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Business Wire
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Corbin Advisors Releases Q2'25 Inside The Buy-Side ® Earnings Primer ®
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Corbin Advisors, a strategic consultancy accelerating value realization globally, today released its quarterly Earnings Primer ®, which captures trends in institutional investor sentiment. The survey, which marks the 63 rd issue of Inside The Buy-Side ® Earnings Primer ®, was conducted from June 3 rd to July 3 rd, 2025, and is based on responses from 69 institutional investors and sell-side analysts globally, representing ~$7.6 trillion in equity assets under management. "Following a period of radical uncertainty created by minute-by-minute tariff changes, investors have seemingly become desensitized to headline risk and are shrugging off in-flight and looming headwinds for now." Share Following last quarter's survey which found the sharpest QoQ pullback in bullishness in a decade driven by acute tariff concerns, policy trepidation, and deteriorating growth forecasts, the Voice of Investor ® captured in this quarter's survey reveals a shift toward cautious optimism, but with investors still wary of tariff impacts and consumer concerns. To that end, half of investors surveyed characterize current sentiment as Neutral to Bullish or Bullish, up from just 24% in Q1'25 but not fully back to late-2024 'Trump Bump' levels when overall bullishness registered 65%. Still, nearly one-quarter self-identify as Neutral to Bearish or Bearish, albeit down from the 40% observed last quarter. As for executives, more, 41%, describe leaders as Neutral to Bullish or Bullish, up from 29% QoQ but still well below the 72% captured in our Q4'24 survey. Rebecca Corbin, Founder and CEO of Corbin Advisors, commented, 'Following a period of radical uncertainty created by minute-by-minute tariff changes, investors have seemingly become desensitized to headline risk and are shrugging off in-flight and looming headwinds for now. Companies have become excellent at crisis management, deploying downcycle playbooks, with cost cutting the biggest defense strategy – originally to offset the slowing macro and now to mitigate tariffs – while communicating with high levels of transparency. While investors are sober about the U.S. consumer, with three-quarters expecting unemployment to worsen over the next six months, the added economic impact of ICE raids on the domestic workforce remains unknown. As we head into Q2 earnings season, companies continue to feast on robust backlogs but replenishment, in many cases, is not forthcoming. Further, evidence of pull-forward demand continues to grow. As executives prepare for Q2 earnings calls, investors are acutely focused on tariff impact, demand, specifically customer behavior and the state of the consumer, margins and pricing power, as well as capital priorities. Meanwhile, the markets have decoupled from the macro and are priced for perfection.' With executives credited for effectively managing expectations, 39% expect Q2 earnings to be Better Than consensus, more than double the rate observed last survey, while an equal number forecast In Line results, compared with 53% in the prior quarter. Regarding Q2 KPIs, most expect Stable sequential performance for Revenue and EPS, though 31% still anticipate Worsening earnings (compared with 44% last quarter). At the same time, the share of those expecting deterioration in Operating Margins and FCF continues to grow. Regarding annual guidance, most investors and analysts expect companies will Maintain 2025 outlooks across Revenue, EPS, Operating Margins, and FCF. Still, nearly one-third anticipate Lower EPS and Operating Margin guidance, at 31% and 30% respectively. Kim Forrest, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Bokeh Capital Partners, commented, 'Companies want to make sure they have a low bar to step over, so they will not raise estimates given all of the uncertainty regarding tariffs.' Amid improved sentiment, roughly two-thirds now expect the U.S. to avoid a recession, a sharp reversal from the tariff knee-jerk reaction captured in last quarter's survey when nearly 6 in 10 were bracing for negative territory. Still, 47% expect 2025 U.S. GDP will come in Lower YoY, albeit an improvement versus 64% last quarter. Against this backdrop, investors are evenly split on prioritizing Growth or Margins, demonstrating a tale of two cities: maintaining prudent cost controls or strategically investing for growth. Tariffs and Growth & Demand trends are identified as the primary focus areas for upcoming earnings calls, noted by 53% and 48% of participants, respectively. Consumer Behavior continues to move up the list of unaided concerns, noted by 29%, a 13-point increase QoQ. Meanwhile, the top concern identified this survey is Economic Slowdown, followed by Geopolitics at 46% while Inflation sees growing apprehension. As for sector sentiment, Tech leapfrogs Healthcare to regain its spot as the most favored sector, jumping 29 points QoQ to 72%, its highest since September 2020. Meanwhile, Healthcare still ranks #2 among most bullish sectors despite a 20-point increase in bearish sentiment. On the other hand, Consumer Staples sees an influx of bears, up 21 points to its highest level on record, tied with Chemicals and Clean Energy as the most challenged sectors. Views toward Consumer Discretionary