Key Takeaways 1. Margins and Cost Pressures: * Companies are optimistic for a 2H rebound in margins, driving operating leverage down to EPS. * Corporate mentions of cost pressures remain elevated despite falling inflation. * Many companies cite easier COGS year-over-year comparisons in the second half. * Wages remain a key headwind for margins. 2. Artificial Intelligence (AI): * AI transcript mentions are near all-time highs and mentioned in the vast majority of transcripts across all sectors. * Companies primarily cite AI as an efficiency gain rather than a revenue driver. * AI and AI data security is a top priority for corporate management teams. * Companies without obvious AI use cases often reference adding AI to internal data models to help improve decision-making or client analytics. 3. Consumer Health: * Corporate mentions of consumer health remain mixed. * Mentions of "choiceful" consumers has dropped in calendar 2Q vs 1Q. * Bellweather consumer companies reported differing pictures of consumer health—some citing continued strength, some citing no tangible change but hope for improvement, and others citing weakness on the margin and value-seeking behavior. * High vs low income consumer health remains a popular debate. 4. Free Cash Flow: * Mentions of Free Cash Flow have increased to all-time highs. * Companies are focusing on where to best spend elevated cash levels. * Buybacks are a commonly discussed use of cash but mentions of M&A, Capex, Dividends, and R&D remain frequent and elevated. 5. Sector Heat Map: * Sector heat maps show varying levels of mentions across different sectors, highlighting areas of focus and concern. 6. Corporate Surveys: * Surveys indicate that small businesses are facing challenges such as high interest rates, labor shortages, and inventory management. * Business sentiment is recovering, but confidence remains low for smaller companies. * New orders are rebounding in manufacturing, but services new orders have fallen recently. 7. Company Quotes: * Quotes from various companies provide insights into their specific strategies and challenges, including margin expansion, AI adoption, and consumer trends. Additional Important Points * The report includes time series charts and normalized trends to visualize the data and trends discussed. * The report also includes industry breakdowns and sector heat maps to provide a more detailed view of the data. * The report concludes with disclosures and important regulatory information.
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informs·2024-06-14 15:07