Latest news with #economicconfidence
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
China's Property Crisis Just Got Worse--And Vanke Is Sounding the Alarm
China's property market is sinking againand fast. New-home prices across 70 cities dropped 0.27% in June, the sharpest decline in eight months. Second-hand home values slipped even more, down 0.61%, with all four tier-1 cities registering monthly declines of at least 0.5%. Residential sales slumped 12.6% year-over-yearthe worst this yearand real estate investment is now down 11.2% for the first half, hitting levels last seen at the peak of the pandemic. The sector's persistent drag is now weighing on broader economic confidence, especially as earlier stimulus efforts begin to lose steam. Investors were momentarily encouraged last week as whispers of fresh support picked up ahead of this month's Politburo meeting. That optimism lifted the Bloomberg Intelligence index of Chinese developersuntil it didn't. The index gave back 3.3% on Tuesday, with Vanke (VNKEF) tumbling 3.6% after warning its first-half loss could reach up to 12 billion yuan ($1.67 billion). It's the latest sign that even the biggest players are struggling to stay above water. Analysts at UOB Kay Hian flagged a clear trend of market weakening and see a higher chance of new policy signals emerging from the July meeting. Still, Beijing may not rush in. Some economists think policymakers could hold off on a major packageat least for nowto conserve options in case U.S. tensions resurface after a temporary trade deal expires in August. That puts investors on high alert for any policy language from top leaders in the weeks ahead. For now, the message is clear: the housing market isn't out of the woods, and the wait for decisive intervention may not be over. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. 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
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CFOs shift strategies as economic uncertainty dims growth outlook
Good morning. Economic confidence among finance chiefs has taken a sharp hit. Deloitte's Q2 2025 CFO Signals report, released this morning, gauges the sentiment of 200 finance leaders in North America at companies with at least $1 billion in revenue. The CFO confidence score came in at 5.4, indicating medium confidence, compared to the Q1 reading was 6.4—high confidence. The survey, conducted from June 4 to June 18, found growth expectations declined across every key operational metric. In fact, CFOs lowered projections for revenue, earnings, and capital investments. Fewer than a quarter (23%) of CFOs rate the North American economy as 'good now.' In comparison, 50% of the finance chiefs offered the same optimistic response in the Q1 survey. Just one in three CFOs believe now is a good time to take on more risk—the lowest reading since the third quarter of 2024—and well down from the 60% number in Q1. Meanwhile, 46% of CFOs surveyed say the U.S. capital market is undervalued, and 41% say it's overvalued. More than half (53%) view debt financing as attractive, 41% for equity. I asked Steve Gallucci, the global and U.S. leader of Deloitte's CFO Program, whether tariff uncertainty was the main cause of decline in optimism. He emphasized that broader global uncertainty is the real driver. 'Anytime there's uncertainty—whether it's policy, geopolitics, the economy, or capital markets—CFOs become less bullish,' he explained. While tariffs are one contributing factor, Gallucci noted that the survey doesn't single them out, and that the overall mood is shaped by a constellation of unpredictable forces. He pointed to last year's U.S. presidential election as an example: 'There was a lot of uncertainty around the outcome, and CFO optimism dipped. Once the election was settled, optimism spiked. Now, new uncertainties around policy and the broader environment have taken hold, and sentiment has dropped again.' CFOs cited the top external risk as the economy (53%). With growth expectations and revenue projections falling, how are CFOs responding? Gallucci described the current environment as a recalibration, not a retreat. Rather than pulling back, finance leaders are doubling down on fundamentals: —Sharpening focus on growth drivers: CFOs are revisiting where growth can realistically come from, both organically and elsewhere. —Managing controllable risks: Finance chiefs are prioritizing what they can influence—cost discipline, talent strategy, and technology-enabled initiatives. —Staying active in M&A: Despite risk aversion, there's ongoing interest in mergers and acquisitions, with some signs of increased IPO activity in the first half of the year. Gallucci highlighted the growing importance of technology investments—from disruptive innovations to generative AI. However, he noted CFOs are still moving cautiously on AI adoption. As companies expand their tech platforms, cybersecurity remains a leading external concern (51%). 'Cyber will always stay at the top of the CFO risk list,' Gallucci said, especially as businesses rely more on third-party providers and digital infrastructure. CFOs cited a trio of top internal risks: talent availability (46%), lack of agility/resilience (46%), and cost management (45%)—as nearly equal in importance. Gallucci explained that these risks are deeply interconnected. Disrupted supply chains and potential policy changes are driving scenario planning around cost management. Meanwhile, the talent challenge has shifted from hybrid work logistics to capability gaps: 'Do I have the right skill set within my finance organization to support the future—one that will rely more on technology, automation, and AI?' he explained. CFOs are focused on upskilling, recruiting for new capabilities, and tapping into broader talent pools to ensure their teams are prepared for what's next. Deloitte's Q2 CFO survey reveals a finance leadership community grappling with uncertainty. They're actively working toward solutions to weather the storm of unknowns and position the company for future growth. Sheryl This story was originally featured on
Bloomberg
12-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Consumer Confidence Rises in Canada After Carney's Election Win
Canadians are growing more optimistic about the economy, as the conclusion of a national election relieves some anxiety around the country's direction and US President Donald Trump's threats. The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, a measure of sentiment based on weekly polling, has improved since Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals won their fourth term at the end of April. The index is now at 48.6. A reading below 50 still indicates negative views, but it's the highest in nine weeks.
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Survey to measure confidence in Guernsey's economy launched
A group representing business leaders in Guernsey has launched a third survey to measure how confident people are about the Institute of Directors (IoD) is aiming to gather views ahead of the States Election on 18 asking its members to identify the challenges facing organisations in the last survey, launched in October 2024, showed confidence in Guernsey's economy dropped to a net positive reading of -25%. The IoD's last two surveys showed air and sea links, labour costs and availability, housing and skills shortages were the most prominent its October 2024 survey, business people said they were confident in the revenue of their individual businesses being successful, with an increase of 47% in that survey also showed a net positive reading of -25% confidence in the local economy, which was lower than the -18% result in May percentage was "considerably higher" than the UK which stands at -58%.The Economic Confidence Survey is open only to IoD members until Monday 26 Guernsey's economic lead, Richard Hemans, said: "The third survey will include questions on economic growth, productivity, the fiscal deficit and entrepreneurship, areas expected to feature heavily in policy discussions as candidates set out their manifestos."
