The dollar is heading for its best week in two months after US data showed price pressures that could push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates over the next year. A gauge of the greenback is up more than 1% this week, on track for its best performance since mid-March. Two back-to-back inflation reports this week have spooked Treasury investors and spurred one Fed official to say the US has...
The dollar is heading for its best week in two months after US data showed price pressures that could push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates over the next year. A gauge of the greenback is up more than 1% this week, on track for its best performance since mid-March. Two back-to-back inflation reports this week have spooked Treasury investors and spurred one Fed official to say the US has “ got an inflation problem .” Money markets now favor a Fed hike this year, a sharp contrast with pricing a month ago that leaned toward easier policy. “It’s a combination of some re-escalation in the Middle East, which has prompted higher oil prices again, and hotter-than-expected US inflation data,” said Andrew Hazlett , a foreign-exchange trader at Monex Inc. “This indicates to me that even as the conflict in Iran winds down, the dollar will retain some strength over its pre-war levels.” While the dollar has been sensitive to war headlines and crude futures prices, it has mostly been supported by its haven status and the US’s status as a major oil exporter. The greenback weakened briefly after a ceasefire was first announced in early April but has since recovered as a peace deal remains elusive. Thierry Wizman , director of global currencies and an interest-rate strategist at Macquarie Futures, said he will remain a dollar bull as long as the war continues. The greenback, along with the US economy, are benefiting from higher oil prices, he said, adding that it will proceed to gain against the euro and the pound. The war in Iran upended global energy markets and highlighted Europe’s dependence on supply from the Middle East. That soured the outlook on the region’s economies, while fanning price growth, which has weighed on the euro. Brent Donnelly , president of Spectra Markets, said earlier this week that it’s time to enter a trade that shorts the euro against the greenback as Fed hikes are being priced in. Read More: Dollar’s Link to Oil Most Positive Ever Amid Iran Co...
Updates from the latest round of Championship matches Get The Spin newsletter | And mail Tanya or post BTL The ECB has announced a new T20 hall of fame before the Blast, er, blasts off, a week today. The garlanded four are: Ravi Bopara, Charlotte Edwards, James Vince and Danni Wyatt-Hodge 1 Durham 91 Continue reading...
Updates from the latest round of Championship matches Get The Spin newsletter | And mail Tanya or post BTL The ECB has announced a new T20 hall of fame before the Blast, er, blasts off, a week today. The garlanded four are: Ravi Bopara, Charlotte Edwards, James Vince and Danni Wyatt-Hodge 1 Durham 91 Continue reading...
georgeclerk Samsung Electronics' ( SSNLF ) South Korean labor union said on Friday that it was committed to a planned strike starting next week, despite the company proposing to resume pay talks without conditions, Reuters reported. Shares of Samsung fell about 9% on the Korea Stock Exchange on Friday. The union said that it was willing to hold new talks after June 7 while keeping plans for an 1...
georgeclerk Samsung Electronics' ( SSNLF ) South Korean labor union said on Friday that it was committed to a planned strike starting next week, despite the company proposing to resume pay talks without conditions, Reuters reported. Shares of Samsung fell about 9% on the Korea Stock Exchange on Friday. The union said that it was willing to hold new talks after June 7 while keeping plans for an 18-day strike from May 21 that could disrupt production at the company, the report added . Samsung executives requested the union to restart talks and apologized to the public and the government for the disharmony caused by the labor dispute, pledging to approach discussions with an open attitude and continue efforts to reach agreement, the report noted. The company said executives were heading to the company's Pyeongtaek campus to meet the union leader, according to the report. Samsung did not immediately respond to Seeking Alpha's request for comment. On Wednesday, Samsung lost as much as 99.07T won ($66.18B) in market value after it failed to reach a wage agreement with the labor union. Among the grievances is what the workers call a massive gap in bonus pay with rival chipmaker SK hynix ( HXSCL ). Last month, thousands of Samsung workers rallied at a factory complex south of Seoul over compensation levels. The workers plan to strike for 18 days from May 21 if their demands are not met. South Korea's presidential Blue House on Friday said it hoped a strike could be averted, noting that the stage for invoking emergency mediation powers had not yet been reached, the report added. In a report, JPMorgan said that the production impact of a strike could be higher than previously expected, reflecting the union's expectation of broader worker participation. JPMorgan estimated the impact on Samsung's operating profit at 21T won to 31T won ($14.08B to $20.79B), while sales losses could be about 4.5T won, the report noted. More on Samsung Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SSNLF...
