Core Viewpoint - Q.E.P. Co., Inc. reported a decline in net sales and gross profit for the first six months and second quarter of fiscal year 2026, primarily due to elevated interest rates and consumer caution affecting home improvement spending [2][3]. Financial Performance - Net sales for the first six months of fiscal 2026 were $119.2 million, a decrease of $6.9 million or 5.5% from $126.1 million in the same period of fiscal 2025 [2]. - Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 were $57.7 million, down $4.9 million or 7.8% from $62.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 [2]. - Gross profit for the first six months of fiscal 2026 was $43.3 million, down $1.5 million or 3.4% from $44.8 million in the corresponding period of fiscal 2025 [3]. - Gross profit for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 was $20.6 million, a decrease of $1.7 million or 7.6% from $22.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 [3]. - The gross margin for the first six months and second quarter of fiscal 2026 was 36.3% and 35.7%, respectively, showing an increase from 35.5% and 35.6% in the same periods of the prior fiscal year [3]. Operating Expenses and Income - Operating expenses totaled $32.9 million for the first six months of fiscal 2026, representing 27.6% of net sales, compared to $34.5 million or 27.3% of net sales in the comparable fiscal 2025 period [4]. - Operating expenses for the second quarter were $16.0 million, or 27.8% of net sales, compared to $17.2 million or 27.5% in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 [4]. - Net income from continuing operations for the first six months of fiscal 2026 was $8.0 million, or $2.45 per diluted share, compared to $7.7 million or $2.34 per diluted share in the same period of fiscal 2025 [6]. - Net income for the second quarter was $3.5 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, compared to $3.8 million or $1.17 per diluted share in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 [6]. Cash Flow and Dividends - Cash provided by operations during the first six months of fiscal 2026 was $8.8 million, down from $11.2 million in the first six months of fiscal 2025 [9]. - The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share, payable on November 26, 2025, reflecting the company's commitment to returning value to stockholders [11]. Balance Sheet - As of August 31, 2025, working capital totaled $72.3 million, an increase from $67.4 million at the end of fiscal 2025 [10]. - Aggregate available cash, net of outstanding debt, was $34.3 million, up from $28.4 million at the end of fiscal 2025 [10].

Gold edged higher toward a record, boosted by an escalation in US-China frictions and bets the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates twice more this year https://t.co/U76YJNuMyR ...

Joining me now in the state of housing, Daryl Farweather, Redfin, chief economist. And here's a special treat. She's in studio with us.Usually, she is remote, so it's good to see you in person. >> It's great to see you, too. >> Although we're not talking about great numbers, to be fair.That cancellation rate is really interesting. So, that's basically when somebody signs the a letter of intent, they're going to buy the house, and then they say never mind. So, what's the rate right now, and what's contributi ...

Core Insights - The Federal Reserve's interest rate policies are closely monitored by homebuyers affected by high mortgage rates [1][2] - The Fed's recent actions, including a quarter-percentage point cut in the Federal Funds Rate (FFR), have led to a decrease in mortgage rates from approximately 6.5% to 6.3% [4][8] - Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has indicated the possibility of utilizing additional tools to provide relief to borrowers amid conflicting pressures on employment and inflation [5][6] Group 1: Federal Reserve Actions - The Fed does not directly control mortgage rates, but changes in the FFR influence them indirectly through Treasury note yields [2] - After three rate cuts in late 2024 totaling 1%, the Fed was hesitant to make further cuts due to inflation concerns [3][7] - The FFR was reduced to a range of 4% to 4.25% in September, following a rise in unemployment to 4.3%, the highest since 2021 [8] Group 2: Economic Indicators - Inflation increased to 2.9% in August, up from a low of 2.3% in April, influenced by newly enacted tariffs [8] - The jobs market has shown signs of weakening, with independent reports suggesting further deterioration [10]

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve is experiencing internal divisions regarding the approach to setting interest rates, with differing opinions on how to balance inflation control and employment support [2][10]. Group 1: Federal Reserve's Internal Disagreement - A split is emerging within the Federal Open Market Committee, with one faction concerned about the labor market and advocating for significant rate cuts, while another prioritizes inflation control and favors a cautious approach [3][10]. - Fed officials are facing a dilemma due to conflicting economic indicators, as the economy grapples with both rising inflation and potential job losses [5][6]. Group 2: Market Expectations and Predictions - Investors generally anticipate a 0.25 percentage point cut in interest rates at the next two Federal Reserve meetings, but the outlook beyond that remains uncertain [4]. - The CME Group's FedWatch tool indicates that future rate movements are difficult to predict based on current fed funds futures trading data [4]. Group 3: Economic Implications - The disagreement among Fed officials underscores the challenges posed by tariffs and other economic policies, which have led to higher inflation while risking increased unemployment [5][6]. - Fed officials are tasked with balancing their dual mandate from Congress to maintain low inflation and high employment, but the current economic situation complicates this balance [6][10]. Group 4: Perspectives from Fed Officials - Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed, cautioned against rapid rate cuts, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of inflation trends before making decisions [7][9]. - On the other end, Fed Governor Stephen Miran supports aggressive rate cuts, believing that current economic policies will eventually reduce inflation [10].

BULLISH: 🇺🇸 96.7% chance the FED will cut interest rates again in 15 days. https://t.co/3aCgkClIyj ...

The labor market is saying interest rates are still too high. ...

Monetary Policy & Interest Rates - The market anticipates the Federal Reserve (Fed) will likely cut rates in October and again in December due to concerns about the weakening labor market [2] - The Fed is considering ending the balance sheet runoff and potentially supporting more buying of long-term treasuries, which should help lower long-term yields [2] - The potential for yields to fall across the curve is supportive for a range of assets [3] - The Fed may be considering measures to ensure a soft landing for the economy and the labor market [7] Economic Outlook - The US economy is growing at a pace of approximately 35% in the third quarter [7] Banking Sector & Earnings - Early bank earnings, including Citigroup and Wells Fargo, are beating expectations [8] - The bar has been reset higher for this earning season, particularly for banks, which had the greatest upward revisions [9] - JP Morgan's results were broadly positive, but there are some concerns about the credit markets [10] AI & Technology - AI is considered one of the greatest commercial opportunities today, but it will disrupt some companies and create winners and losers [13] - There is a risk that some hyperscalers will start to rein in their capital expenditure (capex), and the semiconductor industry will likely feel the biggest impact [14]

The European Central Bank is more likely to lower interest rates than raise them as its next move, according to Governing Council member Francois Villeroy de Galhau https://t.co/cWv0O1gGiA ...

I want to ask about Wall Street and specifically about this equity market. I do watch our competition, and I saw your interview with Andrew. Last week you said this is like October of 1999.But after that, as you pointed out, you know, the stock market doubled. We had a drop in October, like an 11% intraday drop. But then the stock market doubled to March of 2000.Are we still in line for a doubling of this market. Well, it's so funny because you had mentioned that 54% of fund managers think that we're in a b ...