UK economy barely grows, Burberry boosted by China demand and the best new pubs in London -- get briefed ahead of your morning calls with The London Rush https://t.co/HbjNcR6yhS ...

The luxury brand booked a 2% rise in comparable store sales, the first increase in two years. ...

Core Insights - Burberry reported a 2% increase in second-quarter comparable store sales, surpassing market expectations, indicating that the company's turnaround strategies are beginning to yield positive results [1] Company Performance - The British luxury brand's sales growth is attributed to effective turnaround measures that have started to take effect [1] - The performance in China has been particularly strong, contributing to the overall sales increase [1]

Group 1: Market Performance - The FTSE 100 index closed at a record high of 9,911, with an intra-day peak of 9,930, marking a strong rebound for stocks [2][4] - SSE, a Scottish electricity generator, saw its shares jump 11% after announcing plans to raise £2 billion in new equity to fund a £33 billion five-year investment plan [1] - Gold prices increased, benefiting companies like Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo, which rose by 3.5% and 1.8% respectively [1] Group 2: Currency and Bond Market - The British pound fell to its lowest level in over two years, down 0.4% to €1.13 and 0.5% to $1.3086, amid political uncertainty surrounding potential leadership challenges [3][12][9] - UK government borrowing costs increased, with the yield on 30-year gilts rising four basis points to 5.21%, reflecting investor concerns about potential leadership changes [4][51] - The rise in bond yields indicates that investors are wary of a shift in leadership that could lead to increased public borrowing and fiscal instability [52][53] Group 3: Company-Specific Developments - Experian's shares fell by 4.5% despite the company raising its guidance for financial 2026 revenue growth and margin improvement [1] - Taylor Wimpey, a house builder, reported a decline in weekly home sales to 0.63, down from 0.71 the previous year, citing uncertainty ahead of the upcoming Budget [60][61] - SSE admitted that 23% of its wind power output was wasted due to grid congestion, which has implications for energy costs [28][29]

Economic Overview - The U.S. economy is experiencing a K-shaped recovery, where affluent consumers thrive while lower-income consumers struggle [1][3] - Affluent consumers benefit from rising stock markets and high home prices, providing them with financial stability [2] - Lower-income consumers face stagnant wages and rising costs, leading to a decline in purchasing power [3] Company Performance - Benzinga Pro provided early access to market-moving news, exemplified by COCH's stock surge from approximately $1.12 to over $2.00 [4] - Mid- and low-income consumer struggles have been highlighted in earnings calls from major restaurant chains like McDonald's and Chipotle, affecting their stock performance [4] Luxury Brands Analysis - Higher-end brands are capitalizing on the resilience of affluent consumers and the demand for value among cost-conscious buyers [5] - Hermes International, known for its luxury handbags, maintains a strong market position despite recent stock performance lagging behind indices [6][9] - Tapestry Inc., with brands like Coach, reported a 21% year-over-year growth in its Coach division, despite challenges from tariffs and a decline in Kate Spade sales [10][11] - LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton experienced a significant stock spike following positive Q3 results, driven by a resurgence in Chinese consumer demand [14][17] - Ralph Lauren Corp. reported a strong fiscal Q2 2026, achieving over $2 billion in quarterly sales and raising revenue guidance despite tariff headwinds [18][19]

What's driving these gains. >> Well, there's a little bit of micro and a little bit of macro at the risk of sounding like a song. I mean, the macro is some of it's global and I do think the fact that actually we are nearing a resolution for the US shutdown has had a positive impact on markets across the globe.Plus, you've had things like the resolution on kind of Swiss tariffs this week, you know, in the last week, which has also added some tailwinds to the European markets. You've also got expectation of l ...

Core Viewpoint - LVMH's watch division has acquired a minority stake in La Joux-Perret, while the Swiss watch manufacturer will maintain its full independence [1] Company Summary - LVMH's watch division is expanding its portfolio through the acquisition of a minority stake in La Joux-Perret [1] - La Joux-Perret is a Swiss watch manufacturer known for its craftsmanship and will continue to operate independently despite the investment from LVMH [1] Industry Summary - The acquisition reflects ongoing trends in the luxury watch industry, where established brands seek strategic partnerships to enhance their offerings while allowing manufacturers to retain operational independence [1]

Group 1 - SoftBank sold its entire stake in Nvidia for $5.8 billion, leading to a nearly 10% drop in Coreweave's shares, which rent Nvidia's GPUs [12][6][13] - SoftBank's second-quarter net profit more than doubled to $16.6 billion, driven by valuation gains in its OpenAI holdings [13][14] - The exit from Nvidia aligns with SoftBank's strategy to fund future AI investments, including a $1 trillion AI manufacturing hub in Arizona [14][15] Group 2 - Animoka Brands plans to go public again through a reverse merger with Current Group, aiming to own 95% of the merged entity [16][20] - The merger is seen as strategic, combining Animoka's focus on crypto and tokenization with Current's fintech services [20][22] - The regulatory environment for crypto has improved since Animoka's delisting from the Australian Securities Exchange in 2020 [23][24] Group 3 - Investors are showing interest in AI, with Coreweave's Q3 results beating estimates but issuing weaker full-year guidance, reviving concerns about AI spending returns [5][6][14] - The potential trade deal between the US and Switzerland could lower tariffs on Swiss exports, positively impacting companies like Swatch and Richemont [33][34] - Rocket Lab reported a 48% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching $155 million, indicating strong demand and growth prospects [37]

Core Insights - LVMH share price has experienced a strong uptrend recently, attributed to easing concerns regarding its Chinese business [1] - The share price reached a high of €630, marking its highest level since March and representing a 45% increase from its lowest point [1]

How significant then is this new wave of store openings for LVMH and its China strategy. At a time when we're thinking about deflation in China, a pretty weak consumer housing market that is certainly not recovered. What is driving the shift back towards luxury spending if indeed we are seeing that.Right. So the scale of the new store openings is certainly significant because we're talking about four major LVMH brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany and Loro Piana, and they're all opening multi-stor ...