FT News Briefing

Credit Suisse has been fined $388mn by US and British regulators, and Spain is facing an uncertain political future as the right and left failed to secure a clear path to forming a government. Plus, Top US consultancies are struggling to attract business in China as Beijing’s national security raids scare away local clients. Mentioned in this podcast: Credit Suisse fined $388mn over Archegos colla...

America’s risky corporate loan market has been hit by the biggest slew of downgrades since the depths of the Covid crisis in 2020, and European banks with large retail arms are expected to report big second-quarter profits. Plus, the FT’s sports editor Josh Noble explains why the commercial rollout of the Women’s World Cup has been so disappointing.  Mentioned in this podcast: US junk loan ma...

There’s a growing feeling that social media is bad for us: bad for society and bad for our wellbeing. That trend has culminated in a new wave of legislation in the United States aiming to address social media’s impact on young people’s mental health. But in this episode, Elaine Moore, deputy editor of the FT’s Lex column, looks at some of the unanswered questions over whether social media really c...

The Nasdaq Composite had its biggest one-day drop in more than four months, the winner of Thailand’s general election has been suspended from parliament, and the FT’s Clive Cookson tells us about two huge breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.  Mentioned in this podcast: Nasdaq drops more than 2% after Netflix and Tesla results disappoint Thai election winner blocked from premiership...

A crackdown on password sharing helped Netflix add nearly 6mn subscribers, UK inflation fell to a 15-month low of 7.9 per cent in June, Ukraine’s armed forces are having a hard time with Russian mines and Spain’s Sunday election could mean the end of Pedro Sánchez’s time as prime minister.  Mentioned in this podcast: Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown pays off with nearly 6mn new subscriber...

Big investment banks are turning more bearish on the dollar, and Europeans struggle with a near-record heatwave. Plus, the FT’s Anastasia Stognei explains why Russia is starting to seize assets from food and beverage companies.  Mentioned in this podcast: Kremlin oligarchs circle Danone and Carlsberg’s Russian assets Wall Street banks ditch bullish dollar bets over ‘soft landing’ hopes Scorch...

Thames Water’s biggest investor slashed the value of its stake last year, Ford’s steep price cut for its electric pick-up truck rattled shareholders and BlackRock will offer retail investors more of a voice in its biggest exchange traded fund. Plus, the FT’s Thomas Hale unpacks what’s ailing China’s economy.   Mentioned in this podcast: Thames Water’s biggest investor cut value of its st...

The EU wants other polluting nations to cut emissions faster. Three of the largest US banks reported a surge in profits last week from charging more for loans as more US banks report this week. Plus the FT’s political editor, George Parker, examines how the UK conservative party might squeeze out a win during the country’s next general election. Mentioned in this podcast: ‘We are on for a massive...

Mark Zuckerberg used advertising to turn Facebook into the first global social media giant, boasting 3bn users around the world. But today there are questions about the business model that has powered it for the past 15 years, and what Zuckerberg’s new focus on building the Metaverse means for the platform that started it all. Elaine Moore speaks to veteran Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee, o...

The UK government has invited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to London, and US regulators are going after the company behind ChatGPT. Plus, the FT’s Beijing bureau chief, Joe Leahy, explains how China’s youth are dealing with high levels of unemployment.  Mentioned in this podcast:  ChatGPT maker investigated by US regulators over AI risks Prince Mohammed bin Salman invited to vi...

US inflation fell sharply to 3 per cent in June, the $1.35tn US junk bond market has shrunk by almost $200bn since its all-time peak in late 2021, and tensions started to boil over during Nato’s two-day summit.  Mentioned in this podcast: US inflation slows to 3% as interest rate rises bite US junk bond market shrinks as rising rates put off borrowers ‘We’re not Amazon’: tensions with Ukraine...

Jeremy Hunt has ordered ministers to find more than £2bn to fund public sector pay rises this year, JPMorgan is trying to scoop up Silicon Valley Bank’s clients, and a US court denies a watchdog’s request to block the Microsoft-Activision merger Mentioned in this podcast: Nvidia in talks to be an anchor investor in Arm IPO JPMorgan hires dozens of start-up bankers to capitalise on SVB collapse US...

