Economic freedom index 2019

Representative image Some corporate leaders are grasping at whatever they can to get back to the way things were. But they might find themselves fighting a culture shift beyond their control. As long as work has existed, employers have tried to size up their employees’ commitment to their jobs. Are you on the fast track? The mommy track? The leadership track? Now, if some corporate leaders have their way, there will be a new test for workplace devotion — and anyone who opts for remote work gets a failing grade. But can C.E.O.s really claw their way back to 2019? This past week, Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to Tesla and SpaceX employees requiring them to return to the office for at least 40 hours per week — or lose their jobs. Mr. Musk, who is known for having camped out for weeks at Tesla factories, thinks remote work is an affront to productivity and personal commitment. Last month, he praised Chinese workers for “burning the 3 a.m. oil,” comparing them with … [Read more...] about The Office Monsters Are Trying to Claw Their Way Back to 2019

Wall Street's main indexes rose over 1% on Friday as signs of slowing economic growth and falling commodity prices tempered expectations over how high the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates to rein in inflation. Global financial markets have been roiled this month on worries that rapid rate hikes by major central banks could cause a recession, with the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) confirming a bear market last week as it recorded a 20% drop from its January closing peak. The three main indexes on Friday looked set to notch their first weekly gain in four, boosted by megacap growth stocks and defensive sectors such as healthcare and utilities seen as safer bets during times of economic uncertainty. "Conversations about the U.S. economy likely slowing which could lessen the hawkishness of the Fed, combined with lower commodity prices and bond yields - these are reasons investors are mentioning to justify why we could experience a near-term bounce," said Sam Stovall, … [Read more...] about Wall Street rallies as traders dial back rate-hike bets

Wall Street, New York City (File image: Reuters) Wall Street's main indices soared on Friday in a broad rally as signs of slowing economic growth and a recent pullback in commodity prices tempered expectations for the Federal Reserve's rate-hike plans. The S&P 500 rose over 3% for its biggest one-day percentage rise since May 2020. All 11 of the benchmark index's sectors ended at least 1.5% higher. Stocks rebounded this week as financial markets have been roiled over worries that rapid rate hikes by the Fed to rein in 40-year-high inflation could cause a recession. Still, investors have been gauging when the market might hit its bottom after the benchmark S&P 500 earlier this month recorded a 20% drop from its January closing peak, confirming the common definition of a bear market. "Some of the moves, the sellers just get exhausted so you don’t have as much capital moving out," said Shawn Cruz, head trading strategist at TD Ameritrade. "This might be a … [Read more...] about Wall Street mints big gains to end a strong week

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Oklahoma mogul spoke to Forbes about how he's protecting his investments ahead of the “near certainty” of a recession. With the S&P 500 entering a bear market last week , many of America’s billionaires are convinced that a recession is in the offing . George Kaiser , one of the wealthiest people in Oklahoma with an estimated $9.5 billion fortune, is one of them. Kaiser, 79, told Forbes that a “recession seems a near certainty” and that he expects the economy to tip into a downturn in the first two quarters of 2023, with a prolonged dip in the stock market. The timing of the market bottoming out—the point at which the stock market hits a low and begins rising again—is still far off, according to Kaiser. “Historic analogies would suggest a 35% total drop from the peak, but that history is largely irrelevant since so many of the factors are unique,” he said. Kaiser, who has appeared on the Forbes … [Read more...] about Oil And Banking Billionaire George Kaiser Says Market Bottom Is Still Far Off

With inflation breaking records, gas prices pushing $10 per gallon and the border exploding with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, President Joe Biden decided to issue an executive order to “enhance protections for transgender children and take steps to ban conversion therapy as efforts continue in Texas and other states to restrict gender-affirming medical care.” “Gender affirming medical care” is a woke term that includes chemical castration and puberty blockers, as well as hormone injections from the opposite sex. It also includes actual castration and mastectomies that are not medically necessary. These irreversible and dangerous medical actions are more accurately described as “gender destroying.” They have nothing to do with care. There’s no way to know what the president means by “conversion therapy” in this this context, but it is clearly an effort prohibit any restrictions by states like Texas against parents who want to experiment on their own children with … [Read more...] about SYLVESTER: Inflation, Gas Prices, Drag Queens And Biden’s Sinking Poll Numbers

