Renault Group Vehicle Sales Rise on Passenger-Car Strength
Overall group sales rose to 1.17 million vehicles in the period from 1.15 million a year earlier.
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Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Asian Automakers Invest in Digital, Electrified Future
Automotive and mobility firms adopt advanced features, methodologies to reshape development and production, ISG Provider Lens® report says SYDNEY, July 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Automotive and mobility companies in Asia Pacific are developing advanced digital vehicle platforms and features to stay competitive amid rapid electrification and changing consumer expectations, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. The 2025 ISG Provider Lens® Automotive and Mobility Services and Solutions report for Asia Pacific finds that the market for electric and hybrid vehicles in the region continues to grow, driven in part by government support, urbanization and environmental concerns. Interest in and development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is also accelerating, led by rapid developments in China and Southeast Asia. These trends, along with rising demand for connected cars with new digital capabilities, are driving innovation throughout the region's industry. "Asia Pacific is a key region in the development of new vehicle platforms and features," said Michael Gale, partner and regional leader, ISG Asia Pacific. "As regulatory and market pressures grow and change, manufacturers continue to advance both their products and their methodologies." Automotive manufacturers and service providers are increasing their investments in Asia Pacific to build up production and technology infrastructure for the new age of electric and software-defined vehicles, the report says. This includes investments in battery technologies, localized supply chains and public-private partnerships. Companies are transforming automotive engineering and production with digital advancements to increase their agility, accelerate time to market and respond more quickly to changing consumer demands, ISG says. By using digital twins to simulate products under development, manufacturers are eliminating the cost of some physical prototypes, while physical prototyping itself is becoming faster and less expensive with 3D printing. Some companies are moving toward the use of blockchain technology for trust and transparency throughout the development process, further reducing timelines. Automakers in Asia Pacific are increasingly focused on enhancing customer experience through digital features such as advanced driver assistance and AI-powered service recommendations, the report says. Vehicles are becoming defined by software more than by hardware, especially with over-the-air updates that allow manufacturers to significantly improve features over time. The emergence of software-defined vehicles is reshaping product design and development and helping to clear a path to new mobility models such as car-sharing and subscriptions. As vehicle platforms and development approaches evolve, service providers are gaining competencies to assist automakers from product inception through testing, refinement and manufacturing, ISG says. "Electrification, digitalization and new ownership models are changing nearly every aspect of the automotive business," said Shirish Madhukar Kulkarni, lead author of the report. "Service providers need to expand and strengthen their capabilities to help manufacturers in Asia Pacific succeed in this new environment." The report also examines other automotive and mobility trends in Asia Pacific, including the growing imperative for more sustainable operations and the evolution of automotive retail channels. For more insights into the challenges faced by automotive enterprises in Asia Pacific, along with ISG's advice for addressing them, see the ISG Provider Lens® Focal Points briefing here. The 2025 ISG Provider Lens® Automotive and Mobility Services and Solutions report for Asia Pacific evaluates the capabilities of 39 providers across five quadrants: Automotive Engineering and Manufacturing Services, Electric Vehicles and Mobility Services, Autonomous Systems and Software-defined Vehicles, Automotive Retail and Aftermarket Services and Technology Transformation and Consulting. The report names Accenture, Cognizant, HCLTech, IBM, Infosys, TCS, Tech Mahindra and Wipro as Leaders in all five quadrants. It names Capgemini and Deloitte as Leaders in four quadrants each and KPIT, LTTS and NTT DATA as Leaders in three quadrants each. Tata Elxsi and UST are named as Leaders in two quadrants each. Akkodis and FPT Software are named as Leaders in one quadrant each. In addition, FPT Software is named as a Rising Star — a company with a "promising portfolio" and "high future potential" by ISG's definition — in two quadrants. Akkodis, Cyient and DXC Technology are named as Rising Stars in one quadrant each. The 2025 ISG Provider Lens® Automotive and Mobility Services and Solutions report for Asia Pacific is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage. About ISG Provider Lens® Research The ISG Provider Lens® Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage. About ISG ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world's top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments. View source version on Contacts Press Contacts: Laura Hupprich, ISG+1 203 517 Julianna Sheridan, Matter Communications for ISG+1 978-518-4520isg@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
