The Finimize Daily Brief

The US president extended his tariff truce – but warned trade partners backing “anti-American policies” that they could be next in line for extra duties – while Hong Kong became the world’s busiest IPO market, after Chinese firms ditched the mainland and the US. Today’s stories: The US President Threatened Trade Partners With A Wall Of Higher Tariffs Hong Kong Has Been King Of IPOs This Year, With...

The US economy was takin’ care of business in June, creating a lot more jobs than expected, while OpenAI signed a $30 billion-a-year deal with Oracle. Today’s stories: The US Economy Did A Bang-Up Job Last Month, Adding 147,000 New Positions OpenAI And Oracle Just Shook Hands On A $30 Billion-A-Year Power Play Try Finimize Pro  

The US set a trade deadline and told Japan to shake hands or face a tariff shakedown, while a Chinese tech brand released the world’s thinnest foldable phone, showing Samsung what’s what. Today’s stories: The US Showed Its Independent Streak, Threatening Japan With More Tariffs Honor Just Earned Itself A Top Seat With The World’s Thinnest Foldable Phone Try Finimize Pro  

Robinhood’s stock broke its own record, after the platform unveiled tokens for OpenAI and SpaceX, and Apple’s considering swapping in-house AI projects for deals with OpenAI or Anthropic. Today’s stories: Robinhood Unveiled Plans To Give Out Tokens For OpenAI And SpaceX Apple Might Move AI Development Out Of House – Over To OpenAI Or Anthropic Try Finimize Pro

China just approved a local drugmaker’s weight-loss medicine, effectively ending Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s two-horse race, while US utility firms are set to make record infrastructure investments – but Big Tech may still go entirely off-grid. Today’s stories: Novo Nordisk And Eli Lilly Have A Rival In The Weight-Loss Drug Fight America’s Utility Firms Are Powering Up Their Infrastructure Spendi...

The US and China signed a deal to make rare earth minerals… well, a little less rare – while Xiaomi’s decision to branch out from smartphones to smart cars continued to pay off. Today’s stories: The US And China Cooked Their Beef, Agreeing On A Rare Earth Mineral Deal Xiaomi’s Answer To Tesla Got A Big Thumbs Up From Drivers And Investors Try Finimize Pro  

Nvidia’s stock notched a record high for the first time since January, giving the chipmaker back the title of “world’s most valuable company”, while crypto could soon be used to qualify for federal home loans, with US housing regulators moving toward recognizing digital assets like bitcoin. Today’s stories: Nvidia Reclaimed Its Crown As The World’s Most Valuable Company Americans Might Soon Be Abl...

Carmakers are driving off without Apple’s CarPlay upgrade, choosing to stick with in-house dashboard software instead - while Novo Nordisk dumped telehealth platform Hims & Hers over  weight-loss drugs, and heartbroken investors sent both stocks down. Today’s stories: Carmakers Have Been Hitting Pause On Apple’s Upgrade To CarPlay Novo Nordisk Ended Things With Hims & Hers After A Weight-L...

The UK wants to bring Google to heel, using new rules that could force the tech giant to make big changes, while crypto platform Circle’s stock fell on Tuesday after surging 750% – and now the hype around stablecoins is being brought into question. Today’s stories: UK Regulators Said “Down, Boy” To Google, Hoping To Keep A Tighter Leash Circle’s Stock Bolted Since The Platform Went Public, But Now...

Tesla rolled out robotaxis in Texas, and investors whipped the firm’s stock higher, while America’s housing market showed a flicker of light – but it’ll need more gusto to properly brighten up again. Today’s stories: Investors Gave Tesla’s Stock A Giddy-Up After The Firm’s Austin Robotaxi Launch US Home Sales Showed A Glimmer Of Hope, But There’s Still A Ways To Go Yet Try Finimize Pro  

SoftBank’s dreaming up a trillion-dollar AI empire in the desert, for an industry that’s already feeling all kinds of heat, while Pop Mart’s creepy-cute Labubu dolls have sparked a global craze – and with shares up sixfold, the $20 toy is delivering luxury-level returns. Today’s stories: SoftBank’s Going For AI And Cacti, With Plans To Build A Trillion-Dollar US Desert Hub Pop Mart’s Plushies Fuel...

Big firms like Microsoft and Amazon are cutting office jobs faster than you can say “artificial intelligence” – and, up against economy-busting deflation, Switzerland cut interest rates to a flat zero: zilch, nil, nada. Today’s stories: Corporate America Has Been Laying Off Workers, Assigning Their Tasks To AI Instead The Swiss National Bank Did Some Franc Talking And Trimmed Interest Rates To Zer...

xAI is burning through cash fast – so now, Elon Musk needs a fundraiser to keep the fire alive – while Netflix signed a deal with France’s biggest commercial broadcaster, bringing traditional TV into the streaming sphere. Today’s stories: xAI Wants To Spend Big, So Elon Musk Is Raising Funds To Keep Grok Chatting Netflix Just Struck A Deal With France’s TF1 Network For Live TV Next Summer Try Fini...