The Philippines’ summer capital, known for its cool air and pine trees, has been the favorite refuge of Filipinos wanting to escape the scorching heat in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. But while Baguio City remains the coolest place in the country, it has been feeling the heat of climate change, registering an unusually higher heat index of 27 degrees Celsius last month, exacerbated by the steady loss of its tree cover. Just as well that its city council has recently proposed a five-year moratorium on tree-cutting activities to protect its trees. The battle to preserve the beloved city’s trees has been ongoing for at least two decades now as locals saw more of these trees being felled to give way to progress and development—malls, subdivisions, and other infrastructure projects. In 2019, the Supreme Court stopped a mall giant from cutting more than a hundred trees for an expansion plan, but the temporary restraining order came only after about 60 trees have already been … [Read more...] about Stop cutting trees

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Bosideng, China’s top home-grown down jacket brand, said on Wednesday it overcame Covid and other global headwinds and reported gains in sales and profit for the 12 months ending March 31. Sales increased by 20% to 16.2 billion yuan, or $2.4 billion, helping to lift profit by 21% to approximately 2.06 billion yuan. Bosideng was upbeat about the outlook this year. “Currently, global consumption demand for apparel is recovering steadily,” it said. “Although we confronted numerous challenges from the epidemic and other various aspects in 2021, we still believe that from a long-term perspective, China’s economy will recover in an orderly manner in the post-epidemic era.” Bosideng is led by its colorful 70-year-old CEO Gao Dekang, who has a fortune worth $4.8 billion on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List. Itochu of Japan is an investor; rivals include Canada Goose. Bosideng’s Hong Kong-traded shares have fallen 16% in … [Read more...] about Canada Goose Rival Bosideng Reports Profit Gain, Sees Apparel Recovery

- A + A (June 25): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who survived a confidence vote just two weeks ago, is facing fresh threats to his leadership after his Conservative Party lost two key parliamentary seats, according to reports. Tory rebels seeking his ouster want to scrap the party’s rule that prevents another leadership poll from taking place for a year, the Times and the Telegraph reported. They’re organising to take over an internal panel of backbenchers known as the 1922 Committee that sets party rules on confidence votes, according to the reports. Andrew Bridgen, a Tory lawmaker, told GB News on Friday (June 24) that he would stand for the election to the executive of the 1922 Committee to try and change the rules. Nominations open next week and the vote could be the following week, he said. The rules can be altered at any time by a simple majority of the typically 18-member executive, according to the Telegraph. Graham Brady, the chairman of the … [Read more...] about UK PM Johnson may face new ouster effort after election loss

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the government would support the pro-abortion bill 'wholeheartedly' PARIS - Politicians representing a parliamentary majority on Saturday voiced support for a bill enshrining abortion rights in France's constitution, after the US Supreme Court revoked the nationwide legal protection for American women to terminate pregnancies. The landmark ruling by the conservative-majority court on Friday overturned almost five decades of constitutional protections for abortion in the United States, allowing individual states to regulate the procedure. The American religious right had never accepted the previous 1973 "Roe v. Wade" ruling that guaranteed US abortion rights and several conservative states immediately announced they would ban abortion. France was one of several US allies to condemn the decision, with President Emmanuel Macron denouncing a threat to women's freedom. The leader of Macron's party in parliament on Saturday said she had tabled a … [Read more...] about French government supports enshrining abortion in constitution

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The truth is that taking the time to get educated about the opportunities available is a smart business decision—regardless of whether you want or are ready to make a move. Advisors often wonder if there’s a right time to embark upon the due diligence process. And the reality is that it’s important that they always stay aware and educated about the opportunities around them—particularly in an environment that’s evolved rapidly over the last several years. But to do a “deep dive” takes some time and effort on the advisor’s part and is generally left to those experiencing a gap between where they are now and where they want to be. And that gap helps determine the urgency around the next steps you might take. If the gap is big enough and important enough to justify the hassle of a move, then it makes sense to begin due diligence. You may decide that a more passive approach – what we call “armchair exploration” – is … [Read more...] about Financial Advisors: Is Now The ‘Right Time’ To Start Exploring Your Options?