Latest news with #Band-Aid
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Factbox-Recent leadership changes at global consumer goods companies
(Reuters) -Procter & Gamble said on Monday CEO Jon Moeller is stepping away from the top job after four years in the role, and that he would be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Shailesh Jejurikar. The reshuffle in the top position comes amid a string of similar announcements from consumer-facing companies globally. In the United States, companies are removing their CEOs at the fastest pace in two decades, with data showing that at least 41 CEOs have exited S&P 500 companies so far this year, compared with 49 for all of 2024. Here are some examples of major CEO changes in the past year: Company Details Nestle Nestle in August 2024 ousted CEO Mark Schneider and appointed company veteran Laurent Freixe to the role. Unilever The company ousted chief executive Hein Schumacher in February, replacing him with finance chief Fernando Fernandez. Kohls Kohl's fired CEO Ashley Buchanan in May after an investigation found he had pushed for deals with a vendor with whom he had a personal relationship, after little more than 100 days in the position. Stanley Black & Decker The power tools maker, in June, appointed operations chief Christopher Nelson as its next CEO and President, effective October 1, succeeding Donald Allan Jr., who is set to retire. Hershey Hershey, in July, named burger chain Wendy's chief Kirk Tanner as its CEO, effective August 18, replacing Michele Buck, who is set to retire. Hindustan Unilever Hindustan Unilever, in July, named Priya Nair as managing director and CEO, replacing Rohit Jawa well before the completion of his five-year term as the company's chief. Kenvue The Band-Aid and Tylenol maker fired its CEO Thibaut Mongon in July, laying what some investors expect will be the groundwork for an eventual sale of the entire company or pieces of it, and named director Kirk Perry as interim CEO. Diageo The Johnnie Walker whisky and Guinness beer maker's CEO, Debra Crew, stepped down after two years in the job in July, with finance chief Nik Jhangiani taking over in the interim. Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble CEO said in July that CEO Jon Moeller is stepping away from the role; to be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Shailesh Jejurikar. 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
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
How Johnson & Johnson Stock (JNJ) Discovered a New Lease of Life
Biopharma giant Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) stock hit new highs this year after reporting its Q2 results on July 16th, giving the market a clear signal that it's reigniting growth with practically flawless numbers—a potential turning point for the second half of the year. The upwardly revised guidance and expectations for strong margin expansion, despite lingering litigation concerns, have brought fresh optimism to the stock and appeased shareholders clamoring for added value. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. While the stock isn't as discounted as it was earlier this year, valuations still look reasonable. Given JNJ's strong compounding potential and this renewed bullish momentum, I see it as a Buy. How J&J's Strong Quarter Sets the Stage for Growth Johnson & Johnson stock has been rangebound for years, weighed down by a mix of factors, including a massive wave of lawsuits claiming its talc-based baby powder caused cancer due to asbestos contamination, as well as expiring drug patents, such as its blockbuster Stelara losing exclusivity. Last but not least is sluggish growth and an eroded safe-haven reputation, since legacy consumer brands like Tylenol, Listerine, and Band-Aid have low growth and face margin pressure from cheap competition. According to TipRanks data, JNJ has underperformed the S&P quite considerably since 2024. Johnson & Johnson's latest Q2 earnings may mark a true inflection point toward more consistent alpha generation. The company delivered exactly what it needed— beating both earnings and revenue expectations —while issuing a notable upward revision to guidance: an additional $2 billion in forecasted sales and $0.25 more in projected EPS. For a pharma giant like J&J, that's a clear signal of renewed momentum following a prolonged period of litigation-related overhang. Management also reaffirmed its full-year outlook for a 300-basis-point improvement in operating margin, raising it from approximately 25.4% to 28.4%. Notably, the quarter wasn't just about numbers. J&J reported compelling 5-year trial results for its multiple myeloma immunotherapy—an encouraging sign in the fight against a challenging cancer. The company also set an ambitious goal: to become the global leader in oncology by 2030, with a target of over $50 billion in cancer drug sales. With a potential $5 billion peak opportunity in bladder cancer and a strong pipeline aimed at offsetting losses from aging blockbusters, J&J is signaling that real innovation is back at the forefront. Breaking Free from the Margin Squeeze While markets often reward margin expansion, Johnson & Johnson looks especially well-positioned to benefit going forward. In addition to raising full-year earnings guidance, the company also delivered positive updates on cost pressures— halving its expected tariff impact from $400 million to $200 million and projecting a $1.1 billion tailwind from favorable currency shifts as the U.S. dollar