remain deeply negative, though bearishness recedes somewhat QoQ. About Corbin Advisors Since 2007, Corbin Advisors has tracked investor sentiment on a quarterly basis. Access Inside The Buy-Side ® and other industry-leading research on real-time investor sentiment and IR best practices at Corbin is a leading investor research and strategic communications advisory firm accelerating value realization globally. We engage deeply with our clients — companies ranging from pre-IPO to over $700 billion in market cap across all sectors globally — to increase equity market value. We deliver research-based insights and execution excellence through a dedicated team of capital markets experts with deep sector and situational experience, a best practice approach, and an outperformance mindset. We have a long track record of delivering successful client outcomes, most notably by rerating and compounding equity valuations through our Voice of Investor ® research and counsel. To learn more about us and our impact, visit
CTV News
30-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Patriotism is surging ahead of Canada Day, and so are flag and flagpole sales
Canadian flags are seen flying behind the National Archives building in Ottawa Friday, Feb 14, 2025 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld From coast to coast, flag and flagpole sales are booming ahead of Canada Day, thanks to a surge of patriotism fuelled by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threats. 'This is pretty unprecedented,' Brian Naish, co-owner of Flags Unlimited in Barrie, Ont., told 'People are 'flagging up' all over: houses, cottages, buildings, businesses, boats, et cetera.' Naish says flag sales are up about 75 per cent compared to 2024, while flagpole sales have increased by 35 per cent. Making more than a million flags per year, the company is Canada's largest flag manufacturer and has been in business for nearly 60 years. While they have seen sales surge in the past for events like Canada 150 celebrations and the Freedom Convoy protests, Naish says nothing compares to the current boom. 'It comes from a different place,' he said. 'I think the 'Trump bump' has brought out a latent sense of patriotism that has always existed in Canada, but may have needed a prod from an external force to get us to show our Canadian pride. It is nice to have something to unify around.' The company has had to double its workforce and operate 19 hours a day to keep up with the increased demand. And it's not alone. 'A protest to this 51st state nonsense' reached out to flag shops and manufacturers across the country, and they all said business has been surging since February, when Trump launched his trade war and first started talking openly about turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state. That month, Canada's former prime ministers also came together to ask Canadians to fly the red and white for flag day on Feb. 15. Flag Shop Victoria president Paul Servos says in-store sales of Canadian flags were up 120 per cent in February alone, and have continued to be up by about 25 per cent each month since. 'It is not just flags but pole hardware for residential use that is up,' Servos said. 'This Canada Day should be the biggest and proudest for many years past and future.' Sales are up on the other side of the country at Flag Emporium in Dartmouth, N.S., where commercial flagpole sales have also doubled. 'It is fantastic to see the country come together to be Canadian and not only fly our flag but stand behind it,' owner Bruce Clark told 'Red and white, it's in our blood.' The Royal Canadian Legion's Ottawa-based Poppy Store, which helps fund programs for veterans, says it has seen the biggest increase in Canada flag pin sales, which are up a whopping 988 per cent. 'We've had an explosion in sales of Canadian flags and Canadian-themed items this year over last. In fact, altogether sales of these products have way more than doubled,' Legion spokesperson Nujma Bond told 'While we don't know all the reasons, based on comments from people purchasing products, it's probably safe to say that a good chunk of the increase is attributable to the current climate of renewed Canadian patriotism.' The Flag Shop Winnipeg also reports sales of Canadian flags, flagpoles and Canada-themed products like hats and decals have all increased year-over-year. 'We have had many more individuals wanting to fly a Canadian flag for the first time, which is really amazing to see,' salesperson Samantha Hobson told 'Some of our flags are sewn right here in our store, so our seamstresses have been working hard to keep up with demand!' Based in London, Ont., New Century Flags owner Judy Spooner has seen Canadian flag sales skyrocket by about 1,000 per cent. 'Many people are now going to fly our flag as a protest to this 51st state nonsense,' Spooner told 'They are attaching brackets to hold flagpoles to their homes, fences, decks and even permanent, in-ground flagpole sales have soared.' With retail locations in Barrie and Thornton, Ont., The Flag Store has seen a 40 per cent increase in flag sales, and a 45 per cent increase in flagpole sales. 'We have had the usual Canada Day rush, but this year is much different. The sense of Canadian patriotism is very strong,' CEO Cecilia Burke told 'We will not be a 51st state, and we are determined to pull together and show how patriotic we are of this great country.' Several flag businesses also said many customers are happy to fly a Canadian flag again without being associated with the Freedom Convoy protests that rocked the country in early 2022. 'Many people in the shop recently have said, 'Thankfully we have taken our flag back,'' said Servos of Flag Shop Victoria. 'I think there are a lot of patriotic Canadians who, after the Freedom Convoy in 2022, didn't want to fly a flag because they may not have wanted to be associated with that cause,' said Naish of Flags Unlimited. 'This one is good because it's not dividing Canadians, if you will. It's rallying.' 'Very uncharacteristic of Canadians' Raymond Blake is a history professor at the University of Regina. Blake, whose research focuses in part on Canadian nationalism and identity, says a Trump-fuelled increase in flag and flagpole sales indicates how Canadians feel about both themselves and the U.S. 'While the flag flying might be an increase in patriotism, it can also be a signal to others — especially the U.S. — that we are strong and ready to defend it,' Blake told 'It is a warning to them: we are strong and free and want Trump to stop his nuisance and antics.' Blake says this kind of overt flag-waving patriotism is rare in Canada, and perhaps comparable only to Canada's centennial in 1967 and the end of the Second World War. A recent survey showed that 79 per cent of Canadian respondents expressed some level of pride in being Canadian. 'But we need to remember that Canadians have always been patriotic, but in a subdued way,' Blake explained. 'There has been a steady and consistent pride in being Canadian, but during the past six months there has been little subtle about expressing our patriotism — it has been boisterous and loud, which is in many ways very uncharacteristic of Canadians.'
Globe and Mail
01-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
XRP (Ripple) Is Down 34%. Should You Buy the Dip?
The XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) cryptocurrency reached a multiyear record price of $3.31 per coin in January 2025. By May 30, the coin had retreated 34% to $2.18 per coin. So XRP investors face a dilemma: Is the cryptocurrency a no-brainer buy at these lower prices, or will the price drop continue? Here's how I see it. XRP Price data by YCharts. How XRP soared in the winter Two events boosted XRP's market price from November 2024 to January 2025. Together, they supported a third event with game-changing potential. The Trump campaign in the 2024 presidential election included heavy support for cryptocurrencies. As a result, many cryptos soared after the election, as the incoming administration had promised to update crypto regulations, promote crypto mining on American soil, and more. Leading names like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) posted double-digit price gains in November, and Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) more than doubled. But none of them could keep up with XRP, as the coin formerly known as Ripple gained 255%. Trump's camp also wanted to set up a strategic cryptocurrency reserve, similar to the economy-calming reserve of physical gold in Fort Knox. Chatter about this future market-booster kept rising as the inauguration drew near. Crypto investors expected a "Trump bump" from the resulting influx of government-scale cryptocurrency orders, perhaps as early as the January 20 inauguration date itself. XRP was seen as a likely addition to the obvious Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin holdings of this hypothetical crypto reserve, so the good times kept going for XRP investors. A more crypto-friendly administration and the anticipated inclusion of XRP in federal crypto investments led to one inescapable conclusion. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit that has been hanging over XRP's head for four years would have to go away. This is arguably the biggest price-booster of them all, opening up the domestic business market for XRP and the Ripple Labs organization in a whole new way. Why XRP is down in the spring XRP's price peaked a couple of days before the inauguration. Ethereum and Dogecoin have also seen price drops of 27% or more since January 18. Bitcoin fell 25% but gained some momentum more recently, reaching new all-time highs last week. None of these leading cryptocurrencies have experienced a Trump bump despite Republican majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Even the Supreme Court leans Republican these days. Despite this overwhelming power base, Trump's team hasn't done much to support cryptocurrencies so far. The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve was announced in March, alongside a smaller Digital Asset Stockpile of cryptocurrencies not named Bitcoin. But this wasn't the huge crypto-buying spree many investors had expected. Instead, the two crypto portfolios will largely just manage existing federal cryptocurrency holdings. More coins and tokens will largely come in as government agencies collect them from criminal courtroom proceedings. That's not what the XRP camp had expected. The dream of a federal splurge on XRP coins was dead. Meanwhile, economic uncertainty weighed on all sorts of investment markets this spring. People worry about tariffs, trade conflicts, perhaps a return to sky-high inflation rates, and more. That adds up to an unfavorable environment for risky investment ideas, including most of the crypto market. XRP's focus on international