(RTTNews) - European stocks are seen opening broadly higher on Wednesday as unexpectedly weak December U.S. retail sales data prompted traders to price in a further two rate cuts of 25 basis points from the Federal Reserve this year. With Federal Reserve officials signaling patience on rate cuts, the focus now shifts to the delayed jobs report later in the day and the CPI report on Friday. Inflati...
(RTTNews) - European stocks are seen opening broadly higher on Wednesday as unexpectedly weak December U.S. retail sales data prompted traders to price in a further two rate cuts of 25 basis points from the Federal Reserve this year. With Federal Reserve officials signaling patience on rate cuts, the focus now shifts to the delayed jobs report later in the day and the CPI report on Friday. Inflation and job creation are expected to hold steady, but revisions to the 2025 jobs numbers are expected to be large. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said the present level of dollar is more balanced and is beneficial for promoting exports and economic growth. He anticipates the GDP could exceed 5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 and possibly surpass 6 percent in the first quarter of 2026. White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett recently warned that U.S. labor market data could be weaker in the near term. Asian markets were broadly higher as rate cut expectation lifted U.S. equity futures. Investors also weighed China's latest inflation figures. China's annual consumer price inflation unexpectedly cooled from 0.8 percent in December to 0.2 percent in January, raising fresh concerns about persistent deflationary pressures in the world's second-largest economy. The deflation in producer price inflation persisted, with prices falling 1.4 percent year-on-year in January after declining 1.9 percent in December. The dollar dropped against all of its major peers and U.S. Treasury yields fell across the curve following the release of weak U.S. retail sales data. Gold traded up half a percent above $5,050 an ounce. Oil edged higher as traders assessed the risks of supply disruptions in the Middle East ahead of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump. Overnight, U.S. stocks ended mixed after two days of gains. The Dow inched up 0.1 percent, but the S&P 500 dipped 0.3 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ...
China’s top chipmaker has warned that breakaway spending on artificial intelligence chips is bringing forward years of future demand, raising the risk that some data centers could sit idle. “Companies would love to build 10 years’ worth of data center capacity within one or two years,” Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. ’s Co-Chief Executive Officer Zhao Haijun said Wednesday on a cal...
China’s top chipmaker has warned that breakaway spending on artificial intelligence chips is bringing forward years of future demand, raising the risk that some data centers could sit idle. “Companies would love to build 10 years’ worth of data center capacity within one or two years,” Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. ’s Co-Chief Executive Officer Zhao Haijun said Wednesday on a call with analysts. “As for what exactly these data centers will do, that hasn’t been fully thought through.” AI-related infrastructure investment is projected to exceed $3 trillion over the next five years, according to Moody’s Ratings, as developers pour eye-watering sums into data centers to house training and inference chips designed by companies including Nvidia Corp. , Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co. In 2026 alone, the combined capital expenditure of Alphabet Inc. , Amazon.com Inc. , Meta Platforms Inc. and Microsoft Corp. is on track to reach $650 billion, driven by their costly AI arms race. Read More: Big Tech to Spend $650 Billion This Year as AI Race Intensifies China’s leading AI developers, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. , Tencent Holdings Ltd. and ByteDance Ltd. , are also investing heavily in AI infrastructure equipped with both Nvidia chips and domestically produced alternatives. SMIC operates chipmaking plants from Beijing to Shanghai and Shenzhen, but it can only manufacture less advanced AI chips compared with those produced by Nvidia and its contract manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. , due to US export restrictions that limit access to cutting-edge equipment. The surge in spending has also triggered a shortage of high-bandwidth memory, a critical high-end component that enables advanced AI computing. The tight supply of HBM could persist for years, as new capacity takes time to build and qualify, Zhao said. SMIC’s domestic clients, including Huawei and Cambricon Technologies Corp. , are aiming for a rapid ram...
peshkov/iStock via Getty Images On Tuesday morning, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) published their monthly read on small business sentiment. As shown below, the headline index was pretty much uninteresting, with a marginal drop of 0.2 points to 99.3. This index has now consistently been narrowing following the surge in response to the 2024 election, and the latest reading i...
