BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - Alibaba on Tuesday revealed its next-generation XuanTie C950 5-nanometer processor at an internal conference on Tuesday, local media reported, as the Chinese tech giant gears up for the shift towards agentic AI. * The 3.2 GHz server chip, built using open-source RISC-Vchip architecture, was billed as "the highest performing RISC-VCPU in the world" at a conference h...
BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - Alibaba on Tuesday revealed its next-generation XuanTie C950 5-nanometer processor at an internal conference on Tuesday, local media reported, as the Chinese tech giant gears up for the shift towards agentic AI. * The 3.2 GHz server chip, built using open-source RISC-Vchip architecture, was billed as "the highest performing RISC-VCPU in the world" at a conference hosted by DAMO Academy,Alibaba's research arm, according to the reports. * The chip performs more than three times faster than itspredecessor, the XuanTie C920, the reports said. * The company did not reveal which fab manufactured thechip. * Alibaba did not immediately respond to an emailed requestfor comment. * Alibaba is accelerating in-house chip development throughits T-Head semiconductor arm, primarily focusing on the Zhenwu810E chip series for AI training and inference, while theXuanTie series is focused on high-performance cloud systems andagentic AI. * The move comes after Alibaba last week launched Wukong,its enterprise platform optimised for AI agent workflows, ascompanies and institutions throughout China adopt OpenClaw. * Its international equivalent, Accio Work, was launched onMonday. The agentic AI platform says it can autonomously runcomplex business operations for small and medium-sizedenterprises. * The firm reorganised some of its AI-focused teams underthe newly created Alibaba Token Hub earlier this month, whichfocuses on building AI work platforms for enterprises. * The business strategy shift comes as Alibaba finds newways to ensure profitability as Chinese AI models' token priceshave dropped dramatically amid fierce domestic competition. (Reporting by Laurie Chen and Che Pan; Editing by Kevin Buckland)
AlexSecret/iStock via Getty Images By Elior Manier Volatility is the new norm in 2026. If anybody's surprised, they haven't done their homework properly! Donald Trump is a controversial President – he moves markets in high fashion almost every session, sometimes even more often. After last year's TACOs, the President, Commander-in-Chief of the US Army, is shifting assets in up-and-down flashes thr...
AlexSecret/iStock via Getty Images By Elior Manier Volatility is the new norm in 2026. If anybody's surprised, they haven't done their homework properly! Donald Trump is a controversial President – he moves markets in high fashion almost every session, sometimes even more often. After last year's TACOs, the President, Commander-in-Chief of the US Army, is shifting assets in up-and-down flashes through his new Department of War and ceaseless surprises. The first polemic was the capture of Venezuelan dictator/President Nicolas Maduro, and the second is the ongoing US-Iran-Israel War, which commenced at the beginning of the month. But this isn't Trump's first investiture. On his first, he was also similarly moving markets – today, he introduced a new shift in rhetoric regarding the Middle East conflict. He mentioned, initially in a Truth Social post and then in a public address, that US-Iran talks are back on the table, not even four full weeks into the war. The initial reactions were aggressive and swift, but traders suddenly held their breaths as Iran denied such headlines. WTI Oil 30M. March 23, 2026 – Source: TradingView But looking into the details, a breaking news story could really confirm the latest claims from the US President, as Iranian Parliament Speaker Qalibaf officially flew to Pakistan with American and Israeli approval – this would confirm the potential talks that should happen in the near future. The issue for risk assets and market sentiment is that things won't be clear until the war officially ends; more particularly, when ships and tankers are finally able to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Markets are now stabilizing after a surreal spike in volatility in the morning session. Yields are much lower than their Friday scary highs, pricing for hikes is evaporating, and gold dipped to $4,100 but is now stabilizing above $4,400. Rate Hikes/Cuts Pricing for the September FOMC meeting – Pale blue is past session, Dark blue is the current You know these are u...
Japan’s 40-year government bond auction drew demand that was in line with its 12-month average as higher yields attracted investors despite escalating tensions in the Middle East. The bid-to-cover ratio at Tuesday’s sale was 2.54 compared with 2.76 at the last auction, and a 12-month average of 2.54. Japan’s bonds held onto gains after the sale. Bond yields globally have climbed as a surge in ener...