6 minutes ago
- Forbes
Employee Experience Makes Or Breaks Customer Experience
Empathetic Brands Start From the Inside Out. Here Are Three Ways to Break Down the Silos Between EX and CX. Shot of call center operators working in the office. Call center agent working with his colleagues ... More in modern office. Smiling handsome businessman working in call center. Customer experience is everything. This is a mantra most business leaders have rallied behind by now. From initial brand awareness to personalized post-purchase support, organizations have grown increasingly intentional about making customers feel seen, heard, and valued through every interaction with their brands. In rushing to improve customer experience (CX), many may overlook another fundamental truth: Employee experience (EX) is also vital to shaping customer outcomes. So what happens when customer experience efforts aren't mirrored internally, and employees aren't extended the same care and attention they're expected to give? A 2024 PwC report found that 82% of U.S. and 74% of non-U.S. customers want more human interaction in their brand experiences. But according to the 2024 Gallup State of the Global Workplace report, only 21% of employees globally felt engaged at work. By 2025, this decline in engagement was found to be among the top 7 workplace challenges, costing the global economy an estimated $8.8 trillion in lost productivity and poor management. A recent Quantitative Marketing and Economics study further confirms this by finding a direct, causal link between employee engagement and customer satisfaction. In other words: while consumer-first strategies are undoubtedly important, when they're implemented at the expense of employee wellbeing, they backfire in costly ways. Employees are the ones who deliver the human experience customers want. When they feel unheard and unseen, disengaged, and burned out, they can't extend that care to customers. As one World Economic Forum article notes, empathy is one of the most critical leadership skills for the future of work, and more importantly, a key driver of innovation and employee engagement. And in an economy where both customers and employees demand meaningful engagement, empathy must flow in both directions. To create an authentically empathetic brand, leaders can't treat CX and EX as separate silos. Instead, they must acknowledge that one flows into the other, and align internal culture with the external promise. Here are three places to begin breaking down those silos: Listen Like a Leader, Not Just a Manager Many organizations typically collect customer feedback through surveys, support tickets, or NPS scores. But what about doing this internally too? According to the Center for Creative Leadership, empathetic leaders outperform in collaboration and innovation because they listen deeply and respond thoughtfully. And when employees feel safe enough to share challenges, ideas, or concerns, companies gain insight into what's really working (or not). In her conflict resolution framework on The Empathy Edge podcast, organizational development professional and CEO of Seattle Conflict Resolution Kristine Scott outlines three simple but powerful steps for managers navigating tough conversations: validate the emotion, state the boundary, and offer support or options. This can also mean creating intentional moments where employees feel safe to speak and confident they'll be heard. It means investing in employee check-ins, feedback loops, and listening sessions as strategic tools, not just HR nice-to-haves. And as this Harvard Business Review article reminds us, listening well is not only a first step to aligning employee needs with business goals, it's a teachable, trackable leadership skill that every leader can access. Equip Managers to Model Empathy Internal culture isn't as shaped by C-Suite memos as it is by those everyday interactions employees have with managers. Yet they're often undertrained, overburdened, and most overlooked when it comes to empathy training. According to Harvard's Professional & Executive Development platform, teaching managers reflective listening, empathetic communication, and psychological safety techniques helps address burnout, distrust, and disengagement among teams. And as MIT Sloan Management Review puts it, empathy within teams turns warm hearts into cold hard results. But it still needs systemic support, because while training leaders to be more empathetic is necessary, organizational structures must reinforce it. When empathy exists only in pockets but is not supported by the environment, that's like planting healthy seeds in nutritionless soil and still expecting an abundant crop. Align Policies with People, Not Just Profit When leaders ask whether organizational policies honor their people, it might mean rethinking rigid schedules, performance metrics, or communication norms. It also means considering the mental, emotional, and psychological toll of customer-facing roles. A 2024 Current Psychology study found that emotional exhaustion in these roles has a mediating impact on employee turnover intention. But when employees know that the company has their back, not just during peak performance, but during hard seasons too, they're more likely to stick around and go the extra mile. Here's the bottom line: Empathetic organizations don't begin with clever ad campaigns. They begin at the Monday morning meeting, with leaders who listen, managers who care, and internal systems that reflect both values and humanity. For loyalty from our revenue-driving customers, we must first invest internally in empathy for our employees and understand how employee experience impacts customer experience.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2 Recession-Proof Dividend Stocks to Buy for the Second Half of 2025