Superpower leaders were expected to discuss the Iran war, trade, Taiwan and artificial intelligence during US president’s visit to Beijing Continue reading...
Superpower leaders were expected to discuss the Iran war, trade, Taiwan and artificial intelligence during US president’s visit to Beijing Continue reading...
Worawith Ounpeng Berto Acquisition Corp. II ( GUAC ) announced the pricing of its upsized initial public offering of 27.4 million units priced at $10.00 each. These units are set to list on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “GUACU” starting May 15, 2026. The offering was up from its originally planned initial offering of 25.0 million units . Each unit consists of one ordinary share ...
Worawith Ounpeng Berto Acquisition Corp. II ( GUAC ) announced the pricing of its upsized initial public offering of 27.4 million units priced at $10.00 each. These units are set to list on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “GUACU” starting May 15, 2026. The offering was up from its originally planned initial offering of 25.0 million units . Each unit consists of one ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant. Once separate trading begins, the ordinary shares and warrants will trade under the symbols “GUAC” and “GUACW.” The underwriter has been granted a 45-day option to buy up to an additional 4.11 million units to cover over-allotments, and the offering is expected to close on May 18, 2026, pending standard closing conditions. Incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company, the blank check firm was founded by tech-sector veteran Harry You. While its mandate is broad, the company intends to focus its search on acquisition opportunities within artificial intelligence, the AI infrastructure supply chain ecosystem, and advanced nuclear technologies required to power next-generation data centers. You has sponsored ten previous SPAC vehicles, including the original Berto Acquisition Corp. and Coliseum Acquisition Corp. (which successfully merged with Rain Enhancement Technologies in late 2024). Through dMY Technology Group, he has guided market-moving transactions for tech players like Planet Labs and IonQ. His extensive career includes serving as CFO at both Accenture and Oracle, and holding a senior position at EMC, where he was pivotal in its historic $67 billion buyout by Dell Technologies. To date, Mr. You has raised over $2 billion for various SPAC and deSPAC vehicles. More on Berto Acquisition CORP II, Berto Acquisition CORP II Financial information for Berto Acquisition CORP II Financial information for Berto Acquisition CORP II
J. Michael Jones/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Dillard’s, Inc. ( DDS ) reported the company’s fiscal Q1 results from the February-April period on the 14 th of May. The department store operator’s sales improved significantly from 2025, and margins stabilized through a good gross margin gain. Ultimately, improved sales merely reflect tariff-related inflation instead of a strong operational perf...
J. Michael Jones/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Dillard’s, Inc. ( DDS ) reported the company’s fiscal Q1 results from the February-April period on the 14 th of May. The department store operator’s sales improved significantly from 2025, and margins stabilized through a good gross margin gain. Ultimately, improved sales merely reflect tariff-related inflation instead of a strong operational performance; Q1 strength shouldn’t be extrapolated. Ecommerce continues to take share from department stores, and the consumer sentiment is low, weakening the outlook. I initiated the stock at a Hold rating in my previous August 2024 article on the stock, titled “ Dillard's: Sales Worsen Worryingly In Q2.” The stock has since returned 70%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500’s 35% gain. My Rating History on DDS (Seeking Alpha) Dillard’s Q1 Review Dillard’s Q1 report has to be put into a longer context. Contrary to the stock’s strong performance, Dillard's financial performance hasn’t been pretty in the past couple of years, as I already noted in my previous article. Revenues have continued to decline at a slow pace, as Dillard’s traffic has been slowing and the company has slowly shrunk its store count from 280 stores at the end of FY2021 to 272 at the end of Q1. Weaker sales have also pressured margins; Dillard’s operating margin has declined by 580 basis points from 16.0% in FY2022 to 10.2% in FY2025. Weak comparable sales continued during FY2025. A secular trend in department store traffic weighs on Dillard’s as e-commerce continues to take share from brick-and-mortar retailers. Kohl’s Corporation ( KSS ) latest reported a -2.8% comparable sales decline, whereas Macy’s, Inc. ( M ) reported better but still modest 1.8% comparable growth. Kohl’s guides a slight decline in FY2026 comparable sales, and Macy’s guides a flat performance in the metric. Department Store Sales (FRED) The context makes Dillard’s start to FY2026 quite strong. First quarter revenues reached $1.57 bi...