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☆ Student loan relief is gone for millions of Americans — here's what it means for retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Biden's plan would have eliminated her remaining student debt balance. KeyBanc's Thomas said the student loan payment pause was yet another pandemic tail wind for retailers. Estimates vary on how much student loan borrowers will pay each month. Kantrowitz said there is little data on how Americans used the money that they did not spend on student debt. He said the student loan changes are modest compared with the pinch that people feel from inflation or the dwindling of pandemic-strengthened savings accounts.

Persons: Brent Lewis, Lenèe Gill, Pell, Gill, KeyBanc's Thomas, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz, it's, Brett House, Mario Anzuoni Organizations: Old Navy, Denver, Getty, Louisiana State University, Walmart, Nutrition, Bank of America Institute, Columbia, Maxx, TJX Cos Inc Locations: Denver , Colorado, Pasadena , California

☆ H&M to grow third-party brand strategy as online rivalry intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, June 29 (Reuters) - H&M (HMb.ST) plans to sell more third-party brands online and in stores, CEO Helena Helmersson said on Thursday, as one of the world's top fashion retailers ramps up its effort to take on e-commerce rivals. Its marketplace strategy, launched last year, is aimed at challenging online rivals like Zalando, ASOS, and fast-fashion giant Shein as competition intensifies. Inditex-owned (ITX.MC) Zara features other brands only for exclusive collaborations, such as with South Korean label Ader Error and British shoemaker Clarks. "This has been really well received by customers who also complement the H&M assortment with other brands," Helmersson said. "Inditex's thinking is focused on its own brands, own stores and own online," said Lowery.

Persons: Helena Helmersson, M's, Zara, Clarks, Helmersson, Geoff Lowery, Inditex's Zara, Lowery, Marie, Helen Reid, Josephine Mason, Emma Rumney Organizations: Adidas, South, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Cos, Swedish, Monki, Hong Kong, Stockholm, London

☆ Americans aren't spending like they used to
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

You can also download the app to get notifications about our biggest markets stories. Spending has remained elevated even through the Fed's 10 straight rate hikes, but warning signs of a change have started to surface. That's going to further take the wind out of Americans' brisk spending over the last few years. From David Rosenberg to Rob Arnott, experts are sharing what the disruptive technology can mean for the economy, jobs, and stock market. The biggest companies and banks can't agree on where the stock market is heading next.

Persons: I'm Phil Rosen, You'll, let's, Derek Davis, Patek Pilippe, Audemars, Jerome Powell, Brian Moynihan, Morgan Stanley, Andy Ryan, Pablo Hernández de Cos, David Rosenberg, Rob Arnott, Stocks, Russell, Goldman Sachs, Phil Rosen, Max Adams, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Big Apple, Portland Portland Press, Getty, Rolex, Bloomberg, Bank of America, Bank of Spain, Fed, Wall Street, Royal, Nvidia, Tesla, Morningstar Locations: Madrid, Phoenix, Miami, Royal Caribbean, New York, London

☆ Stock futures rise slightly as the market nears the end of quarter and first half: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stock futures rose slightly in overnight trading Wednesday as the market approaches the end of the second quarter and the first half of 2023 with solid gains. S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.3%. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 closed near the flatline as investors digested Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's latest comments about the tightening cycle. For the month of June, the S&P 500 is up 4.7%, on pace for its best monthly performance since January. In the second quarter, the equity benchmark has gained 6.5%, on track for its third positive quarter in a row.

Persons: Dow, Jason Draho, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Pablo Hernández de Cos Organizations: Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Micron Technology, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Federal, UBS Global Wealth Management, European Central Bank, Bank of Spain, Traders Locations: Madrid

☆ Spain's watchdog lacks tools to prove collusion on deposits for savers, chair says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jesús Aguado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, June 23 (Reuters) - Spain's competition watchdog urged political parties to give this institution better tools to look into potential anticompetitive practices between banks when setting deposit rates for savers, its chair Cani Fernandez said on Friday. Spanish banks offer the lowest household deposit rates among the euro zone's large economies, igniting demands from the government, supervisors and clients to pass on higher interest rates for savers. "A tacit collusion is a hole in our system of tools to tackle (this issue) in markets with little competition," Fernandez said. She added that other European countries, such as Germany and the UK, had better tools to look into these commercial practices. On Friday, the Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos said it was up to the CNMC to look into that matter.

