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Thought Leaders at the forefront of best practice – we have surveyed global investors on the equity markets, world economy, and business climate
Thought Leaders at the forefront of best practice – we have surveyed global investors on the equity markets, world economy, and business climate
There is a noticeable change in executive tone this quarter — one of more caution — as much of the sector grapples with fluctuating and bifurcating consumer buying habits, with pronounced pullbacks this quarter in discretionary spending evident across several industries, including dining and retail. Much hinges on the consistently strong employment environment, though we continue to see a bevy of layoffs as companies manage profitability in a slowing growth environment and as pricing power has slowed at the same time labor costs are climbing.
Many observed a cautious consumer environment through the first three months of the year, leading to subdued traffic, sales, and a more competitive landscape overall, especially in regions like China where recovery has been slower than expected.
Phil Dickinson, VP, Advisory, participated in Corbin Advisors’ Light the Way Day, the firm’s inaugural company-wide day of service. Phil spent the day with other team members at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte, North Carolina.
While performances have varied from company to company, in aggregate, Industrials currently represent the only sector in the S&P 500 where the majority of reported top-line figures have come in below consensus.
As we noted heading into earnings season, investor optimism, including that captured in our Industrial Sentiment Survey®, is seemingly outpacing corporate reality at this time, but executive commentary suggests increasing hope and optimism around normalization and back-half acceleration. Flagging headwinds are hampering straight-line momentum and the U.S. Presidential Election is more and more cited as curtail capex confidence, especially large, long-cycle projects. Year-over-year, the tone is improved.
Amy Garbowicz has been a team member at Corbin Advisors since 2021
While overall Bank positioning paints the picture of increasing optimism, there remains a continued dosage of caution, and many executives were careful to call an outright turnaround in conditions just yet. But, when we assess tone quarter-to-quarter, it continues to inflect more positively… another sign that 2024 is starting off strong.
This earnings season, Banks highlighted the enduring benefits of scale and deposit stickiness in an economy buoyed by low unemployment and persistent consumer spending.
Industrial Investor Optimism Continues to Rise as Expectations for Broad-Based Weakness are Replaced with Anticipation of an Improving Landscape Amid Inventory Normalization and Orders Green Shoots
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