Latest news with #post-Trump
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
One of the most attractive — and sometimes secretive — ways the wealthy donate money could soon get even more popular
A provision in Trump's tax bill could make donor-advised funds an even more popular form of giving. DAFs are especially attractive to the ultrawealthy because of big tax advantages. Some experts told BI they're seeing DAF donations among the wealthy change in the post-Trump era. As President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" moves through Congress, a provision hiking taxes on private foundations could make another form of philanthropy even more attractive: donor-advised funds. Donor-advised funds, or DAFs, are accounts where donors can contribute funds, immediately get a tax deduction, and "advise" on where to donate — and they are becoming increasingly popular. As Daniel Heist, a professor at Brigham Young University and a lead researcher on the 2025 National Survey of DAF Donors, put it, "they're growing like crazy." Donors can contribute non-cash assets, like appreciated securities or crypto, to DAFs, and the funds grow over time. BI spoke with academics, DAF sponsors, and nonprofits about why major donors use DAFs, how the tax bill and Trump are changing the calculus, and the risks of the "opaque" form of philanthropy. Sponsoring organizations, which are themselves public charities, operate DAFs. Some of the largest are connected to investment firms like Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab, though others include community foundations or religious organizations. Technically, donors don't control the funds in their DAF, but practically speaking, they can direct the money to any accredited charity. "As long as you're following the rules of the DAF provider, you should always have those recommendations honored," Mitch Stein, the head of strategy at Chariot, a technology company focused on DAFs, said. Private foundations have to distribute at least 5% of their assets annually for charitable purposes, but DAFs don't have payout requirements. Donors also don't report their gifts to individual organizations on their taxes, and instead report that they gave to the DAF. If Trump's fiscal agenda passes in the Senate (it has already passed in the House of Representatives), it would raise the current 1.39% tax on private foundations' investment incomes. The rate would rise to 10% on foundations worth $5 billion or more, to 5% for those worth between $250 and $5 billion, and to 2.8% for those worth between $50 million and $250 million. It wouldn't change for foundations worth less than $50 million. "There already was a substantial amount of momentum toward donor-advised funds, and a bill like this would only magnify that," Brian Mittendorf, a professor at Ohio State University who has studied DAFs, told BI. Though people across net worths use DAFs — Heist called them a common "mid-range philanthropic tool" — they're particularly attractive to the rich. The 2025 survey of DAF donors found that of 2,100 respondents, who were surveyed between July to September 2024, 96% had a net worth of more than $1 million. "I definitely see a trend away from private foundations," Heist said. Rebecca Moffett, the president of Vanguard Charitable, a prominent DAF provider, said she's seeing the same pattern. The main draw has to do with taxes, according to data and the experts. In the 2025 survey, 62% of donors said tax advantages were a strong motivation for opening a DAF account. Jeffrey Correa, Senior Director of US philanthropy at the International Rescue Committee, told BI that there's been an "explosion" of major donors giving through DAFs. The ability to contribute non-cash assets is also a big factor. Donating appreciated assets lets the donor avoid paying capital gains taxes (in the 2025 survey, 51% of respondents said reducing capital gains taxes was a big consideration). Convenience is another benefit, experts said, since DAFs are more streamlined and cheap than private foundations. Then there's the question of privacy, beyond how DAF donations show up on tax filings. Donors can choose varying levels of anonymity when donating to recipient nonprofits. Only 4% of donors in the 2025 survey opted to be totally anonymous to the recipient organizations, most commonly to avoid public recognition or solicitation. Just 24% said they wanted to avoid scrutiny. Generally, the experts BI spoke with said they don't see confidentiality as the primary appeal of DAFs. Moffett and Correa said they haven't seen more major donors opt for anonymity or express concerns about confidentiality. Most of those BI spoke to were enthusiastic about DAFs, but some flagged risks. Mittendorf and Helen Flannery, an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, found through a study that DAFs distribute grants to politically engaged organizations 1.7 times more than other funders. "They can be great conduits for dark money because they're completely opaque," Flannery said, adding that the public doesn't always know where donors' DAF funds go. Risks aside, the wealthy seem as interested as ever in using DAFs — and in turn slowly eroding the private foundations that once defined the philanthropic world. Have a tip or something to share about your giving? Contact this reporter via email at atecotzky@ or Signal at alicetecotzky.05. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider 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