peshkov/iStock via Getty Images On Tuesday morning, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) published their monthly read on small business sentiment. As shown below, the headline index was pretty much uninteresting, with a marginal drop of 0.2 points to 99.3. This index has now consistently been narrowing following the surge in response to the 2024 election, and the latest reading is not only in the middle of that post-election range, but also in the middle of the historical range, ranking in the 49th percentile. While the headline index isn't jumping off the page, there have been some interesting details under the hood. The January drop in the index occurred on weak breadth as six of the nine inputs fell month over month. Non-inputs to the Optimism Index saw stronger breadth, with five of the eight indices rising. Among several topics we discussed in our Morning Lineup today, we noted how labor market indices included in the NFIB report have been trending in the right direction. In the charts below, we show a more granular look at each of the six relevant indices to this category. As shown, hiring and compensation plans did fall in January, but that was counteracted by observed upticks in actual employment and compensation. For actual employment changes, January saw a net positive reading (meaning firms saw net hiring during the month) for the first time since last April. Further, since 2020, positive readings have also been somewhat uncommon, only occurring 17.8% of the time. While those readings were not at any sort of significant high, this month's report saw the lowest share of respondents reporting jobs as hard to fill since July 2020. Additionally, labor was cited as the biggest single problem for only a quarter of firms, tying last May for the lowest share since May 2020. Looking to the other side of the production function, capex has seen an interesting divergence. Capex plans dropped to 18 for the joint lowest reading since 2010. Conversely,...
Thai Noipho/iStock via Getty Images Strategy overview Unconstrained and flexible approach, investing broadly across the global debt markets. Portfolio review The final quarter of 2025 opened under the cloud of a government shutdown, which delayed key labor and inflation data and forced policymakers and investors to rely on secondary indicators. While the economic impact was modest, the lack of tra...
Thai Noipho/iStock via Getty Images Strategy overview Unconstrained and flexible approach, investing broadly across the global debt markets. Portfolio review The final quarter of 2025 opened under the cloud of a government shutdown, which delayed key labor and inflation data and forced policymakers and investors to rely on secondary indicators. While the economic impact was modest, the lack of transparency added uncertainty and weighed on market sentiment. Credit markets also faced idiosyncratic shocks: subprime auto lender Tricolor filed for Chapter 7 amid allegations of double-pledged collateral, and First Brands Group collapsed under tariff pressures and internal misconduct. At the same time, robust corporate investment in AI and data center infrastructure drove heavy issuance, causing credit spreads to widen from historically tight levels before retracing as supply normalized. These dynamics fueled ongoing debate about whether enthusiasm around AI spending could be signaling early signs of overexuberance. Trade tensions, particularly with China, remained a persistent backdrop but did not escalate materially. Once official data resumed, it confirmed labor market cooling, with two weaker payroll reports. Inflation remained elevated but stable, allowing the U.S. Federal Reserve to deliver two rate cuts in 4Q25 while maintaining a cautious tone going forward. Against this environment, fixed income markets generally performed well: front end rates declined, and credit sectors delivered modest excess returns. For the quarter, the Fund outperformed the Index on a NAV basis. Sector allocation decision contributed to relative performance, with our allocation to non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) being the largest individual contributor. Similarly, our overweight to agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which was tactically adjusted throughout the quarter, was also a strong contributor. However, this was counterbalanced by our security selection c...
(Bergen, 11. februar 2026) Mowi rapporterte rekordhøye inntekter på 1,59 milliarder euro (18,7 milliarder kroner) og et operasjonelt driftsresultat på 213 millioner euro (2,5 milliarder kroner) i fjerde kvartal. Mowi avsluttet 2025 med en rekke rekorder, både i fjerde kvartal og for året som helhet. Norges største matprodusent og verdens største lakseoppdretter har aldri hatt høyere inntekter og s...
