RT BSCN (@BSCNews)JASMY 🤝 PANASONIC - @Jasmy_Global's ground-breaking partnership with tech-giant @panasonic is moving forward with a fresh development update... Get the details 👇 https://t.co/Y8suVfGfgD ...

Core Insights - The Deloitte Finance Trends report highlights how finance leaders are adapting to complexities and preparing for future challenges through a global survey of 1,326 finance leaders, primarily CFOs from companies with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion [1] Group 1: Finance Trends - Scenario planning and agile governance are essential as finance chiefs balance cost efficiency with growth investments amid supply chain disruptions, with 75% of respondents indicating insufficient resources for investment [2] - Finance leaders are increasingly seen as primary strategy influencers, with 57% of respondents claiming this role, and nearly half utilizing cloud solutions to optimize costs [3][4] Group 2: Cost Management - Finance-led cost management is linked to measurable value, with 36% of finance leaders primarily responsible for cost management, and 47% of these leaders consistently meeting cost-savings targets [6] Group 3: AI Integration - While 63% of finance teams are experimenting with AI, only 21% report clear, measurable value from these investments, and just 14% have fully integrated AI agents into their finance functions [7][8] - Early-stage AI adopters face challenges in justifying ROI, with 30% struggling compared to 21% of more advanced AI users [9] Group 4: Talent Development - A significant focus on infusing technology talent into finance departments is evident, with 64% of respondents planning to enhance technical skills by 2026, particularly in AI, automation, and data analysis [10]

Core Insights - The third-quarter 2025 earnings season is commencing, with key reports from companies like Pepsi and Delta Airlines expected this week [1] - 19 S&P 500 members have already reported fiscal results for the August quarter, including FedEx and Oracle, with major banking earnings set to start mid-October [2] - Q3 earnings are projected to increase by 5.5% year-over-year, supported by a 6.1% rise in revenues, following strong growth rates in the previous two quarters [3][4] Earnings Growth Projections - Six out of the 16 Zacks sectors are expected to report earnings above the previous year's levels in Q3, with total S&P 500 earnings anticipated to grow by 9.5% for the entire year [5] - Aerospace sector is projected to see a remarkable 248.9% earnings growth with a 10.1% increase in revenues for Q3 [6] - Technology sector is expected to achieve 12% earnings growth alongside 12.7% revenue growth in Q3, following strong performance in Q2 [7] - Finance sector is forecasted to experience 10.1% earnings growth with 5.8% revenue growth in Q3 [8] Sectors Expected to Decline - Auto sector is anticipated to face a significant earnings decline of 31.8% due to a 4.9% drop in revenues [9] - Construction sector is projected to lose 13.7% in earnings despite a slight revenue increase of 1.0% [10] - Transportation sector is expected to see a 7.7% earnings loss attributed to a 0.3% revenue decline [11]

Core Insights - The information technology sector has several oversold stocks, presenting potential buying opportunities for undervalued companies [1] - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a key indicator for identifying oversold conditions, with values below 30 indicating potential buying opportunities [1] Company Summaries - **Freshworks Inc (NASDAQ:FRSH)**: - Recently appointed Enrique Ortegon as senior vice president and general manager of Americas Field Sales, expected to drive growth [8] - Stock has decreased approximately 15% over the past month, with a 52-week low of $10.81 [8] - Current RSI value is 29.7, with shares closing at $11.18, reflecting a 1.2% decline [8] - **PAR Technology Corp (NYSE:PAR)**: - Analyst Mark Palmer maintained a Buy rating but reduced the price target from $92 to $77 [8] - Stock has fallen around 21% in the last month, reaching a 52-week low of $37.29 [8] - Current RSI value is 23.4, with shares closing at $37.96, showing a slight increase of 0.2% [8] - **Rapid7 Inc (NASDAQ:RPD)**: - Analyst Erin Wilson maintained an Equal-Weight rating and lowered the price target from $28 to $22 [8] - Stock has decreased about 14% over the past month, with a 52-week low of $17.76 [8] - Current RSI value is 26.3, with shares closing at $17.77, reflecting a 4.5% decline [8]

RT BSCN (@BSCNews)JASMY 🤝 PANASONIC - @Jasmy_Global's ground-breaking partnership with tech-giant @panasonic is moving forward with a fresh development update... Get the details 👇 https://t.co/Y8suVfGfgD ...