Canada Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Canada Standard
The Future of Global Priorities: Technology Over Humanity
by Irshad Ahmad Mughal When I was a young trainee as a community development worker, I was told:"Never lose sight of the forest by counting individual trees."This lesson taught me to adopt a holistic perspectivea mindset that now helps me analyze the evolving world order. In the post-Trump era, we witness a new global structure taking shape, defined by emerging alliances, shifting power dynamics, and transformed economic strategies. While Latin America remains relatively stable (with exceptions like Mexico and Panama), turbulence grips the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia. Three major powers are maneuvering to assert dominance in this geopolitical arena, much like players in a high-stakes contest. President Trump shook the world with his tariff policies, attempting to strongarm even traditional allies like Canada and Europe through threats and restrictions. Though he faced resistanceforcing tactical retreats and strategic pivotshe secured significant economic gains from wealthy Gulf states. However, he failed to deliver on his campaign promise of halting the Russia-Ukraine war. His sole diplomatic "win" was brokering a fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan, a face-saving gesture amid broader setbacks. The Indo-Pakistan conflict unveiled a new era of aerial warfare, reshaping perceptions of military superiority. Pakistans Air Force claimed to have downed Indias "undefeated" Rafale jets using Chinese-made J-10 fighters, sparking debates about Eastern vs. Western technological hegemony. This incident bolstered Chinese and Pakistani confidence while denting Indias global standing. Today, clashes between global powers are intensifying. A new world order is emerging, and with it, a new kind of warfare. Ground forces are becoming obsolete; future conflicts will be decided in the skiesa paradigm shift with far-reaching implications. The emerging world order suggests an unpredictable future where traditional humanitarian concernsliberty, democracy, and equalityare sidelined on the global stage. Instead, international forums now prioritize tariffs, trade wars, drone warfare, artificial intelligence, data dominance, and technological supremacy. Current conflicts and ceasefires foreshadow a grim reality: the battles of tomorrow will not be fought by soldiers on the ground but waged through aerial combat, cyber warfare, and autonomous systems. Human lives may no longer be the primary casualty, but humanity itself risks becoming collateral damage in this new era. As technology races to the forefront of geopolitical strategy, foundational human values are being deprioritized. The question we must confront is this: In a world where algorithms dictate power and machines decide outcomes, what happens to the human condition? About the Author: Irshad Ahmad Mughal is the chairman of the Iraj Education & Development Foundation, based in 82B, New Chaburji Park, Lahore. Pressenza IPA
West Australian
25-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Trivial reason Aussies are paying more as EU trade talks begin
Australian consumers could benefit from cheaper luxury goods as countries look for new trade deals following US President Donald Trump's tariff policy. With global trade being altered by the Trump administration's new policies, major trading blocks are looking for new deals, including Australia and the European Union. But so far, trade talks have stalled, as neither is willing to alter their stance on naming rights on key agriculture products. The Australian government believes products should be named based on the actual commodity, while the EU wants to protect products based on geography. It says, for example, a product can only be called champagne if it is made in the Champagne region of France. For Australia to have greater access to the European market, the EU wants us to stop using terms such as prosecco and feta that are tied to geographical regions in Europe – something that Australian producers are reluctant to do. While talks are still in their infancy, AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said Australians could benefit from cheaper European goods if a deal materialised. 