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Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States, media said on Wednesday November 6, defeating Kamala Harris in a stunning political comeback that will send shock waves across the world.
The polarizing Republican’s victory, following one of the most hostile campaigns in modern US history, was all the more remarkable given an unprecedented criminal conviction, a near-miss assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff that he is a “f3scist.”
“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” Trump told a victory party in Florida.
Vice President Harris, who only entered the race in July after President Joe Biden dropped out, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump’s inflammatory messaging and use of openly r3cist and s3xist tropes.
But his apocalyptic warnings about immigration and championing of isolationism found their mark with voters battered by the post-Covid economy and eager for a change from the Biden years.
The campaign pointed to a nail-bitingly close contest, but the results came surprisingly fast, delivering a crushing victory that included wins in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Trump is the first president in more than a century to win a non-consecutive second term. He is also the only person to be elected as a convicted felon — he will face sentencing in a New York court for fraud on November 26. Already 78, Trump is on course to break another record as the oldest-ever sitting president during his four-year term. He will surpass Biden who is set to step down in January at the age of 82.
Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) reported third-quarter results that topped analysts' expectations Monday, lifting its shares, as the company said t plans to release a generic version of a Novo Nordisk (NVO) diabetes and weight-loss drug as early as next year.
The producer of copycat weight-loss drugs and other health products posted a 77% revenue jump year-over-year to $401.6 million.
Shares of Hims climbed nearly 5% intraday Tuesday before closing little changed.
Bank of America Securities estimates the company generated $63 million to $70 million of revenue in the latest period from weight-loss drugs, higher than the prior quarter. The bank's research noted that Hims plans to up its marketing spending in the fourth quarter, which the analysts see as “an opportunity to continue to drive user growth.”
The bank reiterated its "buy" rating and raised its price target from $25 to $27, roughly a 29% premium to the stock's close today.
Hims also said Monday that it plans to introduce a generic version of liraglutide, the Novo Nordisk drug sold under the names Victoza and Saxenda for diabetes and weight loss, respectively.
"We have already confirmed a core supplier for this addition, and over the next few months expect to finish completing test and batch validation,” Hims Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Dudum said in Hims' third-quarter shareholder letter.
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Journalist Sam Omatseye has given his two cents about the 2024 U.S. polls.
He said American is voting r@cism over virtue, putting cr#m#nal in White House.
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The U.S. economy has been running smoothly for the most part, but that could change depending on what happens at the polls Tuesday, especially if the outcome isn't immediately clear.The close-run election poses a number of risks to the health of the economy, starting with the possibility of a prolonged election or disputed vote count. Late polls showed the presidential race is a tossup between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump in the battleground states that will determine the winner. The closer the election turns out to be, the higher the chances of the outcome being thrown into doubt, potentially disrupting the economy in the days ahead."It could take days or even weeks to determine the winner. Social unrest under such circumstances would not be surprising," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, wrote in a commentary. "This would be difficult for the already fragile collective psyche to bear, undermining investor, business and consumer sentiment. There is nothing but downside for the economy if the election is close and contentious."Indeed, the Associated Press did not call the outcome of the 2020 election until the Saturday following Election Day. The outcome could take even longer this time, especially if it comes down to Pennsylvania, where election officials are not allowed to begin counting mail-in ballots until Election Day.
Further disruptions could ensue if there are legal challenges to the results.
Voters have ranked the economy as one of their top considerations during this election.
By the numbers, the economy is in a healthy state, with low unemployment, a booming stock market, and solid economic growth. At the same time, a dysfunctional and unaffordable housing market has plagued the economy, and lower-income households have struggled to cope with the burst of post-pandemic inflation despite overall increases in wages. While prices of most things have stopped increasing rapidly, they haven't gone back down to pre-pandemic levels and likely never will.Regardless of who ultimately wins, a delay in deciding the election could disrupt financial markets and the broader economy. The two candidates have very different economic policies, and investors generally hate uncertainty about future conditions. Uncertainty can cause market volatility and big swings in the prices of financial assets."It is rare for the economy to perform as exceptionally as it is right now. But for it to continue in this way will require the presidential election and its outcome to play out in a reasonably graceful way," Zandi said. "This is probably a good time to buckle in."
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