(Bloomberg) — Wealthy countries have already locked up more than a billion doses of coronavirus vaccines, raising worries that the rest of the world will be at the back of the queue in the global effort to defeat the pathogen.Moves by the U.S. and U.K. to secure supplies from Sanofi and partner GlaxoSmithKline Plc, and another pact between Japan and Pfizer Inc., are the latest in a string of agreements. The European Union has also been aggressive in obtaining shots, well before anyone knows whether they will work.Although international groups and a number of nations are promising to make vaccines affordable and accessible to all, doses will likely struggle to keep up with demand in a world of roughly 7.8 billion people. The possibility wealthier countries will monopolize supply, a scenario that played out in the 2009 swine flu pandemic, has fueled concerns among poor nations and health advocates.The U.S., Britain, European Union and Japan have so far secured about 1.3 billion doses of potential Covid immunizations, according to London-based analytics firm Airfinity. Options to snap up additional supplies or pending deals would add more than 1.5 billion doses to that total, its figures show.“Even if you have an optimistic assessment of the scientific progress, there’s still not enough vaccines for the world,” according to Rasmus Bech Hansen, Airfinity’s chief executive officer. What’s also important to consider is that most of the vaccines may require two doses, he said.A few front-runners, such as the University of Oxford and partner AstraZeneca Plc and a Pfizer-BioNTech SE collaboration, are already in final-stage studies, fueling hopes that a weapon to fight Covid will be available soon. But developers must still clear a number of hurdles: proving their shots are effective, gaining approval and ramping up manufacturing. Worldwide supply may not reach 1 billion doses until the first quarter of 2022, Airfinity forecasts.Investing in production capacity all over the world is seen as one of the keys to solving the dilemma, and pharma companies are starting to outline plans to deploy shots widely. Sanofi and Glaxo intend to provide a significant portion of worldwide capacity in 2021 and 2022 to a global initiative that’s focused on accelerating development and production and distributing shots equitably.The World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance are working together to bring about equitable and broad access. They outlined an $18 billion plan in June to roll out shots and secure 2 billion doses by the end of 2021.The initiative, known as Covax, aims to give governments an opportunity to hedge the risk of backing unsuccessful candidates and give other nations with limited finances access to shots that would be otherwise unaffordable.Tangle of DealsCountries would need to strike a series of different agreements with vaccine makers to raise their chances of getting supplies, as some shots won’t succeed, a situation that could lead to bidding battles and inefficiencies, Seth Berkley, Gavi’s CEO, said in an interview.“The thing we worry about most is getting a tangle of deals,” he said. “Our hope is with a portfolio of vaccines we can get countries to come together.”Some 78 nations have expressed interest in joining Covax, he said. In addition, more than 90 low- and middle-income countries and economies will be able to access Covid vaccines through a Gavi-led program, the group said Friday. There’s still concern the rest of the world might fall behind.“That is exactly what we’re trying to avoid,” Berkley said.Biggest InvestmentAstraZeneca in June became the first manufacturer to sign up to Gavi’s program, committing 300 million doses, and Pfizer and BioNTech signaled interest in potentially supplying Covax.The Trump administration agreed to provide as much as $2.1 billion to partners Sanofi and Glaxo, the biggest U.S. investment yet for Operation Warp Speed, the nation’s vaccine development and procurement program. The funding will support clinical trials and manufacturing while allowing the U.S. to secure 100 million doses, if it’s successful. The country has an option to receive an additional 500 million doses longer term.The European Union is closing in on a deal for as many as 300 million doses of the Sanofi-Glaxo shot and is in advanced discussions with several other companies, according to a statement Friday.“The European Commission is also committed to ensuring that everyone who needs a vaccine gets it, anywhere in the world and not only at home,” it said.The U.S. has invested in a number of other projects. Pfizer and BioNTech last week reached a $1.95 billion deal to supply their vaccine to the government, should regulators clear it. Novavax Inc. earlier this month announced a $1.6 billion deal, while the U.S. earlier pledged as much as $1.2 billion to AstraZeneca to spur development and production.U.S. investment to speed up trials, scale up manufacturing and boost vaccine development is “great news for the world,” assuming vaccines are shared, Berkley said.“It helps drive the science forward,” he said. “On that I’m very positive. My concern is that we need global supply.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates joins ‘Influencers with Andy Serwer’ to discuss the U.S. federal government’s pandemic response and how it can improve.

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Yahoo Finance’s Jared Blikre breaks down the big losses for Exxon and Chevron last quarter.

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Eastman Kodak Co on Monday granted its executive chairman options for 1.75 million shares as the result of what a person familiar with the arrangement described as an “understanding” with its board that had previously neither been listed in his employment contract nor made public. One day later, the administration of President Donald Trump announced a $765 million financing deal with Eastman Kodak, and in the days that followed the stock soared, making those additional options now held by executive chairman Jim Continenza worth tens of millions. The decision to grant Continenza options was never formalized or made into a binding agreement, which is why it was not disclosed previously, according to the person familiar with the arrangement.