Walmart and Amazon are considering adding stablecoins as a method of payment – and investors saw the writing on the wall for card companies – while Mitsubishi’s thinking about buying an American gas producer, in what’d be the Japanese firm’s biggest purchase ever. Today’s stories: Amazon And Walmart Are Eyeing Up Stablecoins As A Form Of Payment Mitsubishi’s In Talks To Buy A US Gas Producer – And...

China’s latest economic update suggested that the government’s annual growth target might be within reach, while Chinese biotech stocks have come into their own this year, pulling ahead of the country’s buzzing tech sector. Today’s stories: China’s Latest Update Was A Mixed Bag, But Retail Sales Added Some Heft Investors Don’t Need A Spoonful Of Sugar To Sweeten China’s Biotech Stocks Try Finimize...

Abu Dhabi’s state-backed oil firm sized up BP with a twinkle in its eye and a proposal in mind, while toymaker Mattel has teamed up with OpenAI to bring the smart tech to Barbie… and beyond. Today’s stories: Abu Dhabi’s State-Owned Oil Company Is Considering Proposing To BP Mattel Is Teaming Up With OpenAI To Create Smart, Talking Toys Try Finimize Pro

China will ramp up exports of essential production materials to the US again – but only for a matter of months – while Nvidia and Samsung put their money where humanoids’ mouths are. Today’s stories: China Agreed To Send More Rare Earths Stateside – But For A Limited Time Only Nvidia And Samsung Want To Be A Part Of The Next Generation Of Robots Try Finimize Pro

Credit rating agency Moody’s warned against Wall Street letting individual investors invest in (formerly unavailable) private markets, while Blackstone’s planning to invest $500 billion in Europe over the next decade, betting big on the bloc’s growing appeal. Today’s stories: Wall Street Thinks That Sharing Is Caring, But Moody’s Doesn’t Agree Blackstone Is Saying “Yes” To Europe, Pledging To Inve...

Two of China’s biggest coffee chains – known for their cheap offerings – are moving into Starbucks’s home turf, while the UK’s betting big on small nuclear reactors, aiming to fuel its homes and power-hungry AI future in one atomic move. Today’s stories: Look Out, Starbucks: Two Big Chinese Coffee Chains Are Expanding Into The US The UK Just Ordered A Fleet Of Compact Nuclear Reactors From Rolls-R...

Meta’s considering a $10 billion investment in Scale AI, a startup that already counts Microsoft and OpenAI as customers, while the UK is gearing up to allow retail investors to buy coin-tracking crypto funds – a move that the US and Europe have both already made. Today’s stories: Meta Might Scale Its AI Plans Up With A $10 Billion Investment In… Scale AI The UK’s Planning To Flip The Script On It...

Tesla’s stock suffered a record one-day loss as its CEO engaged in a very public spat with the US president, while India’s central bank announced a jumbo interest rate cut – aiming to rev up the country’s economy even as global uncertainty grows. Today’s stories: Tesla’s Stock Is Suffering The Fallout From Elon Musk’s Political Spat The Reserve Bank of India Cut Interest Rates – And By A Decent Ch...

Deliveroo’s new drone service took off in Dublin, offering food delivery via air in as little as three minutes, while the European Central Bank made its eighth interest rate cut in a year, as trade tensions weigh on the bloc’s economy. Today’s stories: Deliveroo Is Taking Off, Launching Its First-Ever Drone Food Delivery Service The European Central Bank Cut Interest Rates Again – All The Way Down...

Chinese AI startup Manus launched a text-to-video tool to rival OpenAI’s one, betting that speed, access, and strategy will outplay spendier rivals – while US carmakers are considering moving some auto parts production to China, with export bans threatening to shut down their assembly lines. Today’s stories: Manus Launched A Text-To-Video Tool To Compete With The Likes Of OpenAI US Carmakers Might...

A major European defense company bagged a spot in the Euro Stoxx 50 index, kicking out one of the world’s most famous luxury firms in the process, while private equity firm Thoma Bravo closed a $34 billion fundraiser – and broke records for both this year and last. Today’s stories: Defense Company Rheinmetall Nabbed A Spot In The Euro Stoxx 50 Thoma Bravo Grabbed Investors’ Attention And Pulled In...

China denied breaking its trade deal with the US and picked a bone instead, leaving investors bracing for more trouble between the two, while America’s manufacturing sector slowed down for the third month in a row. Today’s stories: China Denied Any Trade Truce Violation, And Pointed The Finger Back At The US America’s Factory Sector Slowed Again, For Its Third Straight Month Of Shrinkage Try Finim...