2019年6月27日
The US stock market is rapidly losing its biggest driver of gains as global trade tensions flare
Analysts have chopped down corporate profit forecasts at a rapid clip this month, putting a dent in what was an improving months-long trend. Downgrades for global 2019 earnings estimates accelerated again this month after being on an improving trend since December.
These reduced expectations for companies’ earnings are broad-based, with most regions seeing an accelerating pace of downgrades. Japan, emerging markets, and the US saw the most severe reductions in June.
While each company has its own idiosyncratic, industry-specific challenges, analysts’ trimmed estimates have been broadly predicated upon the slowing pace of global economic growth and trade-related uncertainty. Considering corporate earnings growth has been the foremost driver of gains throughout the 10-year bull market, the acceleration of cuts this month could be interpreted as more evidence global economic conditions are souring at a late stage in the business cycle.
The trend was front and center on Wednesday after the shipping giant FedEx issued guidance that fell short of already-tempered expectations. The Memphis company in part blamed global trade uncertainty. As a result, a number of equity analysts cut their earnings expectations.
These are the three quickest growing job skills in Australia right now
It’s no secret the job force is quickly changing, but are you ready for it? Professional networking and job site LinkedIn has released the three quickest growing skill demands in Australia in its 2019 Future of Skills report. The platform surveyed 4,136 employees and 844 Learning & Development professionals in Australia, India, Japan and Singapore to discover the trends across industries and looked at data on the platform for the last five years.
Continuous integration：refers to IT development, where professionals need to constantly verify updates.
Workplace automation：It involves taking repetitive manual tasks and incorporating technology to automate them.
Social media marketing：While there’s plenty of people who consume social media, there’s a growing job market for those who can sell on it. Whether it’s to sell products and services or promote brands, the demand for social media marketing continues to grow. For those Australians looking to work abroad, you’ll want to know your way around more than just Facebook or Instagram. China has WeChat, Japan’s social media network is Line, while Korea has KakaoTalk, in Vietnam it’s Zalo, and India has Hike.
Aldi has announced an ambitious new scheme to cut down the use of plastics in its stores
You may already have one — or many — coloured recyclable bags from Aldi but the supermarket giant is taking things one step further. Aldi plans to cut at least 25% of all its plastic packaging from its product range by 2025.
Among the commitments is a plan to phase out single use plastics such as cotton buds, plastic plates and straws from its stores by the end of 2020. Aldi also wants to cut down the amount of plastic packaging used its in fresh food range by using sustainable options instead and to include 30% recycled materials in its plastic packaging by the end of 2025.
Aldi Australia, Managing Director of Buying, added that while Aldi wants to “remove plastics immediately”, the process will take years, not weeks. Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation CEO, Brooke Donnelly, said Aldi’s announcement made a significant contribution to sustainable packaging in Australia. “[It] demonstrates that sustainable packaging isn’t just good for the environment; it also makes good business sense and can drive a range of positive commercial benefits,” she said.