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The SpaceX Dragon capsule is bringing two NASA astronauts back to Earth after Elon Musk’s company made the first commercial trip to orbit. Photo: Associated Press

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Since the late 1950s, legendary investor Warren Buffett and his long-time partner Charlie Munger have transformed Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A, NYSE:BRK.B) from a struggling textile manufacturer to a holding company with a market capitalization greater than $470 billion. Today, I'll discuss three Warren Buffett stocks to hold for the next 10 years.Buffett firmly believes that stocks outperform all other asset classes over time. However, he's not one to buy shares in a company at any price. Indeed, the Oracle of Omaha is regarded as the king of value investing.Earlier in the year, Buffett released his annual shareholder letter. Although Buffett is bullish on stocks long term, he said "that rosy prediction comes with a warning: Anything can happen to stock prices tomorrow." And within days of his warning in February, markets globally did indeed crash.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsTo him, if you're not thinking of owning the stock you've just bought for at least a decade, don't even think of owning it for a day. Therefore, falling prices don't make him nervous because he has seen equity markets recover time after time. Instead, he patiently waits.One of my favorite Warren Buffett quotes is "opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble." In other words, he'd recommend retail investors to buy stocks as prices decline. * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income InvestingBuffett invests for the long haul and he has generated massive wealth over the last few decades. BRK.A stock currently has the most expensive share price of any company in history. In 1964, each Class A share was just shy of $20. Now each Class A share costs upwards of $290,000 (no, that's not a misprint). Buffett has been making, on average, 20% a year.Buffett's preferred investments are: * Large-cap stocks * Financials, including banks and insurance companies * Consumer brands * Stocks that pay dividendsBerkshire Hathaway's regular 13F filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) show his holdings. With that in mind, here are three Warren Buffett stocks to hold for the next 10 years: * Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) * American Express (NYSE:AXP) * Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Warren Buffett Stocks: Apple (AAPL)Source: View Apart / Shutterstock.com Apple shares comprise around 20% of Warren Buffett's portfolio with Berkshire Hathaway. Regular InvestorPlace.com readers will be familiar with the fact that Buffett loves consumer stocks. And he regards Apple as a compelling consumer business thanks to its popularity worldwide.In a recent interview Buffett said, "I do not focus on the sales in the next quarter or the next year. I focus on the … hundreds, hundreds, hundreds millions of people who practically live their lives by [iPhone] … It's probably the best business I know in the world."Two years ago, Apple became the first U.S.-based company to hit a $1 trillion valuation. Currently the market-cap is about $1.6 trillion. With such a market-cap, it would be safe to assume that Apple shares are unlikely to be held down by the market for too long, even in uncertain times brought on by novel coronavirus. Wall Street and Buffett regard large-cap companies as good, stable long-term investments.In fact, so far in the year, Apple shares are up around to 33%. But that metric tells only half the story. On March 23, AAPL stock hit a recent low of $212.51. Now it's hovering around $405.Apple announced on Thursday, in its fiscal third-quarter earnings report, a four-for-one stock split to occur in August.The Cupertino, California-based tech giant committed to be carbon-neutral by 2030. The commitment extends to its supply chain, too. As a result every device it sells will have net zero climate impact before the end of the decade.The company also has long-term catalysts, including the opportunities yet to be offered by the upcoming 5G iPhone. Thus, long-term investors may regard any dip in AAPL shares as a good opportunity to buy into the business. American Express (AXP)Source: Shutterstock American Express is one of the largest global payment networks.Buffett has been a shareholder since 1964. According to the second-quarter earnings release of July 28, the company's net income came at $257 million, or 29 cents per share, compared with net income of $1.8 billion, or $2.07 per share, a year ago.Analysts are debating the economic effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on global economies and the spending habits of consumers. If our economy does not show the V-shaped recovery many have been hoping for, then businesses like American Express are likely to be adversely affected further.One important point to highlight is that the company's core consumers form an affluent client base relative to the customers of competitors. Thus American Express – a trusted brand – may be less affected from a potential economic slowdown. Year-to-date, AXP stock down around 24%. * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income InvestingLong-term investors who would like to follow Warren Buffett stocks may consider buying AXP on the dips. Costco Wholesale (COST)Source: Helen89 / Shutterstock.com Costco Wholesale is the second-largest global retailer by revenue,.COST stock has rewarded its shareholders well so far in 2020. The share price is up about 11%. In comparison, the S&P 500 index is about down 1%.Costco operates in the warehouse (or wholesale) club space within the retail industry. This segment usually performs well regardless of macroeconomic conditions, thanks to the low cost and high-value products. Costco's main competitor is Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and both companies are thriving in recent years. The group runs on a "subscription business model," where customers pay an annual membership fee to have access to its bargain-priced bulk goods. In 2019, Costco collected around $3.35 billion in membership fee revenue, which is almost entirely profit. The membership service has a renewal rate of over 90% in the U.S. as the group scores high on customer satisfaction surveys. By using a membership-only system, Costco is able to book nearly all of its profits one year in advance. Thus the annual membership model contributes to its operating income and gives Costco stock immense earnings stability.Coupled with strong customer loyalty, the retail giant has pricing power, too. And as a result both the top and the bottom lines register year-over-year increases. Over the past quarters, the Street has also been applauding Costco's cost structure, one of the lowest in the retail industry.Although I believe COST stock is likely to go higher in the long run, there will be profit-taking around the corner. Therefore those investors who may want to recession-proof their portfolio could regard any dip in the stock price as a viable opportunity to buy into the shares.Tezcan Gecgil has worked in investment management for over two decades in the U.S. and U.K. In addition to formal higher education in the field, including a Ph.D. degree, she has also completed all 3 levels of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination. Her passion is for options trading based on technical analysis of fundamentally strong companies. She especially enjoys setting up weekly covered calls for income generation. As of this writing, Tezcan Gecgil did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 3 Warren Buffett Stocks to Hold for the Next 10 Years appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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Amazon saw sales surge in the second quarter as the pandemic fueled online shopping. Loop Capital Markets Analyst Anthony Chukumba joins the On the Move panel to discuss.