Persons: Cani Fernandez, Fernandez, smartly, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Jesús Aguado, Emma Pinedo, Kirsten Donovan, Louise Heavens Organizations: Bank of Spain, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spanish, Santander, Germany

☆ ECB's De Cos sees another 25 bps rate hike in July, no certainty afterwards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, June 22 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank will need to raise interest rates by another 25 basis points in July to combat inflation but the path afterwards remains unclear, ECB policymaker Pablo Hernandez de Cos said on Friday. De Cos added that given the "high uncertainty ... we will continue to take our decisions depending on the data and, in particular, on the aggregate assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation." Euro zone inflation has been moderating for months, courtesy of lower energy prices and the steepest increase in rates in the ECB's 25-year history. But it remains unacceptably high for the ECB at 6.1% in May, with underlying price growth only just starting to slow despite signs economic growth is stagnating. Reporting by Jesús Aguado; additional reporting by Emma Pinedo; editing by David Latona and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: policymaker Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Christine Lagarde, De Cos, Jesús Aguado, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Conor Humphries Organizations: European Central Bank, policymaker, ECB, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spanish, Santander

☆ Morning Bid: Still seeking decisive stimulus in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Sonali DesaiDisappointment has been the prevailing sentiment so far this week as investors grow impatient with the wait for more decisive Chinese stimulus measures. China delivered the expected 10 basis-point reduction to its lending benchmarks, but disappointed those looking for a bigger cut to the mortgage-linked five-year loan prime rate. Chinese property stocks took a hit and the yuan came under further pressure, reversing much of its bounce against the U.S. dollar late last week when stimulus expectations were driving price action. Still, that helped Australian shares build on recent gains to reach a seven-week high, bucking declines across Asian bourses where rising Treasury yields and souring anticipation of Chinese stimulus efforts spurred broad declines. The wary investor mood is likely to spill into Europe, where the data calendar is confined to German producer prices for May.

Persons: Sonali Desai, Antony Blinken's, Luis de, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Olli Rehn, Elizabeth McCaul, Luis de Guindos, St Louis, James Bullard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Sonali, U.S ., Reuters, Bank of Australia's, European Central Bank, Bank of Spain, Bank of Finland, St, Barcelona School of, Thomson Locations: Asia, China, Europe, Luis de Guindos, Hungary

☆ Wall Street prepares for more gains this month after past week's breakout
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

For now, it's not a brighter economic picture or an exuberant earnings outlook pushing stocks higher. Another reason that some investors have come back to stocks is simply because the S & P 500 ended the week more than 23% above last October's low. "The next level of resistance is above 4,500 on the S & P. Historically, the market gains 14.5% on average between the 20% threshold level and the next decline of 5% or more. "Inflation peaked in June of last year and has been rapidly declining over the past 12 months. Trading the week after is often treacherous, Hirsch said, with the Dow Jones Industrials falling in 27 of the past 33 years and the S & P 500 down in 23 of 33 years.

Persons: it's, Sam Stovall, Clinton, Wells Fargo, Chris Harvey, Harvey, Jay Hatfield, Price, CarMax, Stovall, Jeffrey Hirsch, Hirsch, Dow Jones Industrials, York Fed's John Williams, Jerome Powell, Philip Jefferson, Lisa Cook, Adriana Kugler, Avid Bioservices, Patterson Cos, Christopher Waller, Michael Bloom, Fred Imbert, Alex Harring Organizations: Fed, CFRA, Microsoft, Infrastructure Capital Management, Consumer, PPI, FedEx, Darden, Dow, Housing, Financial, Enerpac, Avid, Banking, Accenture, Commercial Metals, P, PMI Locations: New York, York, Dublin

☆ Fashion retailers resilient despite consumer fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares in H&M gained 6% as analysts forecast a stronger third quarter after flat sales from March to May. Bank of America analysts said H&M's sold-out collaboration with luxury brand Mugler could also help boost half-year earnings expected on June 29. Despite sales falling, it said its focus on profit per order was paying off. The online retailer, bruised by shoppers' return to physical stores post-pandemic, has cut stock by 15% since the start of the year and said it was removing unprofitable brands from its platform. "While cracks are clearly visible in the U.S. consumer environment and to a lesser extent in Europe, Hugo Boss has been immune so far," Citi analysts said.

Persons: Sweden's, Inditex, M's, ASOS, Hugo Boss, Helen Reid, Marie Mannes, James Davey, Linda Pasquini, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bank of America, Citi, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, China, Zara, London, Stockholm, Gdansk

☆ Morning Bid: China steals the show before US inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Sonali DesaiThe People's Bank of China (PBOC) managed to liven up the wait for Tuesday's highly anticipated U.S. consumer price inflation (CPI) data by lowering a short-term lending rate for the first time in 10 months. Several analysts had been expecting a cut to the one-year medium-term lending facility rate on Thursday, when the PBOC is widely expected to roll over maturing loans. The move had little broader impact on markets in the run-up to tonight's U.S. CPI release and this week's major central bank decisions. Europe's calendar highlights include UK employment data, Germany's ZEW survey for June and final May inflation data, and Bank of (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey's parliamentary testimony. In the U.S., CPI data is likely to dominate market interest and factor into the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) deliberations as it begins a two-day meeting.

