Weekly Capital Market Watch - Galt & Taggart
"US equities rallied on strong earnings, with nearly 85% of S&P 500 companies beating consensus estimates. Information technology outperformed, supported by continued AI-related demand, while energy and utilities lagged. Labor market data remained broadly resilient: April nonfarm payrolls rose by 115k versus expectations of 62k, while March payrolls were revised higher to 185k. The unemployment rate held at 4.3%, although labor force participation fell to its lowest level since October 2021. Construction spending and factory orders also exceeded expectations, supported by strong demand for electronics and AI infrastructure. However, consumer sentiment deteriorated sharply, with the University of Michigan index falling to a record low of 48.2 amid concerns over gasoline prices and tariffs.
Recent economic data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will remain cautious on rate cuts. While payroll growth, factory orders, and construction activity indicated continued economic resilience, productivity growth slowed to an annualized 0.8% in Q1 2025 from 1.6% in Q4 2024, and sentiment indicators weakened significantly.
European equities ended the week modestly higher despite elevated volatility. Sentiment was initially supported by easing Middle East tensions and solid earnings, though renewed US tariff threats toward the EU weighed on markets later in the week. Germany’s DAX rose 0.2%, while Italy’s FTSE MIB gained 2.2%“, - Galt & Taggart.
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Supermarket chains introduce 'social baskets', allowing essential products to be purchased at discounted prices
13.05.2026.18:03
Supermarket chains have begun introducing ‘social baskets’, making it possible to purchase essential everyday products at discounted prices.
In the first phase, 15 categories of food products will be sold at reduced prices from specially designated sections. The social basket includes flour, rice, sugar, buckwheat, chicken, confectionery, pasta, dairy products, and other items in highest demand.
Giorgi Gotsiridze, Commercial Director of Libre, announced that products included in the discount scheme will be showcased at additional points of sale within Libre stores.
“We will place our emphasis on the social and consumer basket, staple categories such as pasta, flour, rice, sugar, and buckwheat, as well as dairy products, meat products, and so forth. These are the products that appear most frequently in the consumer basket. So that customers can easily locate such items across our network and in our shops, they will be presented at additional display points, in baskets, and will carry distinct price indicators,” said Giorgi Gotsiridze.
According to Salome Chelidze, Head of Nikora PR, the promotional offers on products will be updated weekly.
“We have developed a basket encompassing everyday essentials. We have started collaborating with suppliers to make these baskets more affordable and accessible. On that basis, promotions were launched from May 7 onwards; they will be updated weekly, and every Thursday we will offer customers new products at revised prices,” said Salome Chelidze.
Meanwhile, Ani Gakharia, Commercial Director of Agrohub, spoke about the measures taken to help customers navigate the promotion as easily as possible.
“To make it even easier for customers to find their way around the promotion, the label ‘Top Price’ will be displayed alongside every relevant price. This will allow customers to navigate our network with ease,” said Ani Gakharia.
As Tinatin Devadze, Floor Manager at Goodwill, explained, the products covered by specific offers will be rotated periodically in response to customer demand.
“Within the means available to our company, certain offers are being applied to specific products within the social basket. These are essential everyday items. Naturally, in response to customer demand, these products will be substituted according to different brands or varieties,” said Tinatin Devadze.