Five Signs of a Market Bubble Investors Are Tracking
The share price of online house flipper Opendoor Technologies has catapulted some 377% in the past month, despite a stagnant U.S. housing market. One of the biggest stock gainers Tuesday was Kohl's, a department store that has been losing ground to competitors for some time and has replaced its chief executive more than once in recent years.
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Buffett's Berkshire takes $3.8 billion Kraft Heinz write-down
STORY: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said it took a more than $3.7 billion write-down on its stake in Kraft Heinz in the second quarter... an acknowledgment that the decade-old investment hasn't worked out. The write-down followed the struggling food company's announcement that it would consider strategic alternatives, which could include a breakup. It's Berkshire's second write-down for Kraft Heinz, following a $3 billion hit in 2019. Buffett acknowledged at the time that Berkshire overpaid in the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz, one of his biggest investment missteps. Kraft Heinz has suffered as more shoppers favor healthier and private-label alternatives. Its approximately 200 brands include Oscar Mayer, Kool-Aid, Velveeta and Jell-O. Berkshire also reported a 4% decline in quarterly operating profit as insurance underwriting premiums fell. The conglomerate signaled it remains cautious about market valuations amid uncertainty about tariffs and growth in the broader economy. Related videos Europe's most expensive city revealed, as living costs near £3,500 per month £50k in savings? Here's how to unlock up to £4.5k in passive income overnight How will the Lloyds share price be affected by today's Supreme Court ruling? Meet the 75p dividend stock with a higher yield than Legal & General shares Shares of Berkshire have fallen more than 12% and lagged the S&P 500 by about 22 percentage points since Buffett, who's almost 95, announced in May that he would step down as CEO at year's end. Vice Chairman Greg Abel will succeed him, though Buffett will remain chairman. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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How South Korea's K-beauty industry is being hit by Trump tariffs
Cars and smartphones may rank among South Korea's biggest exports to the US, but few goods inspire a more devoted following than the Asian country's beauty products. K-beauty - a term that covers a wide range of skincare, makeup and cosmetics from South Korea - is lauded for its quality and value, driving soaring demand in recent years. The global appeal of South Korean culture has also helped propel the popularity of its cosmetics. US-based Pearl Mak tells the BBC that she was introduced to K-beauty products by her friends. South Korean serums are better-suited for her skin compared to some Western brands that tend to be more harsh, the 27-year-old graphic designer says. Now "95% of my skincare is made up of K-beauty products", she adds. Ms Mak is not alone in her preference for South Korean skincare brands. Americans spent as much $1.7bn (£1.3bn) on K-beauty products in 2024, according to industry estimates. That marks a more than 50% rise compared to the previous year. K-beauty products are often more attractively priced than their Western counterparts - but also feature ingredients that are not as commonly found in the West - from heartleaf to snail mucin. US President Donald Trump has now imposed a 15% import tax on South Korean goods traded between Seoul and Washington. It's less than the 25% levy that Trump had threatened, but many consumers are not taking any chances. The rise of Korean make-up in the West 'Flowerboys' and the appeal of 'soft masculinity' US K-beauty retailer Santé Brand saw orders spike by nearly 30% in April, right after Trump unveiled sweeping US import taxes on most of the world. "When the tariff announcements hit, customers got strategic with how they were going to weather the storm," Santé Brand's founder Cheyenne Ware told the BBC. "Consumers are preparing against the uncertainty." Another K-beauty retailer, Senti Senti, has been ordering more products since Trump started his tariff threats, says manager Winnie Zhong. This week, she received alerts from suppliers urging retailers to "stock up before tariffs". Both retailers said prices of K-beauty products are likely to increase as the levies push up costs across the industry. "Anyone telling you prices will stay flat through the next two years is naive," says Ms Ware. Prices are bound to rise, especially for smaller sellers of beauty products on platforms like Amazon, who operate with slim profit margins, economist Munseob Lee from the University of California San Diego says. Despite higher prices, the global popularity of South Korean culture means K-beauty products are likely to remain in demand in the US, he says. "Casual buyers might be turned off by the higher price, but fans won't find an easy substitute." Ms Zhong agrees. She thinks customers will still want to buy K-beauty products but price rises may mean they purchase fewer items than before. Higher prices are unlikely to stop Ms Mak buying her favourite products. "It depends on how much the price shoots up, but as of now, I am willing to pay more to purchase the same products," she says. 