Pandemic Financial News

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a series of painful budget cuts to close the state's growing deficit

Consumer sentiment fell sharply in May to the lowest level in six months as Americans cited concerns about stubbornly high inflation and interest rates and fears that unemployment could rise

WASHINGTON: U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply in May to the lowest level in six months as Americans cited stubbornly high inflation and interest rates, as well as fears that unemployment could rise. The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, dropped to 67.4 this month from a final reading of 77.2 in April. That is still about 14% higher than a year ago. Consumers' outlook has generally been gloomy since the pandemic and particularly after inflation first spiked in 2021.

₹16,29,964) in savings, to be eligible for a student visa, which equals 75 per cent of the national minimum wage. “We will assess applications lodged before ​May 10, 2024, under the financial capacity requirements in effect at the time of application," the press release further noted.

Also Read: Market Meltdown: Indian stocks lag behind global peers in May – key reasons explained According to the brokerage, the country's healthcare expenditure, currently at only 3% of GDP, has historically lagged behind global counterparts due to higher 'out of pocket' expenses (51%), and lower health insurance penetration (39%). However, with diagnostics representing approximately 7% of the healthcare industry, there's significant potential for growth as India focuses on enhancing spending on essential healthcare services.

Retiring early is becoming the norm as the share of US workers planning to work beyond age 62 continues to retreat, extending a downshift that started with the pandemic.

Canada’s renters are showing more signs of financial stress amid rising debt costs than homeowners facing higher mortgage rates, according to a new analysis from the central bank.

Mint in the week gone by. The revenue contributed by an average employee at top software services companies has been consistently falling ever since the covid-19 pandemic ended, with increased hiring and plateauing revenue. And the popularity of Indian gherkins is growing globally owing to its many health benefits.

Two-wheeler sales in India will surpass pre-Covid peak either this fiscal year or the next, Sudarshan Venu, managing director at TVS Motor Company, said, indicating a broad-based revival in the economy where demand for entry-level two-wheelers have been languishing in the last few years due to a sharp rise in acquisition costs and the pandemic's financial impact. Domestic two-wheeler sales totalled 17.9 million units in FY24, recovering from a low of 13.57 million units in FY22 but falling short of peak sales of 21.18 million units in the pre-Covid year of FY19. Venu said the Indian economy is in a «good situation» with inflation under control, which will drive consumption going forward.

NEW DELHI : More than half of Indian retailers (52%) are planning to onboard fresh graduates this year, while two out of five (38%) retailers are seeking to recruit experienced professionals, according to a report by staffing and recruitment firm GI Group. In 2023, the retail industry experienced an 8% rise in job applications, while demand surged by 18%, indicating a strong interest in retail hiring. This was driven by retailers continuing their expansion across tier-1 and tier-2 cities.

Mint analysis, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro and HCL Technologies saw their combined workforce drop by over 60,000 in FY24, while the overall share of women in these four companies remained unchanged at 35.5% as of 31 March, compared to 35.6% a year ago. While the share of women employees at these four firms remained about the same over the past year, their absolute number fell 22,498.

value of shares held, surged to a seven-year high of 10.38% of total market capitalisation as of March 31, driven by a robust rally in several public sector unit (PSU) stocks. The value had touched a high of 22% of total market capitalisation of listed firms in June 2009, dropping to a low of 5.1% in September 2020 before doubling since then, according to data from primeinfobase.com. Re-ratings amid large valuation discounts, high dividend yields, record cash flows and news of possible privatisation triggered a sharp rally in public sector companies over the last three years.

Emkay Global initiated coverage on diagnostic chains with buy ratings on Dr Lal PathLabs and Metropolis Healthcare while giving an 'add' rating on Vijaya Diagnostics. «With competitive intensity reducing after the emergence of the new normal post-pandemic, we believe Indian organised diagnostics chains stand at the cusp of inflexion,» said the firm's analysts Anshul Agrawal and Eshan Bhargava in a client note."

Shopify’s stock is poised to potentially tumble to an all-time low on Wednesday as the Canadian company gave a disappointing second-quarter forecast that includes easing revenue growth and thinner margins

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AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic. The company also said it would proceed to withdraw the vaccine Vaxzevria's marketing authorizations within Europe.

During the pandemic, hand sanitizers became everyone’s front-line defense—and countless startups launched to meet the overwhelming demand. Then the demand wasn’t so overwhelming anymore. According to research company Statista, the global hand-sanitizer market boomed by 500% in 2020 to $6.3 billion in revenue from $1.03 billion in 2019.

Young Americans are starting out with more credit-card debt than generations before them. That financial burden can have long-lasting effects. The rising debt load largely reflects a surge in prices for food and shelter at the start of their careers, coupled with a larger percentage of Gen Z who graduated with student loans.

economy is expected to emerge as the world's third largest consumer market by 2026. In 2023, India’s consumption grew at a faster pace than that of China, US and Germany. But consumption growth lagged investment growth, post pandemic since mid-2022, said a report by UBS Securities.

tourist arrivals, Sri Lanka has renewed visa-free entry for visitors from India and six other select countries, aiming to make travel more accessible and convenient for international tourists. The countries included in this initiative are India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, allowing their nationals to visit Sri Lanka for up to 30 days without visa fees. The Sri Lankan government's decision comes as part of efforts to rebuild the tourism industry, which has faced significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the country's ongoing economic and political crises. The visa-free entry scheme, launched in October as a pilot project, reflects Sri Lanka's commitment to promoting tourism and creating seamless travel experiences for visitors from key markets. Although the visa-free entry allows visitors from the select countries to stay in Sri Lanka for 30 days, they are required to apply for their visa online through the website www.srilankaevisa.lk before their arrival. This online application process is designed to ensure smooth processing while maintaining security checks for incoming tourists.

Noida based real estate developer County Group plans to deliver over 4 million sq ft across three housing projects in 2024, overcoming the challenges faced during Covid. The region where majority of the projects are stuck and buyers are waiting for delivery for over a decade, has seen very few delivered projects since Covid.