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Chinese consumers have long powered luxury brands to new highs. But with questions surrounding China's sluggish economy and changing consumer tastes, analysts aren't so sure whether these shoppers will be able to coax the luxury sector out of its doldrums. The Chinese government's new stimulus measures announced late September revived interest in the country's economic prospects — stoking hopes it would revive luxury spending among this critical cohort. But these measures may not target the consumers the industry most relies on, analysts say. Even if it does, the taste for luxe labels may have vanished as consumers look more closely at brands closer to home. "I personally don't think that the Chinese have the same level of aspirational consumption like they did," said Ben Harburg, portfoli...

A family shops for Halloween candy at a Walmart Supercenter on October 16, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty ImagesJust because the Federal Reserve is nearing its inflation goal doesn't mean the problem is solved, as the high price of goods and services across the U.S. economy continues to pose a burden for individuals, businesses and policymakers.Recent price reports on goods and services, despite being a bit stronger than expected, indicate that the rate of inflation over the past year is getting close to the central bank's 2% target.In fact, Goldman Sachs recently estimated that when the Bureau of Economic Analysis later this month releases its figures on the Fed's favorite price measure, the inflation rate could be close enough to get rounded down to that 2% level.But inflati...

Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesCompany: Air Products and Chemicals (APD)Business: Air Products and Chemicals is an industrial gases company. It's focused on serving energy, environmental and emerging markets. Its base business provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing and food. Air Products also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates clean hydrogen projects supporting the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the heavy-duty transportation and industrial sectors. In addition, it provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally. Air Products has operations in approximately 50 countri...

President Donald Trump talks to the press outside the White House, July 19, 2019, left, and Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, at the vice president's residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, Oct. 7, 2024.Getty Images (L) | Reuters (R)Prescription drug costs. Abortion rights. The future of Obamacare. The fast-approaching presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump could lead to a huge range of outcomes for patients on those issues and others in the sprawling U.S. health system.Both candidates are pledging to make care more affordable in the U.S., an outlier in the developed world due to its higher health-care spendi...

People hold sings during a strike rally for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) at the Seattle Union Hall in Seattle, Washington, on October 15, 2024.Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty ImagesBoeing and its machinists' union have reached a new contract proposal, the union said Saturday, a deal that could end a more than month-long strike that has hobbled the manufacturers' production.The ratification vote is set for Wednesday.Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su met with both parties earlier this week.  "With the help of Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, we have received a negotiated proposal and resolution to end the strike, and it warrants presenting to the members and is worthy of your consideration," the International Association of Machinists and ...