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Retail sales up 0.7% in September as American consumers defy rising prices, interest_我的网站

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A | 在最新揭晓的第四届《福布斯亚洲》亚太区“100家值得关注企业”排行榜中，一批充满活力的初创公司和微型企业成为了投资者瞩目的焦点。这些企业不仅展示了他们的创新实力，还晒出了令人瞩目的支票簿——截至目前，它们已共同吸引超过20亿美元的投资。

B | NEW YORK -- Americans showed their steadfast resilience and kept spending online, at restaurants and other outlets in September even as they grappled with higher prices, rising interest rates and a host of other headwinds piling up.Retail sales rose 0.7% in September, more than twice what economists had expected, and close to a revised 0.8% bump in August, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Retail sales in August were inflated after gasoline prices spiked, however. That was not the case in September when gas prices rose more slowly.A closely watched category of retail sales that excludes auto dealers, gas stations and building materials and feeds into the gross domestic product jumped 0.6% last month compared to the prior month.Tuesday's sales figures aren't adjusted for inflation, but the cost of goods barely rose last month, so the increased spending isn't a reflection of higher prices. Prices for durable goods, such as those sold by appliance and electronics stores, actually fell last month.The government’s monthly retail sales report offers only a partial look at consumer spending; it doesn’t include many services, including health care, travel and hotel lodging. But it does cover spending at restaurants, which had a solid 0.9% increase. Spending online rose 1.1% last month, according to the report. Sales at general merchandise stores rose 0.4%. Sales at home furnishings and furniture stores were flat, while electronics stores and outlets that sell building materials saw declines reflecting a difficult housing market. The retail sales report, which reflects the sixth consecutive monthly gain, reinforces the fact that American consumers, as a whole, are showing no signs of pulling back on their spending, which powers most of the economy. That spending comes despite attempts by the Federal Reserve to cool spending and hiring. That's good news heading into the critical holiday shopping season. But the robust sales report also means that the Fed officials could leave the door open for additional rate hikes. That means that shoppers could face higher interest rates for awhile.“If the cost-of-living crisis has hit consumer confidence, you wouldn’t know it judging by a second month of strong retail sales with the consumer buying everything that wasn’t nailed down,” said Christopher S. Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS LLC, a financial markets research company. “Fed officials have another rate hike this year up on their forecast board, and they will need to use it, if the economic data continues to surprise economists on the upside.” Still, questions remain whether shoppers will finally buckle under more bad news piling up from federal budget wrangling, the resumption of student loan repayments, and new global tensions tied to the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas in Israel. The moratorium on student loan payments lifted Oct. 1. Analysts say that shoppers could also become rattled if the Israel-Hamas war is not contained.Moreover, the relentless spending by shoppers also comes at a cost to their household finances.“We have repeatedly under-estimated the U.S. consumer, “ said Tim Quinlan, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Economics. ”But in pulling off this spending spree, consumers have dented their household finances, a theme that is evident not only in the diminished savings, but also the trend rise in credit card delinquencies.”Healthy consumer spending is expected to lift the economy's growth rate to about 3.5% or possibly even higher in the July-September quarter. September's strong sales also suggests the economy may not slow as much in the final three months of the year as previously expected, analysts said. The retail sales report came as businesses across the U.S. economy ramped up hiring in September, defying surging interest rates, and the ongoing threat of a government shutdown. The strength of hiring has surprised economists inside and outside of the Fed. Consumer prices rose 0.4% from August to September, below the previous month’s 0.6% pace. The report from the Labor Department also showed that year-over-year inflation was flat last month from a 3.7% rise in August.Meanwhile, retailers are pulling out discounts and other incentives to get shoppers to open their wallets for the holiday season as they worry about shoppers' finances. Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, unveiled a new experience that gives shoppers a chance to access some of the biggest deals and cool gadgets of the holiday season. The items, which kicked off late last month, are only available in limited quantities and exclusively through the Best Buy app. ——————AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report from Washington.——————Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio。在这个风险投资资金创下七年新低的背景下，83家公司自2023年起成功募集资金，展现了它们在逆境中的坚韧与成长。图源：FACEBOOK在该排行榜中，新加坡的初创企业表现突出，共有15家公司上榜，这使得新加坡成为上榜企业数量第二多的国家，仅次于印度，但比去年的20家减少了五家。紧随其后的是中国大陆和日本，分别有10家和9家公司上榜。印度则以20家公司上榜位居榜首，去年印度共有六家企业上榜，中国大陆有11家，日本则有三家。创新是企业发展的源动力 这些上榜企业讲述了一个个稳步增长的故事，证明了成功并非一夜之间的事。而另一些公司则迅速在太空技术、生物技术和机器人技术等全球最热门的行业中崭露头角，争夺先机。

C | 这100家公司的业务组合多样，但都秉承一个共同理念：创新驱动发展。图源：FACEBOOK在今年的榜单中，新加坡在企业科技与机器人类别中有最多公司上榜，共五家，虽然比去年的九家少了四家。这些公司包括使用人工智能（AI）自动化企业财务数据管理的Bluesheets和提供浏览器网络安全插件的SquareX、用于定制搬运机器人的Botsync、为儿童创造安全数字平台的K-ID，为电商企业提供解决方案的Graas。其次是金融业，和去年一样有四家上榜，包括帮助小企业进行跨境交易的Tazapay，为电商企业提供灵活融资服务的Jenfi，提供“先付后买”服务的Fluid和HitPay。生物科技及医疗保健行业的公司数量从去年的四家减少到两家，包括专注于大脑退化检测的Neurowyzr，专注慢性疾病疗法的Mesh Bio。食品及接待业也只有一家公司上榜，即健康食品连锁企业SaladStop! Group。前沿科技企业展现更长远的发展前景 去年没有上榜的制造与能源业和航天科技业，今年分别有两家公司上榜。

D | 制造与能源业包括制作废料回收锂电池的NEU BatteryMaterials，ecoSPIRITS专注于可回收利用的玻璃瓶，而航天科技业则有研发电力推动航天引擎的Aliena。图源：FACEBOOK福布斯已经连续四年发布这个榜单，今年的上榜企业来自16个国家和地区，覆盖了企业技术与机器人、金融、制造与能源等10个行业。符合提名的公司必须满足几个条件：其总部必须位于亚太区，必须是私人所有并以盈利为目标。

E | 此外，截至今年8月7日的年营收不能超过5000万美元（约6521万新元），总融资不超过1亿美元。上榜企业必须对区域或行业有积极影响，有收入强劲增长的记录或有吸引资金的能力，拥有有潜力的商业模式或前景，以及具有说服力的卖点。总体来看，今年的榜单依旧着重于创新，从航空航天、人工智能、生物医学、健康分析到支持无银行账户民众需求的金融科技，这些上榜的企业展示了亚太区初创企业的前沿技术和创新思维。这些企业不仅代表了新加坡的创业精神，也反映了亚太区整体的创新趋势和商业潜力。