Credit Suisse hires former AMP chief to lead wealth management

Credit Suisse has hired the former chief executive of Australian finance group AMP to run its revamped wealth management division, as the Swiss lender tries to win market share from its domestic rival UBS.

Francesco De Ferrari, who worked for Credit Suisse between 2002 and 2018, left AMP in June after a tough two years running the Australian wealth manager.

António Horta-Osório, chair of Credit Suisse, said De Ferrari’s experience of previously working at the Swiss bank’s wealth division in Asia and Europe would stand him in good stead.

“He will undoubtedly play a crucial role in delivering on the group’s new strategy towards a much stronger, more client-centric bank, with leading global businesses and regional franchises,” said Horta-Osório.

Expanding the wealth management is a top priority for the bank, and its ambitions were the main target of a strategy day to investors last month, as the investment bank is pared back.

In doing so, the lender intends to prove a tougher competitor to rival UBS, whose wealth business has left Credit Suisse trailing in the past couple of years.

Credit Suisse’s wealth business was at the centre of a corporate espionage scandal two years ago after its head, Iqbal Khan, defected to UBS and was trailed through the streets of Zurich by investigators hired by his former employer.

Philipp Wehle, who had been chief executive of Credit Suisse’s international wealth management business since 2019, will become chief finance officer of the wealth management business.

The appointments were finalised at a board meeting held in New York last week.

De Ferrari had a bruising stint at the top of AMP, which was criticised over its handling of a sexual harassment case, while shareholders were unhappy over the group’s dealmaking record.

The rehiring of De Ferrari came alongside the departure of one of the two women on Credit Suisse’s top executive team, Lydie Hudson, who oversaw sustainability, research and investment solutions, as well as being a champion of diversity at the lender.

The bank will bring in Joanne Hannaford from the start of next year as chief technology and operations officer. Hudson had previously been in charge of compliance, but was given a new role in an executive reshuffle last year.

Credit Suisse also confirmed the executive board for its new structure, which it announced last month.

In addition to wealth management, De Ferrari will lead the bank’s European, Middle East and African operations on an interim basis. Under the changes, investment bank chief Christian Meissner will have oversight for the Americas. Andre Helfenstein, who is head of the Swiss retail bank, will also oversee its overall Swiss operations.

Ulrich Körner will continue as head of asset management, while longtime Credit Suisse executive Helman Sitohang will be in charge of the Asia-Pacific region.

Thomas Gottstein, Credit Suisse chief executive, added: “With these appointments, as well as the appointment of Christian as CEO of the Americas region, the bank’s new divisional and regional structure is now complete and I am looking forward to working with all my executive board colleagues on executing our new strategy from January 1, 2022.”

Top Wall Street analysts say buy Rivian and Marvell

RJ Scaringe and team on opening day at Rivian’s manufacturing campus in Normal, IL.

Source: Rivian

The market volatility in recent weeks is enough to make even the most experienced investors worried, particularly as they contend with the omicron Covid variant and the prospect of tighter monetary policy from the Federal Reserve.

Wall Street’s top analysts are looking past the short-term tumult. These five stocks are potential long-term winners, according to TipRanks, which tracks the best-performing stock pickers.  

Marvell  

While the semiconductor sector has been benefitting greatly from the shift toward data centers and a digital economy, Marvell Technology (MRVL) is poised to capitalize. The semiconductor developer recently smashed its quarterly earnings, and analysts have taken a more bullish stance on its multi-year outlook. (See Marvell Risk Factors on TipRanks) 

Hans Mosesmann of Rosenblatt Securities published an upbeat report on the stock, noting that the firm saw sales growth over 30{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, as well as a beat and raise on its guidance. Further, Marvell has mitigated supply chain impacts thus far.  

Mosesmann rated the stock a Buy, and raised his price target to $120 from $100.  

The analyst noted Marvell is experiencing robust demand in “all key infrastructure markets (DC, Carrier, Enterprise/Networking, and Auto/Industrial), with all of them inflecting on new transitions with 5nm-based application-specific integrated circuit/merchant silicon solutions in 2H22.” These chips are precisely what the company focuses on, and their applications are anticipated to “grow sequentially” moving forward, Mosesmann said.  

Calling the stock a “favorite secular idea,” the analyst stated that over the next few years “the company sees a step up and incremental revenue from cloud optimized silicon design wins, the ramp of 5G and increased dollar content, the increase in revenue of Automotive Ethernet conductivity, and the ramp of PAM4 [pulse amplitude modulation with four levels] and ZR products to support strong revenue growth.” 

