Roland Magnusson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images AstraZeneca ( AZN ) has struck an obesity drug deal with Chinese company CSPC Pharmaceutical Group ( CHJTF) worth up to $18.5B to advance the development of multiple next-generation therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes . Under this agreement, the companies will initially progress four programs that utilize CSPC's AI-driven peptide drug discov...
Roland Magnusson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images AstraZeneca ( AZN ) has struck an obesity drug deal with Chinese company CSPC Pharmaceutical Group ( CHJTF) worth up to $18.5B to advance the development of multiple next-generation therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes . Under this agreement, the companies will initially progress four programs that utilize CSPC's AI-driven peptide drug discovery platform and their proprietary LiquidGel once-monthly dosing platform technology. AstraZeneca will receive exclusive global rights outside of China to CSPC's once-monthly injectable weight management portfolio, comprising one clinical-ready asset, SYH2082, a long-acting GLP1R/GIPR agonist progressing into Phase I and three preclinical programs. Both parties will also collaborate on four additional new programs, utilizing the platforms. CSPC will progress ongoing development of the four programs through Phase I completion, alongside the four new programs. Following successful completion of Phase I, AstraZeneca will be responsible for further development and commercialization in all territories outside of China. CSPC will receive an upfront payment of $1.2B from AstraZeneca and is also eligible to receive up to $3.5B in potential R&D milestone payments and up to $13.8B in potential sales milestone payments, plus up to double-digit royalties based on the annual net sales of the relevant licensed products. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. More on AstraZeneca 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Transcript AstraZeneca: Oncology Dominance Justifies New All-Time Highs China's CSPC Pharmaceutical, AstraZeneca partner on long-acting obesity drugs AstraZeneca to invest $15B in China through 2030
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives is doubling down on his bullish thesis for the “fourth industrial revolution,” identifying Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) as the two indispensable pillars of the burgeoning physical AI market. The Two Titans Of Physical AI While the tech world remains captivated by Large Language Models (LLMs) and chatbots, Ives argues that the most sign...
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives is doubling down on his bullish thesis for the “fourth industrial revolution,” identifying Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) as the two indispensable pillars of the burgeoning physical AI market. The Two Titans Of Physical AI While the tech world remains captivated by Large Language Models (LLMs) and chatbots, Ives argues that the most significant value is shifting toward machines that interact with the physical world. For Ives, two companies stand alone at the summit of this transition. “It just comes down to like physical AI, the two best physical AI plays in the market, Tesla, and the other one, it’s the godfather of AI, Jensen, Nvidia,” Ives stated. “Those to me are the two biggest and the best physical AI plays in the world,” Ives told CNBC International. Tesla's Software Pivot And The $800 Bull Case For Tesla, the narrative has shifted from vehicle delivery counts to high-margin software adoption. Ives believes that Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology is the primary engine that will transform Tesla's valuation, forecasting a potential leap in adoption from 12% to 50%. “I believe we talk about $600 base case, but $800 bull case, is… ….the margin story that’s going to start take hold,” Ives explained. He described 2025 as a “huge transition year” leading into a “golden year” in 2026, driven by the convergence of FSD, autonomous Cybercabs, and robotics. Nvidia: The Infrastructure Powering The Boom While Tesla represents the “Visionary” application of physical AI, Ives views Nvidia as the bedrock of the entire movement. He characterizes Jensen Huang's company as the essential provider of the hardware that makes autonomous systems and industrial robotics possible. According to Ives, Nvidia will “continue to lead the infrastructure powering the AI boom.” He argues that the company remains “four to five years ahead of any other chip player,” making it the primary beneficiary of the massive capital expenditure c...
Economic growth in the Czech Republic accelerated last year, driven mainly by domestic demand as households increased spending fueled by rising incomes. Gross domestic product in 2025 rose 2.5%, almost doubling the pace from 1.3% expansion in the previous year, according to a flash estimate published by the Prague-based statistics office on Friday. The economy expanded 2.4% in the last quarter fro...
