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Investopedia
Watch These Palantir Price Levels As Stock Surges More Than 6% To Record High
~2.6 mins read

Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares are likely to remain in the spotlight after jumping to a record high Tuesday following bullish commentary from Ark Invest, which said that the analytics software provider could have further potential upside from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

The technology-focused asset manager’s European managing director Rahul Bhushan told in an interview that data analytics software names such as Palantir sit well positioned to capture AI market share from tech giants as demand grows for customized data and AI services that tailor to clients’ specific needs.

Palantir shares rose 6.6% to $41.45 on Tuesday. The stock has gained 141% since the start of the year as of Tuesday’s close, jumping nearly 37% in the past month alone as it got a boost from its recent inclusion in the S&P 500 index.

Below, we take a closer look at the technicals on Palantir’s chart and point out important price levels that investors may be watching.

Since breaking out above an ascending triangle in early July, Palantir shares have continued to trend higher apart from a brief early August correction, with gains accelerating last month after the software vendor’s entrance into the S&P 500.

Importantly, above-average trading volumes have accompanied the stock’s rally, indicating active buying from market-tracking funds.

However, the shares may see short-term profit-taking, given the relative strength index (RSI) flashes overbought conditions and has formed a bearish divergence with the price.

Let’s take a look at three important support levels on Palantir’s chart and use technical analysis to forecast a potential bullish price target.

During an initial pullback, investors should eye the $32.70 level, a location on the chart just below the rising 50-day moving average where the shares may attract support near the August swing high and the Sept. 9 breakaway gap’s opening price.

Selling below this level may see the shares fall to $29, where the price could encounter buying interest near a trendline joining the July peak and September trough.

A deeper retracement could lead to a retest of the $25.50 region, an area where investors may look for entry points around the ascending triangle’s top trendline, which appears to have flipped from resistance into support.

To forecast a potential bullish price target in the stock, we can use a bars pattern, a subjective chart technique that uses prior price action to predict future moves. 

In this case, we’ll extract Palantir’s trend higher from May to August last year and position that move from the early August selloff low, which forecasts a price target of around $55.

We selected this prior move as it started from the lower trendline of an earlier ascending triangle on the chart, similar to how the stock’s current uptrend began.

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Instablog9ja
Activist And Lawyer, Deji Adeyanju Raises Concern About Nigerians’ Attitude Following The Recent Fuel Price Increase
~0.2 mins read

Activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has raised concern about Nigerians’ attitude following the recent fuel price increase.

He said fuel is now N1,030 but nobody wanted to chase clout by protesting. Everybody is waiting for everyone to start protest.

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Investopedia
Homebuyers Are Getting Smaller Houses–And Paying More For Them
~1.6 mins read

As homebuyers begin to reenter the housing market, they're encountering higher prices and smaller homes.

According to data from Realtor.com, the price per square foot of the median home for sale in September was $227. In September 2019, the median home listed was going for $150 per square foot. That's more than a 50% increase in the price per square foot since the pandemic.

In short, homebuyers are paying far more for each square foot than they were before the pandemic.

The increase in price per square foot could be linked to a mismatch between supply and demand.

According to the latest estimates from Zillow, the U.S. housing market is short 4.5 million homes. Homebuilders have struggled to fill the gap. High interest rates have resulted in fewer buyers and higher borrowing costs, while inflation has raised construction costs.

The disparity between supply and demand has raised home prices over the last four years. Economists, including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, have said the severe housing shortage increases housing costs.

The median price per listing was $425,000 in September, compared to $312,477 during the same month in 2019.

But it's not just the price of homes rising. Economists say homebuyers are also purchasing smaller homes on average to try to save some money. Not only do smaller homes come with smaller price tags, but less of a footprint generates fewer maintenance costs, Realtor.com found in a separate study from July.

The trend also extended into newly built homes, Realtors said.

“Since the trend is now heading toward smaller and more affordable housing, it makes sense that builders would follow suit,” said Jason Gelios, a real estate agent with Community Choice Realty in Southeast Michigan, in a Realtor.com blog post.

