Buffett Warns Against Tariff Abuse at Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting
On May 3rd, at the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, the 94 - year - old billionaire investor, expressed his views on the risks of abusing tariffs. He emphasized that "tariffs should not be used as a 'weapon'", and stated that "if other countries become more prosperous, the United States will also become richer".
New Zealand Household Savings Deteriorate Further; Housing Market Shows Uneven Recovery
New Zealand’s household savings situation continued to worsen in the first quarter of 2025, with Statistics New Zealand data showing savings falling to -NZ$1.6 billion (a NZ$392 million quarterly decline), marking the third consecutive quarter of negative savings. This was driven by household spending growth (+2.2% to NZ$62.2 billion) outpacing disposable income gains (+1.5% to NZ$60.6 billion).
EU - US Trade Talks Stalled, European Economic Data Under Pressure
The EU may reach a trade deal with the US by the end of this month, aiming to establish a "minimum - tariff reciprocal framework" to avoid the 10% benchmark tariff proposed by Trump. However, specific exemption clauses are still being negotiated. This stalemate is having a significant impact on the European economy.
UK Retailers in Cost Quagmire as Inflation Worsens and Statistical Reform Looms
The UK retail industry is facing a tough situation as inflationary pressures intensify and statistical reforms are on the horizon. On April 29th, data showed that the inflation rate of grocery prices in the UK climbed to 3.8% (Kantar data), and the food inflation rate reached 2.6% (BRC data), hitting a one - year high. The retail sector is burdened by three major pressures. Firstly, the packaging tax that comes into effect in October will increase the costs of enterprises. Secondly, the Employment Rights Act may lead to more than half of the enterprises scaling back their recruitment.
Australian Shares Edge Higher on Wall Street Record; RBA Rate Cut in Focus
Australian stocks rose modestly on Friday (July 5), buoyed by fresh record highs on Wall Street. The S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.17% to 8,610 in midday trade—less than 30 points from its all-time peak—while the All Ordinaries Index added 0.16% to 8,847.3. Despite stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data dampening hopes for a July Fed rate cut, markets reacted positively to signs of economic resilience.
Australia’s May Household Spending Rebounds, Strengthening Rate Cut Expectations
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released on July 4 showed that household spending rose 0.9% month-on-month in May, far exceeding the expected 0.5% increase. This ended a three-month period of weakness, with the annual growth rate climbing to 4.2%.
Japan's Real Wages See Steepest Drop in 20 Months, Straining Consumption Recovery
A core contradiction has emerged in Japan’s economy: inflation-adjusted real wages plummeted 2.9% year-on-year in May (following a -2.0% decline in April), marking the sharpest drop in 20 months and extending a five-month streak of contraction. This was driven by persistent inflation—running at 4% when excluding fresh food but including rent costs—outpacing nominal wage growth, which slowed drastically to 1.0% (to ¥300,000) from 2.0% in April, hitting a 14-month low.
S&P/ASX 200 Index Rises on Trade Talks Hope
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 92.4 points higher, or 1.13%, on Friday. Expectations of a possible easing of the China - US trade impasse drove the index to its best weekly performance in nearly two years and to a two - month high. The statement by the Ministry of Commerce that it is "evaluating" the request from US trade officials to launch trade negotiations further boosted investor confidence.
