Latest news with #worries
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Retail Weakness Is Skewing Small Business Optimism Data
It's not all gray skies. For now, the dark clouds are mostly over retail. (Photo by) Small business optimism looks weak, but worries are most pronounced among retailers. The April 2025 Small Business Optimism Index came in at 95.8, below the 51-year average of 98. The index, published monthly by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), fell across all sectors tracked in the report: construction, manufacturing, retail, and services. The latest survey reflects responses collected during the first two weeks of April and captures small business owner expectations for hiring, investment, sales, and the broader economy. The overall optimism reading was down 1.6 percentage points from March. Retail business owners were the least optimistic, with an index reading of 93.7, according to a supplementary report published by NFIB on May 27. That is 6.4 points below January and the only sector to come in below the overall long-term average. Retailers also reported the weakest hiring plans, the most inventory complaints, and the most widespread supply chain disruptions. Many, if not all, of these concerns are tied to President Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, which were announced on April 2. Only 10% of retail owners plan to hire, compared to 13% across all small businesses. Seventy-six percent of retailers say supply chain issues are affecting their business. Fourteen percent say their inventories are too low, the lowest of any sector. Even with those headwinds, a net 7% expect real sales to rise, which is better than the overall small business outlook. Construction, on the other hand, remains the most confident sector. Its index reading was 100.9, down 3.9 points from January but still the highest among all industries. More than half of construction businesses report unfilled job openings, and 20% plan to hire in the next three months. Labor remains the industry's top concern. Nearly a third of construction owners said finding qualified workers is their most pressing issue. That shortage is likely being made worse by the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown. About one in three construction workers is an immigrant, and nearly half of painters and drywall installers are foreign born. Manufacturing and services also declined but stayed above the overall long-term average. Manufacturing optimism fell the most of any industry, dropping 6.8 points. This came despite the Trump Administration's push to onshore production and strengthen domestic supply chains. Even so, manufacturers reported the strongest earnings trends and the best expectations for future sales. In the services sector, hiring plans actually increased slightly, and expectations for the economy were the second highest of any group. Despite the broader decline in optimism, 69% of all small business owners rated their business health as excellent or good. That was true across every industry. Finance (74%) led the way. Transportation came in last (just 60%). Tariffs may be weighing on confidence, but outside of retail, most small businesses still see a path forward. While the overall index is down, three of the four major sectors remain more optimistic than the historical trend. That said, retail's struggles aren't a sideshow. When including direct and indirect employment, such as supply chain workers, retail employs about 55 million Americans and contributes $2.2 trillion to the country's annual gross domestic product, according to the National Retail Federation. Even if tariffs are hitting retailers hardest for now, the ripple effects could spread quickly. A slowdown in retail hiring, investment, and consumer spending could drag down broader economic momentum in the months ahead. More from Forbes
The Age
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Fun and anarchy in Disney's live action remake of Lilo and Stitch
LILO & STITCH ★★★ PG. 108 minutes, rated PG. In cinemas Lilo (Maia Kealoha) is a young Hawaiian orphan, full of high spirits but short on friends. Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders) is a sharp-toothed but fluffy alien genetic experiment, who has fled the laboratory where he was created and is hiding out on planet earth. That should let you know what to expect from Lilo & Stitch, even if you're unfamiliar with the 2002 cartoon of the same title – not the last Disney film to rely on traditional hand-drawn animation, but among the last to be viewed with widespread nostalgia. Many members of the original target audience will by now have young children of their own, presumably what Disney are banking on with this live-action remake, a more faithful transposition than their remakes of their older animated classics tend to be. As before, six-year-old Lilo stumbles upon Stitch at the local dog pound, though even in his new digitally-animated form he looks more like a previously undiscovered species of possum than a dog. It's love at first sight, despite the qualms of Lilo's elder sister and guardian Nani (Sydney Agudong), who's wrapped up in her own worries including an ongoing struggle with child protection services. Stitch has worries too, such as the extra-terrestrial scientists on his trail, played in their disguised human form by Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifinakis. Still, before the climax kicks in there's ample time for him and his new human soulmate to cause trouble at the hotel where Nani works, along with bonding over Elvis records and teaching each other the meaning of family. While the tone remains basically gentle, much of the fun comes from Stitch's anarchic, destructive streak – akin to one of my own childhood favourites, Mortimer the raven in the books by Joan Aiken, which some enterprising producer should try bringing to the big screen.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Fun and anarchy in Disney's live action remake of Lilo and Stitch
LILO & STITCH ★★★ PG. 108 minutes, rated PG. In cinemas Lilo (Maia Kealoha) is a young Hawaiian orphan, full of high spirits but short on friends. Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders) is a sharp-toothed but fluffy alien genetic experiment, who has fled the laboratory where he was created and is hiding out on planet earth. That should let you know what to expect from Lilo & Stitch, even if you're unfamiliar with the 2002 cartoon of the same title – not the last Disney film to rely on traditional hand-drawn animation, but among the last to be viewed with widespread nostalgia. Many members of the original target audience will by now have young children of their own, presumably what Disney are banking on with this live-action remake, a more faithful transposition than their remakes of their older animated classics tend to be. As before, six-year-old Lilo stumbles upon Stitch at the local dog pound, though even in his new digitally-animated form he looks more like a previously undiscovered species of possum than a dog. It's love at first sight, despite the qualms of Lilo's elder sister and guardian Nani (Sydney Agudong), who's wrapped up in her own worries including an ongoing struggle with child protection services. Stitch has worries too, such as the extra-terrestrial scientists on his trail, played in their disguised human form by Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifinakis. Still, before the climax kicks in there's ample time for him and his new human soulmate to cause trouble at the hotel where Nani works, along with bonding over Elvis records and teaching each other the meaning of family. While the tone remains basically gentle, much of the fun comes from Stitch's anarchic, destructive streak – akin to one of my own childhood favourites, Mortimer the raven in the books by Joan Aiken, which some enterprising producer should try bringing to the big screen.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Emerging market equity funds lure investors fleeing overvalued U.S. assets