money transfer services is particularly unhelpful, as border-crossing payment volumes could drop dramatically over the next few years. Never mind the summer -- where will XRP go in the long run? Despite a volatile economy and unpredictable government support, XRP still has several promising qualities. The SEC lawsuit has almost been settled, and the Digital Asset Stockpile exists. Several financial firms have filed the paperwork to open XRP-based exchange-traded funds. Ripple Labs launched a Ripple USD (CRYPTO: RLUSD) stablecoin to simplify the global management of payment-processing funds. And the RippleNet payment service, where XRP plays many parts in the cash transfer process, sees nearly a million payment transactions per day. That's up from about 150,000 daily transactions two years ago. Taken together, these traits make XRP one of the top 5 cryptocurrencies I'd buy in a downturn. Some might say that the current 34% price dip isn't big enough and that you should wait for a deeper discount. That's perfectly fine, of course. Then again, I have no idea where XRP's prices might go in the short term. The upcoming summer is a black box of continued uncertainty. Holding off could be exactly the right idea, but the coin could also skyrocket again on short notice. If you agree with my generally positive view of XRP's long-term prospects, you may want to start a small position today and add to it over time. Buying in thirds is one disciplined option. That way, you'll at least have some exposure to this exciting cryptocurrency, with the no-pressure option to add more if the price dips even lower. Should you invest $1,000 in XRP right now? Before you buy stock in XRP, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and XRP wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Anders Bylund has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump touts record-breaking military recruitment. But numbers were rising before his reelection
Ahead of Memorial Day, President Trump has repeatedly taken credit for an upswing in military recruitment, claiming almost no one wanted to join the military before news of his reelection. "After years of military recruiting shortfalls, enlistments in the U.S. armed forces are now the highest in 30 years because there is such an incredible spirit in the United States of America," the president said last week in Riyadh. In reality, military records show enlistments began rebounding from a pandemic slump long before Election Day. While numbers have continued to rise under Mr. Trump, experts say the so-called "Trump Bump"—a term used by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth— is more likely the result of recruitment reforms introduced during former President Joe Biden's term. Mr. Trump has also exaggerated the scale of the recovery, claiming enlistments have hit modern highs. But public data shows the military is still attracting fewer recruits than it did earlier this decade. Trump's misleading claim that military recruitment reached 30-year records Asked for comment on the source of the defense secretary and president's claims, a White House official and the Defense Department both pointed to a statement by chief Pentagon spokesperson and senior adviser Sean Parnell. "Since Nov. 5, 2024, the U.S. military has seen the highest recruiting percentage of mission achieved in 30 years," Parnell said in April. Publicly available reports from the Defense Department confirm recruiters are currently meeting their goals for the year, but its monthly reports — only published online since 2016 — also show the services frequently adjust annual targets, making historical comparisons less meaningful. For example, after falling short of their goals in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 amid a tight job market, the Army cut its goal from 65,000 to 55,000 active-duty soldiers for the fiscal year 2024. After meeting that benchmark, it's aiming for 61,000 recruits this year. These shifting goal posts complicate claims of record performance. When measured by total recruits — the metric Mr. Trump appeared to explicitly reference — active military enlistments have risen year over year but remain below recent peaks. In March, the most recent month available, around 13,000 new people enlisted, an increase of nearly 50% over the prior year, but below the 15,000 recorded in March 2018, during Mr. Trump's first term. The figure includes all branches of the military except for the Coast Guard, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security. The highest monthly figure under Mr. Trump second term so far was in January—his inauguration month—when 15,597 recruits received basic training dates. That still trails the 16,800 recorded in January 2018 and 20,000 in August 2024 under Biden. Recruitment could surpass pre-pandemic levels by the end of fiscal 2025 in September, but it's too early to tell. And despite recent gains, enlistments remain well below levels achieved three decades ago. In 1990, over 220,000 enlisted in the active military. Those numbers declined after the end of the Cold War and haven't returned to that level, according to historic Defense Department data. Trump's false claim that recruitment fell to record lows during President Biden's last year Mr. Trump also claimed military enlistments fell to record lows during Biden's last year in office. "Just about a year ago, it was a big story, front page of every paper all over the