Genomatica (Geno), a leader in biotech and sustainability and Unilever have launched a venture to scale and commercialize alternatives to palm oil and fossil fuel-derived cleansing ingredients. These are integral to the formulations of thousands of everyday cleaning and personal care products. With growing demand for sustainably-sourced palm oil, this venture aims to deliver additional responsibly sourced palm oil alternatives to the market.

With $120m jointly invested in the newly-formed initiative, and with other strategic investors expected to join, the venture will develop an alternative, plant-based ingredient using biotechnology. The innovation is particularly relevant to cleaning and personal care products that require ingredients to lather and lift dirt. But at present, there are few viable alternatives to palm and fossil sources that can be produced at scale in order to make those ingredients. As such, the venture offers the opportunity to tap into the combined $625b home and personal care markets. For Unilever, one of the world's biggest soap and detergent manufacturers, this is the largest investment in biotechnology alternatives to palm oil to date.

Companies like Unilever, whose products are used globally by 3.4b people each day, are increasingly partnering with biotechnology innovators like Geno to explore, develop, and manufacture new versions of traditionally-sourced ingredients. While palm oil will remain an important feedstock to Unilever, these alternative ingredients can play a growing role in diversifying supply chains to drive optionality, sustainability, cost efficiencies and transparency.

Geno will deploy its proven biotechnology platform and is already starting to scale the process for its advanced technology to produce the ingredients. Initial estimates have shown that companies could reduce the carbon footprint of palm-derived ingredients by up to 50% with this technology-driven, plant based alternative.

"Biotechnology has the potential to revolutionise the sourcing of our cleansing ingredients and ensure Unilever is a future-fit business – for consumers, shareholders and the planet we all share. This new venture will sit at the intersection of science and sustainability, meaning we can continue to grow our business without relying only on palm oil or fossil fuel derivatives, while also making our supply chains more resilient from having access to ingredient alternatives.

"We will be marrying science and nature to make sure there is no tradeoff for our consumers between the efficacy and sustainability of their products. We are building this innovative new venture to have the scale to drive real impact and change in our industry, helping to reinvent the chemistry of home and personal care products for the 21st Century."

About Genomatica (Geno). Geno is harnessing biology to remake everyday products and materials built by and for the planet. In response to the urgent climate crisis, Geno is developing and scaling sustainable materials derived from plant- or waste-based feedstocks instead of fossil fuels. Geno's technology, built over the last 20 years, now drives materials and ingredients in applications ranging from cosmetics, carpets, to home cleaners, apparel and more. Geno uses the power of biotechnology to convert plant-based raw materials into chemical building blocks that are key components of widely used materials.

About Unilever. Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 148,000 employees and generated sales of €52.4 billion in 2021. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic global brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Magnum, OMO and Surf; and other brands such as Love Beauty & Planet, Hourglass, Seventh Generation and The Vegetarian Butcher.

The Wall Street stock prospects for the 2022/23 season are surprisingly positive following the ravages of the Covid -19 pandemic that affected many sectors of the US and the world. This is good news for the entire market segment as the world moves forward to 2023. According to stock analyst forecasts, the S&P 500 will rise by nearly 20% in 2023. Although inflation and supply chain chaos may hamper the recovery, most analysts expect an overall positive year for the benchmark index. Consider this: Wells Fargo recently upgraded its 2020 forecast for the S&P 500 and believes it could reach a range of 5,000. Most stock analysts cite earnings as the main reason for the equity returns; they don't see any major risks of contraction given low-interest rates.

In a scenario where the markets remain weak, this could mean tech companies will dominate the markets; this will be true even if they face headwinds from the increasing inflation rate. Generally, tech companies are currently controlling the most lucrative businesses in the world. Some of these include premium smartphones, social media, cloud computing, search, and e-commerce businesses. As the tech companies' influence expands into other sectors, this could blunt the effects of inflation and boost the market prospects.