Financial aggregator TipRanks currently places Mosesmann as No. 6 out of more than 7,000 professional analysts. He has been successful on his stock picks 81{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the time and has returned an average of 79{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} on each rating.  

Rivian   

The last few years have been revolutionary for the auto industry, as electric vehicle (EV) producers capture the attention of consumers and investors. After going public last month to much fanfare, Rivian Automotive’s stock (RIVN) appears to have calmed down in volatility, and analysts are largely bullish. (See Rivian Stock Analysis on TipRanks) 

Among those analysts is Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities, who considers Rivian to be an “EV stalwart in the making,” due to its trajectory in capturing a largely unpenetrated market. While other EV makers have mainly focused on sportscars and sedans, Rivian is one of the first to offer luxury SUV and Pickup models.  

Ives rated the stock a Buy and initiated coverage with a price target of $130 per share.  

Relatively little competition stands in the way of RIVN, with only General Motors (GM), Ford (F), and Tesla (TSLA) having produced or announced plans for similar vehicles. When compared with smaller companies, Ives contends that Rivian is “leading the pack.”  

The analyst noted that RIVN is properly vertically integrated, and has tens of thousands of pre-orders ready to provide consistent demand moving forward. Additionally, the company is backed by Amazon and its 100,000-vehicle fleet order, which has given investors confidence.  

Ives believes that “Rivian is set to create a new category in the EV space with its game-changing debuts, a massive Normal, Illinois factory footprint, and create a major brand within the EV market over the next decade.” 

Out of over 7,000 financial analysts giving advice, Ives is considered by TipRanks to be No. 79. His stock ratings have returned correct 69{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the time and have resulted in an average return of 46.3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} each.  

Alphabet  

Technology behemoth Alphabet (GOOGL) is one of the world’s most valuable companies, and it has been investing in AI across multiple sectors, ultimately boosting its third-quarter revenue. Further, the persisting macro societal at-home trends have played into the conglomerate’s hands, with little signs of slowing.  

Ivan Feinseth of Tigress Financial Partners said that the strong emphasis on artificial intelligence have benefited Alphabet’s new Pixel 6 smartphone and its general search engine features. He also noted that Apple’s (AAPL) iOS 14.5 privacy changes had minimal impacts on GOOGL’s advertising segment, due in part by the prevalence of the Android operating system. (See Alphabet Website Traffic on TipRanks) 

Feinseth rated the stock a Buy and raised his price target to $3,540 from $3,185.  

Regarding Alphabet’s exploratory innovations, the analyst added that the firm has invested in a “cutting-edge neural network-based natural language search process MUM (Multitask Unified Model), which is a thousand times more powerful than BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers).” 

Even with its heavy investments, GOOGL has maintained enough of a strong balance sheet to satisfy its shareholders in the near term. The company expanded its $50 billion share repurchasing program to include both classes of stock and has thus far executed on $36.8 billion this year.  

Feinseth is ranked at No. 55 out of more than 7,000 analysts on TipRanks, and has seen success 70{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the time. His ratings have averaged returns of 35.7{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}.  

SentinelOne  

With more digitization and cloud-based solutions for large enterprises and personal operations, the threat of cyberattacks has also risen. For investors seeking a way to play the cybersecurity space, Alex Henderson of Needham & Co. named SentinelOne (S) “the fastest growing company in our coverage list.”

The security technology firm recently posted impressive quarterly earnings, beating and raising guidance above Wall Street consensus estimates. SentinelOne has been expanding its distribution reach due in part to partnerships with managed security service providers. The company has also made further inroads into more substantial commercial firms. (See SentinelOne News Sentiment on TipRanks) 

Henderson rated the stock a Buy and declared a price target of $82.  

The analyst noted that “the multi-tenant, micro-services based, API-driven platform is particularly well suited to integrate into the operating environment of MSSPs, allowing SentinelOne to service this massive end-market opportunity in a cost-effective manner.” 

This past quarter saw new customers rapidly adopt SentinelOne’s complete product suite, as well as a higher rate of customers renewing their subscriptions.  

However, because the six-month lock-up period for its shares recently ended, the stock may still be affected by increased volatility in the near term. Despite this, Henderson anticipates SentinelOne will continue to benefit from the high popularity of its Cloud Workload service and other new product offerings, ultimately driving long-term upside.  

Out of over 7,000 financial analysts on TipRanks, Henderson is rated as No. 50. His success rate stands at 72{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, and his stock ratings have returned him an average of 44.1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}.  

