Yellen: Reason for Recent Rate Cut in the U.S. Has Largely Disappeared, Inflation Combined with Debt Risks Raises Concern

The second paragraph has been supplemented with Levi Strauss's stock performance, the fourth bullet point includes additional analyst comments, and the sixth bullet point incorporates updated earnings forecasts. Reuters, October 7 — Levi Strauss (LEVI.N) raised its annual profit forecast on Wednesday after benefiting from tariff rebates and betting that its premium jeans will see strong demand during the holiday season. The company’s shares dropped 1.3% in after-hours trading, reversing a brief 7% rise following the earnings release. Details are as follows: The apparel brand received a $79 million tariff rebate in the third quarter ended August 30 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and plans to reinvest about $60 million of that amount in promotions this year. Direct-to-consumer comparable sales were flat in the third quarter. CEO Michelle Gass stated that sales in the US market declined due to heightened inflationary pressures faced by consumers, leading to a weaker-than-expected performance in this segment. However, the jeans maker’s women’s collection was a significant highlight, thanks to increased demand for loose-fitting jeans and a strategic expansion of the product line beyond jeans to tops, skirts, and dresses. Independent retail consultant Bruce Winder commented that direct-to-consumer business underperformed expectations this quarter, adding that high fuel prices continue to present challenges in the US market. Levi Strauss raised its forecast for full-year organic revenue growth to 6%, hitting the upper end of the previous 5.5%–6% range. The company increased its full-year adjusted earnings per share forecast from the prior range of $1.46–$1.52 to $1.54–$1.56. According to data compiled by LSEG, net revenue for the quarter ended August 30 grew by 4% to $1.61 billion, in line with the expected $1.62 billion. Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter were $0.48, compared with analysts’ prior forecast of approximately $0.36 per share.

04:50 PM EDT, 10/07/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with market moves at the end of the day, and other changes, if any.) The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 fell from record highs on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve published September's meeting minutes, while long-dated Treasury yields backed away from a 24-year high. The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 both declined 0.2% to 27,538.69 and 7,801.77, respectively. The drop halted five consecutive days of gains for the Nasdaq and a four-day rally for the S&P 500. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7% to 51,179.87, snapping a four-session advance. Healthcare led gainers among sectors, while industrials declined the most. Most Federal Reserve officials expected another interest rate hike by year-end to curb inflation, though they vowed to base their future policy decisions on fresh data, according to minutes from the central bank's September meeting. The minutes didn't offer a materially new policy signal, TD Economics said in a note. "The minutes contained relatively little that had not already been communicated through the September Summary of Economic Projections and (Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's post-meeting) press conference," TD Senior Economist Vikram Rai said. Markets are pricing in an 83% probability that the central bank will keep its benchmark rate steady later this month, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The 10-year Treasury yield was last up 1.5 basis points at 5.29%, having hit 5.365% earlier in the day, the highest since 2002. The Treasury Department auctioned $39 billion of notes on Wednesday. The two-year yield fell 1.9 basis points to 4.77%. In other economic news, US consumers' one-year-ahead inflation outlook reached the highest in more than three years in September, while labor market expectations "mostly improved," a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed Wednesday. Brent crude oil was up 0.4% at $100.94 a barrel in Wednesday late-afternoon trade, while West Texas Intermediate fell 0.5% to $88.98. Amgen's (AMGN) shares wer

This article was automatically generated using Dow Jones technology. Shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF shed 1.1% to $96.20 Wednesday on what proved to be an overall poor trading session for the U.S. stock market, with the S&P 500 Index falling 0.2% to 7,801.77. The fund's fall snapped a three-day winning streak. The ETF's shares closed 5.2% below the 52-week high of $101.44 seen on August 28, 2026. Trading volume was 11,673,074, compared to the 65-day average trading volume of 8,811,386. As of October 6, the fund's net asset value totaled $97.24 per share. Data source: Dow Jones Market Data, FactSet (END) Dow Jones Newswires October 07, 2026 16:35 ET (20:35 GMT)