Top 10 Native Advertising Platforms for 2023

What happens to your stock price when you place your brand in front of 5 billion pairs of eyes? There’s no better time to find out than during a World Cup! Today, we’re looking at how the biggest tournament in the world can impact its sponsor’s stocks. Is it really worth it? After that, we’ll outline the top fundamental events to watch out for this week. An ad frenzy It’s projected that over 5 billion people will be tuning in to watch the World Cup in Qatar. You might even have one eye on one of the games right now (stick with us, the next 5 minutes of reading will be better than the football!). That kind of audience sends the world’s biggest brands into a frenzy as they jostle for position, competing for the best ad space. Marketing rights comprised 26% of the entire revenue of the last World Cup in Russia. Source: SP Global An official sponsorship with FIFA can cost upwards of £100 million. So, which companies stand to score in 2022? Which companies could benefit in Qatar? Many of the official FIFA sponsors are not publicly traded, but there are 2 companies whose stocks may do well out of their sponsorship in Qatar. Some of the biggest benefactors of World Cups are the kit makers themselves. Their logos are emblazoned on the teams training and match wear and close-ups are shown continually. The two biggest kit makers are Adidas and Nike. #1 Adidas (ADS) At this World Cup, Adidas are the kit creator for Wales, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Japan, and Belgium — and this is perhaps more relevant than you know. In 2018, Adidas shares dropped 6% when the heavily favoured Germany (which was then also sponsored by Adidas) got knocked out early. The stock might be a good opportunity to buy right now, especially if Spain, Argentina or Germany have anything to say about it. Adidas said it expects sales of about €400 million related to the World Cup. Which would equal about 2% of annual revenue. Source: Google #2 Nike (NKE) Continuing that stat mentioned above, France (a Nike team) went on to win the 2018 World Cup. The company’s stock gained 4% immediately thereafter.. Nike is hedging their bets in 2022 it seems, currently sponsoring 13 nations in Qatar, including the Netherlands, England, USA, Saudi Arabia, Poland, France, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Brazil, Portugal, South Korea, and the host nation itself. So far during the tournament, shares of Nike have risen under 1%, while Adidas is down 3.8%. Source: Google Nike will be hoping that odds-on favourite Brazil or England will lift the trophy and see that stock take an even bigger bump. So, it does seem that there can be sizeable return on investment, if you manage to get into the elite club, of course. Just don’t mention any of this to Budweiser, okay? Could Qatar Controversy Damage Sponsors? Qatar remains a controversial choice for World Cup host. Many football fans pledged not to watch the World Cup in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and in support of womens rights and the migrants who lost their lives building the stadiums. According to a recent poll, six out of 10 people in the UK oppose Qatar hosting the World Cup over anti-gay laws, with 39% believing teams should not take part in the event. A boycott of sponsors can threaten a company’s reputation, especially by generating negative media coverage and ultimately impacting sales and stocks. Are you trading World Cup stocks? Are you trading any of the World Cup Stocks? Would you boycott any of the sponsors? Tweet us @_Contentworks and tell us what you think. Top trading events week commencing 28.11.22 It’s going to be a pretty quiet week, but here are the hottest events for your trading calendar. Monday No major events are planned. Tuesday ● Inflation Rate YoY Prel (NOV) ● CAD — GDP Growth Rate Annualised (Q3); GDP Growth Rate QoQ (Q3) ● USD — CB Consumer Confidence (NOV) Wednesday ● CNY — NBS Manufacturing PMI (NOV) ● EUR — German Unemployment Change (NOV); German Unemployment Rate (NOV); Core Inflation Rate YoY Flash (NOV); ● USD — GDP Growth Rate QoQ 2nd Est (Q3); Fed Chair Powell Speech Thursday ● JPY — BoJ Kuroda Speech ● USD — Core PCE Price Index YoY (OCT); PCE Price Index YoY (OCT); ISM Manufacturing PMI (NOV) Friday ● CAD — Employment Change (NOV); Unemployment Rate (NOV) ● USD — Non Farm Payrolls (NOV); Unemployment Rate (NOV) Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. The Contentworks team