RT BSCN (@BSCNews)JASMY 🤝 PANASONIC - @Jasmy_Global's ground-breaking partnership with tech-giant @panasonic is moving forward with a fresh development update... Get the details 👇 https://t.co/Y8suVfGfgD ...

Achievements & Recognition - Google's Quantum AI lab celebrates Michel Devoret, John Martinis, and John Clarke for winning the Nobel Prize in Physics [1] - Michel Devoret is the chief scientist of hardware at Google's Quantum AI lab, and John Martinis previously led the hardware team [1] - The Nobel Prize recognizes their pioneering work in quantum mechanics in the 1980s [1] - Google has had 5 Nobel Laureates, with 3 prizes awarded in the last 2 years [2] Quantum Computing Progress - The pioneering work paved the way for error-corrected quantum computers [1] - Google is making incredible progress in its quantum lab in Santa Barbara [2]

Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:DELL) is trying to keep the tech sector afloat today, last seen up 1.9% to trade at $148.53 after the company hiked its long-term revenue and profit growth forecasts. CEO Michael Dell cited the rabid demand for AI as a the catalyst for the upbeat guidance.DELL earlier hit an annual high of $154.70 before paring those gains. The shares are now up 29.2% year to date, and are testing the upper rung of an uptrend channel stemming from their April lows at $66.Options traders are rampi ...

Group 1 - Tokenised stocks have been launched globally in May, now available to South Africans through Luno, starting with over 60 US stocks and ETFs [1] - This development provides both retail and professional investors with instant access to major global companies such as Apple, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and Tesla [1] Group 2 - Historically, trading stocks required physical interaction with stockbrokers and traders, creating significant barriers to participation for most individuals [2] - The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) transitioned to digital stock certificates in 1999, reducing settlement times from two weeks to five days, while Nasdaq was the first fully digitised stock market [3] Group 3 - There has been a notable increase in market demand for stock investments, with a study indicating that the monthly share of individuals under 40 transferring funds to investment accounts has more than tripled over the last decade [4] - The 2022 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances reported that direct stock ownership among families rose from 15% in 2019 to 21% in 2022, marking the largest increase since 1989 [4] Group 4 - In South Africa, investment patterns have remained relatively stable over the past decade, but there has been a slight increase in equity investments since 2020 [5] - The share of equity and investment fund shares relative to total assets in South African households increased from 20.8% to 25.7% during this period, indicating a growing interest in stock market investments [5]

Market Overview - The third quarter was strong for the stock market, driven by AI enthusiasm, particularly in the information technology sector [3][4] - The ClearBridge Dividend Strategy profited from AI exposure but lagged the S&P 500 due to a disciplined risk management approach and underweighting in the IT sector [3][10] Market Concentration - The IT sector represents over 30% of the total market, with the top 10 companies accounting for more than 40%, both at all-time highs [4][9] Investment Strategy - The company maintains a traditional approach to diversification and risk management, benefiting from technology investments while reducing potential losses from AI market fluctuations [10] - The strategy focuses on dividend-paying stocks without rigid yield thresholds, allowing for flexibility in capital allocation [14][15] Performance Highlights - Positive contributions came from positions in Broadcom and Oracle, both of which are significant players in AI [16] - Defense holdings like Northrop Grumman and RTX performed well amid geopolitical tensions, while consumer staples lagged in a risk-on market [17] New Positions - New investments were initiated in Marsh & McLennan and Old Dominion Freight Line, with the former seen as undervalued and the latter recognized for its strong financials [18][19] Earnings and Valuation - Earnings are currently impacted by a weak volume environment, presenting attractive entry points for investment [19] - The outlook for the economy is mixed, with high valuations restraining capital appreciation potential [21] Dividend Growth - Dividend growers are viewed as ideal investments, providing income and preserving purchasing power in inflationary environments [25][24] Portfolio Performance - The ClearBridge Dividend Strategy underperformed the S&P 500 during the third quarter, with sector allocation being a primary driver of this underperformance [26][27] - Positive contributions came from Oracle, Sempra, and TE Connectivity, while Nvidia and Apple detracted from relative returns [28]