Tourism Industry Outlook - Tourism in Spain, Europe's second largest holiday destination, is expected to grow less than previously anticipated [1] - Economic and geopolitical uncertainties are impacting the desire for travel [1]

Core Insights - Amazon's sales dropped 41% on the first day of its four-day Prime Day event compared to the first day of last year's two-day event [1] - Momentum Commerce's CEO suggested that the decline in sales was due to consumers adding items to their carts but delaying purchases for potentially better deals [2] - Amazon's Vice President expressed satisfaction with shopper engagement and noted that the extended duration of Prime Day was in response to consumer demand for more time to explore deals [4] Sales Performance - The first day of this year's Prime Day saw a significant sales drop, but there is potential for overall sales to surpass last year's event due to the longer duration [2] - Last year's shorter Prime Day encouraged quicker purchases to avoid missing discounts, contrasting with this year's consumer behavior [3] - Adobe reported that Prime Day's kickoff surpassed Thanksgiving 2024's eCommerce spend of $6.1 billion, with 50.2% of sales made via mobile devices [5] Market Context - Prime Day, alongside Walmart's Walmart+ Week, is viewed as a test for consumer spending amid economic uncertainty and declining consumer confidence [6] - Retailers are closely monitoring consumer behavior changes due to global tariffs and economic conditions [6]

CNBC Top States for Business Ranking - Overview - CNBC's annual ranking of America's top states for business has been conducted since 2007, evaluating states based on competitiveness [2] - The ranking methodology involves 10 categories of competitiveness, with weights adjusted annually based on current business concerns and state priorities [2] - The study's methodology and sources are available at topstates.cnbc.com [5] Key Ranking Factors - Economic uncertainty, tariffs, and federal budget cuts have made "Economy" the most important category this year, measuring economic and job growth, housing market, and state finances [3] - Infrastructure, including sites, roads, bridges, and power, is a key consideration [4] - Workforce quality, including the ability to attract top talent, is a significant factor [4] - The cost of doing business, business friendliness, quality of life, technology and innovation (especially with federal research funding reductions), education, access to capital, and cost of living (including insurance costs) are all measured [4] Announcement and Further Information - The top state for business will be revealed on Squawkbox [6] - The full state rankings will be available on cnbc.com [6]

Core Insights - Average salary increase budgets for US companies in 2026 are expected to remain stable at 3.5%, matching the actual increases of 2025 [1] - Organizations are becoming more strategic in their pay allocation and investment focus, aiming to align with broader business goals despite economic uncertainty [3] Salary Budget Changes - Three out of five organizations experienced changes in their salary budgets during the last pay cycle, with 53% reporting no difference between anticipated and actual budgets for 2025 [2] - Among organizations projecting lower salary increases, 51% cited anticipated recession or weaker financial results, while 45% mentioned cost management concerns [2] - Tight labor markets (59%) and inflationary pressures (30%) were the main reasons for those projecting higher salary budgets [2] Employee Retention and Stability - Employee stability has improved, with less than one-third (30%) of organizations reporting challenges in attracting or retaining employees, a decrease of 11 percentage points since 2023 [4] - Organizations are taking actions to enhance employee experience, health and wellness benefits, and training opportunities in response to low turnover and concerns about burnout [5] Compensation Adjustments - Employers are adjusting compensation programs to address competitive labor markets and inflation, with 50% conducting a compensation review of all employees and 48% reviewing specific employee groups [6] - Over 40% of organizations have enhanced their use of retention bonuses or spot awards, and 37% have targeted base salary increases for specific employee groups [6] Payroll Expenses - The average annual payroll expense has increased by nearly 4% (3.6%), with 70% of organizations reporting higher total annual payroll expenses compared to the previous year [7] Strategic Investments - Employers are making investments beyond pay raises, focusing on career development, wellbeing, flexibility, and equity to enhance performance, retention, and resilience in a changing market [8] Survey Details - The Salary Budget Planning Report was compiled by WTW's Rewards Data Intelligence practice, with approximately 29,128 responses from companies across 157 countries, including 1,569 from the U.S. [9]

Labor Market Trends - The labor market has been cooling for many months [1][2] - June 2025 saw the lowest private sector employment in a long time, with government hiring, particularly at the state level, being unusually high [2] - Employers are being cautious due to tariff threats, leading to a hold on current workforce and limited growth in private sector employment [9][10] AI Impact on Employment - 58% of employees are investing in AI, but a large percentage of their employees aren't sure that they're really ready to jump into it [4] - AI, particularly GenAI, is being used for tasks related to content, communication, and coding [5] - GenAI has a visible impact on employment levels in coding, with software programmers experiencing higher unemployment [6] Hiring Outlook - Manpowergroup Employment Outlook survey expects hiring to increase 24% year-over-year in Q3 [7] - A strong hiring number would be 3,840%, while a weak number would be 10% [8] - The 24% net hiring outlook reflects a solid labor market, but tariff threats are causing employers to hold back [8][9]