weakens. The reduced tariff burden is primarily attributed to the MedTech division, which is more exposed to global supply chains and international manufacturing than the pharmaceutical segment. That's a clear tailwind for margins and future profitability. It's also important to note how strategic portfolio decisions have helped set the stage for this improvement. The 2023 spin-off of Kenvue—essentially the entire Consumer Health business—removed a lower-margin segment from the mix, sharpening J&J's focus on higher-margin areas. This move highlights the company's commitment not only to defending margins but also to actively growing them. In today's market, stability alone isn't enough—investors are looking for real margin expansion, and Johnson & Johnson seems intent on delivering. Analysts have responded by raising their EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 by about 2% compared to before Q2 earnings. They now expect full-year EPS in 2025 to hit $10.86 —an 8.7% increase from last year—and to reach $11.34 in 2026, representing an annual growth rate of 4.4%. Reasonable Valuation with Growth on the Horizon Johnson & Johnson is a vast, stable, and diversified company, so its valuation tends to reflect relative stability rather than wild growth. Looking at its forward earnings multiple, currently around 15.5x, it's basically in line with the five-year average. This is well above the lows seen earlier this year, when it traded as low as 11x forward earnings in January. To me, this suggests the valuation isn't necessarily cheap, but it's reasonable. Comparing J&J's current earnings multiples over the last twelve months to its main peers, the 17.5x P/E ratio sits close to the sector average. Except for Merck & Co. (MRK), J&J is actually one of the more discounted names in the group. Finally, with a dividend yield of almost 3%, the stock no longer appears exuberant, and the yield isn't particularly compelling—especially when compared to the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield. However, J&J's payout ratio is typically safe, at around 50% of earnings, which helps build shareholder trust. Additionally, the market is now anticipating a more positive growth trajectory following the recent upward revisions to guidance, both last quarter and earlier this year. Is JNJ Stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell? Wall Street sentiment on Johnson & Johnson remains mixed, with more caution than conviction among analysts. Of the 19 analysts who have issued ratings over the past three months, nine are bullish, while the remaining ten are neutral. The average price target stands at $176.35, suggesting a modest upside of approximately 4.3% from the current share price. Johnson & Johnson Positioned for Consistent Alpha Generation Johnson & Johnson has, in my view, successfully restored market confidence in both its innovation pipeline and cost discipline—key pillars that could drive renewed growth and support reliable shareholder returns for decades to come. For long-term investors, initiating a position now is essentially a bet on a proven dividend combined with steady capital appreciation—an attractive formula that has historically outperformed the broader market. While the stock appears fairly valued at current levels, it offers compelling potential for compounding returns and consistent alpha generation in the years ahead.
Politico
22-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Republicans make a last gasp in Virginia as Winsome Earle-Sears looks to shake up her campaign
With little more than 100 days until Election Day, Earle-Sears is banking on a staff shake-up to help steady the campaign. 'At the end of the day, this is just … refocusing for the last push,' said one person close to the campaign who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to speak freely about staff reshuffling. The person characterized the move as a positive change that most staff welcomed, arguing the reports of the campaign being in peril are overblown. ''Let's rip off this tabloid Band-Aid and move on' is kind of the overall vibe,' the person added. It's not the first staff change to hit the beleaguered campaign. Following mounting pressure from fellow Republicans — including some within Trump's orbit who have referred to campaign staff as 'amateurs' — the campaign made changes, including the reassignment of her campaign manager, Will Archer, a pastor with no political experience. (People familiar with the campaign say he will continue in a role focused on voter outreach.) Richard Wagner, Earle-Sears' political director, has left the campaign, NBC News reported. On top of the personnel shake-ups, Earle-Sears has run into controversy. Earlier this year the Earle-Sears campaign blasted a fundraising email comparing DEI to American slavery, where she remarked: 'Slaves did not die in the fields so that we could call ourselves victims now in 2025.' Last week, a publication called Dogwood released an audio clip of Earle-Sears in which she appeared to acknowledge the cuts to the federal workforce negatively impacting her standing with voters, telling supporters that she and Spanberger were 'neck and neck' before her Democratic opponent brought up DOGE repeatedly and began opening up a lead. Northern Virginia is home to a lot of federal workers who were targeted by DOGE, and in March the progressive Meidas Touch Network released a different recording in which Earle-Sears appeared to be downplaying the severity of the DOGE cuts.
