Markets & Industries
France wants champagne and wine exempted from 15% US tariffs - 07/30/2025
According to The Financial Times, France aims to have champagne and other wine items removed from the list of goods subjected to the 15% tariffs by the US. The Financial Times reports that the trade deal announced on Sunday between the US and the EU has “created confusion” in Brussels and Paris regarding which goods might be exempt from the new US tariffs. The EU sources from the FT mentioned...
Japanese 10-year government bond yields hit their highest since 2008 - 07/23/2025
Japan's 10-year government bond yields reached their peak since 2008 following news of a trade agreement with the United States and speculation about the prime minister's resignation. The yield increased by 10 basis points to 1.59% annually during Wednesday's trading. US President Donald Trump announced that Japan will put $550 billion into the American economy as part of a trade agreement with...
Mainland Chinese investors buy $102 billion in Hong Kong stocks this year - 07/23/2025
Bloomberg reports that investors from mainland China have acquired almost $102 billion in Hong Kong stocks this year. Chinese investors have purchased HK$800 billion ($101.9 billion) in Hong Kong-listed stocks, only $8 billion away from the annual record established in 2024. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index has risen 24% this year, marking one of the highest increases among the globe's major stock...
Cryptocurrency market capitalization exceeds $4 trillion due to US stablecoin law - 07/21/2025
The market cap of cryptocurrencies has surpassed $4 trillion for the first time, driven by a surge in altcoins and the US Congress's passage of a law to regulate stablecoins, according to Bloomberg. The agency reports that the options market indicates traders anticipate an even higher rise in the cryptocurrency's value in the weeks ahead. Fadi Abualfa, the research leader at the crypto brokerage...
Australian Woodside and Hyundai to evaluate LNG cooperation opportunities - 07/18/2025
Woodside Energy from Australia has established a memorandum of understanding with Korean firms Hyundai Engineering and Hyundai Glovis to collaborate on LNG project development, along with engineering services and transportation logistics. A joint press release states that the involved parties will concentrate on increasing their presence in key LNG markets. “The synergy of Woodside’s...
Hong Kong IPO filings hit record high in H1 - 07/08/2025
The count of firms submitting applications to be listed in Hong Kong reached a record peak in the year's first half. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) reported that 208 issuers sought primary or secondary listings from January to June, surpassing the former record of 189 companies during the same timeframe in 2021. Among them, 75 were submitted in June, setting a record for a single...
London IPO volume in January-June fell to its lowest since 1997 - 07/03/2025
According to Bloomberg's estimates, the combined total of initial public offerings in London for January to June 2025 was less than 200 million pounds ($274 million), marking the lowest level since 1997. The biggest IPO in this timeframe was by the professional services firm MHA Plc., which secured 98 million pounds. Cobalt Holdings Plc. has scrapped what was set to be the largest IPO in...
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund reduces net profit by 2.5 times in 2024 - 07/01/2025
The report from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund (Public Investment Fund, PIF) indicates a 60% decrease in its net profit for 2024. PIF's net profit was 25.8 billion Saudi riyals ($6.9 billion) last year, compared to 64.4 billion riyals the previous year. The reduction in the indicator was driven by elevated interest rates, inflation, and write-offs in project costs, primarily...
Israel stocks hit record, post EMEA's best gain in June - 06/26/2025
Israel's stock exchange reached an all-time peak amid the nation's war with Iran, as investors speculate that Israel will come out of the conflict more secure, Bloomberg states. The blue-chip TA-35 index has increased by 6.8% since Israel launched its initial attacks on Iran on June 13, reaching its highest point following the U.S. bombing of nuclear facilities on Sunday. The TA-35 and...
FT: $9 billion transferred in Russian sanctions evasion transactions via ruble-pegged stablecoin in Kyrgyzstan - 06/26/2025
The Financial Times reports, based on its analysis of crypto wallets, that transactions totaling approximately $9.3 billion occurred with a ruble-linked cryptocurrency named A7A5 over a span of four months. A7A5 is a stablecoin linked to the ruble at 1:1 ratio, launched in Kyrgyzstan in February 2025. The newspaper, referencing analysts, reports that this token is supposedly designed for...