The UK-based pharma giant lists its stock on NYSE even as it continues overseas manufacturing and innovation spending.

Asia-Pacific ad growth will remain steady in 2026 as momentum shifts to digital, retail media, and CTV. Rising demand for premium video contrasts with uneven expansion across fast-growing and mature markets.

Dentsu forecasts the global advertising market will surpass $1 trillion for the first time in 2026, growing 5.1% and powered by digital channels that will capture nearly 69% of total spend. Retail media leads with projected 14%–16% growth, while online video and social also expand double digits. Major global events—including the Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and a packed political calendar—will drive attention and pricing pressure across markets. APAC remains the fastest-growing region, led by India and China, while the US will represent about 40% of worldwide spend. For marketers, algorithm-first planning, advanced measurement, and early tentpole buying will be critical.

Publicis Groupe’s 100th-anniversary film, “A Lion Never Gives Up,” blends live action with 4,500 AI-generated images to retell the company’s evolution and project its future. With more than half its workforce now in data, engineering, and AI, leadership says the next era will reward companies that fuse creativity with machine-driven operational scale. The film lands as Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG reshapes the competitive field, and Publicis argues its AI maturity gives it an edge in a more concentrated market.

40% of global consumers say they’ve gone out of their way to spend less on US products in response to tariffs, with Canadian consumers leading the way, based on July data from Morning Consult.

Estée Lauder topped analysts’ profit and revenue expectations, aided by sales and market share gains in China and customer growth in the US. The parent of brands such as Clinique, Tom Ford, and Aveda said its results marked the start of its return to growth under a turnaround plan. Estée Lauder’s stronger-than-expected quarter shows that accessible pricing and product innovation is essential to growth in beauty, especially as competition continues to intensify. Gap Inc., for instance, is launching Old Navy Beauty, a youth-focused line of body mists and scents. Its move shows that even apparel retailers are muscling into beauty to lure Gen Z consumers, providing new pressure on established beauty brands.

Adidas raised its full-year earnings guidance to about €2 billion ($2.32 billion) after stronger-than-expected global results. Currency-neutral sales rose 12% year-over-year, led by double-digit growth across all major regions, while operating profit surged 58%. Gross margin improved to 51.7% despite currency and tariff pressures. The company is countering headwinds through pricing strategies and supply shifts, gaining ground as Nike continues its turnaround. With demand for its Samba and Gazelle lines boosting apparel and accessories sales, Adidas appears to be solidifying its momentum and strengthening its competitive position in key markets.

The Trump administration announced on September 15 that a TikTok sale deal has finally been reached with China after months of uncertainty, allowing TikTok to remain operational in the US. That means TikTok’s future in the US isn’t as uncertain as it recently was. FIs that set aside plans to build up their TikTok following or reach target customers via campaigns or finfluencer relationships should now move full steam ahead on TikTok. This is the moment to restart those efforts with a renewed focus on authenticity and education. FIs should create specific content that speaks to Gen Z’s financial realities.

The news: Nvidia’s latest earnings report shows that spending on AI infrastructure remains strong, even as some metrics normalize after explosive growth. Despite robust numbers, Nvidia’s stock dipped slightly on Thursday, owing in part to the market’s excessive expectations of the industry giant. Our take: Nvidia is still riding the AI wave but is entering a more complex phase as expectations outpace results. If investment outruns adoption or monetization, the sector risks overkill. The test will be whether user demand and AI application development can keep pace with this level of spending.

Last November, our analysts made some predictions about how the retail category would fare in 2025. Now that we’re halfway through the year, it’s time to check back in on what has (or hasn’t) happened. "We're seeing many of our predicted trends playing out, though not always in the ways we anticipated," said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of the "Behind the Numbers" podcast. "The retail landscape is evolving rapidly, with some developments accelerating faster than expected while others face unexpected headwinds."

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the state of some of our 2025 predictions, including GenAI’s influence on business growth, the influence of China’s e-commerce disruptors, the squeeze on retail media networks, and more. Then, we offer a few more slightly spicier predictions for the remainder of the year ahead. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Carina Perkins.

The news: President Donald Trump is expected to sign another executive order extending TikTok’s sale deadline as the current June 19 deadline approaches, marking the third extension since Trump took office. Our take: Trump is likely to continue extending TikTok’s sale deadline—but with each extension, brand confidence plummets further as the platform’s long term sustainability remains shrouded in uncertainty. The brands that will be most successful aren’t those that are crossing their fingers for TikTok’s survival, but those that are investing in contingency plans and platform-agnostic strategies that can pivot quickly.

A trade war between two of the world’s largest consumer markets would cause significant disruption for consumers, retailers, and brands in Europe.

As tariffs raise prices for many businesses, banks are finding solutions to keep their customers satisfied.

On Monday, US and Chinese officials reportedly announced a significant reduction of the recent tariffs that have led to economic uncertainty around the world.

Hugo Boss is adjusting to the macro landscape on the fly: The German fashion house is rerouting China-made goods to other markets and stockpiling in the US to blunt the impact of tariffs.

Turbulence in trade relations is changing how China’s ecommerce platforms do business in the US, with spillover effects on US retail and advertising.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why the Trump administration extended TikTok’s sell-by date again, what deals are on the table, and how creators feel about the potential ban at this point. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Analyst Marisa Jones. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.