'For Australians, it will quite probably mean cheaper goods from Europe,' he said. 'I don't know how cars are being treated in this, but I do know some European cars are subject to tariffs and they could quite possibly be removed. 'It would be good news for Australian consumers via cheaper products from Europe and for Australian producers who get access to a bigger market globally at a time where it is becoming more difficult to sell to the US.' Australians imported $62.7bn worth of goods and $18bn worth of services from the EU in 2023, with tariffs ranging from 7 to 12 per cent. STICKING POINT After a seven-year effort for Australia to secure a free-trade deal with the EU, talks stalled in 2023 over differences in opinions for agricultural exports. But a meeting between the European Commission and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Pope's inauguration helped revive the previously stalled chats. NED-9175-Australia's GDP Since the post-Trump world, previous trade stumbling blocks, including the naming rights for products including feta and prosecco, are back on the table as Australia and the EU look for a trade deal. Dropping naming rights claims would be a major concession from the EU, but the Albanese government has argued it's critical to securing a free-trade agreement between the two. Trade Minister Don Farrell said a 'lot of things have changed' since negotiations broke down in 2023 due to sticking points in the agriculture sector. Mr Farrell said on Monday 'both Australia and Europe now realise that there's a priority and an imperative to get a free-trade agreement'. 'If other countries don't want to trade with you, well, that's fine,' he told Sky News. 'That's their decision, but if there are countries who do want to do trade with you, well, then you've got to go that extra mile to get an agreement over the line.' TRUMP TARIFFS CATALYST FOR NEW DEAL Mr Trump used a speech on April 2 to announce wide-ranging tariffs on just about every trading partner based on evening up the US trade deficit. Dubbed liberation day and 'it's no joke', every country, including Australia, faced a 10 per cent tariff, while 'cheating' nations were whacked with higher tariffs. Mr Trump subsequently paused all tariffs for 90 days to allow countries to work out trade deals with the US. Australia was given only the base rate, but Australian beef exports were singled out by Mr Trump during his speech. 'Australia bans – and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef,' he said. 'Yet we imported $3bn of Australian beef from them just last year alone. 'They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers. And you know, I don't blame them, but we're doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight.' While Australia fared better than the EU under the Trump tariff plan, Dr Oliver told NewsWire that both trading blocks were looking for new deals. 'They seemed to grind to a halt and what's happened now with the US tariffs being imposed on both countries – being a bigger threat to Europe compared to Australia of course – that's brought the two back together again,' he said. 'I think you'll see this around the world that countries that might find their exports to the US under threat might seek to come up with other nations as alternatives.' FARMERS PUSH FOR FREE TRADE Australian farmers have welcomed the potential of a trade deal with the EU but stressed the importance of improved agricultural market access and standing strong on matters such as geographical indicators for a variety of food products. NFF president David Jochinke said the ag industry supported Mr Albanese's comments. 'The deal on offer from the European Union simply wasn't good enough, limited market access and too many strings attached,' Mr Jochinke said. He said the central issues remained the same for Australian producers. 'This isn't just any trade deal, it'll shape trade between Australia and Europe for decades,' he said. 'That's why it must be fair and balanced, with real gains for Australian agriculture at its core.' LIMITED BENEFITS While key industries are set to benefit from a trade deal, Dr Oliver warns it's unlikely to help Australia's lagging economic growth. 'I don't think either Australia or the European Union desperately need this,' he said. 'Am I going to revise up my GDP growth forecasts as a result of this deal? Probably not.' But Dr Oliver did say a deal would help with confidence in the markets, lift certain industries and it's one of those things 'that are better to have than not'. 'I think psychologically, for Europe and Australia it's a positive, as it shows Trump is doing negative things but other countries around the world can get together and do positive things such as opening trade.'
