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The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has distributed 1,200 25kg bags of rice to rural women and vulnerable and less privileged individuals in Anambra State to cushion the effects of economic hardship.

Mrs Oluremi, represented by the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Nonye Soludo, distributed the bags of rice under the Renewed Hope Initiative on Thursday in Awka. She said the initiative was aimed at providing relief to those adversely affected by the current economic hardship in the country.

“The government recognises the effects of the current, and this is part of efforts to cushion the effects. We urge Nigerians to continue to support and pray for the government as it strives to make life better for all,” she said. Mrs Soludo, the founder of the Healthy Living Initiative, while distributing the palliatives, also organised free comprehensive medical checks and cancer screening for the women.

The beneficiaries had checks to verify their HIV status, blood pressure, blood sugar level, and body mass index, as well as cervical and breast cancer screening. She urged women to go for routine medical checks to prevent health complications or deaths.

She said, “Health is the greatest wealth you can have; do not joke with your health. Take advantage of the free cervical and breast cancer screening organised by Health Living Initiative and know your status. Our mothers should also secure the health of their children by embracing immunisation and exclusive breastfeeding.

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Silver investors took a breather Wednesday from a strong two-week rally that pushed prices to near 13-year highs. The question facing them now is whether changing sentiment regarding Federal Reserve rate cuts will extend the pullback.

The price of silver dropped 3% to $33.88 per ounce on Wednesday, pausing a rally that had seen prices 15% surge since Oct. 8.

Silver has soared about 40% this year, accompanying gold on its recent run and other precious metals because of expectations that the Fed would cut its benchmark interest rate. When interest rates drop, metals become more competitive as an investment choice because regular income returns from bonds and money-market accounts decrease.

The Fed fulfilled year-long expectations in September with a 50-basis point (BPS) rate cut, and investors anticipated further rate cuts ahead in what they perceived as a cooling U.S. economy. But September's surprisingly strong U.S. employment report, as well as other indicators, have altered that perception.

Market participants now expect the Fed to cut rates an additional 50 basis points by the end of the year, according to the CME's FedWatch tool, which calculates expectations based on fed fund futures trading data. A month ago, after the Fed's last rate cut, traders were pricing in about a 75% chance that the Fed would trim the benchmark rate by an additional 75 basis points before year's end.

Another explanation is that profit-taking drove a good portion of Wednesday's pullback. Since Thursday, the price of silver has risen 10% after surpassing its most recent high in May, a bullish signal for traders focused on technical charts.

Underlying silver's 2024 surge and prospects moving forward: Strong industrial demand.

Compared to gold, silver has more fundamental economic value for its use in many products. In addition to the jewelry market, the green revolution has expanded demand, as silver is a primary component for solar energy applications.

Industrial demand for silver rose 11% to a record high of 654.4 million ounces in 2023, the third straight year in which demand outstripped supply, according to The Silver Institute.

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Analysts believe any impact from a recent E. Coli outbreak to McDonald's (MCD) sales and stock price likely will be short-lived.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it had linked the outbreak to the chain's Quarter Pounder burgers. The restaurant chain's stock was down 5% Wednesday afternoon.

JPMorgan analysts said following the CDCannouncement that they expect McDonald's supply-chain advantages will allow the fast-food giant to minimize the impact of the suspected contaminated food. The analysts also said that with McDonald's stock lower, they plan to buy shares.

In a statement Tuesday, McDonald's said it believes slivered onions delivered from a single supplier—which provides product to three distribution centers—are likely the issue. It said the company temporarily is removing the Quarter Pounder from menus in four states and parts of eight others "out of an abundance of caution."

Given that the affectedstores represent less than 10% of McDonald's U.S. footprint, Wedbush analysts said the outbreak should have a "relatively insulated impact" without influencing sales across the rest of its global operations.

JPMorgan analysts said the outbreak likely will be much less severe than Chipotle's (CMG) foodborne illness issues that started in 2015 and ultimately sickened more than 1,100 people. Chipotle eventually was fined $25 million by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In the first two quarters following the start of Chipotle's outbreak, same-store sales declined by about 15% and 30%, JPMorgan analysts noted. They said that McDonald's advanced supply chain and improvements in tracing ingredients and diseases should help its sales be less affected.

McDonald's likely will address the outbreak in its earnings report next Tuesday. After today's declines, its shares are up less than 1% on the year.

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Tesla (TSLA) reports earnings Wednesday after the bell, weeks after its robotaxi-unveiling event left investors and analysts with a number of questions.

Analysts expect Tesla's quarterly revenue to rise to $25.43 billion from $23.35 billion the same time last year, according to Visible Alpha. The EV maker is also expected to report that profit fell slightly to $1.69 billion from $1.85 billion a year ago.

Analysts are somewhat split on Tesla stock, with the 19 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha holding nine "buy," seven "hold," and three "sell" ratings. Their average target price, $224.89, is not far above Tesla's intraday price Wednesday of $213.43.

Tesla's third-quarter deliveries came in above estimates earlier this month but failed to spark a rally for the stock like last quarter's numbers did.

Wedbush Securities analysts said that, following the deliveries report, surpassing estimates was a "step in the right direction," but acknowledged that they and the broader market were hoping Tesla would beat projections by a wider margin.

However, Webdbush said after the delivery data and the robotaxi event that they retained their "outperform" rating and $300 price target—and "would be buyers on any weakness" in Tesla stock.

Tesla's stock price has taken a hit in the wake of the EV maker's robotaxi event. Tesla showcased its prototype "Cybercab," along with a larger capacity "Robovan" and projections from CEO Elon Musk on when Tesla's self-driving software could be approved, a step toward the autonomous taxis becoming legal to operate on the road.

Following the event, analysts said the lack of details about whether Tesla would plan to operate its fleet of robotaxis or sell them to customers, and the lack of an anticipated lower-cost Tesla model announcement, were among the factors driving the stock lower.

JPMorgan analysts, with an "underweight" rating and $130 price target, said the next day that the event was "notably lacking in detail," and said it affirmed their belief that Tesla stock's recovery from the lows it faced in the first half of the year was driven primarily by excitement for the recent robotaxi event rather than EV sales or earnings.

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