(Bergen, 11. februar 2026) Mowi rapporterte rekordhøye inntekter på 1,59 milliarder euro (18,7 milliarder kroner) og et operasjonelt driftsresultat på 213 millioner euro (2,5 milliarder kroner) i fjerde kvartal. Mowi avsluttet 2025 med en rekke rekorder, både i fjerde kvartal og for året som helhet. Norges største matprodusent og verdens største lakseoppdretter har aldri hatt høyere inntekter og slaktevolumer i et år enn det hadde i fjor, med omsetning på 5,73 milliarder euro (67 milliarder kroner) og slaktevolum på 559 000 tonn, som tilsvarer en årlig vekst på 11,4%. Også volumene i fjerde kvartal på 152 000 tonn var sesongmessig rekordhøye. – Jeg er svært fornøyd med at vi leverer på vår strategi, og er imponert av organisasjonen som nok en gang sørger for både rekordvolumer og rekordinntekter gjennom hele verdikjeden. Det er også gledelig at kostnadene er ned i oppdrettsvirksomheten med til sammen 176 millioner euro i 2025 (2,1 milliarder kroner), og er forventet å synke ytterligere i 2026, sier konsernsjef i Mowi, Ivan Vindheim. Lakseprisen økte som forventet i fjerde kvartal i et år som har vært preget av lave laksepriser som resultat av svært høy tilbudsvekst på 12%. Til tross for dette leverte Mowi relativt sett tilfredsstillende resultater i både kvartalet på 213 millioner euro (2,5 milliarder kroner) og for året samlet sett på 727 millioner euro (8,5 milliarder kroner), som tilsvarer en avkastning på sysselsatt kapital på 13,3%. Volumveksten fortsetter Volumvekst er en av Mowis strategiske pilarer, og veksten innen oppdrettsvirksomheten har vært sterk de siste årene. På få år har Mowi gått fra å være en 400 000 tonn-oppdretter til å bli en 600 000 tonn-oppdretter. – 2025 markerte nok et rekordår for Mowi, og i 2026 forventer vi å fortsette utviklingen og slakte 605 000 tonn. Dette representerer en årlig vekst på 8,3% sammenlignet med 1% forventet vekst for næringen. I tillegg har vi aldri hatt mer fisk i sjø på dette tidspunktet av året med 8,7% mer enn på ...
(Bergen, 11 February 2026) Mowi reported record-high revenues of EUR 1.59 billion and operational EBIT of EUR 213 million in the fourth quarter. Mowi ended 2025 by once again setting a number of new records, both for the fourth quarter and for the full year. Norway’s largest food producer and the world’s largest salmon farmer has never had better revenues or harvest volumes than in 2025, with turn...
(Bergen, 11 February 2026) Mowi reported record-high revenues of EUR 1.59 billion and operational EBIT of EUR 213 million in the fourth quarter. Mowi ended 2025 by once again setting a number of new records, both for the fourth quarter and for the full year. Norway’s largest food producer and the world’s largest salmon farmer has never had better revenues or harvest volumes than in 2025, with turnover of EUR 5.73 billion and harvest volumes of 559,000 tonnes, equivalent to annual growth of 11.4%. At 152,000 tonnes, volumes in the fourth quarter were also seasonally record-high. “I am delighted that we are delivering on our strategy and am impressed yet again by the way this whole organisation constantly strives for both record volumes and record revenues throughout the value chain. It is also pleasing to see that costs in Farming are down by EUR 197 million and are expected to fall even more in 2026,” Mowi CEO Ivan Vindheim said. Salmon prices increased as expected in the fourth quarter, rounding off a year marked by low prices resulting from extremely high supply growth of 12%. Despite this, Mowi delivered relatively solid results both for the quarter at EUR 213 million and for the full year at EUR 727 million, corresponding to a return on capital employed of 13.3%. Volume growth is one of Mowi’s strategic pillars and the farming business has seen impressive growth in recent years. In just a few years, Mowi has grown from a 400,000-tonne farmer to a 600,000-tonne farmer. “2025 marked yet another record harvest year for Mowi and we expect to continue down this path by harvesting 605,000 tonnes in 2026. This represents annual growth of 8.3%, compared with 1% expected industry growth. We have never had so much fish in the sea at this time of year, with 8.7% more than at the same time last year. All of which positions us well for further growth,” said Vindheim. Mowi Consumer Products, the group’s downstream processing business, delivered another solid quarter and an im...
Europe’s software companies are set for slower earnings growth than their hardware counterparts this year, compounding fears in global markets that artificial intelligence will reshape software firms’ business models. Europe’s software companies — the firms whose services could be disrupted by the advent of more sophisticated AI tools, including SAP SE , Dassault Systemes SE and Reply SpA — are ex...
Europe’s software companies are set for slower earnings growth than their hardware counterparts this year, compounding fears in global markets that artificial intelligence will reshape software firms’ business models. Europe’s software companies — the firms whose services could be disrupted by the advent of more sophisticated AI tools, including SAP SE , Dassault Systemes SE and Reply SpA — are expected to see earnings-per-share growth slow to 13% compared with 17% last year, Bloomberg Intelligence data shows. On the flip side, Europe’s chipmakers and makers of semiconductor equipment — the firms providing the infrastructure underpinning the AI boom, including Infineon Technologies AG and ASML Holding NV — are set for an earnings jump of 21% in 2026, compared with just 7% growth in 2025. Startup Anthropic PBC’s release of a new AI plug-in to automate legal work triggered a global selloff among software and IT companies last week as investors rushed to limit their exposure to companies whose products could become redundant in the age of AI. The launch of an AI tool from an online insurance platform on Monday aggravated investors’ fears about how AI applications can upend a variety of industries. “AI is going to be a drag on revenue growth of IT firms over the next 1-2 years as the deflation in revenues from existing service lines will more than offset emerging revenue streams from AI adoption,” Jefferies analyst Akshat Agarwal wrote in a note. Estimates don’t yet fully reflect that risk, he added, which could pressure valuations. Already, a divergence between software and hardware stocks has emerged this earnings season. While chipmaker equipment manufacturer ASML reported record orders and an upbeat outlook, German software giant SAP disappointed investors with lackluster growth in its cloud business. Similar dynamics are playing out in China, where earnings estimates for the country’s broader information technology firms have been outpacing the country’s biggest co...
Markets steadied today after last week’s choppy finish. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) rose 0.54% to 6,976.44, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) added 0.56% to 23,592.11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) climbed 1.05% to 49,407.66 as stocks shook off early commodity-driven selling. Market movers Investors are becoming more cautious about companies that spend a lot on AI, part...
Markets steadied today after last week’s choppy finish. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) rose 0.54% to 6,976.44, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) added 0.56% to 23,592.11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) climbed 1.05% to 49,407.66 as stocks shook off early commodity-driven selling. Market movers Investors are becoming more cautious about companies that spend a lot on AI, particularly whether those investments are paying off, which is dividing tech stocks. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) jumped again today on bullish analyst commentary, putting it firmly on the positive side of the split. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) dipped following news reports about potentially stalled OpenAI investments. Telecommunications heavyweight AT&T (NYSE:T) gained attention after closing its Lumen fiber deal. Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) lagged after lukewarm growth forecasts in its earnings report. What this means for investors Stocks found their footing again, boosted by positive manufacturing data. Today’s Institute for Supply Management report showed factory activity had grown in January, taking it to its highest point since August 2022. Volatility in precious metals continued. Prices fell further over the weekend, triggering margin calls, and recovered a little during the day. The drops put an end to record-breaking rallies in gold and silver, and raise questions about whether worse is still to come. Investors will be watching after-hours earnings from Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) today for signs of over- or underperformance. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) are also due to report this week. The January jobs report, due Friday, will be delayed because of the partial government shutdown. Where to invest $1,000 right now When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor’s total average return is 942%* — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 196% for the S&P 500. They just revealed what they believe ar...
Photo: VCG Shares of CETC Lantian Technology Co. Ltd., a Chinese developer of aerospace power systems, skyrocketed in their trading debut on Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR Market on Tuesday, reflecting bullish sentiment over prospects for a company that provided power devices for the country’s first satellite. The stock opened at 80.88 yuan ($11.7), a 750% premium to its IPO price, before paring som...
Photo: VCG Shares of CETC Lantian Technology Co. Ltd., a Chinese developer of aerospace power systems, skyrocketed in their trading debut on Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR Market on Tuesday, reflecting bullish sentiment over prospects for a company that provided power devices for the country’s first satellite. The stock opened at 80.88 yuan ($11.7), a 750% premium to its IPO price, before paring some gains to end the day up 596.3%, giving the company a market value of 114.5 billion yuan.