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BEIJING — One Chinese baby products company announced Tuesday it is officially entering the United States, the world’s largest consumer market — regardless of the trade war.

Shanghai-based Bc Babycare expects its supply chain diversification and the U.S. market potential to more than offset the impact of ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions, according to Chi Yang, the company’s vice president of Europe and the Americas.

“Even [if] the political things are not steady … I’m very confident about our product for the moment,” he told CNBC, adding he anticipates “very fast” growth in the U.S. in coming years. That includes his bold predictions that Bc Babycare’s flagship baby carrier can become the best-seller on Amazon.com in half a year, and that U.S. sales can grow by 10-fold in a year.

The $159.99 carrier, eligible for a $40 discount, already has 4.7 stars on Amazon.com across more than 30 reviews. The device claims to reduce pressure on the parent’s body by up to 33%. A far cheaper version of the baby carrier is a top seller among travel products for pregnancy and childbirth on JD.com in China.

Bc Babycare already has the carrier stocked in its U.S. warehouses, and has a network of factories and raw materials suppliers in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Yang said. “The global supply chain is one of the things we keep on building in the past couple years.”

The Trump administration has sought to reduce U.S. reliance on China-made goods and to encourage the return of manufacturing jobs to the U.S. In a rapid escalation of tensions last month, the U.S. and China had added tariffs of more than 100% on each other’s goods. Last week, the two sides agreed to a 90-day pause for most of the new duties in order to discuss a trade deal.

Baby gear is particularly sensitive to tariffs since the majority of those sold in the U.S. are made in China, said U.S.-based Newell Brands, which owns stroller company Graco, on an April 30 earnings call. That’s according to a FactSet transcript.

The company said it raised baby gear prices by about 20% in the last few weeks, but had not incorporated the additional 125% tariffs announced in mid-April. Newell said on the call it had about three to four months of inventory in the U.S., and had paused additional orders from China.

The company did not respond to a request for comment about whether it had resumed orders from China and whether it planned more price increases.

Bc Babycare declined to share how much it planned to invest in the U.S. But Yang said the company plans to open an office in the country and hire about five to 10 locals.

The company initially plans to sell online, spend on marketing and eventually work with major retailers for offline store sales. Its partners for raw materials and research include three U.S. companies: Lyra, Dow and Eastman.

The Chinese company, which entered the baby products segment in 2014, in 2021 claimed a 700 million yuan ($97.09 million) funding round from investors including Sequoia Capital China.

Yang said the company scrutinizes the comments section on Chinese and U.S. e-commerce websites to improve its products. As a result, the U.S. version of the baby carrier is softer and larger than the Chinese version, he said.

Bc Babycare’s U.S. market ambitions reflect how large U.S. and European multinationals not only face growing competition in China, but also in their home markets.

“After experiencing substantial growth due to the premiumization of consumption in the Chinese market, multinational brands are now entering a challenging second phase where they compete fiercely for market share,” Dave Xie, retail and consumer goods partner in Shanghai at consultancy Oliver Wyman, said in a statement last week.

Oliver Wyman said in a report last month that the Chinese market has become the incubator for premium product innovations that are being exported. The authors noted, for example, that Tineco floor scrubbers have become Amazon best-sellers.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Levi Strauss has agreed to sell Dockers to brand management firm Authentic Brands Group for $311 million, the companies announced Tuesday. 

Under the terms of the deal, Authentic will own Dockers’ intellectual property while Centric Brands will take on operations, handling manufacturing, sourcing and distribution. Under the brand management business model, Levi’s stands to make up to $391 million in future years based on how well Dockers performs under the Authentic umbrella, which also includes Forever 21′s intellectual property and brands like Reebok and Nautica.

“The Dockers transaction further aligns our portfolio with our strategic priorities, focusing on our direct-to-consumer first approach, growing our international presence and investing in opportunities across women’s and denim lifestyle,” Levi’s CEO Michelle Gass said in a statement. “After a robust process, we are confident that we maximized the value of the business and that Authentic is the right organization to usher in the next chapter of growth for the Dockers brand.” 

In October, Levi’s announced it was considering selling Dockers as it looked to focus on growing its namesake line and its athleisure brand, Beyond Yoga. Levi’s created Dockers in 1986 as a hedge against denim and to offer consumers an alternative: khakis. The brand was hugely popular throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but khakis have since fallen out of fashion in the U.S., especially recently as denim makes another comeback. 