With economic uncertainty looming in the second half of 2025, as well as lingering inflationary pressures and potential interest rate changes, investors are becoming more cautious about where to invest their money. Here's where dividend stocks shine. The most compelling ones are recession-proof businesses with long-term demand, strong balance sheets, and a consistent track record of rewarding shareholders. Here, we highlight two such recession-proof dividend stocks that not only provide consistent income, but also resilience during turbulent times. More News from Barchart Is This Dividend Stock Still a Buy After Rising Nearly 46% in 3 Months? 3 Dividend Stocks With 100+ Years of History and Sky-High Growth Stop Missing Market Moves: Get the FREE Barchart Brief – your midday dose of stock movers, trending sectors, and actionable trade ideas, delivered right to your inbox. Sign Up Now! Dividend Stock #1: Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the global healthcare giant with a more-than-135-year legacy, continues to stand out for its diverse business model, consistent dividend history, and strong balance sheet. After it spun off its consumer division in 2023, Johnson & Johnson's operations are now divided into two main business segments: innovative medicines (formerly pharmaceuticals) and MedTech (formerly medical devices). Johnson & Johnson is a Dividend King, having increased its dividend for 63 straight years. The company's forward dividend yield of 3.1% is comfortably higher than the 1.6% average for the healthcare sector. With a 45.8% payout ratio (the amount of earnings that can be paid as dividends), there is still plenty of room for future increases. A reasonable payout ratio allows a company to pay dividends while still having enough money to reinvest in the business. J&J raised its quarterly dividend by 4.8% in April to $1.30 per share, marking the 63rd dividend increase. In the second quarter, Johnson & Johnson's operational sales increased by 4.6% year over year, but adjusted earnings per share fell 1.8% to $2.77. The MedTech segment saw the highest (7.3%) increase in sales in the quarter. J&J is also leveraging Nvidia's (NVDA) AI-powered platforms to help boost growth in its MedTech segment in the coming years. At the end of the second quarter, J&J had $19 billion in cash and marketable securities and $32 billion in net debt. However, it generated $6 billion in free cash flow, which should help to effectively reduce its debt burden. In the second quarter, J&J returned $3.1 billion to shareholders through dividends. Analysts project Johnson & Johnson's earnings to grow by 8.8% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026. JNJ stock is currently trading at 13 times forward estimated 2025 earnings, which is significantly lower than its five-year historical average price-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.2x. This allows investors to buy a blue-chip, recession-proof dividend stock at a discount. Healthcare, unlike discretionary sectors, experiences consistent demand regardless of macroeconomic cycles. This makes J&J one of the few recession-resistant dividend stocks with both defensive strength and long-term growth prospects. Overall, Wall Street rates JNJ stock as a 'Moderate Buy.' Of the 23 analysts covering JNJ, nine rate it as a 'Strong Buy,' two as a 'Moderate Buy,' and 12 as a "Hold.' The mean target price for JNJ is $175.18, which is nearly 6.6% above current levels. The Street-high estimate for the stock is $190, which implies upside potential of 15.6% over the next 12 months. Dividend Stock #2: PepsiCo PepsiCo (PEP) is a consumer staples giant that owns a diverse portfolio of iconic food and beverage brands such as Pepsi, Lay's, Gatorade, Tropicana, Doritos, Mountain Dew, and Quaker. PepsiCo has also earned the title of Dividend King. The company recently hiked its dividend by 5%, which marked its 53rd consecutive dividend increase. PepsiCo maintains a healthy payout ratio of 67%, leaving enough to reinvest in the business. The company also offers an attractive forward dividend yield of 3.9%, higher than the consumer staples sector average of 1.89%. Despite economic pressures such as commodity inflation, shifting consumer habits, and geopolitical instability, PepsiCo has maintained consistent revenue growth. In the second quarter, organic revenue increased by 2.1%. Analysts predict that the company's earnings will fall by 2% in 2025, before rising by 5.8% in 2026. PepsiCo's ability to pass on higher input costs to consumers without significant volume declines highlights the pricing power of its brand portfolio. Even in an inflationary environment, consumers continue to spend money on their favorite snacks and beverages, making PepsiCo a resilient business. Overall, on Wall Street, PepsiCo stock is a 'Moderate Buy.' Out of the 20 analysts covering the stock, six have a 'Strong Buy," 13 suggest a 'Hold,' and one recommends a 'Strong Sell' rating. The mean target price for PEP is $149.58, which is 5.6% above its current levels. The Street-high estimate for the stock is $169, which implies an upside potential of 19.3% over the next 12 months. On the date of publication, Sushree Mohanty did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