Having just passed the crucial mid-term elections, we’re now officially halfway through Joe Biden’s presidency. In a little under 2 years, he will be challenged for the Oval Office. But who are the challengers and what are their politics? Today, we’re taking a quick look before checking the hottest trading events of the week. Let’s do this! Who could run for President in 2024? There’s still a long way to go. 2 years to be precise, and we all know that is a long time in politics. The two main parties still need to host primaries to pick their candidates for president and vice president. While it’s early days, our picture of who may run is getting a little clearer day by day. Here’s a quick rundown of the top contenders that we know of and a brief look at their political positions. Joe Biden (Democrat) Source: WikipediaPresident Biden has previously stated that he does intend to run for re-election in 2024 and would likely make a final decision early next year. His stance is likely buoyed by last week’s mid-term result, which saw the democrats hold on to the Senate and only narrowly miss out on retaining the House of Representatives. Biden is a mainstream Democrat if ever we saw one. His policies emphasise the needs of middle-class and working-class Americans. As president, he’s been keen to tackle budgetary issues, infrastructure spending, sustainability concerns, student loan reform, and trade. He’s also been proactive in terms of US relations overseas, particularly in offering military ad financial aid to Ukraine. The latter has not necessarily pleased US voters. However, a number of commentators have expressed concerns over the incumbent president’s age. He’s the oldest president the country has ever had, celebrating his 80th birthday just yesterday. This may play some part in his decision to run in 2 years’ time. Kamala Harris (Democrat) Source: WikipediaVice President Harris may stand, should Biden decide not to. With her politics naturally aligned with Biden’s, Harris is extremely popular with the party’s base and way ahead of any other Democrat bar Joe Biden. In fact, a July poll by Premise highlighted that democrats were more interested in the candidacy of Kamala Harris and Hilary Clinton than Joe Biden. 61% of those polled said they would prefer a new president and only 38% said they’d welcome another four years of Biden. Hilary Clinton (Democrat) Source: WikipediaSpeaking of Hilary Clinton. That Premise poll gave her 19% of the vote and there’s clearly some strong support for the former first lady and Secretary of State. Clinton previously ran for the presidency in 2008, losing the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama; and again in 2016, losing the final vote to Donald Trump. In 2015, she described her political stance as “progressive”, though a New York Times analysis found that Clinton and Bernie Sanders voted the same way 93% of the time in the two years they shared in the Senate (2007–2009). So Hilary is perhaps a little more centre-left than she realises. In the 2016 Presidential election, Clinton beat Trump in the popular vote by over 2%, though lost out on Electoral College votes. She’s widely expected to be a popular candidate for the Democrats and a key rival to Harris, should Biden not stand in 2024. Donald Trump (Republican) Source: WikipediaThis one needs little introduction. Billionaire business mogul Trump won the 2016 US Presidential election, beating Clinton by 77 electoral college votes. His 4-years in the Oval Office were among the most controversial in US history. Starting with his plan to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico (which was only half complete by the time Biden took office and shut it down) — and eventually ending with a refusal to accept the result of the 2020 Presidential election, resulting in armed protesters storming the US Capitol. Trump last week announced that he would be standing in 2024, stating “America’s golden age is just ahead.” Despite this announcement and his significant support among the Republican base, Trump is not a popular figure to many Americans outside the party and his potential candidacy could damage the Republican party at large. Trump has also had a mixed record with the candidates he endorsed in the midterm elections, some of whom may directly blame him. Fun fact: Elon Musk has just reinstated Trump’s Twitter account! Do Americans have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of Donald Trump? Source: FiveThirtyEightRon DeSantis (Republican) Source: WikipediaVery popular among the party faithful. Ron DeSantis is seen as Trump’s number-one rival within the party. The Florida governor cruised to a landslide victory in the midterms in his bid for a second term in