Sales

• Sales for the state-operated Chinese Football Lottery, known as Jingcai, neared US$1 billion last week. • The surge in betting activity was driven by the high volume of matches and global interest surrounding the World Cup. • Participants bet on international and domestic football results for the chance to win cash prizes reaching up to RMB 5 million.

Sales rose 1.2% spurred by demand for items such as fans and paddling pools, says Office for National StatisticsRetail sales bounced back to growth in May as record hot weather spurred sales of fans and paddling pools, while online purchases also surged.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the volume of retail sales in Great Britain grew 1.2% in May compared with the previous month, the strongest monthly rate of growth since January. Continue reading...

UK’s biggest retailer reports better figures than expected by City analysts and is cheered by strong online salesBusiness live – latest updatesTesco’s UK sales growth has more than halved as it said the conflict in the Middle East had created “ongoing uncertainty for many households”.The UK’s biggest retailer said comparable sales rose 1.8% in the three months to the end of May, well below the 4.2% reported in the previous quarter. Continue reading...

Sellers of luxury villas have wiped tens of millions of pounds off asking prices, with sales down 19% in May from the previous monthProperty sales in Dubai have fallen “off a cliff”, a leading market watcher has said, after war in the Middle East forced a dramatic slowdown in one of the world’s most expensive real estate markets.Sales in the city dropped 19% in May compared with the previous month, accelerating from a 4% drop in April, the researcher ValuStrat found. Continue reading...

• Central banks are expected to dominate the global economic agenda this coming week, overshadowing news regarding AI and Iran. • Key US economic indicators will be under scrutiny, with a primary focus on the release of May retail sales data. • Investors are closely monitoring the first FOMC meeting featuring Kevin Warsh, alongside the formal signing of the Iran deal.

Charging industry and electric vehicle manufacturers say measure could cost jobs and harm UK automotive sectorThe UK government’s plans to further weaken electric car targets have provoked a furious backlash from the charging industry and the electric car brand Polestar, which would lose out from the changes.The Labour government is expected to dilute rules known as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. Government sources have said it will reduce a target for pure electric cars from 80% of all sales by 2030 to 50%. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer ready to overrule Ed Miliband after warnings that manufacturers would be penalised and jobs put at riskThe UK government is poised to water down its 2030 targets for electric vehicle sales after intense lobbying by the car industry and unions.The government is preparing to consult on less ambitious targets for the transition to fully battery-powered electric cars over the rest of the decade after carmakers and unions warned that they would penalise manufacturers and put jobs at risk. Continue reading...

• Atresmedia has secured new European distribution deals for its hit Spanish daily drama, “Dreams of Freedom,” expanding its reach into Central and Eastern Europe. • The series was acquired by Romania’s Happy Channel (Antena TV Group) and Poland’s TVP Play, the digital platform for Telewizja Polska. • This expansion leverages the show's success in its home market, where it has ranked as the most-watched TV series in Spain since its premiere.

Joe Mantello’s stark revival of Arthur Miller’s classic drama takes home six awards, while Ragtime and Schmigadoon! pick up musical winsTony awards 2026: red carpet looks and the best of the show – in picturesTony awards 2026: full list of winnersA stripped-back take on Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman dominated this year’s Tonys, winning six awards, while Lesley Manville and John Lithgow took home lead acting trophies.Death of a Salesman was named best revival of a play, with the award-winning director Joe Mantello praising Miller’s story as one that “still talks to us through time”. Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, and called it a play that “continues to teach us who we are as humans and Americans”. Continue reading...

• FIFA is demanding that 60 fans who received World Cup tickets for free pay the corrected face value after a ticketing error. • Attorneys general have issued subpoenas to FIFA to investigate ticketing practices for eight matches in New Jersey, including the World Cup final. • Fans are facing further frustrations as FIFA shuts down water refill options and maintains steep pricing, which the organization defends as standard for global events.

• Investors are comparing Salesforce and Braze to determine which technology stock offers better value heading into 2026. • Salesforce provides massive scale and profitability, while Braze is characterized by rapid growth and high user engagement. • Salesforce faces critical headwinds, including significant cybersecurity risks, evolving data privacy regulations, and intense competition from Microsoft, Alphabet, and AI-native startups.

Registrations are up 7% in May, with battery electric vehicles recording the fastest growth and Tesla jumping 45%British car sales rose in May to their strongest level for the month since before the Covid pandemic, driven in part by strong growth from the Chinese manufacturers BYD and Chery.Car registrations rose 7% to 160,662 during the month, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. Continue reading...

• Investors are comparing Salesforce and Braze to determine which technology stock offers a better investment opportunity heading into 2026. • Salesforce provides market dominance through scale and profitability, while Braze is characterized by rapid growth and high user engagement. • Salesforce faces significant headwinds, including cybersecurity risks, evolving data privacy regulations, and intense competition from Microsoft, Alphabet, and AI-native startups.

• TJX Companies reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 net sales of $14.3 billion, up 9% from $13.1 billion a year earlier. • The retailer said earnings per share rose as off-price demand remained resilient across its banner stores and inventory execution stayed strong. • The result is important because TJX is often seen as a read on consumer spending and value-oriented retail demand in the U.S.

With many homes poorly designed for extreme heat, retailers report high demand for air conditioning and outdoor shadeFans are selling at a rate of three a minute and sales of ice cubes have tripled, retailers have said, as shoppers search for everything from ice baths to cooling eye masks to combat May’s record temperatures.The UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday after temperatures earlier in the day had hit a provisional all-time meteorological spring record of 34.8C (94.6F) at Kew Gardens in south-west London. The record was broken again on Tuesday when temperatures provisionally reached 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens. Continue reading...

