AlexSecret/E+ via Getty Images Market Review The consumer staples sector returned -0.66% in the fourth quarter, according to the MSCI U.S. IMI Consumer Staples 25/50 Index, underperforming the 2.66% gain of the broad-based S&P 500® index. In Q4, stocks extended a historically fast rebound that began in early April, but at a slower pace. The advance has been supported by strong corporate fundamenta...
AlexSecret/E+ via Getty Images Market Review The consumer staples sector returned -0.66% in the fourth quarter, according to the MSCI U.S. IMI Consumer Staples 25/50 Index, underperforming the 2.66% gain of the broad-based S&P 500® index. In Q4, stocks extended a historically fast rebound that began in early April, but at a slower pace. The advance has been supported by strong corporate fundamentals, a resilient economy, an ongoing boom in spending on artificial intelligence and the Federal Reserve's first interest-rate reductions since December 2024. Amid this favorable backdrop for higher-risk assets, the index closed the year just shy of its all-time high. Value stocks modestly outpaced growth in Q4, while large-caps had only a slight advantage over small-caps, as investors' appetite for risk waned versus the prior three months. Within this environment, the underperformance of the consumer staples sector was largely due to a modest rotation away from defensive sectors toward cyclical and higher-growth stocks. The MSCI consumer staples index returned -2.64% in October, whereas the S&P 500® notched a 2.34% gain. On October 29, the central bank lowered its benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage points at its second consecutive meeting. Staples stocks then gained in November (+3.77%) before losing steam in December (-1.68%), when the focus returned to a U.S. economy largely driven by massive AI-related outlays by big tech companies. Meanwhile, the Fed cut rates by another quarter point on December 10. Among the biggest segments in the sector, consumer staples merchandise retail (+3%), making up 31% of the index, gained ground, aided by some of its largest components, including Walmart ( WMT ) (+8%) and Target ( TGT ) (+10%). Soft drinks & non-alcoholic beverages (+7%), making up about 18% of the index, also helped the sector's result, with Keurig Dr Pepper ( KDP ) (+10%) and Coca Cola (+6%) leading the way. Conversely, household products, constituting roughl...
CLP Power, Hong Kong’s largest electricity supplier, will raise its fuel cost adjustment (FCA) next month – the first increase in more than a year – citing changes in actual fuel prices. Starting from April 1, the FCA will rise from 39.2 HK cents to 39.8 HK cents per kilowatt-hour, an increase of 0.6 HK cents, according to the power supplier’s website on Wednesday. CLP serves Kowloon, the New Terr...
CLP Power, Hong Kong’s largest electricity supplier, will raise its fuel cost adjustment (FCA) next month – the first increase in more than a year – citing changes in actual fuel prices. Starting from April 1, the FCA will rise from 39.2 HK cents to 39.8 HK cents per kilowatt-hour, an increase of 0.6 HK cents, according to the power supplier’s website on Wednesday. CLP serves Kowloon, the New Territories and Lantau Island. With the basic tariff included, the net electricity charge for April will...
Henkel AG is in advanced talks to buy Olaplex Holdings Inc. , the hair-care brand that developed a cult following for its shampoos and other treatments, according to people familiar with the matter. Dusseldorf, Germany-based Henkel could announce a deal as soon as the coming days for Olaplex, said the people, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. The companies are discussing a...
Henkel AG is in advanced talks to buy Olaplex Holdings Inc. , the hair-care brand that developed a cult following for its shampoos and other treatments, according to people familiar with the matter. Dusseldorf, Germany-based Henkel could announce a deal as soon as the coming days for Olaplex, said the people, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. The companies are discussing a price that values Olaplex at about $2 per share, the people said. Nothing is finalized and the talks could still fall apart or the timing could change, the people said. Representatives for Henkel and Olaplex didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Olaplex, which counts private equity firm Advent as its largest shareholder, was among a class of companies that went public in 2021 at peak valuations in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Shares of Olaplex are down about 25% from earlier this month after management warned investors of a weak first quarter. The stock closed at $1.33 Wednesday in New York trading, giving the company a market value of about $890 million. Henkel, which makes chemicals for industrial and commercial goods, owns hair-product brands including Schwarzkopf and Not Your Mother’s, which it recently acquired . Bloomberg News reported in January that Henkel had made an offer for Olaplex.
推荐：知乎首次实现年度盈利；快手视频生成模型可灵年入超10亿元；Meta和谷歌被判功能设计对未成年人有害 【财新网】 特朗普任命黄仁勋等为总统科技顾问委员会成员 当地时间 3月25日，特朗普任命了包括 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg、甲骨文执行董事长Larry Ellison、英伟达 CEO 黄仁勋、谷歌联合创始人Sergey Brin、戴尔创始人 Michael Dell等在内...
推荐：知乎首次实现年度盈利；快手视频生成模型可灵年入超10亿元；Meta和谷歌被判功能设计对未成年人有害 【财新网】 特朗普任命黄仁勋等为总统科技顾问委员会成员 当地时间 3月25日，特朗普任命了包括 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg、甲骨文执行董事长Larry Ellison、英伟达 CEO 黄仁勋、谷歌联合创始人Sergey Brin、戴尔创始人 Michael Dell等在内的 13 名业界代表组成总统科技顾问委员会（The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, PCAST）技术委员会，就人工智能政策和其他问题发表意见。
Citigroup Inc. ’s Jan Metzger , co-head of investment banking for Asia, has stepped down six months after the firm named a new executive to share the role. Kaustubh Kulkarni , who was tapped from JPMorgan Chase & Co. in September, will now be sole head of investment banking for the region, according to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg News. It was confirmed by the bank’s spokesman in Hong Ko...
Citigroup Inc. ’s Jan Metzger , co-head of investment banking for Asia, has stepped down six months after the firm named a new executive to share the role. Kaustubh Kulkarni , who was tapped from JPMorgan Chase & Co. in September, will now be sole head of investment banking for the region, according to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg News. It was confirmed by the bank’s spokesman in Hong Kong. Kulkarni, a 28‑year JPMorgan veteran, is based in Singapore and reports to global banking chief Viswas Raghavan , another ex‑JPMorgan banker who moved to Citi in 2024. Since joining, Raghavan has been aggressively poaching former colleagues to boost the firm’s share of Asia’s banking fee wallet. While Metzger has helped Citigroup land some of Asia’s biggest tech mandates, the bank’s equity capital markets record has been uneven. It briefly rose to No. 1 in Asia stock sales in 2024, only to slide back to seventh in subsequent years. Metzger, who grew up in Sri Lanka, started out as a software engineer before moving into finance in 2000. He joined Citigroup in 2015 from Credit Suisse, where he led regional technology, media and telecommunications investment banking coverage and helped oversee Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s initial public offering in New York.
In this episode of Motley Fool Money , Motley Fool contributors Jon Quast, Matt Frankel, and Rachel Warren discuss: To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center . When you're ready to invest, check out this top 10 list of stocks to buy . A full transcript is below. Continue reading
In this episode of Motley Fool Money , Motley Fool contributors Jon Quast, Matt Frankel, and Rachel Warren discuss: To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center . When you're ready to invest, check out this top 10 list of stocks to buy . A full transcript is below. Continue reading