office. His opposition to COVID-19 restrictions (he signed a law prohibiting the wearing of masks and social distancing) and regular clashes with liberals over LGBTQ rights, immigration, and race-based discussions underline his pure Conservative Republicanism. Controversy (Trump) vs. controversy (DeSantis) might be interesting, especially as the two men are not at all fond of each other. Pass us the popcorn, please. What do you think? Who do you think will run in 2024? And who has the best chance of winning? Tweet us at @_contentworks. What’s up in the markets this week? An eerily quiet week lies ahead. Here’s what’s on the agenda. Monday No major events are scheduled. Tuesday No major events are scheduled. Wednesday ● NZD — RBNZ Press Conference ● USD — Durable Goods Orders MoM (OCT); Michigan Consumer Sentiment Final (NOV); FOMC Minutes Thursday ● EUR — ECB Monetary Policy Meeting Accounts Thanksgiving — The NYSE, Nasdaq and U.S. bond markets will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 24. It’s one of the final market holidays for 2022 as the year starts to wrap up. Friday No major events are scheduled. Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. Speak soon! The Contentworks team

Contentworks Pick — Top 3 Thanksgiving Stocks The Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching on 24 November. Today, we’ll predict some of the stocks that might be affected as two of the world’s largest economies gear up for a terrific turkey treat! After that, we’ll outline this week’s hottest trading events for your calendar. Tis the season to shop! If you’re not American or Canadian, you’d be forgiven for not fully understanding the significance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Many citizens see this as the primary celebration of the year, eclipsing even Christmas. Economically, Thanksgiving is an important date in its own right — mainly for the food industry, or anyone that sells turkeys. But Thanksgiving precedes what has become one of the biggest retail days of the year — Black Friday. That event itself precedes Cyber Monday. And so the shopping season begins! These two events are largely seen as an indicator of the coming season. If spending is high on these days, it will likely continue throughout the run-up to Christmas and New Year. Never has that been more relevant now, as we enter a global economic slowdown. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF),last year an estimated 186.4m people shopped in stores or online during the period from Thanksgiving through to Cyber Monday. Top stocks to keep a thankful eye on Here are our picks and why we chose them. It’s all about the inventories! Remember, Thanksgiving is a U.S. Stock Market Holiday, during which the U.S. Stock Market, including the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), is closed. The following day, the stock market hours are also affected, with an early closing at 1 pm on Black Friday. #1 Nike (NKE) Nike’s inventories recently hit 9.66 bn. That’s around 1–2bn more than the company has ever had, as you can see on this chart. Source: Macrotrends Nike needs to offload this inventory and recent investor calls have suggested that the company may be planning to shift a decent chunk of it through massive discounts over the holiday period. Likely boosting sales and profits in the process. Add that to the current relatively low price of Nike stock (-36% YTD) and investors suddenly have a pretty nice situation on their hands. Source: Google #2 Nvidia (NVDA) Same story, different industry! Leading computer hardware maker, Nvidia has amassed a huge inventory of GPUs of late and likely needs to shift it, fast. It currently has 3.89bn in stock, marking its highest ever stock level Source: Macrotrends Just like Nike, this huge stock level and likely holiday discounts to shift it, twins with a stock price that should look very inviting for traders. Source: Google #3 Target (TGT) The US retail giant that sells everything from hammers to homeware is gearing up for the busiest time of the year by — you guessed it — stockpiling a huge amount of inventory. Over 15bn of it to be precise. Source: Macrotrends As you can see from the chart above, this year has bucked the trend in terms of inventory growth and Target are going to need to move a lot of it on. The best way to do that? You get where we’re going — DISCOUNTS! Expect some big ones and some big profits! Source: Google Twinning is winning and, again, in the case of Target, a desperate need to clear a high inventory is combined with a low stock price (-25% YTD), which should look very inviting