Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened lower Friday, as cautious optimism over the Middle East conflict tempered sentiment, diverging from Wall Street's record-setting rally. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that the war in Iran "should be ending pretty soon," reiterating rosy predictions about the end of the conflict. Hours earlier, Trump confirmed that Israel an...
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened lower Friday, as cautious optimism over the Middle East conflict tempered sentiment, diverging from Wall Street's record-setting rally. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that the war in Iran "should be ending pretty soon," reiterating rosy predictions about the end of the conflict. Hours earlier, Trump confirmed that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire , starting at 5 p.m. ET. Iran's parliament speaker has said that Israel halting attacks on Lebanon is a key condition for U.S.-Iran negotiations to start. The next round of in-person talks between the U.S. and Iran may occur " probably, maybe, next weekend ," Trump said Thursday. A two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran will expire on April 21. West Texas Intermediate fell 1.43% to $93.34 per barrel as of 8:02 p.m. ET, while Brent crude fell 1.14% to S$98.28 per barrel. Japan's export credit agency, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, will set up an investment window of up to 600 billion yen ($3.8 billion) to help Asian countries secure energy supplies, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said. She added that oil market volatility is affecting foreign exchange markets. Investors are also digesting comments by Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda on Friday, who said the central bank must take Japan's low real rates into account when setting policy. Japan's Nikkei 225 saw some profit-taking following a record high on Thursday, slipping 0.7%, while the Topix was down 0.62%. South Korea's Kospi was down 0.43% while the small-cap Kosdaq declined 0.35%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.28%. Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 26,229, compared with the index's last close of 26,394.26. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon The S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures were trading around the flatline. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 71 points, or more than 0.1%. During Thursday's regular session, the S&P...
microgen/iStock via Getty Images With the S&P 500 racing ahead to new all-time highs, powered by a return to "risk on" sentiment and a rebound in tech stocks, many investors are asking, "What pockets of the stock market are still buying opportunities, especially for investors who are cautious on valuations? I continue to find international e-commerce plays like Sea ( SE ) and MercadoLibre ( MELI )...
microgen/iStock via Getty Images With the S&P 500 racing ahead to new all-time highs, powered by a return to "risk on" sentiment and a rebound in tech stocks, many investors are asking, "What pockets of the stock market are still buying opportunities, especially for investors who are cautious on valuations? I continue to find international e-commerce plays like Sea ( SE ) and MercadoLibre ( MELI ) to be very opportunistic buys, supported by their secular emerging-market tailwinds and rising profit. MercadoLibre is down ~10% since the start of the year and roughly ~20% from highs near $2,300 notched just earlier this year in February, technically putting the stock in a bear market. The question for investors now is, will the pain continue, or is it time to buy the dip? Data by YCharts I last wrote a buy article on MercadoLibre in January, when the stock was trading at ~$2,100 per share. While my buy call was too premature, my conviction in the company has only increased after its recent decline in share prices, giving us an even lower, more de-risked entry point in a fiercely growing business. We are especially encouraged by MercadoLibre's strong GMV growth over the holiday quarter, which helps to demonstrate that the company's secular tailwinds are powering past global macroeconomic consumer malaise. I reiterate my buy rating here. To me, these are the key reasons to be long on MercadoLibre: Massive GMV growth rates in Brazil and Mexico MercadoLibre is achieving >30% y/y GMV growth in its two largest markets, which are Brazil and Mexico. Though MercadoLibre is already the dominant e-commerce giant of Latin America, it is exhibiting growth rates that are closer to a startup. Secular emerging market tailwinds and two highly attractive revenue streams MercadoLibre operates in some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, including and especially Brazil, a member of the so-called "BRICS" countries. The company isn't just an e-commerce brand, but its fintech arm, M...
Beneath the rigid honour codes of the criminal underworld, ancient Chinese thieves operated in a high-stakes gamble against the state. For those who broke the law and were captured, the cost of failure was inscribed on their skin or paid in blood through facial tattooing, brutal amputations, or the executioner’s blade. From mastering qinggong (light body technique) to extreme contortion, their ski...
Beneath the rigid honour codes of the criminal underworld, ancient Chinese thieves operated in a high-stakes gamble against the state. For those who broke the law and were captured, the cost of failure was inscribed on their skin or paid in blood through facial tattooing, brutal amputations, or the executioner’s blade. From mastering qinggong (light body technique) to extreme contortion, their skills offered insight into a shadowy realm characterised by cunning, strict discipline, and...
In China’s hyper-competitive and lucrative tech industry, releasing cutting-edge artificial intelligence models for free may seem counter-intuitive – but it has become a core business strategy. At the University of Hong Kong last November, Alibaba Group Holding chairman Joe Tsai was asked why the tech giant open-sourced its AI models. Addressing a room full of students, Tsai said he believed open-...
In China’s hyper-competitive and lucrative tech industry, releasing cutting-edge artificial intelligence models for free may seem counter-intuitive – but it has become a core business strategy. At the University of Hong Kong last November, Alibaba Group Holding chairman Joe Tsai was asked why the tech giant open-sourced its AI models. Addressing a room full of students, Tsai said he believed open-source AI would bring global benefits by lowering costs, making it a natural fit for talent- and...
