Overview of Important Overnight Developments on March 14

On Thursday, oil stocks generally rose, with BP (BP.US) up more than 3%.

October 8 - Better Home & Finance (BETR.O), a mortgage and home equity financing company, saw its stock price rise 3.8% to $10.30 in pre-market trading after announcing a share repurchase plan. BETR stated that its board of directors has approved a stock buyback program of up to $30 million, with an initial phase of $10 million to kick off the repurchase. The company plans to adjust the pace of the repurchase based on realized operational cost savings and asset disposal progress, such as the proposed sale of its UK bank subsidiary. The buyback program is set to expire on October 8, 2027. In August, BETR forecasted that its Q3 revenue would be below Wall Street expectations as it focuses on partnership opportunities and accelerating the development of its home equity credit business. As of the previous trading day's close, the company's market capitalization was approximately $175 million. As of Wednesday, the stock has dropped about 70% year-to-date. According to LSEG data, seven out of eight analysts rate the stock as "strong buy" or "buy," with one rating it as "hold"; the median target price is $25. (For the convenience of non-English speakers, Reuters provides translated automated reports in several other languages. As automated translations may contain errors or lack required context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of these texts and provides them simply for convenience. Reuters accepts no liability for any damage or loss arising from the use of automated translation.)

Federal Reserve Governor Waller stated that if the data meets expectations, there will be further interest rate hikes. The core PCE year-on-year rate at 3% is still too high, and the recent monetary policy focus remains on fighting inflation.