August 2025
NOTICE: for the purpose of asset monetization, we are full and are not taking on any new business (files) until the autumn (September 2025) with the exception of gold bullion and polished gemstones - other services are not affected but we may be slow to respond.
CORPORATE STOCK BUYBACKS FUEL STOCK MARKET RALLY. To 11 August, U.S. companies have announced $983.6 billion in stock buybacks, the most in this part of a year since at least 1982, according to research firm Birinyi Associates.
Poor Jobs Report Halts U.S. Dollar’s Comeback The dollar’s value increased 1.5% against a collection of other major currencies last week, the London Stock Exchange Group reported, marking the buck’s best week since last November’s presidential election -although fears mount.
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Aug 20
ROBUST EARNINGS BUOY STOCK INVESTORS’ CONFIDENCE. As the current earnings season ends, companies listed in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index are “handily beating expectations” after the tariff war, a weakened job market, and tighter consumer spending had lowered forecasts, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The S&P has rebounded 29 percent from its post Liberation Day crash and stands 9.7 percent higher on the year, the WSJ said.
IMF RAISES GLOBAL GROWTH OUTLOOK ON WEAK DOLLAR The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has boosted its forecast for the world economy’s growth this year to 3 percent and to 3.1 percent in 2026. In April, the fund forecasted 2.8 and 3 percent, respectively.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS ERASING ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS. New graduates with their college diplomas in hand are finding fewer ways to enter the job market. AI got there before they did. Companies “have all but stopped” asking Chicago recruiting firm Hirewell for entry-level workers.
American companies did more business overall in July as manufacturing sagged and the service sector showed its strongest month since December.
The S&P Global Flash U.S. Composite Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which surveys activity across the entire U.S. economy, rose to 54.6 in July from June’s reading of 52.9.
