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NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered in afternoon trading on Wall Street Monday at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. A handful of technology companies helped support the gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 63 points, or 0.2% as of 1:18 p.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.7%. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 3%. Broadcom jumped 5.2% to also help support the broader market. Japanese automakers Honda Motor and Nissan said they are talking about combining in a deal that might also include Mitsubishi Motors. Honda rose 3.8% and Nissan rose 1.6% in Tokyo. Eli Lilly rose 3% after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first and only prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Department store Nordstrom fell 1.7% after it agreed to be taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. The Conference Board said that consumer confidence slipped in December. Its consumer confidence index fell back to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Wall Street was expecting a reading of 113.8. The unexpectedly weak consumer confidence update follows several generally strong economic reports last week. One report showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The latest report on unemployment benefit applications showed that the job market remains solid. A report on Friday said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than economists expected. Worries about inflation edging higher again had been weighing on Wall Street and the Fed. The central bank just delivered its third cut to interest rates this year, but inflation has been hovering stubbornly above its target of 2%. It has signaled that it could deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than it earlier anticipated because of concerns over inflation. Expectations for more interest rate cuts have helped drive a 24% gain for the S&P 500 in 2024. That drive included 57 all-time highs this year. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under an incoming President Donald Trump. "Put simply, much of the strong market performance prior to last week was driven by expectations that a best-case scenario was the base case for 2025," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.58% from 4.53% late Friday. European markets were mostly lower, while markets in Asia gained ground. Wall Street has several other economic reports to look forward to this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. will release its November report for sales of newly constructed homes. A weekly update on unemployment benefits is expected on Thursday. Markets in the U.S. will close early on Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas.Special teams bungles dominate NFL, with Commanders and Cowboys leading the wayHayles says PM’s announced NWC amnesty is desperate measure for failing Government

DALLAS , Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bestow , a leading technology company in the life insurance industry, has been named one of the Top 100 Financial Technology Companies of 2024 by The Financial Technology Report . This recognition highlights Bestow's innovative approach to modernizing life insurance and its commitment to delivering seamless, high-impact solutions. The Financial Technology Report annually highlights organizations redefining financial services with innovation, influence, and impact. Bestow's inclusion places it among industry leaders, underscoring its role in transforming how life insurance is provided. "This recognition is a testament to our team's relentless focus on creating a better way to offer life insurance," said Melbourne O'Banion, CEO and Co-Founder, Bestow. "Bestow plays a crucial role in driving rapid innovation within the industry, and I'm proud of our team's commitment to our mission." Bestow's proprietary platform removes traditional barriers in the life insurance process, offering a fully digital experience that eliminates the need for medical exams and lengthy paperwork. Its advanced technology enables businesses to quickly integrate life insurance solutions and products into their platforms, helping carriers increase customer growth and profitability. Since its inception, Bestow has been at the forefront of insurtech innovation, leveraging data science and AI, forging strategic partnerships, and developing scalable solutions that empower businesses and broaden access to life insurance. This leadership has solidified its position in the evolving financial technology sector. Earlier this year, Bestow was recognized as one of the Top 25 Insurtech Companies by The Financial Technology Report for its success in partnering with leading carriers to broaden the reach and impact of life insurance solutions. Additionally, CNBC honored Bestow as one of the world's leading insurtech companies of 2024. For more information about Bestow, visit: Bestow.com About Bestow Bestow is on a mission to increase financial stability for everyone. We partner with top life insurance carriers to deploy cutting-edge technology and data solutions that reduce costs, maximize efficiency, and drive growth by streamlining processes from origination and underwriting through administration. To learn more, visit Bestow.com . SOURCE Bestow Inc.Company's first ultra-low power AI module will be commercially available for wearables and various other battery-powered on-device AI applications starting Q1 2025 SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambient Scientific, The AI Processor Company, announced today its first coin cell battery powered AI module, named the Sparsh-board, targeted for a variety of on-device AI applications such as human activity recognition, voice control, acoustic event detection and more capable of running on a coin cell battery for months of always-on AI operation. Equipped with motion sensors, a digital microphone, BLE module and several other components, the Sparsh module is an extremely powerful and versatile module to enable rapid prototyping of a vast array of battery-powered AI applications. "While traditional MCUs force an undesirable tradeoff between AI performance and power consumption, our ultra-low power AI processor GPX10 ushers a paradigm shift with our groundbreaking analog in-memory computing technology," said GP Singh, Founder and CEO of Ambient Scientific. Product makers can now enable highly accurate and diverse AI applications without compromising on AI performance, battery life, form factor, flexibility and more. Ambient Scientific's exhaustive software stack makes the development of AI applications easier than ever before with support for industry standard AI frameworks such as Tensorflow and keras and a continuously evolving homegrown compiler, capable of supporting essentially all the major types of neural networks. With various sample AI applications and algorithms included, developers can get begin developing AI applications within minutes of downloading our AmbiSense SDK . Current applications being worked on cut across industries, including predictive maintenance, AI-enabled medical devices, wearables, voice controlled toys and more. With increasing demand from product makers, enthusiasts, students and researchers alike, Ambient Scientific plans to launch several reference designs for battery-powered AI applications and similar form factor modules to enable rapid prototyping and fulfill its mission to make AI computing efficient, accessible and affordable for all. Meet Ambient Scientific at CES 2025 Ambient Scientific is excited to unveil its Sparsh AI module at CES 2025 with live demostrations of AI applications running on coin cell batteries such as Fall Detection, voice recognition and more. To explore potential synergies, attendees can schedule meetings CES 2025 with Ambient Scientific at. To learn more about Ambient Scientific, visit our booth at CES 2025 or download our press kit . About Ambient Scientific Ambient Scientific is a fabless semiconductor company pioneering AI hardware and software design to create next-generation low-power processors for edge and on-device AI applications. With a team comprised of Ex-Sun Microsystems, Intel, Broadcom and Google professionals, Ambient Scientific is committed to bringing the power of AI to all, through cutting edge hardware and software products. To learn more about its products, visit www.ambientscientific.ai and follow Ambient Scientific on LinkedIn . Click here for more details about our booth at: https://ces25.mapyourshow.com/8_0/exhibitor/exhibitor-details.cfm?exhid=0013A00001egpuFQAQ . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ambient-scientific-unveils-first-ever-ai-module-powered-by-a-coin-cell-battery-302332996.html SOURCE Ambient Scientific, Inc.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Seemingly Improves the Worst Part of the OriginalEast Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., a potential first-round pick, declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday. Revel, who sustained a torn left ACL in practice in September, had one season of eligibility remaining. "After an incredible journey at East Carolina, I am officially declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft," the senior posted on social media. "... Pirates nation, thank you for your unwavering energy and support every game. Representing ECU is an honor, and I look forward to continuing to do so on Sundays!" Revel recorded two interceptions in three games this season, returning one 50 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 14 against Appalachian State. Over three seasons with the Pirates, Revel had three interceptions, 15 passes defensed and 70 tackles in 24 games. He was a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection last season. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Revel as the No. 2 cornerback and No. 23 overall prospect in the 2025 draft class. --Field Level Media