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Healthwatch
Why Follow A Vaccine Schedule For Children?
~3.4 mins read

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By the first week in September this year, US health officials had already tallied 247 cases of measles, a highly contagious illness. For perspective, in 2023, 59 measles cases were reported during the full year.

This isn't surprising, as vaccination rates for preventable childhood illnesses have decreased, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Between the 2019–2020 school year and the 2022–2023 school year, the percentage of fully immunized kindergarteners dropped from 95% to 93%.

Even a small decline like this affects herd immunity that helps protect our communities. (Herd immunity occurs when there are enough immunized people to make spread of an illness among unimmunized people less likely.) For measles, we need 95% of people — children and adults — to be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

How do vaccines help children?

The vaccines given before kindergarten protect children against serious illnesses and possible hospitalizations or even deaths:

  • diphtheria, a serious respiratory illness
  • hepatitis B and hepatitis A, both infections of the liver. Hepatitis B infections can be chronic and lead to liver damage.
  • pneumococcus and Haemophilus Influenzae, bacteria that can cause serious infections
  • measles, which can cause pneumonia and neurological problems
  • mumps, which causes swollen glands in the neck and can sometimes lead to complications
  • pertussis (whooping cough), which can be fatal in infants
  • polio, which can cause a paralysis that can be fatal
  • rotavirus, a diarrhea that can lead to serious dehydration in young infants
  • rubella, or German measles. If women catch it during pregnancy, it can lead to miscarriage or birth defects.
  • varicella (chickenpox). While most infections are mild, the rash caused by chickenpox can get infected, and the virus itself can affect the lungs or brain.
  • What to know about vaccine exemptions and schedule changes

    The most concerning part of the CDC report is that it's not just that families got behind in their doctor visits, it's that more are choosing not to vaccinate. Vaccine exemptions rose from 0.4% to 3% in the 2022–2023 school year. That 3% is an average; 10 states have exemption rates over 5% (Idaho's exemption rate was 12.1%).

    Some parents have children vaccinated, but alter the schedule. In a 2020 study, researchers found that only 63% of families followed the recommended vaccination schedule for their children. Among those who didn't, the majority followed an alternate schedule, spacing vaccines out, skipping some, or doing a combination of both.

    But vaccines are given on a schedule for a reason: to protect children from vaccine-preventable disease. Experts designed the schedule so that children get protection when they need it — and the doses are timed so the vaccine itself can have the best effect. When parents don't follow the schedule, their children may not be protected.

    Worried about getting several vaccines at once?

    Parents sometimes worry about giving several vaccines at once, something that the schedule calls for, especially at the 2-, 4-, and 6-month visits. Not only is it safe, but when parents spread out the schedule it takes longer before the child is protected, leaving babies vulnerable to these diseases. It also means more visits to the doctor: the study found that babies whose parents used an alternate schedule had three more vaccination visits than babies whose parents followed the recommended schedule.

    Worried about side effects?

    Parents also worry about side effects of vaccines and other risks, often fueled by information they get on social media. Not every person who gets these infections has a serious case or complications. But the risk of a complication of the disease is always higher than the risk of the vaccine, an important fact that sometimes gets lost in the vaccine discussion.

    When children get behind on vaccines, they are more likely to catch vaccine-preventable illnesses — which is not only dangerous for them, but also for those around them who aren't vaccinated, as we have seen in measles outbreaks. It is not just children whose parents choose not to vaccinate them that are at risk, but also children who can't be vaccinated, such as newborns or those who are taking medications that suppress the immune system. Adults with suppressed immune systems can be at risk too. Parents often forget that the decisions they make about immunization affect more people than just their child.

    How can you learn more about vaccines?

    It's normal for parents to have questions and worry about medical treatments given to their children. After all, it's a parent's job to worry. But as parents question and worry, it's really important that they get reliable medical information from expert sources. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as Immunize.org and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have lots of accurate and useful information, and parents should always talk to their child's doctor if they have concerns.

    The bottom line for parents

    Think long and hard, and get information from reliable sources, before you change your child's vaccine schedule. The schedule is there to protect your child — and everyone around your child.

