According to preliminary estimates from the World Gold Council (WGC), global central banks raised the amount of gold in their gold and foreign currency reserves by 22 tons in June. WGC analyst Krishan Gopaul observes that purchases have steadily increased for three consecutive months, although the outcome for the first half of the year is below the figure from the same timeframe last year (around...

In France, the Energy Regulatory Commission revealed that state subsidies for renewable energy sources (RES) will increase by 23% in 2026, reaching an all-time high of €9 billion. The notable rise in expenditures stems from the increasing adoption of solar, wind, and biogas energy throughout the nation. Simultaneously, France continues to obtain a considerable portion of its electricity from...

According to research firm Gartner, global expenditure on information technology (IT) will rise by 7.9% in 2025, surpassing $5.4 trillion. Expenditure on data centers will increase significantly this year, by over 42%. Simultaneously, IT services will continue to be the largest sector, with an estimated value of around $1.7 trillion. According to Gartner Vice President John-David Lovelock,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...