Retail

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin As the 2022 fourth quarter kicks off, those retailers that have been weathering the choppy economy so far appear poised to come out on top when all the beans have been counted. Inversely, this holiday season may be the one that finally takes out some former leaders, especially those (e.g., Bed Bath & Beyond) that have been besieged by activist investors impatiently waiting for turnarounds. The key factor this year’s challenges is no surprise — inflation. A recent survey of 1,000 consumers by 4Over, a producer of printed materials for the retail industry, found that about 6 in 10 shoppers, “are stressed about buying holiday gifts this year due to inflation.” Three out of four expect prices to rise further this fall. But the key takeaway might be that nearly half of Americans told researchers that this year, “paying full price for something is a dealbreaker.” First Insight’s latest report, The State of Consumer … [Read more...] about Retail Outlook for Holiday 2022: The Strong Get Stronger

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Peloton will soon sell its exercise bikes and other exercise equipment at Dick’s Sporting Goods, the companies announced Thursday morning, the at-home fitness firm’s first-ever agreement to sell its equipment at a different physical retailer, as the company that soared to prominence in the early days of the pandemic looks to improve its dismal bottom line. Key Facts More than 100 Dick’s locations will sell Peloton’s basic bike, its higher-end Bike+ and treadmill beginning later this year, the companies said, and Dick’s will also sell the equipment on its website. The partnership follows Peloton announcing last month it planned to close a significant amount of its own brick and mortar stores and listing its bikes on Amazon, marking the first time Peloton equipment was available for purchase from another retailer. Peloton shares rose about 2% in pre-market trading, far less than its 17% surge … [Read more...] about Peloton Will Sell Bikes At Dick’s, Continuing Outside Retail Push

When you’re buying gifts for the holiday season or another special occasion, you have no shortage of options. For one thing, ecommerce makes it easier than ever to have presents delivered from around the world. However, except for some collectibles, not many gifts have a chance of growing in value. If you’re looking for a gift with longer-term financial benefits, you might choose to give someone an investment asset like an exchange-traded fund (ETF) . Rather than representing a stake in a particular company like a stock or a specific debt instrument like a bond , an ETF is a pooled security, comprising a basket of different investments. When you give an ETF as a gift, this means that your recipient becomes an investor in a slice of the financial markets. With funds available that track almost any area of the market or type of asset you can think of—from broad stock indexes to niche segments, from commodities to bonds—there are many ETFs that you could consider giving as a … [Read more...] about How to Give an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) as a Gift

- A + A (Sept 30): Based on corporate announcements that made news on Friday, stocks in focus on Monday (Oct 3) may include Sarawak Cable Bhd, Cypark Resources Bhd, MISC Bhd, Malaysia Building Society Bhd, Mudajaya Group Bhd, Pestech International Bhd, Encorp Bhd, Ageson Bhd, Barakah Offshore Petroleum Bhd, Lion Industries Corp Bhd and Destini Bhd. Sarawak Cable Bhd has triggered Practice Noted 17 status after its external auditor Ernst and Young PLT expressed a disclaimer of opinion on its audited financial statements for the 17-month period ended May 31, 2022 (FY22). This occurred as it was not able to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to provide a basis for an audit opinion on the financial statements. EY was awaiting the group's directors to finalise a proposed regulation plan after financial institutions suspended the cable and wire producer’s credit facilities, following a restraining order blocking any winding-up petitions, legal suits or … [Read more...] about Sarawak Cable, Cypark, MISC, MBSB, Mudajaya, Pestech, Encorp, Ageson, Barakah, Lion Industries and Destini

BEIJING – China’s factory activity eked out growth in September, but a slowdown in services sector growth and a downbeat private manufacturing survey pointed to further cooling as the economy grapples with COVID-19 curbs and softening export demand. The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index beat expectations, helped by a series of recent easing measures, but the private Caixin survey showed factory activity contracting more quickly in September and the official survey showed a sharp slowdown in services sector activity growth. China’s government has rolled out more than 50 policy measures since late May. But the data suggested the world’s second-largest economy, also grappling with a property crisis, was struggling to regain traction after narrowly avoiding contraction in the second quarter. “The surveys suggest that China’s economy continued to lose momentum in September, with the global downturn weighing on exports and virus disruptions dealing a fresh blow to … [Read more...] about China factory activity ekes out growth, weakening global demand weighs

MUMBAI – The Reserve Bank of India’s benchmark repo rate was raised by 50 basis points on Friday, the fourth straight increase in the current cycle, as policymakers extended their battle to tame stubbornly above-target retail inflation rate. The monetary policy committee (MPC), comprising of three members from the RBI and three external members, raised the key lending rate or the repo rate to 5.9 percent with five out of the six voting in favor of the hike. The RBI has now raised rates by a total 190 basis points since its first unscheduled mid-meeting hike in May but inflation continues to remain stubbornly high – a phenomenon that is affecting much of the global economy. “The inflation trajectory remains clouded with uncertainties arising from continuing geopolitical tensions and nervous global financial market sentiments,” Governor Shaktikanta Das said in his address accompanying the MPC’s decision. “In this backdrop, MPC was of the view that persistence of high inflation, … [Read more...] about India’s central bank hikes key rate by 50 bps, warns of rising price pressures

AMSTERDAM – Inflation in the Netherlands jumped in September to its highest in decades, driven by skyrocketing energy prices, the statistics agency (CBS) said on Friday. Consumer prices, harmonized to be comparable with inflation data from other European Union countries (HICP), rose to 17.1 percent this month after August’s jump to 13.7 percent. Energy prices in the euro zone’s fifth largest economy were 114 percent higher than in September 2022, while food prices jumped 10.5 percent. Inflation helped drive retail sales up 2 percent in August, the CBS said, even though sales volumes dropped 6% as consumer confidence has hit an all-time low. This month, the Dutch government said it would spend about 18 billion euros next year to help people pay their bills, and also capped the prices of gas and electricity. … [Read more...] about Dutch inflation leaps to 17%, boosted by high energy prices

In celebration of Philippine Independence Day, leading online job portal JobStreet , in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), launches its week-long Virtual Career Fair happening on June 13 to 17 in an effort to provide various employment opportunities to the Filipino workforce. This collaboration is also a means to empower jobseekers and celebrate the freedom that they have in choosing a career path that fits their lifestyle and priorities. Candidates can explore over 75,000 jobs, be it remote, provincial, or entry-level roles from more than a hundred companies such as ePLDT, JPMorgan Chase Bank, BDO Unibank, SM Retail, BMI, ABS-CBN, Accenture, Wilcon Depot, and more. In general, the top work-from-home jobs are Encoder, Engineer, Office Staff, Virtual Assistant, Architect, Information Technology Roles, and many more. Fresh graduates can also check out some entry-level roles available including Customer Service Representative, … [Read more...] about JobStreet, DTI launch Virtual Career Fair, give jobseekers the freedom in their careers

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)  will meet before the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) writes to the Central government regarding its failure to meet the inflation target, according to comments by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. “Let me not preempt what we write to the government because… MPC has to have a meeting to discuss the Reserve Bank’s reply to the government,” Das told reporters in Mumbai in a post-policy interaction. ALSO READ: RBI Monetary Policy Highlights: Repo rate hiked by 50 bps to 5.9%, FY23 inflation projection retained at 6.7% The rate-setting MPC typically meets six times in a year to decide on interest rates. The rate-setting panel has met several times outside the cycle over the last two years as it acted swiftly to dampen the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The RBI is now on the brink of failing to meet its inflation mandate, as retail inflation has been above the its target of 4 percent for 35 months and outside the tolerance ceiling for eight … [Read more...] about Monetary Policy Committee will meet to discuss RBI letter to govt on inflation aim failure

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin No doubt, it has been a tough go of it for corporations and their stock prices this year. Higher interest rates and fears of recession have led folks to bail on stocks no matter their valuations. Market participants have decided that the proverbial glass is half empty, no matter if companies have met or exceeded expectations. And those that have turned in below-par results or issued weak guidance have seen their stocks taken out to the woodshed for a beating. Not surprisingly, perhaps, some of those that disappointed traders added extra lemons to the mix in hopes of making better-tasting lemonade down the road. Indeed, some companies threw as much bad news as they could into their announcements, understanding that long-term-oriented investors would rather take greater near-term lumps today in exchange for much easier comparisons tomorrow. Nothing wrong with this, as I am not investing for short-term gains. Also, as … [Read more...] about Everything But The Kitchen Sink – Resetting The Bar Sharply Lower At Foot Locker And FedEx