'No easy substitute' Big K-beauty brands are in a much better position to absorb the cost of tariffs than their smaller rivals, says South Korea-based business consultant Eyal Victor Mamou. These larger companies will be able to avoid major price rises for their customers as they have higher profit margins, he says. But smaller K-beauty firms that make their products in South Korea will struggle to keep a lid on costs, Mr Mamou adds. "It will take some time to take effect since most goods being sold in the short-run have already been commissioned at current prices, but we'll see it play out soon." In recent days, President Trump has struck deals with Japan and the European Union that will see their exports to the US subject to the same 15% tariffs as South Korea. That means countries that are home to some of the world's biggest cosmetics brands face the same levies as the K-beauty industry. Central to Trump's trade policies is his ambition to see more goods being made in America. But it's yet to be seen whether or not this will mean US buyers switch to American beauty products. Ms Mak says she doesn't see US-made products as attractive alternatives. "I do search for American-made alternatives often, but I have yet to find any that are as effective as the ones I use. So I wouldn't go for American products yet." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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35 minutes ago
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Alabama farmer sees new interest within days of Trump's tomato tariff — and says former trade deal ‘never worked' for US
With President Trump's latest tariff announcement, the price of tomatoes could soon be going up in the U.S. On July 14, the Trump Administration announced a 17% tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico, ending a decades-long trade deal that kept the price of importing tomatoes down in the U.S. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it 'Mexico remains one of our greatest allies, but for far too long our farmers have been crushed by unfair trade practices that undercut pricing on produce like tomatoes,' said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in the press release. 'That ends today.' And while some Americans may not be in support of additional tariffs levied against America's international trade partners, several U.S. farmers stand in strong support of Trump's latest trade move. 'Been two days now and we've actually had a lot more calls' For decades, U.S. and Mexican tomato operations worked under a trade agreement that allowed for relatively easy importation of Mexican tomatoes into U.S. markets. The deal was meant to protect American tomato farmers, but many believe the old trade agreement didn't do enough. 'There's been loopholes that the Mexican tomato producers have taken advantage of and continue to price dump, or lower the prices below the cost of production here in the United States and in Alabama," Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, told WVTM 13 News. Chad Smith of Smith Tomato Farms in St. Clair County, Alabama echoed Thaxton's concerns with the old trade deal with Mexico. 'If they send the tomatoes over and it's supposed to be a set price and they need to move tomatoes, well, they may just give a load of bell peppers for free for them to take the tomatoes. So, it's never really worked,' said Smith. American tomato farmers had long felt as if they were hard-pressed to compete with the imports from Mexico, but several of them now see better times ahead with Trump's latest tariff news. 'It's only been two days now and we've actually had a lot more calls from people who have an interest in doing business," said Smith. 'And the price hasn't even changed.' As for Thaxton, he believes the potential of a sustainable future for U.S. tomato farmers is important. 'Food security is national security, and we need to be able to produce our own food here in the United States,' said Thaxton. Read more: Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can How the new tariff may affect your wallet While some American farmers are hopeful that the tomato tariff will impact their bottom line in a positive way, there's a concern that the changing policy will lead to higher prices at the grocery store. After all, the costs of producing tomatoes are higher in the U.S., thanks in part to American farms paying their workers up to 10 times more per hour than farm workers in Mexico. Thaxton believes the rising tomato costs won't be too dramatic, but other experts appear to be more concerned. In fact, some predict the new tomato tariff could push prices up by 10%. Since American farms face significantly higher production costs than Mexican growers — this includes wages, land, regulation, insurance, property taxes and equipment — these costs may be passed along to American consumers at the grocery store. At this moment, it's tough to predict the exact outcome that the tariff will have on the U.S. tomato market. While it looks like the tariff could help American farmers, it's unclear whether or not it will help American wallets. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 simple ways to grow rich with real estate if you don't want to play landlord. And you can even start with as little as $10 Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