Economic growth in the Czech Republic accelerated last year, driven mainly by domestic demand as households increased spending fueled by rising incomes. Gross domestic product in 2025 rose 2.5%, almost doubling the pace from 1.3% expansion in the previous year, according to a flash estimate published by the Prague-based statistics office on Friday. The economy expanded 2.4% in the last quarter from a year earlier, and rose 0.5% on the previous three months. Household consumption was the main driver of economic growth, according to the statistics office. Czechs are spending more as rising real wages boost household purchasing power after inflation returned close to the official target. Foreign trade also had positive contribution to growth in the fourth quarter, the office said Robust household spending underscores the central bank’s cautious approach to monetary policy as increasing demand has been fueling rapid growth in the cost of services, as well as driving home prices up at a fast pace. Policymakers have left the benchmark rate unchanged at 3.5% since May, pointing to a series of home-grown inflation risks. Still, some central bankers have signaled there may be room to cut borrowing costs this year if domestic price pressures show signs of easing and disinflation effects come from the global economy. Read more: Czech Policymaker Waits for Right Moment for One More Rate Cut
Morning, I’m Louise Moon from Bloomberg UK’s breaking news team, bringing you up to speed on today’s top business stories. In his effort to forge closer ties with China, Keir Starmer has poked the bear. It’s the very thing he wanted to avoid. US President Donald Trump has warned it is “dangerous” for the UK to strike fresh business deals with China, putting the Prime Minister’s balancing act strat...
Morning, I’m Louise Moon from Bloomberg UK’s breaking news team, bringing you up to speed on today’s top business stories. In his effort to forge closer ties with China, Keir Starmer has poked the bear. It’s the very thing he wanted to avoid. US President Donald Trump has warned it is “dangerous” for the UK to strike fresh business deals with China, putting the Prime Minister’s balancing act strategy at risk – and potentially raising the prospect of additional tariffs. It came just hours after Starmer met with President Xi Jinping. The deals are coming thick and fast. AstraZeneca has agreed an obesity deal with China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group worth up to $18.5 billion . That’s after the pharma giant, whose chief Pascal Soriot is with the PM in China, said it’ll invest $15 billion on the mainland through 2030. Octopus Energy , whose CEO Greg Jackson is also in tow, has announced it is entering China through a joint venture. Whisky tariffs have been lowered , visa-free travel agreed and greater access to Chinese markets for British firms promised . Starmer may have touted a “very warm” meeting with Xi, but he’ll be hoping interactions with Trump don’t turn chilly. What’s your take? Ping me on X , LinkedIn or drop me an email at lmoon13@bloomberg.net. Oh, and do subscribe to Bloomberg.com for unlimited access to trusted business journalism on the UK, and beyond. What We’re Watching Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters has given a definitive answer to an often-asked question: The bank will never move its headquarters to Asia . Winters said StanChart wouldn’t want to choose between its two largest markets of Hong Kong and Singapore, and is “firmly entrenched” in London. London’s ever-optimistic top property brokers have finally cracked. Having overestimated house price growth in the capital’s priciest areas for years, Savills , for instance, now sees back-to-back annual declines . That’s its first gloomy prediction since the aftermath of the global financial crisis. UK ...
Former UK Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, who led the Liberal Democrats from 2017 to 2019, speaks to Bloomberg about the UK's relationship with China, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's trip this week. Cable says the "erratic behavior" of US President Donald Trump means countries like the UK are having to "hedge" and build a relationship with Beijing. (Source: Bloomberg)
Former UK Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, who led the Liberal Democrats from 2017 to 2019, speaks to Bloomberg about the UK's relationship with China, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's trip this week. Cable says the "erratic behavior" of US President Donald Trump means countries like the UK are having to "hedge" and build a relationship with Beijing. (Source: Bloomberg)
iPhone maker reported $42.1 billion in net income against consensus calls of $36.33 billion. “Great quarter, guys.” 🍎 Record Numbers, Chill Stock Reaction Wall Street’s response stayed muted. When a company this big delivers a blowout, the bar moves higher. “Great quarter” is the expectation, not the surprise here. iPhone sales did the heavy lifting. Revenue from Apple’s flagship device surged 23%...
iPhone maker reported $42.1 billion in net income against consensus calls of $36.33 billion. “Great quarter, guys.” 🍎 Record Numbers, Chill Stock Reaction Wall Street’s response stayed muted. When a company this big delivers a blowout, the bar moves higher. “Great quarter” is the expectation, not the surprise here. iPhone sales did the heavy lifting. Revenue from Apple’s flagship device surged 23% to $85.3 billion as users upgraded faster than usual, pushing total quarterly sales to a record $144 billion. posted its strongest quarter ever, with revenue jumping 16% year over year and net income hitting $42.1 billion, well above consensus. Shares moved about 0.5% higher after hours. 📱 iPhone Demand, China Comeback Apple now counts more than 2.5 billion active devices worldwide, up from 2.35 billion a year ago. That installed base is important because it feeds recurring revenue from services, upgrades, and accessories. The December quarter showed renewed strength in China, a market that has worried investors in recent years. Strong demand there helped smooth concerns about competition and pricing pressure in the region. 🤖 Costs, AI, and What’s Next On the other hand, investors remain focused on rising costs, which helped keep the stock range-bound despite the headline beat. Margin pressure matters when growth expectations are already sky-high. Apple guided for 13% to 16% revenue growth in the March quarter, comfortably ahead of consensus. The outlook says momentum continues, even if the stock takes a breather.