Politico
22-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Republicans make a last gasp at Virginia
What up, Recast fam. On today's agenda: With her campaign far behind in polling and fundraising, Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears is set to announce staff changes later this week, according to three people familiar with campaign personnel decisions. Earle-Sears, Virginia's lieutenant governor, is attempting to become the first Black woman ever elected governor in the nation's history — and the first Virginia Republican in nearly 30 years to succeed a sitting GOP governor. Democrats and Republicans alike see the governor's race as an important bellwether ahead of the 2026 midterms and an appraisal of President Donald Trump's first few months back in office. But a recent poll from Virginia Commonwealth University has her trailing Democrat Abigail Spanberger by double digits — 49 percent to 37 percent. The latest campaign finance reports also show Spanberger with a significant fundraising advantage. Between June 6 and June 30, Spanberger raised $4.2 million and had more than $15 million on hand, whereas Earle-Sears raised only $2.3 million in the same period. Her campaign has $4.5 million cash on hand as of July 15. With little more than 100 days until Election Day, Earle-Sears is banking on a staff shake-up to help steady the campaign. 'At the end of the day, this is just … refocusing for the last push,' said one person close to the campaign who was granted anonymity to speak freely about staff reshuffling. The person characterized the move as a positive change that most staff welcomed, arguing the reports of the campaign being in peril are overblown. ''Let's rip off this tabloid Band-Aid and move on' is kind of the overall vibe,' the person added. Was The Recast forwarded to you by a friend? Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter here. You'll get a weekly breakdown of how race and identity are the DNA of American politics and policy. It's not the first staff change to hit the beleaguered campaign. Following mounting pressure from fellow Republicans — including some within Trump's orbit who have referred to campaign staff as 'amateurs' — changes were made, including the reassignment of her campaign manager, Will Archer, a pastor with no political experience. (People familiar with the campaign say he will continue in a role focused on voter outreach.) There is also a report from NBC News that Richard Wagner, Earle-Sears' political director, has left the campaign. On top of the personnel shake-ups, Earle-Sears has run into controversy. Earlier this year the Earle-Sears campaign blasted a fundraising email comparing DEI to American slavery, where she remarked: 'Slaves did not die in the fields so that we could call ourselves victims now in 2025.' Last week, a publication called Dogwood released an audio clip of Earle-Sears in which she appeared to acknowledge the cuts to the federal workforce negatively impacting her standing with voters, telling supporters that she and Spanberger were 'neck and neck' before her Democratic opponent brought up DOGE repeatedly and began opening up a lead. Northern Virginia is home to a lot of federal workers who were targeted by DOGE, and in March the progressive Meidas Touch Network released a different recording in which Earle-Sears appeared to be downplaying the severity of the DOGE cuts. 'I've always had concerns about this race, but not because of Winsome, just because of the overall environment,' said one Republican strategist given anonymity to discuss the state of the race. 'I expected to be where we are, and when I saw a lot of the DOGE activities and Elon Musk activities having a major impact on Northern Virginia, it gave me even more of a concern.' Taken together, the campaign is amplifying the monthslong concerns that Earle-Sears does not have enough time or the right personnel in place to get the campaign on track in the final stretch. 'This is not the kind of conversation you want to have as an organization in the middle of July in Virginia politics, because voting starts in 60 days,' said Republican Chris Saxman, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, referring to the period when early voting begins in Virginia. Those close to the campaign say they are hoping to secure in the fall 'one or two' debates with Spanberger, a format in which they expect Earle-Sears will shine. But others remain skeptical about her prospects. 'Winsome is not going to trust anyone who comes in here in the last 100 days,' said one Republican strategist keeping tabs on the race. 'I mean, if she were really serious, she would probably fire the consultants and just get a team to try to have a respectable showing and not lose by 15 points.' We'll keep tabs on how these upcoming staff announcements all shake out. All the best,The Recast Team EX-LOUISVILLE OFFICER SENTENCED IN TAYLOR KILLING Brett Hankison, one of three Louisville police officers involved in the 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor, was sentenced to 33 months in prison — a sharp contrast to the Trump administration's request that Hankison receive a prison sentence of just one day. Taylor's family had been pushing for Hankison to serve a lengthy sentence. (The maximum sentence for his conviction would have been life in prison.) In a Tuesday morning post on X, family attorney Ben Crump said: 'We respect the court's decision, but we will continue to call out the DOJ's failure to stand firmly behind Breonna's rights.' Hankison was acquitted on state charges of wanton endangerment in 2022. The following year, a federal case against him ended in a mistrial when the jury could not reach a verdict. But last year, Hankison was convicted on one count of violating Taylor's civil rights by using excessive force. He discharged his firearm multiple times during the botched narcotics raid on Taylor's home. None of his shots hit anyone, but they did penetrate a neighboring apartment, where a man, pregnant woman and child had been sleeping. The deadly incident occurred when officers executed a controversial 'no-knock warrant' one night at Taylor's home in predominantly Black west Louisville. Officers said the raid was connected to an investigation of Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who was not present at the scene and did not live there. No narcotics were discovered. When the officers barged into Taylor's home, her then-boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he mistook them for intruders and fired a shot, hitting officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg. The officers responded with a barrage of bullets, killing 26-year-old Taylor. Neither Mattingly nor Myles Cosgrove, the other officer involved in the shooting, were charged. All three officers are white. Taylor was Black. Her killing came during the height of the 2020 national protests raising awareness of law enforcement's harsh policing tactics during encounters with Black citizens. Taylor's name, along with George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks, became a rallying cry at the nationwide protests calling for an end to harsh policing and systemic racism. WHAT WE'RE WATCHING THIS WEEK Epstein debacle scuttles votes — Internal party drama surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein saga brought the House Rules Committee to a standstill on Monday as several of my POLITICO colleagues Meredith Lee Hill, Mia McCarthy, Cassandra Dumay and Calen Razor report: 'House Republicans will scrap several votes this week…' And more… TODAY'S CULTURE NEWS Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dead at 54 — The musician and actor best known as Theo Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show' died while vacationing in Costa Rica. Read tributes and remembrances from Bill Cosby, Tracee Ellis Ross, Morris Chestnut and more. Josh Johnson elevated to hosting role this week — The comic and correspondent on 'The Daily Show' will get a shot behind the anchor chair this week, marking his first time serving as host of the program. Speaking of 'The Daily Show'… Jon Stewart, the program's legendary host who serves as the Monday anchor, tore into Comedy Central's parent company, Paramount, with a litany of expletives — and a song with a church choir — for axing 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.' Starts around the 16:30 mark here. Finally check out Tyler, the Creator's latest bop, 'Stop Playing With Me.'