    Source: Harvard Health Publishing

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    Instablog9ja
    President Tinubu Vows To Tackle Corruption Head-on, Stating That No Corr¥pt Nigerian Will Be Spared
    ~1.8 mins read

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to tackle corruption head-on, emphasising that no Nigerian is immune to its effects.

    In his address at the 6th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – National Judicial Institute (NJI) Workshop for Justices and Judges in Abuja, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu noted that corruption has become a cancer denying Nigeria the full benefits of its resources. He stressed the need for collective action against corruption.

    According to him, Nigeria’s corruption crisis has reached alarming levels, denying the nation the full benefits of its resources. Tinubu declared that his administration aims to combat this through strengthened anti-corruption agencies and judicial reforms.

    The President noted that the EFCC has made significant strides in prosecuting corruption cases, with notable improvements in the justice sector. However, challenges persist, including frivolous applications, intimidation of judges, and conflicting court orders.

    He said, “No Nigerian is immune from corruption, a cancer which continues to deny the nation the full benefits of its God-given resources. Rather than look up only to the anti-corruption agencies for a solution to this malaise, I believe it is in our enlightened collective interest to close ranks and aggressively tackle this common enemy.

    We must tackle challenges impeding the speedy adjudication of corruption cases, including frivolous applications and appeals, intimidation of judges by counsel, judgment not based on facts of cases but on technicalities. We will also continue to support the work of the EFCC to ensure that it continues to deliver its statutory mandate without let or hindrance.”

    EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, highlighted additional obstacles, such as frequent adjournments, unwarranted injunctions, and suspects using courts to evade investigation.Despite these challenges, the EFCC remains undeterred, engaging stakeholders locally and globally to combat corruption. Olukoyede announced that the commission has established the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) to prevent corruption.

    He explained, “the spectre of frequent adjournments of high-profile corruption cases arising from frivolous applications, conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction in corruption cases, intemperate contempt orders hauled at the Commission’s leadership, unwarranted orders of injunction restraining the Commission from investigating cases, are among a plethora of issues that bother the EFCC. bloq9ja

    “As a Commission, our efforts at integrating stakeholders in the fight against corruption are continuous. Earlier this year, we held a Stakeholders Dialogue on the issue of cybercrime where we equally unveiled the Commission’s new focus on corruption prevention with the establishment of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC. We are convinced that it is ultimately more profitable to prevent than to investigate and prosecute corruption cases.”

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    Investopedia
    Harris Calls For Medicare To Pay For In-Home Health Care
    ~1.8 mins read

    Households squeezed by the costs of caring for elderly family members could get some relief under a policy proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Harris on Tuesday called for Medicare to cover in-home health care services. The proposal could potentially offer financial help to the elderly and those in the “sandwich generation” who must care for their own children and their aging parents. Harris made the proposal during an appearance on ABC’s The View talk show.

    Medicare, the government’s health care program for the elderly, currently only offers limited coverage for in-home care services. The escalating cost of care, whether at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or by in-home aides, has strained finances for growing numbers of people as the Baby Boom generation ages into retirement.

    In 2021, long-term care cost the U.S. $467.4 billion, with individuals paying 13.6% out of pocket. The rest was paid for by various federal programs and private insurance, according to the Congressional Research Service. 

    “There are so many people in our country who are right in the middle,” Harris said. “They’re taking care of their kids, and they’re taking care of their age and parents, and it’s just almost impossible to do it all, especially if they work. We’re finding that so many are then having to leave their job, which means losing a source of income, not to mention the emotional stress.”Harris offered few details of how the program would work but did say it would be paid for by the money the government saves from having Medicare negotiate prices for more drugs with pharmaceutical companies.

    The government negotiated drug prices for 10 drugs for the first time this year under a law signed by President Joe Biden. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates it would have saved $6 billion on drugs if the new prices were in effect this year instead of in 2026, when they’ll take effect. 

    The program was the latest in a series of policy proposals from Harris that are aimed at tackling some of the most burdensome costs faced by lower- and middle-income households including child care, housing, and groceries. 

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