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On May 10th, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated at a political conference in Toronto on Saturday that Canada is willing to establish closer trade ties with the United States and Mexico in specific industries to boost the North American economy. He mentioned the "North American Fortress" initiative but did not specify any particular sectors. Carney indicated that if this approach fails, Canada will invest heavily in new markets and new products. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are scheduled to begin reviewing a trade agreement this year. Trump has already imposed tariffs on products such as automobiles and steel, disrupting the closely intertwined supply chains among the three countries. Carney had previously set a goal of doubling exports to countries outside the United States within ten years.The Bahraini Foreign Minister demanded that Iran cease its aggressive and provocative actions against Bahrain and other countries in the region, as well as its egregious interference in their internal affairs.Bahrains Foreign Minister: Bahrain condemns and strongly condemns Irans continued interference in its internal affairs and its actions that threaten the security and stability of the Gulf states.Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: The Aerospace Forces missiles and drones have locked onto the enemy, and we are awaiting the order to launch.On May 10th, local time, the final vote count for the 136th Local Council of England was released, completing the election results for the English Local Council, as well as the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments. In this election, both of Britains traditional two major parties, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, suffered significant setbacks, while the Reform Party, the Green Party, and other parties saw a marked increase in strength, further highlighting the trend of "fragmentation" in British politics. Data shows that in the English Local Council elections, the Reform Party won 1453 seats, becoming one of the biggest winners; the Labour Party won 1063 seats; and the Conservative Party won 801 seats. Analysts believe that this British local election demonstrates that the traditional two-party (Labour and Conservative) dominance in Britain is being significantly challenged. British politics is further developing towards multi-party competition and political fragmentation.

According to Australian Retailer Woolworths, Inflation Is Driving Home Dining

Haiden Holmes

Feb 22, 2023 14:10

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Woolworths Group Ltd, a leading Australian retailer, said that an inflation-driven move away from dining out aided in boosting sales, driving its shares higher after its half-year earnings above expectations despite cost challenges.


Since COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 prompted supermarket hoarding, Woolworths and its smaller competitor Coles Group (OTC:CLEGF) Ltd have witnessed significant fluctuations in Australian customer behavior. As lockdowns were lifted in 2021, and again in 2022, sales slowed as rising energy and labor costs pushed up shelf prices.


Woolworths said on Wednesday that cost-of-living constraints, including skyrocketing electricity prices and nine interest rate rises since May, are now beginning to benefit stores as consumers choose for in-home consumption.


Since the beginning of 2023, food sales have increased 6.5%, roughly in step with inflation, compared to just 2.4% in the six months leading up to the end of December, the business reported.


"The shift from eating in restaurants to eating at home has become more evident," said Chief Executive Brad Banducci to reporters.


He stated that a growing number of clients from all demographic groups are now preparing meals at home since eating out is becoming more expensive.


The company's net profit before significant items increased 14% to A$907 million ($622 million), above the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$877 million. The majority of the increase was attributable to employee back pay linked to a prior salaries miscalculation.


Similar to Tuesday's announcement of Coles' interim results, Woolworths' profit increase was aided by a dramatic drop in COVID-19-related expenditures.


At midday, Woolworths shares were up 2%, compared to a 0.3% decline in the overall index, as analysts hailed the potential of profit margin expansion at a business vulnerable to rising supplier prices.


Phillip Kimber, a retail analyst at E&P Financial, wrote in a client note, "The momentum in the core Australian Food industry remains strong, with sales growth rates above expectations in early 2H23."


Woolworths declared an interim dividend of 46 Australian cents per share, up from 39 Australian cents per share the previous year.

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