Los Angeles Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Wall Street holds near its record amid doubts about Trump's tariffs
Stock indexes hung near their records on Monday following President Donald Trump's latest updates to his tariffs, as speculation continues on Wall Street that he may ultimately back down on them. The S&P 500 edged up by 0.1% to pull within 0.2% of its all-time high set on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 88 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.3% to set a record. Stock indexes elsewhere around the world were mixed in their first trading after Trump announced plans over the weekend for 30% tariffs on goods from Mexico and the European Union. They won't take effect until Aug. 1, the same deadline that Trump announced last week for updated tax rates on imports from Japan, South Korea and a dozen other countries. The latest postponements for Trump's tariffs allow more time for him to reach trade deals with other countries that could lower the tariff rates and prevent pain for international trade. They also feed into speculation that Trump may ultimately back down on his tariffs if they end up creating too much damage for the economy and for financial markets. If Trump were to enact all his proposed tariffs on Aug. 1, they would raise the risk of a recession. That would not only hurt U.S. voters but also raise the pressure on the U.S. government's debt level relative to the economy's size, particularly after Washington approved big tax cuts that will add to the deficit. 'We therefore believe that the administration is using this latest round of tariff escalation to maximize its negotiating leverage and that it will ultimately de-escalate, especially if there is a new bout of heightened bond and stock market volatility,' according to Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management. 'As usual, there are many conditions and clauses that can get these rates reduced,' said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. 'That's probably why the market might not like the tariff talk, but it's not panicking about it either.' For the time being, all the uncertainty around tariffs could help keep markets unsteady. This upcoming week has several potential flashpoints that could shake things. On Tuesday will come the latest reading on inflation across the United States. Economists expect it to show inflation accelerated to 2.6% last month from 2.4% in May. Companies are also lining up to report how they performed during the spring. JPMorgan Chase and several other huge banks will report their latest quarterly results on Tuesday, followed by Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday and PepsiCo on Thursday. Fastenal, a distributor of industrial and construction supplies, on Monday reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its stock rose 4.2%, though it also said that market conditions remain sluggish. Shares of Kenvue rose 2.2% after the former division of Johnson & Johnson said CEO Thibaut Mongon is stepping down. Kenvue, the maker of Listerine and Band-Aid brands, is in the midst of a strategic review of its options, 'including ways to simplify the company's portfolio and how it operates,' according to Larry Merlo, the board's chair. Waters slumped 13.8% after saying it had agreed to merge with Becton, Dickinson and Co.'s biosciences and diagnostic solutions business in a deal valued at roughly $17.5 billion. All told, the S&P 500 rose 8.81 points to 6,268.56. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 88.14 to 44,459.65, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 54.80 to 20,640.33 to top its last all-time high set on Thursday. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.42% from 4.43% late Friday. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe. Germany's DAX lost 0.4%, and France's CAC 40 fell 0.3%. But indexes rose 0.8% in South Korea and 0.3% in Hong Kong. Chinese shares advanced after the government reported that exports rose last month as a truce in a tariff war prompted a surge in orders ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline for reaching a new trade deal with Washington. Some of the biggest moves in financial markets were for crypto, where bitcoin continues to set records. This upcoming week is 'Crypto Week' in Washington, where Congress will consider several bills to 'make America the crypto capital of the world.' Choe writes for the Associated Press.