When it comes to hotel rooms, “luxury” does not necessarily mean clean and hygienic. A number of studies have shown that light switches and television remote controls are among the objects with the highest levels of bacterial contamination, while toilets and bathroom sinks also contain high levels of microbial organisms. A 2012 survey in the United States – which is still cited by the travel indus...
When it comes to hotel rooms, “luxury” does not necessarily mean clean and hygienic. A number of studies have shown that light switches and television remote controls are among the objects with the highest levels of bacterial contamination, while toilets and bathroom sinks also contain high levels of microbial organisms. A 2012 survey in the United States – which is still cited by the travel industry 14 years later – found that 81 per cent of US hotel samples tested positive for surface faecal...
过去的两年是 AI 技术的「狂飙时代」，企业争相试水，在算力红利与应用尝鲜中野蛮生长。 2026 年，AI正在加速商业逻辑的质变：从浅层单点的工具调用，转向底层的系统重构。 以往依靠单点提效与流量红利拉动增长的惯性正被打破，取而代之的，是一个更要求「全链路商业闭环」的价值深水区。在这一年，仅仅「接入 AI」不再带来绝对安全感， AI 的业务渗透密度与决策参与深度，才是增长的真正底气。 在这个范式转...
过去的两年是 AI 技术的「狂飙时代」，企业争相试水，在算力红利与应用尝鲜中野蛮生长。 2026 年，AI正在加速商业逻辑的质变：从浅层单点的工具调用，转向底层的系统重构。 以往依靠单点提效与流量红利拉动增长的惯性正被打破，取而代之的，是一个更要求「全链路商业闭环」的价值深水区。在这一年，仅仅「接入 AI」不再带来绝对安全感， AI 的业务渗透密度与决策参与深度，才是增长的真正底气。 在这个范式转移的关键时刻， 品牌怎样穿透技术的迷雾，找到真正「把AI用好」的底层逻辑？怎样构建系统，找到那条通往「韧性增长」的确定性路径？ 由数说故事主办的「AI共生·韧性增长」 2026 D3 智慧增长大会，将于4月24日在上海重磅开启。 汇聚 AI 原生领域领航者、全球增长标杆品牌、实战操盘手，共同直面 「人味 vs 算法」 的行业核心命题，深度探索 AI 如何从消费洞察走向成交，找到品牌韧性增长的新答案。 大会开幕在即，带你先睹为快，抢先解锁 2026 AI商业新信号： 1、组织的进化与重构：从「人力层级」转向「Agentic Enterprise」 组织不再执着于人力的无限扩张，而是通过 AI Agent赋能，深挖个体生产力的极限，重塑现代工作模式。 在 AI 2.0 向 AI 3.0 迈进的节点上，智能体应用大爆发时代已经来临，根据 Xsignal 最新发布的《GenAI行业冲击力矩阵图谱》显示，当前 AI 研发工具和 AI 效率提升类应用，正分别以 515.74% 和 394.98% 的惊人复合年均增长率（CAGR）狂飙，传统生产要素正在被极速替代。根据数说聚合数据，与Agentic相关的内容声量近3个月来超2703万，互动量超1.7亿。 在线下， 飞书×安克创新AI录音豆 、 GetSeed录音卡 等智能语音硬件化身为员工的「数字感官」，将碎片化的沟通与灵感实时捕获，无缝转化为系统的决策上下文； 在线上， OpenClaw、Hermes AI 等开源架构的涌现，新时代 Agent OS 的系统底座初现雏形，让 AI 彻底告别了单一的对话框，进化为拥有「永久记忆」与「自我进化能力」的赛博员工； 而在人机协同的控制中枢，一门全新的 「Harness Engineering（驾驭工程）」 正在崛起，这套工程让人类真正化身「指挥官」，把零散的灵感，直接变现为 AI 替你干活、直接...
In this article @CL.1 @LCO.1 Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. Alexander Manzyuk | Reuters Oil prices fell after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the war in Iran "should be ending pretty soon," while a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon raised hopes of easing supply disruptions. U...
In this article @CL.1 @LCO.1 Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. Alexander Manzyuk | Reuters Oil prices fell after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the war in Iran "should be ending pretty soon," while a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon raised hopes of easing supply disruptions. U.S. crude oil futures for May delivery fell 1.45% to $93.32 per barrel. International benchmark Brent for June delivery declined 1.11% to $98.36 per barrel. Trump on Thursday said that "the war in Iran is going along swimmingly," reiterating rosy predictions about the end of the war that began on Feb. 28. Hours earlier, Trump said in a Truth Social post that a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET. He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun would be invited to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between the two countries since 1983. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon The U.S. State Department said both sides aimed to create conditions for lasting peace, including mutual recognition of sovereignty. The department said the effort included improved border security and reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defense. It also noted shared concerns over non-state armed groups from undermining Lebanon's sovereignty. Trump said he expects Lebanon to "take care of Hezbollah," the Iran-backed militant group. The developments raised hopes of a broader resolution to the Middle East conflict. Oil prices were drifting lower on expectations that the U.S. and Iran could extend their ceasefire by another two weeks and potentially resume talks to end the conflict, ING said. "However, the physical market is becoming tighter every day that passes without a restart of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz," ING analysts said in a note. Even accounting for pipeline rerouting and limited t...