US President Donald Trump sued the US Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for at least US$10 billion over an unauthorised disclosure of his tax returns to the press during his first term in office, potentially putting American taxpayers on the hook for a massive payout. The suit was filed on Thursday in Miami federal court by Trump, his sons Donald Jnr and Eric, and the Trump Organization,...
US President Donald Trump sued the US Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for at least US$10 billion over an unauthorised disclosure of his tax returns to the press during his first term in office, potentially putting American taxpayers on the hook for a massive payout. The suit was filed on Thursday in Miami federal court by Trump, his sons Donald Jnr and Eric, and the Trump Organization, which manages the president’s real estate holdings. Trump had long criticised the IRS for allegedly working to undermine him for political purposes. Trump’s lawsuit revisits a clash that took centre stage weeks before the 2020 election, when The New York Times published an explosive report on Trump’s tax records that was based on leaked IRS data. Advertisement Former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn pleaded guilty to stealing Trump’s tax data and leaking it to the Times. He also stole tax records for thousands of other wealthy Americans, including Ken Griffin, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, which he leaked to ProPublica. Littlejohn, known as Chaz, gave data to The New York Times and ProPublica between 2018 and 2020 in leaks that appeared to be “unparalleled in the IRS’s history,” prosecutors said. Advertisement The disclosure violated IRS Code 6103, one of the strictest confidentiality laws in federal statute.
Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. DoorDash announced a nationwide partnership with Hibbett to offer on demand delivery of athletic footwear, apparel, and gear across the US. The company also appointed Milan Kovac, a former robotics and AI leader at Tesla and Boston Dynamics, to its board of directors. For investo...
Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. DoorDash announced a nationwide partnership with Hibbett to offer on demand delivery of athletic footwear, apparel, and gear across the US. The company also appointed Milan Kovac, a former robotics and AI leader at Tesla and Boston Dynamics, to its board of directors. For investors watching NasdaqGS:DASH, these updates land as the stock trades around $207.68, with a 1 year return of 10.1%. Over a 3 year period, the return is about 3.3x, while the 5 year return is 9.7%, reflecting a company that has already gone through significant shifts in market expectations. The Hibbett deal extends DoorDash further into non food retail, and the addition of Milan Kovac points to a stronger focus on robotics and AI within its logistics network. Together, these moves may be important for how DoorDash positions itself as an everyday commerce platform rather than just a restaurant delivery app. Stay updated on the most important news stories for DoorDash by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on DoorDash. NasdaqGS:DASH Earnings & Revenue Growth as at Jan 2026 How DoorDash stacks up against its biggest competitors The Hibbett partnership pushes DoorDash deeper into non food retail, giving it access to roughly 1,000 brick and mortar locations and well known brands like Nike and adidas, which could support more frequent app usage beyond meals. For investors comparing DoorDash with Uber, Instacart, or Amazon, this move fits the trend of delivery platforms trying to become broader everyday commerce hubs rather than single category services. How This Fits The DoorDash Narrative Both existing investor narratives around DoorDash highlight the tension between heavier tech investment and the potential efficiency gains from AI and automation, and the appointment of Milan Kovac sits squarely in that debate....
Premiership Women's Rugby executive chair Genevieve Shore says she is "very disappointed" the league remains unable to secure a title sponsor. England won a home World Cup in front of 81,885 spectators at Twickenham in September and the league has enjoyed a boost in attendances and TV viewers since then. A title sponsor for the English top flight would support the league's growth, bringing more mo...
Premiership Women's Rugby executive chair Genevieve Shore says she is "very disappointed" the league remains unable to secure a title sponsor. England won a home World Cup in front of 81,885 spectators at Twickenham in September and the league has enjoyed a boost in attendances and TV viewers since then. A title sponsor for the English top flight would support the league's growth, bringing more money, stability and credibility. As Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) returns on Friday following a winter break, Shore finds 90% of her time is spent on seeking such a backer, saying: "I will be more than disappointed if we go into the fourth season without a title partner." Why does a title sponsor remain elusive for PWR? And what might help?