyer suggested the idea of presidential pardons last summer while speaking to attorneys of Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, according to reports Wednesday by the New York Times and Washington Post. The conversations reportedly occurred before the two were eventually charged as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to investigators; Manafort faces trial later this year on charges of money laundering and tax fraud. According to experts, raising the possibility of a pardon could be seen as obstruction of justice if it was meant to persuade Flynn and Manafort against cooperating with prosecutors, thus hindering Mueller’s investigation. The pardons were reportedly floated by John Dowd, Trump’s former lead attorney, who resigned last week. Dowd denied the report, telling the Post “we never talked about pardons.” On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders read a statement from current Trump lawyer Ty Cobb that said: “There’s no discussion or consideration of that [a pardon] at this time.”

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Netflix appoints former NSA under President Obama Susan Rice to its board of directors

Netflix Inc. said Wednesday that it appointed Susan Rice, former U.S. National Security Advisor under President Obama, to its board of directors. Rice was also ambassador to the United Nations. “We are delighted to welcome Ambassador Rice to the Netflix board,” said Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings. “For decades, she has tackled difficult, complex global issues with intelligence, integrity and insight and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and wisdom.” Rice is currently a visiting research fellow at American University and a senior fellow at Harvard University. Netflix’s board currently has 11 members. The streaming video company’s stock was down 3.3% in midday trade, amid a broad selloff in the technology sector. It has run up 50.8% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has slipped 2.3%.

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Netflix appoints former NSA under President Obama Susan Rice to its board of directors

Netflix Inc. said Wednesday that it appointed Susan Rice, former U.S. National Security Advisor under President Obama, to its board of directors. Rice was also ambassador to the United Nations. “We are delighted to welcome Ambassador Rice to the Netflix board,” said Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings. “For decades, she has tackled difficult, complex global issues with intelligence, integrity and insight and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and wisdom.” Rice is currently a visiting research fellow at American University and a senior fellow at Harvard University. Netflix’s board currently has 11 members. The streaming video company’s stock was down 3.3% in midday trade, amid a broad selloff in the technology sector. It has run up 50.8% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has slipped 2.3%.

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Netflix appoints former NSA under President Obama Susan Rice to its board of directors

Netflix Inc. said Wednesday that it appointed Susan Rice, former U.S. National Security Advisor under President Obama, to its board of directors. Rice was also ambassador to the United Nations. “We are delighted to welcome Ambassador Rice to the Netflix board,” said Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings. “For decades, she has tackled difficult, complex global issues with intelligence, integrity and insight and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and wisdom.” Rice is currently a visiting research fellow at American University and a senior fellow at Harvard University. Netflix’s board currently has 11 members. The streaming video company’s stock was down 3.3% in midday trade, amid a broad selloff in the technology sector. It has run up 50.8% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has slipped 2.3%.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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Netflix appoints former NSA under President Obama Susan Rice to its board of directors

Netflix Inc. said Wednesday that it appointed Susan Rice, former U.S. National Security Advisor under President Obama, to its board of directors. Rice was also ambassador to the United Nations. “We are delighted to welcome Ambassador Rice to the Netflix board,” said Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings. “For decades, she has tackled difficult, complex global issues with intelligence, integrity and insight and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and wisdom.” Rice is currently a visiting research fellow at American University and a senior fellow at Harvard University. Netflix’s board currently has 11 members. The streaming video company’s stock was down 3.3% in midday trade, amid a broad selloff in the technology sector. It has run up 50.8% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has slipped 2.3%.

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Equifax names Mark Begor new CEO

Equifax Inc. named Wednesday Mark Begor as its chief executive officer, effective April 16. Begor was most recently managing director at Warbug Pincus, and before that was at General Electric Co. for 35 years. He succeeds Paulino Do Rego Barros, who served as interim CEO since Sept. 26, 2017, when former CEO Richard Smith retired in the wake of a data breach scandal. The stock, which was still inactive in premarket trade, has lost 14.6% over the past 12 months, while the S&P 500 has gained 10.8%.

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