By Patturaja Murugaboopathy and Johann M Cherian (Reuters) -Emerging market equity funds are leading the global performance this year, bolstered by attractive valuations, years of under-positioning by investors and an easing of economic pressures after U.S. President Donald Trump's pause on tariffs. According to data compiled by LSEG, funds tracking equities in Latin America and emerging Europe have each gained around 24% so far this year, while broader emerging market equity funds are up 9.3%. Notably, equity funds focused on Morocco, Colombia, Greece, Brazil, and Portugal have each returned more than 30% this year. In comparison, U.S.-focused equity funds have returned just 0.17%, and global equity funds are up 6.8%. The outperformance of emerging markets marks a reversal after their years of lagging developed markets, during which U.S. equities, driven by the AI-led tech rally, delivered stellar index gains. This year, however, investors have been selling U.S. assets as worries over possible recession, fiscal instability and Trump's erratic policies shake their faith in the dollar. LSEG Lipper data showed dedicated EM equity funds have attracted $10.6 billion in inflows in the first five months of the year, a 43% increase over the same period last year. Malcolm Dorson, emerging markets senior portfolio manager at GlobalX, attributed this to how under-owned emerging market equities are. U.S. investors allocate just 3–5% to emerging markets, well below the 10.5% weighting in the MSCI Global Index and far short of their roughly 25% share of global market capitalisation, he said. "Allocators are dangerously short a deeply discounted and fast-growing asset class," he said. Analysts also highlight improving fundamentals. Latin American countries are largely insulated from tariffs, given their trade deficits with the U.S., while Asian economies are pivoting toward domestic consumption. Further, upgraded its rating on emerging market stocks to "overweight" from "neutral" earlier this week. It said it expects all central banks across developing economies, excluding Brazil, to ease monetary policy, which could increase economic activity and the attractiveness of equity markets. Gains in tech stocks have buoyed Chinese and Hong Kong equities, drawing renewed interest from foreign investors seeking to invest in artificial intelligence and other low-cost tech firms such as DeepSeek. There are opportunities in Mexico and Brazil, which have remained resilient despite trade tensions, according to Alison Shimada, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments. "The China consumer story is especially interesting right now," she said. "Beijing is very focused on stimulating the consumer economy. India may be overbought, but there are pockets of opportunity such as power companies and non-bank financials." At the end of last month, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index was trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 11.96, just below its 10-year average of 12.1. In contrast, the MSCI USA and MSCI World indexes were trading at 20.5 and 18.1, well above their 10-year averages of 18.8 and 16.9, respectively. (Reporting By Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru and Johann M Cherian in Singapore; Editing by Janane Venkatraman) 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
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Emerging market equity funds lure investors fleeing overvalued U.S. assets
By Patturaja Murugaboopathy and Johann M Cherian (Reuters) -Emerging market equity funds are leading the global performance this year, bolstered by attractive valuations, years of under-positioning by investors and an easing of economic pressures after U.S. President Donald Trump's pause on tariffs. According to data compiled by LSEG, funds tracking equities in Latin America and emerging Europe have each gained around 24% so far this year, while broader emerging market equity funds are up 9.3%. Notably, equity funds focused on Morocco, Colombia, Greece, Brazil, and Portugal have each returned more than 30% this year. In comparison, U.S.-focused equity funds have returned just 0.17%, and global equity funds are up 6.8%. The outperformance of emerging markets marks a reversal after their years of lagging developed markets, during which U.S. equities, driven by the AI-led tech rally, delivered stellar index gains. This year, however, investors have been selling U.S. assets as worries over possible recession, fiscal instability and Trump's erratic policies shake their faith in the dollar. LSEG Lipper data showed dedicated EM equity funds have attracted $10.6 billion in inflows in the first five months of the year, a 43% increase over the same period last year. Malcolm Dorson, emerging markets senior portfolio manager at GlobalX, attributed this to how under-owned emerging market equities are. U.S. investors allocate just 3–5% to emerging markets, well below the 10.5% weighting in the MSCI Global Index and far short of their roughly 25% share of global market capitalisation, he said. "Allocators are dangerously short a deeply discounted and fast-growing asset class," he said. Analysts also highlight improving fundamentals. Latin American countries are largely insulated from tariffs, given their trade deficits with the U.S., while Asian economies are pivoting toward domestic consumption. Further, upgraded its rating on emerging market stocks to "overweight" from "neutral" earlier this week. It said it expects all central banks across developing economies, excluding Brazil, to ease monetary policy, which could increase economic activity and the attractiveness of equity markets. Gains in tech stocks have buoyed Chinese and Hong Kong equities, drawing renewed interest from foreign investors seeking to invest in artificial intelligence and other low-cost tech firms such as DeepSeek. There are opportunities in Mexico and Brazil, which have remained resilient despite trade tensions, according to Alison Shimada, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments. "The China consumer story is especially interesting right now," she said. "Beijing is very focused on stimulating the consumer economy. India may be overbought, but there are pockets of opportunity such as power companies and non-bank financials." At the end of last month, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index was trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 11.96, just below its 10-year average of 12.1. In contrast, the MSCI USA and MSCI World indexes were trading at 20.5 and 18.1, well above their 10-year averages of 18.8 and 16.9, respectively. (Reporting By Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru and Johann M Cherian in Singapore; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
