Five interesting things that Hodges Capital research analysts discovered this week...

#1 BANKRUPTCIES: So far, in 2023, over 400 corporations have gone under. According to Visual Capitalist, corporate bankruptcies are rising at the fastest pace since 2010 (barring the pandemic) and are double the level seen this time last year.

#2 DINING OUT: Due to the popularity of delivery apps surging during the pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reported that dine-in customers represented just 14% of visits across all U.S. fast-food restaurants in the first five months of 2023.

#3 FREIGHT: The freight market downcycle is now over 19 months old, which compares to a range of 21-28 months in the past three downcycles, according to the Cass Freight Index.

#4 PANAMA CANAL: A severe drought in Panama has led to increasing restrictions on ships using its famous canal. The queue was recently over 260 ships long, which was 16% longer than this time last year, according to the Financial Times.

#5 OBESITY: Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System indicate the percentage of U.S. adults with obesity is over 42%.

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