As consumers continue to make the switch from brick and mortar shopping to on-line, old fashioned stores who can’t compete, will be forced to close, analysts say. “If you are weaker player, it’s going to be a very tough 2017 for you, ” said RJ Hottovy, a consumer equity strategist for Morningstar. Consumers are heading… Continue Reading
Analysts are hopeful that the economy is rebounding steadily as corporate investment is stabilizing, signaled by a better than expected uptick in business equipment orders. November’s figures for non-defense capital goods, not including aircraft, climbed by 0.9 percent, the highest since August, and higher than was forecast. A Bloomberg survey predicted 0.4 percent growth. “There’s… Continue Reading
Some of America’s largest businesses are worried enough about global warming to send off an open letter to the president-elect, Donald Trump, urging him not to flee from the agreement signed in Paris to slow down climate change. The three-hundred companies include 72 which bring in more than $100 million in annual revenues. Among the… Continue Reading
The Wall Street Journal, citing and annual Congressional report on refugees, reported that the Obama administration is planning to increase the number of refugees entering the US next year by 30 percent. The new target figure of 110,000 was presented to Congress by Secretary of State John Kerry will commence on October 1 for the… Continue Reading
The US Census Bureau is expanding its usefulness into the world of start-ups, jobs and productivity with its first, to be annual, Survey of Entrepreneurs. The results were released last Thursday. One interesting piece of data: Out of a total of 5.4 million US companies with paid workers, 8.9 percent, or 481,981 of them were… Continue Reading
In what is still an unconfirmed development, sources close to the company have reported to the popular technology news site CRN that Cisco Systems Inc will be laying off approximately 14,000 workers. That number represents about 20 percent of their global workforce. Cisco is a giant maker of network equipment. “As we’ve met with investors… Continue Reading
Isaac Dabah, CEO of Delta Galil, is “returning to [his] first love” with the company’s purchase of 7 For All Mankind, Ella Moss and Splendid from US firm VF Corporation. The transaction – costing Dabah’s firm $120 million – is said to be Delta Galil’s “largest-ever acquisition.” It is expected that this enterprise will boost… Continue Reading
Our high tech age is quickly changing the world we live in. Try and remember the last time you wrote a letter, or called someone from your land-line phone? As a result of this upheaval in the prevailing lifestyles of Americans, it is no wonder that certain jobs are heading for extinction. The US Bureau… Continue Reading
The mix of global-market uncertainty and the decision by the Federal Reserve to restrain interest rates has contributed to mortgage rates’ record low levels since May 2013. Today, according to a survey done by Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have sunk to 3.54 percent. The rate for 15-year mortgages is now 2.81 percent. In November… Continue Reading
Good news for the economy: The overall sales rate grew fastest since March 2015, showing a gain of 1.3 percent this month compared to last month. Car sales also improved, surging by 3.2 percent; an excellent performance coming off of last month’s drop of 3.2 percent. Total retail sales in March were even better… Continue Reading