for investors! Now, let’s hear from you! What will you be trading this upcoming Thanksgiving weekend? Do you have any other top stock picks? Tweet us at @_contentworks. Top fundamental events week commencing 14.11.22 Here are all of the main events coming up in what looks like a pretty busy week for the markets. Monday No major events are planned. Tuesday ● JPY — GDP Growth Annualised Prel (Q3) ● GBP — Employment Change (AUG); Unemployment Rate (SEP) ● EUR — GDP Growth Rate QoQ 2nd Est (Q3); GDP Growth Rate YoY 2nd Est (Q3) ● USD — PPI MoM (OCT) Wednesday ● GBP — Core Inflation Rate YoY (OCT); Inflation Rate YoY (OCT) ● CAD — Core Inflation Rate MoM (OCT); Core Inflation Rate YoY (OCT) ● USD — Retail Sales MoM (OCT) Thursday ● AUD — Employment Change (OCT); Unemployment Rate (OCT) ● EUR — Core Inflation Rate YoY Final (OCT) ● GBP — UK Autumn Statement Friday ● JPY — Inflation Rate YoY (OCT) Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. Speak soon! The Contentworks team

Elon Musk — The Man Who Moves Markets We can’t remember the last time Elon Musk wasn’t making headlines. His recent purchase of Twitter has seen him go from serial tweeter to Tweeter-in-Chief, Chief Twit and now Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator. Elon’s Twitter purchase has potentially enhanced his ability to move markets in ways that others simply cannot. Today, we’ll cover his recent purchase, cover a few of his previous market-moving exploits, and look at what could be next. We’ll also update you on the key fundamental events of what looks like a relatively quiet week of trading. A Pretty Tweet Deal After months of back and forth, the South African multi-billionaire finally has his hands on the prize, purchasing Twitter for $44bn last week. On doing so, he immediately took up the post of CEO. Following that, mass redundancies dominated the headlines with #TwitterLayoffs trending. Yoel Roth, head of Twitter’s trust and safety team, confirmed that the overall headcount was cut by roughly 50%. Ouch. Bye Bye NYSE The deal also ended Twitter’s 9-year run on the New York Stock Exchange, as of 28 October 2022, the company is no longer publicly traded. This now clears the way for Musk and his new management team to make whatever changes they like, without being concerned about shareholder opinions. The reported changes that are coming include potentially charging users $20 per month to keep the blue ticks that indicate verified accounts. Musk also hinted that they would now purge accounts that had been inactive for more than a year. 3 Times Elon Musk Has Moved Markets Let’s be honest, this guy has influenced the market way more than a handful of times(!), here are just five. #1 That’s Gotta Hertz! In 2021, Musk hinted that Hertz Global Holdings’ deal to buy 100,000 Teslas for its rental car fleet wasn’t quite over the line, downplaying the $4.2bn agreement. Tesla’s stock price then dropped by 3% the following day. Source: Twitter #2 Yo-yo-ing with Bitcoin Musk’s relationship with bitcoin has been a complicated one. Fortunately (or not) for all of us, it’s also been very public. The bitcoin price chart below says it all really… Source: Recode by Vox Elon also impacted Dogecoin and Gamestop during the Gamestop/ Wall Street Bets saga. This is not exclusively through his own actions but through his army of crypto fans whose sheer volume are able to impact market movements. Dogecoin fell 4.7% to $0.1179 this morning, amid high volatility after Elon Musk shared a picture of a Shiba Inu dog wearing Twitter’s branded t-shirt. #3 Agreeing to buy Twitter, sending Tesla spiraling This one seems quite funny now. But when Elon first stated that he felt that Twitter wasn’t achieving its potential he slapped in his bid to buy it earlier this year. To finance the deal, he sold around $8.4 billion worth of his shares in Tesla. As a result, Tesla’s share price initially plummeted by 12 per cent. TSLA, January-May,2022 Source: Google The stock price didn’t exactly improve from that point onwards. It’s not entirely to do with the Twitter deal, of course, but TSLA stock is currently down by a crazy 48% YTD. It’s going to be interesting to see how Musk’s increasingly split focus impacts the value of Tesla stock going forward. TSLA, YTD Source: Google What do you think? Do you remember any other times Elon made waves in the markets? What’s your most/least favourite? Let us know what you think and why by tweeting us at @_contentworks. Top fundamental events week commencing 07.11.22 The markets look pretty quiet this week. Here are all the events to look out for. Monday No major events are planned. Tuesday ● AUD — Westpac Consumer Confidence Index (NOV) Wednesday ● CNY — Inflation Rate YoY (OCT) Thursday ● CNY — New Yuan Loans (OCT) ● USD — Core Inflation Rate YoY (OCT); Inflation Rate YoY (OCT) Friday ● EUR — Inflation Rate YoY Final (OCT) ● GBP — GDP 3-Month Avg (SEP); GDP Growth Rate YoY Prel (Q3); GDP YoY (SEP) ● USD — Michigan Consumer Sentiment Prel (NOV) Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. Speak soon! The Contentworks team

