With nine months until the US midterm elections, Wall Street is starting to game out trading scenarios leading up to the November vote. Top of mind is the American consumer, who is not all right, at least going by the latest sentiment surveys. Investors are eying trades that would benefit from efforts by the the Trump administration to lower the cost of living. That includes newfangled financial f...
With nine months until the US midterm elections, Wall Street is starting to game out trading scenarios leading up to the November vote. Top of mind is the American consumer, who is not all right, at least going by the latest sentiment surveys. Investors are eying trades that would benefit from efforts by the the Trump administration to lower the cost of living. That includes newfangled financial firms that may see higher demand as some tax changes and other cost-of-living policies are implemented, and homebuilders that would see an uptick if mortgage rates fell. President Donald Trump has already tried to push home borrowing costs lower by ordering purchases of mortgage-backed securities. Republicans cling to a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, and investors expect they will be inclined to back legislation that would address the threat of inflation. “Populism is on the rise as part of the affordability focus as midterms approach,” said Drew Pettit , US equity strategist at Citi Research. “Affordability has a huge connection to credit. If you give people more money in tax refunds, if you put money into their bank accounts, they are still likely to use leverage in some sense, use financing or use credit to buy more of the things that they want,” Pettit said. That’s why Citi launched what Pettit called a “tactical” trade basket that focuses on fintech companies active in consumer finance for lower income consumers, like Klarna Group Plc , Block Inc. and Intuit Inc. The group could see a tailwind from policies that make it easier for consumers to access credit, for example. Citi is targeting fintech just as data showed consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since 2014, according to the Conference Board . That’s raised alarms in some corners of Wall Street that spending may start to flag, though sentiment surveys have been weak for months while expenditures have remained high. Regardless, the displeasure among consumers has caught the attention of DC...
Company Logo Key opportunities in the UK ecommerce market include the expansion of omnichannel integration by retailers, leveraging store networks for last-mile fulfilment, and the growing influence of international marketplaces like Temu and Shein. Retail media networks are expanding, capitalizing on first-party data as privacy changes impact digital ads. Value-driven consumer behavior is leading...
Company Logo Key opportunities in the UK ecommerce market include the expansion of omnichannel integration by retailers, leveraging store networks for last-mile fulfilment, and the growing influence of international marketplaces like Temu and Shein. Retail media networks are expanding, capitalizing on first-party data as privacy changes impact digital ads. Value-driven consumer behavior is leading to shifts in retail strategies, focusing on affordability and sustainability. United Kingdom B2C Ecommerce Market United Kingdom B2C Ecommerce Market · GlobeNewswire Inc. Dublin, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "United Kingdom B2C Ecommerce Market Size & Forecast by Value and Volume Across 80+ KPIs - Databook Q4 2025 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The ecommerce market in United Kingdom is expected to grow by 7.4% annually, reaching US$335.67 billion by 2025. The ecommerce market in the region has experienced robust growth during 2020-2024, achieving a CAGR of 7.2%. This upward trajectory is expected to continue, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2025 to 2029. By the end of 2029, the ecommerce market is projected to expand from its 2024 value of US$312.48 billion to approximately US$431.12 billion. Competitive intensity is expected to rise as cross-border platforms target UK share, while domestic retailers pursue margin recovery through private-label expansion, retail media, and supply-chain optimisation. Online grocery competition may tighten as Ocado Retail's automation investments mature and traditional grocers deepen click-and-collect networks. Marketplaces will continue diversifying into advertising and payments, increasing ecosystem effects. Regulatory scrutiny of imported goods, product safety, and platform accountability may influence the operating models of new entrants. Current State of the Market The UK ecommerce market is characterised by high competitive intensity, with established retailers, mark...
Fluor's construction business is more reliable than it was before, but it's still cyclical. Fluor (FLR +1.28%) is a large engineering and construction company. Don't let the company's investment in NuScale Power (SMR 5.72%) pull your eye off the ball. Yes, selling the NuScale stake could be a big event. But it doesn't actually change Fluor's core story. Here's what you need to know before you buy ...
Fluor's construction business is more reliable than it was before, but it's still cyclical. Fluor (FLR +1.28%) is a large engineering and construction company. Don't let the company's investment in NuScale Power (SMR 5.72%) pull your eye off the ball. Yes, selling the NuScale stake could be a big event. But it doesn't actually change Fluor's core story. Here's what you need to know before you buy Fluor stock. NuScale Power is an exciting side story Fluor was an early investor in NuScale Power, a start-up attempting to build small-scale modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). Fluor basically hopes to be a key partner on construction projects that use NuScale's SMRs. For example, the two companies are working together in Romania, where a utility is considering building a power plant with six NuScale SMRs. That said, Fluor is currently looking to monetize its NuScale Power investment. It sold some of its NuScale stock in late 2025, generating net proceeds of $605 million. It plans to sell the rest of its stake in 2026. That's great, but this is, basically, a one-time event and doesn't change anything about Fluor's core business other than strengthening its balance sheet. Fluor is cyclical by nature The knock against Fluor in recent years was its use of fixed-price contracts, which left the company on the hook for price overruns on the construction projects it was overseeing. Management is working to fix that problem, with 82% of its backlog using reimbursable contracts. A full 99% of the $3.4 billion in contracts it signed in the third quarter of 2025 were reimbursable. Expand NYSE : FLR Fluor Today's Change ( 1.28 %) $ 0.59 Current Price $ 46.78 Key Data Points Market Cap $7.6B Day's Range $ 45.95 - $ 47.19 52wk Range $ 29.20 - $ 57.50 Volume 3 Avg Vol 3M Gross Margin -28.87 % That's good news and will help make Fluor a more consistent business. There's just one problem: The construction industry tends to be highly cyclical by nature. That makes sense, since construction pro...
