And right now we are 2 minutes away from the end of the trading day. Romaine Bostick alongside Katie Greifeld, taking you through to that closing bell with a global simulcast. We're joined now by Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec from the radio room.Welcome to our audiences across all of our Bloomberg platforms, including our partnership with YouTube. A decidedly down day. Stocks at session lows right now as we get just less than 2 minutes to those bells and Carol Massar, we're going to close below some key mov ...

Core Points - Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia are protesting for unpaid wages and fair treatment, highlighting systemic abuse in the labor market [1][2][3] - The Migrant Welfare Network is advocating for immediate action from authorities and international buyers to address these issues [3] - Complaints have been filed against Malaysian companies Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing for labor exploitation and neglect [3][4] Group 1: Worker Conditions - Many factories in Malaysia depend on migrant workers from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal due to local workers avoiding low-wage, poor-condition jobs [3] - Reports indicate that Bangladeshi workers have faced significant wage withholding, with some not receiving payment for up to eight months [5][6] - The Malaysian Labor Court ruled that Mediceram should pay workers 1,000 ringgit per month, but payments were not consistently made [6][7] Group 2: Company Accountability - Complaints against Kawaguchi involve withholding wages and mistreatment, leading to diplomatic tensions between Bangladesh and Malaysia [5][7] - The Australian company Ansell, a major customer of Mediceram, is implicated in a complaint regarding forced labor practices [3][4] - The situation has prompted calls for stricter oversight of recruitment agencies and middlemen involved in the employment of migrant workers [7]

Core Insights - The upcoming bilateral meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Oct. 30 at the APEC Summit has raised hopes for a potential de-escalation in the U.S.-China trade war, which could significantly impact the healthcare sector and related ETFs [1][11]. Healthcare Sector Impact - The healthcare sector is heavily reliant on global supply chains, particularly from China, making it vulnerable to trade disruptions and tariff increases that raise input costs for medical devices and pharmaceuticals [3][5]. - Approximately 30% of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used in the U.S. healthcare system are sourced from China, with over 90% of generic sterile injectable drugs depending on APIs from either India or China [6]. - Nearly 99% of medical gloves and about 60% of syringes used in the U.S. are imported from China, highlighting the sector's dependence on Chinese manufacturing [7][8]. Financial Implications for Companies - Major pharmaceutical and medical device companies, such as Johnson & Johnson and GE HealthCare, have expressed concerns about the financial impact of U.S. tariffs, with JNJ anticipating $400 million in tariff-related costs and GE HealthCare expecting about $500 million in total tariff impact for the year [9][10]. - A reduction in tariffs resulting from the U.S.-China trade talks could lower supply-chain costs and alleviate uncertainty, which would be beneficial for healthcare ETFs [11]. ETFs to Watch - **Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV)**: This fund has $36.93 billion in assets under management and charges 8 basis points in fees. Its top holdings include Eli Lilly (12.30%), Johnson & Johnson (8.74%), and AbbVie (7.60%) [13][14]. - **iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH)**: With net assets of $2.93 billion and a fee of 38 basis points, its top holdings are Eli Lilly (11.94%), Johnson & Johnson (8.41%), and AbbVie (7.34%) [15]. - **Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT)**: This fund has net assets worth $15.3 billion and charges 9 basis points in fees. Its top holdings include Eli Lilly (10.33%), AbbVie (5.76%), and United Healthcare (4.94%) [16].