The European Central Bank will raise interest rates in June as the Iran war drives inflation higher this year, a Bloomberg survey showed. The quarter-point increase is likely to be the only such move, however, as the conflict won’t cause a long-lasting price shock, according to the April 9-15 poll. Inflation is predicted to accelerate to 2.8% this year — up from a prior prediction of 2%. It’s then...
The European Central Bank will raise interest rates in June as the Iran war drives inflation higher this year, a Bloomberg survey showed. The quarter-point increase is likely to be the only such move, however, as the conflict won’t cause a long-lasting price shock, according to the April 9-15 poll. Inflation is predicted to accelerate to 2.8% this year — up from a prior prediction of 2%. It’s then expected to fall back to 2.1% in 2026 and 2% in 2027 — in line with the ECB’s target. ECB officials are currently leaning toward keeping rates on hold when they next meet at the end of April, according to people familiar with the debate. Some, including Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel , argue that action at that point can’t be excluded. When economists were last polled , before the ECB’s March meeting, they predicted the central bank would sit out the conflict without any response. Investors have been pricing more forceful action and are currently betting on two hikes this year. The fighting in the Middle East and resulting spike in energy costs have put the ECB in a tricky spot as raising borrowing costs would crimp a nascent economic recovery in the 21-nation euro zone. Analysts reckon output will rise just 0.9% this year — down from an earlier forecast of 1.2% as higher energy prices weigh on companies and households. Growth is then seen picking up to 1.3% in 2027 and 1.4% in 2028. ECB Officials Are Said to Be Leaning Toward April Rate Hold Nagel Says ECB April Hike Not Excluded as Iran Situation Opaque Schnabel Says ECB Can Afford to Take Time to Assess Iran War
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"Bloomberg: The Asia Trade" brings you everything you need to know to get ahead as the trading day begins in Asia. Bloomberg TV is live from Tokyo and Sydney with Shery Ahn and Haidi Stroud-Watts, getting insight and analysis from newsmakers and industry leaders on the biggest stories shaping global markets. (Source: Bloomberg)
Apple Inc. ’s marketing executive in charge of the Apple Watch, AirPods, health and smart home initiatives said he’s retiring, marking a changing of the guard for a series of key product lines. Stan Ng, who has worked at Apple for 31 years, said Thursday that he is leaving the company. In his role, he helped devise the original Apple Watch and has overseen the development of subsequent versions of...
Apple Inc. ’s marketing executive in charge of the Apple Watch, AirPods, health and smart home initiatives said he’s retiring, marking a changing of the guard for a series of key product lines. Stan Ng, who has worked at Apple for 31 years, said Thursday that he is leaving the company. In his role, he helped devise the original Apple Watch and has overseen the development of subsequent versions of the device along with other notable accessories. His claim to fame at the company was helping launch the original iPod and serving as a key marketing executive for that product line. He also participated in product launch videos for major releases, including the iPod touch in 2007. “After 31 years at Apple, today was my last day,” Ng wrote on LinkedIn. “It was a joy to work at Apple and I truly loved what I did.” Ng started at Apple as a system engineer in 1995, predating the return of Steve Jobs. Apple’s latest stock unit vesting date was Wednesday, and many employees who retire or leave choose to do so around this time. John Giannandrea , Apple’s longtime artificial intelligence chief, is also leaving, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Ng’s exit. Ng’s departure adds to a list of major figures stepping away, spanning both the Jobs era and current Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook ’s tenure. Last year, operations chief Jeff Williams retired , while former hardware engineering leader Dan Riccio exited the year prior. Apple’s head of environment and government affairs, Lisa Jackson, retired earlier this year, while its longtime general counsel — and now Jackson’s replacement as head of government affairs — is set to leave later in 2026. Its head of user interface design, Alan Dye , left for Meta Platforms Inc. at the end of 2025. Ng is the third major executive tied to the company’s smartwatch, health and fitness efforts to leave recently. Williams ran those groups until his retirement, while Jay Blahnik, the compa...
(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc.’s marketing executive in charge of the Apple Watch, AirPods, health and smart home initiatives said he’s retiring, marking a changing of the guard for a series of key product lines.Stan Ng, who has worked at Apple for 31 years, said Thursday that he is leaving the company. In his role, he helped devise the original Apple Watch and has overseen the development of subsequen...