Waste Connections  

When a pandemic hits, it affects just about every industry, even waste removal services. However, Waste Connections (WCN) has since pulled its business back to pre-pandemic levels, due in part by a wave of mergers and acquisitions aiding in inorganic growth, a loyal customer base, and strong wage incentives protecting it from an ongoing labor shortage. (See Waste Connections Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks) 

Hamzah Mazari of Jefferies Group elaborated on these positives in his recent report, stating that “WCN was stayed ahead of the curve when it comes to wages and continues to pay their drivers above market, which has helped with retention and employee quality.” Moreover, he does not foresee M&A “cooling off anytime soon.”  

Mazari rated the stock a Buy and decided on a bullish price target of $154 per share.  

The analyst noted that the waste removal firm has been mitigating inflation properly, after hiking its pricing up to 6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, a peak level beyond its previous high in 2008. WCN has a strong installed base in which it has cultivated trust through accountability. This allows the company more pricing-related leverage.  

As far as supply constraint concerns go, Waste Connections has been running a strategy in which it places orders for fleet and equipment far in advance, so as to put itself “at the front of the line.” In regard to the high wages its drivers and employees enjoy, these costs can be reduced in the second half of the next year if gross margins are too tight, thus relieving pressure.  

Financial aggregator TipRanks places Mazari at No. 443 out of over 7,000 analysts. His stock picks have been correct 62{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the time, and they have returned him an average of 39.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} each. 

FCA hires law firms and headhunters as staff vacancies mount

FCA hires law firms and headhunters as staff vacancies mount

The Financial Conduct Authority is recruiting private law firms to help process applications and has spent almost £1m on headhunters this year as it battles to deal with almost twice its typical number of vacancies after a wave of departures, Travel & Tips.

The news comes after Nikhil Rathi, the head of the UK’s financial services watchdog, defended his transformation project to the Treasury select committee last Wednesday, telling them that while there would be “noise” about the changes for some time to come, the FCA was headed in the right direction.

Rathi’s team has provoked a fierce backlash from staff over attempts to change the FCA’s work practices and pay structures, efforts that management say will deliver a more efficient regulator better placed to prevent future scandals like the 2019 implosion of London Capital & Finance, which cost 12,000 savers £236m.

The grievances of FCA staffers have been publicly aired by trade union Unite, which is pushing to represent them. A person familiar with the FCA’s operations said vacancy levels were now running at about 500, versus typical levels of 300. The FCA’s staff is about 4,000.

Against that backdrop, the financial watchdog has been advertising contracts for consultants to pick up the slack, including a recent tender for lawyers to help with the “change of control” applications that financial services groups file when their ownership changes.

The FCA stressed that the “final decision on an application will be taken by an FCA staff member”. The regulator attributed the need for external resources to an “increase in the number of change in control applications”.

“In order to ensure that we can process these as quickly as possible, while maintaining our high standards, we have employed some short-term resources to support us,” the FCA added. Change of control applications are deemed approved if they are not processed within 60 days, so the regulator cannot afford a pile-up.

Regulated firms and their lawyers have been complaining of delays in other areas of the FCA’s work. A lawyer who spoke to the Financial Times said the time taken for some applications was the longest he could remember in a decade.

“There is a very real sense that the FCA is dangerously understaffed in certain key areas, mainly areas that actually provide a service to authorised persons [regulated firms],” the lawyer said.

Last July, Rathi said he was adding 100 staff to its authorisations division. On Wednesday, he told the Treasury select committee that the FCA was deliberately giving companies a more vigorous assessment.

The third-party law firm for change of control applications, which has not yet been appointed, will be used for a maximum of six months and will involve a maximum of 17 people.

The government tendering website also details almost £1m of spending on headhunters to bolster the FCA’s ranks after a string of resignations. The FCA said last week that Megan Butler, head of the transformation project, was leaving.

The £1m was spread across 12 different tenders for executive searches to fill roles including directors, heads of departments, general counsel and the chair of the FCA’s consumer panel. The largest was a £155,000 contract to find a new finance director and finance head of division.

In 2020, the FCA advertised for headhunters just three times, with a total bill of almost £400,000, according to notices posted on the government’s procurement website.

At the Treasury select committee hearing, Rathi said the FCA’s attrition levels for 2021 were not unusually high and that it was facing the same pressures as commercial companies in an intense jobs market. Several FCA insiders and those who recently left the regulator told the FT that staff had been leaving because of the fallout from the transformation plan.

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Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) issues SAR 2 billion Sukuk, under its existing Sukuk Programme, to increase its support for home ownership in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

New funding raised will enable mortgage originators to provide lower mortgage rates and support the housing market, making borrowing more accessible to buyers

Issuance helps to deepen Saudi capital markets under Financial Sector Development Program

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) successfully completed issuing a SAR 2 billion Sukuk to support lenders in the housing market, with the aim to further expand home ownership by making it more affordable. The Sukuk was guaranteed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the Ministry of Finance.

Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company Logo (PRNewsfoto/Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company)

Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company Logo (PRNewsfoto/Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company)

The 10-year Sukuk was issued at a competitive fixed profit rate of 3.04{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} marketed to Saudi institutional investors, the deal was oversubscribed 2.5 times

Fabrice Susini, CEO of SRC, which is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), said: “The very positive reception in the market for our Sukuk demonstrates strong confidence in the Saudi housing market and economy, and robust investor support for our business model as home ownership continues to increase. The funding raised will enable us to expand our relationships with home finance lenders, as Saudi Arabia moves closer to its target of achieving 70{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} home ownership among Saudi nationals by 2030.”

“Our latest Sukuk issuance also adds further depth to the Saudi fixed income market in line with the goals of the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) as part of Vision 2030.”

SRC’s new series of Sukuk was issued under its SAR 10 billion Sukuk Programme established earlier this year, under which SRC has the ability to issue sovereign-guaranteed instruments targeting local investors. Its first Sukuk offerings under the programme were issued in March 2021 in two tranches of 7 and 10-years totaling SAR 4 billion.

SRC’s refinancing activities for lenders helps develop an active secondary home financing market in the Kingdom which supports the efficiency and stability of the primary housing market.

The lead coordinator for the transaction was HSBC Saudi Arabia and the joint lead managers were AlJazira Capital, Al Rajhi Capital, HSBC Saudi Arabia, Riyad Capital, Saudi Fransi Capital, and SNB Capital.

About Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC):

Fully owned by the Public Investment fund (PIF), the Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) was established in 2017, after obtaining a license to operate in the secondary real estate market by the Saudi Central Bank, with the goal of transforming the local housing market.

SRC enables individuals and entities interested in direct or indirect real estate financing to increase and diversify origination of long-term fixed-rate (LTFR) products.

As one of its primary roles, SRC provides banks and real estate finance companies with liquidity or capital relief, enabling growth in the home financing sector to increase home ownership rates among Saudi citizens. SRC will subsequently aggregate and packages home financing portfolios into mortgage-backed securities to be sold to domestic and international investors.

With a world class management team drawing from international best practice, SRC is uniquely positioned to become the partner of choice for banks and non-bank lenders in the Kingdom.

SRC is rated ‘A’ (stable) by Fitch Ratings and ‘A2’ (stable) by Moody’s Investors Service.

For more information please visit: http://srco.com.sa/

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1707793/Saudi_Real_Estate_Refinance_Company_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company

City or real economy: who are the financial markets for?

The indirect benefits that effective financial markets can create by improving overall economic performance vastly exceed any direct benefits that the financial services sector produces through its revenue and employment. The primary goal of financial regulation should therefore be to bring about effective financial markets. But there is now no regulator responsible for the overall effectiveness of the UK’s financial services sector. Kevin R. James suggests a way for the Treasury to correct this market effectiveness underlap. 


 

After the last financial crisis, the Treasury directed the Financial Conduct Authority to “Make financial markets work well”. But it neglected to specify who exactly the markets should work well for. This is the issue that the Treasury’s ongoing Future Framework Review of financial regulation must now resolve to ensure that the UK has the financial system it needs to thrive in the post-Brexit world.

The Treasury has two options. It can define “working well” from the perspective of the City and aim to make London the world’s leading international financial centre. Or it can define “working well” from the perspective of the people and firms in the real economy and focus on making financial markets effective from that perspective.

A City strategy could realistically achieve its goal (the CityUK has a plan), and making London the world’s leading IFC would indeed be fantastic for the financial services sector. If finance was a typical industry, then a City strategy would definitely make sense.

But finance is not a typical industry. Financial markets create benefits primarily through their impact on overall economic performance rather than by creating profits and jobs in the financial services sector. For example, economic research finds that effective financial markets enable non-financial firms to pursue productivity improving strategies and also contribute to financial stability. The benefits of improving the performance of the 93{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the economy not in the financial services sector vastly exceed any benefits that increasing London’s share of global financial business would create. It follows that making financial markets work well from the perspective of the real economy should be the principal goal of the financial regulatory system.

Yet no regulator is responsible for the effectiveness of the financial system as a whole, as is easily seen from the fact that no regulator produces anything even remotely comparable to the FPC’s Financial Stability Report for the subject of market effectiveness. So, just as the UK had a financial stability underlap in its regulatory architecture before the last financial crisis, it now has a market effectiveness underlap.