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Over the past few months, I've supported the comeback narrative of Carnival (NYSE:CCL) and the cruise ship industry. At some point, CCL stock will make for a tremendous discounted opportunity. At the same time, you must look at reality. That means you should wait out the storm before pulling the trigger on Carnival.Source: Ruth Peterkin / Shutterstock.com For all the talk about a recovery in this sector, it's becoming clear that it mostly hinges on a factor we can't control: the spread of the novel coronavirus.As recent events have proven, this pandemic, while it's still brewing, is incredibly unpredictable. Yes, at some point, this crisis will fade away — they all do. But for CCL stock, its dependency on that fading — or a vaccine — makes the present situation treacherous.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsIndeed, the crisis reached a magnitude that it caused President Trump to change his tone to a more somber one. It's not just voters that need to pay attention to this but investors. Cases and hospitalizations are rising, resulting in higher incidences of people ultimately succumbing to Covid-19. It's not a great time to go vacationing on the high seas and thus, not the best time to buy Carnival's stock.Like I said, patience is the key here. For the time being, here are three reasons to avoid jumping aboard CCL. CCL Stock Is Stymied by "Pointless" TravelUnlike airliners such as JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU), cruise ships don't have the luxury of multiple demand channels. For instance, with JetBlue, the company can pull demand from personal travel, travel involving necessities (i.e., weddings, graduations, etc.), and business trips (especially when that segment comes back in full force). * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income Investing In other words, JetBlue can capitalize on wants, needs and business. This is one of the reasons why I'm bullish on JBLU stock. However, with CCL stock, you're mostly limiting yourself to wants: no one needs to go on a cruise ship and I don't think sea travel is the next business revolution.Again, those wants will come back at some point. But until they do, the stock risks volatility.This also brings up the issue of a diminished vacation experience. Even assuming a generous discount on paper, why pay for a mitigated vacation? Call me crazy but I think the point about a vacation is to get away from the stress, not to be at a potential epicenter for it. Competitors Can Steal Market Share from CarnivalAnother headwind impacting Carnival stock is the rise of competitors. In this case, I'm not talking about industry rivals like Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) or Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH). Instead, I'm referring to companies from other vacation platforms, particularly recreational vehicles.Initially, the rise of RVs doesn't appear intuitive. With a pandemic swirling and people fearing an economic crisis, going for a road trip doesn't seem appealing. However, the need for vacationing and recharging the batteries has also never been stronger.Plus, think of the advantages of RVs and camping. At any point, you can socially distance yourself from others. In the outdoors, you should be much better protected than in close, cramped quarters with potentially asymptomatic people.Fortuitously, the Covid-19 crisis may help lift the RV industry toward another leg higher. With reduced traffic and fewer crowded areas, there has never been a better time to experience the outdoors. That's great news for RV-based investments, but not so much for CCL stock in the interim. What Happens If Things Go Awry?If you could tie one event to the early devastation that Carnival stock experienced, it would be the Diamond Princess disaster. Floating off the coast of Japan while passengers quarantined under extreme anxiety, what was supposed to be a vacation of a lifetime turned into a nightmare.Following this devastating incident, several other cruise ships encountered a similar fate. Overall, it took a very long time for cruise ship passengers and employees to be repatriated. Some never returned home alive.I don't mention these things to be an alarmist. Rather, you know that if you're thinking about it, so are prospective vacationers. With a pandemic still raging, it's also not an unreasonable concern.Further, it doesn't take a genius to realize that people don't want to be stuck in a port away from home, let alone in a foreign country. We already have enough headaches as it is. There's no reason to add more. Thus, would-be passengers will likely stay put and that means CCL stock isn't a great buy right now.Matthew McCall left Wall Street to actually help investors — by getting them into the world's biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. Click here to see what Matt has up his sleeve now. As of this writing, Matt did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.  More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 3 Reasons Why You Should Dock Carnival Stock for Now appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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