To grow Dockers, Levi’s needed to offer more tops and bottoms, but the company is doing the same thing at its namesake banner and there was too much overlap between the two brands. Dockers’ performance was also dragging down Levi’s results and Gass, who took the helm of the company a little over a year ago, has been working to cut off extraneous businesses to fuel growth and focus on direct selling. 

In the three months ended March 2, Levi’s reported $67 million in revenue related to Dockers. The figure isn’t comparable to the year-ago period because Levi’s only recently started breaking out the performance of each individual brand. 

While khakis have fallen out of favor in the U.S., Dockers is still popular abroad, which is what makes a brand management company a strategic fit, according to people who have seen Dockers’ financials and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details were private. Firms like Authentic are skilled at rapidly licensing and deploying brands internationally.

In a press release, Authentic said it plans to “unlock new opportunities” for Dockers through its global network of 1,700 licensing partners. It said it is in active discussions with regional operators in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to expand Dockers’ existing businesses across those markets. 

“Few brands own a category the way Dockers does, yet still have so much room to grow,” said Matt Maddox, president at Authentic. “Its legacy in casualwear gives it a strong foundation, but the real opportunity lies in reimagining the brand for a new generation. Through our global platform and deep licensing network, we’re committed to stewarding the brand into its next era of growth and relevance.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

British police arrested a third man in an investigation into a series of arson attacks in north London, including a fire at a house belonging to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

A 34-year-old man was arrested on Monday morning in Chelsea, southwest London, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Two other men — 21-year-old Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych and a 26-year-old man who has not been named — have also been arrested.

Lavrynovych was charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life over the three fires, which took place last week.

British police were called last week to the blaze at Starmer’s property in Kentish Town, north London — the constituency he represents. No one was injured, but the entrance to the home was damaged.

Starmer lived at the Kentish Town address with his wife and two children before moving into his official 10 Downing Street residence when he became prime minister last July.

Police are also investigating two other incidents — a fire at the entrance to an apartment block in nearby Islington and a fire involving a car, a Toyota RAV4, in Kentish Town, each taking place on separate days.

The car and both the properties were linked to Starmer, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Friday when Lavrynovych appeared in court.

Counter-terrorism police have led the investigation into the fires given the prime minister’s involvement.

Starmer has called the incidents “an attack on all of us, on our democracy and the values we stand for.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Authorities in El Salvador have arrested a prominent attorney critical of President Nayib Bukele, in a move criticized by rights groups who say it reflects an increasing trend of “authoritarianism” in the country.

Ruth Eleonora López, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit of the rights organization Cristosal, is accused of collaborating in the “theft of funds from state coffers,” the Attorney General’s Office of El Salvador said.

“According to the investigations and information gathered during the raids carried out … her active participation in the acts of which she is accused has been identified,” the Attorney General’s Office said.

Speaking at a press conference alongside the leaders of Cristosal on Monday, López’s mother and husband said the arrest was part of a recurring pattern in which activists are detained, denied contact with their families, and their whereabouts concealed.

They alleged that authorities appeared at her home “under false pretenses,” claiming there had been a traffic accident to lure her outside. She was then detained and not allowed to see a warrant, they said. They added they still do not know the formal charges beyond what the Attorney General’s Office posted on X.

“This sends a message that the government is willing to repress, to violate human rights – and at this point, it’s barely trying to hide it. It’s practically admitting it,” said Abraham Ábrego, director of Strategic Litigation at Cristosal.

The organization labeled the move as a “short-term forced disappearance,” as it does not know where López, a lawyer and university professor, is being held. It has asked authorities to allow López’s lawyer to meet with her.

López has led criticism of the Bukele government’s lack of transparency, denouncing abuses allegedly committed by the state during an ongoing state of emergency to crack down on crime, as well as the increase in public debt without detailing its investment or the use of public funds to purchase Bitcoin. She has also criticized the government’s decision to endorse mining, among other things.

López, who in 2024 was recognized by the BBC on a list of 100 influential and inspiring women, was previously an adviser to the former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Eugenio Chicas, between 2009 and 2014.

Chicas faces criminal proceedings after being arrested last February for alleged illicit enrichment to the detriment of public administration, a crime to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Since taking office in 2019, Bukele has enacted controversial measures to stem the crime and gang violence that has plagued the country for years.

