BUSINESS
UK Markets Await Central Bank Decisions Amid Holiday Lull
On May 5, the UK stock market was closed due to a holiday. On Monday, the pound rose against the weakening US dollar. With the UK public holiday causing a lull in market news, all eyes are on the upcoming Bank of England's monetary policy decision later this week. There are no major domestic events before Thursday's Bank of England meeting.
Electricity costs reduced by 25% as Thailand works to boost data center industry
Electricity costs reduced by 25% as Thailand works to boost data center industry
Trump Escalates Trade War: 25% Tariffs on Japan, South Korea and Others From August
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that the U.S. will impose sharply higher tariffs on multiple trading partners, including Japan and South Korea, starting August 1, marking a new phase in the global trade war he launched earlier this year.
UK Retailers in Cost Quagmire as Inflation Worsens and Statistical Reform Looms
The UK retail industry is facing a tough situation as inflationary pressures intensify and statistical reforms are on the horizon. On April 29th, data showed that the inflation rate of grocery prices in the UK climbed to 3.8% (Kantar data), and the food inflation rate reached 2.6% (BRC data), hitting a one - year high. The retail sector is burdened by three major pressures. Firstly, the packaging tax that comes into effect in October will increase the costs of enterprises. Secondly, the Employment Rights Act may lead to more than half of the enterprises scaling back their recruitment.
UK Economy Shows Mixed Signals: Ebbing Housing Policy and Pressured Manufacturing
The UK economy is displaying divergent signals, with the housing market and manufacturing sector showing contrasting trends. In March, mortgage lending in the UK increased by £12.963 billion, reaching a new high since June 2021. This was driven by homebuyers rushing to take advantage of the first - time buyer tax - break before it ended on April 1st. However, the housing market cooled rapidly after the policy ended.
UK Stocks Trade Sideways; Energy Sector Under Pressure
London’s stock markets saw mixed trading on July 7, with the FTSE 100 flat and the FTSE 250 mid-cap index edging up 0.2%, as focus remained on the U.S. delaying tariff implementation to August 1 and progress in trade talks.
Amazon Hits 1 Million Robots, Launches DeepFleet AI to Revolutionize Logistics with "Second-Level Response"
Recently, Amazon announced that the number of its robots deployed globally has reached 1 million, and launched a generative AI foundation model named DeepFleet, bringing a major transformation to the logistics industry and opening a new era of "second - level response".
Fed Minutes Boost Rate Cut Hopes; Nvidia Briefly Tops $4 Trillion Market Cap
U.S. stocks rallied broadly on Wednesday, July 10, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq hitting a record high. The surge followed the Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes reinforcing expectations of rate cuts this year and Nvidia’s brief ascent to a $4 trillion market valuation.
US Economic Data Highlights: Trade Deficit Hits Record High, Housing Indexes Vary, and CDS Costs Surge
The US economic landscape showed several notable trends in recent data releases. In March, the US merchandise trade deficit ballooned to $162 billion, a 9.6% increase from the previous month and a new all - time high, well above the expected $142 billion. This was mainly driven by businesses "rushing to import" ahead of tariff implementations, which pushed the total import value to $342.7 billion, a 5% year - on - year increase. Consumer goods imports hit a record high, and imports of autos and capital goods also rose significantly.
UK Stocks Focus on Central Bank Policies: FTSE 100 Slightly Down 0.2% with Precious Metals Sector Leading the Way
On May 6, the UK's FTSE 100 index closed 0.2% lower at 8,143 points. Investors remained cautious ahead of the interest rate decisions of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England. The mid - cap index, however, bucked the trend and rose 0.6%, achieving a nine - day winning streak. The precious metals sector soared 5.5% boosted by the gold price. Endeavour Mining (+5.2%) and Fresnillo (+4.7%) led the gains among the blue - chip stocks.
Auckland CBD Retail Vacancy Hits 13%, Triple Wellington’s Rate Amid Mixed Pressures
Auckland’s downtown retail vacancy rate stands at 13%, nearly three times Wellington’s 5.3%, driven by overlapping factors. Oversupply plagues areas like Newmarket post-Westfield mall opening, requiring time to absorb excess space, while hybrid work models reduce foot traffic in the city center.
France and Spain Face Hurdles in Economic Policy Adjustment: Fiscal Austerity and Military Spending Pressure
In France, on May 3rd, Prime Minister Bérut stated that in order to defuse the social backlash caused by large - scale fiscal austerity, he is considering holding a referendum on the national budget, claiming that debt reduction is crucial for the "future of the country" and requires a decision from the entire population.
ANZ Bank Cuts Australia's Economic Growth Forecast, Banks Face Key Tests
On May 5, the ANZ Bank lowered its economic growth forecast for Australia in 2025 to 2.0%. The main reasons are the slowdown in global demand and geopolitical risks weighing on exports. With the growth rate of CPI in the first quarter falling, the market expects that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) may cut interest rates by 25 basis points ahead of schedule this month,
Microsoft’s Resurgence: Cloud and AI Partnerships Drive Growth and Shape Future Prospects
Microsoft has achieved a remarkable resurgence, fueled by its prowess in cloud computing through Azure and strategic collaboration with OpenAI in artificial intelligence. With Azure capturing 23% of the global cloud market share and the explosive popularity of ChatGPT accelerating the commercialization of its AI tools, the tech giant has solidified its position as a leader in the digital landscape.
S&P/ASX 200 Index Rises on Trade Talks Hope
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 92.4 points higher, or 1.13%, on Friday. Expectations of a possible easing of the China - US trade impasse drove the index to its best weekly performance in nearly two years and to a two - month high. The statement by the Ministry of Commerce that it is "evaluating" the request from US trade officials to launch trade negotiations further boosted investor confidence.
U.S. Steel Acquisition Triggers Heated Controversy and Multifaceted Gaming
U.S. Steel Acquisition Triggers Heated Controversy and Multifaceted Gaming
Replacing SWIFT? the new BRICS payment system is here!
Replacing SWIFT? 159 countries have responded! The new payment system of the BRICS countries is on its way!
Huge change in China-U.S.-European relations, heavy U.S. news after heavy U.S. news
Huge change in China-U.S.-European relations, heavy U.S. news after heavy U.S. news, great information