The Finimize Daily Brief

Nvidia and AMD will be allowed to sell chips in China – but they’ll be paying the US government for the privilege – while investors piled into lithium and related stocks after news broke of a major mining shutdown. Today’s stories: Nvidia And AMD Struck A Deal With The US Government To Do Business In China A Regulatory Snafu Made CATL Shut Down A Mine, Sending Lithium Prices Up Try Finimize Pro  

The US president just let 401(k) plans invest in crypto, real estate, and private equity – and if you’re aiming to spend your golden years on a yacht, this could be sink or swim – while Meta teed up another massive AI investment, choosing Pimco and Blue Owl Capital to help finance a $29 billion data center buildout. Today’s stories: The President Signed An Executive Order To Let 401(k)s Include Al...

The US president will stamp a 100% tariff rate on the world’s chipmakers… unless they pledge allegiance to the flag, while SoftBank shot the lights out last quarter, and the Japanese tech investor largely has AI to thank. Today’s stories: The President Wants America’s Chip Industry To Be Both Shaken And Stirred SoftBank Is Being Handsomely Rewarded For Putting Its Eggs In AI’s Basket Try Finimize...

The US president ousted America’s chief number‑cruncher – and now investors fear the math might start taking sides – while OpenAI has a tactic to keep staff from straying to Meta… and the ChatGPT-creator might snag a $500 billion valuation in the process. Today’s stories: The Numbers *Might* Lie After The Bureau Of Labor Statistics’s Chief Got Fired OpenAI Is Making A Move To Both Reward Talent An...

SoftBank placed huge bets on AI earlier in the year – and they’ve come good since – while Aramco ramped up its oil production, but the Saudi-owned firm’s profit still wouldn’t budge. Today’s stories: SoftBank Doubled Down On AI Investments, And That’s Been Paying Off Big-Time Oil Company Aramco’s Been Drilling… But Profit Growth Is Nowhere To Be Found Try Finimize Pro

Sales fell at luxury brands LVMH, Prada, and Moncler, as currency swings encouraged foreign shoppers to keep their wallets closed, while the US president is expected to make two very important hires this week – and they could help make or break the American economy. Today’s stories: Currency Swings Took A Fancy Chunk Out Of European Luxury Brands’ Sales The US President Is About To Say “You’re Hir...

American investors paid a record premium for TSMC’s US-listed shares, while Goldman Sachs issued a warning about “speculative” trading, and Switzerland, Canada, and Taiwan were handed steep tariffs after America’s deal-making deadline passed them by. Today’s stories: TSMC’s American-Listed Shares Are Much More Expensive Than Its Taiwanese Ones Dreams Were Dashed When The Clock Struck Midnight On A...

Apple and Amazon both slammed down better-than-expected results for last quarter – but their forecasts for this one weren’t quite as reassuring – and with America’s August 1st tariff deadline fast approaching, countries rushed to strike last-minute trade deals. Today’s stories: Apple And Amazon’s Cloud-Fueled Results Sure Made Investors Think Big Countries Have Been Scrambling To Reach Trade Agree...

Stockpicking hedge funds are finally seeing results – and, after years of rejection, investors are giving them another chance, while Anthropic’s latest funding round could cement its place among the world’s most valuable startups. Today’s stories: Stockpicking Hedge Funds Have Bumped Up Returns, And Investors Are On Board Anthropic’s On Claude Nine, Raising Cash And Eyeing A $170 Billion Valuation...

Investment management firm Fidelity read gold’s tarot cards – and they were full of fortune – while German software startup n8n could fetch a $1.5 billion valuation in its latest funding round. Today’s stories: Fidelity’s Looking At Gold, Expecting The Precious Metal’s Price To Go Up German Software Firm n8n Could Soon Output A $1.5 Billion Valuation Try Finimize Pro  

The US and the European Union struck a last-minute trade deal, but one side probably walked away with a little more pep in its step than the other, while Samsung landed its biggest-ever chipmaking deal, signing a Texas-sized contract with Tesla. Today’s stories: The US And The EU Made A Deal, But It Looks A Bit Better For One Side…   Samsung Landed A Supersized Contract To Make Tesla’s Latest AI C...

Volkswagen was forced to hit the proverbial brakes, downgrading its profit forecast in line with the impact from tariffs, while Chinese investors pushed a record-breaking wad of cash into Hong Kong’s markets. Today’s stories: Volkswagen Downgraded Its Forecast For The Year After Tariffs Put A Dent In Its Profit Chinese Investors Moved A Record Amount Of Money Into Hong Kong's Stocks Try Finim...