(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc.’s marketing executive in charge of the Apple Watch, AirPods, health and smart home initiatives said he’s retiring, marking a changing of the guard for a series of key product lines.Stan Ng, who has worked at Apple for 31 years, said Thursday that he is leaving the company. In his role, he helped devise the original Apple Watch and has overseen the development of subsequent versions of the device along with other notable accessories.His claim to fame at the company was h
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 3 satellites to track all? Chinese radar images confirm US military fears Last month, China released a series of undated radar images ...
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 3 satellites to track all? Chinese radar images confirm US military fears Last month, China released a series of undated radar images of the Towa Maru. It marked the first time ever that a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) synthetic aperture...
Wachiwit/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Netflix ( NFLX )( NFLX:CA )( ZNFL:CA ) just reported its Q1-2026 results, and the initial headline numbers are good. EPS beat estimates ($1.23 in GAAP EPS vs. the company's $0.76 estimate ), and so did revenue ($12.25 billion, beating by $80 million ). Netflix is even launching vertical video at the end of the month. But the stock still fell 9% to around ...
Wachiwit/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Netflix ( NFLX )( NFLX:CA )( ZNFL:CA ) just reported its Q1-2026 results, and the initial headline numbers are good. EPS beat estimates ($1.23 in GAAP EPS vs. the company's $0.76 estimate ), and so did revenue ($12.25 billion, beating by $80 million ). Netflix is even launching vertical video at the end of the month. But the stock still fell 9% to around $98. So, what gives? It's down because of lower-than-expected guidance and news that co-founder Reed Hastings will step down as chairman. The EPS beat was also mainly due to a one-time gain, which I'll talk about more later on. But investors are ignoring the fact that Netflix's monetization is improving (helping margins expand) and that the company continues to innovate. Plus, the valuation is still rich for a streaming company in a highly competitive industry, but it's lower than usual. On top of that, Netflix is the industry leader, and its growth rate is solid. Based on those factors, the stock can perform relatively well from here. I think it's a cautious Buy. I'll get into the earnings results and then explain why I'm cautiously optimistic. Netflix's Results In Detail As I said above, NFLX beat EPS and revenue estimates. Revenue grew by 16% YoY, or 14% on a constant-currency basis. Meanwhile, the EPS beat mainly came from the $2.8 billion termination fee that NFLX received recently. Basically, Paramount Skydance ( PSKY ) outbid Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery ( WBD ), and they then paid Netflix $2.8 billion as a result. Not bad. But management also said that a higher-than-projected operating income helped EPS results. Operating income grew 18%. That's the more important number to focus on. The Disappointing Guidance And The Part Investors Are Ignoring What investors didn't like, though, was the guidance. You can see it below. Q2 revenue guidance of $12.57 billion was below the $12.63 billion consensus, and expected EPS of $0.78 is lower than the $0.84 consensus. ...
Javier Ruiz/iStock via Getty Images Century Aluminum ( CENX ) said late Thursday it began production of the first hot metal from the expansion project at its South Carolina plant in Mt. Holly, which will boost total U.S. primary aluminum output by ~10%. Century ( CENX ) said the project, which is expected to reach full production by the end of June, i ncreases the company's leading position as the...
Javier Ruiz/iStock via Getty Images Century Aluminum ( CENX ) said late Thursday it began production of the first hot metal from the expansion project at its South Carolina plant in Mt. Holly, which will boost total U.S. primary aluminum output by ~10%. Century ( CENX ) said the project, which is expected to reach full production by the end of June, i ncreases the company's leading position as the largest U.S. producer of primary aluminum . U.S. aluminum prices have surged following President Trump's Section 232 tariff on imports of the metal, pushing up costs for domestic consumers but driving record investment in American aluminum production. Century ( CENX ) is also partnering with Emirates Global Aluminum to build the first primary aluminum smelter in the U.S. since 1980; the new Oklahoma -based smelter will create another 750K metric tons of primary aluminum production, doubling current U.S. capacity. More on Century Aluminum Century Aluminum: A High-Stakes, Strait of Hormuz Hedge Century Aluminum: Don't Count On Tariffs, But On Its Market Position Century Aluminum Presents at 35th BMO Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals Conference - Slideshow