New Zealand’s economy contracted sharply in the third quarter of 2024, with GDP plummeting by 1.0% compared to the previous quarter, according to government data. This contraction dwarfed market expectations of a modest 0.2% decline. Combined with a revised 1.1% drop in Q2, the economy has met the technical definition…
The UK stock market, long overshadowed by its global peers, may finally be on the cusp of a significant revival in 2025. Despite achieving a modest 6% gain in 2024, the FTSE 100 has consistently lagged behind benchmarks like the Euro Stoxx 50 and the S&P 500. Yet, a combination…
Moody’s has downgraded the ratings of seven major French banks, including BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole, citing spiralling national debt and political dysfunction that could persist into 2025. The move reflects broader concerns about France’s ability to address its growing €3.2 trillion debt burden amid worsening fiscal conditions and a…
Europe’s economy enters 2025 in a precarious state. Years of underinvestment in innovation, dependence on exports, and political fragmentation have created systemic vulnerabilities. Coupled with external pressures like US trade policies and intensifying competition from China, the continent’s economic trajectory raises pressing questions about its capacity to adapt and thrive.…
Instagram, the photo and video-sharing social media platform, is on track to become Meta Platforms’ (META) primary engine for advertising revenue in the United States by next year. According to a new report from research firm Emarketer, Instagram is set to account for over half of Meta’s total advertising revenue…
Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK) is in focus this morning after announcing a $2.0 billion deal with Hansoh Pharma. The said agreement wins it rights to HS-10535 – an experimental weight-loss pill (oral) developed by the Chinese drugmaker. Hansoh will receive an upfront payment of $112 million from Merck…
InceptionLRT and Amphor Labs announced a pioneering agreement to develop a modular restaking architecture for the decentralized financial (DeFi) world in Latin America. This collaboration aims to rethink how players obtain rewards and manage risks in the ever-changing world of decentralized finance. According to material given with Cointelegraph in Spanish,…
With the Trump administration promising another wave of tariffs on US imports, American toymakers are bracing for impact. Companies like Atlanta-based Kids2 are revisiting product designs and supply chain strategies to minimize the cost burden of potential levies, Reuters reports. Kids2, for instance, has a track record of innovation in…
Oklo Inc (NYSE: OKLO) is pushing to the upside today after announcing a landmark power deal with Switch. The agreement dubbed “one of the largest corporate clean power agreements ever signed” will see it deploy 12 gigawatts of nuclear power over the next two decades – and positions the advanced…
The Federal Reserve, in a widely anticipated move, lowered its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday, marking the third consecutive reduction. However, this latest easing came with a cautionary undertone, hinting at a more measured approach to further rate cuts in the coming years. This decision,…