“It’s been 84 years” they wailed in an elderly Titanic lady voice. Actually it hasn’t but it does feel that way. The last two weeks have been eventful, to say the least! Liz Truss only managed to cling onto the keys of Number 10 for a meagre 45 days before being forced to resign as UK PM in the wake of the political and economic crisis that she oversaw. Who’s up next? Former Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. What have the markets made of him so far and what could be coming next. Today, we’ll check these things out before outlining the top fundamental events to watch out for this week. Markets react well to Sunak Nobody appreciated seeing the back of Liz Truss as much as traders and investors. Uncertainty is very bad for the markets and, over her short reign as PM, Truss proved to have the shakiest hand imaginable. It was no surprise, then, that the markets welcomed former Chancellor Rishi Sunak to Number 10 with open arms. The value of the pound rallied back to its highest level since before Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget, and on the day of Sunak’s announcement, the pound was the best-performing major currency. Though GBP still sits 14% down in 2022, indicating how big a climb Sunak has ahead of him. GBP/USD, 6 months Source: Google The FTSE 100 had an uptick, too jumping 1.87% on the news. And perhaps more importantly for the UK economy, Rishi’s new government saw its borrowing costs improve as yields on long-term government bonds eased back due to the improving market confidence. Sunak And The Digital Currency Sunak will attempt to fulfil the promises he laid out as chancellor back in April this year. These include introducing a “financial market infrastructure sandbox,” establishing a “Cryptoasset Engagement Group,” and enabling stablecoins — digital tokens equalling one unit of fiat currency — to be used “as a recognised form of payment.” The end goal of all this would be to uphold Britain’s status as the global leader in financial innovation. “Britcoin,” the unofficial moniker for the UK’s proposed central bank digital currency could be linked to a digital i.d system. With Sunak’s links to digital id and tracking in China, this has worried many. Stay tuned for more on this. So, what’s next? A lot will be riding on Jeremy Hunt’s market-steadying debt-cutting plan which is scheduled to be announced later today. Hunt, hurriedly appointed by Truss, has kept his position as Chancellor and has already reversed many of the measures his predecessor put in place — in line with Sunak’s own agenda when he was chancellor under Boris Johnson. What happens with the basic rate of income tax and the impact of that on the economy and the cost of living crisis is really important. In his March budget, Sunak stated he’d reduce it to 19% by the 6 April 2024. In August, he went on to declare a further reduction of 1% in 2024 and promised it would drop to 16% by the end of the next parliament, likely around 2029 (if he’s lucky enough to hold on that long!). One other issue to keep an eye on is the new regime’s support for citizens and businesses who are struggling to pay energy bills. During the previous leadership race, Sunak said he would temporarily scrap the 5% VAT on domestic energy bills. All eyes on you and your plan, Jeremy Hunt! Over to you! How do you think Sunak will fare as PM? Let us know by tweeting us at @_Contentworks. Top trading events this week It’s going to be a pretty quiet week, but here are the hottest events for your trading calendar. Monday ● CNY — NBS Manufacturing PMI (OCT) ● EUR — GDP Growth Rate QoQ Flash (Q3) Tuesday ● AUD — RBA Interest Rate Decision ● USD — ISM Manufacturing PMI (OCT) ● NZD — RBNZ Financial Stability Report Wednesday ● NZD — Employment Change QoQ (Q3); Unemployment Rate (Q3) ● USD — Fed Interest Rate Decision Thursday ● GBP — BoE Interest Rate Decision ● CAD — Balance of Trade (SEP) ● USD — ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI (OCT) Friday ● NZD — RBA Statement on Monetary Policy ● CAD — Employment Change (OCT); Unemployment Rate (OCT) ● USD — Non-Farm Payrolls (OCT); Unemployment Rate (OCT) Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. The Contentworks team

