Economic Overview - The S&P 500 has increased over 70% since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, while job openings have decreased by approximately 30% [1][2] - Job openings peaked at 11.5 million in March 2022 and fell to 7.18 million by August 2025, while the S&P 500 rose from around 3,840 to nearly 6,700, marking a 74% gain [2] Monetary Policy Impact - The Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in March 2022 to combat inflation, leading to higher borrowing costs and reduced business investment, which subsequently affected hiring [3] - Construction and manufacturing sectors experienced the most significant declines in job openings, with construction openings dropping nearly 40% year over year by late 2024 [3] AI and Market Dynamics - AI-related stocks have significantly contributed to the market rally, with 75% of the S&P 500's gains since late 2022 attributed to AI-linked companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Alphabet, generating $5 trillion in household wealth [5] - The concentration of gains in AI sectors raises concerns about potential bubble risks, as noted by Morgan Stanley's Lisa Shalett [5] Labor Market Disparities - The effects of AI on the labor market are uneven, with early-career workers in AI-exposed fields experiencing a 13% employment drop, while software jobs are projected to grow nearly 18% by 2033 [6] - There appears to be a bifurcation in the economy, characterized by a thriving AI sector and a struggling broader economy [6] Additional Economic Factors - Trade and immigration policies have further constrained hiring, with estimates suggesting that immigration restrictions could reduce the U.S. workforce by 15 million over the next decade and cut annual GDP growth by one-third [4] - Concerns about a potential economic slowdown due to a prolonged government shutdown and rising national debt have been raised by industry leaders [7]

Warren Buffett's penultimate quarter as Berkshire Hathaway CEO saw the company's operating earnings soar and its cash pile grow to a fresh record of over $350 billion, but the legendary investor once again struggled to find bargains. Berkshire's third-quarter earnings report on Saturday showed a 34% year-on-year surge in operating income to $13.5 billion, as insurance underwriting income nearly tripled to $2.4 billion.Profits also climbed at the BNSF Railway and in the manufacturing, service, and retailing ...

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s cash pile soared to $381.7 billion in the third quarter, a fresh record, and operating earnings at Chief Executive Officer Warren Buffett’s conglomerate surged 34%.  That figure hit $13.5 billion, driven by an increase in insurance underwriting profit, in a period that was marked by an unusually low disaster activity, according to filings published Saturday.Buffett sells shares amid lower investment incomeBuffett offloaded $6.1 billion of shares during the period. In spite of that ...

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s cash pile soared to $381.7 billion in the third quarter, a fresh record, and operating earnings at Chief Executive Officer Warren Buffett’s conglomerate surged 34%.  That figure hit $13.5 billion, driven by an increase in insurance underwriting profit, in a period that was marked by an unusually low disaster activity, according to filings published Saturday.Buffett offloaded $6.1 billion of shares during the period. In spite of that growing cash hoard, the firm’s net investment inc ...

October 31, 2025 05:01 AM GMT China Economics | Asia Pacific Oct PMI: Payback, But Some Greenshoots Key Takeaways Manufacturing PMI held up better than it appears: The sharp drop in Oct manufacturing PMI was mainly due to the timing shift of the Mid-Autumn Festival to October this year, which led to front-loaded production in September. Removing the distortion, Sep-Oct combined manufacturing PMI was at 49.4, the same as the Aug reading. Signs of fiscal pass-through: Both construction and service PMIs underp ...

Ever wondered how stuff in factories is actually made? 1843 met a photographer who has spent more than two decades documenting assembly lines in America https://t.co/ytBOriT6mF ...

China’s factory activity slumped for the longest streak in more than nine years, prompting fresh calls for greater policy support even as the country reached a trade truce with the US. The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index fell more than expected to 49 in October, suggesting activity dropped the most in six months just before a leaders’ meeting stabilized ties this week. New orders shrank the most since 2023 as demand took a hit from trade barriers and weak sentiment at home. Most Read fr ...

#数据 中国10月官方制造业PMI创6个月低点，综合PMI为2022年12月以来最低。制造业新出口订单指数录得45.9，为4月以来新低。 https://t.co/oKtmwRUwvQ外汇交易员 (@myfxtrader):#数据中国10月官方制造业PMI为49.0，预期49.6，前值49.8；非制造业PMI为50.1，预期50.1，前值50.0；综合PMI为50.0，前值50.6。 https://t.co/pCPXqkhMpT ...

Standex International (SXI) reported $217.43 million in revenue for the quarter ended September 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 27.6%. EPS of $1.99 for the same period compares to $1.71 a year ago.The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.06% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $217.57 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.94, the EPS surprise was +2.58%.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compar ...

For the quarter ended September 2025, Arcosa (ACA) reported revenue of $797.8 million, up 24.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.56, compared to $0.91 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +2.68% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $776.95 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.33, the EPS surprise was +17.29%.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street exp ...