Former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith is all smiles at the NASDAQ after signing a contract with CNBC

Former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith was all smiles on Wednesday afternoon as he was pictured at the NASDAQ stock market exchange at Times Square in New York.

Smith appeared to be very pleased with himself having just landed a new role at CNBC hosting a one-hour nightly news program, nearly one year after his shock departure from Fox. 

Appearing on the channel, which is a business and financial-minded news network, Smith seemed to be taking the time to study the numbers of which he will become extremely familiar in his new role. 

Former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith was all smiles on Wednesday afternoon as he was pictured at the NASDAQ stock market exchange at Times Square in New York

Smith appeared to be very pleased with himself having just landed a new role at CNBC hosting a one-hour nightly news program, nearly one year after his shock departure from Fox

Smith appeared to be very pleased with himself having just landed a new role at CNBC hosting a one-hour nightly news program, nearly one year after his shock departure from Fox

After visiting the NASDAQ exchange Smith then took part in a photoshoot

After visiting the NASDAQ exchange Smith then took part in a photoshoot 

Shepard Smith is seen during a photo shoot outside the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square

Shepard Smith is seen during a photo shoot outside the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square

The network announced on Wednesday Smith will return to cable news this fall as the chief general news anchor for ‘The News with Shepard Smith’, airing Monday through Friday at 7pm. 

‘We aim to deliver a nightly program that, in some small way, looks for the signal in all the noise. 

‘We’re thrilled that Shep, who’s built a career on an honest fight to find and report the facts, will continue his pursuit of the truth at CNBC’, Chairman Mark Hoffman said in a statement. 

Former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith has joined CNBC to host new evening program, ‘The News with Shepard Smith’, due to air this fall 

Smith is seen outside the Nasdaq MarketSite on Wednesday

Smith is seen outside the Nasdaq MarketSite on Wednesday

Smith, 56, is returning to cable news after stepping down from Fox News last year 

The newscast is intended to ‘serve as the perfect bridge between CNBC’s daytime investor-focused news programming and the network’s aspirational business-oriented entertainment programs in primetime,’ Hoffman added. 

Smith will also assume the roles of Chief Breaking General News Anchor and Executive Editor of the show. 

In a statement on Wednesday, the 56-year-old said he is ‘honored to continue to pursue the truth, both for CNBC’s loyal viewers and for those who have been following my reporting for decades in good times and in bad.’ 

His new gig comes nine months after he shocked viewers and colleagues with an on-air announcement saying he was leaving Fox News after 23 years.

At the time of his departure, reps for Smith and the network insisted the decision to leave was made by the news anchor and only him.

However, rumors of rift between Smith and the Fox began to swirl after his resignation came weeks after he openly criticized fellow Fox News host Tucker Carlson on air for failing to defend Fox contributor Andrew Napolitano during an interview with Trump legal adviser Joseph di Genova. 

Smith came out as gay in 2017, acknowledged his relationship with 32-year-old partner Giovanni Graziano (pictured together last November)

Smith came out as gay in 2017, acknowledged his relationship with 32-year-old partner Giovanni Graziano (pictured together last November) 

Smith, 56, shocked viewers and colleagues last October after he announced he was leaving Fox News after 23 years

Smith, 56, shocked viewers and colleagues last October after he announced he was leaving Fox News after 23 years 

Smith was also known as one of the network’s few critics of Trump, which is why the president never appeared on his show. 

The cable news veteran had served as the host and managing editor for the network’s Shepard Smith Reporting since 2013. 

He originally started off as a correspondent before becoming an anchor for The Fox Report in 1999. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story, Smith’s new show is due to air at a time slot that has a smaller audience than his gig on Fox – averaging fewer than 250,000 viewers this year. 

Smith will join the network’s global headquarters, which is based in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on July 13. 

More details about the new program will be released in the coming months. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk