Bloomberg Public backlash in South Korea against Japanese products has dented some sales of tour packages, and analysts say the boycott could spread to luxury cars and retailers as a trade spat between the two countries shows no sign of abating. While Fast Retailing Co doesn’t have a large exposure to Korea through its Uniqlo stores, the clothing chain may ...
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President Elizabeth Warren would be great for banks
Surprisingly for someone who made her name in part by criticising the practices of Wall Street, Senator Elizabeth Warren is slowly winning the respect of the industry. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel fears a Warren administration, and it would most likely take on certain players in finance – private equity and hedge funds, CEOs, and the very wealthiest Americans. She announced ...
Read More »India’s unicorns are more like workhorses
China has birthed some pretty impressive billion-dollar startups. Bytedance Inc.’s TikTok is so hip it makes Snap Inc. look like it’s for your parents. Sensetime Group Ltd. and Beijing Megvii Co. are masters of creepily powerful AI used in facial recognition and surveillance. Even in boring old hardware, Bitmain Technologies Ltd. has a niche in bitcoin; SZ DJI Technology Co. ...
Read More »The stock market is not necessarily the economy
It may be a cliche, but it’s true that the stock market isn’t the economy. Values fluctuate based on a seemingly infinite number of variables, from the real (earnings) to the intangible (sentiment). So even though US equities are near all-time highs, that isn’t necessarily a sign that all is well with corporate America. One sign that executives may not ...
Read More »Trump health plan win is loss for everyone else
President Donald Trump’s efforts to rein in prescription drug prices aren’t going very well. His attempts to erode the Affordable Care Act are going just fine. A federal judge upheld an administration rule that expands the availability of short-term health-insurance plans that don’t have to abide by Obamacare regulations.The ruling is excellent news for companies that sell those plans; they’ll ...
Read More »America cannot shake the Baumol cost disease
A disturbing graph is making the rounds. Labelled the “chart of the century†by some commentators, it shows the changes in prices for various goods and services in the US since 1997. Although food, clothing, cars and electronics have all become cheaper, health care, child care and education have soared in price relative to workers’ wages. Why is this happening? ...
Read More »Honeywell earnings do little to alleviate industrial unease
Even investor darling Honeywell International Inc. isn’t immune to the slowdown taking place in manufacturing. The maker of jet engines and air-conditioner controls reported second-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates, but sales in the period were weaker than expected, both including and excluding the impact of M&A and currency swings. The 5 percent organic revenue growth Honeywell notched in the ...
Read More »Air conditioning is making the world a hotter place
With two-thirds of the US experiencing a heat wave, it seems like a good time to talk about air conditioning. According to the annual Characteristics of New Housing data released by the Census Bureau early this month, 94 percent of the new housing units completed in the US in 2018 came with it built in, up from 65 percent in ...
Read More »Barneys New York explores restructuring, bankruptcy
Bloomberg Luxury department store Barneys New York is exploring restructuring options that could include filing for bankruptcy as it struggles to keep up with higher rent and adapt to changing consumer habits. Barneys is working with financial advisers at MIII Partners and lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The company hasn’t made a ...
Read More »BA seeks injunction to block pilot strikes
Bloomberg British Airways (BA) is preparing to go to court to block a potential walkout by its pilots at the height of the busy summer travel season. The airline, a unit of IAG SA, was expected to the UK’s high court on July 23 to seek an injunction against the British Airline Pilots Association, known as Balpa, should members vote ...
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