Kingfisher, owner of the DIY chain, is top FTSE 100 riser after it says it will stick to full-year profit outlookBusiness live – latest updatesA wet and cold Easter hit sales of barbecues and garden products at the home improvement chain B&Q, but it hopes to make up lost ground during the current heatwave.B&Q owner Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix in the UK, as well as Castorama and Brico Dépôt across six European countries, said like-for-like sales (at outlets open at least a year) in the UK and Ireland dipped 0.9% between February and April, its first quarter. Within that, B&Q sales fell 4.1% while Screwfix revenue climbed 4.1%. Continue reading...

• The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a press briefing previewing the upcoming summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping, with Taiwan expected to be a central issue. • CSIS said Xi highlighted Taiwan as the most important issue in U.S.-China relations during a February 2026 phone call and urged Washington not to provide arms to Taiwan. • The briefing matters because the summit could shape U.S.-China tensions on security, trade, and regional deterrence, especially if Beijing presses the United States on arms sales.

Hung Cao’s comments are latest blow to Taipei after Donald Trump recently cast doubt over US’s enduring supportUS arms sales to Taiwan have been put on “pause” to ensure its military has enough munitions for its Iran operations, according to Washington’s acting navy secretary, in the latest blow to Taipei after a series of comments by Donald Trump.When asked at a congressional hearing on Thursday about a $14bn (£10.4bn) weapons package, which has been awaiting Trump’s signoff for months, Hung Cao said: “Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury [the Iran war] – which we have plenty.” Continue reading...

Drivers conserve fuel amid Iran war uncertainty, pushing overall sales down 1.3% in AprilBusiness live – latest updatesMotorists cutting back on petrol and fuel purchases at the steepest rate since the Covid pandemic in 2020 drove retail sales in Great Britain to their biggest monthly decline in a year.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the overall volume of retail sales plunged by 1.3% in April compared with the previous month, the biggest contraction since May last year and worse than the -0.6% forecast. Continue reading...

Starmer has a reasonable list of achievements in power but has undermined himself with a lack of political storytellingNet migration down by three-quarters, the biggest fall in NHS waiting lists for 17 years, knife crime cut by 10%, the economy growing the fastest in the G7, rising wages, energy bills and petrol prices held down, the biggest sustained rise in defence spending since the cold war, a massive expansion of free childcare …If Keir Starmer did tub-thumping lists of Labour’s achievements in the style of Gordon Brown, he would not actually have a shortage of things to talk about. Continue reading...

• China’s economy slowed in April, with industrial output, retail sales and fixed-asset investment all missing expectations as global energy-market volatility added pressure. • Retail sales rose just 0.2% year on year, down from 1.7% in March, while industrial output increased 4.1%, below the 5.63% forecast cited by economists. • National Bureau of Statistics spokesperson Fu Linghui said the economy had “generally speaking” maintained steady growth, but warned the external environment remained “complex and volatile.”

Recent consumer alert on ebike safety laws says some vehicles should be classified as mopeds or motorcyclesAmazon said it plans to stop selling certain high-speed electric bicycles in California after a string of high-profile incidents and a consumer alert that the state attorney general issued last month.In April an 81-year-old man in Orange county died after a teenager illegally riding an e-motorcycle struck him. The teen’s mother, Tommi Jo Mejer, has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Ed Ashman’s death as officials say she was warned it was illegal for her son to operate the vehicle. Continue reading...

• Chenbro Micom, a Taiwan-based tech firm, posted Q1 2026 sales of TWD 7.1 billion, up 70% year-over-year, with net income doubling to TWD 1.34 billion. • The company achieved annual revenue growth of 31.1% and earnings growth of 32.7%, outperforming industry averages amid Asia's tech momentum. • This performance highlights Chenbro's strong positioning in high-tech sectors like server components, bolstered by resilient Asian demand.

• WESCO International reported Q1 2026 sales of $6,080.1 million and net income of $153.8 million, both higher than the prior year. • Basic earnings per share from continuing operations increased to $3.16, demonstrating stronger profitability. • The results signal robust demand in capital goods distribution, potentially boosting sector confidence amid economic recovery signals.

• Nvidia released stellar quarterly earnings on May 9, 2026, but results were clouded by ongoing US export controls restricting advanced chip sales to China. • The company agreed to a 15% revenue-sharing deal with the US government on China sales to overturn the controls, allowing resumed exports of certain AI chips. • This arrangement highlights escalating US-China tech tensions, impacting Nvidia's growth in its largest overseas market amid broader semiconductor restrictions.

Carmaker gives one of biggest warnings yet of conflict’s impact on businesses while Trump tariffs also take tollToyota has reported a £3bn hit from costs from the war in Iran, as prices of parts and materials soared and sales dropped.The world’s biggest carmaker said profits declined in its financial year to March as it was “likely unable to absorb newly added impact from the Middle East”, in one of the largest warnings yet of the war’s impact on businesses. Continue reading...

• APAC recorded the fastest regional growth in semiconductor sales at 45.4% year-over-year in 2025, propelled by demand for AI systems and advanced logic chips. • The boom ties directly to expanding AI infrastructure needs and power electronics in the region. • Singapore and Southeast Asia hubs benefit as key players in global supply chains amid rising tech demands.

Appliance giant slashes earnings forecast and hikes prices by 10% with another 4% spike plannedWith the war in Iran and economic concerns putting pressure on consumers and how they spend their money, Whirlpool is having to adjust to Americans delaying big-ticket purchases while also raising prices to help stabilize its North American business.The company known for brands such as KitchenAid, Maytag and its namesake, said that the Iran war led to a “recession-level industry decline” in America as consumer confidence collapsed in late February and March. Revenue dropped nearly 10% in the quarter as sales of major appliances in North America declined more than 7%. Continue reading...