Day: August 2, 2024

China’s Economic Situation.

Deloitte United States: China’s economy showed signs of deceleration in the second quarter of 2024, with a GDP growth rate of 4.7% compared to 5.3% in the first quarter. This slowdown is attributed to weak domestic demand, issues in the residential property market, and stagnant private sector investment. Despite rapid growth in exports, there are concerns about potential new trade restrictions from the US and the EU​ submitted by /u/Ankle_be [link] [comments]

Over the last week. How is this a “soft landing?”

Over the last week: Japan’s stock market posted its largest daily drop since 2020 US unemployment rate rises to 4.3%, highest in 3 years Starbucks, SBUX, reports a 6% decline in store traffic Intel, INTC, erases one third of its value in 1 day Amazon, AMZN, falls on lower than expected revenue 10-year note yield falls 40+ basis points in 1 week The ISM Manufacturing Index fell to 46.8, its lowest level since August 2023 How is this a “soft landing?” submitted by /u/zealockzinim [link] [comments]

The Financial Markets Have Clearly Lost Their Mind as the Middle East Inches Toward a Potential Full-Scale War

Stocks are falling like we’re on the brink of a recession. Gold prices are falling like everything is perfectly fine—nothing to see here! Bonds are rising like the Fed is about to swoop in with rate cuts. Oil prices are rising like those rate cuts got canceled by the chaos in the Middle East. Crypto is crashing like it’s auditioning for the lead role in a bear market drama. Housing prices are rising like we’re still in the middle of a booming bull market. Absolutely nothing adds up. But hey, who needs logic when you’ve got geopolitical tensions and market confusion to keep you entertained? submitted by /u/XGramatik [link] [comments]

Why Pixar shouldn’t have become successful

Today, Pixar is a world-renowned brand whose animated movies we continue to watch and love. “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Cars,” “WALL-E,” “Inside Out”—these are just a few of their masterpieces. However, 30 years ago, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Until its IPO in 1995, Pixar was a deeply unprofitable company, into which Steve Jobs invested $50 million over nine years without any return. Pixar was engaged in four simultaneous activities: selling its own software, creating animated commercials on demand, producing short animated films, and preparing “Toy Story” for release. None of these activities were profitable at the time. Pixar employed geniuses of modern animation, but the company seriously risked going bankrupt simply because their brilliant ideas did not align with market needs. Revenue from software sales was a maximum of $3 million a year. The commercials did not generate any profit. The short films were works of art, and Pixar even won an Oscar for one of them. However, their production was expensive and did not bring in any money. Thus, the only avenue with the potential to make Pixar profitable was the production of feature-length animated films. However, the company faced a significant limitation—almost 90% of the potential profits from a film were taken by Disney, which invested its money in production. The only way to save the company from bankruptcy was to split the film profits 50/50. But to do this, they needed to finance the films themselves. The only solution was to go public immediately after the release of “Toy Story” in theaters. The strategy was risky, but Pixar was lucky: the film grossed $373 million in theaters, and the IPO made Steve Jobs a billionaire. Pixar survived because it eventually focused not only on the “brilliance” of its product but also on its profitability. Only after the company chose to concentrate on producing feature-length films did its fortunes gradually improve. The last 30 years have only confirmed the correctness of this strategic decision. This is applicable to any business. Your company may have a great technological advantage, as Pixar did, but until you ground your ideas in the market, you are of no use to anyone. And until you make a strategic choice, you cannot become a strong and successful brand. submitted by /u/FXgram_ [link] [comments]

Coinbase shares rose 3.2% after hours following its latest Q2 results filing — reporting $1.4 billion in revenue in Q2 along with a hefty year-on-year increase in crypto trading volumes.

https://preview.redd.it/50ppiwjdl9gd1.png?width=1072&format=png&auto=webp&s=6ee642d2b77fe1708dba464305168808060aace3 The crypto exchange reported $266 billion in consumer and institutional trading volumes, up from the prior year period and in line with analyst estimates, though it was a considerable drop from the $312 billion reported in Q1. submitted by /u/Lor1al [link] [comments]

“Extra $300 a month? I’m in!” — Or How to save over $3.5K a year doing nothing… And there’s no catch.

My wife and I are moving cities and countries every 2 years or so — perks of being ‘digital nomads’ of some sort. So, every time we move we need to rent a new flat (duh!). The search is simple, as we both know what we want, and it doesn’t take long to find a good place to live for a while. But the last moving was some kind of a revelation: we’ve realised that there’s always a perfect option and a near-perfect one that costs about 20% less. This means, you pay $300 less and have an extra 10 minutes walking or riding a bus because the flat is not in the middle of the city. Or you don’t get a big kitchen and a back porch, but you can order delicious food whenever you want. The trade-offs are endless, but the savings are real! In our duo, my wife is the savvy one. So, when we debated whether to pick the cheaper or the fancier flat, she simply asked, “Would you like to save $300 every month?” You already know the answer 😃. And what do I miss out on? A newer fridge, a bigger TV, or maybe a larger sofa. Big deal. Sure, this sounds like the age-old ‘spend less and save more’ mantra. But here’s the kicker: regular payments are the real bitch. You can cut down on dining out if needed, but you can’t just stop paying part of your rent. So, what can you do with the $300 saved on rent each month? Or $3,600 a year? I bet a few ideas just popped into your head. For us, it goes straight into the investment bucket—part of our retirement fund. After all, who wants to work forever? Not me. So, next time you’re choosing between rental options, think about the long-term benefits of saving a little now. Your future self will thank you. What would you do with an extra $300 each month? Have you ever chosen a less perfect option to save money? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments! submitted by /u/caps-unlock [link] [comments]

Japan’s stock market experiences its biggest drop in four years, while the yen’s sudden surge becomes the focus of the entire market. Will it reach the new target of 140?

Wall Street See: On Thursday, the yen against the US dollar once broke through the 149 mark and rose to the highest level since March. Japan’s TOPIX index fell 3.9% at one point, marking the biggest intraday decline since April 2020. Due to the expectations of a narrowing interest rate differential between the United States and Japan, many institutions such as Amundi and T. Rowe Price predict that the yen may rise to 140 against the dollar. submitted by /u/Ankle_be [link] [comments]