Key Takeaways Toyota Motor Corporation sold 2.52M vehicles in North America in 2025, up 8% year over year.TM's 2025 EV sales rose 17.6% to 1.18M units, making up 47% of total volume.Toyota absorbed U.S. tariff costs to sustain demand, but Q4 EV sales slipped 1.9% despite higher totals.Toyota Motor (TM) reported strong U.S. deliveries of 2,518,071 units, implying a year-over-year increase of 8%.The electric vehicle sales for the year totaled 1,183,248, up 17.6% year over year, representing 47% of all units s ...

By Anuja Bharat Mistry Dec 18 (Reuters) - Birkenstock on Thursday forecast fiscal 2026 profit below Wall Street expectations and annual revenue growth lower than the last two ​years as U.S tariffs hurt margins and cautious consumer spending dampen demand for its ‌sandals and clogs. Its shares fell nearly 10% premarket after the German footwear company warned of a 100 basis-point hit ‌to its annual gross margins from U.S. import duties. Birkenstock, known for its higher-priced "Arizona" sandals and "Bos ...

Market Overview - The U.K. stock market's benchmark FTSE 100 is experiencing a significant decline, down 120.72 points or 1.25% at 9,554.71, marking the fourth consecutive session of losses [2] - Concerns regarding the global economic outlook, particularly related to the AI bubble, U.S. tariffs, and the Federal Reserve's policy decisions, are negatively impacting investor sentiment [1] Sector Performance - Major bank stocks such as Standard Chartered, HSBC Holdings, and Barclays have seen declines ranging from 3.2% to 3.5% [2] - Other notable declines include Anglo American Plc down 3.7%, Convatec down 3.6%, and IAG down 3.1%, with Fresnillo and Antofagasta also down nearly 3% [2] Company-Specific Movements - Companies like Schroders, WPP, Prudential, Rio Tinto, Diageo, 3i Group, Mondi, Airtel Africa, Glencore, and Rolls-Royce Holdings are also experiencing sharp declines [3] - In contrast, ICG is gaining nearly 6% due to stronger than expected earnings, while Imperial Brands is up 2.7% following a nearly 5% increase in annual adjusted operating profit [3] - Other companies such as Rightmove, BAE Systems, Sainsbury (J), AstraZeneca, British American Tobacco, and Centrica are showing modest gains [3]

Core Insights - The U.S. economy experienced a boost in spring and summer as consumers rushed to purchase new cars to avoid tariffs and take advantage of expiring tax breaks [1] - Currently, there is a noticeable decline in car shopping activity among consumers [1] Economic Impact - The rush to buy new cars was driven by the anticipation of U.S. tariffs and the expiration of certain tax incentives, indicating a temporary spike in consumer spending [1] - The shift in consumer behavior suggests a potential slowdown in the automotive sector, which could impact overall economic growth [1]

Core Viewpoint - Panasonic Holdings has reduced its full-year operating profit forecast by 13.5% primarily due to a decline in profit from its energy unit, which supplies batteries to Tesla and other automakers [1][2]. Financial Performance - The revised operating profit forecast for Panasonic is now 320 billion yen ($2.12 billion) for the fiscal year ending March 2026, down from the previous expectation of 370 billion yen [1]. - The energy unit's operating profit saw a dramatic decline of 96.4%, reporting only 1.2 billion yen for the second quarter ending September, compared to the same period last year [3]. Market Conditions - The forecast adjustment reflects the impact of U.S. tariffs, lower-than-expected sales volumes, reduced benefits from U.S. federal tax credits for the automotive battery sector, and higher-than-anticipated restructuring costs [2]. - Panasonic has also reduced its automotive battery sales projection for North America by 13% to 40 gigawatt hours (GWh) for the fiscal year 2025/26, citing worsening EV market conditions in the U.S. [4]. Industry Context - LG Energy Solution, a competitor, has also lowered its earnings guidance, predicting a mid-single-digit percentage decline in 2025 sales due to the expiration of U.S. tax credits for electric vehicle purchases, which contrasts with its previous growth expectations of 5% to 10% [3].

Inflation has been creeping higher from a postpandemic low of 2.3% earlier this year due in part to the highest U.S. tariffs in decades. ...

Core Insights - Abbott missed third-quarter revenue estimates due to weaknesses in its diagnostics and nutrition businesses, despite strong demand for medical devices [1][3] - The company is facing challenges from declining COVID-19 testing demand, new U.S. tariffs, and a freeze on foreign aid [1] Financial Performance - Total revenue for the quarter ended September 30 was $11.37 billion, slightly below analysts' estimate of $11.40 billion [3] - Adjusted profit per share was reported at $1.30, aligning with analysts' expectations [5] - Annual adjusted profit is now expected to be between $5.12 and $5.18 per share, a slight adjustment from the previous range of $5.10 to $5.20 [5] Business Segments - The medical devices segment outperformed estimates, driven by sales of heart devices and continuous glucose monitors [3] - The nutrition business, particularly the pediatric division, faced challenges due to competition and lawsuits related to its specialized formula for premature infants [4] Market Conditions - The diagnostics division is experiencing pricing pressure from China's procurement program, which purchases medical devices at significant discounts [2] - CEO Robert Ford indicated that growth in China is around 5% to 7% when excluding the diagnostics segment [2] - Current headwinds are viewed by RBC Capital Markets analysts as "transitory" [2][3] Regulatory Impact - Abbott expects a financial hit of under $200 million from current tariffs this year but does not anticipate a significant impact from the Section 232 probes into medical device imports [5]

Core Insights - Americans are reducing their credit card usage in August, indicating a trend of caution among households [1] Economic Context - Households are facing persistent inflation, a challenging job market, and ongoing economic uncertainty related to U.S. tariffs [1]

Economic Outlook - Japan's factory output fell 1.2% in August, exceeding the median market forecast of a 0.8% decline, raising uncertainties about the economic outlook [2][8] - Retail sales in Japan declined 1.1% year-on-year in August, marking the first decline in 42 months, contrary to the expected 1.0% increase [7][8] Industrial Production - The production of electrical machinery and information and communication electronics equipment fell 5.7% in August, while fabricated metal production decreased by 7.8% [3] - Motor vehicle production increased by 2.5% in August, attributed to higher output for models sold overseas and an easing parts shortage [5] Trade and Tariffs - A trade deal between Washington and Tokyo established a baseline 15% tariff on nearly all Japanese imports, down from an initial 27.5% on autos, providing some relief to Japanese exporters [4] - Analysts express caution, noting that higher U.S. import tariffs under the trade deal are negatively impacting shipments from Japanese manufacturers [6] Bank of Japan's Stance - The Bank of Japan is likely to maintain its current interest rates due to the dismal economic data, with Governor Kazuo Ueda indicating a preference for more data before making decisions on rate hikes [6][8]

Core Viewpoint - The company, founded by industry titan Martin Sorrell, has lowered its like-for-like net revenue projection for the second time in three months, citing volatility partly triggered by U.S. tariffs [1] Group 1 - The company has experienced significant volatility in its operations [1] - The reduction in revenue projections indicates challenges in the current market environment [1] - U.S. tariffs are identified as a contributing factor to the company's financial adjustments [1]