05-16-2017, 02:10 AM
China is pledging more than $100 billion to finance projects under its "One Belt, One Road" strategy, an ambitious initiative to strengthen the world's second-largest economy's investment, influence and trade links to the rest of the globe.
China pledges more than $100 billion in Belt and Road projects
Steady growth in wages has driven U.S. labor costs to exceed 10% of revenues — that’s good news for paychecks, but a potential crimp on corporate margins. It’s especially rattling for the small-caps that tend to concentrate their business on home turf and not vary a workforce across international markets. For now, improved revenue growth—companies are in the midst of a generally solid round of quarterly reports—should provide the balance to keep net profit margins roughly flat in 2017, even with the drag of labor costs, said Ben Snider and the portfolio strategy team at Goldman Sachs, in a note. And there remains some debate over just how fast wages are catching up to a tighter labor market... Snider and team estimate that for each 100-basis-point acceleration in wage growth, S&P 500 SPX, -0.15% average earnings per share is trimmed by 1%. And small-cap earnings are twice as sensitive, they said. The small cap-focused Russell 2000 RUT, -0.53% loses an average of 2% in average earnings with the same acceleration in wage growth.
Could rising wages scuttle the small-cap stock surge? - MarketWatch
We believe the eurozone can gain more momentum in a reflationary world. France has joined Germany and Spain as a growth engine. Our analysis points to pent-up demand for greater investments, perhaps as revived animal spirits give companies confidence to take on new projects. We find that markets appear too pessimistic on Europe's prospects – a big reason why we are positive on risk assets in the region. Inflation expectations have finally perked up but the European Central Bank is poised to stay patient on policy to help cement this shift.
Europe's stealth comeback | BlackRock
Robotic eye surgery sounds terrifying, but this robot is a whole lot more precise than even the most skilled of human surgeons.
Robot Eye Surgeon Is 10x More Precise Than The Most Steady-Handed Human | Digital Trends
It was wonderful to watch that Juventus defence in Turin, men for whom to defend is a kind of muscular physical art, strung together across the pitch like a Renaissance frieze of a particularly heroic battlefield massacre. Chiellini in particular, with his noble, beaky profile, resembles a huge, sad medieval ivory chess piece come to life and crammed into a black and white striped shirt. They really are going to look good holding up that trophy three weeks from now.