Economic & Analysis News

WESTLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Schwab Trading Activity Index™ (STAX) decreased to 39.68 in May, down from its score of 41.18 in April. The only index of its kind, the STAX is a proprietary, behavior-based index that analyzes retail investor stock positions and trading activity from Schwab’s millions of client accounts to illuminate what investors were actually doing and how they were positioned in the markets each month. The reading for the four-week period ending May 30, 2025, ranks “lo...

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBRA releases research that examines sovereign credit fundamentals in Europe which, in our view, are underpinned by resilient labour markets, fiscal adaptability, and easing financial conditions. While political fragmentation continues to weigh on policy cohesion—particularly in France, Spain, and the Netherlands—investment is rebounding and early signs of a manufacturing upturn offer support to near-term growth. Energy prices have also moderated and are no longer a cor...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today released its monthly Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index (PFI), which analyzes the 100 largest U.S. corporate pension plans. During May, discount rates rose 14 basis points to 5.71%—a 20-month high—which shaved $19 billion off PFI plan liabilities. Meanwhile, a 0.68% monthly investment return added $2 billion to the market value of plan assets. As of May 31, the PFI asset value stood at $1.254 trillio...

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The June issue of Best’s Review examines how the impact of climate risk and severe weather events has reshaped the insurance industry, even causing homeowners to turn to the so-called insurers of last resort, FAIR Plans: “The Last Resort: As Private Insurers Exit High-Risk Areas, FAIR Plans Find Competitive Foothold” reports how homeowners are turning to the residual market because of the decline in availability of coverage, even though FAIR Plan policies may cos...

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Assistant Secretary of Labor for EBSA nominee Daniel Aronowitz during Senate confirmation hearing: I will end the war on ESOPs....

NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The increased risks of a potential recession have continued to gain momentum over the last several months, and short sellers have taken note, according to the latest Hazeltree May 2025 Shortside Crowdedness Report. Major consumer brands, including half of the top-10 most crowded shorts in the Americas, were identified by Hazeltree, a leader in active treasury and intelligent operations technology for the alternative asset industry, alongside notable companies...

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research from Principal ®finds the Principal Financial Well-Being IndexSM at 6.02 out of 10, down sharply from 7.8 in November 2024, and the lowest level recorded since November 2020. The Index is scored on a 0 to 10 scale, where 0 reflects no confidence in business health and outlook, and 10 reflects complete confidence. Though the drop in optimism mimics the sentiment of businesses during the COVID pandemic, unique macroeconomic concerns of today and les...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: RDFN) — New listings of U.S. homes for sale rose 6.3% year over year during the four weeks ending June 1, one of the smallest increases of the last three months. That’s according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. New listings declined year over year in 11 of the 50 most populous U.S. metros, with the biggest drops in San Jose, CA and four Florida metros: Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and West Palm Beach....

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Display Market Industry Trends and Global Forecasts to 2035: Distribution by Type of Product, Type of Technology, End User, Type of Resolution, Aspect Ratio, Type of Touch Technology, Brightness, Viewing Angle, Power Consumption, Durability and Key Geographical Regions" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global display market size is estimated to grow from USD 167.47 billion in 2025, to USD 261.38 billion by 2035, at a CAGR of 4.13% dur...

MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Microsoft and its ecosystem partners play a central role in the rapid adoption of cloud and AI solutions by enterprises in Mexico, ISG says....