Sony Group reported stronger-than-expected December-quarter results, with operating profit rising sharply despite currency volatility and higher memory component costs, as the company’s entertainment and semiconductor businesses supported performance.The Japanese technology and entertainment conglomerate posted revenue of 3.71 trillion Japanese yen ($23.68 billion) for the quarter, slightly ahead of LSEG SmartEstimates…
Asian markets retreated on Thursday as investors rotated out of technology stocks amid mounting concerns over the escalating cost of artificial intelligence investment. At the same time, precious metals markets were rocked by another sharp decline in silver prices, while geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, including renewed US-China engagement and continued…
China’s electric vehicle market showed clear signs of strain at the start of the year, with January sales highlighting weaker domestic demand and intensifying competition. BYD, the country’s largest electric carmaker, recorded its lowest monthly electric passenger car sales in nearly two years, adding to concerns about how quickly China’s…
Precious metals experienced a sharp decline in price on Thursday, with both gold and silver falling amidst a broad market sell-off. This pressure was driven by the dollar’s rise to almost a two-week high and indications of a relaxation in US-China trade tensions.Silver lost 10% since its last close as…
Yum! Brands announced Wednesday that it will close approximately 250 underperforming Pizza Hut locations across the United States during the first half of 2026. The move comes as the parent company, which also oversees KFC and Taco Bell, continues a formal strategic review of the struggling pizza chain that could…
For the past 30 years, the West prioritized “cheap and fast,” effectively outsourcing the messy, toxic, and complex work of mineral refining to China.Meanwhile, China played the long game. The result is a world where the transition to artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and advanced defense systems currently requires permission from…
ArcelorMittal closed the final quarter of 2025 with results that exceeded market expectations, reinforcing signs of a recovery taking shape across Europe’s steel industry. The Luxembourg-headquartered group reported stronger core profit as steadier demand outside China, combined with regulatory support in Europe to improve trading conditions.Earnings beat underpinned by resilient…
Argentina, Guyana, and Brazil are on track to spearhead Latin American oil production growth in 2026, though the potential reintegration of Venezuelan output casts uncertainty over the region’s long-term capital expenditure outlook, Rystad Energy said in its latest update.Despite the supermajors’ long-term caution regarding underwriting risks in Venezuela, the country…
British oil major Shell reported its weakest quarterly profit in nearly five years on Thursday, a slump attributed to a softer crude price environment and unfavorable tax adjustments in the fourth quarter.Crude oil prices hovered around $60 per barrel in the last quarter of 2025 as oversupply concerns dampened sentiments…
Wars like the Russia-Ukraine one don’t end when diplomats sit down. They end when pressure becomes harder to absorb than compromise. 4 years later, Russia and Ukraine are still fighting, still talking, and still testing how much strain their systems can take before something gives.The battlefield has frozen into lines,…