Latest news with #investorSentiment


Zawya
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
South Africa new vehicle sales climb 22% in May as interest rate cut boosts confidence
South Africa's new vehicle market recorded strong growth in May 2025, with total sales rising 22% year-on-year to 45,308 units. The performance followed a long-anticipated 25 basis point cut in the repo rate by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), a policy shift welcomed by the automotive sector as a boost to affordability, investment and industrial resilience. New passenger car sales reached 31,741 units in May, up 30% from 24,419 units in May 2024. Light commercial vehicles, including bakkies and minibuses, increased 5.8% to 10,938 units. Medium and heavy truck segments also posted solid gains, with medium commercial vehicles rising 22.7% to 660 units and heavy trucks and buses up 6.7% to 1,969 units. Dealer sales accounted for 88.4% of May volumes, with the vehicle rental industry representing 6.8%, corporate fleets 3.0%, and government 1.8%. Car rental alone made up 8.5% of new passenger car sales during the month. The SARB's action comes as inflation eases to 2.8%—below the 3%–6% target range—while the rand strengthens amid improved investor sentiment. Lower interest rates are expected to reduce borrowing costs for both consumers and manufacturers, encouraging capital expenditure, tooling upgrades and model retooling across the automotive value chain. Exports, however, fell 14.6% year-on-year to 30,112 units in May, down from 35,277 in May 2024. The decline was attributed to a major OEM halting production from mid-April to mid-May for facility upgrades ahead of a new model rollout. Year-to-date, export volumes remained 1.4% ahead of the same period last year. Naamsa also welcomed the ongoing discussions between National Treasury and the SARB on potentially lowering the official inflation target midpoint from 4.5% to 3.0%. A structurally lower inflation environment could support sustained rate cuts, improving affordability for consumers and competitiveness for exporters.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
BEA Union Investment CEO on Business
BEA Union Investment CEO Janet Li discusses investor sentiment and opportunities amid economic uncertainties. She speaks with David Ingles and Avril Hong on "Bloomberg: the China Show". 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


Bloomberg
30-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
BEA Union Investment CEO on Business
BEA Union Investment CEO Janet Li discusses investor sentiment and opportunities amid economic uncertainties. She speaks with David Ingles and Avril Hong on "Bloomberg: the China Show". (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Raymond James Financial (NYSE:RJF) Declares Dividends on Preferred and Common Shares
Raymond James Financial announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.50 per share on common stock, set for July, which potentially bolstered investor sentiment, contributing to a 13% increase in share price over the last month. Alongside, the company's solid second-quarter earnings report indicating improved revenue and net income over the previous year further supported the upward trajectory. This investor confidence in RJF was seen despite broader market fluctuations influenced by federal deficit concerns and fluctuating bond yields. While the Dow Jones showed a slight rebound, RJF's strategies and financial performance may have provided additional support for the positive price movement. Buy, Hold or Sell Raymond James Financial? View our complete analysis and fair value estimate and you decide. We've found 17 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. The recent announcement of a US$0.50 quarterly dividend from Raymond James Financial potentially uplifted investor sentiment, aligning with the company's advantageous short-term share price increase. Over a five-year timeframe ending in May 2025, RJF shares delivered a total return of 229.14%, reflecting long-term resilience and growth. This return includes both share price appreciation and dividend payouts, suggesting a robust investment over that period. Comparatively, the 23.3% earnings growth over the past year surpassed the Capital Markets industry average of 17.8%, highlighting RJF's competitive position. The company's strategic recruitment of high-net-worth advisors and investment in AI are anticipated to enhance future revenue and efficiency. With analysts forecasting a revenue growth rate of 5.5% annually and a projected earnings expansion to US$2.5 billion by 2028, these initiatives could support long-term growth despite uncertainties from market volatility and tech investment risks. However, interest rate and economic fluctuations present potential challenges to achieving these targets. As of today's date, RJF's current share price of US$141.12 sits close to the consensus price target of US$152.50, reflecting a modest 7.5% upside potential, indicative of the market's perception that the company is relatively fairly valued at present. The slight discount to price target underscores the importance of these growth forecasts being realized to justify the anticipated valuations. Investors should consider these forecasts and their assumptions against personal insights when evaluating RJF's future prospects. Navigate through the intricacies of Raymond James Financial with our comprehensive balance sheet health report here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:RJF. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Capital flows back to US-listed China ETFs post big sell-off
By Summer Zhen HONG KONG (Reuters) -Major U.S.-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track Chinese stocks recorded inflows in May as a U.S.-China tariff truce boosted sentiment, following a heavy sell-off in the previous month. BY THE NUMBERS Global investors bought a combined $401.7 million in four major U.S.-listed China ETFs - iShares MSCI China ETF, iShares China Large-Cap ETF, KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF and Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF this month through May 15. That compared with a $3.8 billion outflow in April, data from LSEG Lipper showed. April marked the second largest outflow on Lipper's record, second only to a $4.4 billion outflow in November 2024. U.S. institutional investors currently own about $250 billion in U.S.-listed Chinese stocks, according to Goldman Sachs. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Analysts are closely watching flows into Chinese shares traded in U.S. markets to gauge the extent of investor concern over the potential removal of Chinese companies from U.S stock exchanges - a delisting that could heighten the financial decoupling between the two biggest economies. Those concerns were at the fore in April when U.S. President Donald Trump dramatically escalated his trade war with China by raising tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted the possible delisting of Chinese stocks from U.S. bourses might figure in trade talks. KEY QUOTES "The selling pressure in April was mainly due to trade tensions ... we have seen some sentiment recovery in May," said Jason Lui, head of APAC equity and derivative strategy at BNP Paribas. "The majority of outflows in April came from hedge fund and arbitrage strategy players. We see most institutions stay invested in our fund," said Xiaolin Chen, head of international at KraneShares, which manages the $7 billion KWEB. 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