Deutsche Bank reported its best second-quarter profit in nearly two decades, and investors rewarded the lender’s hard work, while Blackstone made 25% more profit last quarter than the same time last year – a testament to the private equity firm’s new strategies. Today’s stories: Deutsche Bank Pocketed Some Serious Profit, And Investors Raised A Glass Private Equity Firm Blackstone Has Been Winning...

Retail investors selected the next moonshot stocks – and then sent them to space themselves – while the US and Japan struck a trade deal, spurred on by the promise of a $550 billion investment. Today’s stories: Retail Investors Are Piling Into Meme Stocks, Sending Share Prices Up The US And Japan Shook Hands On A Mutually Beneficial Trade Deal Try Finimize Pro

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 celebrated record highs on Monday, while South Korea’s FuriosaAI just won a chip contract with LG – which might make Nvidia look over its shoulder for once. Today’s stories: The S&P 500 And Nasdaq 100 Have Been Feeling Chipper, Notching All-Time Highs South Korean Chipmaker FuriosaAI Is Moving Fast, Signing A Major Deal With LG Try Finimize Pro

The Federal Reserve is refusing to cut interest rates, despite peer pressure from other central banks and the US president, while the London Stock Exchange might start letting traders pull all-nighters. Today’s stories: The Fed’s Holding Firm On Interest Rates, While Other Central Banks Prepare To Cut London Might Become The City That Never Sleeps, With Potential 24-Hour Trading Try Finimize Pro

The crypto industry hit a new milestone, as US lawmakers approved the first major piece of crypto legislation, while China’s carmakers are flooding foreign markets with cheap EVs, driving global rivals into a pricing panic. Try Finimize Pro  

AI startup Anthropic isn’t actively raising cash – but with chatbot Claude growing like crazy, investors are throwing money at it anyway – chipmaker TSMC revealed a record profit and raised its forecast, even while warning about two key risks. Today’s stories: Anthropic Could Be Worth Over $100 Billion With The Impression That Claude’s Made TSMC Posted Its Biggest Quarterly Profit Yet, Much To Inv...

ASML beat expectations for now – but with next year looking less sunny than the chipmaking firm originally thought, investors ditched its stock – while America’s biggest rare earth producer just landed a major government contract – and it’s aiming to loosen China’s grip on the global supply chain. Today’s stories: Chip Firm ASML’s Bleak Perspective On Next Year Gave Investors A Shock The US Wants...

Meta’s forged a plan to build AI megastructures so big that they’ll make New York City look small, while JPMorgan and Citigroup made a mint in trading, but both banks’ CEOs seemed more reserved than elated. Today’s stories: Meta’s Leveling Up Its AI Game With Data Centers The Size Of Manhattan JPMorgan And Citigroup Used The Tricks Of The Trade To Beat Expectations Try Finimize Pro  

Elon Musk is using SpaceX’s rocket cash to fuel his AI goals, with a $2 billion bet on xAI, while the EU’s prepping for a tariff breakup with the US – and lining up rebound trade partners just in case. Today’s stories: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Is Set To Invest $2 Billion Into His AI Startup, xAI The European Union Is Reconsidering Whether It Belongs With The US After All Try Finimize Pro  

Bitcoin flew to new highs, topping $118,000 as traders piled in ahead of US “Crypto Week”, while the president threatened new tariffs – adding to a growing list of surprise taxes. Today’s stories: Bitcoin Flew To The Moon, Blasting Past $118,000 For The First Time The US President Proposed Another New Tariff, This Time On Canadian Goods Try Finimize Pro

TSMC had another record-breaking quarter, soothing investors’ nerves and proving that chip demand is still red-hot, while Revolut’s in talks to raise $1 billion from investors – a funding round that would value the fintech at $65 billion. Today’s stories: TSMC Made Investors Chipper, Pulling In Record Revenue Yet Again Fintech Revolut Is Revved And Ready For A $1 Billion Funding Round Try Finimize...

The US president threatened to slap a 50% import tax on copper, sparking a buying frenzy that sent the metal’s price to a record high, while China's factory prices fell by the most in nearly two years, deepening deflation worries. Today’s stories: American Copper Prices Hit A Record High On The Threat Of Fresh Tariffs China’s Factories Are Fighting A Downhill Battle, With Prices On The Slide...

Samsung forecast its worst quarterly performance in a year and a half, while Amazon’s Prime Day might be full of prime cuts – and we’re not talking about steaks. Today’s stories: Samsung Just Warned That Its Second-Quarter Profit Probably Took A Big Dip Amazon’s Famous Prime Day Sale Might Look A Little Lonely This Year Try Finimize Pro