{"id":55954,"date":"2025-11-13T03:38:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T07:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T03:38:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T07:38:39","slug":"global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Shipping Slowdown, Mixed Luxury Retail, and UK Economic Contraction Mark Morning News"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/#UK_Economy_Faces_Unexpected_Contraction_and_Slowing_Growth\" >UK Economy Faces Unexpected Contraction and Slowing Growth<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/#Hapag-Lloyd_Forecasts_Decelerating_Shipping_Volumes\" >Hapag-Lloyd Forecasts Decelerating Shipping Volumes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/#Burberry_Reports_Mixed_Q2_Adjusts_Capex\" >Burberry Reports Mixed Q2, Adjusts Capex<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/#Merck_KGaA_Achieves_Higher_Earnings_Through_Organic_Growth\" >Merck KGaA Achieves Higher Earnings Through Organic Growth<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-shipping-slowdown-mixed-luxury-retail-and-uk-economic-contraction-mark-morning-news\/55954\/#Other_Economic_Updates_Sweden_and_Turkey\" >Other Economic Updates: Sweden and Turkey<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>UK economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1% in September<\/strong>, leading to a significant slowdown in <strong>Q3 GDP growth to 0.1%<\/strong>, falling short of expectations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hapag-Lloyd<\/strong> anticipates a notable deceleration in global container shipping volume growth, projecting <strong>3% in 2025 and 2% in 2026<\/strong>, following a stronger <strong>6% rise in 2024<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Burberry<\/strong> reported mixed H1\/Q2 earnings, with <strong>H1 revenue ex-FX down 3%<\/strong> (slightly below estimates) but <strong>Q2 retail comparable sales up 2%<\/strong> (exceeding expectations), and a revised <strong>FY Capex of approximately \u00a3120M<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Merck KGaA<\/strong> posted higher earnings, driven by robust <em>organic growth<\/em> across its various business units.<\/li>\n<li>Key <strong>UK economic indicators<\/strong> for September showed a sharp decline in <strong>industrial production by 2.0% (M\/M)<\/strong> and <strong>manufacturing production by 1.7% (M\/M)<\/strong>, contrasting with modest growth in construction and services output.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"UK_Economy_Faces_Unexpected_Contraction_and_Slowing_Growth\"><\/span>UK Economy Faces Unexpected Contraction and Slowing Growth<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>UK economy<\/strong> experienced an unexpected contraction in September, with <strong>monthly GDP declining by 0.1%<\/strong> against expectations of flat growth. This downturn contributed to a significant slowdown in the third quarter, where <strong>GDP grew by a preliminary 0.1% quarter-on-quarter<\/strong>, missing the estimated 0.2% and falling from the previous quarter&#39;s 0.3%. On a year-on-year basis, <strong>Q3 GDP growth registered 1.3%<\/strong>, also below the 1.4% forecast and prior period.<\/p>\n<p>Further highlighting economic weakness, <strong>UK industrial production plunged by 2.0% month-on-month in September<\/strong>, a sharper decline than the estimated -0.2% and a reversal from the prior month&#39;s 0.4%. Manufacturing production also saw a substantial drop of <strong>1.7% month-on-month<\/strong>, significantly worse than the -0.3% estimate. Year-on-year figures for September showed industrial production down <strong>2.5%<\/strong> and manufacturing production down <strong>2.2%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the broader economic slowdown, some sectors showed resilience. <strong>UK construction output grew by 0.2% month-on-month in September<\/strong>, surpassing the 0.0% estimate, and increased by <strong>1.3% year-on-year<\/strong>. The <strong>Index of Services also rose by 0.2% month-on-month<\/strong> in September, slightly above the 0.1% estimate.<\/p>\n<p>Trade figures for September indicated an improvement in the overall <strong>trade balance, narrowing to -\u00a31.094 billion<\/strong> from a previous -\u00a33.386 billion, and better than the estimated -\u00a33.10 billion. The visible trade balance also improved to <strong>-\u00a318.883 billion<\/strong>. However, Q3 data revealed a <strong>0.1% decrease in exports<\/strong> and a <strong>0.3% decrease in imports<\/strong> quarter-on-quarter. Total business investment for Q3 contracted by <strong>0.3% quarter-on-quarter<\/strong> and grew by a modest <strong>0.7% year-on-year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hapag-Lloyd_Forecasts_Decelerating_Shipping_Volumes\"><\/span>Hapag-Lloyd Forecasts Decelerating Shipping Volumes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Global container shipping giant <strong>Hapag-Lloyd<\/strong> anticipates a slowdown in the growth of global container shipping volumes in the coming years. The company projects a <strong>3% year-on-year growth in 2025<\/strong>, followed by a further deceleration to <strong>2% in 2026<\/strong>. This comes after an expected stronger performance in <strong>2024, with volumes rising by 6%<\/strong>. The outlook suggests a moderation in the robust demand seen recently, potentially influenced by global economic conditions and trade dynamics.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Burberry_Reports_Mixed_Q2_Adjusts_Capex\"><\/span>Burberry Reports Mixed Q2, Adjusts Capex<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Luxury fashion house <strong>Burberry (<a href=\"\/stock\/BRBY\">BRBY<\/a>)<\/strong> released its H1\/Q2 earnings, presenting a mixed picture. For the first half, <strong>revenue excluding foreign exchange impacts declined by 3%<\/strong>, slightly underperforming the estimated -2.84%. However, the company&#39;s <strong>Q2 retail comparable store sales showed a positive increase of 2%<\/strong>, surpassing analyst expectations of a 0.62% rise. Looking ahead, Burberry has revised its full-year capital expenditure forecast, now expecting it to be <strong>approximately \u00a3120 million<\/strong>, a reduction from the previously anticipated \u00a3130 million.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Merck_KGaA_Achieves_Higher_Earnings_Through_Organic_Growth\"><\/span>Merck KGaA Achieves Higher Earnings Through Organic Growth<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>German science and technology company <strong>Merck KGaA (<a href=\"\/stock\/MRK\">MRK<\/a>)<\/strong> announced higher earnings, attributing the positive performance to <em>organic growth<\/em> across all its business units. This indicates a strong underlying operational performance and successful execution of its business strategies. The company&#39;s focus on internal growth drivers appears to be yielding positive financial results.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Economic_Updates_Sweden_and_Turkey\"><\/span>Other Economic Updates: Sweden and Turkey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In <strong>Sweden<\/strong>, the Consumer Price Index with Fixed Interest Rate (CPIF) on a year-on-year basis was <strong>3.1% in October<\/strong>, matching both the previous month&#39;s figure and analyst estimates. The CPIF excluding energy also stood at <strong>2.8% year-on-year<\/strong>. On a monthly basis, <strong>Sweden&#39;s CPIF grew by 0.4%<\/strong> and the overall <strong>CPI increased by 0.3%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>Turkey&#39;s home sales in October registered 164.3 thousand units<\/strong>, an increase from the previous 150.7 thousand units. However, on a year-on-year basis, <strong>home sales declined by 0.5%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways The UK economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1% in September, leading to a significant slowdown in Q3 GDP growth 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