world, that nobody wanted to enlist in our military," Mr. Trump said. That's false. Defense data shows military recruitment began to recover after COVID-era declines in fiscal year 2023 and continued to grow in 2024. That year, 146,473 people signed active-duty contracts—about 12,000 more than the previous year. Mr. Trump has further suggested enlistment was at a record low right before news of his election. In fact, 10,993 people enlisted in October 2024, the last full month before Election Day, a 60% increase over the same month in 2023. Experts say recruitment reforms explain why recruitment has ticked up, despite longterm challenges Experts who study military enlistment say the continued improvements have more to do with changes in recruitment strategy and compensation than the change in commander-in-chief. Katherine Kuzminski of the Center for a New American Security credits Biden-era programs like the Army's Future Soldier Prep Course launched in 2022 and the Navy's Future Sailor Prep Course launched in 2023 for helping candidates struggling with enlistment requirements. In 2024, about 25% of the Army's enlistments came through a prep course. "It's harder to convince someone to be interested in military service than it is to train them to a standard," Kuzminski said. Defense statistics show over 70% of American youths don't meet qualifications for military service because of rising rates of obesity, drug use, mental health issues, and difficulties meeting educational standards. Polls show interest in service has also declined in the last decade, and defense representatives have cited flagging trust in institutions, a shrinking population of veterans who serve as models of service, and the number of job options in the private sector, depending on the strength of the economy. To better compete with private sector offers, Congress approved a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted troops last December that took effect this year. "It would benefit the DoD to publicly also recognize that they've made quite a few adjustments to the recruiting enterprise instead of the perception that's coming out that it's driven solely by partisan politics," Kuzminski said, "Because I don't think that for most American youth that's the driving factor for their joining the military."
New York Post
23-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Richest US households — including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos — hold record-breaking share of total wealth: data
The super rich got super richer in 2024 – and that process is only speeding up. The 19 richest US households – which include titans of industry like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett – saw their wealth grow by $1 trillion last year, according to new data released Wednesday. These superbillionaires' gains was more than Switzerland's entire economy is worth, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited the analysis by Gabriel Zucman, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley and the Paris School of Economics. And the pace at which these uber-rich households grow their share of the country's wealth is significantly increasing. In 1982, the top 0.00001% of Americans controlled 0.1% of total US wealth. It took four decades to grow that share to 1.2% in 2023, according to Zucman. 5 The top 0.00001% of Americans controlled 1.8% of total US wealth last year, according to an analysis. Mike Guillen/NY Post Design That piece of the pie jumped to 1.8%, or about $2.6 trillion, by the end of 2024 – the largest single-year increase ever, the data show. 'You see this gradual rise and then, very recently, dramatic acceleration in the rise of the shares of wealth owned by the truly superwealthy,' Zucman told the Journal. 5 Jeff Bezos at the Global Champions Arabians Tour in Miami Beach. Getty Images for Global Champions Arabians Tour Miami Beach 5 Tesla CEO Elon Musk at a Cabinet Meeting in the White House in March. AFP via Getty Images The acceleration was boosted by last year's stock market surge, partly aided by the 'Trump Bump' following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November. Overall, the broad-based S&P 500 soared 23%, the tech-heavy Nasdaq skyrocketed 28% and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 13%. The number of billionaires has grown as well. There were nearly 1,990 billionaires last year, up from 1,370 in 2021, according to JPMorgan Chase's private bank estimates. The increase in wealth among the richest Americans has far outpaced all other groups. 5 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaving an Federal Trade Commission trial. REUTERS Households in the top 0.1%, or worth $46.3 billion, have grown their fortunes by about $3.4 million annually since 1990, according to an analysis of Federal Reserve data by Steven Fazzari, economist at Washington University in St. Louis. The rest of the top 1%, worth at least $11.2 million, grew their fortunes by about $450,000 each year over the same span. 5 The number of billionaires in the US has grown over the past few years. Mike Guillen/NY Post Design By 2023, the top 1% had expanded its share of total US household wealth to 34.8%, according to the World Inequality Database. The top 1% in the UK, meanwhile, held 21.3% of the wealth; in France, they controlled 27.2%; and in Germany, 27.6%. All other wealth groups in the US have seen their shares of total wealth shrink over time.