Persons: Sonali Desai, Tuesday's, SoftBank Group's, BoE, Andrew Bailey's, BoE policymaker Catherine Mann, Bailey, CPI BoE Governor Bailey, ECB's Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Andrea Enria, FOMC, Christopher Cushing Organizations: People's Bank of China, U.S, CPI, U.S ., Intel, Reuters, Bank of, bps, Federal, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Economic, Thomson Locations: Asia, U.S . Federal, U.S

☆ Final Trades: Medtronic, Merck, The Williams Cos. & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFinal Trades: Medtronic, Merck, The Williams Cos. & moreThe "Halftime Report" traders give their top picks to watch for the second half.

Persons: Williams Cos Organizations: Merck

☆ T.J. Maxx parent lifts profit view on easing costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 17 (Reuters) - TJX Cos Inc (TJX.N) raised its annual profit forecast on Wednesday, benefiting from easing cost pressures even as consumers turned cautious on their discretionary spending. The T.J. Maxx parent also missed first-quarter revenue estimates and joined bigger retailer Target Corp (TGT.N) in forecasting a downbeat second quarter as sticky inflation forces consumers to rethink discretionary purchases such as furniture and kitchenware. It also beat expectations for first-quarter profit and maintained its annual sales forecast. TJX now expects 2024 adjusted profit per share between $3.39 and $3.48, compared with its previous range of $3.29 to $3.41. Net sales rose to $11.78 billion in the first quarter, from $11.41 billion a year earlier, missing estimates of $11.82 billion.

☆ Home Depot cuts forecasts, signals weakness ahead for big US retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Home improvement retailers have now lost their pandemic-era sparkle as consumers shift away from home renovations and focus on travel, vacations and other services, driving quarterly transactions 4.8% lower at Home Depot. Home Depot kicks off a big week for U.S. retailers' earnings, with Target Corp (TGT.N) and Walmart Inc (WMT.N) scheduled to report on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Home Depot now expects fiscal 2023 comparable sales to fall between 2% and 5%, compared to its prior outlook for nearly flat sales. The company forecast earnings per share to decline between 7% and 13%, compared to a mid-single digits decline estimated previously. The company posted a profit of $3.82 per share, above estimates of $3.80.

☆ Home Depot cuts annual sales forecast on slowing demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of the largest U.S. home improvement chain tumbled about 4% in premarket trading after the company also missed first-quarter sales estimates, hit by adverse weather and falling lumber prices. The company now expects comparable sales to decline between 2% and 5% in fiscal 2023, compared to its prior outlook for sales to remain nearly flat. Analysts were expecting comparable sales to decline 0.9% this year, according to Refinitiv IBES data. The company forecast earnings per share to decline between 7% and 13%, compared to prior expectations for a mid-single digits decline. Home Depot's first-quarter comparable sales decreased 4.5%, missing estimates of a 1.74% drop.

☆ Good news for markets next week. Everyone agrees the debt ceiling 'X-date' is not here yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Good news for markets next week: no default, no credit agency downgrade, no apocalypse. Worrying 2011 precedent Recent history tells investors that stocks will move more violently during a debt ceiling standoff. Retail sales update Debt negotiations aside, investors get updates next week on the state of American consumer spending when April retail sales are reported Tuesday alongside earnings from Home Depot. Deutsche Bank estimates that April retail sales expanded month over month by 0.7%, the market consensus. Credit Suisse is less optimistic, forecasting that April retail sales grew by 0.6%, but, excluding vehicles, were unchanged.

☆ Big U.S. firms adopt cautious tone on China recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In April, China's imports contracted sharply, underscoring signs of weak domestic demand as a battered property market, worries over job stability and global economic uncertainty kept shoppers wary. "We grew mid-single digits in China, which had previously been a double-digit growth market for us pre-pandemic. "Consumer confidence remains weak and shaken because many Chinese faced job and salary cuts in 2022 and Chinese New Year bonuses in 2023 were low," said Shaun Rein, managing director at China Market Research Group. Still, a rapid recovery in domestic travel demand propped up sales at hotels. "China will be a growth driver for many multi-national companies but will not be at the high growth rates many analysts predict," China Market Research's Rein said.

SummarySummary Companies Co expects annual net sales to fall 10% to 12%Expects annual adj. Barclays analyst Lauren Lieberman said in a note Estee's profit forecast was the "last thing" expected even by the Street. Even though China relaxed pandemic-related restrictions, the company saw January 2023 pressured by retailers destocking due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. Estee expects full-year 2023 net sales to fall between 10% and 12%, compared with its prior forecast of a 5% and 7% decrease. It also forecast adjusted profit per share to fall between 50% and 51%, compared with a 27% to 29% decrease it expected earlier.