Core Insights - In the current economic climate, new analyst coverage is increasingly valuable for investors navigating volatility, with the Federal Reserve maintaining interest rates and signaling potential cuts in 2025, amid rising concerns about stagflation as GDP growth slows to 1.4% and inflation rises to 3% [1][2] Analyst Coverage Importance - New analyst coverage provides timely insights, updated models, and context on how companies may perform amid inflationary pressures, cost volatility, and weakening demand [2][3] - Analysts possess specialized knowledge and expertise, offering critical insights into a company's financial health, growth potential, competitive standing, and industry trends, which are often difficult for individual investors to acquire independently [3][5] - Coverage initiation on a stock typically indicates higher investor interest, as investors believe that the company under coverage holds significant value [4][6] Market Impact of Analyst Coverage - New analyst coverage can lead to immediate stock price volatility, with positive ratings attracting bullish sentiment and driving share prices higher, while neutral or negative ratings may trigger sell-offs [8] - Favorable coverage from multiple analysts can enhance investor confidence, leading to sustained upward momentum in valuation [8][10] Recent Stock Highlights - Recent analyst coverage on Karooooo Ltd. (KARO), OppFi Inc. (OPFI), QXO, Inc. (QXO), and United Fire Group, Inc. (UFCS) reflects analyst confidence despite economic uncertainty, with each stock seeing recent EPS estimate hikes [10] - Karooooo shares have gained 36.4% in the past three months, with a fiscal 2026 EPS estimate increase to $1.87, indicating 14.7% year-over-year growth [14] - OppFi shares have gained 73.2% in the past three months, with a 2025 EPS estimate increase to $1.23, indicating 29.5% year-over-year growth [15] - QXO shares have gained 78% in the past three months, with a 2025 EPS estimate improving to 39 cents from a loss of 12 cents [16] - United Fire Group shares have gained 9.4% in the past three months, with a 2025 EPS estimate increase to $3.50, indicating a 2.4% year-over-year decline [17] Screening Criteria for Stocks - Stocks with increased analyst coverage and improving average ratings are prioritized, with additional parameters including a stock price greater than or equal to $5 and an average daily volume greater than or equal to 100,000 shares [11][12]

Venture capital dealmaking in Latin America has hit the slowest pace in almost seven years, in part due to global economic uncertainty and a pullback from US investors in the region https://t.co/N19Ts596lL ...

Economic Outlook - There is significant uncertainty regarding the economy and interest rate direction for the year [1] - The Federal Reserve (FED) decided to keep interest rates steady in their latest meeting, which was anticipated [1] Investment Strategy - The focus is on dividend investing in quality blue-chip stocks, Business Development Companies (BDCs), and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) [1] - The investment approach is characterized as buy-and-hold, prioritizing quality over quantity [1] - The goal is to help lower and middle-class workers build investment portfolios of high-quality, dividend-paying companies [1]

Company Performance - General Mills CEO discusses earnings [1] Market Trends & Challenges - Addresses consumer demand challenges [1] - Discusses economic uncertainty [1]

Company Overview - Marine Products Corporation (MPX) is a leading manufacturer of recreational powerboats with key brands Chaparral and Robalo[12] - The company has been building high-quality fiberglass powerboats for more than 60 years[9] - MPX has approximately 600 employees and is headquartered in Atlanta, with a manufacturing facility in Nashville, GA[11] - The company's market capitalization is approximately $300 million[11] Financial Performance - Net sales for the first quarter of 2025 decreased by 15% year-over-year to $59 million[57] - Net income for the first quarter of 2025 was $2206 thousand, down 52% year-over-year, with diluted EPS of $006[57, 58] - EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025 was $3402 thousand, a 43% decrease year-over-year, with an EBITDA margin of 58%[57, 62] - In 2024, approximately 54% of sales were from the Chaparral brand and 46% from the Robalo brand[15] - In 2024, approximately 65% of sales were from outboard propulsion boats, while 35% were from sterndrive propulsion boats[35] - The company ended the first quarter of 2025 with approximately $571 million in cash and no debt[57] Strategy and Outlook - The company plans to begin working with its dealer network for model year 2026 introductions, taking a conservative approach to rollout and inventory management[2] - Full year 2025 capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $3 million[2] - The company has returned approximately $240+ million to shareholders since 2015[29]