From fast food to fine dining, restaurants play a vital societal role. It also feels like demand is strong as consumers always seem to be chasing the next hot place or viral fast food creation on social media (the Bloomin' Onion? That's FIVE BIG BOOMS!). No surprise the industry has returned 24.6% over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 7.7 percentage points.
By breaking down physical barriers, consumer internet businesses are reshaping how people shop, connect, learn, and play. These themes have enabled rapid growth for the industry, which has posted a 50.4% gain over the past six months compared to 16.9% for the S&P 500.
The performance of consumer discretionary businesses is closely linked to economic cycles. This volatility leads to big swings in stock prices that have worked in their favor recently - over the past six months, the industry has returned 22.7% and beat the S&P 500 by 5.8 percentage points.
Semiconductors are the core infrastructure powering the Information Age. Still, they’re subject to swings in the broader economy because customers often stockpile chips ahead of demand. Some investors seem to be debating where we are in the cycle as the industry’s six-month return of 8.5% has fallen short of the S&P 500’s 16.9% rise.
Software is rapidly reducing operating expenses for businesses. Companies bringing it to life have been rewarded with explosive earnings growth, and the upward trend shows no signs of stopping as the industry has posted a 42.2% gain over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 25.3 percentage points.
Amazon shares lost ground in extended trading on Thursday after the tech giant reported cloud computing revenue below expectations and issued a tepid current quarter outlook. Monitor these key post-earnings chart levels.
Bitcoin is holding steady under $100K despite recent market swings, with Bitdeer’s Jeff LaBerge dismissing crash concerns.
NEW YORK (Reuters) -The dollar rose in choppy trading on Friday after data showed that U.S. job growth slowed in January but that the unemployment rate edged down to 4.0%, giving the U.S. Federal Reserve cover to hold off cutting interest rates until at least June. The U.S. currency was also boosted by comments from President Donald Trump that he plans to announce reciprocal tariffs on many countries next week, without specifying which countries. "We don't really have a trend in nonfarm payrolls," said Joseph Trevisani, senior analyst at FX Street.
Japan should be on alert for any spillover effects from rising foreign market volatility that could affect liquidity conditions for its financial institutions, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday. The IMF also said the country needed to be vigilant about monitoring any fallout from the Bank of Japan's interest rate rises, such as an increase in the government's debt-servicing costs and a possible jump in corporate bankruptcies. "As interest rates rise, the cost of servicing the large public debt is expected to double by 2030, putting a premium on a robust debt management strategy," the IMF said in a statement released after its consultation with Japanese policymakers.
The world's leading central bank umbrella group, the Bank for International Settlements, has delivered its first public warning about the risks posed by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and deregulation plans. BIS head Agustin Carstens said trade developments were a prominent worry now, while fiscal policy, regulation, immigration policy and the broader geopolitical backdrop all carry major question marks. "Such pervasive policy uncertainty will affect central banks in several ways," Carstens, who was previously governor of the Bank of Mexico, said in a speech delivered in Mexico City.