Project Vault aims to secure critical minerals for advanced technologies. Credit: BJP7images/Shutterstock.com. US President Donald Trump is set to initiate Project Vault, a $12bn strategic stockpile of critical minerals aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese rare earths and other materials. This initiative comprises $1.67bn in private investment and a $10bn loan from the US Export-Import Bank (EX...
Project Vault aims to secure critical minerals for advanced technologies. Credit: BJP7images/Shutterstock.com. US President Donald Trump is set to initiate Project Vault, a $12bn strategic stockpile of critical minerals aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese rare earths and other materials. This initiative comprises $1.67bn in private investment and a $10bn loan from the US Export-Import Bank (EXIM), as reported by Bloomberg. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more Project Vault aims to secure minerals essential for advanced technologies, including antimony, cobalt, copper, graphite, lead, nickel and silicon, ensuring manufacturers have reliable access even during periods of market volatility or geopolitical challenges. The framework of Project Vault provides a beneficial return to US taxpayers while aligning with President Trump’s National Security Strategy by strengthening the domestic industrial base and securing supply chains. The initiative targets strategic minerals for industries such as automotive, aerospace and technology, with involvement from companies including Boeing, Corning, General Motors, GE Vernova, Alphabet’s Google and Stellantis NV. Commodities trading firms Hartree Partners, Traxys North America and Mercuria Energy Group are tasked with procuring these materials. GlobalData Strategic Intelligence US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate? Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis. By GlobalData Learn more about Strategic Intelligence The US has an existing stockpile for defence needs but lacks one for civilian purposes. The Trump administration has sought to enhance domestic mineral production and processing through investments and international alliances with countries like Australia, Japan and Malaysia. The push to secure mineral supplies in...
Stock futures were rising Tuesday as Palantir’s strong earnings injected renewed optimism around the artificial-intelligence trade. Palantir Technologies jumped 10% in premarket trading after the company, which sells artificial-intelligence software to manage and analyze large amounts of data, reported better-than expected fourth-quarter adjusted earnings. Revenue jumped 70% from a year earlier to...
Stock futures were rising Tuesday as Palantir’s strong earnings injected renewed optimism around the artificial-intelligence trade. Palantir Technologies jumped 10% in premarket trading after the company, which sells artificial-intelligence software to manage and analyze large amounts of data, reported better-than expected fourth-quarter adjusted earnings. Revenue jumped 70% from a year earlier to a record $1.41 billion on strong demand for its AI technology.
(RTTNews) - Indian shares ended Tuesday's session on a buoyant note after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a trade deal with India that slashes U.S. tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent from 50 percent in exchange for India halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers. The breakthrough following a high-level telephonic conversation between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra...
(RTTNews) - Indian shares ended Tuesday's session on a buoyant note after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a trade deal with India that slashes U.S. tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent from 50 percent in exchange for India halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers. The breakthrough following a high-level telephonic conversation between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped ease tariff-related concerns that have weighed on domestic markets for months. However, the information available was limited to President Trump's tweets and press statements, with no details. There were questions over several key aspects such as the opening of the agriculture sector, the reduction of tariffs to "zero" and a pause on the purchase of Russian oil, as claimed by Trump. Media reports quoted sources as saying that Union Minister Piyush Goyal will soon address Parliament on the deal. Meanwhile, investor sentiment was also underpinned by falling crude oil prices on easing U.S.-Iran tensions, big gains in rupee and a rebound in the precious metals market after a steep sell-off triggered by the nomination of Kevin Warsh as chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Indian rupee saw a strong appreciation, rising to a three-week high of Rs 90.19 against the greenback after Moody's Ratings said the reduction of the U.S. tariff rate on most Indian goods is credit positive for labor-intensive sectors such as gems, jewelry, textiles and apparel. Moody's also said that India is unlikely to cease all Russian oil purchases immediately, but a complete shift toward non-Russian oil could tighten supply elsewhere, raise prices and pass through to higher inflation given that India is one of the world's largest oil importers. The benchmark BSE Sensex surged 2,072.67 points, or 2.54 percent, to 83,739.13, while the broader NSE Nifty index soared 639.15 points, or 2.55 percent, to 25,727.55. The BSE mid-cap and small-cap indexes advanced 2.8 percent and 2.9 percent, resp...