Japan’s 40-year government bond auction drew demand that was in line with its 12-month average as higher yields attracted investors despite escalating tensions in the Middle East. The bid-to-cover ratio at Tuesday’s sale was 2.54 compared with 2.76 at the last auction, and a 12-month average of 2.54. Japan’s bonds held onto gains after the sale. Bond yields globally have climbed as a surge in energy costs leads traders to position for central bank rate hikes. Japan’s 40-year rate is hovering around 3.75%, not far off from its record high hit in January. Japan relies on the Middle East for about 90% of its oil imports, so prolonged conflict in the region risks fueling inflation in the Asian nation. Bonds rebounded after President Donald Trump said the US would postpone strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure after what he called “productive conversations” with the country. The rise in bond yields and oil prices are feeding into yen weakness even after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda kept the possibility of an April rate hike on the table at the central bank’s policy meeting last week. Japan’s top currency official said Monday that the government will take all possible steps to respond to speculative moves in markets as needed. The country plans to reduce sales of government bonds during the fiscal year starting in April, focusing on cuts to super-long debt. The finance ministry is also preparing to reclassify its liquidity supply auctions so it can improve conditions in the long-term zone, according to people familiar with the plan.
Writer and feminist organizer Gloria Steinem spoke at a Bloomberg New Voices event in New York about financial independence, establishing her 'talking circles' and the balance of control of assets in a wide-ranging conversation with Morgan Stanley Managing Director Sherry Paul. (Source: Bloomberg)
Writer and feminist organizer Gloria Steinem spoke at a Bloomberg New Voices event in New York about financial independence, establishing her 'talking circles' and the balance of control of assets in a wide-ranging conversation with Morgan Stanley Managing Director Sherry Paul. (Source: Bloomberg)
Key Points Palantir's revenue soared 70% year over year in its most recent quarter. Its commercial business in the United States continues to expand at a staggering pace, jumping 137% year over year. The stock's price-to-earnings ratio is 255, but its forward price-to-earnings ratio is much lower. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › It has been a wild ride for Palantir Technologi...
Key Points Palantir's revenue soared 70% year over year in its most recent quarter. Its commercial business in the United States continues to expand at a staggering pace, jumping 137% year over year. The stock's price-to-earnings ratio is 255, but its forward price-to-earnings ratio is much lower. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › It has been a wild ride for Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) shareholders recently. The data analytics company's stock has rebounded sharply over the last 30 days, rising about 23%. But, zooming out, the growth stock is still down almost 10% year to date. This recent surge in buying interest comes as geopolitical conflicts may have some investors concluding that demand for intelligence tools that aid governments and military operations -- Palantir's specialty -- is accelerating. Driven by intense enterprise demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Palantir's business is scaling powerfully in recent quarters. But that doesn't automatically make it a great investment. To be a good investment, shares have to be appropriately priced. And even the fastest-growing businesses can be mispriced. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » So, is Palantir stock overvalued after its recent run-up, or is its momentum just the beginning? The Palantir logo. Image source: The Motley Fool. Staggering top-line momentum Looking at Palantir's fourth-quarter update, the business's momentum is downright spectacular. The software provider's total revenue reached $1.41 billion -- up 70% year over year. And a closer look at the quarterly numbers reveals that domestic commercial adoption is the AI data company's main driver. Palantir's U.S. commercial revenue skyrocketed 137% year over year to $507 million. And while the domestic commercial sector is boom...
Nearly 150,000 New Zealand families will soon receive a weekly cash payment to help them afford petrol, the government has announced, in what is believed to be the world’s first fuel relief package that directly pays citizens since the Iran war began. On Tuesday, prime minister Christopher Luxon and finance minister Nicola Willis announced roughly 143,000 families with children will get an extra N...
Nearly 150,000 New Zealand families will soon receive a weekly cash payment to help them afford petrol, the government has announced, in what is believed to be the world’s first fuel relief package that directly pays citizens since the Iran war began. On Tuesday, prime minister Christopher Luxon and finance minister Nicola Willis announced roughly 143,000 families with children will get an extra NZ$50 ($29.20; £21.80) a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit – a payment to families with dependent children where at least one parent is in paid employment and neither parent receives benefits. Another 14,000 families on slightly higher incomes will also be eligible for payments, but will receive less than $50 per week. The increase will be temporary, lasting for one year from 1 April, or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 ($1.75; £1.30) a litre for four consecutive weeks. Petrol prices have increased roughly 40-50 cents a litre, pushing the average price of unleaded fuel to more than $3 per litre in New Zealand since the Middle East conflict began. Meanwhile, some petrol stations have reported running out of petrol, as people rush to stock up. As of Tuesday, the country had 46 days’ worth of combined petrol, diesel and jet fuel stocks. Luxon said the priority was ensuring the country had sufficient fuel supply, but he was conscious that the increasing price at the pump was “eating into household budgets”. Willis said the policy was targeted to families “in the squeezed middle” – parents who were working, not eligible for benefits and had modest household incomes. The ministers accepted that some New Zealanders would be disappointed they were not be eligible. “We cannot control global oil markets or international conflicts, but we can soften the impact on working families who cannot easily avoid higher fuel costs by delivering support in a responsible and well-targeted way,” Willis said. But the relief package fails to help those hit hardest by th...