‘’Now is the winter of our discontent’’ is the famous opening line of Richard III, a play by William Shakespeare. But is this Energy's winter of discontent? Today, we’ll assess the outlook and give you the lowdown on market events this week. Crisis looming? Some would say we’re already there. Worries over gas and oil supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February have been a core theme of 2022’s story so far and that doesn’t look like changing in the final throes of the year. Energy bills have been rising for households across Europe following the tight restrictions placed on trading with Russia — the main supplier of gas to the sub-continent. That has had a major impact on the cost of living, as electricity bills fly up across Europe. Here’s just a snapshot — and those lines have only gone in one direction since August. Source: Statista Oil Oil prices remained relatively stable last week despite fairly bearish headlines bouncing around, for example, the US’ decision to release 15 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This comes against the backdrop of underperforming domestic production in the US and the decision by OPEC+ members to cut production by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) — equivalent to 2% of global production. The extra 15 million US barrels add to the 180 million barrels the country has already released from its stockpile this year. The SPR is now at its lowest level since 1984. With the mid-term elections coming, there won’t be much of an opportunity to release more, even if the country needs it. Not great. Elsewhere, things aren’t looking too hot either. Barclays just cut its Brent oil price forecasts for this and next year, citing risks to demand from COVID-19 making a bounce back in China and the general global slowdown. Source: FT The bank slashed its 2022 price forecast by $3 per barrel to $100 per barrel, and its 2023 outlook, by $5 to $98. This all points to a growing crisis, translating to market prices and traders should be wary. Gas It looks like traders are already planning for a global slowdown, as contrary to oil , natural gas prices begin to slide. Another thing affecting this price is the weather. Despite the situation in Europe, demand for heating has so far been lower this year than in previous years, as we’ve enjoyed a warmer autumn. As a result, EU gas storage is still 92% full. Source: FT However, as the weather begins to turn colder, so too will the above chart. Those stocks will start to dwindle and the lack of supply from Russia combined with increased demand will potentially mean that prices could skyrocket. Gas looks like it’s going to be highly volatile in the coming months as the battle royale between supply and demand really starts to kick off. Traders need to watch those gas supplies and monitor any news related to the impending recession. Those things will play a big part in gas prices this winter. Thoughts? How are you feeling about the current state of oil and gas prices? Do you see it as a key opportunity? Let us know at @_contentworks; and please start following us while you’re there! Top trading events week commencing 24.10.22 There’s a fair bit going on this week, here’s when and where you need to tune in. Monday ● CNY — GDP Growth Rate YoY (Q3) Tuesday ● USD — CB Consumer Confidence (OCT) Wednesday ● AUD — Inflation Rate YoY (Q3) ● CAD — BoC Interest Rate Decision Thursday ● EUR — ECB Interest Rate Decision, ECB Press Conference ● USD — Durable Goods Orders MoM (SEP); GDP Growth Rate QoQ Adv (Q3) Friday ● JPY — BoJ Interest Rate Decision; BoJ Quarterly Outlook Report ● USD — Core PCE Price Index YoY (SEP); PCE Price Index YoY (SEP); Michigan Consumer Sentiment Final (OCT) Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. Speak soon, The Contentworks team

Halloween is nearly upon us and that means that we’re officially turning on spook mode. This week we’re going to check out some stock picks before explaining the phenomenon known as the Halloween Effect. Then we’ll do our usual go-over of the top fundamental events to watch out for this week. Read on… if you dare… What to trade at Halloween Not planning on Trick or Treating for candy this year? BOOO! Perhaps you would like to trade it instead? Here are 3 sweet stocks that might be worth sinking your teeth into. Hershey Co. (HSY) Price on 01.01: 193.21 USD Price on 14.10: 222.71 USD % change YTD: +15.27% Yeah, it had to be chocolate, didn’t it? Suffice to say, Halloween is an essential day for one of the world’s