The FCA is the natural institution to take the lead on market effectiveness. The Treasury is therefore proposing to take a few small steps to address the market effectiveness underlap problem by giving the FCA a secondary objective to promote growth. But this is not sufficient. This secondary objective will in practice do little more than require the poor person tasked with showing that Policy X passes the CBA test to tack on a pro forma paragraph indicating that Policy X is also good for growth.

To enhance market effectiveness, the Treasury must design a regulatory architecture that forces the FCA to actively seek out opportunities to improve market performance. The FCA is not now geared up to do this as it aims to deal (at pace) with risks to markets as they are. But no amount of data about risks to markets as they are will enable the FCA to identify and exploit opportunities to make markets work better.

Eliminating the regulatory system’s market effectiveness underlap therefore demands a more radical approach. I propose that the Treasury create a Financial Policy Committee for Effectiveness (FPCEff) based at the FCA to complement the FPC for Stability based at the Bank (with the FPC for Stability having the final say in event of a conflict).

FPCEff will be chaired by the FCA’s CEO and will consist of inside members, representatives from other financial regulators and the government (the PRA, the Pension Regulator, the Financial Reporting Council, HMT, and BEIS), and outside members to bring in broader financial market expertise. FPCEff’s mandate will be to think strategically about how to improve financial market effectiveness from the perspective of the real economy. To equip the committee to do its job, FPCEff will have a staff drawn from the regulatory community to provide the analytical depth and research capabilities needed to drive the effectiveness agenda forward. While FPCEff’s exact legal powers will need to be worked out, an institution along these lines will have the mandate, incentives, and capabilities required to give the UK the effective financial markets it needs to support a successful post-Brexit economy.

Creating a regulatory body tasked with taking a strategic approach to improving financial market effectiveness is precisely the sort of bold reform that Brexit both makes possible and demands (if it is to be an economic success). The Future Framework Review is the perfect opportunity to pursue it.

Carpe diem, HMT!

♣♣♣

Notes:

  • This blog post expresses the views of its authors, not the position of LSE Business Review or the London School of Economics.
  • Featured image by Lachlan Gowen on Unsplash  
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Food is more expensive than it has been in decades

Restaurant prices spiked 5.8{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} over the 12 months ending in November without seasonal adjustments, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday. That’s the largest 12-month increase since the year ended January 1982.

And unfortunately for those hoping to curb spending by turning to home cooking, grocery prices are also at record highs: They jumped 6.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, the largest 12-month increase since December 2008. Beef had the most dramatic increase with a 20.9{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} spike in prices.

The sharp increases underscore the fact that restaurants and food makers are not immune to supply chain and labor pressures contributing to pricing increases across the board.

Yet they’ve found customers are willing to spend more. In fact, restaurants have been raising prices as their own food and labor costs rise, and so far, they say, consumers have accepted the hikes.

McDonald’s (MCD) said in October that it expects menu prices to be about 6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} higher this year compared to last. The increase “has been pretty well received by customers,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said during an October analyst call. Chipotle also raised prices this year, yet it has seen its same-store restaurant sales grow.

Beyond restaurants, food manufacturers and grocers have faced higher costs for commodities, labor and transportation. Those costs have escalated further in recent months, leading manufacturers to pass some of them on to their retail customers — who in turn charge consumers a portion of those increases.

Higher prices at the grocery store will likely stick around into next year. Major manufacturers like Kraft Heinz (KHC) and Mondelez (MDLZ) have said that they plan to hike prices for their retail customers in early 2022.

That’s all allowed companies to pull back on or eliminate discounts, because demand is strong and they don’t want to run out of their limited supplies.

What got more expensive in November

While some food prices stayed flat or even fell from October to November, other items got more expensive in the period, according to the consumer price index.

Lettuce prices climbed 6.9{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} and fresh fruit went up 2.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} on a seasonally adjusted basis. Oranges, including tangerines, rose 2.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}. At the opposite end of the spectrum, treats like fresh coffeecakes and donuts jumped 3.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in price.

Meat prices also continued to tick up: Pork prices grew 2.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, with breakfast sausages up 2.7{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} and hot dogs 2.8{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}. Pork roasts, steaks and ribs rose 3.7{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}.

Some of these items could get even pricier. Hot dog, sausage and burger makers have warned retailers that they plan to increase prices for some frozen and refrigerated meats in January.
The hikes in food are part of a trend of increasing prices overall. Consumer price inflation, which includes gas prices and other categories, rose by 6.8{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in the 12-month period ending in November, hitting its highest level in 39 years.

— CNN Business’ Nathaniel Meyersohn and Anneken Tappe contributed to this report.