{"id":53697,"date":"2025-09-27T00:38:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T04:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/corporate-shifts-and-economic-indicators-amgens-tariff-response-starbucks-restructuring-chinas-profit-rebound-and-jpmorgans-alibaba-bet\/53697\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T00:38:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T04:38:27","slug":"corporate-shifts-and-economic-indicators-amgens-tariff-response-starbucks-restructuring-chinas-profit-rebound-and-jpmorgans-alibaba-bet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/corporate-shifts-and-economic-indicators-amgens-tariff-response-starbucks-restructuring-chinas-profit-rebound-and-jpmorgans-alibaba-bet\/53697\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporate Shifts and Economic Indicators: Amgen&#8217;s Tariff Response, Starbucks&#8217; Restructuring, China&#8217;s Profit Rebound, and JPMorgan&#8217;s Alibaba Bet"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Amgen (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMGN\">AMGN<\/a>)<\/strong> announced a <strong>$650 million<\/strong> expansion of its U.S. manufacturing network in Puerto Rico, a strategic response to President Trump&#39;s impending <strong>100% tariff<\/strong> on pharmaceutical products not manufactured domestically, creating approximately <strong>750 jobs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Starbucks (<a href=\"\/stock\/SBUX\">SBUX<\/a>)<\/strong> is set to close <strong>434 North American stores<\/strong> by the end of September, reducing its footprint from <strong>18,734 to 18,300 locations<\/strong>, and laying off <strong>900 non-retail employees<\/strong> as part of a broader turnaround strategy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China&#39;s industrial profits<\/strong> saw a significant rebound in August, surging <strong>20.4% year-over-year<\/strong>, a stark contrast to July&#39;s <strong>-1.5% decline<\/strong>, pushing year-to-date industrial profit up <strong>0.9% to \u00a54.69 trillion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>JPMorgan Chase (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>)<\/strong> substantially increased its stake in <strong>Alibaba Group Holding (<a href=\"\/stock\/BABA\">BABA<\/a>)<\/strong> from <strong>6.81% to 12.29%<\/strong> on September 22, as reported by HKEX, signaling growing bullish sentiment in tech assets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Amgen Boosts U.S. Manufacturing Amid Tariff Threats<\/h2>\n<p>Biotechnology giant <strong>Amgen (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMGN\">AMGN<\/a>)<\/strong> revealed plans to invest <strong>$650 million<\/strong> in expanding its U.S. manufacturing operations, specifically at its biologics facility in Juncos, Puerto Rico. This move comes directly after President Trump&#39;s announcement of a <strong>100% tariff<\/strong> on branded and patented pharmaceutical products starting October 1, unless manufacturers actively build plants within the country. The investment is expected to create around <strong>750 jobs<\/strong>, including construction and skilled manufacturing roles.<\/p>\n<p>This latest expansion is part of a larger commitment by Amgen, which has invested over <strong>$40 billion<\/strong> in U.S. manufacturing and R&amp;D since late 2017. Earlier this year, the company announced a <strong>$900 million<\/strong> expansion in Ohio and a <strong>$1 billion<\/strong> investment for a new facility in North Carolina. <em>Analysts suggest that while Trump&#39;s tariffs aim to reshore pharmaceutical production, many large-cap firms like Amgen have already been proactive in establishing domestic facilities, potentially mitigating the tariffs&#39; impact.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Starbucks Shrinks North American Footprint in Turnaround Effort<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Starbucks (<a href=\"\/stock\/SBUX\">SBUX<\/a>)<\/strong> is undertaking a significant restructuring, announcing the closure of <strong>434 North American stores<\/strong> by the end of September. This action will reduce the company&#39;s regional store count from <strong>18,734 in June to 18,300<\/strong>, marking a rare instance of Starbucks shrinking its store base during a fiscal year. The coffee giant also confirmed the layoff of <strong>900 non-retail employees<\/strong> as part of its turnaround plan.<\/p>\n<p>CEO Brian Niccol stated that the closures are a result of a review identifying locations lacking financial stability or unable to provide the expected customer experience. Affected baristas will be offered severance packages and transfers where possible. <em>Despite the current closures, Starbucks plans to increase its North American store count in the next fiscal year and will redesign over 1,000 locations to enhance the customer experience.<\/em> This marks the second round of layoffs this year, following 1,100 corporate job cuts in February.<\/p>\n<h2>China&#39;s Industrial Profits Rebound Sharply in August<\/h2>\n<p><strong>China&#39;s industrial sector<\/strong> experienced a robust recovery in August, with profits surging by <strong>20.4% year-over-year<\/strong>. This marks a substantial turnaround from the <strong>-1.5% decline<\/strong> recorded in July, indicating renewed momentum in the country&#39;s industrial economy. The strong August performance pushed the cumulative industrial profit for the January-August period up by <strong>0.9%<\/strong> to <strong>\u00a54.69 trillion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This rebound suggests a potential stabilization in China&#39;s manufacturing sector, which has faced headwinds from global demand fluctuations and domestic challenges.<\/em> The significant increase in profits could provide a boost to investor confidence and support broader economic recovery efforts.<\/p>\n<h2>JPMorgan Increases Alibaba Stake, Signaling Bullish Tech Sentiment<\/h2>\n<p><strong>JPMorgan Chase (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>)<\/strong> has significantly increased its long position in Chinese e-commerce and technology giant <strong>Alibaba Group Holding (<a href=\"\/stock\/BABA\">BABA<\/a>)<\/strong>. According to data from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), JPMorgan&#39;s stake in Alibaba-W rose from <strong>6.81% to 12.29%<\/strong> on September 22.<\/p>\n<p><em>This substantial increase in ownership by a major institutional investor like JPMorgan suggests a growing bullish sentiment towards Alibaba and potentially the broader tech sector, despite recent market adjustments in Hong Kong stocks.<\/em> The move comes as the technology growth sector benefits from catalysts such as global AI developments and increasing domestic computing power demands. Alibaba&#39;s stock has seen recent positive movement, with its ADR rallying on news of a new AI model launch and plans to expand global data center capacity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Amgen (AMGN) announced a $650 million expansion of its U.S. manufacturing network in Puerto Rico, a strategic response 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