Fed Officials Take Cool Jobs Report in Stride
But two Fed officials on Friday maintained that the U.S. labor market is still well balanced, describing the latest softness as part of a gradual cooling rather than a worrying deterioration.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oil giant BP surprises with better than expected earnings
Oil giant BP, which recently pivoted away from green energy, posted Tuesday better-than-expected quarterly earnings and announced a fresh review of costs. The British group's return to profit in the second quarter contrasted with weaker results from energy rivals, as lower exceptional charges offset falling oil prices. Profit after tax came in at $1.63 billion in the April-June period, compared with a net loss of $129 million in the second quarter of 2024, BP said in an earnings statement. Stripping out exceptional items, underlying net profit was down nearly 15 percent. "This has been another strong quarter for BP operationally and strategically," chief executive Murray Auchincloss said in the earnings statement. BP on Monday said it made its biggest oil and gas discovery in 25 years off the coast of Brazil. In February, BP launched a major pivot back to its more profitable oil and gas business, shelving its once industry-leading targets on reducing carbon emissions and slashing clean energy investment. However, energy prices have come under pressure in recent months on concerns that US President Donald Trump's tariffs will hurt economic growth, while OPEC+ nations have produced more oil. BP managed to post a profit for the second quarter thanks to impairments which were lower than one year earlier, along with a revaluation of assets -- notably in relation to liquefied natural gas (LNG) -- and divestments. - Sector woes - By contrast, US rivals ExxonMobil and Chevron, along with French group TotalEnergies, posted heavy falls to their net profits in the second quarter. As did oil giant Saudi Aramco, which on Tuesday announced its 10th straight drop in quarterly profits as a slump in prices hit revenues. The average price for Brent North Sea crude, the international benchmark, stood at $67.9 per barrel in the second quarter, down from $85 one year earlier. British rival Shell still managed to post a slight increase to its profit after tax for the latest reporting period. As for BP, Auchincloss said the company was launching "a further cost review and, whilst we will not compromise on safety, we are doing this with a view to being best in class in our industry". Shares in BP gained 2.2 percent in London morning deals following its results and news of a fresh dividend and share buyback. "A slick turnaround plan pumped up BP's second-quarter results," noted Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown. "Despite lower oil and gas prices, it's managed to push underlying profits up by nearly $1 billion from the first quarter to $2.4 billion, well ahead of analyst forecasts." Nathan added that "shareholders will be glad to see this matched with financial discipline". BP already announced plans this year to cut cleaner energy investment by more than $5 billion annually and offload assets worth a total of $20 billion by 2027. It recently agreed to sell its onshore wind energy business in the United States, while Shell has also scaled back its climate objectives. BP last month named Albert Manifold as its new chairman, replacing Helge Lund, whose departure was announced amid the strategy reset. The group's net profit plunged 70 percent in its first quarter, hit by weaker oil prices. burs-bcp/ajb/lth
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Palantir shares jump as soaring AI demand powers forecast upgrade
(Reuters) -Palantir Technologies shares rose 5% before the bell on Tuesday, after strong demand for its AI-powered services across governments and commercial businesses prompted an increase in its annual revenue forecast. Investors have been betting big on the data analytics and defense software company's military-grade artificial intelligence tools and services, which have propelled its shares to more than double in value this year, making them the best performer on the S&P 500 index through last close. "Palantir's staggering growth is showing no signs of slowing... and (its) ability to grow at scale has been underestimated by a large cohort of the market," said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. The company raised its annual revenue forecast for the second time this year and above Wall Street estimates. Sales to the U.S. government jumped 53% to $426 million, representing more than 42% of the total second-quarter revenue of about $1 billion. Last week, the U.S. Army said it might spend up to $10 billion on Palantir's services over the next decade. The Denver, Colorado-based company, co-founded by Peter Thiel, expects expenses to rise significantly in the third quarter due to seasonal hiring amid rising competition among industry leading tech firms to poach top talent, as businesses rapidly look to adopt AI. The stock trades at over 200 times its 12-month forward earnings estimates, compared with AI giant Nvidia's 34.81 and S&P 500's 27.44. Jefferies analysts cautioned that there is a "disconnect between valuation and achievable growth". At least six brokerages raised their price targets on the stock after the results. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
BT Brands considers strategic options, including potential mergers
US multi-brand restaurant company BT Brands has revealed that it is working with an investment banker to explore strategic options, which may involve a potential merger. The review process began in 2024 and has led to an assessment of transactions that extend beyond the company's initial concentration on the food service sector. The company has evaluated opportunities in several fast-growing industries, including food service, restaurants, biotechnology, cryptocurrency and drone services. There is no certainty that this strategic exploration will lead to any definitive transaction. The company has also announced that its affiliate, Bagger Dave's Burger Tavern (BDVB), in which it holds a 40.8% stake, is in discussions to sell five of its six operating restaurant locations. BDVB is a fast-casual dining establishment that currently operates in the US state of Michigan and Ohio. This transaction is expected to be finalised in the third quarter of 2025 and will enable BDVB to reposition itself for future strategic initiatives, including a potential merger. BT Brands CEO Gary Copperud stated: 'Our objective is to create shareholder value by identifying opportunities that strengthen our platform and broaden our growth prospects. 'Our advisor in this process brings capital markets expertise and a track record advising companies as they evaluate strategic options. We look forward to continuing our work with their team as we pursue these opportunities.' "BT Brands considers strategic options, including potential mergers" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
