How did selling and administrative expenses evolve in 2024?

Selling and administrative expenses generally increased over the course of 2024, with some fluctuations due to specific company performances. Here's a detailed analysis:

1. **Overall Trend**: The cumulative expenses grew from $1.54 billion at the end of 2023 to $1.59 billion by the end of 2024. This indicates a general upward trend in spending.
2. **Company-Specific Variations**: While The Cheesecake Factory's expenses increased significantly, from $1.54 billion to $1.59 billion, there were some fluctuations among other companies. For instance, BJ'S Restaurants saw a slight increase from $644.41 million to $656.48 million, TTM Technologies experienced a rise from $275.23 million to $285.69 million, and European Wax Center's expenses dropped from $113.9 million to zero.
SELLING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES in 2024
|code|stock code|stock name|Last Price|Last Change|Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses (Cum)[20231231]|Report End Date[20231231]|Report Period[20231231]|Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses (Cum)[20241231]|Report End Date[20241231]|Report Period[20241231]|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|CAKE|CAKE.O|The Cheesecake Factory|49.68|-2.759836|1.53848E9|20240102|2023Q4|1.594569E9|20241231|2024Q4|185|
|BJRI|BJRI.O|BJ'S Restaurants|35.06|-3.8134429999999995|6.44409E8|20240102|2023Q4|6.56483E8|20241231|2024Q4|185|
|TTMI|TTMI.O|TTM Technologies|20.86|-3.156917|2.75228E8|20240101|2023Q4|2.85687E8|20241230|2024Q4|185|
|EWCZ|EWCZ.O|European Wax Center|3.91|-5.555555999999999|1.13902E8|20240106|2023Q4||||185|
|NDLS|NDLS.O|Noodles|1.13|-4.237288|7.8625E7|20240102|2023Q4|7.989E7|20241231|2024Q4|185|
|A|A.N|Agilent Technologies|116.69|-1.9164500000000002||||1.568E9|20241031|2024Q4|169|
|AA|AA.N|Alcoa|30.66|-4.12758||||9.17E8|20241231|2024Q4|169|
|AACBU|AACBU.O|Artius II-U|10.07|0||||85274|20241231|2024Q4|185|
|AACG|AACG.O|Ata Creativity|0.9999|1||||2.476687685671728E7|20241231|2024Q4|185|
|AACT|AACT.N|Ares Acquisition II|11.17|-0.089445||||1775527|20241231|2024Q4|169|

3. **Notable Cases**: Agilent Technologies and Alcoa showed notable increases in expenses, which could be due to various factors such as business expansion, operational changes, or industry trends. Artius II-U and Ata Creativity had relatively lower expenses, with Artius II-U's remaining stable at $24.77 million and Ata Creativity's increasing slightly from $1.78 million to $1.57 million.
4. **Implications**: The evolution of selling and administrative expenses reflects underlying business strategies and operational efficiencies. Companies may increase spending to drive growth, invest in new initiatives, or respond to market challenges. Conversely, a decrease in expenses could indicate cost-cutting measures or a stabilization of operations.

In summary, selling and administrative expenses evolved differently across companies in 2024, with a general upward trend but also notable fluctuations due to specific business decisions and market conditions.