Stocks with high-conviction prospects: The year-to-date stock market activity may well be a microcosm of what's to come. Thus, investors should stay calm and not chase gains. 2022 is likely to witness a tight battle between the positives and negatives. However, investors should consider stocks with high conviction prospects for Wall Street in the future.

Here are the top stocks to consider for the year ahead: First on the line are growth stocks and value stocks. Growth stocks are companies that are growing rapidly and have the potential to become trillion-dollar companies in the future. On their part, value stocks don't have the potential for that sort of growth; they are, however, considered lower-risk and usually come from larger companies. While they may not necessarily return to their original price, they can provide investors with handsome capital growth and dividend income.

While the current selloff may have wiped out most of the gains made by growth stocks, there's a chance these will retake their lead when the current decline in stock prices is over. As a result, investors should consider factors like risk tolerance and time horizon before investing in either category. Keep in mind that It's always important to separate emotions from market volatility.

In retrospect, the stock market wildly fluctuated in response to the 2019-21 pandemic. While it's always difficult to predict a stock market trend even a day in advance, we can expect the S&P 500 to close well above four thousand in the 2022-23 season. Overall, the dynamics are expected to push stocks higher in the cyclical sectors in the future- this includes the energy and tech segments. These sectors may also benefit from a selloff in the near future,; ultimately, this bolsters their relative strength. Despite the previous uncertainty, CFRA experts believe there'll be a great improvement in these sectors in 2022. Ultimately, investors should focus on cyclical stocks with a long-term investment horizon.

Further, the new era of interest rates, and the possibility of more of these, are certainly a huge positive for the stock market prospects. The low-interest rates and easy money policies of the US Federal Reserve have enriched many Americans and lowered the cost of borrowing. As the economy continues to grow, however, these policies are proving to be inadequate in supporting the US economy. The Fed's hike in interest rates will likely end the two-year era of zero interest rates.

Corporate earnings surprises: Most Wall Street firms predict that stocks will make a modest rally next year due to a number of factors. Some of these include strong corporate earnings, a burgeoning economy, and easing supply-chain issues. Investors were greatly encouraged by these signs of future improvement.

Consider this: JPMorgan analysts expect stocks to gain slightly in 2022, with their price target amounting to an 8% increase from the S&P 500's current level. Some reasons for their bullish outlook include "robust" earnings growth, a recovering labor market, and easing supply-chain problems. However, the main risks to this bullish view are supply-chain issues due to imposed sanctions restricting Global trade leading to food protectionisim and a hawkish turn in central bank policy.

Realty ONE Group, a modern, purpose-driven lifestyle brand and ONE of the fastest-growing franchisors in the world, finished the first quarter of 2022 with its most impactful charitable giving yet, a record-breaking annual convention and remarkable increases in franchise sales, and overall volume count with real estate professionals joining the international franchisor in mass.

In all, Realty ONE Group has grown its network of real estate professionals to more than 18,000 with its volume up to $10.4 billion in the first three months of the year, a 20% increase over last year's first quarter mark of $8.7 billion. The now-global franchisor expects to double its country count this year and reach 500 locations worldwide.

"We're the right choice for fiery entrepreneurs and passionate real estate professionals who are using the uncertainty of the past few years to fuel their future success," said Kuba Jewgieniew, CEO and Founder of Realty ONE Group.

Realty ONE Group also inked a strategic partnership with new owners in Italy in the first quarter of the year, and owners in Costa Rica sold their second new office just this month. Representatives from the company's eight countries were present at its first sold-out ONE Summit affiliate event held in Las Vegas, NV, the first week of April.

In addition to a number of charitable giving efforts through its ONE Cares 501(c)3, Realty ONE Group recommitted to planting trees through its ONE World, ONE Tree program this year.