In 2022, with the support of lawmakers, he declared a state of emergency which allowed the government to temporarily suspend constitutional rights, including the right to legal defense provided by the state. The measure was intended to last 30 days but has been extended dozens of times and continues to this day.

In the three years since it was declared, security forces have arrested nearly 87,000 people nationwide, or more than 1% of the Salvadoran population, according to authorities.

The government insists the crackdown has made the country safer, but critics say it has violated people’s rights and resulted in countless wrongful detentions.

International groups including Amnesty International condemned López’s arrest in a joint statement on Monday, saying that the state of emergency in El Salvador “has not only been used to address gang-related violence but also as a tool to silence critical voices.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Think of Japan’s famed yakuza gangs and you might think of heavily tattooed men getting into bloody fights – the stuff of action films and video games.

But last week four men were arrested in Tokyo for a more mundane crime – operating a yakuza office too close to a library.

The suspects, ages 55 to 77, “conspired” to operate an office from June 2024 to February 2025, “despite the fact that the area was within a 200 meter radius around a library,” said police in a statement. The city has strict rules on where yakuza offices can operate, as part of their campaign to eliminate organized crime.

The oldest man, 77, was a “member of an organization affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai organized crime syndicate,” one of Japan’s biggest yakuza groups, the statement added.

Known for their strict hierarchies and honor codes, the yakuza – also known as the boryokudan – engage in everything from extortion and money laundering to drugs and sex trafficking.

Far from being underground organizations, many are registered with the police and have an established presence across the country.

The National Police Agency (NPA) even lists the business addresses of some yakuza organizations on their website; for instance, the Sumiyoshi-kai’s main office is located in Tokyo’s upscale Akasaka district, not far from the parliament building.

During their heyday in the 1960s, the yakuza operated internationally and had more than 184,000 members, according to the NPA. But their numbers have declined steadily over recent decades after police crackdowns to curb their activities.

Though they are legally still allowed to exist, regulations made it harder for gangsters to survive as it became illegal to recruit yakuza, pay them off, or share profits with them. Even securing mobile phone contracts and renting out apartments became more difficult.

In 2024, the number of members of organized crime syndicates fell below 20,000 for the first time to a record low of 18,800, according to police data.

In Tokyo, yakuza offices cannot operate within 200 meters of schools, child welfare centers, community halls, museums, probation offices and family courts – as well as libraries.

Businesses cannot hire yakuza members as bouncers, offer them payoffs for services, or sign any contracts with yakuza that “encourage” their activities.

The result is shrinking yakuza groups that nowadays largely make headlines for disbanding, pursuing new law-abiding lives, or promising to behave.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Salvage crews have recovered the boom from the $40 million Bayesian luxury yacht, which sank off the coast of Sicily in August 2024, killing seven people, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

The boom, which was connected to the 72-meter (236-foot) mast — one of the tallest on any sailboat—is the first known piece of debris to be lifted from the water.

The 55.9 meter (184-foot) yacht, which still has 18,000 liters of fuel onboard, went down in a sudden storm on August 19 while moored near Porticello, Sicily near Palermo.

Fifteen people, including nine crew members, survived.

British investigators, who were on the scene days after the accident, published a “desktop” report last week in which they concluded that the ship sank due to structural problems with the vessel.

Italian investigators have publicly dismissed the findings and have told local reporters that until the vessel can be examined once out of the water, no conclusion into the cause of the sinking can be determined. The ship is lying on its starboard side on the seabed, meaning no images have been taken of that part of the vessel to determine its condition.

No one has been charged with any criminal culpability in the accident, but the ship’s captain James Cutfield and two other crew members are under investigation for their role in the deaths of the passengers, which included one crew member.

The timetable to lift the yacht from the 50-meter deep seabed originally stated that the mast and boom would be left on the seabed until after the hull of the luxury yacht is lifted. The boom was instead brought out first to aid in the investigation into the diver’s death. It is unclear when the mast, which is being cut from the vessel, will be pulled from the water.

The hull of the yacht is scheduled to be brought up between May 26 and May 28, weather permitting. Once emptied of water, the wreckage will be lifted by crane to the port of Termini Imerese where it will be sequestered and examined by officials. A full report is expected by the end of the summer.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Ukraine and Russia accused each other of launching attack drones on one another overnight, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his US counterpart Donald Trump – and again refused an immediate ceasefire.

Russia launched 108 Shahed drones and “various types of decoy drones,” Ukraine’s Air Force said on its Telegram channel Tuesday, adding air defenses had destroyed 93 of them in the east, center and north of the country.

The strikes come after Trump and Putin spoke for nearly two hours on Monday – Trump from the Oval Office and Putin phoning in from a visit to a music school in the city of Sochi.

Following the call Trump said Kyiv and Moscow would begin ceasefire negotiations ‘immediately.’

But Putin said the Kremlin was ready to work with Ukraine on a “possible ceasefire for a certain period of time, provided the corresponding agreements are reached.”

Neither Putin nor Trump discussed a timeframe for a possible truce, said Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov.

Putin has previously ignored a proposal from Washington and Kyiv for a 30-day ceasefire and last week snubbed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call to meet face-to-face for talks in Istanbul.

As the Turkey talks sputtered, Trump said he didn’t think there would be a significant breakthrough on peace talks until he spoke directly with Putin.

“Unfortunately, following the Trump–Putin phone call, the status quo has not changed,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky

European leaders decided to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions after Trump briefed them on the call with Putin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an X post late on Monday.

Trump said he would not join in any new sanctions on Russia “because there’s a chance” of progress.

“I think there’s a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse. But there could be a time where that’s going to happen,” Trump said.

Following the call Zelensky said discussions would take place about the future location of a further round of talks – which would be aimed first at achieving a ceasefire.

Russian state news agency TASS cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling reporters that “so far, no specific decisions have been made regarding the location for the continuation of possible future contacts” with Ukrainian officials.

“We are primarily interested in a prompt settlement by eliminating the root causes of this conflict,” Peskov said.

“He wants Ukraine to capitulate. He wants Ukraine to disarm… to be in a position where… the Ukrainians cannot defend themselves,” said Taylor.

“That’s what Putin means when he says ‘the root causes.’”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

We’ve all heard the classic market maxim, “Sell in May and go away.”  For many investors, that’s the introduction to market seasonality that suggests a six month period where it’s just best to avoid stocks altogether.

Through my own experience, complemented with interviews with seasonality experts like ”  We’ll dig deeper into the history of “Sell in May,” analyze summer trends in recent years, and focus on signs to follow in the weeks and months ahead!  Sign up HERE for this free event!


It turns out that the reason why “sell in May” has often worked out is less about May being super weak, but more about how major lows have usually come in the fall months.  Since the COVID low in early 2020, we’ve experienced major lows in September or October every year except for 2024.

Spring and Early Summer Have Been Crazy Strong

When we focus on the last five years, we can see that the May-June-July period has been consistently strong.  In fact, May and July have seen bullish trends every year since 2019.  So while investors often talk about the “summer doldrums” and weakness into the hot summer months, the recent evidence would suggest otherwise.

The weakest months since the COVID low have actually been January, February, September, and October.  So again, it’s been less about weakness in the spring, and much more about weaker price action into the traditional low in September or October.  Also note the strength in November, where the market is almost always rallying off a major low and setting up for a positive finish to the calendar year!

Will 2025 Follow the Normal Seasonal Pattern?

As I mentioned earlier, I like to think of seasonal patterns as tendencies.  There is no guarantee that July will be strong, and there is no way I can tell you for sure that the market will make yet another major low in September.  Seasonality tells you the general bias to the markets, but mindful investors know the most important evidence is price itself.

Given the extreme rally off the early April low, we’ve seen a rapid rotation from bearish sentiment to more bullish outlooks as investors have started to believe in the new uptrend phase.  This week’s price gap higher for the S&P 500 could provide a perfect support range to monitor in the coming weeks and months.

If the S&P 500 is able to hold 5750, and remain above the support range set from the gap earlier this month, then perhaps the equity markets will follow the same pattern as recent years and remain strong into August.

If, however, the S&P 500 is unable to hold this key support range, and we also confirm that breakdown with weaker momentum readings and deteriorating breadth conditions, then the S&P 500 may be charting a new course through what has become a strong period in the calendar year.

RR#6,

Dave

PS- Ready to upgrade your investment process?  Check out my free behavioral investing course!

David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC

marketmisbehavior.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/MarketMisbehavior

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.  The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.  

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication.    Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

Looking for breakout stocks and top market leaders? Follow along Mary Ellen shares stock breakouts, analyst upgrades, and sector leadership trends to help you trade strong stocks in today’s market.

In this week’s episode, Mary Ellen reveals the stocks leading the market higher and explains what’s fueling their strength. She highlights base breakouts, analyst upgrades, and leadership stocks gaining momentum. In addition, she screens for emerging breakout candidates you should have on your radar.

