Let's say the long-term trend that the company was riding has turned in a direction the company didn't expect — or dissipated entirely.

可以说公司过去看好的长期趋势转向了不是公司预期的方向，或者说原来的趋势完全消失了。

youdao

It is the direction of our long-term efforts to keep the basic balance of international payments.

保持国际收支的基本平衡，是我们长期努力的方向。

youdao

Strategic decisions are assumed to be concerned with a firm’s long-term and broad direction, and thus constrain the operational/day-to-day, or tactical/administrative issues.

战略决策关注一个企业的长期的和大范围的方向，因此将会约束操作层的/日常的，或战术的/行政的问题。

youdao

But, ultimately, Budget day is all about the Chancellor: Raising as much short term cheer for his party as possible and setting, or maintaining, some long term direction.

BBC: Budget 2013: Osborne's predicament

The long-term direction of gold prices will also be determined by the direction of the world economy.

FORBES: Gold Dips Below $1700: The Beginning or the End of Another Correction

Beyond the short-term speculative trading, market participants agree that it is the fate of the economy that will determine the market's long-term direction.

WSJ: 5.2% Drop Takes Tokyo Stocks Into a Correction