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 3, 2023. Major U.S. stock indexes dropped over 1% on Tuesday as regional bank shares tumbled on renewed fears over the financial system and as investors tried to gauge how much longer the Fed may need to hike interest rates. Estee Lauder Cos Inc (EL.N) slid 21.3% as the MAC lipstick maker forecast a bigger drop in full-year sales and profit. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 2.11-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.25-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 19 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 30 new highs and 76 new lows.

Shares of the company hit a six-month low of $190.30 during trading hours after Estee Lauder slashed its fiscal-year forecasts for a third time. Estee expects full-year 2023 net sales to fall between 10% and 12%, compared with its prior forecast of a 5% to 7% decrease. Even though China relaxed pandemic-related restrictions, the company saw January 2023 pressured by retailers destocking due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. Estee has also been challenged by the growth of smaller competitors in the beauty space, according to Travis. Estee forecast adjusted per-share profit to fall by 50% to 51%, compared with a 27% to 29% decrease it expected earlier.

☆ Barclays downgrades a string of retail stocks as its hopes for a V-shaped recovery fade
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Consumers across all income levels are pulling back on spending, according to a Barclays Capital promotions tracker, prompting analyst Adrienne Yih to downgrade a host of retail stocks. However, Yih said, the pace of sales and discounting suggests that this scenario — a V-shaped recovery — is now less likely. FIGS 6M mountain Barclays downgraded Figs shares to underweight from equal weight. Figs shares shed 6%, Canada Goose fell more than 5% and Victoria's Secret was down more than 3%. CPRI YTD mountain Capri shares have fall 31% since the year started.

☆ Tech Slump Weighs on IPG Revenues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky, seen at an event last summer, said this year’s first-quarter results weren’t in keeping with the advertising company’s track record. Photo: Richard Bord/Getty ImagesInterpublic Group of Cos. said organic net revenue declined 0.2% during the first quarter of 2023 following a pullback on marketing spending in the technology sector. Organic net revenue in the U.S., IPG’s largest market, declined 0.9% in the period. This compares with 12% growth in the first quarter of 2022. Organic net revenue removes the effects of currency fluctuations, acquisitions and disposals.

In March, depositors fled Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O), withdrawing $42 billion in 24 hours, some via their mobile phones. Information about the bank's difficulties spread fast online, creating a social media-driven bank run. Officials said the bank turbulence added urgency to discussions of a European Commission proposal to broaden the EU's bank resolution framework, now applied to just over 100 of the biggest European banks, to smaller and medium-sized lenders. The proposal, called Crisis Management and Deposit Insurance (CMDI) was requested by EU finance ministers in mid-2022. It would ensure that the resolution of smaller banks could be paid for from the EU's resolution fund, financed by banks, rather than by taxpayers.

☆ Indian cos sometimes face delays in paying for Russian oil above $60/bbl - oil secretary
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, April 24 (Reuters) - Indian companies "sometimes" face delays in paying for Russian oil priced above the $60 cap per barrel fixed by the Western nations, India's oil secretary Pankaj Jain said on Monday. "Nobody stops us from buying Russian oil at above the price cap level provided. In case of Russian oil priced above the cap, the companies on their own manage to find alternative mechanisms to settle payments, he said, adding most Russian oil supplies to India are made at below the price cap level. He also said India is seeking to buy oil at discounts from other countries depending on grades. India has significantly increased oil imports from Russia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

☆ Morning Bid: Oil price relapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although oil prices have not yet reversed all their gains from OPEC move, Brent is down more than 5% over the past week and the year-on-year deflation in oil prices is running at 24%. And there's also signs oil loading from Russia's western ports this month is rising to the highest since 2019 -= despite Moscow's pledge to cut output. Tesla (TSLA.O) shares dropped 2% after the electric-vehicle maker's sixth U.S. price cut this year. Helped by the oil price retreat, 2-year U.S. Treasury yields fell back almost 10 basis points to 4.19%. VIX and bear marketsShare price performance, earnings and sales for TeslaReuters GraphicsReuters GraphicsBy Mike Dolan, <a href="mailto:mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com" target="_blank">mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com</a>.

☆ Morning Bid: Sterling's inflation test
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom WestbrookTraders are scaling back bets on U.S. rate cuts, but dialling up expectations for British hikes. On Tuesday, it was bigger-than-expected pay rises that strengthened expectations for the Bank of England to lift rates next month and to continue doing so thereafter. On Wednesday, British inflation data is in focus. On balance, the sheer size of the Bank of England's task of reining in inflation has been supportive for sterling, which hit a 10-month high last week. Implied volatility in the options market suggests traders don't expect sudden changes in the currency's slow grind higher.

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