Perth Now
25-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
One word costing Aussies billions
Australian consumers could benefit from cheaper luxury goods as countries look for new trade deals following US President Donald Trump's tariff policy. With global trade being altered by the Trump administration's new policies, major trading blocks are looking for new deals, including Australia and the European Union. But so far, trade talks have stalled, as neither is willing to alter their stance on naming rights on key agriculture products. The Australian government believes products should be named based on the actual commodity, while the EU wants to protect products based on geography. It says, for example, a product can only be called champagne if it is made in the Champagne region of France. Trade deal stalls have stalled on naming rights. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia For Australia to have greater access to the European market, the EU wants us to stop using terms such as prosecco and feta that are tied to geographical regions in Europe – something that Australian producers are reluctant to do. While talks are still in their infancy, AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said Australians could benefit from cheaper European goods if a deal materialised. 'For Australians, it will quite probably mean cheaper goods from Europe,' he said. 'I don't know how cars are being treated in this, but I do know some European cars are subject to tariffs and they could quite possibly be removed. 'It would be good news for Australian consumers via cheaper products from Europe and for Australian producers who get access to a bigger market globally at a time where it is becoming more difficult to sell to the US.' Australians imported $62.7bn worth of goods and $18bn worth of services from the EU in 2023, with tariffs ranging from 7 to 12 per cent. STICKING POINT After a seven-year effort for Australia to secure a free-trade deal with the EU, talks stalled in 2023 over differences in opinions for agricultural exports. But a meeting between the European Commission and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Pope's inauguration helped revive the previously stalled chats. NED-9175-Australia's GDP Since the post-Trump world, previous trade stumbling blocks, including the naming rights for products including feta and prosecco, are back on the table as Australia and the EU look for a trade deal. Dropping naming rights claims would be a major concession from the EU, but the Albanese government has argued it's critical to securing a free-trade agreement between the two. Trade Minister Don Farrell said a 'lot of things have changed' since negotiations broke down in 2023 due to sticking points in the agriculture sector. Mr Farrell said on Monday 'both Australia and Europe now realise that there's a priority and an imperative to get a free-trade agreement'. 'If other countries don't want to trade with you, well, that's fine,' he told Sky News. 'That's their decision, but if there are countries who do want to do trade with you, well, then you've got to go that extra mile to get an agreement over the line.' TRUMP TARIFFS CATALYST FOR NEW DEAL Mr Trump used a speech on April 2 to announce wide-ranging tariffs on just about every trading partner based on evening up the US trade deficit. Dubbed liberation day and 'it's no joke', every country, including Australia, faced a 10 per cent tariff, while 'cheating' nations were whacked with higher tariffs. Mr Trump subsequently paused all tariffs for 90 days to allow countries to work out trade deals with the US. Australia was given only the base rate, but Australian beef exports were singled out by Mr Trump during his speech. Meat is one of Australia's biggest exports to the US. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia It's worth billions of dollars. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia 'Australia bans – and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef,' he said. 'Yet we imported $3bn of Australian beef from them just last year alone. 'They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers. And you know, I don't blame them, but we're doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight.' While Australia fared better than the EU under the Trump tariff plan, Dr Oliver told NewsWire that both trading blocks were looking for new deals. 'They seemed to grind to a halt and what's happened now with the US tariffs being imposed on both countries – being a bigger threat to Europe compared to Australia of course – that's brought the two back together again,' he said. 'I think you'll see this around the world that countries that might find their exports to the US under threat might seek to come up with other nations as alternatives.' FARMERS PUSH FOR FREE TRADE Australian farmers have welcomed the potential of a trade deal with the EU but stressed the importance of improved agricultural market access and standing strong on matters such as geographical indicators for a variety of food products. NFF president David Jochinke said the ag industry supported Mr Albanese's comments. 'The deal on offer from the European Union simply wasn't good enough, limited market access and too many strings attached,' Mr Jochinke said. He said the central issues remained the same for Australian producers. 'This isn't just any trade deal, it'll shape trade between Australia and Europe for decades,' he said. 'That's why it must be fair and balanced, with real gains for Australian agriculture at its core.' LIMITED BENEFITS While key industries are set to benefit from a trade deal, Dr Oliver warns it's unlikely to help Australia's lagging economic growth. 'I don't think either Australia or the European Union desperately need this,' he said. 'Am I going to revise up my GDP growth forecasts as a result of this deal? Probably not.' But Dr Oliver did say a deal would help with confidence in the markets, lift certain industries and it's one of those things 'that are better to have than not'. 'I think psychologically, for Europe and Australia it's a positive, as it shows Trump is doing negative things but other countries around the world can get together and do positive things such as opening trade.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2 S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now On the Dip for Huge Upside
