Market Overview - U.S. stocks experienced a decline, with the Dow Jones index falling over 450 points, down 0.98% to 46,848.97, NASDAQ down 1.82% to 23,073.21, and S&P 500 down 1.13% to 6,719.65 [1] - Energy shares increased by 0.9%, while consumer discretionary stocks fell by 2.4% [1] Company Earnings - ConocoPhillips reported third-quarter FY25 earnings of $1.7 billion, or $1.38 per share, down from $2.1 billion, or $1.76 per share, year-over-year. Adjusted EPS was $1.61, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44. The company also raised its fourth-quarter regular dividend by 8% to $0.84 per share [2] Commodities - Oil prices decreased by 1.1% to $58.96, gold fell by 0.4% to $3,977.70, silver dropped 1.2% to $47.450, and copper declined by 0.6% to $4.9580 [5] Stock Movements - Golden Entertainment, Inc. shares surged 35% to $28.69 following an acquisition announcement at $30/share [8] - Forge Global Holdings, Inc. shares increased by 68% to $44.00 after an acquisition agreement with Charles Schwab [8] - Stagwell Inc. shares rose 20% to $5.75 after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results and issuing positive FY25 sales guidance [8] - American Superconductor Corporation shares fell 36% to $38.01 despite beating second-quarter earnings but missing revenue estimates [8] - ACV Auctions Inc. shares dropped 38% to $5.03 after cutting full-year sales guidance and receiving a downgrade from B of A Securities [8] - Aspen Aerogels, Inc. shares decreased by 44% to $4.1850 after lowering full-year earnings and sales guidance [8] Employment Data - U.S.-based employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October, a significant increase from 54,064 in the previous month [10]

Job Market Trends - Over 1 million jobs have been cut this year [1]

Job Cuts Analysis - October job cut announcements reached 153,074, the highest since 2003 [1] - Job cuts increased by 183% compared to September [1] - Job cuts increased by 175% year-over-year [1] - Year-to-date job cuts are the highest since June 2020 (COVID period) [2] - Job cut data is compiled from companies' announced plans, not actual realized cuts [2][3] Hiring Trends - Announced seasonal hiring plans are the lowest since tracking began in 2012 [4] Considerations - Job cut announcements may not always translate into actual job losses due to attrition [3] - Job cuts can take months to materialize, as seen with Amazon's 90-day notice [3] - Job cut figures are worldwide, not limited to the U S [3]

Core Insights - Global job losses in the fashion and footwear sectors are increasing, with at least 17,267 job cuts reported in 2025 [1] - The trend of job cuts is part of a broader pattern across various industries in the U.S., driven by factors such as automation and AI [4] Job Cuts in Fashion and Retail - Major companies like Nike, Puma, Saks Global, and Target are among those reducing their workforce [1] - U.S. retailers have announced 86,233 job cuts through September 2025, a 203% increase from 28,440 cuts in the same period last year [5] - Adidas plans to cut 500 positions to reduce complexity, while Amazon is set to eliminate 14,000 corporate jobs [7] - Burberry is cutting 1,700 jobs, representing 18% of its workforce, as part of a strategy to save $130 million by 2027 [8] - Carter's Inc. will lay off 300 staff and close 150 stores, while Kohl's Corp. has cut about 10% of its corporate jobs [9][12] Impact of Automation and AI - Companies like Intel and Microsoft are also reducing their workforces, with Intel cutting 24,000 jobs and Microsoft 9,000 [3] - The rise of AI and automation is cited as a significant factor behind many of these job cuts across various sectors [4] Specific Company Actions - Nike is reducing its corporate staff by 1%, following a previous cut of over 1,600 jobs in 2024 as part of a $2 billion cost-saving plan [14][15] - Puma's new CEO announced a reduction of 900 jobs, totaling 1,400 cuts for the year, indicating a challenging growth outlook until 2027 [16] - Target is eliminating 1,800 corporate positions, including 800 open jobs, due to structural changes aimed at improving decision-making [21] Broader Economic Context - The U.S. has seen nearly 950,000 job cuts from January to September 2025, marking the highest total since 2020 [4] - The government sector has experienced the most job losses, but tech and retail sectors are also significantly affected [4]

been a string of corporate layoffs uh in recent weeks in articles uh in Wall Street Journal uh about white even white collar workers stupidly I'm wearing white collar Steve Leeman is here smart enough to wear blue collar uh is AI uh intelligence is that to blame u should investors be wary >> we we did a a joint in a joint research investigative story with this using Gabriel Fon Rouge our retail reporter on. com myself Frank Holland and we looked into this 48 38,000 jobs at UPS, 14,000 at Amazon, 1,800 at Ta ...

Labor Market Trends - The US economy has been characterized by "low hire, low fire," indicating employer reluctance to implement significant job cuts [1] - The "low hire, low fire" trend appears to be ending, suggesting a potential shift in employer behavior regarding workforce management [1]

Puma plans to slash 900 more jobs and sharpen its focus on running, football and training https://t.co/sNEKo51SJK ...

Amazon And Target Job Cuts Reveal How AI Is Reshaping The Retail WorkforceWhile the scale of job cuts differs by company size – and Amazon’s cutbacks cover more than retail-related positions – the losses within the retail sector are substantial. https://t.co/8zJYLGJSnz ...

Market Overview - The current economy is described as strange, characterized by strong GDP and a soft labor market [1] - History suggests that when the Fed is easing and the economy and earnings are strong, equity returns tend to be favorable, indicating a potentially good environment for stocks [2] Labor Market Analysis - The speed of unemployment rate increase, rather than a specific level, is a key concern for the markets [3] - The overall unemployment level is at 43%, and current state-level data on initial jobless claims does not appear concerning [4] Investment Strategy - The advice is to lean into sectors that are currently performing well [6] - Financials are considered overweight, with expectations of future gains [7] - Despite the momentum in tech, the firm is looking for other ways to play the AI theme, specifically in China [7] AI and Productivity - Since the launch of Chat GPT in October 2022, the stock market is up 70% while job openings are down 30% [10] - There is a potential disconnect between the market's expectation of productivity gains from AI and the current job opening situation [11] - Increased use of AI tools may lead to meaningful public policy conversations about income redistribution [13] China's AI Approach - China offers a cheaper and less crowded way to invest in the AI theme [8] - China's AI approach focuses on efficiency and immediate applications, contrasting with the US focus on building the greatest model possible [9]

Core Viewpoint - Ørsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, will reduce its workforce by 2,000 positions by 2027, representing a quarter of its current roles, in response to various challenges and to enhance competitiveness in Europe [1][2]. Group 1: Workforce Reduction - Ørsted plans to cut approximately 2,000 jobs by the end of 2027 as part of its strategic focus on Europe and to improve competitiveness [1]. - The decision to reduce the workforce is linked to the completion of its large construction portfolio in the coming years, necessitating fewer employees [2]. Group 2: Financial Measures - Ørsted recently completed a rights issue, raising $9.35 billion (59.56 billion Danish crowns) from existing shareholders to address immediate financing needs and strengthen its capital structure [4][5]. - The rights issue was heavily discounted, priced at 66.60 crowns ($1.04) per share, compared to a closing price of 122.35 crowns ($19.18) [5]. Group 3: Industry Challenges - The offshore wind industry has faced significant challenges, including regulatory changes, cost inflation, and high interest rates, which have negatively impacted project economics [4]. - Ørsted has encountered difficulties in the U.S. market, particularly due to regulatory obstacles under the Trump Administration affecting offshore wind projects [3].