Robots are marching into factories in North America at a record pace, according to the Robotic Industries Association. A record 14,232 robots, valued at $840 million, were ordered from North American robotics companies in the first half of 2015, an increase of 1% in units and 7% in revenue over the year-earlier period, which held the previous record, the trade group said. “We’re encouraged by the continued strength in the North American robotics
Rising competition and shifting business models amid a slowing China economy resulted in weaker-than-expected earnings from Internet giants Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings. For its fiscal Q1 ended June 30, Alibaba (BABA), China’s No. 1 provider of e-commerce platforms, early Wednesday said revenue rose 28% in local currency to $3.27 billion, or 20.24 billion yuan, missing views of $3.39 billion. It was Alibaba’s slowest growth
Apparel stocks are riding high in the thick of back-to-school shopping season. The sector ranked No. 1, while two subgroups — shoes and clothing manufacturers — ranked Nos. 1 and 23, respectively, among the 197 industry groups in Wednesday’s IBD. The National Retail Federation actually expects a slight dip in back-to-school spending this year, but that’s primarily due to forecasts for lower electronic device sales. Still, some apparel leaders are