largest confectionery (particularly chocolate) makers — and their shareholders. It’s not all about Halloween, though. Hershey stock is having a great 2022 and its price is up 15.27% YTD. The company historically does very well during times of low consumer confidence — with a recession looming that’s really important. People seemingly like to grab a little sweet treat now and then to help them keep going through tough times. Source: Google The company has also returned quarterly dividend payments to its shareholders for the last 32 years consecutively. Q2 results were also solid, showing consolidated net sales of $2,372.6 million, an increase of 19.3%. Mondelez International (MDLZ) Price on 01.01: 85.97 USD Price on 14.10: 56.94 USD % change YTD: -13.69% If Hershey is big in the US, Mondelez is a global giant. The company is the global market leader in biscuits and chocs. Mondelez has nine international brands including heavyweights Oreo, Belvita, Toblerone, Milka, and Cadbury. About 36% of total revenue comes from Oreo, Cadbury, and Milka. Source: Google Mondelez is going through a spot of maturity, too. The company is slashing costs and increasing margins by removing inefficiencies. Those are not just connected to supply chains, but also sustainability. The company has lowered CO2 emissions by 15%, cut, food waste by 20%, and reduced packaging by 65,000 tonnes. These decreases translate to higher margins. Which is pretty sweet. Many analysts believe MDLZ stock is undervalued at present and with such brand dominance in multiple markets and the current cost reduction/profit maximisation strategies, it’s no wonder investors are pump-kin-ing the accelerator for Mondelez stock. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Price on 01.01: 144.65 USD Price on 14.10: 130.43 USD % change YTD: -9.83% There are consumer staples, then there’s Walmart. The world’s largest retailer’s produce is always high in demand. Essential items at affordable prices are a guaranteed winner, especially during Halloween — and, might we add, during a recession. Source: Google Walmart looks like a relatively safe option for investors seeking lower-risk options in a volatile market. It’s a staple shopping destination for millions of consumers who buy all kinds of stuff — from Hershey to Mondelez, to skeleton costumes, Christmas presents and millions of other things besides. Walmart’s financial strength makes it one of the few companies that can continue investing in growth through any downturn — which makes it very tempting. The Halloween Effect Stay with us, this is actually a thing. The Halloween Effect is a phenomenon where stocks perform better between the 31st of October and the 1st of May than they do between the beginning of May and the end of October. Spooky stuff. In reality, this probably has nothing to do with Halloween. The timings are thought to come from Great Britain, where the privileged class would leave London and head to their country homes for the summer, thus leaving the market and only returning to it in the autumn. But does it actually work? It’s a bit freaky, but yeah — it does! A number of studies have shown that the strategy of selling in May is successful more than 80% of the time when employed over a five-year period. It’s more than 90% successful within a 10-year time frame. The chart below shows the average returns within a six-month period between November to April, compared with that of the following 6 months between 1995 and 2017. Source: YourMoney.com As you can see, this is a truly global phenomenon. Fangtastic stuff indeed! Has this got you spooked? Do you believe in the Halloween Effect? Have you tried the strategy? Let us know by tweeting us @_Contentworks. Top trading events this week There’s a good smattering of events to whet your appetite this week — here are some of the most important ones. Monday ● No major events are planned. Tuesday ● NZD — Inflation Rate YoY (Q3) ● CNY — ​​GDP Growth Rate YoY (Q3) Wednesday ● GBP — Core Inflation Rate YoY (SEP); Inflation Rate YoY (SEP) ● EUR — Core Inflation Rate YoY Final (SEP) ● CAD — Core Inflation Rate MoM (SEP); Core Inflation Rate YoY (SEP); Inflation Rate YoY (SEP) Thursday ● AUD — Employment Change (SEP); Unemployment Rate (SEP) Friday ● JPY — Inflation Rate YoY (SEP) Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. Speak soon, The Contentworks team

Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo once said, “There’s no point making predictions…” Well, we’re ignoring that, and predicting what may happen in Q4. After that, we’ll give you the lowdown on market events this week. Let’s go! Prediction time We’ve dusted off our financial crystal ball and we’re casting our minds into the near future. Here’s a few things we think may happen in Q4. The long-awaited recession This one has been coming for a while, hasn’t it? Unfortunately, we’re way overdue and many analysts believe that the next recession will finally hit land in Q4 — starting in the US. Read 5 Stocks To Trade In A Recession The US Central Bank is still uncertain about interest rates and inflation, which has made investors (rightly) twitchy. Stocks look a little expensive right now, and valuations seem high, which isn’t aiding the situation. Q4 usually sees a rally in some form and it’s going to be interesting to see what traders decide to do with that, if it should come. Many may use it not for long-term investment, but to balance their portfolios ahead of the storm that we’re all being told to expect. We definitely recommend keeping an eye on the Fed this week as there are some important announcements to be made for the near-term. As we all know, these decisions will have repercussions for traders, investors and, well, everyone everywhere! No pressure, Mr. Powell! Government energy intervention in Europe Worries over gas and oil supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February have been a core theme of 2022’s story. Energy bills have been rising for households across Europe as a result of restrictions placed on trading with Russia. Yet, many countries are now scrambling to support their citizens in the face of rising costs — some of whom have seen their monthly bills jump by over 60% (Germany). EUGHH! Germany The government has announced a relief package worth €200bn, which includes a cap on gas prices for consumers and businesses, running until March 2024. The country has also drawn up plans to reduce energy consumption, including only heating public buildings to a maximum of 19C, with exceptions for places like hospitals. France In January, the French government forced the state-owned energy provider, EDF, to cap price rises at 4% for a year, at a cost of €8.4bn. The government plans to reduce energy consumption by 10% — with plans even including introducing a speed limit for ski lifts and producing less artificial snow. How specific is that?! UK The UK government has brought in a cap on energy unit prices, which means a typical household bill for gas and electricity will be around £2,500 per year. That’s been estimated to potentially cost the government up to £150bn over the next two years. What this all means for national economies and their currencies is still massively uncertain. We still have no idea how long this situation will last and whether things will get worse before they get better. A weakening dollar The USD recently shot up to a 20 year high, reaching equal-footing with the euro and almost reaching parity with GBP. EUR/USD, 5 years Source: Google History teaches us that the dollar usually performs well in times of global misfortune. Like in H2 2008 when the dollar jumped 22%. Or in early 2020, when it climbed 7% as the pandemic kicked-off. In this specific case, the dollar’s performance is connected to a combo of the 2 other points on our list — investor uncertainty, but not in the US — in Europe. As we said in point 1, investors are worried that what’s happening in Europe may come to the US. A strong dollar is actually not good for the global economy. It needs to remain competitive and not be so overpriced vs other currencies. So, a gradual cooling of USD prices in Q4 would be a good thing for global trade (a sharp drop due to a recession would not). What have you got? How are you feeling about Q4? Do you have any predictions? Let us know at @_contentworks; and please start following us while you’re there! Top trading events this week There’s a fair bit going on this week, here’s when and where you need to tune in. Monday No major events are scheduled. Tuesday ● AUD — Westpac Consumer Confidence Index (OCT) ● GBP — Employment Change (JUL); Unemployment Rate (AUG) Wednesday ● GBP — GDP 3-Month Avg (AUG); GDP YoY (AUG) ● USD — PPI MoM (SEP); FOMC Minutes Thursday ● EUR — German Inflation Rate YoY Final (SEP) ● CNY — New Yuan Loans (SEP) ● GBP — BoE Credit Conditions Survey ● USD — Core Inflation Rate YoY (SEP); Inflation Rate YoY (SEP) Friday ● CNY — Inflation Rate YoY (SEP) ● USD — Retail Sales MoM (SEP); Michigan Consumer Sentiment Prel (OCT) Here at Contentworks we closely follow market movements and prep content that we think your traders would love to read. Let’s get you started right here. Speak soon, The Contentworks team