In recent times, the economic landscape has presented an array of challenges that have profoundly affected the business community. Some of the most significant challenges include soaring inflation rates, escalating interest rates, looming fears of a recession, and a tangible decrease in revenues for many sectors…
Category: TRENDS ON THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC FRONT – Dec 19 2023
WHEN THE ECONOMY FALLS JOBS GO WITH IT
It’s global. The numbers are there for all to see. From developed to underdeveloped nations, economies are slowing down and/or contracting. The reports are making it clear the job cut trend will increase next year as we have detailed in this and previous Trends Journals.
SPOTLIGHT: BIGS GETTING BIGGER
Consolidation is the name of the “Bigs” game. The more they own the more they control… it’s the way of the power hungry world.
SPOTLIGHT: CHINA’S ECONOMIC MALAISE
China’s factory output increased 6.6 percent in November, year on year, beating economists’ forecasts. Retail sales jumped 10.1 percent on an annual basis, although they fell short of analysts’ expectations.
SPOTLIGHT: OFFICE BUILDING BUST
Hedge funds have become short sellers—investors betting an asset’s value will fall—in commercial real estate.
LUXURY RETAILERS INDITEX, FARFETCH SEE A BLEAKER FUTURE
Inditex, a Spanish upscale clothier and fast-fashion company that owns the Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear brands, reported a sales increase of 6.6 percent in the three months ending 31 October, less than analysts had expected and falling by nearly half of the more than 10-percent gain the company had averaged over the past two years.
ARGENTINA DEVALUES PESO, SLASHES BUREAUCRACY AND GOVERNMENT SPENDING
Javier Milei, Argentina’s chainsaw-wielding new president, has announced a series of sweeping measures that will begin to make good on his pledges to take drastic steps to right the country’s economy.
IRISH FACTORY OUTPUT SLIPS IN OCTOBER
Ireland’s factory output sank 0.7 percent in October, more than twice the 0.3-percent decline analysts had forecast.
OPEC+ LOSING ITS GRIP ON WORLD OIL MARKET
OPEC+’s recent production cuts intended to shore up crude oil prices have cut the cartel’s share of global oil markets to 51 percent, the smallest proportion since OPEC invited other producing nations to affiliate and create OPEC+ in 2016, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported.
BoE AND ECB DON’T SHARE FED’S OPTIMISTIC VIEW OF 2024
The Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB) made it clear their view of inflation is not as sunny as the U.S. Federal Reserve’s chair Jerome Powell expressed last week.