The stock market barely budged on Thursday after its mid-week, Treasury yield-induced pullback. The bulls are trying to hold ground at the post-Trump election gap-up in their pursuit of all-time highs. That said, the market is likely due for a cooldown at some point soon following the massive rally off the April lows. Stocks could give up some of their recent gains if yields continue to climb on rising fears that investors are losing their appetite for U.S. debt. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Thankfully, the next drop likely won't last long if the U.S. makes tangible trade deal progress and inflation continues to cool. On top of that, the strong earnings results and outlook must remain in place over the summer. Investors might not want to 'chase' soaring tech stocks to close out May. Thankfully, we all still have a chance to buy into weakness on plenty of strong large cap stocks trading miles below their records. Some people who might rush to buy a car, TV, or fill-in-the-blank when they go on sale by 10%, 25%, or even 50% might hesitate to strike when stock prices fall. But buying stocks when they have dropped significantly makes more sense because they are appreciating assets, unlike most other things people buy on sale. Today's Full Court Finance at Zacks dives into two beaten-down S&P 500 stocks—Thermo Fisher Scientific and Lululemon—to consider buying now for huge upside. Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) is a global leader in medical and lab equipment, specialty diagnostics tools, reagents, and more. TMO's growing portfolio serves companies across biotech, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals, providing them with a wide range of products essential to innovation and daily operation. TMO grew its revenue from under $5 billion in 2005 to $45 billion in 2022, capped off by a COVID-based boom. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Thermo Fisher stock has tumbled 40% from its late 2021 peaks due to post-COVID demand normalization and other setbacks such as a biotech funding crunch. It offered disappointing guidance again in late April, driven by macroeconomic uncertainty and trade policy setbacks given its exposure to Chinese supply chains and the possible negative impact from proposed research funding cuts. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research TMO, which lands a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), is projected to grow its revenue by 2% in 2025 and 7% in 2026 to climb solidly above its 2022 records. The company is expected to grow its adjusted earnings by 2% and 11%, respectively. This outlook means 2024 and 2025 will mark the bottom of Thermo Fisher's business cycle. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The life sciences supplier stock has skyrocketed by over 1,400% in the past 20 years to triple the S&P 500. The outperformance includes its 40% dive from its late 2021 peaks. TMO stock is attempting to hold its ground at its summer 2020 breakout levels while trading at its most oversold RSI levels since 2008/09. The selloff has Thermo Fisher trading at some of its lowest valuation levels in the past decade and at a discount to its sector at 17.1X forward earnings (despite climbing 200% in the past 10 years vs. its sector's -8% decline). Lululemon (LULU) shares have soared nearly 1,500% in the last 15 years, leaving the market, Nike, and its sector in the dust. The athleisure power changed fashion during this period, sparking a wave of upstarts and apparel giants to fight for market share in a category Lululemon pioneered. LULU is finally facing slowing growth in the U.S. and North America after a banner stretch of expansion that saw it average 23% revenue growth between 2018 and 2023. The rapid boom of rivals Alo, Vuori, and countless other online-only startups are also contributing to LULU's slowing comparable store sales in its critical Americas region. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The apparel titan grew its 2024 sales by 10%, with comps up 4%. But it provided downbeat guidance in late March, hurt by cautious consumers and other headwinds. Lululemon remains focused on executing its Power of Three ×2 growth plan (doubling sales between 2021 and 2026), on the back of huge growth across men's, e-commerce, and international. The company also expanded its operating margin by 40 basis points to 28.9% last year, which is a level almost unmatched in the nonluxury apparel space. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Lululemon is projected to grow its revenue by 6% in 2025 on 4% comps expansion and then jump 8% next year to help boost its adjusted earnings by 1.4% and 10%, respectively. The company has topped our EPS estimates for nearly five years running and its long-term earnings growth outlook is strong. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research LULU trades 38% below its peaks, and it is down 17% in 2025 vs. its sector's 3% YTD pop. The recent struggles are part of a five-year chop following a stellar rally between 2014 and 2021. Lululemon held its ground once again at its pre-Covid selloff heights. Its recent rebound took it back above its 50-week moving average while trading at neutral RSI levels. Valuation-wise, the athleisure standout trades at some of its lowest ever levels at 20.8X forward earnings. This marks a 33% discount to its 15-year median and almost in line with its industry. The company also has a sturdy balance sheet with more cash and equivalents than current liabilities and zero debt. Lululemon will release its first quarter fiscal 2025 financial results on Thursday, June 5. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) : Free Stock Analysis Report lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research 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