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NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four . The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to a record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard and fell 110 points, or 0.3%. Broadcom leaped 11.2% to help lead the S&P 500 for a second straight day after delivering a profit report last week that beat analysts’ expectations. The technology company is riding a wave of enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence offerings in particular. The market’s main event, though, will arrive on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will announce its last move on interest rates for the year. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main rate for a third straight time, as it tries to boost the slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. The question is how much more it will cut rates next year, and Fed officials will release projections for where they see the federal funds rate ending 2025, along with other economic indicators, once their meeting concludes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also answer questions in a press conference following the meeting. For now, the general expectation among traders is that the Fed may cut a couple more times in 2025, according to data from CME Group. But such expectations have been shrinking following reports suggesting inflation may be tougher to get all the way down to 2% from here. Besides last month’s slight acceleration in inflation, another worry is that President-elect Donald Trump’s preferences for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation down the line. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle has dropped his earlier forecast of a cut by the Fed in January, for example. Beyond the possibility of tariffs, he said Fed officials may also want to slow their cuts because of uncertainty about exactly how low rates need to go so that they no longer press the brakes on the economy. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year and is heading for one of its best years of the millennium . The economy has held up better than many feared, continuing to grow even after the Fed hiked the federal funds rate to a two-decade high in hopes of grinding down on inflation, which topped 9% two summers ago. On Wall Street, MicroStrategy jumped as much as 7% during the day as it continues to benefit from the surging price for bitcoin , which set another all-time high. But its stock ended the day down by les than 0.1% after bitcoin’s price pulled back below $106,000 after setting a record above $107,700, according to CoinDesk. The software company has been building its hoard of the cryptocurrency, and its stock price has more than sextupled this year. It will also soon join the Nasdaq 100 index. Bitcoin’s price has catapulted from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year, riding a recent wave of enthusiasm that Trump will create a system that’s more favorable to digital currencies . Honeywell rose 3.7% after saying it’s still considering a spin-off or sale of its aerospace business, as part of a review of its overall business. It said it plans to give an update with the release of its fourth-quarter results. They helped offset a drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI. Its stock fell 1.7%. Because it’s grown so massive, with a total value topping $3 trillion, it was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 22.99 points to 6,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 110.58 to 43,717.48, and the Nasdaq composite rose 247.17 to 20,173.89. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.39% from 4.40% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, eased to 4.24% from 4.25%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across much of Europe and Asia. They sank 0.9% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November despite attempts to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% as law enforcement authorities pushed to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, and the Constitutional Court met to discuss whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.The Great British Bake Off 2024: fans are all saying the same thing about Dylan in the final

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