Business

President Joe Biden’s Presidency Revisited – How the President’s Decisions Have Affected the Value of The Dollar

President Joe Biden was inaugurated in a period that was certainly turbulent and uncertain. His presidency began amidst concerns about the future of America, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after Donald Trump’s presidency. Just two weeks prior to his inauguration, the US Capitol was hit by a domestic terrorist attack led by Trump supporters, sparking concern about future security threats and the acceptance of the new president.

Elections and inaugurations often have a negative effect on the value of the dollar, because of the fact that currencies are directly impacted by the economic health of a country. With the introduction of new economic policies and the general uncertainty about the future of the US under the new president, the dollar experienced a short-term decline in the days prior to Biden’s inauguration.

President Joe Biden Marks the Anniversary of The ADA

However, with Biden’s fulfilment of his promise to vaccinate 100 million people in his first 100 days in office, and the subsequent easing of restrictions, the future of the US economy under the new president looks bright. There have been some significant changes since Biden’s inauguration and according to Ballotpedia:

“As of September 17, 2021, President Joe Biden… had signed 62 executive orders, 37 presidential memoranda, 122 proclamations, and 23 notices.”

Now that we’re heading into the fourth quarter of 2021, we’ve decided to take a look at Biden’s presidency so far, to see how his successes and failures have impacted the value of the dollar.

President Joe Biden’s vaccination campaign

As we previously mentioned, Biden promised that his first 100 days in office would oversee a heroic vaccination effort, administering 100 million doses of the vaccine. However, this figure was doubled. Over 200 million vaccinations were distributed in 100 days, which was a welcome push for the Biden administration, as combatting coronavirus was a definitive aspect of the president’s election campaign.

The US has been the worst affected country by a coronavirus, recording the highest infection rates. As the world’s leader in coronavirus cases, the country experienced its worst economic downfall since The Great Depression in the early 20^th century.

The US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined at a 32.9% annualised rate, which was the sharpest fall since records first began in 1947. In addition, in July 2021, 30.2 million Americans were unemployed, with tens of millions of US workers losing their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

On the other hand, the successful vaccine rollout sparked optimism in the financial markets, because it meant that the US could begin to ease restrictions, return to normality, and build economic momentum. The foreign exchange (forex) market was no exception, and many currencies were strengthened by the success of vaccination programmes worldwide, including the dollar — which was great news for those participating in online forex trading.

Biden’s costly plans

One of the most substantial proposals that President Joe Biden has introduced is a $2 trillion plan to transform the US economy, investing in the nation’s infrastructure to improve roads and water supplies, along with a host of other projects to improve the lives of American citizens. This would see jobs arise for many workers, which could boost the US economy and the dollar in the short term. This plan is also part of Biden’s plight to tackle climate change since it will see the US shift towards cleaner energy sources that will reduce emissions.

This spending plan is colossal and would be spread over an eight-year period, with tax increases being put in place to support the cost of the projects. Biden has already administered over $4 trillion in economic relief to help US citizens to cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and it would seem that the president is not afraid to spend large amounts in order to support the economy. However, experts have suggested that whilst this could have positive economic effects in the short term, US debt-to-GDP levels are likely to increase significantly in the long term, which could cause the dollar to decline.

Related: American Media Outlets Declare Joe Biden 46th President

The forex market is extremely volatile and reactive to economic changes and unprecedented events, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Elections and presidential changes also can have a direct impact on the value of a currency because of the economic uncertainty that they spark. As a result, you may want to use an online, contracts for difference (CFD) trading platform, to enable you to speculate on price movements in the forex market, and employ risk management tools to protect your capital.

Business

PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

Business

Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

Business

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP