Commerce Department Report Shows 3% Core Inflation in February
The Commerce Department reported that core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation rose 3% year‑over‑year in February, a slight dip from January’s pace. Headline inflation increased 2.8%, both figures matching Dow Jones consensus. The Federal Reserve’s March minutes signaled that a continued decline could prompt a rate cut later this year, despite lingering geopolitical and tariff uncertainties. Traders are already pricing in at least one Fed rate reduction following the U.S.–Iran cease‑fire.
CoreWeave Announces $21 Billion AI Cloud Deal with Meta
CoreWeave announced an expanded agreement to provide Meta Platforms with $21 billion in AI‑focused cloud capacity, extending the partnership through December 2032. To fund the deal, CoreWeave will issue $3 billion of convertible senior notes due 2032, with an option for investors to...
Levi Strauss & Co. Reports 14% Revenue Growth in Q1
Levi Strauss & Co. posted a 14% year‑over‑year revenue increase for the quarter ending March 1, 2026, driven by robust demand for its premium denim and a surge in direct‑to‑consumer sales. The company reported higher average selling prices and improved gross margins,...
The Struggle With Being a First-Time CEO
Korn Ferry’s new research shows first‑time CEOs now make up three‑quarters of all newly appointed leaders, while average CEO tenure has slipped to 6.8 years. The study, based on interviews with 35 CEOs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, reveals...
Workplace Conflict: Three Paths to Peace
Workplace conflict can be addressed through three primary systems: law‑based, management‑based, and participation‑based. Law‑based approaches focus on clear policy violations and neutral adjudication but often suffer from perceived unfairness and power imbalances. Management‑based methods broaden the scope to interpersonal issues...
Analysis-Investors Press Amazon, Microsoft and Google on Water, Power Use in US Data Centers
Investors are intensifying pressure on Amazon, Microsoft and Google to disclose detailed water usage for their U.S. data centers after community opposition forced the abandonment of multibillion‑dollar projects. Shareholder resolutions filed by Trillium and others demand site‑level data and clarity...
Bitcoin Makes Minor Gains Following Five Months of Losses
Bitcoin rose 1.5% to about $68,000 on April 1, ending a five‑month losing streak. The rally coincided with $327.7 million in liquidations and $1.32 billion net inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in March, the first monthly inflow since October. Gains were supported...
AI Is Killing the Cover Letter
Generative AI tools now produce tailored cover letters in minutes, eroding their value as a quality and interest signal for employers. A Freelancer.com study of 5 million applications showed AI‑generated letters increase interview rates but dramatically reduce the predictive power of...
Tesla Says Semi Battery Is ‘Designed To Last A Million Miles’
Tesla announced a new battery for its Semi truck that is engineered to last one million miles, directly tackling the durability concerns of long‑haul fleets. The company says the Semi can charge at up to 1.2 MW, restoring about 60% of...
Gold Climbs to $4,500 as Iran Conflict Reaches Fifth Week
Gold rebounded to above $4,500 an ounce on Monday, marking a 1.3% rise after a 14% slide since the Iran conflict erupted in late February. The metal had previously peaked at $5,602 in January, then plunged to $4,100 before recovering....
Corporate Reputation Is a Key Motivator for Consumers to Pay More
Corporate reputation now directly influences consumer spending, with studies showing shoppers willing to pay up to 25% more for trusted brands and nearly 10% more for sustainable offerings. Four pillars—trust, sustainability, transparency, and inclusivity—drive this premium, each backed by recent...
The Hidden Cost of First-Time CEOs
A Korn Ferry analysis shows companies that appoint first‑time CEOs generate far lower stock returns than those led by veteran CEOs. First‑time CEOs delivered an average 16.3% annual return versus 36.3% for experienced leaders, while firms that kept their CEOs...
Accountability Is Leadership’s Greatest Weakness
Gallup’s latest survey reveals a stark gap between leaders’ self‑assessment and managers’ views, with both groups rating "create accountability" as the weakest of seven core leadership competencies. Only 30% of managers consider their leaders exceptional at holding teams accountable, yet...
Britain Responds to Iran War Energy Shock by Requiring Solar Panels and Heat Pumps in All New Homes
The UK government announced that, starting in 2028, every new home in England must be built with on‑site solar panels and low‑carbon heat pumps under the Future Homes Standard. The move is framed as a direct response to the energy...
Bank of Montreal Launches Tokenized Cash Platform with CME and Google
Bank of Montreal (BMO) announced a tokenized cash platform built with CME Group and Google Cloud, aiming to deliver near‑instant settlement for capital‑market participants. The service will allow continuous fund movement, eliminating traditional banking‑hour constraints and reducing capital tied up...
Gap Launches AI-Powered Fit and Conversational Checkout on Google Gemini
Gap Inc. has launched two AI-driven features—a personalized fit recommendation tool and a conversational checkout—through a partnership with Google Gemini, making it the first major fashion retailer to embed the AI platform directly into its shopping experience. The new system...
The Daring Bridge that Rewrote the Engineering Rulebook 200 Years Ago
The Menai Strait Bridge, completed in 1826, was the world’s first road suspension bridge and the longest span of its kind for nearly six decades. Designed by Thomas Telford, its 1,368‑foot deck was suspended by 16 massive wrought‑iron chain cables, a...
Goldman Sachs Says Oil Prices Could Stay in the Triple Digits for “Years”
Goldman Sachs analysts project that oil prices will remain above $100 per barrel through 2027, citing recent Brent levels at $110.2 and WTI at $95.9. The forecast reflects persistent supply shocks, especially the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz,...
Brent Futures Top $119 as Trump Warns Iran Not to Strike Energy Sites
Brent crude futures surged past $119 per barrel after former President Donald Trump warned Iran not to target energy facilities in the region. The warning reignited geopolitical risk premiums, pushing oil markets higher. Goldman Sachs analysts now project that triple‑digit...
Big Tech Purchases of Carbon Credits Explode Amid AI Race, with Microsoft Leading the Way
Big Tech firms are rapidly scaling purchases of carbon credits to offset the soaring emissions from AI‑driven data center expansion. Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft increased permanent removal credits from 14,200 in 2022 to an estimated 68.4 million by 2025, according...
Diesel Hits $5 a Gallon
U.S. diesel prices broke the $5 per gallon barrier on Monday, reaching a nationwide average of $5.044, the highest level since December 2022. The surge represents more than a 33% increase since the Iran‑related conflict began, outpacing gains in other...
Alibaba CEO to Lead New AI Business Group
Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu announced he will personally lead the newly formed Alibaba Token Hub, a business group focused on building AI work platforms for enterprise customers. The hub will bring together existing AI assets such as Tongyi Laboratory,...
US Rejects Latest World Trade Organization Reform Proposal
U.S. Trade Representative Joseph Barloon rejected the draft WTO reform plan presented by a Norway‑led group, calling the language ambiguous and the discussions insufficiently mature. The refusal comes ahead of the WTO trade ministers’ meeting in Cameroon scheduled for March 26‑29,...
NVIDIA to Invest $2 Billion in Nebius
NVIDIA announced a $2 billion investment in AI cloud provider Nebius, deepening its involvement across the AI stack. The partnership targets building a hyperscale AI cloud capable of deploying over 5 GW of compute capacity by 2030, leveraging NVIDIA’s next‑generation accelerated computing...
Future Manufacturing: How to Solve the US Productivity Paradox
U.S. manufacturing has added 12‑15% more workers and new plants since 2010, yet real productivity has slipped, creating a paradox that threatens competitiveness. MIT researchers pinpoint risk‑averse technology spending, stagnant wages, dispersed geographic clusters, Chinese competition, and tariff fallout as...
Delta Announces Major Leadership Shakeup
Delta Air Lines announced a sweeping leadership overhaul, naming CFO Dan Janki as chief operating officer and promoting Peter Carter to president while veteran operations executive John Laughter will retire on April 30. The changes are framed as a move...
3 Ways CEOs Can Build a Following
CEOs' ability to quickly build a following has become a key differentiator in executive searches. CEO turnover surged to 12% last year, prompting boards to scrutinize followership skills through 360‑degree reviews. Korn Ferry experts outline three tactics—customized communication, authentic engagement,...
Nucor Promotes Jack Sullivan to CFO, Treasurer, and EVP
Nucor Corporation announced that Jack Sullivan will assume the roles of Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Executive Vice President effective March 1, 2026, succeeding Steve Laxton, who moved to President and Chief Operating Officer on January 1. Sullivan, who joined Nucor in 2022...
A Surprising Reading List for CEOs in 2026
CEOs are diversifying their reading and listening habits, favoring tech‑focused books on generative AI and quantum computing alongside historical accounts of conflict and light‑hearted fiction. Korn Ferry’s research shows many executives consume up to one book a week and supplement...