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China's consumer inflation continued its downward trend in June, rising just 0.2% year-on-year, according to data released Wednesday. That was lower than analysts' expectations and adds to concerns about potential deflation in the world's second-largest economy. A Reuters poll had forecast a 0.4% rise in consumer prices in June. Meanwhile, the producer price index, which tracks factory-gate inflation, fell 0.8% from a year earlier, in line with forecasts. This subdued inflation is in stark contrast to the situation in many other countries struggling with rising prices. Weak domestic demand in China appears to be the main culprit. “The risk of…

This week, media and tech giants will gather in Sun Valley to discuss the future of streaming and explore potential strategic alliances. Allen & Co.’s annual conference, known as “billionaires’ summer camp,” kicks off Tuesday at a ski lodge in Idaho. Since 1983, the event has been the birthplace of major media deals and a space for industry leaders to discuss the future of their businesses and the broader economy. The guest list for Sun Valley includes media leaders like Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav; Disney’s Bob Iger and his potential successors Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Josh D’Amaro and Hugh…

The semiconductor industry is actively seeking workers in a competitive labor market, driven by growing demand for talent and the need for funding from the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to stimulate domestic manufacturing. The U.S. economy is expected to face a shortage of about one million workers by 2030, as generative AI further fuels demand in the industry. A 2023 study by the Semiconductor Industry Association predicts a shortage of 67,000 computer scientists, engineers, and technicians in the U.S. chip industry by 2030, while the entire U.S. economy is projected to face a gap of 1.4 million such…

HBC, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, has announced its acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group for $2.65 billion. The merger will unite two iconic luxury retailers under one roof. The new entity, Saks Global, will include Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Richard Baker, CEO of HBC, expressed his excitement about the merger, highlighting the benefits it envisions for customers, partners and employees. He emphasized the potential for technological advances to transform the luxury retail experience. Major leadership changes include Marc Metrick, currently CEO of Saks.com, who will become CEO of Saks Global. Ian…

At the Aspen Ideas Festival on Friday, Ford CEO Jim Farley announced that the company plans to launch a $30,000 all-electric vehicle that will be profitable in about two and a half years. Farley provided limited additional details about the vehicle, which is being developed by a specialized team within Ford. He said its main competitors will be Chinese automakers such as BYD and a planned entry-level electric car from Tesla, the leading U.S. electric vehicle maker. Farley said Ford is focusing on smaller electric vehicles rather than larger, all-electric trucks and SUVs, which have historically been the company's main…

On June 21, 2024, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing celebrated its 24th listing anniversary, amid growing optimism about the future of the city’s IPO market. In an interview with CNBC, George Chan, global head of IPOs at EY, expressed confidence that the Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) market is set to see substantial improvement over the next five years, starting in the second half of this year. Chan noted that while it may take a few years to reach the peak levels seen in 2021, the trend is clearly positive. “I see light at the end of the tunnel,”…

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the progress made over the past year in tackling inflation, but stressed that more confidence was needed before considering a rate cut. "We've made quite a bit of progress in getting inflation back to our objective," Powell told a central bank forum in Sintra, Portugal. "The latest inflation readings, and to a lesser extent the previous one, suggest that we're returning to a disinflationary path. We want to be more confident that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2% before we begin the process of reducing or easing policy." Powell spoke…

A key economic measure from the Federal Reserve revealed Friday that May's inflation rate was the lowest in three years. A report from the Commerce Department indicated that the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.1% for the month and by 2.6% year over year. This annual figure was a slight decline from the April level. Both numbers met Dow Jones expectations. May saw the lowest annual inflation rate since March 2021, marking the first time this economic cycle that inflation has fallen below the Fed’s 2% target. Including food and energy prices, headline inflation…

Starbucks locations across the country are rolling out new measures to streamline drink ordering and reduce wait times. The revamp comes as the coffee chain anticipates a surge in mobile app orders. At the heart of this initiative is Starbucks’ “siren craft system,” a set of procedures designed to make baristas’ jobs easier and speed up service. More than 10 percent of Starbucks’ 10,000 locations have already adopted the system, which reorganizes the production sequence for hot and cold beverages. The company aims to roll it out across North America by the end of July. Starbucks executives believe these changes…