Global Markets
Wall Street indexes experienced a slight downturn as Federal Reserve officials maintained a cautious stance on inflation in light of the tight labor market conditions prevailing in the United States. In Europe, shares dipped as both the technology and industrials sectors saw declines in their stock values. Meanwhile, the Nikkei in Asia closed lower amid uncertainty surrounding the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy. Conversely, Chinese blue-chip stocks surged following the announcement of the government’s intervention plan aimed at stabilizing the property sector.
Canada’s primary stock index, however, managed to buck the trend and saw a rise in its value. The U.S. dollar saw a modest uptick in its value but remained on course for a weekly decline, largely due to speculation regarding the timing of potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. In contrast, gold prices experienced an increase and were poised for their second consecutive weekly gain.
In the commodities market, oil prices remained relatively stable, with Brent crude set to register its first weekly gain in three weeks. This positive trend was attributed to emerging signs of improvement in global demand for oil.
Corporate Stock News
- Anglo American’s Fertilizer Project: CEO Wanblad stresses project importance despite delays, seeks partners for six months.
- HSBC and Ping An Insurance: Ping An Insurance considers reducing 8% stake in HSBC.
- GSK’s Share Sale: GSK plans to sell entire stake in Haleon, totaling 385 million shares.
- Muddy Waters vs. Mayfair Gold: Muddy Waters seeks to replace Mayfair Gold’s board, criticizes compensation structure and project handling.
- Applied Materials’ Forecast: Applied Materials forecasts third-quarter results above Wall Street estimates due to semiconductor tools demand.
- Copart’s Performance: Copart marginally beats third-quarter revenue estimates due to increased vehicle sales.
- DXC Technology’s Revenue Forecast: DXC forecasts below-estimate first-quarter and full-year revenue amid cautious client spending.
- Take-Two Interactive’s Fiscal Forecast: Take-Two adjusts fiscal 2025 bookings expectations following “Grand Theft Auto VI” release announcement.
- Alphabet’s Antitrust Lawsuit: Alphabet seeks non-jury trial in U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit.
- Boeing’s Board Vote: Shareholders to vote on retaining outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun on Boeing’s board.
- Hess Shareholder Vote: Glass Lewis advises Hess shareholders to favor Chevron’s acquisition.
- Ford’s Cost Reduction Efforts: Ford asks EV suppliers to cut costs to support profitability.
- Fresenius SE’s Strategic Clarity: Investors seek clarity on Fresenius SE’s plans regarding control over Fresenius Medical Care.
- GM’s Settlement with Bolt EV Owners: GM settles with Chevrolet Bolt EV owners affected by defective batteries.
- Goldman Sachs’ Lending Market Entry: Goldman Sachs enters lending market for private equity and asset managers.
- Reddit’s Partnership with OpenAI: Reddit partners with OpenAI to integrate content into popular chatbot ChatGPT.
- Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund’s Climate Target Concerns: Norway’s sovereign wealth fund urges Shell for more information on revised climate targets.
- Tesla’s Data Use in China: Tesla plans to use data from China for global self-driving system development.
- T-Mobile’s Class-Action Lawsuit: T-Mobile faces class-action lawsuit challenging Sprint acquisition.
- Toyota’s Production Halt: Labour shortages in Mexico force Toyota to halt production at a plant.
- Xpeng Inc.’s Critique on U.S. Tariffs: Xpeng Inc. criticizes new U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs for hindering carbon neutrality efforts.