The UNbrokerage, as it's known in the industry, now has more than 18,000 real estate professionals in over 400 offices in 49 states, Washington D.C. and Canada and will be opening soon in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Italy, Singapore and Spain, in addition to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

About Realty ONE Group

Founded in 2005, Realty ONE Group is an industry disruptor, radically changing the face of real estate franchising with its unique business model, fun coolture, technology infrastructure and superior support for its real estate professionals. The company has rapidly evolved to include more than 18,000 real estate professionals in over 400+ offices across 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Canada, Italy, Spain, Singapore and Costa Rica. Realty ONE Group ranks in the top one percent in the nation by REAL Trends, has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top 5 Real Estate Franchise and has been on Inc. 500's list of the Fastest-Growing Companies for seven consecutive years. Realty ONE Group is surging ahead, opening doors, not only for its clients but for real estate professionals and franchise owners.

Interestingly, in the days and months since the Covid-19 pandemic, several tech companies in the US have announced they'll allow most employees to continue working from home if they so desire. Undoubtedly, the work-at-home arrangement is now a permanent way of life for thousands of workers worldwide. Analysts liberally note that over 2/3 of the US economic activity in a recent year directly impacted employees working from home. So, if you work from home, you need to make this endeavour more effective; it doesn't have to impact your well-being negatively.

As noted, just a few years ago, many may have felt that the concept of working from home was something of an uncertain novelty. Well, even the most sceptical pundits now admit that we're certainly in it for the long haul. Consider this: Many leading tech companies, including Microsoft and Fujitsu, have decided to give their employees an exciting option- they can choose to work from home if they want to, and they can do this permanently.

And there are even more exciting data: In 2021, a whopping 42% of Americans (ranging between 20 to 64 years) who earned more than $20,000 were actually working from home- full time. This study was conducted by Stanford University. The subjects represented way more than 2/3 of the total US economic activity. Before the pandemic- the same survey noted- only 2% of employees worked full-time from home.

Significantly, Prof Nicholas Bloom, a senior Stanford University scholar, agrees that many employees will likely adopt working from home as a regular work activity. According to the scholar, once the novelty wears off, workers will need to adopt healthy habits to ensure they're more productive and focused during their active work hours. For example, one may need to resist the temptation to do yet another load of laundry after his regular work hours at home. Instead, the scholar advises workers to switch off at the end of a workday.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella freely admits that the boundaries between work, play, and rest have been so blurred that most people's personal and work lives cannot be distinguished. "Actually," Ms. Nadella opines, "Sometimes it feels much like we're sleeping at work." Here are some tips for good time-management and work- at -home schedule that workers can apply:

Set, Stick to a Routine: It's a great idea to stick to a workable routine. Doing this allows your life to have a predictable structure. Admittedly, some find it stressful to walk the tight rope between personal time and work. Thus, it's practical to set up a workable schedule.

For example, try to get up and take your breakfast at the same time every day. Try to stick to a predictable commute time- this means you should try to exercise, listen to some music or read every day before starting work. It's essential to stop working when your workday stops. This actually means a complete shutdown; focus keenly on your home life and avoid work-life activities like checking emails at such times.

Have a dedicated workspace: Take time to identify a quiet place or space away from disturbances, distractions, and people. Try to designate a specific area, marking it out as your special workplace. Make this place as comfortable as it can. Make sure you've everything you need in this one place.

Take a break: There's no doubt about it- it's essential to take a well-deserved break. While working at home, it can sometimes feel like one needs to stay at work all the time- this is unhealthy; it can even affect one's mental health. Hence, workers need to ensure they take regular breaks during lunch or other times. Try to focus on things completely unrelated to work. Keep your stress levels well managed. Take some coffee, take a walk; such activities can boost your productivity levels. It's advisable to try doing a 10-minute workout whenever possible.

Stay connected: Keep in mind that some people report feeling isolated despite the benefits of working at home. We all know how important human interaction is for general mental well-being. Pick up a phone, and set up a few video calls. If you're really struggling, try to speak to your manager or some colleagues; ask others how they're doing. You can even take some time to socialize virtually with others. You can schedule a digital break; have a Friday online get-together if possible. On the other end, arrange to have some in-person meetings, whether for coffee or lunch- whatever works.