This video originally premiered May 16, 2025. You can watch it on our dedicated page for Mary Ellen’s videos.

New videos from Mary Ellen premiere weekly on Fridays. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link.

If you’re looking for stocks to invest in, be sure to check out the MEM Edge Report! This report gives you detailed information on the top sectors, industries and stocks so you can make informed investment decisions.

Sector Rotation Shakeup: Industrials Take the Lead

Another week of significant movement in the sector landscape has reshaped the playing field. The Relative Rotation Graph (RRG) paints a picture of shifting dynamics, with some surprising developments in sector leadership. Let’s dive into the details and see what’s happening under the hood.

  1. (6) Industrials – (XLI)*
  2. (4) Financials – (XLF)*
  3. (1) Utilities – (XLU)*
  4. (2) Communication Services – (XLC)*
  5. (3) Consumer Staples – (XLP)*
  6. (8) Technology – (XLK)*
  7. (5) Real-Estate – (XLRE)*
  8. (9) Materials – (XLB)*
  9. (11) Energy – (XLE)*
  10. (10) Consumer Discretionary – (XLY)
  11. (7) Healthcare – (XLV)*

Weekly RRG

On the weekly RRG, Utilities and Consumer Staples maintain their high positions on the RS-Ratio scale. However, there are signs of waning momentum. Staples has rolled over within the leading quadrant and is now showing a negative heading. Utilities, while still strong, are losing some of their relative momentum.

Financials and Communication Services are hanging on in the weakening quadrant, but their tails are relatively short — indicating potential for a quick turnaround.

The show’s star, Industrials, has made a beeline for the leading quadrant, climbing on the RS-Ratio scale while maintaining a positive RRG heading.

Daily RRG

Switching to the daily RRG, we get a more granular view. Utilities, Staples, and Financials are found in the lagging quadrant, but Staples and Utilities are showing signs of life, turning back up towards the improving quadrant.

Financials, meanwhile, are hugging the benchmark.

The daily chart confirms Industrials’ strength, mirroring its weekly performance.

Communication Services, however, is showing some worrying signs — it’s dropped into the weakening quadrant on the daily RRG, confirming its vulnerable position on the weekly chart.

Industrials

XLI flexes its muscles, pushing against overhead resistance around the $144 mark.

A break above this level could trigger a further acceleration in price.

The relative strength line has already broken out of its consolidation pattern, propelling both RRG lines above 100 and driving the XLI tail deeper into the leading quadrant.

Financials

The financial sector continues its upward trajectory, trading above its previous high and closing in on the all-time high of around $53.

Like Industrials, a break above this resistance could spark a new leg up.

The RS line is moving sideways within its rising channel, causing the RRG lines to flatten—something to watch.

Utilities

XLU has finally broken through its overhead resistance, approaching its all-time high around $83.

After months of pushing against the $80 level, this breakout is a clear sign of strength.

The RS line is still grappling with its own resistance, but the RS-Ratio line continues its gradual ascent.

Communication Services

While XLC is moving higher on the price chart, its relative strength is lagging.

The sideways movement in the RS line is causing both RRG lines to move lower, with the RS-Momentum line already below 100.

This sector is rapidly approaching the lagging quadrant on the daily RRG—definitely one to watch for potential risks.

Consumer Staples

XLP is approaching the upper boundary of its trading range ($83-$85), where it is running into resistance. The inability to push higher while the market is moving up is causing relative strength to falter.

The recent strength has pushed both RRG lines well above 100, but the current loss of relative strength is now causing the RRG-Lines to roll over.

The tail is still comfortably within the leading quadrant, but this loss of momentum could signal a potential setback.

Portfolio Performance

The model portfolio’s defensive positioning has led to some underperformance relative to SPY, with the gap now just under 6%.

However, the model is sticking to its guns, maintaining a defensive stance with Staples and Utilities firmly in the top five.

It’s worth noting that Healthcare has now definitively dropped out of the top ranks. Nevertheless, with Staples and Utilities holding firm, and Technology and Consumer Discretionary still in the bottom half, the overall positioning remains cautious.

These are the periods when patience is key. We need to let the model do its work and wait for new, meaningful relative trends to emerge. It’s not always comfortable to endure underperformance, but it’s often necessary to capture longer-term outperformance.

#StayAlert, –Julius