Hedge funds have cut their bets on a rising US stock market to the lowest level in at least a decade and pivoted to Europe, a top US banking regulator has announced tougher capital rules for a broader range of lenders, and Dutch PM Mark Rutte is quitting politics after the collapse of his coalition. Plus, the FT’s Henry Foy explains why Nato is torn over whether to admit Ukraine.  Mentioned i...

Israel is set to start voting on controversial judicial reforms on Monday and the largest US banks are expected to report the biggest jump in loan losses since the onset of the pandemic. Plus, global manufacturers are shifting business out of China to Vietnam.  Mentioned in this podcast: Benjamin Netanyahu faces fresh wave of resistance to Israeli judicial reform plans Wall St to report bigge...

Investors sold stocks and bonds across the world on Thursday as US borrowing costs touched a 16-year high, US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen is in China, and Meta said more than 30mn people had signed up to its long-awaited competitor to Twitter. Plus, the FT’s Africa editor David Pilling explains why conservation in the Congo has become contentious.  Mentioned in this podcast: US borrowing...

The US and Germany are among the western allies falling behind in delivering promised heavy weapons to Ukraine, and big asset managers are flocking to Latin American bonds and currencies. Plus, the FT’s Africa editor David Pilling introduces us to some conservationists working to protect elephants from poachers in the Congo River Basin.  Mentioned in this podcast: Latin America’s bonds and cu...

Israel’s raid on the West Bank reignites fears of escalating violence, Switzerland is looking into potential Russian sanctions violations and we continue our series on the Congo Basin with David Pilling, the FT’s Africa editor. Plus, meme stock traders shop for Bed Bath & Beyond. Mentioned in this podcast: Switzerland questions oil trader over sidestep of Russian sanctions In search of the...

The UK’s financial watchdog has summoned bank chief executives to address concerns that savings rates are lagging behind the surging cost of mortgages, Internet brand, Yahoo, is planning a return to the public markets, and the FT has released an investigation into sexual allegations toward celebrated architect, David Adjaye. Plus, the FT’s Africa editor, David Pilling, takes us to one of the...

Apple has been forced to make drastic cuts to production forecasts for the mixed-reality Vision Pro headset, French president cancels a trip to Germany as protests continue in Paris over the police killing of a teenager, and the Nasdaq Composite recorded its best first half of the year since 1983. Plus, the FT’s Taylor Nicole Rogers tells us what resuming student loan payments will mean for borrow...

Elon Musk took over Twitter with the promise of promoting free speech and making the loss-making platform profitable again. But his critics say he’s destroying Twitter’s culture and driving it to bankruptcy. How much danger is the company really in? In the first episode in a new series of Tech Tonic, Elaine Moore, deputy editor of the FT’s Lex column, asks whether Musk will save Twitter or destroy...

The US Supreme Court has curbed universities’ ability to consider race in admissions, turmoil at the top of Thames Water has left the UK government scrambling to prepare contingency plans, and China has passed a new foreign relations law that deepens President Xi Jinping’s control over the country’s external relations. Plus, the FT’s Raphael Minder explains how Belarus's President Alexander Lukash...

Sterling suffers biggest one-day fall against the dollar in a month following UK growth fears, US banks are stepping up the sales of their loan portfolios, and Odey Asset Management continues to spiral after an FT investigation into sexual misconduct allegations at the hedge fund.  Mentioned in this podcast: US banks step up sales of loan portfolios to private lenders Odey Asset Management in...

Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, has won a second term in office, the US Supreme Court rejects a Republican election plan, and a New York court has ruled that FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried cannot dismiss the criminal charges against him. Plus, a leading Japanese semiconductor equipment maker has accepted a $6.4bn buyout offer from a state-backed fund.  Mentioned in this podcast: Bio secu...

The head of the Wagner militia has denied trying to overthrow the Russian government, and western banks may not be able to participate in the Shanghai IPO of Swiss chemicals group Syngenta. Plus, the Federal Reserve’s campaign to increase interest rates is doing damage to short-term bond yields. Mentioned in this podcast: Wagner chief hails march on Moscow as ‘masterclass’ but denies coup bid Bets...

Wagner troops withdrew from Russia late Saturday night after an abandoned coup attempt on Moscow, Greek prime minister Kyriako Mitsotakis won re-election in a blowout, and foreign investors viewed Turkey’s first interest rate rise in years as a ‘baby step’ towards ending the country’s economic crisis.  Mentioned in this podcast: Kyriakos Mitsotakis set for return to power in Greek elections W...